Chapter 3 The Slapping of the Face
Hayner and Pence went about their usual business. They had just come from their homes and were on their way to the Usual Spot for the daily tradition of hanging out. After yesterday's Seifer fire smack down. They were in great need of some time to think about the events that were taking place in Town.
"You know," said Pence, "I hope we don't have to deal with that Axel guy. We couldn't even handle those white things, you got your butt kicked by Sora—"
"Hey!" Hayner interrupted in his usual boisterous manner, "he used special techniques. How was I to know that he could do that?"
Pence sighed. "I was just saying that we can't handle him if he decides to teach another lesson and we end up being the students. We aren't that good at fighting. Let's face it, we're amateurs." Pence pulled the curtain back so they could enter the Usual Spot.
Hayner was about to retort but he was stopped by the sight he saw in their hangout. On the couch that Olette usually occupied was a red-haired man. A spiky red haired man who was fast asleep, his mouth hanging wide open, drool sliding down his face. They had a pyromaniac in their hangout.
Pence saw the small effects that Axel had brought with him. Lying on the box Pence sat on was a pitch black coat that would stretch to a person's ankles. Lying up against the couch were the two metal disks that he had used to defeat Seifer. But lying all around him were CD cases filled with programs that Pence didn't even understand. It was stuff like 'Vexen's Research', 'Riku Data', 'Apprentice Reports', 'Organization Blueprints', 'Xosnaj Experiments,' and so on and so on. Not one made any sense.
Hayner cautiously approached the sleeping Pyromaniac with a look of total fear on his face. His hand reached out, grabbed Axel's shoulder and shook it vigorously. Immediately he was jerked awake. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he got up off the couch and grabbed one of the metal disks at his feet. "Haven't you ever heard the phrase never wake a sleeping lion?" he raised the disk up and flames started to dance around it. Hayner could feel the heat radiating from it.
"Hey!" cried Pence. "We just were wondering what you're doing here. The last time you were here you dragged Kairi into some black portal. After yesterday's demonstration, we are in no mood to face you again."
Axel lowered his chakram and sat back down on the couch. He grabbed a black and red backpack from behind it. "You didn't catch me at my best," he said as he began to pick the programs up. "I needed a place to crash and this was the first place I found."
"Why not a hotel or something," Hayner blurted out. "There are plenty of them all over the city. You could have easily gotten—"
"Because," Axel cut him off, "I'm broke. That's what happens when you're dead for a year and suddenly reappear in a Corridor of Darkness. It's a good thing that computer was connected here or else I would have to gone back to the World that Never Was."
Hayner and Pence did not get a single word he said but took it in stride. With that story of Kairi's and the rest of the stuff that had happened last year, they were getting used to this sort of thing.
"So," Axel continued, "If you want me out of here you could direct me to a better and free place to go. That would be very kind of you." Even though you couldn't see it, Axel was inwardly smiling under his emotionless expression. That was what he was truly a master of, manipulation, not pyrotechnics. Manipulation was his business and it always came in handy to use blackmail as a resort. But he was using some truth in his words. Since he had come back and only Kingdom Hearts knew how he did, he had only some munny to purchase the blanks to get the data out of the Organization computers before Maleficent and Pete learned how to hack into them. That would have been a disaster.
Hayner and Pence looked at each other worried about where this was going. Despite the fact that he was one of the most dangerous men they had ever met, he didn't seem like he was hiding anything. If they wanted him out of their hangout, they would have to take him somewhere where he could stay until he found a job or something. And with all the kids out of school now, there was little chance of him finding a job in Twilight Town, at least not for a while.
Hayner looked at the blank-faced pyro with a look of annoyance. "Alright, fine," he said, exasperated, "you can stay at my place for a while, but only if you tell us who the heck you are and what the heck you're doing here. Deal?"
Axel's inward smile made it through his face somewhat in the form of a small grin. "You got me," he said, "I'll tell you, but what you have to understand that most of the juicier stuff needs to go into Sora's ears only. Got it memorized?"
