Author's note: ...i want to shoot myself. Dx

well, not really, but you catch my drift, right? uhm. it's a bit difficult to explain why i've been gone. i think i should just stick to stop apologizing about my hiatus' and random breaks in updating and concentrate on, well...just getting to the point. Dx

uhm. my birthday is coming up? on the 17th? sp-spare...me?

GAH. I'M BRIBING YOU. fdhsjahffdshauiwqyh111 sigh. so, have at this chapter of piratey JOY. i'm pretty sure you'll be UTTERLY baffled by roxas and axel's antics. XD

Chapter 9: Prisoners

Bang, bang, bang...

It was a normal sound to a pirate, of course, so there was absolutely nothing about it that could've influenced them in any way. Once the trigger was pulled and the bullet went flying, life and death was left entirely in the hands of, well, the bullet. Never the pirate. There would never be a clear path for a bullet to take, depending on the speed, depending on the wind, the time, the shooter. Why, once the bullet left the gun there was no guarantee that someone would be spared or killed.

Therefore, what ever became of the shot, the shooter had nothing to feel sorry or happy for—it wasn't their fault.

However, at that very split second that one finger pulled the trigger and a single bullet went flying through the cold and stiff air that night, possibly that streak was broken.

Axel watched the bullet fly...and hoped that his aim was as terrible as usual. And his smirk suddenly began to shrink in recollection of the cabin boy...running...and running...

Was the bullet faster? Or was Roxas? Were they at the same speed, perhaps? Axel watched them both fading in the distance down what suddenly became the longest alleyway he'd even laid eyes on. Unconsciously, he nibbled at his lower lip and squinted slightly as if to say that he was nervous. But no matter what he did, Roxas seemed to become slower and slower while his shot sped faster and faster.

"Dammit," he swore under his breath and at once began to run the path of the bullet down the abandoned alley. Then, with his eyebrows furrowed and his heart positively racing, the captain threw his pistol into the sand, held his breath and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Roxas!"

At that, the blonde spun around and it was with that movement that the bullet grazed the back of his head and went on to become lodged in a wooden building at the end of the alley. Axel watched as the boy—in shock at both his name being called out and a strange gust of wind running past his hair—brought a hand to the back of his head and frantically stared around until his bright blue eyes locked onto the face of the captain down the way.

"Dammit," Roxas hissed and in an instant turned the left corner so that he was completely out of sight.

"No, no, hold...on!" Axel yelled out with an outstretched hand before letting it go limp as Roxas dashed away. Well, that certainly went swimmingly. Too swimmingly, in fact. He slowly brought his shooting hand to his forehead where he began to rub his temples. His skin felt cold from where the gun had rested against it and he immediately ripped his hand away from his head after feeling it.

"I must be drunk." With that, Axel once more ran down the alley and headed for the direction that he'd seen Roxas head for, all the while trying to breathe normally amongst the thick clouds of smoke beginning to choke the once glowing town. Now that he was guilty for.

xxXXxx

"Mom! Mom, where are you?"

"Head for the docks! The docks, there, there!"

"Leave him!"


"I won't!"

"You think you're the smart one, do ya?"

By the time Roxas had entered what appeared to be the center of the entire town, he'd run through what felt like miles and miles of chaos and smoke. Thankfully, in the square he stood in there was little smoke and less people running about, frantically waving at others and calling for loved ones they'd lost. Coughing slightly, Roxas ran some fingers through his hair and made a short glance over his shoulder, remembering that the captain had seen him running into town.

Ahead of him was a well and beside it a wooden stage made for executions. As he tried to search around for a place to hide, Roxas noticed that a majority of the crew he'd come to know were standing upon the execution platform, watching with stoic behavior the townspeople covered in black ash.

He nearly walked up to the platform before he heard a loud crack to his left and he turned his attention to yet another alley leading into the town square. As it turned out, the flames were just starting to engulf that part of the town and walls from the houses were beginning to collapse into themselves. What Roxas didn't expect to see was the fire starter—the shooter in the crew—to emerge from the alley with pistol raised and face positively painted with pleasure. Upon seeing him, Roxas ducked behind a few barrels and covered his face to prevent the ashes from stinging his cheeks.

