Chapter Four: Expound

Tifa was well used to using her body as a weapon. She had honed it from an early age, and there were very few who could match her in a brawl, despite her size. But a body could be used as a weapon in so very many ways.

The punching bag kept a steady rhythm beneath her blows, the sound of the chain echoing in the otherwise empty gym. It was nice here, when there were no people.

She was proud to be a member of this team, and enjoyed dressing up to play her part almost as much as bringing her fists into the deal. Punch. Really, it was a fine art to know how to bring a man down in stilettos and evening wear, even more so with only a suggestion and a smile. But she'd lost count of the number of times she'd ruined dresses through bloodstains. Kick Punch. On the plus side, it meant she was allowed an extensive wardrobe for such occasions. They really did prefer a peaceful conversion than a trail of bodies.

It worried her to see the young kid they'd brought in this time though. The bag rattled in protest.

Sure he had seemed to have a rather surly and antisocial streak, but it was hard to get past those wide blue eyes and not see him getting hurt by it. Leon would see him through…wouldn't let him get hurt. But solo missions…he was sure to break. She increased her pace.

There was no doubt in her mind where they would place him. He was too pretty. Girlish even. Hell, they could probably use him in her stead and still get the job done with enough training and a great deal less inhibition.

Inhibitions…that was the one thing they would certainly need to work on. Especially if he got so worked up over crayon stick figures. She couldn't help the snort at that. If he had issues pairing with Leon, they'd have to work harder than they'd anticipated.

With a roundhouse kick, the restraints on the bag snapped, and with a quick recovery another kick sent it flying across the room. That was the third time the thing had broken on her this week. She'd have to talk to maintenance about that.

"This is why no one shares the gym with you, Lockheart." The voice had a subtle humour to it, and Tifa grinned.

"And what brought you, Leonhart?" She always loved seeing him in civilian clothes, not the least because he always seemed to wear leather. They made him more approachable – less the stuck-up, stone-hearted, tell-it-to-a-wall kind of guy. It had to be the pants. Definitely the pants, she thought as she drew closer. "Or should the question be where were you?"

"Just passing by and wondering why something sounded like it was dying."

"I see. Somewhere you don't want to tell me." She crossed her arms as she leaned forward, grinning knowingly.

"Laguna's in town."

Well that wasn't exactly what she had been thinking but – wait…he had actually responded. That was new…

It did explain the clothes though. The president hated to see men in uniforms; even his staff rarely wore suits. Then again, she had see Kiros and Ward fight before; they didn't need a uniform to intimidate people.

"He have anything important to say?"

Leon let out a soft grunt, "Matron's calling a briefing now that she's back. Laguna's great epiphany will be revealed then."

She could tell there was something else that was bothering him, even if he was notoriously good at keeping things buried. It seemed it was too big to hide completely this time. Either that or she had known him too long now.

Tifa liked to think the latter. Even if at the same time the thought terrified her.

"And you really came to the gym for?"

"To use the punching bag, but clearly someone has made that thought obsolete." He replied dryly.

"And you need to take your anger out on a poor stuffed pillow because? Really, Leon, you look like you could do with a few rounds at the firing range."

There was silence for a much longer period than she had expected. Really, she had expected him to turn around and leave. Or reply with a short witty retort before telling her to get back to work. It seemed like seeing the President put him further out on a loop than usual.

"The man brought Rinoa."

Oh. Well…that called for some Grade A snooping. Yuffie would be overjoyed.

…

When they had returned, he was waiting for them, a sardonic smile nestled smugly on his face. The harsh lights from the white room glinting on his glasses – circular – washing out his eyes. There were times in those vague hazy moments, where the world didn't seem quite right, and there was the suspicion in Riku's mind that the man had no eyes.

He couldn't have eyes.

If he had eyes, he would see the pain each time Sora convulsed; see the bruises and scars from treatments that didn't react favourably. Surely if he could see those things, he would react differently; would be kinder, like Shera or Lucrecia.

So obviously he had no eyes.

But his blindness had no obstruction on his ability to function, because it certainly did not stop him from resuming his injections; writing maddeningly upon crisp, newly printed sheets with short, abrupt scratches. Riku hated the man, consoling his anger by images of his stark white lab coat streaked with red. He wondered if it would be red. He briefly entertained the thought of thick green sludge congealing beneath skin, inching slowly through veins and quivering with malice.

When he finally left, Kairi and Sora curled together on his bunk, and Riku locked his anger away, crawling on hands and knees to the steel bed frame. It took a little effort – more effort than he wanted to expend – but he managed to haul himself alongside the others, offering Sora a grin he could not feel.

