Notes from Beyond Your Screen: I am a bad... bad.. bad.. author.. bad me! -smacks hand- I don't know why I totally had a major brain fart or something and somewhere in my noggin I said "la dee daa.. I finished PitA and posted it all... la lala" and totally forgot the fact that I HADN'T posted it HERE... So.. yeah. I'm sorry everyone. But I promise you that I will be posting chapter 11 soon as well... and then there's the sequel to PitA! I've got the first three chapters of that written and I'm working out a kink in the rest of the chapters... but anyway, my point being that I AM ALIVE!!! and I WILL POST!!! and hugs to all of you who kept reading this, and waited for me! And for the reviews and reminding me that I had forgotten to post, thank you so much!

Oh, yes.. and I will be going through all these chapters and cleaning them up, I keep catching all these little flaws so I'm going to just do a little fic-spring-cleaning and take care of them.


Chapter 10: Avenging Angel

This odd room was different than any of the others they had visited this night. It was brightly lit and terribly cluttered much like Vexen's room, but this was not from books and research notes, this room was far more dirty. It almost seemed like some sort of animal lived in this dank smelly den. There were also the odd decorations scattered through out the room: Unique guns in cases, music CDs of strange rock bands such as Aerosmith scattered from one end of the room to the other, and the occasional tacky poster of some magazine chick pinned slightly crooked to the walls. And there, strategically placed in the middle of the room, was a hideous green couch that sat right in front of an expensive looking flat plasma screen tv on the wall. Said couch was the exact location of the next target.

Axel and Roxas stepped in unison over the cans that cluttered the floor near the doorway, obviously trash that had just been chucked at the wastebasket near the door and never making it in. They passed a lone, out of place chair with clothes flung over it as they came closer to the couch. Axel's hand shot out suddenly snatching a feather from some freaky looking pirate costume that had been crumpled up on the chair, obviously from the mission the Freeshooter had to take over in that world of Pirates and water. Axel shook his head slightly as the costume had begun to bring unwanted memories back to his mind, yet he never missed a step as they continued to creep up on the victim. They moved silently, eyeing the leg that was hanging over the side of the couch. It really wasn't a stealthy operation this time, this victim slept like the dead, and it was fairly obvious when he was deep in dreamland due to the hideous bear like snoring.

Roxas chuckled leaning closer to Axel, "Is he snoring or dying?" the sound of his voice was barely audible over the noise.

"Let's make this quick… he's making me sick…" Axel grimaced as he whispered back.

They stepped forward in unison once again and peered over the back of the couch, their defenseless target was blissfully unawares. His mouth slack, drooling just a little, and his eye patch was slightly askew on his 'peaceful' looking face.

"I want to just, snap it…" Roxas motioned at the askew patch.

"Next time… maybe…" Axel whispered as he slowly reached over the back of the couch, gently taking a very light hold of Xigbar's left hand and turning it slightly palm up. "ok…" he barely breathed the word as he nodded.

Roxas took his cue and sprayed a generous amount of whipped cream into the waiting palm of the Freeshooter, then nodded at Axel to do his part.

Axel pulled the long feather from where he had tucked it behind his ear and gently brushed it along the side of Xigbar's nose, eliciting a disgruntled mutter and a twitch. Yet the expected result did not come. He did it again, this time running the feather's light tip across the sleeping Nobody's cheek. The same reaction yet again.
No matter how many times Axel tried to coax Xigbar to slap the whipped cream across his face, he received the same reaction. Grunts, twitching, and even a light sneeze at one point.

"Good grief… he sleeps like a rock " Roxas muttered under his breath.

Axel was rubbing the bridge of his nose and sighed, "I'll try one more thing…" he steadied himself as he leaned over the back of the couch further; taking the tip of the feather and practically shoving it up Xigbar's nose.

Finally a hand flew up and rubbed the tip of his nose, yet another grunt of annoyance escaped the target's lips as his right hand fell back, hanging over the side of the couch.

