Destati

Chapter Two:

Larxene's fingers danced across the keyboard, her finger tips aptly striking key after key. Her mind was thirsty for answers; her eyes scanning, searching, drinking in the information flashing across the screen. Alas, the data on the computer Xemnas had placed in her lab seemed to be leaving her unquenchable mind utterly parched.

"This can't be everything." Larxene marveled to herself, rather exasperatedly, "There has to be something Xemnas is keeping from me…"

Larxene's findings were the following: Number XIII's normal information; height, weight, other miscellaneous measurements for his body. These were so she could replicate clothes for the boy as soon as he awoke. So far, this scrap of information was the only helpful thing. The rest of the data stated the obvious—the time of the Nobody's birth, first place sighted, circumstances of creation…everyone in the Organization could have speculated the answers and have succeeded in getting them all correct. Number XIII was birthed that very afternoon, fallen from a tear in the blackened sky. The ground had quaked, and there he had appeared at the very outskirts of the Castle Oblivion's property. Larxene found the essential information to be infuriatingly lacking. The Nobody's "Other" was listed as unknown, as was the Nobody's primary powers. This being unknown, it was impossible for Larxene to begin a training course or select a weapon for the boy—everything had to be discovered. Larxene hated not knowing. She couldn't even name the new member.

Frustrated and weary, Larxene ran a gloved hand through her yellow locks, letting out a long sigh. She sat back, and took a moment to ponder what resentment was like, thought long and hard, and then concluded that it was what she would feel towards Xemnas—could she feel at all. Leaving all this work to her and her alone was simply unfair; locking her down in a secret lab on the Twelfth floor all by herself…well save the unconscious Nobody. Still, that wasn't exactly the most exciting company.

Larxene rose from her computer and drifted over to where the boy lay slumbering on a bed at the far wall. A monitor showing the Nobody's vital signs beeped steadily to the right of him, alerting Larxene that he was indeed alive. Larxene tapped the monitor apathetically. The same monotonous tone was grating on her nerves, having heard it for the past hour since she had begun research on her computer. At first, the monitor had puzzled her—she had never seen a Nobody in this stage of acceptance into the Organization because she had been the twelfth, and most recent, incorporated into the assembly. Still, it hadn't taken her long to deduce its function. The steady beeping was to resemble a heart beat, although Nobodies were devoid of hearts. By monitoring the ebb and flow of the wispy darkness housed within the Shell's chest it simulated the beating of a true fleshy heart. Larxene had momentarily become nauseous, thinking about this. The same tide that directed the young boy's inner workings flowed within her body as well. This darkness, the source of her nothingness, and she loathed it, longing for a heart, for emotions, to feel that weight in her chest and that blessed throbbing against her ribcage of the muscles pumping, keeping her alive with every breath. It had been one of her silly dreams…how she coveted that puzzling mass of flesh—how the Others took them so for granted.

Larxene stepped away from the bedside and wilted back into her computer chair, swiveling back over to face the monitor full of pointless information. All she could do now is continue with the long wait for the boy to regain consciousness. This time was critical. She had to stay by his side and ease him into his surroundings and circumstances. Those first moments after his awakening would be crucial to that, she knew.

"Nice place you got here."

Larxene leapt with alarm, whirling around to find the source of the all too familiar voice. She wasn't at all surprised when her eyes collided with the piercing emerald orbs of—

"Axel." She hissed, "How did you find this place?"

The notorious Number VIII, Axel, chuckled and leaned nonchalantly against the wall. "Oh, come on Larxene! You know I love poking my nose in everybody else's business." The fiery red-head quipped with a smirk, "It's one of my specialties and, might I add, one of my many perks?"

Larxene huffed, brushing aside a stand of golden hair out of her tired eyes. She leaned forward in her chair and her lips parted, "But this isn't even my own private business, Axel. It's Master Xemnas'. You could get yourself in a lot of trouble this way…"

Axel cocked his brow and regarded Larxene silently before responding, "Well, that's my decision now, isn't it?"

Larxene's eyes narrowed into little crystalline slits, "No…it isn't."

"Edgy!" Axel said with a shrug. Picking his way over to where Larxene sat in the computer chair, he rested a heavy hand on her shoulder. Granting her a whimsical smile to prove he was only messing with her, Axel waved his other hand to make another chair appear for him. Sliding into his seat, adjacent his friend, he folded his hands and leaned towards her, assuming a mock business like façade, "When Xemnas gave you the task of taking care of the kid he forgot that every woman needs her man."

Larxene rolled her eyes, "You disgust me, Axel."

Axel rose his hands up in defense, "Alright, alright, so I'm joking. Maybe it was out of curiosity that I decided to look for this place, but I want to be apart of this awakening whether you, Xemnas, or anyone else likes it or not." He said glancing over at the slumbering Shell sprawled on the bed; "Besides…" he began again, "I was the one who found him…"

This piqued Larxene's interest, "Tell me everything."