The General couldn't have known. He wouldn't have sent them back if he had.

Sora's hair was soft under his fingers, springing back into place no matter how often he stroked it. It was calming, in a way. When he was able to ignore the sweat-dampened locks and pretend they were safe and whole.

Kairi was shivering. He couldn't stop it. Why couldn't he stop it?

At the sound of the door reopening, Riku's head shot to the source, his grip around Sora tightening as the brunet shrunk back against the wall. He was back – he wouldn't stop this time – there was nothing left –

Riku relaxed at the sight of the pale woman watching him placidly from the door, her long dark hair hanging with rigid straightness down her back. She smiled softly as she stepped in, shutting the door carefully behind her.

"Matron." His voice sounded slightly grating now, and he found himself wanting water more than anything. A whole ocean of water, clean and pure.

The woman's simple dark dress was splattered around her ankles with light mud, and she still wore the shoes that meant she intended to travel far. She only wore those shoes when she accompanied them on missions, Riku remembered, the thought bringing a strange curiosity. Even more when he noticed the large bag hanging at her side. Where they leaving now? Like this?

Riku knew there was something different about him. He didn't react the same as the other two mentally. Ever since he had killed – no…you can't kill what never lived. He'd been listening to Sora too much. Ever since he had accepted his delusions for what they were – accepted them and moved on – he had been able to retain more of himself; knew more about what was going on. He hid it well though. No need to break the illusion, nothing good could come of it. He needed to be able to think faster, that element of surprise, if he was going to protect Sora and Kairi.

If they were to be taken now and sent into the world…he would be the one to make sure they all came back.

…even if he couldn't feel his legs.

Well that might be a problem. But damn it, he'd do it somehow…even if he had to tie them to his back.

"We went to visit you." Sora rasped from his side, the voice ridiculously loud considering it was right next to his ear. He sounded cheerful though, even chuckled despite it all, so Riku forgave him.

"So I heard. I am sorry I was not here." She smiled softly, crouching down next to the bunk, and Riku knew she meant more than just their visit. "General Sephiroth informed me that you all slept in his office last night. I hope you thanked him properly before you left."

"Where were you?" Kairi mumbled softly. She looked paler than usual, but her trembling had lessened a good deal. That was a positive sign at least…right?

"I was visiting a friend of mine in town." the voice was calming. Sora liked that voice, and Riku found he couldn't disagree with the sentiment. "You would like her; she's the sister of our Paine."

Kairi's eyes lit up, fingers curling tightly in the sheets as she leaned forward. "Are Rikku and Paine coming back?"

"No dear, they're still on their leave, and will be for at least another nine months." She smiled. Her smile always seemed sad. "They send presents though. Lulu is quite skilled in making toys, and I asked her to make very special ones for you three. Rikku and Paine also ran some errands for me…they wanted you to be happy."

Sora sat up as eagerly as he could manage, a large grin on his face. Riku was glad that he was able to bounce back so quickly. Irrepressible.

The presents, it turned out, were four stuffed animals, each the size of his forearm and dressed in brightly coloured clothing. Well, one of them was dressed. Two of them were partially dressed, and the fourth was clearly a dog.

Well, the others were clearly – Riku forced his brain to stop thinking. They were stuffed animals. Kind of. Any further classification was useless.

So he smiled awkwardly as Matron handed him an oversized mouse in red shorts and gloves, and handed it over quietly to Kairi when she indicated she wanted to see. He was too old for stuffed animals anyhow.

Sora was overjoyed at the two he had been given – what looked like a duck dressed as a sailor and a mutant dog…hippo…thing. In all fairness to it, at least it was the only one that was fully dressed. He didn't know if he was more disturbed that his mouse had no shirt, or that the duck had no pants.

Or that he was seriously considering the ramifications of animal's state of undress.

"I think you mouse is Pluto's master." Kairi said suddenly, holding up her ludicrously yellow dog. It looked like it had a tumour on its head.

"You named yours already?" Sora….it looked like Sora was pouting. He was disappointed that Kairi had named a ball of plush?

"Each one of these is a very special present from me." Matron's hand patted the knee closest to her – Sora's – and smiled once more. "I want you to take very good care of them; I hope that they will be helpful to you when you need it most. If all goes well, you won't be in here much longer, but be good for now. I will speak to the orderlies and Hojo, so your presents will be safe. You will all be safe."

And she was gone as quickly as she had come.

