Author's note : Here's next Chap! ..Well, I am on exam period, but who cares.. After all, I gave up my gr. 12 results long long ago.

Diclaimer- None of the characters or most of concepts are mine, they belong to Square Enix. Honestly, if they belonged to me.. ..It would have turned MA+ rated.

Warning - Yaoi, M rated for more than a few reasons (later chapters), abusive languages, crimes, etc. Yaoi pairings (AkuRoku, SephCloud, ZexionXDemyx, etc, more side pairing though not in this one. Side stories may be included after the main story gets over)

No. XIII - Organisation XIII

[Chapter 11. Jenova]

[In the middle of darkness and light, the shadows of both lay.

The shadows, the midst of the extremes-

They lurk in the most unexpected places at the most unexpected times,

And they reign with the mystery and power,

The shadows call themselves-

Organisation XIII.]

XI . i

Roxas was alright the moment he was out of ear-shot and sight of the other people. Standing straight and dusting off his cloth, Roxas murmured to Genesis.

"...Well, my public version won't remember anything beside useless details, so.. Can you pass my words to Sephiroth?"

"I will be happy to. It's something required, right?"

Angeal quickly nodded as Genesis answered Roxas's words. Chuckling a bit, the bright part of Roxas stepped up and spoke in a gleeful voice.

"Tell him I'd miss him getting as annoyed as that by his love! Cloud Strife was really cool, and I might be having a crush on him too- He is really good enough!"

Angeal and Genesis froze at the absurdity of Roxas's words. A crush? However, Roxas just chuckled with delightment at their expanse, while a quite big crushing sound was heard from the hall. Angeal could swear that is was Sephiroth- they were quite far away from the hall, but with all those SOLDIER enhancements.. He was likely to be angry now, if he heard what Roxas said..

It didn't take long, really.. Sephiroth appeared along with Team SeeD and the Turks who looked concerned. While others had no idea what was going on now, Roxas just stared at Sephiroth with confused expression, which is evidently looking like 'what's wrong?' written over his fore-head. However, Sephiroth wasn't fooled by it and glared at Roxas.

"You better stop making fun of me, Roxas. Or was that Safer?"

"Um.. Yeah, Safer. But Sephiroth, Safer was serious when he said that, you know, so he wasn't exactly making fun of-.. Well, I mean-" Roxas tried to calm Sephiroth, but he realised that he was doing the opposite too late.

"Hopefully he isn't as reckless as throwing himself to Avalanche. Just because you look similar to Cloud Strife- it doesn't make him related to you. He would be killed. You know it, and I know that."

"..You are just being mean, Seph. Though we might be just a set of orders reacting to the stimuli and acting like some A.I.- It doesn't mean we can't feel anything, or rather, we are supposed to fake them at least. ..It is involuntary act to like someone or hate someone, and you can't possibly blame Safer for finding Cloud Strife attractive." Roxas's shy tone changed to careless, somehow powerful tone now- "And yo- Anyway, I am not insane enough to help him just because I feel that this person is hot."

Safer carelessly shrugged off the topic easily. But it made Sephiroth more frustrated, knowing that his younger brother was just playing with him. And, after all, Roxas Safer wasn't really bad at that stuff, was he? Sephiroth knew that though Roxas haven't slept with anyone, he knew enough about those. Roxas did flirt good, enough to distract some people before killing or manipulating them.. Obviously, Sephiroth knew better than taking Roxas's words at their face value.

"..It doesn't mean that you won't do anything about it. I know how Safer is when he wants something.. He should know better than doing anything stupid."

"...Come on, Seph- we all know why you are so sensitive about this matter. I know he is yours, and-" Here, Roxas's tone turned into shy voice again- "he won't do anything to him, especially when that ex-SOLDIER, first class was your fiance before he was marked as a traitor by Shinra- or before you resigned your career because of your beloved Mother. I don't know when your relationship with him started to get twisted, but-"

Roxas's expression changed, much more casual and- Turkish. At this, Veld, Tseng, Reno and even Rude's faces twitched a little as they realised how close Safer behaved to a Turk. His tone, voice, and everything else was off from Roxas- it wasn't Roxas anymore at all, it was Safer.

"Hey, chill, 'kay? Man, I won't go throwin' ma'self at ja'fiance, stop worrying about that, bro. I ain't feel like having sex with anyone now anyway, not when I am practically the last surviving creature, ya'know? Good Shiva, kick my ass. Don'cha think that I know better than that? Ne, ya think Ah bad boy, eh?"

"...Safer.. You are getting out of hands, do you realise it?"

"Huh-uh. Even if I don't, ja, Roxas does. And Ah told'ya, man. I am uncontrollable. That's how I am programmed, silly."

"..."