"Ha-ha!" the shooter yelled while running toward the execution stage. The crew members immediately snapped out of their trance-like state and turned toward the man with smiles of their own. The female in the group hopped down from the platform and appeared to giggle from what Roxas could see between his fingers.

"Haven't had this much fun since we took that boy, hm?" she yelled over the roaring fire.

The man with the pistol placed his hands on his hips and cocked his head toward the alley he'd run out of. "Even better, I'd say. Wonder what the captain's plannin'?"

"Oy! Down this way! Uniformed bastards'll gut us if we're caught!"

"Ah, you heard 'im!"

With that order, Roxas watched the group hop down from the platform—disregarding if one of them stumbled or not—and followed the voice of Luxord to his right, cackling and whooping amongst other ruthless pirate-y things. Sitting in the mud like that and shielding his eyes, Roxas didn't feel much like anything. He wasn't enjoying himself nor was he feeling accomplished for coming ashore.

In fact, all he felt was empty.

"Weird..." he muttered, staring down at his chest. The blonde felt the heat pushing against his wet skin, drying him in a mere second, and hopped up once the heat began to burn. He had to hold his tongue to keep from yelling and forced himself to run back toward the platform which was not yet touched by the orange, crackling flames. For a while he stood beside the platform, merely observing the damage that the crew had done with nothing more than guns and their bare hands. Possibly a dagger, maybe a dull sword had been drawn as well.

Either way, Roxas was in disbelief that such a destructive monster could happen...Already the fire was eating the rooftops—places of refuge for observing the sky, the stars. Now the sky was pitch black, thick with suffocating smoke. Rooftops were broken in two, collapsing into rooms and killing those who confided in them for peace.

Life...was deteriorating before his eyes.

He shook his head furiously toward his feet and, with fists clenched, looked toward the footsteps of the crew imprinted in the mud and broke into a run after them. Chances are that wherever they were headed, he'd find an exit.

A place to escape the pain.

But, with every two steps made, Roxas seemed to be drawn back 10. His body suddenly stopped dead in place and he wasn't sure as to why he'd done it. Another second here and he'd be killed...another second here and he wouldn't here that voice.

"Roxas!"

Roxas hesitantly turned his head to the right, wide eyed and stiff expecting to see something like a ghost about ready to take his life. "I-I—" His teeth chattered, but he wasn't cold. His fingers twitched and his skin covered with bumps, but he wasn't extremely frightened. "I—"

"Oy! Where are you, boy?!"

Roxas nearly scoffed hearing the word "boy" but it stopped midway in his throat. He assumed that being on a first name basis was necessary in this pirate world he lived in. No, no, he wasn't living like a pirate. He wasn't even a pirate! This was insanity! He needed to run...he needed to run!

"No!" he shouted in all directions, twisting his body this way and that with his arms thrown at his sides. The fire was now all around him and left the footsteps and his getaway path covered in bright sparks of yellow and red. The odds of him escaping without a single burn were slim, but Roxas still persisted to back toward the path all while yelling angrily at the captain's voice coming from all directions.

"You and your GAMES are DONE, Axel! I don't have ANY part in this crew! I'M NOTHING BUT A PLAY THING FOR YOU!"

A loud chuckle was the first response and Roxas stared hysterically for the source. "Where do you get off saying that, Roxas?"

"You know that's true!"

"Truth? Or fact, hm? Which is it?!"

Games, games, games! Everything! This world, its people and its disasters were nothing but toys to Axel. Roxas knew this the moment he saw him staring right into his eyes. Axel's eyes were filled with nothing but malice and transgression. Their relationship was a farce! All of it! The conversations, the touching, this—this "you'll be the one to save me" act...what were they meant to prove? Roxas felt dejected in the fire and, in one split second decision, clenched his fists so tightly together his fingers went numb, shut his eyes and fell to the ground in a heap.

"I CAN'T LIVE BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"...Would that be the truth as well, Roxas?!"

"IT'S THE TRUTH!" the blonde shot back, raising his head toward the sky. "IT'S THE TRUTH!" His voice trembled and his eyes stung, begging for tears to run though it was too hot for them to fall. He shook the bangs away from his face and suddenly fell into deep regret for coming ashore. No. To come here was a mistake.