--

He had been outside when it happened.

The moment lightning streaked the blackened sky; Axel knew something unusual, some unhallowed thing was afoot. Being nearly zapped by said lightning bolt was enough to spark his interest as well. From Axel's new found place, so boldly huddled behind a conveniently placed large rock, he had witnessed the whole ordeal. He saw the darkness pitching back and forth and the brightness swelling painfully. Axel's stomach lurched at the sight and he shut his eyes tight. The lightning, that blast of lightning which had threatened his life only moments ago, had brought with it something curious—he came to realize from his hiding place.

As the balance began to settle once more, Axel became aware of another set of breaths apart from his own. Now gathering scraps of what the Others called courage, he puffed out his chest and snuck a glance around the rock.

His eyes fell upon a figure not far from where he stood.

Axel drew himself up to full height now and cast his gaze about the area. The coast appeared to be clear, save for a new mysterious form sprawled on the rocky earth just a few paces away. So, curiosity tingling in his fingertips, enticing him to draw nearer, he moved towards this new being. Or perhaps it wasn't curiosity that beckoned him…perhaps it was destiny?

Suddenly Axel halted. The boy stirred. Axel held his breath and stared wide eyed; waiting. The boy planted his bony hands on the ground and willed his spindly arms to lift himself up onto his feet. They wobbled terribly, and the boy flopped back on the ground with a grunt—falling face first into the dusty earth. Then, he lay still.

After watching breathlessly and soundlessly for a handful of heartbeats, Axel came to the conclusion the boy had passed out. Acknowledging this, he allowed himself to breathe again and stepped forward a step or two. Curiosity strangled him, pressing him to hurry on, and so Axel quickened his pace skidding to a halt at the boy's side. Kneeling, he studied the boy. His thirsty eyes drank in the sight: the boy's frowzy blonde hair, long light eyelashes brushing smooth pale cheeks, peachy skin, thin arms and slender fingers. Something moved within Axel and before he could think rationally, he was stripping off his cloak and wrapping it around the shivering boy.

While he lifted the leather hood over the boy's head prudence began to nudge him. Was this really wise? This wasn't his job in the first place. Xemnas was always the one who did this—the other Nobodies were strictly instructed to inform their master of any new Shell sightings. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't just leave this young boy alone. He couldn't put his finger on it, he couldn't exactly figure out why he wanted to help this boy aside from the fact that he was most obviously a Shell Nobody just like him. But it was something more…something deeper. Axel shook his head and brushed prudence aside.

Axel gathered the boy in his arms, holding his frigid, fragile frame against his chest.

As he began trudging back towards the castle, he dully noted that the boy was unusually light, and his breathing was especially shallow. Looking down at his unconscious form—Axel pulled the black leather hood gently over the Shell's head, and set his head to rest a little more comfortably against his chest, then it hit him.

Color lighted his face, a rather unattractive red shade. He thought of the Others. In his free time—Axel enjoyed studying the world of the others. They were interesting creatures, the way they acted towards each other. He found that they were connected and separated into groups, different types of relationships. Something like…friends, or the negative: enemies. They were also connected by emotions—love, or hate. A relationship he had come across was that of a family, more specifically…that of a father and son. He shook his head, as if to shake the blush from his face. He didn't know why this connection had been so especially intriguing to him. Often he had wondered, as his mind wandered back to this strange subject, if his Other was a father…

Axel rolled his eyes to himself, "Gimme a break." He scoffed coolly, "I should just get this kid back to Xemnas."

"This time I'll protect you…Sora!"

The shout had come from nowhere and everywhere all at once; the voice female. Axel jumped, and whirled around, only to see a fleeting glimmer of light wafting up towards the heavens. Cocking his head with confusion, he felt a chill skitter up his spine.

"Creepy…" Axel mumbled, tightening his hold on the newborn Shell in his arms. Shaking his head and disregarding the eerie voice, he began his march back towards the Castle Oblivion all the while preparing himself for the disapproval of his master, and the long hours of waiting before he could assuage his insatiable curiosity about the new Nobody.

--

"This time I'll protect you Sora…" Larxene repeated to herself thoughtfully, "Perhaps that's his Other's name. But why wouldn't Master Xemnas disclose that information to me—it seems basic enough." She paused, a grimace crawling across her features. Something was missing, she was sure of it, "Unless this 'Sora' is special in some way we aren't aware of?"

Axel was silent a moment—considering this information. After a moment or two of thorough contemplation he shook his head and shrugged, "It's just the name of another poor fool who gave his heart over to the darkness and got in too deep. What difference does it make?" Axel supplied, his green eyes flashing at Larxene while crossing his arms resolutely across his chest, "Everyone falls just as hard, no matter who they are."

The blonde shook her head with a slight sigh, waving off Axel's explanation, "That doesn't make me any less suspicious, Axel."