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"So let me get this straight," said Hayner as he waited for Axel to get out of the shower. "You were once a creature called a Nobody. A thing that had lost its heart but continued to live. You were number eight in Organization XIII, a group of the most powerful Nobodies. Your best friend, Roxas, who was Sora's nobody left the Organization because unlike the rest of you he didn't have the memories of his former life. He was captured by Riku, Sora's best friend and some guy named Ansem who put him in the other Twilight Town with a new memory where he and I were best friends." Hayner had brought Axel to his house. Immediately his mother asked who the man was. He didn't want to tell her that he was the guy who had beaten Seifer. That news had spread across the city like Hayner on a box of Sea-Salt ice cream. His mother was rather protective of him and his friends. It had taken Olette and Kairi four hours just to get her to listen to where Olette was going. Then it went on to Olette's parents. After stashing Axel in his room, Hayner told his mom that Axel was Fuu's cousin from the country. Thankfully she had believed him, since Fuu's mother was her best friend. "SO you were sent to the other Twilight Town and found that he was being manipulated by this Ansem guy to rejoin with Sora who was sleeping in the basement of the mansion. You were ordered to kill Roxas if he didn't return with him. Roxas fought against you and you didn't follow your orders to kill him and let him go. So you then kidnapped Kairi hoping to fuel Sora up with so much hate that he would turn back into one of those black things you called Heartless and Roxas would be released and you would have your best friend back. Have I got it straight so far?" he said into the steaming bathroom.
"You memorize pretty well," the red-head said from within the steam. "Unfortunately for my plans, Kairi got away from me and another member of Organization XIII caught her. Saix put her in the Castle dungeon to bait Sora into coming there so they could finish him off. But Sora was able to find out how to get there by using the Corridor of Darkness I had left in the virtual twilight Town. While in the Corridor he got trapped by some lesser Nobodies. I came in and helped to defeat most of them but then reinforcements came and we were surrounded. So to make sure Sora would get to the Castle I used up all my power to defeat all the Nobodies and finish the way to the Castle. I then faded away. And then after I don't know how long, I appeared in front of the mansion. Now I am in a sixteen year old's shower who probably doesn't even shave yet."
"Hey," yelled Hayner from outside the door, "I had a goatee but it got in the way of kissing chicks."
Axel held in his laugh. After all his time as a manipulator he could easily see that Hayner had never kissed, and from the way he responded, Axel also saw that he was a little shy in that department. "Now hand me my clothes," Axel said as he got out of shower, "unless you want see my scars from my fight with Roxas." No sooner did he say that, when his threads came flying through the slowly dissipating steam.
"Get dressed. Sora sent me letter that he would be here sometime today."
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The Gummi Ship floated above Twilight Town in the vast of the Sea of the Worlds. Since he wasn't in the pilot's chair this time he had a chance to just gaze out at the sunset illuminated world.
It's good to be home, spoke a voice inside Sora's head. For a while I didn't think I'd ever see that glorious sunset ever again.
"Are you saying that I can't take care of myself, bro?" Sora's thoughts replied to the other presence.
You're more than capable than surviving a fight. I was worried that all that homework was going to devour us during the year.
Sora chuckled inwardly. "That or Larxene would finish the job." The young (and extremely fiery) electrokinetic had joined them on the voyage to Twilight Town. Other than the fact that she had fought with Riku on who got to fly, she had not been any sort of problem. She had spent most of the trip just staring out the window, her eyes distant from everyone else. Sora could really relate to her. He could see that she was dreaming about the other worlds and if her comrades had come back. They had a lot in common, but he had a girl. The best in all of the worlds.
The Ship began its decent. Even though this was only Riku's second time driving the Gummi Ship, he was a natural at its controls. Sora didn't need to be jealous of Riku. He had no more need to compete with him about Kairi; he had won fair and square.
