Disclaimer: Do not own KH characters.


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Once we go through, there's no turning back. It's victory… or oblivion. So, are you ready?

-Riku

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Dark mahogany eyebrows gathered ominously as he listened to the late evening news. A storm cloud was inevitably amassing among his harsh, rigid features, and it was a matter of time before the calamity broke loose.

"…President of Tron Electronics was found murdered. His bodyguards and other security staff were also found dead, the total count is not confirmed right at this moment. Local police is refusing to release any more information, and there has been no clue of a suspect…"

The monotone voice from the television droned on as police sirens wailed in the background. Riku watched his superior's face grow more and more grim as the minutes dragged by. The dark-maned man finally closed his eyes, and heaved a tedious sigh. He clicked the mute button, and turned to face his audience.

"Commissioner is on the scene already. We have gathered some evidence, and the direction, or rather, lack there of, is very… disappointing." He turned to the silver-haired youth.

"Riku, I want you to go with Tifa to the scene and report back," he turned to a slim brunette, "Aerith, keep me posted on the latest developments and ... Yuffie," the cheerful woman responded with alacrity, "Go get me some Tylenol." Her face fell at his command, but she obeyed nevertheless. All four left the well-lit room promptly, and the man was left by himself. He glared at the flashing TV screen in consternation.

"Here's your Tylenol, Squall," Yuffie murmured when she returned.

"Leon."

It was a request that went ignored every time, but he still persisted for old time's sake. She only called him by his given name when they were alone, and he could be grateful for that. If only she could stop using that name altogether. His real name was his link to the past, a past he wanted to forget.

He glanced at Yuffie inconspicuously, and found her to be unexpectedly subdued. Maybe she sensed the gravity of the situation, and traded her bubbly demeanor for a more serious one. Maybe she did it for his benefit. Or maybe not.

"Thanks. Could you run by the cabinet and get the files on the Organization members?"

Chocolate eyes widened at his request, and Yuffie couldn't help but blurted out, "You're not serious? You think this case is related?"

"I never said that. But there is always a possibility, and right now, the Organization seems to be the only ones capable of committing such a high-risk homicide and getting away with it."

She nodded as his words digested and swiftly returned with the requested documents. There were thick manila folders in her arms, and the huge stack of paper made an ominous thump as it made contact with Leon's desk. The stoic man raised an eyebrow at the impressive amount of paperwork, and then looked up at Yuffie's uneasy face.

"Four years worth of criminal activities, newspaper clippings, victims' autopsies, and other useful information. Looks like you got a lot of work ahead of you," she turned briskly and tried to make her escape.

"You mean, 'we' got a lot of work ahead of 'us'" her superior corrected in a deadpan tone. Yuffie, with one foot already out the door, faced him with a sheepish grin.

Dang, I almost made it too.

xxXxXxXxx

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Filtered sunlight drew bright stripes on his face. Sora turned in his sleep and tried to hold on to the last vestiges of sleep. His muddled consciousness slowly pulled itself out of dreamland.

I don't wanna go to work today. Work… Mr. Lance… the hooded man… Shit!

With a sudden yell, he sprung upright in his bed. With wild eyes, the brunette surveyed the room, his room, frantically. A pounding at his temples alerted him to an upcoming headache, and Sora slowly rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

What happened? Wasn't I at the hotel… in that strange room with all those strange people?

He looked down at himself. He was still dressed in his waiter uniform, but that wasn't unusual since he fell into bed before taking off his clothes before. His keys, wallets and personal belongings are in their usual spot on his dresser. Everything's exactly as he left it.

Sora let out the breath he's been holding.

It was all a dream. Nothing happened, no strange men in cloaks, no secret rooms, and definitely no underground mafia. I've been working too hard…

A quiet chuckle escaped his mouth, and the teen got out of bed. He shuffled his way into the bathroom right outside his room. He took a glance at the swimsuit edition calendar that was by the doorway. Saturday.

Cool, no classes.

Stifling a yawn, Sora proceeded to brush his teeth, and glanced up at his fatigued face on the mirror.

Man… I'm a wreck.

