Chapter 2 – Here, at the Other Side

Forty-three, forty-four…drip, drip, drip…forty-five…drip, drip, drip. Axel glared at the ceiling tile he'd named forty-six, on the right side of the dark, moldy room, where a steady drip of water was coming down. He didn't think anything could be worse than the dry mouth, headache, and general ache all over he had from being so dehydrated. But hearing water dripping a mere ten feet away from him, was pure torture. It'd been two days since he last had water. They have less than one day before I die of dehydration. And it's been about five days since his last meal. If you can call a slightly moldy roll of bread a meal.

Axel's arms and legs were chained to the cold concrete wall he was sitting against. Though he couldn't tell it was cold anymore. He had woken up down here, with nothing but pants on, and he was freezing. He was pretty sure it was still just as freezing but he was too numb to feel it anymore. And depending on how you look at that it could either be a good or a bad thing. His skin had a grayish tint to it, he could probably count every single bone in his body, and he kept going in and out of consciousness.

While he was conscious his thoughts were all of Roxas. Although, at the moment they were of Roxas naked covered in fresh sparkling water that he could lick off of him. Okay, the dehydration was getting to him. Now he could add the ache in his groin to the stinging pain in his ribs and face from the beating he had received earlier from Morgan's partner.

Since he was chained up he couldn't move his hands or take a cold shower to take care of his new throbbing pain. Axel banged his head against the wall in frustration. Remembering Roxas was the one thing that kept him alive. He needed to get out of here for Roxas. If only he could stay conscious long enough to get his thought together.

oOo

Axel was brought back to consciousness by a can of something being thrown at his bare chest. "Fuck!" he hissed. Morgan thrust a glass of water in front of him, and released one of his hands. He desperately grasped the glass of water and savored it as he gulped it down, not missing one drop. When he finished it he threw it at Morgan, who was able to dodge it because of Axel's diminished strength.

"Well Axel, thanks to that move, you're not getting this." She waved a can opener in front of him. He made a grab for it but his body wasn't working as well as it used to. "What happened to you?" Morgan asked gesturing at Axel's fresh bruises.

"That guy with the beer belly and bad breath had a bad day at work. Turns out I'm a great punching bag…still." Axel slurred out.

"Hey!" Morgan stepped forward and slapped Axel, "You're talking about my boyfriend!"

"That's the guy you've been cheating on dad with?" Axel said in disbelief.

"Yeah why?"

"He's fugly!" Morgan slapped Axel across the face again.

"Mr. Clemons is a better man than you'll ever be." Morgan insisted.

"He makes you call him Mr. Clemons! That's ridicule-ass." Axel laughed.

"Shut up and eat your Spaghettios." Morgan said walking away.

"But I can't open them."

"You should've thought about that before you threw the glass at me." Morgan slammed the basement door closed leaving Axel alone in the darkness.

He picked up the can that had been thrown at his chest, leaving a deep impression. He tried biting it open, slamming it into the floor and wall, and hitting it with his hand, but he didn't have the energy to continue his attempts, and soon gave up. It was hopeless. At least he had a free hand now.

oOo

Ellen raised her brow at Riku and Sora walking down the stairs. The angry look on Sora's face was so unnatural. She was used to seeing him cheerful and all smiles. "He said 'no'! Are you happy?!" Sora threw himself into one of the chairs in the living room.

"Who said 'no' to what?"

"Sora, grandma and grandpa are here." Ellen laughed with Riku as Sora's face turned from angry to horror struck with a crimson blush.

"Uh…um d-don't worry about it grandma." Sora said as he stood up to hug his grandparents.

"And who is this handsome young man." Grandma asked.

"Oh…" Sora's face was now covered in excitement as he dragged his grandparents over to Riku, "This is my wonderful boyfriend, Riku. Riku, this is grandma and grandpa Hikari!"

"Hello Riku," grandma said as she pulled Riku in for a hug. Then grandpa shook his hand and grandma continued, "Ellen's told us so much about you. She's also told us a little about Axel. Where are Roxas and Axel."

"Roxas won't be coming." Ellen replied.

"What? But this is his party too." Grandpa said.

"And what about Axel?" Grandma asked.

"Um, well, that's sort of why Roxas won't be here. Um, Axel was killed, Roxas is too depressed to come."

"Oh my!" Grandma said surprised.

"He's not dead!" Riku growled.

"That's right dear. He's always in your heart." Grandma said placing a hand over Riku's heart.

"That's not what I meant." Riku mumbled and Sora placed a hand on his back to comfort him.

"So, Roxas isn't handling the death well?" Grandpa asked.

"Yeah, he was really close to him." Ellen confirmed grimly.

"My poor grandbaby, he must be so devastated." Grandma gushed, "You'll save some chocolate cake for him, right dear." She asked Ellen.

"Of course."

"Hello, grandma…grandpa. Mom I'm going to Demyx's house. I'll come back when the party's over." Roxas said from the doorway. Everyone could tell form his puffy eyes that he had been crying.

"Oooh, sweetie, come here." Grandma said in that voice adults use to comfort a child. Roxas dragged his feet forward and Grandma wrapped her arms around him. "Someday it will hurt less honey." She comforted.

Roxs weaseled out of her arms. "He's not dead!" He yelled before running out of the house to Demyx's.

oOo

"Guess who?"

Axel slowly lifted his heavy eye lids and saw the so call Mr. Clemons. He tried to move his free hand only to find that it had been chained up while he was unconscious. "What do you want Captain Dickface?" Axel asked.