They were transported from the Gummi Ship down into Central Station. Thankfully nobody was looking that way. It would be bad for your sanity if you saw five teenagers, a mouse, a duck, and a dog materialize out beams of light. That wouldn't be good for a woman on her way to work who had a bad heart condition.
Let's not go on any trains this time, eh? Roxas said, his smile showing through Sora. I'd rather stay here for a while.
Hayner, Pence, and Axel made their way to the train station. After their conversation, Axel and Hayner found Pence to go see the arrival of Sora, Olette, Kairi, and whoever else came with them. Pence had been a bit apprehensive of Axel, but he got over it quickly. On the way to the station from Pence's family apartment, Axel regaled them with stories of his Nobody life.
"Then, we took the pint and spiked it with some of Xigbar's best vodka. Demyx danced around the castle like a monkey for seven hours, and then Roxas and I steered him into Larxene's room. That was out of bonds territory to all members of the Organization, even the boss. She gave him two black eyes and a nasty scar across his back. He never figured out why he was in there."
The boys laughed so hard at Axel's stories. For people without hearts, they could pull some of the most random things. No matter what happened in the Organization 'Prank War,' as it was called by all but this 'boss,' Axel and Roxas seemed to always come out on top.
As they made their way up to Central station they could see the group they had come to see coming out with smiles all around, right until they saw the spiky red head laughing along with the two young boys of Twilight Town.
Awkward!
Of course, Axel, the Flurry of Dancing Flame, the hunter of the rouge Organization members-turned-rouge himself, was scared! He wasn't looking at the duck, the mouse, the dog, the boy with silver or brown hair, or the girl with brown hair. No, he was terrified of the blond towering with anger. Overwhelming anger.
Oh yeah, he was in big doo doo.
The blond smiled innocently at him. "Aww, is Axeicens not happy to see Larxene? I'm hurt," she cooed. The pyro didn't say a word. He was stunned.
Olette looked at the blond woman with a raised eyebrow and then stepped forward to the frozen red-head.
SMACK!
"That's for beating up Pence and Hayner," she said stuffily and then walked back over to the two approving females and the multiple confused males.
This slap knocked Axel out of his daze and he said "I didn't deserve that."
Oh, it wasn't over.
Next up to the plate was Kairi, who also strutted over to him and once again . . .
SMACK! (Only a bit harder)
"That's for kidnapping me, you jerk!" She walked back over and gave both Larxene and Olette high-fives.
"I might have deserved that," he said with a bit of a Cheshire grin.
But as quickly as that grin came onto his face, it vanished. He curled up behind the two Twilight boys, much to their eternal confusion.
Picture it: Axel, the Flurry of Dancing Flame, Number VIII of Organization XIII, was scared as hell! He knew exactly that if Kairi and Olette had just slapped him, she would do oh so much worse! He held no reserves against showing his fear of her. She was called the Savage Nymph for a reason. And that particular reason did nothing for Axel's health.
Now Hayner's perspective on this whole thing. He had just listened through about two hours of this guy telling stories of the things he'd seen and the monsters and people he'd fought. He had taken out Seifer, one of the toughest people in the city, in all of about two seconds (the rest of the fight had really just been to show off). Either this girl was something to be scared off or Axel was a real good liar. Most likely both.
Larxene, on the other hand, was laughing her butt off, at least on the inside. She still held that innocent look on the outside. She was really enjoying this. She wanted to savor it. This guy had betrayed her and Marluxia. They could have succeeded in their rebellion of Castle Oblivion if only he had stayed with her— them. Vexen had already been removed. They could have won, but thanks to him, she got beat up by a puppet and a brat that didn't even remember the fights! Oh, that burned her up. Ironic, considering she was about to trash a pryokenetic.
"How 'bout you get out from behind them, Axel?" she said indigently.
He poked his head out from behind the blond boy with his red eyebrows raised. "Yeah right! The moment I get out from here, you'll kill me. I know you. You'll probably shove those knives of yours right through my precious spot."
