Finally, the next chapter is up. Thank you to those who reviewed! I sort of left off really working on this, since for awhile there had only been one review. I was glad that someone had reviewed, and I had meant to update sooner, but I think that was when other stories were created.
So...when I saw that a few other people reviewed, I worked harder on this, and I finally finished the second chapter! Sorry for the wait and yes, I know that it's a shorter chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing from Kingdom Hearts (2).
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In a far part of the castle, Axel sorted through the stack of pictures he had taken of the rest of the organization members. No one else knew that this was where he came to lay low if he had done something (like pulling pranks that the other organization members didn't appreciate, or with what he was doing now).
Axel had made sure that the video tape of Xemnas talking and singing to a rubber duck was safely hidden away. That was too funny to let it fall into the wrong hands. He could make Xemnas very embarressed. It would probably take his ego down a peg or two as well (and it may stop him from talking for hours on end-most usually zoned out the first few minutes into one of his speeches). Axel paused as he wondered why no one had found him yet. He knew that someone would probably find him soon, since he frequented this place often.
Axel shrugged, then put the pictures into piles, pausing once and awhile to stare at a few of them. Sometimes he'd wonder where he had taken the picture, and why. He also wondered why they were doing what they were doing. Axel grinned at the picture of Marluxia and Larxene kissing, then laughed as he found a picture of Vexen disiplining Zexion and a few others in strange ways (Vexen had decided to try many new potions and various things, and poor Zexion was still probably suffering from after-effects).
A knock sounded on the door, and Axel quickly hid the photos in a secret place. He knew that he would be discovered soon, especially with what he had done. He'd have to come back herre one more time to get the photos and the video tape. Axel headed for the door, but it banged open, and Marluxia, Larxene and Roxas entered the room. Shoot! He had forgotten that he had shown Roxas this room. Axel hoped that Marluxia and Larxene didn't torture Roxas to get him to say where this place was.
"Hey! Something I can do for you guys?" Axel asked.
"Xemnas wants to see you." Marluxia said calmly.
Axel glanced between Marluxia and Larxene, then to Roxas' guilty expression. "I think I'll pass..."
"He has a mission for you." Roxas said, looking away. 'Sorry Axel...'
Something was definatly up. Axel walked past the three others, then began to run. There was no way he was going to get lectured by Xemnas. Sometimes it was worse than a mission.
Marluxia and Larxene gave chase when they noticed that Axel wasn't headed for Xemnas' room.
"Get back here Axel!" Marluxia yelled at the retreating figure.
Zexion paused in the hall as the three ran by, breathing a sigh of relief as they passed by. He was nearly finished with his project, he just had something he needed to clarify with Vexen. He still didn't want anyone to know what he was up to.
"Whatcha doing Zexy?" Demyx asked, hopping over to Zexion's side (appearing from who knows where).
Zexion stared at the sitarist cooly. "Refrain from calling me that."
Demyx pouted. "What're you doing?"
"...None of your business. Go away." Zexion walked off, leaving behind a pouting Demyx.
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Xemnas looked up from his desk as Lexaeus entered the room, holding Axel under one arm. Vexen and Xigbar had also entered the room, looking like they had been running around for a long time (Marluxia and Larxene had gotten them to chase Axel when they were too tired).
"Here he is." Lexaeus announced, indicating an irritated Axel.
Xemnas nodded. "I see, good." He paused for a moment as Axel spoke.
"What kind of mission is it?" Axel asked irritably.
Xemnas smiled evilly. "It's not a mission, its...punishment."
Axel gave Xemnas a confused look. "?"
"I'm going to consficate your camera and video camera..." Xemnas began.
"That's it?" Axel asked with a laugh. A second later he regretted saying anything.
"No, that's to keep you from getting any more blackmail. Lexaeus, Xigbar and Vexen will accompany you to make sure you carry out your punishment." Xemnas informed Axel.
Axel looked nervous, and began to wriggle in Lexaeus grasp. "What?"
"You're going to find a lake...a large lake, and swim ten laps around it with no breaks." Xemnas said with a grin.
Axel opened and closed his mouth, too shocked to speak. First of all, it wasn't what he had been expecting, and second, Xemans expected him to...swim?
Xemans waved a hand. "Go on already, and report back when you're done."
Lexaeus left with a complaining Axel, and Vexen and Xigbar followed with amused grins.
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Xemnas relaxed in his room, content. In a few moments he'd go and confiscate Axel's video camera and regular camera, so that Axel couldn't take any more potential blackmail photos. Unknown to Xemnas though, Axel still had a stack full of pictures and a video tape hidden away.