"Listen you little bastard. Morgan just told me I can beat the shit out of you whenever I want. So, it's Mr. Clemons." He spoke down to Axel. "I know it might be hard for your miniscule brain to comprehend, but let's try it. Repeat after me, Mi-s-ter, mi-s-ter," He paused while Axel looked at him like he was a complete lunatic. "Mi-s-ter, Cle-m-ons, Cle-m-ons." He brought his head inches in front of Axel's, "Mr. Clemons, try it dumbshit." Axel smirked before slamming his head into Mr. Clemons' face, "Goddamnit!" He hissed.

"How does that feel, Mi-s-ter Cle-m-ons." Axel sneered.

"I don't know. How does this feel?" Mr. Clemons punched Axel in between his eyes before unleashing a round of messy kicks and punches anywhere he could reach on Axel. He faltered however, when Axel started laughing. He backed away from his girlfriends son, Axel's manic laughter ringing in his ears. "Have we turned him completely insane?" He asked himself.

"Sure you can kick my ass while I'm chained up, let me go and see what happens, bitch!" Axel taunted between his manic laughter.

"Morgan!" Mr. Clemons yelled as he walked backwards to the door. "Morgan, I think your son's gone insane." Morgan opened the door, and Mr. Clemons quickly scurried out.

"Don't worry; he's always been a little insane." She called after her boyfriend. "Look what you did Axel! You made him run away." Axel's laughter had died down now.

"Oh, I think you're just upset you're dating a pussy." Morgan walked forward and slapped Axel across his already bruising face.

"Listen, you piece of shit whore. If your daddy doesn't make up his mind soon I'll kill you however I like. How do you feel about that?" She hissed in his face.

"Hmm…same as always. It doesn't really make a difference. According to you, no matter what, I'm going to be killed. I could care less how it happens. Although, I'll tell you now, Roxas is waiting for me. So it's not happening. I'll escape." Axel said in a violent voice.

"You've been here six months, you're not getting out." Axel's manic laughter started up again as Morgan slipped out. Leave an insane genius locked in a dark, cold, moldy, basement, with nothing but his thoughts, he'll find a way to escape. And Axel had a plan.

oOo

Reno pulled himself out of his light sleep at the sound of a knock on the door. He slowly climbed off his sleeping Rude and walked to the door. The pounding on the door became more insistent before Reno opened it revealing a short angry blond. "What took you so long?" Roxas said as he shoved past Reno.

"Hello Roxas, nice to see you too." Reno said sarcastically as he closed the door. "So, I heard yesterday was your birthday." Reno watched as Roxas nodded sadly. "Rude, mom and I were wondering if you might want to celebrate it when we get Axel back. We'll probably make it a triple celebration because mine and Axel's birthday is in august and we're not made of money. It's your choice." Reno finished.

"I'd like that." Roxas responded.

"Oh, hello Roxas." Nora said as she walked into the room.

"Hi, Ms. Sinclair." Roxas allowed her to hug him.

"How was your birthday honey?" Nora asked sweetly.

"I spent it at Demyx's house. Zexion came over and we played some games. After the party at my house was over I went back home, and went to bed early."

"We'll find him. You know that right?" Nora asked.

"Yeah." Roxas said as the phone started ringing. Reno climbed over Rude, successfully waking him up, to answer the phone on the end table. "Yo, Sinclair house." Reno greeted. "Oh, hi Ellen. Yeah he's here. Okay. Mom Ellen wants to talk to you."

"Okay, thank you." Nora held her hand out for the phone.

"Do you want some food Roxas." Rude asked. Roxas nodded and he, Reno, and Rude walked to the kitchen.

"Is everything okay Ellen?" Nora asked concerned.

"You need to stop building up Roxas' hopes. I am trying to help him get over this and you keep convincing him that he's still alive. The sooner he accepts reality the sooner he can start recovering." Ellen's angry voice came through the phone and tears gathered in Nora's eyes.

"It may be easy for you to accept Axel being dead. However I'm his mother and I know in my heart, just like Reno and Roxas know in their hearts, that he is still alive."

"You just met him." Ellen retorted.

"He's a part of me! You just want him dead so you know he and Roxas will never sleep with each other again!" Nora yelled before hanging up and storming into the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" Reno asked his mother as he set a plate of sandwiches on the table.

"Yes, yes I'm fine." Nora wiped the tears from her eyes, "So what brings you here Roxas."

"I think we should talk to Rob."

"Why?" Rude and Nora said together.

"That's perfect." Reno smirked, "You're a genius Roxas. He's probably still in touch with Morgan. And I still think she's the culprit no matter what she says. Also he obviously feels guilty about something. Otherwise he would've pleaded temporary insanity or something. We can get something out of him." Reno was getting excited. He knew his brother was still alive. Axel was a fighter. He knew it since the day he saw him get shot three times and continue fighting. This was it. If Rob could give them any information they would find him. They would find Axel and he would have his twin back, his mom would stop crying, and Roxas would get his life back. This had to work. "Let's do it."

AN: As I promised, we now know what's going on with Axel.

Next, chapter may be a difficult read. We will get a summary of Axel's life, which you already know sucked. And since most of the chapter will be spent with Rob there won't be any Axel again. Sorry.

Also, in the next chapter we will learn why Ellen insists Axel is dead and Roxas needs to move on.

Thanks for any reviews, favs, and alerts.