He'd succumbed to greed.

This was punishment.

"...I gave you truth," he mumbled in a shaken voice, burying half his face in his knees. "You give me lies..."

With that, Roxas felt he'd ended the conversation...and yet, for Axel not to fight for the last word was unusual. What he wouldn't give for Sora's pistol right now. If he had it, he could've shot a few bullets to force some answers out of the captain. Instead, Roxas' mind acted as his weapon and drove him to look up from his knees and around him...at the flames that burns and licked.

Something...felt out of place. Roxas didn't understand it at first, but he was beginning to make the connection between Axel...and the danger surrounding them both. It just occurred to the boy that not only was he in danger, but so was the captain. He lifted his head further up and turned back around toward the direction of the alley the crew had disappeared in.

"...He—" Roxas swallowed and blinked in disbelief. Axel...wasn't responding to him.

At the time, he wanted Axel to die in his own destruction. Yet, at the same time, he didn't want there to be another death to deal with. Of all people, he was worrying about the life of him.

There were too many things to worrying and stress about. Life, death, what was worth the time and what wasn't...all of it Roxas hated at the moment. With that thought, he coughed on a deep breath and crouched as low to the ground as he could so that he could move as far away from the burning platform as possible. As expected, his wrists, fingertips and neck were attacked by the fire, but the flames hadn't touched him long enough as he was able to crawl away.

He couldn't have another break down like that...sacrificing his life like that...

"Found one!"

"What?!" Roxas blurted upon feeling his feet being kicked out from underneath him as soon as he'd stood up. His head was the first to hit the ground, sending his body into darkness for a few of the longest seconds of his life. The world spun and spun, his sight blurred and shook. Roxas tried to lift an arm to reach for something to pull himself up, but as soon as he did so his wrist was pulled forcefully and he felt something rough and coarse rubbing against his skin.

"L-let me go!" Remembering the tactic he'd used when he was first captured like this, Roxas swung his feet about wildly below him and tried to drag his legs once he was forced to stand. Who ever had grabbed him did not shake him like Luxord had or Xaldin, but rather sent a sharp slap across his face and threw him to the ground. Roxas choked on a yell and felt his entire body rejecting his commands.

Stand, punch, kick, stand, open your eyes, don't stop yelling...stay awake.

"You pirate bastards have had your last of fun."

"I didn't—ow!" Roxas once again felt a slap to his face and barely had time to think before another followed. By this time he had his back leaning against something cold and untouched by fire from what it felt against his ripped shirt. The voice addressing him he'd never heard before and his arms shook thinking about the face.

"There's no sense! Kill 'im and sniff out the others!"

"No, no, no..." Roxas muttered, his eyes refusing to open.

"What if—"

"Are you a man?! Shoot him! Shoot!"

"NO!" Roxas cried, nearly pleaded as he twitched his legs to try and inch away from that blunt order. He knew the men yelling were talking about him, and he knew that at least one had a gun pointed at his head by now. He could smell the gunpowder mixed with the ash, and had the worst feeling that fire would be his last image.

"Fancy a fight there, mate?"

Wait...that voice. That voice! Still twitching and shaking out of his mind, Roxas turned his head to the left where he'd finally heard Axel speak. While it was a good thing that he'd heard someone familiar amongst all the chaos and blindness, it was still nerve wracking to know that these strangers were about ready to attack Axel as well. Thinking this, Roxas' heart sank and he immediately forced his eyes open to view what was taking place, even though the movements were blurring and dark.

"Another one of 'em?"

"And by them you mean...?"

Roxas knew that this was no time for Axel to be joking around—joking would only lead to death.

"Pirate."

"Ah. So you judge me to be one?"

"Enough!"

"Ah, ah! Oy! Bloody good try, that time."

"Axel!" Roxas, squinting a bit to straighten out the image of Axel dodging someone or something, tried to move his legs to make himself noticeable to the captain. Judging by the sound of metal on metal coming closer, Axel was moving toward him at a quick pace, sword in hand. He was running.