Both Axel and Roxas groaned, turning and sliding down until they were sitting on their heels. "I don't believe this…" Axel muttered, "go over on the other side and do the other hand… we'll get him now." Determination burned in his emerald eyes.

Roxas nodded and crawled around to the front of the couch. He emptied the contents of the whipped cream can into Xigbar's other hand. "ok…" he motioned for Axel to continue.

Axel leaned over the side of the couch again, while Roxas stood and leaned slightly over near the arm of the couch right at Xigbar's head. Axel repeated the trick that had forced their victim to move.

Xigbar finally moved, with swift precision both his hands flew up, smearing the whipped cream in both the faces of his attackers. Before either one could realize what had happened he had grabbed Axel around the neck and drug him over the back of the couch pulling him into headlock as he stood, also yanking a hold on the collar of Roxas' PJs and turning him round into a headlock as well.

"Well, well, well… What DO we have HERE… looks like a couple of trouble makers trying to get some kicks by disruptin' my sleepin' habits." Xigbar laughed at the two he had tucked under either arm as Roxas coughed on the whipped cream he had breathed in.

"You made two mistakes, Ladies… One… I don't even go to sleep until the butt crack of dawn… and Two… come on… that's like the oldest trick in the book, you honestly think I'd fall for that High School prank? AS IF…."

"Lemme go Xigbar or I'll…" Axel snarled under his captor's arm, but he couldn't see due to the whipped cream that was now stinging his eyes.

"Or you'll what? Blow me up with one of your little pyrotechnic tricks? Hmmm, Dude, that might be hard, since…" Xigbar released his grip on Roxas, shoving him forward so he stumbled and face planted into the couch leaving him dazed and confused. Then after using his free arm to secure Axel's hands behind his back he continued his explanation, "one, you can't see... and two... I'm about to give you the swirly of a lifetime, and I don't think your kind does too well with water, eh?" he chuckled as Axel blindly tried to free himself from the other's grip, "I couldn't believe it when I heard it, did you two honestly think that you could get away with that many pranks in one night without the higher ups catching on. PUH-LEASE, you shame the art..."

The evil smirk on Xigbar's face only lasted a second. Without warning the room resonated with a ferocious battle cry as Roxas leapt from the couch and landed square in the middle of Xigbar's back. The smaller Nobody latched on refusing to loosen his grip as Xigbar kept a tight hold on Axel. He knew if he lost his grip on Axel everything would go up in a ball of flames... literally.

"You little weasel, leggo " He tried to shake Roxas, but the smaller nobody had a grip on him like a crazed baby monkey.

Roxas inched his way higher, and then snagged the Freeshooter's eyepatch, pulling it as far back as he could before letting it snap back. A yelp of pain rang out as Xigbar lost his hold on Axel, covering his face with both hands for a second as the sting died down. Roxas finally lost his grip and fell back to the floor, desperately tying to scuttle off before Xigbar had a chance to retaliate. But he wasn't quite fast enough.

As he tried to crawl for the door Roxas felt a tug on his pant leg as Xigbar pulled him back by the foot, snatching him by the PJ collar pulling him up to his feet and nearly choking him in the process. If he couldn't keep a grip on Axel he knew he was going to need some sort of bargaining chip and Roxas was just the one he needed. "No you don't, little Dude, you are SO going to get it now..."

He just about hand him pinned when the older Nobody made a terrible mistake, his hand slipped on the silky fabric of Roxas' heart Pjs, coming within attack range. Roxas let out a hiss like an enraged cat and then chomped down hard on the other Nobody's hand. Once more a yelp of pain echoed in the room, and once more Xigbar lost his grip on his captive.

"You little snot You fight dirty " He quickly regained his senses, shaking off the throbbing pain in is hand as he snatched the back of Roxas' shirt before he could get too far away.

"Not one more move... or the Bay Watch babe gets it..." Axel was standing a few feet away, holding out a poster of some swim suit clad beauty with one hand, while he had his other hand positioned threateningly at the bottom corner of the paper, ready to snap a flame that would turn 'her' into a pile of ash.