He shuffled out of the bathroom, and went in the living area to check on his messages.

Maybe Hagner left word about when he's coming back.

The still sleepy brunette pressed the flashing button, and as he felt his empty stomach complaining, began to rummage through the cupboards.

"You have three new messages."

Beep.

"Sora, this is Mom. I'm calling to check up on my handsome boy, are you doing alright? Is college life fun and exciting? If you need anything or short of money, please call me. I miss you dear, and hope you're getting enough sleep."

Click.

Sora sighed and rolled his eyes affectionately. His mother is still somewhat over-protective. He is the only child, and ever since his father passed away, Sora had been her only source of joy.

Sora takes out a box of generic cereal and pours a brimming bowl of the multi-colored shapes into a chipped bowl.

Beep.

"Yo Sora! I'm still at the slopes, and man, you should've came! There are some really hot chicks here, and I have so many funny stories for you. I hope you're not totally trashing our room while I'm away. Anyways… I think I'm gonna stay a bit longer. Hope you won't mind. Hagner signing out!"

Click

He smiled despite himself. That's Hagner, his party animal dorm mate. Sora shakes his head and opens the fridge. He takes out a half-empty carton of milk, and begins to pour it on his bowl of cereal.

"Good morning, Mr. Irino. Due to yesterday's circumstances, you were relieved of your duties a few hours early. Consequently, we require your presence in Mr. Luna's office immediately. We apologize for any inconvenience."

Click.

Sora blinked. There was wetness by his bare feet. He looked down and saw the dropped carton of milk and its content spilled across the floor. His hand, the one that held the carton of milk, was trembling uncontrollably.

No way. No. It was a dream. It had to be a dream.

He shut his eyes. Opened them again.

It wasn't a dream?

He mechanically found a dishtowel and wiped up the spilled milk. He dropped the near empty carton in the trash can and just sat down at the kitchen table. His first thought was to call the police. His hand reached for the phone, but then stopped.

He didn't have proof. He couldn't even remember anything in the last ten hours, and the police would not be pleased with a half-assed explanation about how the city's most prominent hotel chain is actually an underground criminal ring.

Sora, buried his face in his hands in complete frustration. The situation seemed hopeless. There was no way he's going back. But if he didn't… they might come and get him.

He didn't know why, but Sora walked back into his room and got his cell phone. He cradled the compact device in his hand, and just stared at it contemplatively. Instinctively, he dialed Riku's number, but then hung up before the call was picked up.

"Idiot!" he scolded himself, "Riku should not be involved in this!"

The gripping sensation of helplessness slowly suffocated him. Sora clenched the phone tightly, and scrolled down the phonebook. He stopped at Kairi's name, and with a desperate grimace, he pressed dial.

It rung three times before she picked up. A sleepy, but distinctively feminine voice reached his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kairi?"

"Sora? Hi! Didn't think you would call so early in the morning…"she paused as he heard a stifled yawn.

"Oh right. I forgot about the time zone difference. Sorry."

"It's alright."

"…"

"Sora?"

"Did you call me for something?" Kairi gently reminded him.

"Uh… Well… it's like this…" Sora struggled for words. There's no way to tell her what had just happened to him. But the sound of her voice itself was an anchor. It gave him steadiness in the face on uncertainty.

"Nah, just wanted to check on you and see how you're doing."

"Gee thanks for waking me up at four in the morning just for that," her dry tone was slightly distorted due to the poor connection.

"Kairi, I miss you." He knew it was true once the words came out of his mouth. He did miss her. And for some reason, he knew that the next time he would see her, they both will be different.

There was a long pause on the other side. Then Kairi whispered back with a strange inflection, "Same here."

"Well, I gotta go to work. Talk to you later, 'kay?" He tried hard to keep her from hearing the cracking of his voice. Even if Kairi had heard it, it was just assumed to be static.

"Alright. Bye Sora."

"Bye."

He clicked the hang up button. Sora fell onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

The sudden electronic beeping of Weezer's "Perfect Situation" made the youth jump.

"There's the pitch, slow and straight."

He snatched at his ringing phone, and looked at the caller ID.

Riku.