From there, the rest of the sounds and happenings were but a blur to the poor cabin boy. He'd heard the metal clanging and the footsteps, the fire and the buildings collapsing. He'd felt himself being kicked in the side and snatched away from the cold ground. His chest was heaving, his pulse was out of his control. But somewhere in all this confusion he could feel a pulse beating against his arm and the warmth of another body holding him. It wasn't the touch of a pirate, nor was it the heartbeat of a pillaging, bloodthirsty captain...

At last he heard that voice. Axel was speaking to him, keeping him awake...Axel was running away. To protect him?

But despite the soothing sound of his voice, Roxas was far from comfort. Axel could only run so far...and soon, Roxas felt Axel's breathing hitch for the first time in his life.

"...This is why you never leave the ship, Roxas."

"Once we find their captain, I swear—"

But by then the world had fallen to black.

xxXXxx

I'd like to meet a pirate one day, Roxas. Or at least become one.

There you go again.

No, really! It'd be a great adventure, wouldn't it?

So you say.

Hm? Why? You don't think so?

Well...it's not that I doubt it'd be fun, it's just that you wouldn't get much freedom like that, don't you think?

Are you joking? Open seas? Weapons at your disposal?

That's if you're the leader, you know. Not all pirates get that kind of freedom.

Thought you weren't interested in pirates.

I'm not. But with all this conversation going around town and all this...news about them taking one town after another, it's hard to ignore the word 'pirate'.

Mm. Then...I want to be the captain! Just for the freedom you said!

I'd hate to be there when you try to fight for something like that. It's like we learned from the books: "Man is born free, but everywhere else he's in chains."

Ah, those books and rules never apply to captains and scallywags, Roxas. They've all got the talent for picking locks...

xxXXxx

"...I didn't mean for this to happen."

There was no reply for the blonde that night as he sat, once again, cold and feeling abandoned on a soggy and less flat hardwood floor. At least these men had the sense to build a stone bench to sit on otherwise Roxas knew that he'd die sleeping tonight...and however many nights to follow. He sighed and slumped against the iron bars with his wrists bound together over his lap.

His neck felt terribly burnt on his left side since the burning platform had been on that side of his earlier. The ruffled white shirt he'd been wearing was charred at the cuffs of the sleeves and stank of burning wood and sea water. While it may have felt degrading and completely lousy to be stuck again in a jail cell, Roxas felt a sense of satisfaction.

At least he wasn't dead.

And, at least Axel wasn't either. The problem was, the captain was refusing to speak to him for whatever reason. Well, on the contrary, Roxas had a feeling that Axel was refusing because, ah, he'd escaped the ship. Then again, Axel was plain difficult to read, so he never knew what caused his emotions to run the way they did.

Tiredly, Roxas stared down at his fingers and kept the image of the captain sitting against the opposite wall within his line of sight. Axel didn't seem bothered that he'd been bound against his will and simply sat away from Roxas on the floor with his head turned toward the sad excuse for a window to Roxas' left. Surprisingly, very little of Axel's clothes were burnt, but the bits of skin that were visible were either bleeding or badly bruised.

The two men that had spotted them were government officials for the town, which made sense because of the town's enormous size. They'd first followed Axel through the burning square and proceeded to corner him in a dead end of an alleyway. From there, well, the rest Roxas had been unconscious through and he didn't want to ask the captain unless he looked...approachable.

Roxas slowly raised his head and brought his knees together while still seated on the floor across from Axel. He gathered up what courage he had left in him and pushed trauma to the side as he parted his lips and once again filled the moonlit room with his voice.

"You shouldn't be here with me," he muttered, lowering his head as if he was ashamed in himself. That was partially true, that he was ashamed in himself, but at the same time he was just sucking up to the captain so that his possible punishment would be lessened. Axel, unfortunately, didn't budge. He tried again.

"I just—I could've found my own way out."

That time, Axel eyes shut and he cocked his head a bit so that his other eye was visible to the blonde. Roxas, for the longest time, watched the captain's face under the pale silver seeping in through the barred window. He looked...not sad, but rather disappointed. And it was with that sight that Roxas swallowed and shared the feeling.

His eyes lowered farther until they appeared shut. He couldn't take being so helpless. It hurt too much. Too many things hurt too much. Too many things were difficult to understand. And here he was. It was the perfect opportunity to have so many of his questions answered...if only he didn't feel so undeserving of them.