Xigbar stopped abruptly, letting Roxas slip away. "Fine... fine.. You win, Colonel Mustang..."

"Don't compare me to that alchemic hack..." Axel snarled as a the corner of the poster started to smolder.

"FINE ... just get out of here already..." Xigbar growled as he watched them back towards the door, holding the poster hostage. "But you do realize that you're going to have to answer for this... someone is going to finally have enough, and you're going to get yours, Dude."

"Perhaps, but not at this time... and not by you..." Axel snickered as he pulled the door closed. A few seconds later the poster slid back under the crack of the closed door accompanied by the sound of hurried steps and a portal opening and closing. The rest was silence.

Xigbar stared at the door, listening to the quiet for a moment before he walked over to the poster. There was a ink mustache and goatee now adorning the once perfect paper face. "Little weasels.. That was my favorite one..."

His time to mourn his fallen poster was cut short, once again the sound of Darkness reached his ears, the air in the room shifted slightly as the swirling shadows disappeared, "You were right... it's them." Xigbar sighed as he picked up the poster and rolled it up.

"I figured as much" a low calm voice answered him from behind, "When Demyx started rambling about all those impossible things I figured the disturbances we've been hearing since that 'incident' had to be those two goofing around."

"So what's going to happen now?" Xigbar let a smirk flit across his face at the memory of the incident that had taken place much earlier before he turned to face his Superior.

Once more the Darkness opened before Xemnas as he raised a hand. He paused at the edge of the swirling shadows, barely glancing back over his shoulder "I'll be calling a meeting soon. I'll deal with Axel then." he paused turning further to look back at his companion.

"And what about Roxas? That little snot snapped me " Xigbar snarled as he pointed at his eyepatch, then looked down at his hand, "and BIT me... what kind of cooties am I going to catch from that little rabid monkey."

Xemnas never looked around, he'd rather the other didn't see the bemused look on his face, "that's what you get for turning your back on him." he stated as he disappeared into darkness.

"Har har... funny, and what if this gets infected... "Xigbar hissed as he shook his throbbing hand.

IOIOIOIOIOI

"I was all ready to call it quits... I was telling you we had a close call with Zexion and Demyx... we needed to stop now while we were ahead... BUT NOOOOO " Roxas was walking ahead of the taller Nobody, looking like he was trying to pick a fight with the air around him as stomped onward.
"You picked him... not me..." Axel smiled as he rubbed the last of the whipped cream from his eye.

Roxas spun around, glaring up at his friend, "BECAUSE YOU MADE ME you and your stupid... sneaky... Arrrgh STUPID " Roxas spun back around again and continued stomping down the hallway.

"So, oh articulate one, what exactly made you decide you wanted to nail Xigbar... of all people..." Axel scratched his chin thoughtfully as he smiled despite the near capture.

Roxas stopped suddenly, his shoulders tensed, "N..nothing... I just figured... since he's such a prankster... sorta... poetic justice."

"Liar." Axel snorted.

"What? It's the truth " Roxas coughed, his statement marred by the fact that he wouldn't make eye contact to strengthen the declaration.

"Oh please, I saw that giddy look that glossed over your eyes as you chomped down on him... you were like a shark once it gets the taste of blood." Axel laughed.

"Ew, don't remind me of that... what kind of cooties am I going to get from him." Roxas stuck his tongue out and made a "blegh" sound, "I need some Listerne."

"Now, now, subject changer... why Xigbar?" Axel continued to pry.

Roxas looked away, his jaw starting to set with determination. Axel just folded his arms over his chest and stared at his little friend, the pressure of the look would be enough to break his young companion in just a matter of moments.

Roxas fidgeted, twitching slightly as some sort of nervous convulsion began to take him over, "Don't look at me like that I said it's the Truth so why can't you believe me, what kind of friend are you HE GAVE ME A WEDGIE IN FRONT OF NAMINE!!! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW!!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaw... isn't that cute." Axel poked at Roxas' cheek, "look at 'im pout... just cause a cute girl he's never gotten the guts to even talk to saw his underwear... stretched over his head."