Sephiroth swallowed his words, giving a murderous glare to Safer. He is playing with me, again... However.. Sephiroth soon smirked, and Safer's smile faded at once. Sephiroth didn't care what kind of look Team SeeD or the Turks were throwing at him now. As Angeal and Genesis chuckled knowingly, Sephiroth gave up hiding about one thing for Roxas.

"I am annoyed because it's you who is having a crush, not because it's Cloud Strife who you find your likings. I missed kissing with you, do you know that? Don't try my patience, Safer- you are mine and I have no intention of making up with Strife.. And you are not planning to sleep in this hotel today- are you? You know, you are welcome to my house anytime- you already did it quite a lot before."

"Wha- what!"

"Ha!"

"!"

Roxas let out a groan, defeated. Well, Roxas did enjoy those encounters with Sephiroth, but still.. He glanced at the others, showing a various funny reactions at this sudden revealation.. Genesis and Angeal already knew about it, so it didn't really matter, but.. Roxas shook his head and sighed again. After all, Safer had already retreated before Sephiroth let his anger out on him. Damage control is always my work, is it? Safer.. What will you do if I'm not with you..?

"...Who said that I didn't miss it too? Well, we both had no mates, and it's obvious that we are not straight.. I never had a proper one, and I still don't have an intention to keep one. So just cut it out, Seph, I am not yours." Well, that's the thing, right? Roxas Safer made us in that way, to help each other while he rests. Just do your work. Roxas grimaced at his companion's attitude, but otherwise just sighed and looked at Sephiroth, who replied.

"Only matter of time. You can't really find a good mate in your position, being a half-immortal. It doesn't really leave much choices, you already know that."

"...Ramuh's beard, you have a very biased sense of judgement- aren't you? You are damn right that I am a half-immortal, but my kind can appear anywhere. A decade or two won't hurt to wait. I would be damned stupid to fall in love with someone like you, Sephiroth. You might be a good partner or ally.. You don't make a good husband, do you know that? And honestly, you are terrible at kissing. If you need more reasons, I can give out at least five more now, immediately." Good one! Safer complimented while Roxas only mentally shook his head. He retaliated alright, and was better than Safer at such actions thanks to his lack of cocky attitute, but he never liked doing it.

"...You never lose, do you.." Sephiroth muttered, eyeing at Roxas knowingly.

"Hmm?" Roxas purred, looking proud of himself. Now giving up, Sephiroth kissed on Roxas's forehead and just let the matter go. Anyway, this is in front of those annoying people, Sephiroth thought, And after all..

"...There's no point in fighting against you, we are almost even anyway.. Alright.. I am giving up explaining anything. It took years for me to understand all those things, and I hate having you on my way.. You are just too troublesome to ignore."

"Oh, but it won't stop you from getting what you want, Seph- right? I know enough to take your word as is. Alright.. And I have no reason to sleep in same house with you, Sephiroth. As I said before.. Unless I am near-death state and anything passing by can kill me, I won't sleep anywhere near you. I won't be able to respond if you are trying to do anything on me.. Not that you have done anything to me before, I am not willing to take any risk.

Besides, you are not alone in that house.. You are sharing that house with your real biological relatives. I know you hospitalised one of them, almost maiming another one... Making the last one actually come to Twilight Town just to make me talk to you.. I know there are plenty of the rooms today, but I am not staying there. After all, I have my own accomodation here. Well, it's not legally mine, but I pay for it and for borrowing that person's name, so I see no problem there. After all, a house or two isn't something normal highschool student can buy by himself, ne? You know I have plenty."

"..Two here, one at Twilight Town, and another one at Midgar.. Though I still don't understand how you managed to go there and buy that house. Do you need anything?"

Roxas smirked, looking mischievious. His eyes shifted once towards the Turks while he crossed his arms and spoke up. Team SeeD really couldn't do anything besides watching- They were somehow ignored completely here.

"Well? I remember someone inviting me to his place.. Of course, that is if the invitation is still valid after my demonstrations. I can't really do anything unless I can be sure that my abilities won't be known to the public. so I hope that invitation stands."

"Man, you still wanna come to my place? Yo, fine for me. But you gotta remember that I'm living with Rude, pal."

"It doesn't matter for me, as long as he doesn't have a problem with me visiting his place. Unless it's someone like Ang or Gen or Seph.. No one can hide from my senses. It's quite disturbing, but I got used to it.. So I tends to get restless if anything is out of my senses."

"...Yo, you are not very cool, ya'know? So you actually classified me and Rude, Turks, as harmless? You got some balls with ya', pal. Don'cha think so, Rude?"

"..."

The black man only nodded, looking a bit troubled. However, Angeal and Genesis laughed at the Turks, who were obviously uncomfortable at Roxas's confidence despite the fact that they could guess what he was capable of.