Riku knew she had other obligations, but he couldn't help but feel resentful that they were left alone again at the mercy of the man in white.

"Mice can't have dogs." Riku crossed his arms stubbornly, eyes watchful as Kairi made her yellow mutt prance about with his mouse. He was beginning to feel a little possessive of his present. She had given it to him, it was his.

"Well this one does. He's a King." She said smugly, pausing in Pluto's walk to pull and distort the stuffed mouse's face. She looked genuinely happy now.

Sora crawled forward. "How is he a King?"

"He's magical." Well that seemed logical, Sora nodded in understanding.

"I'd think they're all magical." Riku yawned, with a calculatedly casually gesture tugging the mouse into his lap. Mission 'retrieve-mouse-king' successful. "I mean look, the mouse is wearing pants, the duck thinks he's a sailor and whatever the hell that goofy thing is, he's trying to be human."

"I think it's a dog." Kairi wrinkled her nose as she squinted at the thing, all thoughts of needles and pain blissfully gone through the godsend that was Matron's distractions.

"He's got a point though." Sora's deft fingers pried into the thing's mouth, before tugging on the long droopy ears.

"If that's a dog," Riku said stubbornly, "then why's Pluto not wearing pants? I thought Pluto was a dog."

"Maybe he's a relative of dogs. A wolf? He's kinda got fang things…maybe he's mutated wolf that was abandoned by his pack and raised by mice."

Kairi thought this over for a moment as though it was a matter of grave importance. "I'll accept that. He can be friends with the sailor mallard."

"Whatever, they serve my King Mouse." Riku folded his arms as he leant back against the wall, closing his eyes. He just wanted Sora to move back. He just wanted to sleep. Whatever that man had done had left him exhausted.

Sora, instead of falling to his wishes peaceably, slammed his fist into the thin mattress with more strength than he thought the brunet still had. The vibration made his head jar painfully against the wall. Why was nothing simple anymore? "You can't just call him Mouse, that's silly!"

Riku groaned. "I'll call him Phillip then. King Phillip."

"That sounds stupid too." Kairi. Damn it Kairi, Riku cracked open an eye to look at her. Why did she have to prolong this? This meant it would take longer before he could sleep. Weren't they tired too?

"Well what would you call him then? I like the name Phillip"

"Arthur!"

"Bacon!"

"Gertrude!"

"Sora, you choose." With any luck he's stick with Bacon, but it didn't really bother him much. So he'd end up with a mouse named like a greasy fat-filled delicious pig by-product. Whatever.

"Mickey!"

Good. "King Mickey then."

Kairi grinned. "The Fourth."

Sora seconded the expression. "King Mickey the Fourth."

Riku let himself fall over, pulling Sora with him on his way down. "Alright. Now we sleep."

He was glad when neither party argued, and he felt two pairs of arms wrap around him.

He would deal with pant-wearing mice-kings tomorrow.

…

The screen came to life with the face of a well groomed man in his late thirties. Blond hair, immaculate trimmed beard and high necked white suit.

"Recently we have become aware of Ansem, commonly dubbed 'Ansem the Wise', acting as a vigilante against what he has identified as one 'Organization XIII'."

"Wait, Ansem as in, 'Uncle Scrooge's Sea-Salt Savouries' Ansem?" Yuffie had planted her hands on the table, leaning farther across the table than Cloud though possible. "I thought he quacked years ago!"

Leon continued as though she had never spoken, turning a page on the report in his hand as the screen flickered to a new image. Stoic bastard. "Late last year he was secretly ousted from his post as CEO and replaced by his protégé, our very own Xehanort."

The man on the screen reminded Cloud vaguely of Sephiroth – had Sephiroth taken two months vacation in some tropical resort and, God willing, ventured out into the sun. From what he could see, the man was dressed in what looked relatively expensive…but hell, that ruffled scarf at his neck made him look more like a stuffed chicken.

"Let me guess," Yuffie pointed dramatically at a water-stained crack in the ceiling, no doubt using her vast array of stealthy ninja logic to arrive at a conclusion. "Xehanort's still a mean old bastard with no heart who hates all things good in the world and is planning the ultimate ploy to steal candy from children throughout the universe!"

"No!" Selphie's chair toppled as she sprang to her feet, fists slamming on the table. "We can't let him get away with that! That heartless, no-good, candy-stealing –"

There was the sound of a throat clearing and Matron stared pointedly at the two girls. They were silent. Really, he had to learn how to do that. Not even Leon's stare-of-death had much effect it seemed; not compared to this Matron. At least then he would be able to avoid the inevitable barrage of questions and pestering from the remainder of the team once this briefing was over.