Roxas slapped his hand away, "Knock it off Ya jerk." Roxas took a few steps away but continued his rant. "Her only memory of me will be... 'hey that's the kid that got the horrific wedgie Argh the horror of his screaming and the sight of his boxers are burned into my mind forever '..." he paused his high pitched mimic of Namine's voice, his hands falling limply at his sides "Nice... That's how I want to be remembered."

Axel laughed, "Well maybe you should try making a better impression on her... Actually say something instead of catching sight of her from fifty yards and then running like you have all the Underworld on your heels." Axel paused, "and maybe you shouldn't wear boxers with butterflies on them, Man. 'Cause that was just disturbing... I didn't want to see it so I'm sure she didn't either... freak."

"Excuse me, but it's your fault... you wouldn't have had to see my boxers if you'd learn to knock BEFORE entering my room..." Roxas snarled, "and I hadn't done my laundry yet... they were the only ones I had left..."

"Uh-huh... Yeah, 'cause we all know you don't normally wear freaky stuff like that..." Axel reached out, pinching the material of Roxas' sleeve and giving it a tug, bringing attention once again to his freakish Pajamas.

Roxas glared at his 'friend' for a moment, "you want me to do to you what I did to Xigbar back there?"

"Fine, calm down already." Axel chuckled again as he quickly changed the subject before Roxas had a royal fit. "Well, now that's settled... I think we better find someplace to lay low for a bit... Until things have a chance to blow over a bit." He glanced at Roxas who was now shooting him a I-told-you-so death glare, "How bout here?"

Roxas looked at the door that Axel was now pointing at. "Demyx's room?" Somehow in all their wanderings they had arrived once again to the first in their line of terrible pranks.

"Yeah, since he's running around telling everyone that his Sitar is eating people he won't be back without someone to help him... and who's going to believe him " Axel chuckled.

"Axel..." Roxas sighed, not even sure he wanted to get into it again, "maybe we should find Demyx and let him know everything's ok..."

"Why?" Axel blinked questioningly at his friend.

"It's gone too far... I don't think he can take this kind of stress... What if he gets really angry with us or something... You know how sensitive he is..." Roxas was cut off before he could finish his rant of concern.

"Yeah, yeah, and he'll have some sort of mental break down and bring down horrible DOOM upon us all, blah blah blah..." Axel muttered as he opened Demyx's door and stood in the entryway. "I've heard it, Roxas..."

There was a strange sort of stillness that filled the air as that door opened. Quiet, almost peaceful; like the calm before a terrible storm. Axel stood, frozen in the doorway as he stared strait ahead into the room. A smaller Nobody was standing near the vacant stool and the neatly arranged sheet music that had been left untouched since the Musician had fled. The baseball bat that had been tossed during a fit of fear was now in this other Nobody's hands. It fell to his side with out a sound as he looked up from inspecting it. Their eyes locked as emerald green stared into dark blue... with a black ink monocle doodle.

"Well now..." Zexion's quiet voice dripped with a chilling malice, "fancy meeting you here..."

"What, what?" both Marluxia and Larxene stood from looking under Demyx's bed, glancing around the room and then letting their gaze follow Zexion's.

Marluxia's eyes widened when his brain registered who was in the doorway, "ah YOU!!!"

Axel 'meeped' slamming the door shut and leaning back against it. Roxas stared at him, unaware of the danger that was lurking within those quarters, "Axel? What happened? Is someone..."

"Run Roxas... Run as fast as you can... Run as if all the Underworld is on your heels...we're about to die..." Axel grabbed Roxas and spun him around, giving him a shove as he tried to bolt down the hallway.

"I don't run like that unless... What, is Namine in there? What's Namine doing in Demyx's room..." Roxas resisted his friend, pushing back against the hands that were trying to shove him into a run.

"No, Roxas, it's not..." Axel paused as a frightful sound echoed down the hall.

