Woo, we're on a roll! Okay, well, I'M on a roll. You guys just read. And never review. What bums. Review, people. Don't make me be one of those "I-won't-post-till-I-get-ten-reviews" Nazi people. You won't like me when I'm angry! (HULK SMASH!)
Okay, my random moment is over. Enjoy.
Bruixe refused to go back to the computer room the next day, instead locking herself in her room and refusing to talk to anyone. Even Xigbar, who didn't really know what had happened, knew enough to leave her alone.
On the fourth day of Roxas-watching, someone timidly knocked on her door. "Um, Bruixe?" called Demyx. "I know you're mad and all, but can I come in?"
"Whatever," Bruixe said indifferently.
Demyx poked his head into the room. "Um, Xemnas says… and these are his words, so don't get mad at me… that you should stop pouting and get your, um, butt back to the computer room, because he finished writing the new program and you and Axel have to go get Roxas."
Bruixe leapt to her feet and blew past the Melodious Nocturne, yelling, "Well it's about damn time!"
Demyx briefed her on the way. "Yesterday Namine – that's the witch that was at Castle Oblivion –"
"I know," Bruixe cut him off impatiently.
"Yesterday Namine hacked the VR program," Demyx said. "We don't really know why, because we couldn't tell what she was saying, but Ansem the Wise didn't let her in, so she used what Xigbar called a 'time-stop program'. It stopped the flow of time in the program and let her slide in past the security. Xemnas duplicated the program and thinks he can get an opening big enough for two people. He's sending you and Axel."
"He couldn't figure out how the mystery man got in?" Bruixe asked.
Her friend shook his head. "He was using Ansem the Wise's access codes. No security break. But Namine hacked it from the inside. Oh, and Xemnas says we'll probably only get to use this once before Ansem figures out how to block it. So don't mess up."
"Got it," Bruixe said confidently.
In the computer room, Xemnas was calmly typing in commands. The screen showed some street kid fighting a two-foot-tall imp guy.
"That's the bait," Demyx said, pointing to the imp. "He was a program called Vivi, but Xemnas managed to replace some of his coding with the Dusk program. When the Dusks bust out, the idea is Ansem the Wise'll be too busy fixing the program to keep us out. Distraction," he said, waving his hands excitedly.
"Bruixe, Axel, over there," Xemnas ordered, gesturing to the wall where an advanced-looking, person-sized data port stood. "Axel, you'll be in the square. If Roxas resists, knock him out and bring him back that way. Bruixe, I'm sending you to a rooftop to keep watch. If the mystery man appears again, he'll be your responsibility."
"My pleasure," Bruixe said menacingly. She couldn't wait to get her hands on the man who'd beat up Roxas. Demyz had called her the Twilight Avenger for a reason.
Roxas clambered onto the platform to fight the Vivi-thing.
"Good luck," Xigbar said smoothly, and then the world seemed to disappear in a shower of fizzles.
Bruixe fell hard onto the rough stone roof of the Twilight Town building, losing her balance and scraping her palms as she caught herself. Xemnas had put her on the highest building in the square – she could see everything. In front of her, far below, Roxas was fighting the Dusks that had come out of the Vivi-program. As he laid to waste the last one, Axel appeared in the square with perfect timing. "Roxas, alright," he called, clapping. "Fight fight fight."
"Who are you?" Roxas demanded.
Pay attention, Bruixe told herself. Her mission wasn't to watch Axel, but to watch his back. Once Ansem the Wise figured out his program had been hacked, he'd be sending his wingman to take care of things, Bruixe was sure of it.
She looked around the square. The Twilight Town inhabitants were completely frozen in time, some of them mid-cheer. Apparently it had been a tournament of some sort. Idly Bruixe wondered if Roxas had been winning.
"This town is his creation, right?" Axel was saying below. "Which means we don't have time for a Q & A."
As if on cue, Bruixe saw a figure step out of nowhere on the rooftop next to hers. The mystery man, in the flesh. It was the first time she'd seen him up close. He was big – as tall and broad-shouldered as Xemnas – and wore his hood up, as usual.
He drew near the railing – the two of them were behind Axel. If the man moved now, he'd take her friend by surprise. Bruixe acted instinctively.
She took a running start and launched herself off the building, landing easily on the rooftop below. There wasn't time to draw her weapons – she used her momentum to catch the big man in a full-body tackle, knocking him to the 'floor'.
He evidently hadn't expected an attack from above, but kicked upward, showving her away. She heard the telltale snap of a weapon summoned and lashed out automatically – it clattered across the roof. But he was on his feet now, and slammed her against the railing.
Far below on the Struggle platform, Axel and Roxas were fighting, twin blurs of black and white, red and blonde.
Bruixe's elbow caught her opponent in the jaw, and she managed to slip out of his grasp, fists battering every part of the big man she could reach. He swatted her away like a fly.
He outclassed her in size and strength. Bruixe was more nimble, but the big man could easily overpower her. But she had one advantage – she didn't have to defeat him, only keep him on the rooftop and out of Axel's way.
He charged her with all the force of a freight train, knocking the wind out of her. His huge hand caught her around the throat, but he didn't stand a chance – Bruixe's friends were in danger, and she was invincible. Sharp nails dug into the fleshy underside of her attacker's arm; the pressure around her neck ceased as he dropped her like something hot. She stole a glance at the square below: a masked man she could only assume was Ansem the Wise had appeared; Roxas clutched his head and seemed to be yelling something.
It was a rookie mistake, one she immediately regretted. Her distraction allowed her opponent to dart past her guard – she was knocked through the air, flipping over the railing and off the edge. Bruixe flung out a hand in desperation and by some miracle caught a bar. She slammed against the building wall, dazed, connected to safety by a flimsy metal railing. She'd managed to catch the vertical support; her wrist was twisted at an impossible angle.
A shadow passed over her face, blocking out the sun, and she closed her eyes, preparing for death. But strong hands seized her arm, hauling her over the railing to solid ground. She looked up to see the hem of a black cloak disappearing through a dark portal.
Her opponent had – saved her?
Fizzles engulfed the world again as the program collapsed, and she was back in the computer room. Axel was already there, evidently Roxas-less.
"Bruixe? What happened?" Xemnas demanded.
She shook her head slowly. "I'm not really sure…"