"All I had to do was swing."

Should I answer? But what should I say?

"And I'm a hero, but now I'm zero."

He answered, and bit his lip nervously.

"Hey, you called man?"

"Yeah… I was just wondering…" Sora stalled pathetically, "If you wanted to hang out later. But um… something just came up, so never mind." He laughed nervously, and hoped Riku would be too sleepy to notice.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. There's this big case and I'm on the job." Riku's voice was crisp and professional, an indication that he wasn't alone.

"Alright, it's cool."

"See ya then."

"Later."

Sora let out the breath he was holding. His best friends could not help him now. This was something he had to deal with. Alone.

The determined youth quickly opened his cluttered closet and found a warm jacket. He grabbed his wallet and keys as he made his way out of the dorm room.

"Yo."

Sora started. He whipped around, and saw the hooded figure that leaned against the adjacent wall. The hallway lights weren't on, but he could still see the coppery bangs within the shadows.

No… not him.

Dread crashed down upon the brunette. His legs felt like they were going to buckle underneath him, and Sora gripped the doorframe for support.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"Making sure the mouse doesn't run away," he grinned as he walked closer, "I wonder… do' ya even remember my name?"

"Um… was it Alex?"

Green teal eyes stared down at him. Sora swallowed nervously as he noticed that the man's baggy clothing can conceal many things. Like a deadly weapon.

Bam!

Sora flinched as a gloved hand slammed into the wall inches from his face. The red head leaned in with a malicious grin.

"Axel. Got it memorized?" The taller man tapped his head as he uttered the words. Sora looked up cautiously. He saw nothing but plain amusement written on Axel's face.

"Axel?"

"Shut it! Ya can't say my name in public! Any nobody can hear ya."

"But you just said-" The man grabbed Sora's elbow roughly and jerked him forward. The red head leaned in and whispered his ear.

"Remember, I'm your higher up. Anything I say, goes. Got it memorized?"

Sora gulped. The look in the man's eyes was dead serious.

"Y-yeah. Got it."

Without further explanation, Sora found himself dragged across the hall and down the stairs. He wasn't too surprised to see a non-descript car waiting outside for them. His forceful escort opened the door to the backseat with a mocking bow, and the young man quietly slid inside.

What have I gotten myself into?

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"Commisioner! Commisioner! Can you tell us who you think is most likely responsible for this large-scale homicide?"

"How is this going to affect the security measures around this city?"

Tight-lipped and stern, the stocky looking man glared at the intrusive reporters. The Commisioner seemed like he had better days. There was a three day old stubble growing from his stubborn chin, and his dirty blond hair looked as if it had been raked through with a hand too many times. The constant pestering media did not help his mood. His ice blue gaze caught a flash of silver hair, and he focused in on the young investigator with detective Lockheart. Without a glance at the clambering reporters, the Commisioner shouldered his way to the newly arrived duo. Once he had stepped over the yellow tape, the reporters stepped back, the big block letters warned them off.

"Hey Cid! We just got here," Tifa braved a tentative smile. Riku stayed silent and gauged the older man's reaction.

Their boss ignored her comment. He leisurely took out a cig from his trench coat pocket and flipped out a lighter. After a few deep inhalations, Cid finally spoke.

"Looks like a big one. The place is spotless, no evidence found. Bodies were either shot or slashed with a short range weapon. Just got off the phone with Leon, and we're thinking about the same suspects." Cid had a far-away look and stopped talking for a bit. Riku cleared his throat, but Tifa nudged him quiet.

"You two go up and take a look at the main murder scene. I got some incompetent idiots up there screwing everything up." Cid threw the half-finished cigarette on the cold concreted and grounded with his heel. A bit too viciously.

Tifa did not need any more hints. She quickly took her younger partner and led him into the tall building. As they entered the chaotic lobby, the electronic beeping of walkie talkies and clinks of gun halters assaulted their senses. They quickly took the operating elevator to the 22th floor and as the door slid open, their eyes took in the crime scene with shock.

