Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 17:

The moments that followed and happened, occurred in nothing short of 15 seconds; shots rang out through the sounds of guns and pistols being cocked and aimed at those in the room. The sound of a bullet ripping through flesh and a terrified scream was heard coming from Roxas as he was left to fend for himself as the others scurried from the Club. The other members had scattered into the dark, Axel only looked back once more; he had the guilt to go back, but he couldn't.

Cops rushed in to make arrests as Cloud was pushed back; his heart sank as he saw the tan Fedora fall from the young teen that the cops had in custody. The blonde spiked hair seal all his worst fears as the young man's face flashed across Cloud's line of vision.

"No, it can't be," Cloud, in his mind, tried to reach out to the boy and hold him close to his chest.

"Come on buddy, let's go, you have a date with a Police Station," one of the cops as he yanked Roxas up by the sore arm.

Roxas tried to cry out in pain, but he didn't want to give them the pleasure of the moment as his eyes rose up and the moment his eyes met with the frightened and worried eyes of Cloud; his eyes seem to plead with Roxas'. Cloud was ushered out to where the Captain was waiting and watching the moment unfold, but it was ruined by a slight inch as he saw Cloud being ushered out to him.

Axel watched from a darkened alleyway as Roxas was flung into the back of a police van and driven off through the darkened streets of New York.

"Sorry little man, but that's how it all comes out in the end," Axel watched Cloud getting into a verbal fight; he couldn't hear a word of what was being spoken.

Words flew between the Captain and Cloud as Cloud tried to explain why he had been at the stakeout and trying to find out where Roxas has been taken to, but the Captain was against it as he started to lose his cool. Squall pulled Cloud away from the Captain before he killed the Captain.

"He's not worth it! HE'S NOT WORTH IT!" Squall shouted as he threw Cloud against the wall, "I know you're upset about finding Roxas like this, but trying to kill the Captain won't help him."

"You make it sound so simple that it's almost like it didn't happen," Cloud's voice sounded as if he was near tears, "I finally found him and its at the most worst possible time."

"Listen, as far as I know, he'll be taken to Mercy Hospital and then after they've patched him up; they'll probably take him to the Precinct," Squall tried to soften the emotional blow.

Cloud listened, but he wasn't the only one as Axel listened to the conversation as the two men parted; Cloud stayed in the same place as where Squall had placed him against the wall. Axel began to take his leave, but it seemed that Cloud knew he was there as his eyes watched the mystery figure leaving through the shadows towards Mercy Hospital. He followed him as he gripped the man's arm tightly and tossed him into the wall as his voice grated out with a tone of bitter hatred and anger, his blood was still boiling from earlier.

"Talk quickly and do it fast or else you'll be finding yourself facing more trouble then just a prison cell," Cloud said through clenched teeth as he slammed Axel into the wall.

"Whoa!" Axel shouted until he felt Cloud's hands clamp down over his mouth as the sound of someone passing by them startled him, and once it passed, he removed his hand away.

"Listen here you; you were in there for that meeting, why didn't you help him?" Cloud asked angrily; his voice rising only slightly.

"Who are you talking about?" Axel asked softly, slightly above a whisper; confused about what Cloud was talking about.

"You know full well who I mean!" Cloud's voice raised to almost a tone of screaming, "My brother…Roxas, the one you guys used as your scapegoat for your escape."

Axel became quiet as his eyes went wide with realization that he could see the resemblance; he saw the hate, anger, hurt, and pain in Cloud's eyes as he moved his eyes back up to face Cloud, " I'm sorry for what happened, but…there is something you don't know; your brother reminds me of myself at his age. There is so much of my life that I've seen playing through him, he's a really neat kid, your brother," Axel shook his head as he placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder, "I'd hate to see that kid get hurt…don't give up on him yet."

Axel took his leave into the shadows as light tears started to dance down his face; Cloud took his time to himself as he tried to clear his head before he opened his car door, started up the car and made his way towards the hospital, "Roxas, you have some questions to answer…I hope you have the answers," Cloud drove down the streets and then pulled into the parking lot of the busy hospital.