"...I meant that." He tried to hide a grumble in those words by nipping his lower lip. Suddenly, Axel's eyes opened and appeared to glare at Roxas like daggers. Ow. Roxas could feel the stabbing...So maybe Axel wasn't exactly buying it.

Another pause...another still couple of minutes passed, when, to Roxas' surprise, Axel used the bars behind him to inch his back upward so he could stand properly. From there, Roxas merely watched his feet cross the stone floor—both of their boots were creating rapping noises as they tapped at the floor. Then, as he stood so high over Roxas, Axel dove down and to the best of his ability took his hand and clutched the boy's throat to keep the air from passing.

His teeth weren't bared, his eyes were simply narrowed and no smile was drawn on his lips. Roxas, unwillingly, held his breath and kept his face straight as he stared directly into Axel's penetrating glare. He couldn't part his lips to breathe and he couldn't wiggle his fingers to push Axel away.

"Listen," the redhead whispered in a rough voice. Roxas did just that and tried to swallow again. "I can't give you sympathy. I can't accept your apologies. The fact of the matter is..." With his voice lowering, Axel closed in on Roxas' face and his other hand soon joined in holding his pulsing throat...

"You betrayed me. And because of that I can't promise you a thing. I can't trust that you—"

"Axel, I—"

"No." The captain interrupted immediately at the sound of his name. No. Roxas didn't have the right to say his name anymore. Axel hated that he had to disapprove of Roxas saying his name, though. He liked hearing him say it. He liked...having Roxas. If he couldn't have Roxas, he couldn't have a life. But because Roxas had turned on him, oh, that all went out the window.

Axel hung his head for a short while and thought things through, all while still holding Roxas captive in a near-death choke. He could kill him now if he pleased...one tiny squeeze would end his life.

But no.

"You two. On your feet."

At the sound of a gruff voice, laced perfectly with a fine British accent, both Axel and Roxas turned to the right where the jail cell door was located. As expected, a man clad in navy blue attire stepped into the moonlight and with a stiff face ordered again for them to stand, this time with his pistol drawn.

"I said on your feet."

Roxas obeyed immediately while Axel did the same, just a little less willingly since he sighed roughly and rolled his eyes. Clearly he wasn't used to being bossed. Roxas had the hardest time standing and by the time he had, both Axel and the man appeared impatient. He lowered his head and waited, his nerves on the verge of breaking.

"The rest of your crew has been sighted," the soldier began without so much as a glance at the two. Axel smirked in the dark as if to say well done. "If you want them free, we'll need the identity of the captain. As the others have objected by saying that they aren't in charge, it only leaves me to suspect one of you."

Roxas' eyes widened and he took a quick glance at Axel to his left who was still smirking as if he...enjoyed this interrogation! Clearly if he came forth and admitted, he'd...be killed. That's what he'd learned through Sora, at least...

And Roxas couldn't have that.

"Now which is it? Come on."

"That would be—"

"Me...sir."

And with that reply, Roxas lifted his gaze from the floor, painted a false smirk on his face and left the soldier to stare him right in the eyes...and Axel to gawk in disbelief with his lips parted.

"...I'm the captain. Do with me as you wish."

XO HOLY. CRAP. ROXAS IS A LIAR LIAR PLANTS FOR HIRE.

oh, i love spongbob. XD just haven't watched it in, like, 5 years. seriously, i'm not kidding. i'm on a spongebob HIATUS. XO so, as usual, something influenced me tocomplete this, and NORMALLY i refuse to post in the day time...but DEATH NOTE, once again, made me post and write.

GAIZ. i bought the first movie last week and, WOW. it was just all sorts of awesome squished together with peanut butter and jelly and all sorts of wonderful foodstuffs...and apples. my dad eventually got interested as i was watching it in japanese for the second time around and he watched it two nights ago by himself. THEN, my mother walked in just as something totally epic was about to happen (i ain't spoilin' it for ya) and saw ryuk...needless to say that her reaction was just as equally EPIC. XD

SO. movin' along. wonder what's goin' on with roxas' head? i needs something in return. ha-ha. (i rather like axel as a prisoner...in chains...in the dark...AH.)

i'm guessing axel's not a happy camper xO,
kokoro77