"Ha, troubled by Roxas, aren't you? Veld, you better not mind his comment, unless you think that you can fight against us-"

"And that's not even one on one, it's two on one- Roxas can fight against two of us, me and Genesis at the same time, Veld. Roxas is almost equal to Sephiroth. We don't know who's really stronger, honestly- they never fought against each other seriously."

"..We know what his kinds are capable of, thank you, Generals. It's just.. ..I was forced to be reminded of his mentor who destroyed a city at our request once... I do not know how many his mentor took with him, but.. His mentor and his kinds cleared off the city.. Literally. I do not know how, but the city was gone. First, daily report from the city stopped, and after three days, there were smokes.. When an investigation team was sent, each and every living thing in that city was dead. Not even a rat was alive.. It was blazing with fire which didn't stop burning everything for another three days.. It was terrifying. I was the one who led the investigation team, because I wanted to see how did his mentor worked.. We couldn't even put the fire off. The fire just never ceased.. We thought it was the fire of abyss. The flame didn't stop burning no matter what, it even burned without anything to burn.. And after three days, it just ceased at once, all together, as if we were hallucinating. It wasn't a normal fire.. If I remember correctly- It's the unique ability of rank eighth member. Am I right, Mr. Roxas Safer?"

Veld turned to Roxas, who seemed pondering about Veld's words. After a short pause, Roxas crossed his arms and answered.

"...When was that incident, Mr. Veld?"

"...7 years ago?"

"...Then I have no idea about it, Mr. I met my mentor 7 years ago, and I joined them officially three years ago.. And un-officially, 5 years ago. However, yes. Rank 8.. He is the only one who can control fire. Ignition, fyrokinesis.. Call it what you like. His dance is as deadly as dance of fire, the blazing light is enough to blind you.. If it happened so, he must have been there with my mentor. We have our own monsters to use, we collect them and control them. With those, even one of us would have been enough, unless other members volunteered.. Well, I can't be sure, but if it ended that clean.. At least 5 members were involved, including at least three of the owners of our servants.."

Roxas shrugged, looking very careless. He turned and walked towards Reno gracefully, still talking.

"Yes, our servants.. Our faithful brainless lesser beings... Who were not worthy of becoming one of us, but were better than normal humans.. They become useless, memoryless, logicless creatures. They follow us with instinct, not with any recognition of logic.. There are seven kinds of them, and I own one of their kinds. They are very useful, except that they look like monsters and has no use which requires interactions or anything. They are just.. Servants. They can do simple destructions only. If I ask them to fetch something, they will bring broken pieces."

"...So those are strong?"

"And dangerous, because it's brainless. You tell it something, it won't do it properly. A shame, really.. Isn't it? Too bad. I can't ask it to do anything in secret either, it won't understand what is meant by secret.. It will just kill everything which comes in its way. After I learnt about them, I never gave any order to them yet. It's stupid and useless.. I was never overpowered by anyone yet anyway. Of course, I can't destroy a city or something that big so as clean as that, but a small town? That's a different story. Besides.. I can't control fire or wind like others, light is all I've got. I am better on one on one combat, and that's what I am trained for.. Heh. Enough to slaughter untrained humans, but I have no intention to kill them. After all, I was once a human, too.."

Roxas scrowled a bit, looking somewhat distant. He looked somewhat off. Furthermore, he silently murmured to himself, looking very uncomfortable.

"...Yes, I was once a human.. But I am no more.. How did it happen? I don't remember. I.. I can't remember.. ...Damn it, I should have. I should have remember, I can't remember who I was when I was a human.. Roxas isn't even my true name.. ...It's my enigma. I am someone who can't even remember my origin. We.. Our kinds should remember what we were when we were humans, and yet.. I am here, not knowing anything.. ...Sephiroth, I am worse than your case, do you know that? At least.. You know your true Mother.. You have a mean to meet her. I don't even know who the hell my parents are, no- I don't have one, do I? I am dead. Only when a human almost die, the soul shatters and so my kinds are born from the remaining shattered pieces of soul. No wonder we are so emotionless and cruel.. We have no connection to this world at all anyway, we are just.. Remnant.. Nothing better than your poor younger brothers.."

"...Is that why you help me? Because you want Mother for yourself as well?" Sephiroth slowly crossed his arms and raised an eye brow questioningly, looking right into Roxas's eyes. But contrasting to his seriousness, Roxas shrugged and answered lightly.

"I never had one, so I don't know what it feels like to have one. Obvious answer. It's annoying.. Those humans think that I am their son.. But I am not. It.. Makes me feel sick. ..Well.. I think cleaning up isn't our job. Is it? I think I can call it a day. Reno, where do you stay and when are you free?"

"Yo, just come with me now, that's fine. Got a transport, right?"

Roxas nodded, smiling softly. After a quick exchange of glances, Reno, Rude, Elena and Cissnei exited.