The door nearly shattered, slamming to the ground with a deafening crash as it was ripped from it's hinges from the sheer force of the kick that had been planted upon it. Marluxia stomped out onto the fallen door, " RUN FOOLS!!! But you will not escape my WRATH!!!" His hand shot up above his head as cherry petals swirled and danced in the air from his power, coming together forming what looked like the silhouette of a massive weapon. The tiny pink petals suddenly seemed to explode revealing his huge Scythe. "No one messes with my hair and lives..."

Roxas ran blindly when he heard the crash, afraid to even look around. After a few moments he finally managed to gasp out the question that was nagging his mind, "What happened... Axel? Who... was there?"

"It was Marluxia, Zexion, Larx and Saix!!! And I don't know what happened!!! They must have believed Demyx But why..." Axel glanced behind him, nothing was there. His pace slowed slightly as his eyes remained fixed on the empty hallway behind him. There was nothing there. There was no enraged mob, or even the faintest sound of anyone following them, "I think we lost him..."

"AXEL " Roxas yelped the sound rang in Axel's ears forcing him to skid to a sudden stop, turning his head back around just as the tip of a large blade whipped past his nose.

"Marly!?! YOU ALMOST TOOK MY HEAD OFF!! " Axel slowly started to back away from the enraged Nobody in the red lace bath robe before him.
"Aw, tsk... I missed, bad me." Marluxia chuckled as he swung his scythe behind him and readied another attack. "I assure you I will not miss again."

"Ah come on... can't we like... talk this over... like civilized rational..." A strange smirk began to work its way across his face, "Man... you look like something out of Sailor Moon..." Axel snorted and ducked just as the large blade sliced the air over his head again. "Just less scary and more girly."

"ENOUGH!!! You little wretch, I'm going to rip your head off and use your insides as mulch for the little fern I keep above my toilet " Marluxia snarled as he swung again, barely catching a few red hairs as Axel jumped backwards, just out of reach.

"Oooh I'm scared, don't let the scary lady in the red nightie hurt me! Oooh!" Axel feigned being terrified, a wicked grin plastered across his face.

"AXEL stop!!! Don't provoke him!" Roxas danced around like a little kid that needed to find a bathroom, desperately trying to think of someway to stop the terrible disaster waiting to happen. "Marluxia, wait, he didn't mean it! "

"Can it, shrimp, I am not in a forgiving mood right now." Marluxia snarled as he gracefully swung his scythe over his head once before letting it drop behind his back. He lifted his free hand, palm out towards Axel; the air before his open palm seemed to create a vacuum and then burst out into a vortex of swirling petals at his opponent, temporarily blinding him.

The air suddenly sizzled, the smell of burning cherry petals stung the senses of the three Nobodies as one of Axel's Chakrams spun before him in a ring of flames. The other soon appeared in his other hand as he gripped them both and swung them back and forth by his sides tauntingly as the flames he had sent forth died down.

Marluxia had held up his arm, protecting his face from the tongues of fire that had nearly singed him as they passed by. "You're a fool, if you have a chance to attack then you shouldn't play around and miss me like that." he lowered his arm, a wicked grin tugging at his lips.

"Who says I missed..." Axel chuckled then made a point of snuffing the air, "hmmm... smells like barbequed cherries with a nice honey glaze." He winked.

Marluxia's blue eyes widened as he realized something wasn't quite right, he turned his head, catching sight of the ends of one of his perfectly beautiful layers as it smoldered, "MY HAIR You will PAY FOR THAT " Without hesitation Marluxia swung his scythe from behind and sent it flying at his tormentor.

Axel ducked as the Scythe spun over the top of his head, as he stood back up he chuckled, "Now that's a desperate move, you've lost your means to attack me... what are you going to do now, petal me to... death?" his voice trailed off mid taunt, eyes scanning the battle field before him. Marluxia had disappeared.