Rising from her seat, Larxene glided over to check the monitor. Glaring at the same information she'd been seeing for the past hour, she huffed exasperatedly. In response to her vexation, she felt Axel's bony hand come to rest on her shoulder. Larxene turned slightly at the almost reassuring gesture, her eyes falling into line with Axel's. His expression was curiously soft.

"Do you know your Other's name?" He asked, his tone low but level.

Silence enveloped Larxene. For a moment she didn't even hear the sound of the humming machines around her. With a small edge of panic accompanying the impact, the realization hit her—no, she didn't know her Other's name. Breaking away from Axel's gaze and from his hold on her shoulder, she turned her back to him. Stiffly slipping a lock of yellow hair behind her ear, her eyes falling, she shook her head and whispered, "No."

"I didn't either."

The tightness in Larxene's chest released a bit at this. "However—" Axel began again, coming to stand in front of her and ducking to catch her staring eyes with his. Tension strained painfully at Larxene's insides again, forcing herself to join her gaze with his once again. "A long time ago I did some research and presented an educated guess to Xemnas…" Axel continued.

A heavy hush fell over the pair, the gravity of the subject weighting their patience down. Larxene remained motionless, waiting with bated breath. Then, Axel chuckled, which provoked Larxene to meet his gaze once more.

"It's really simple really!" he started cheerfully, breaking the apprehensive atmosphere, "You know, adding an x to rearranged letters of your Other's name to get your name now—"

"I know that." Larxene snapped, cutting him off abruptly. Of course she had heard whispers around the Organization of that. Did he really think she was that dense? "I've just…never tried rearranging the letters…"

Axel laughed slightly, shaking his head slightly at Larxene's plight, "Well my Other's name seemed to be an exception to the whole x rule." Axel scoffed, "I mean, who in their right mind would name their kid Ale?"

This provoked a smile to tweak Larxene's cheek slightly. Seeing that he was beginning to melt Larxene's icy defenses, Axel continued with ease, "So anyway…after a long meeting with The Leader, I found out his name is Alex—or rather, was Alex." Axel paused, his face suddenly blank, expression staring, "Xemnas told me he died a few years ago. The funny thing was…I wasn't sad at all. I, essentially, died—and I wasn't sad at all."

Larxene's studied Axel's face carefully, scanning for any hint of almost human emotion. Seeing nothing in him, she only continued to stare, uncertain of how to react. She opted for silence, waiting patiently for the point to Axel's story.

"The point is that it really doesn't matter, just like I said." Axel finally admitted with a sigh, "So name the kid—he'll be everything opposite from his Other anyway." Shoving his gloved hands deep in the pockets of his leather jacket, Axel turned away from Larxene and strode over to the boy on the table studying him carefully, "And, Larxene…just make sure to do everything to keep him away from his Other—whoever he is. He's better off that way…and so are you."

Silence and tension again gripped the room. Larxene's mind beat wildly, calculating pros and cons, weighing the uncertainties of the situation. She grimaced slightly with her dissatisfaction and stared fixatedly at the blanched floor, "Well…" Larxene started in shakily after the awkward and rather heated conversation, "Whatever the case, Number XIII still needs a name…"

Casting Larxene a capricious grin, his movements suddenly void of the nostalgic air he held before, Axel plopped himself down in the seat he had summoned up before, "I can stick around a little longer, I guess." He said with a swagger and a smirk, "You know you want my company."

Larxene only rolled her eyes and proceeded to rummage through a nearby drawer to find a pen and paper. Though despite her apathy, inside she knew that his presence there was precisely what she wanted.

The machine hummed in the background, steadily bleeping. The light over Larxene's desk flickered, gallingly buzzing. The clock on the wall ticked away the minutes that stretched into hours which finally drew the weary comrades into a much needed slumber.

Outside of Larxene's lab, a tall, dark, cloaked figure observed the icy blonde slumbering on her desk, and the firey-red head sprawled and snoozing in his chair. He stood there for a moment or two, his gaze finding, and then resting purposefully on the still unconscious shell at the far wall. The shadow took a resolute step forward, and then a wary step back. He paused. He clenched his fists. Then as quickly as he came he was gone.

PREVIEW OF CHAPTER THREE!

Axel and Larxene whittle away many more hours together in the care of the new Shell Nobody. However, just when they begin to have fun, complications arise. Have you ever had that feeling that someone's watching you...?

Author's Note: So SORRY for the delay you guys!! I'm really having a ton of fun with this story. As for another update...I need to rummage back through my notes before I progress with Chapter Three...also my Junior year is alot more taxing than I thought it would be; so I may be slower. But here's a nice big chapter update of you guys! Thanks again for all the support. I hope you guys keep reading and keep reviewing. :) I'm enjoying writing this so much, and I thoroughly enjoy all of your feedback. Loves to all!! Godbless!

Stormy