Xemnas was happy with the silence in the castle, and more importantly, his room. Unfortunatly, he knew that it wouldn't last.
Xemnas glanced up just as someone knocked on his bedroom door. Who could it be? Xemnas wondered. Might as well get it over with. "Come in."
Demyx entered the room, carrying his sitar.
Xemnas sighed. "What do you want Demyx?"
"Wondering if you'd listen to a song." Demyx replied.
"Um...not right now Demyx...I'm waiting for Axel to come back from his punishment." Xemnas answered.
Demyx leaned on his sitar and pouted. "Oh yeah...no fair, I wanted to go swimming."
"If you had gone, it wouldn't have been punishment. Axel isn't supposed to enjoy it." Xemnas replied.
Roxas entered the room.
Demyx grinned. "Hey Roxas! Want to hear a song?"
"Sure." Roxas replied, knowing that Xemnas wouldn't appreciate it.
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Axel was wearing a swim suit, and was looking at the water doubtfully. He really didn't want to get wet. Axel glanced around. Maybe he could get away...
A click from behind Axel dashed his hope for escape. It sounded like Xigbar had loaded his weapons. Axel looked at the water again. This was mean...he'd rather be beaten up by Larxene. Axel's mind flashed to Larxene's kunai, and he considered the water once more. He was delaying the inevitable.
"Get in already, we don't have all day." Came Vexen's voice.
'Easy for you to say...you're not the one swimming...' Axel thought miserably. "You care to join me Vexen? Oh, never mind, you'd probably drown, sice you're old and all..." He let out a gasp as a seething Vexen shoved him into the water. It was freezing cold! How was he supposed to swim if he was freezing?
Vexen was standing at the waters' edge, looking pleased. "Don't disrespect your elders!" Vexen scolded a wet and unhappy Axel.
"Come on Axel, Vexen's going to count your laps!" Xigbar called.
"I am?" Vexen asked, glancing back at the freeshooter.
"Ready...go!" Xigbar called.
Axel ignored him for a moment, but then began to swim after one of the ammo from Xigbar's weapons nearly hit him.
Several hours later...
"How many laps has he done?" Xigbar asked.
"This is the last one. We can go back soon." Vexen replied.
Axel completed the laps, but was too tired to get out of the water. He lay on his back and floated there, acting as if the end of the world had come. He closed his eyes and began to mutter. "I'll just disappear, and some people may ask 'where did Axel go?'." Axel lay a hand over his forehead. "Someone'd say 'He left, 'cause Xemnas forced him to swim, and if you look at the lake, you'd see a red swimsuit, and that's all that is left of Axel.'"
Xigbar was laughing at Axel's dramatic outlook of the situation, while Vexen was unamused.
"Lexaeus...get Axel out of there so we can go." Vexen said.
Lexaeus walked a few paces forward, then fished Axel out of the water. "Let's go." He said.
Axel squirmed in his grasp. "Let go of me! I wasn't finished!"
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Xemnas stared at Demyx in amazement. He was still playing his sitar! Xemnas finally decided that enough was enough, and that Demyx needed to leave, now.
The job was done for him as Larxene came into the room and attacked Demyx. "You've been playing for the last few hours, knock it off already!" She exited the room, but glared over her shoulder as if daring Demyx to even play one note.
Demyx had already dismissed the sitar, and was only giving Larxene a sad expression, as if she had hurt his feelings.
Once Larxene was gone, Xemans turned his attention to Roxas, who was staring into space. Before he could tell the boy anything, Xigbar came into the room via his teleporting ability. He faced Xemnas upside down, half of his body in the room.
"Axel swam the laps, and he's in his room now." Xigbar said, before leaving.
Xemnas sighed, entirely forgetting that he hadn't gotten the camera and video camera from Axel's room.
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Axel stared at himself in the mirror, fussing over how his hair was all wet and messy. He dried off after deciding to skip a shower (he didn't want to get wet again so soon), and settled in bed. It was then that he remembered about the pictures, and that he hadn't done anything with them yet. Axel moved to get out of bed, then realized that he couldn't move his lower body. He glanced backwards and saw that it was covered in ice.
"I'll be taking these." Vexen said, showing Axel the camera and video camera, before leaving the room.
Axel frowned angrily, then began to melt the ice with some fire.
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Zexion entered Vexen's lab, and saw that he was busily working on something. Zexion settled down on a chair and watched. He'd ask Vexen some questions once he was done.
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Yeah, I know that it's shorter, sorry. Anyway, please review and let me know how this turned out. Any comments are great. I have no idea when the next chapter will be up, because I'm still working on the details (plus working on my other stories...and the project that I really should be working on...). So, please review, I'd appreciate it!