Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Look "miserable" up in the dictionary-you should find a picture of my face there. Dx
A/N: Pshfthtq~ Homework? Who does homework? And don't even get me started on sleeping. Sleep is for squares. Like pants.
CHAPTER 5! YAAY! You guys have no idea how excited I am to have this story actually going somewhere. Seriously. It rocks. And you guys help it rock. Pat yourselves on the back, because you're awesome and I love you!
Now, I'm a big fat liar and we're actually gonna go on a little field trip for this chapter. Buckle your seatbelts! Lest you be flung through the front windshield on impact! :D
Bon à lire!
-Slay
A Day of Mercy
Chapter 5
Old Friends
-o-o-o-
God, he hated toothpicks.
Those diminutive slivers of wood were no match for the acrid craving that lived in the back of his throat, that swelled raggedly in his lungs with every breath. He could feel the aftershock of a cold habit scratching his skin, stressing his muscles, tightening his teeth. The picks took the brunt of his nerves, one after another falling victim to his brutal gnashing, leaving his tongue dry and sour. Even then the craving yanked at him, crying out for the old days, pleading for another drag.
It sucked. …But it was worth it.
Axel sat piled lazily on the rim of a fountain in the city square, driving a poor defenseless toothpick between his canines like a lave. He was waiting on Roxas, who had wandered off to take a phone call. There was a band Roxas liked playing downtown today, and, come on, how was Axel not going to take him? So what if the ninety-minute drive from Twilight Town murdered his crap gas tank in cold blood? It was for Roxas. It was a non-issue.
He spotted the blonde across the square, shifting his weight and nodding into his phone. He swiveled around and threw Axel a wave, which the redhead returned with a smile.
Yes, it was definitely worth it.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here? If it isn't our old friend, Lea."
Axel shuddered at the voice, at the name. He turned to the speaker and had to pluck out the toothpick to keep himself from swallowing it. "You!"
He had been approached by three midnight-clad men with argent hair and striking eyes. One of them chuckled grimly. "It's been a long time, Lea. We were starting to think you'd finally crawled off and died somewhere."
"Looks like we're outta luck," another supplied, amusing the other two.
Axel frowned and got to his feet, tossing the toothpick. "What are you three doing here?"
"Relax," the spokesperson assuaged. "We aren't here to pick any fights. Especially not with you, Lea."
"Stop calling me that."
"You go by something else now?" The silverette looked taken aback for a second, but then a terribly bemused smile slid over his face. "Oh, I see. So that's why you disappeared. You thought you could start over with a clean slate and live a 'normal' life with this scum." He motioned at the city around them, buzzing and churning with lively Saturday crowds.
"Watch it, Kadaj." Axel glanced briefly over at Roxas, making sure he was still safely out of the way. "Now tell me why you're really here before I beat it out of you."
The glance didn't escape Kadaj's notice, but his only mockery was a snide flick of his eyebrow. "Threaten me all you like," he crooned. "I don't care. Everyone knows you've been out of commission for years."
Axel grumbled in his throat, clenching his fists, knowing Kadaj was baiting him and winning.
"But if you must know," Kadaj continued, "we're looking for someone; our beloved little brother. Perhaps you've seen him? He's a spitting image of Father."
There was a jolt of ice in Axel's chest. He took a second to breathe carefully. "You…You don't have a little brother. I thought Paine was—"
"The lastborn? Well she isn't. It turns out our family is a bit larger than we thought. Isn't that wonderful news?" Kadaj paced around him predatorily, a whimsically dark grin stuck on his lips. "Now if only we could find him! He's so elusive; I don't know whether to be proud or frustrated. …You're sure you haven't seen him around?" He circled dangerously close to Axel, feral eyes boring sharply into him, scathing his soul for answers, for weaknesses, for opportunities. "I would hate to think you were keeping things from me, Lea."
"I got nothing," Axel replied bitterly, refusing to yield to the silverette's penetrating stare. "Sorry."
Kadaj grimaced, unsuccessful. "Well, I guess we'll just have to keep looking then," he conceded. "Loz, Yazoo—"
"Axel? What's going on?"
Roxas came trotting up to them, stuffing his phone in his pocket and staring at the light-haired trio, confused. "Who…?" Axel grabbed him and swung him away from Kadaj's curious leer. The silverette tried to maneuver around for a good look at Roxas, but Axel cut in front of him and snarled, "Goodbye, Kadaj."
The note of finality in his tone inspired Kadaj to back off. He rallied the other two with a twirl of his hand, and the three took their leave in silence.
"They looked like R—"
"Hush." Axel clapped his hand a little aggressively over Roxas' mouth, unnerved by the astute way Kadaj's head quirked as he walked away. Damn.
Roxas grabbed his hand and cursed unintelligibly into his palm, but Axel wasn't minding him.
Kadaj and his clique were bad news. Really, really bad news. The last time Axel had tangled with them…well, he tried not to think about it. He'd have to keep his guard up from now on, knowing that they were in town.
Roxas finally managed to prise the hand off of his mouth. "Axel!" He gasped angrily. "What the hell was that? Who were those guys?"
"Trouble," Axel replied simply. He started walking toward the club where the band was playing, expecting Roxas to follow. He did, and as they moved through the streets, Axel spoke in low tones, officially paranoid about being spied on. "You remember that gang I told you about?"
The blonde's aggravation sobered. "You mean…the one that killed your…"
"Yeah."
Roxas gaped, eyebrows drawing up in worry. "Axel…"
"We're gonna be fine," Axel promised, ruffling the boy's hair and pulling him close. "Just stay away from them." There was a pause, during which a new thought occurred to Axel. He tacked it on quietly, spotting the dark figures a fair distance away and convincing himself that they couldn't hear, "Keep a close eye on Sora."
"W…Why Sora?"
"I'll explain later. But for now, we've got a show to watch." Axel guided them into the slack atmosphere of the club, planting Roxas in a seat before starting off again.
"Where are you going?"
Axel pulled out his cell phone and popped a fresh toothpick in his mouth, dialing an old number. "It's my turn to make a phone call."
A/N: Hoo~ this was a short chapter. What're the remnants doing here, you might ask? Proliferating more questions that have yet to be answered, that's what. And what's this? I found a way to make Axel important so I don't have to do without him? Even better.
Chapter 6 is on its way, so stick around!
Review for a chakram cookie~
Flame for a chakram to the face!
I bid thee farewell, for now!
-Slay