"AXEL!!!" Roxas yelled, catching his friends attention, once again alerting him to an attack. Axel spun around just in time to see Marluxia, scythe in hand as he was flying toward him like some sort of avenging angel, strangely beautiful despite the sadistic grin that marred his face with hatred.

"ENOUGH!" a loud deep voice commanded, bringing everything to a sudden halt.

Marluxia was snatched mid flight by a pair of strong arms pulling him back, his scythe ripped from his hand by the momentum he had been traveling against his body's sudden halt in speed. It clanked to the ground and spun a couple times before coming to a rest near Roxas' feet.

"Why did you stop me!? " Marluxia snarled behind clenched teeth as he struggled against the grip Saix had on him.

"We should not be fighting each other... this is senseless." Saix's voice lowered, but there was still a bite to it that told everyone he was teetering on the edge of Berserk once again, if it wasn't already obvious by the sheer strength he displayed by holding the enraged Assassin from his attack.

"Marluxia... Axel... please... it's not worth killing each other over..." Roxas pleaded, eyeing Axel as he turned one of his chakrams around in his hand, still ready for the fight.

"I wasn't going to kill him, just maim him horribly." Marluxia spat, the anger still dripping from his words. "He can't get away with the things he's done to everyone!"

"But his punishment is not up to us." Saix stated, glaring at Axel and then down at Marluxia.

"Like he could even touch me..." Axel chuckled, sending Marluxia into another enraged fit.

"Let me at him!" The Graceful Assassin howled and fought to free himself.

Without a word Roxas snatched Axel by the arm and pulled him through a portal before any of the others had a chance to react. The swirling shadows closed as an enraged howl escaped Marluxia once again.

"Look at that, they got away because of YOU!" He was finally able to twist his way out of the other Nobody's grasp, stumbling a few feet before coming to a stand still. He stood silently, trembling with the anger and adrenaline that had been rushing through him moments ago.

"Marluxia... calm down already." a feminine voice sighed as Larxene walked up beside Saix, followed closely by Zexion.
The lack of insult and bite in her words startled him, forcing him to calm just slightly, "Don't tell me what to do, Woman." He turned and walked over to his scythe, picking it up and rubbing his thumb across some unseen smudge.

"I suggest we inform the Superior about that creature you were telling me about, and perhaps he knows where Demyx could be." Zexion's gentle voice echoed in the now silent hallway.

"Indeed, and he can decide on what should be done. Our job is done for now... There is nothing more we can do." Saix glanced at Marluxia as he waived his hand; opening a portal before them.

Marluxia was still standing with his back to them, rubbing his fingers across invisible scratches on his weapon. He felt a presence suddenly standing close to him as a calm voice whispered in his ear, "I heard you... you said 'everyone'... I figured you weren't wasting that much energy over some honey in your shampoo... but really it all doesn't matter..." she paused, "especially your hair..."

"If you're trying to cheer me up you're doing a terrible job of it..." Marluxia's low groan was interrupted.

"Why should I care if your happy or not, I'm just saying that there are more important things right now than petty vengeance and your hair." Larxene chuckled as she reached out and flicked the singed edges of his hair that was hanging over his shoulder. "And you needed a trim anyway, Shaggy... I'm pretty good with a pair of scissors... if you're interested."

"Like I'd let you touch my hair..." Marluxia turned, reaching up and flicking one of her antennae like spikes of blonde hair, yet there was the faintest hint of a smile that was threatening his lips.

Marluxia paused before following Saix and Zexion into the portal, "We ARE going to report this... right? I'll let go of the revenge thing only if we report this... and let Xemnas nail his butt to the wall..."

"Yeah, yeah, let's go tell Mommy on them for beating you up..." Larxene walked up behind him and gave him a shove to keep him moving.

"Hey " Marluxia snarled as the portal closed behind them.


End of Chapter 10: Avenging Angel

Demyx is missing, and who knows what will happen considering the terrifying state of mind the Melodious Nocturne is in. And it seems that Xemnas has known all for quite some time... will the Superior make a move to bring the insanity to an end?