A collective snort of laughter could be heard. Axel glared at the people who dared laugh at him. What he either ignored or just plain didn't notice was that Larxene hadn't laughed at all.
"Oh, come on you big baby!" she yelled at the cowering man. "I promise: no knives, no slappage." All the while no one had noticed one of her hands slip into her pocket and the fingers cross.
Axel looked up to Hayner who shrugged, then to Pence who did also. Sora and his group were no help as they were stifling their laughs. He sighed. "Fine!"
He got up off the ground and approached the young blond woman, she did likewise and they met in the middle. Axel grinned a little, "So I guess this means no hard feelings?"
POW!
He never saw it coming. With her lightning reflexes, she smashed her fist into his left cheek. Ouch. It knocked him flat onto the ground.
"Never said I wouldn't punch, you ass!" She walked away from the prostate former-Nobody just as Hayner stuck his head over him with a smirk on his face.
"You didn't deserve that one?" he said, the smirk never leaving his face.
"No, that one I definitely deserved." He got up and you could hear very clearly the sound of his jaw popping back into place as he messed with it. "I never knew you could punch so hard!"
She smiled sadistically. "You should see what my mother can do, and then you'll be impressed."
Pause. Larxene's mom? What? Those were Axel's thoughts. She had never mentioned her family before. He had never even heard her surname.
Now let's look from Sora's perspective. #1: Crazy chick appears out of nowhere. #2: she says that she is a former Organzation member and Sora killed her. #3: They find Axel in Twilight Town when he to is supposed to be dead. #4: Three girls go up and either slap or punch the hell out of Axel. #5: now parents. Yep, normal day.
"Larxene, what's your last name?"
Axel had never seen a bigger smirk. She absolutely loved all the attention. "Why, Axel! Didn't I tell you? It's Nixel!"
Axel's jaw dropped. He knew that name! Oh, he knew that name. Nixel!
"As in Nixel, the Riches Processing company?" he was absolutely flabbergasted and had a short case of shock when her head went up and down slowly. "You've got to be kidding me! The Nixels have everything from gold to opals! That would make you—"
"Richer than God," she said with a devious little smile that sent shivers down Axel's spine. She grabbed him by the forearm and began to drag him down to Market Street. Shopping with Larxene is one of the worst punishments that any mortal man would never want to endure. The others followed behind for about five minutes until they could see Axel being drug behind Larxen by a belt around his neck, multiple bags in his hands.
I am so screwed, was the thought running through the 'poor' redhead's brain. It was going to a long week stay.
I am so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so sorry for leaving this thing to sit for this long. It was never supposed to have to wait like that but of course, those who know Legacy know that I get a bit distracted and I've just gotten off school today so know I can write this, Bet of the Law, and my own book, drum roll please: The Legends of Avalon The Shining Inferno. This is 1st in a series that I am working on.
There is one good thing that has come out of all this. I have expounded much in my mind about the plot so I await great responses for everything. Remember: I (+feindslayer) am always watching! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I have no idea why I just did that.
Now! For the first time in the History of The Next Life: REVIEW ANSWERS!
AyakaShimizu- Nah, I use the word 'the' too much. So, the story finally get an update and in about four more chapters I will introduce myself—I mean the villains of this story. If you want their names, I think I put them on my profile. I didn't want to make Axel too mean and Seifer really had it coming. He'll be really important later.
uchiwasasuke79u-Well of course he wouldn't get one scratch. Axel is a boss in the game even though he did take it easy on both Sora and Roxas, and his job in the Organization was to remove traitors. You'd have to be strong to do that. And the chapters weren't too long. It was only that a part of Chp 3 got uploaded with Chp 2. Accident.
fiendslayer-Well if you don't do scenes then the world will implode and the chipmunk Vikings will rule Gallifrey. MUHAHAHAHAHA!
Well let's move on and sorry for the wait.