The bodies were all removed, and white chalk outlines were all that was left of the carnage. But it was the amount of crimson patterns on the pale walls and floor, and the sudden reek of bloodshed that made Tifa cover her mouth with a hand. Riku grimaced and did not move an inch. He waited until his older partner finally regained her composure and followed her out of the elevator and into a living hell.

"Lieutenant Lockheart, thank goodness you're here," a harried-looking young man walked up to the silent duo, "The reporters down there will not settle for anything less than a declared suspect. The local forensics team is working nonstop, but there's nothing to be found-"

"Don't worry about it. Please tell your men to leave for a few minutes. Me and my partner would like to work with less distraction as possible," Tifa smiled encouragingly as she addressed the younger associate. He gave a relieved sigh and immediately pulled his team out of the room.

"What did Cid mean about same suspects?" Riku finally let out the question he had been waiting to ask. Tifa shrugged nonchalantly and pointed at the modest safe in the far corner.

"Look. What can you tell me about that?"

"It is left open, which means the culprit wants us to know he took the safe's content since if he obviously had time to cover his tracks. Also, it was not forced open which means he had access to the combination."

Tifa smirked. They taught him well.

"But he was not going for the safe in the beginning. The safe was just an afterthought," Riku continued as Tifa glanced at him in surprise, "The combination wouldn't be found on paper, so he would have needed a live hostage or maybe…"

Here he paused and walked towards a blood splattered wall. He indicated the bulky chalk outline drawn around the gore and muttered, "The President."

The dark-haired woman watched him with appreciation. True, Riku was still green behind the ears, and during the few cases they had together he had stayed relatively quiet. These acute observations are quite uncharacteristic of the normally taciturn youth. But then again, this case is unusual by itself.

"Looking at all the slaughtering… it did not seem like he had that in plan. Mass homicide and maybe assassination was probably his original intention. If he needed the combination, the smarter approach would be quietly bribing or infiltrating the President's office during off hours." Riku closed his eyes for a moment. He shook his head after thinking out his logic.

"I actually don't understand this Tifa. It seems like… this guy is declaring himself to the world. He is basically screaming for attention."

His partner regarded him carefully. To tell him the truth would to get him involved. She didn't think he is ready for it, but after she heard his sharp deductions, she changed her mind. If her extincts are saying what she think they are saying, then they will need people like him.

"Have you ever heard of… The Organization?" she whispered.

"No…"

"Well they are the underground mafia that is rumored to have funded the Insurgency four years ago. As you are well aware, those years were full of chaos. Banks were cleaned out, prominent political figures were assassinated in broad daylight, and everything resembling peace was obliterated. It was thanks to Governor that their influence was finally repressed. But the Organization members are still at large. It would have been a matter of time before they were revealed, but however, everything regarding the Organization was immediately confiscated and hidden away in the confidential archives."

"So you think they might be responsible for this? But why? Why were all the files on them confiscated if they are capable of large-scale crime?"

"To save the Governor's reputation of course. And there was the matter of preserving peace. If word got out that the Organization members were still at large, there would be too much disorder. However, our division are one of the few who have special access to those files. We were going to tell you about this after you had a few more cases under your belt, but I think you're ready enough."

"Why our division?" Riku inquired.

"Because... well, you'll have to ask Leon. It's his story to share," Tifa replied with a distant expression.

Riku saw it, and decided not to pry. He made a mental to ask Leon about it later. He glanced around the grisly scene, and decided that the Organization is definitely not to be taken lightly.

"Let's go. I think we're done here."

The silver-haired youth followed her out of the room with a sinking premonition that this will not be the last time he will see a bloodied room with slashed corpses.

What have I gotten myself into?


Omg... it's been a while. I've been sooo caught up with life, that fanfiction is losing it's appeal. Yea, I can't believe it either... I'm sure I'll be writing more over the summer, but as of now..don't expect regular updates. Period. Really sorry, but I need to enjoy senior year of high school before I set off for college :D

So both Riku and Sora have been sucked into something big. lol I'm stuck on what to write next, but I'm sure inspiration will strike once I watch more political/crime movies. Maybe I'll introduce more Org. members :P

Update 3/4/09: Added quotes to each chapter. A real update coming real soon. Once midterms' over!