"…To move on, this sort of internal power struggle is not what we typically deal with, but the 'Powers that Be' have deliberated on the issue recently and come to a conclusion. Considering our dealings with Xehanort in the past, it's not much of a surprise. Laguna and Rufus convened yesterday, and deemed it a possible threat to the nation as a whole; at the very least as detrimental to the economy. If this 'Organization' turns out as devious as Ansem seems to insist, allowing them to control such an influential and wealthy company is not advisable. Whatever our course, we cannot allow Ansem to move on his own as it seems his intent is more likely along the lines of ending not only Xehanort, but Uncle Scrooge's as well. He's willing to stop at nothing to see this problem dealt with. We need to get there first."

"…You're pulling an undercover operation to liberate a children's sweet factory from an ambitious salary man?" Cloud was very still, his eyes not leaving Leon's. This was a joke, right? Who had ever heard of people dying over blue ice on wooden sticks?

"To put it bluntly," Leon deadpanned, "yes."

Great, he thought, why not. Afterwards, let's all go to the circus to watch Simba jump through flaming hoops! Cloud shook his head and threw up his hands in resignation. Whatever. They were paying him.

Leon's eyes lingered on him a moment longer before flickering back across the assembled team. "Now we already have some established links into Organization XIII, and we'll be seeing some familiar faces here so we're not entirely blind in this situation."

Matron stepped forward, bringing up a screen of new faces. "Axel Yoshida. Last contact was made three weeks ago by Sora Watanabe, code name Roxas."

The red head was grinning at him in a way that reminded him of someone. Someone he didn't like. Well, he typically didn't mesh well with cocky bastards, and this Axel certainly came off as one. He wondered vaguely if this man fought with a tazer, not quite sure where the thought came from. He absently rubbed his side, some forgotten injury from years ago. The two tear-shaped face tattoos were ringing warning bells loud enough that he had to consciously restrain himself from covering his ears.

That couldn't be a good sign.

The face was replaced with the white-haired Xehanort once more, still with that damned ruffle. Cloud sighed. At least there was the silence of oblivion again.

"There is little need to inform you that Riku Matsuda will be taking this assignment from the regular squad, not only because of your newest member's lack of practical experience. Since our last dealings with this man, he has his eyes set on Matsuda and would not react favourably to a change."

"Ma'am," Tifa interjected, Cloud turning a curious gaze on the brunette, "Not that I doubt yours and the General's assessment of the situation, but has Riku recovered from the last time? He didn't seem all that stable when he threatened Strife with a magnum. If there is a potential of the same happening this time…"

Matron shook her dark head slowly. "That will not be an issue. Dear Riku has vanquished his demons quite admirably and will treat this assignment like any other."

Cloud straightened in his seat as the pale woman turned her gaze on him. Somehow he wasn't sure this would turn out well.

"Because we require that you, Cloud Strife, adapt and learn as quickly as possible, you also will be accompanying the SeeD –"

"Valentine!" Tifa and the other girls shouted in unison.

"—Unit in this situation." The only indication of her hearing them was a raised brow and a slight smirk. "Squall."

Leon stood impassively against the wall behind her, arms crossed in feigned disinterest.

"General Sephiroth has drawn up the teams for infiltration. Tifa and yourself will act together this round –"

"Won't that seem suspicious?"

"Not in the least. As a Loire a certain amount of promiscuity is expected, and it leaves your new boy under the tutelage of a veteran. The General will focus on the target, Riku will be there as distraction, Tifa and Squall mingle with the rest of the notaries as backup."

"Flaunting that connection is not foremost in my priorities."

"It will be used as deemed necessary." The pale woman said tersely, her hands folded carefully in front of her dark dress. Cloud couldn't help but be curious of the meaning to their succinct words, but he had a feeling he would hear no answers from Leon. "We will discuss this later, Squall. The General's accompaniment this time is due solely to the tenuous trust he has established with the target; further advancement will hopefully be achieved without his assistance."

"Are the schematics up on the building's structural integrity?" the low voice was uttered from the folds of heavy crimson fabric. Funny…that was the first time he had heard Vincent speak. Why he wanted to know about structural integrity though…that made Cloud more than a little worried about what he was getting himself into.

"They will be up on the mainframe by this evening for your scanning pleasure, complete with your postings, Vincent, Yuna. Remember, this is not a direct assault – the two of you will be providing cover only if it is deemed necessary. The rest of you will be gathering intel for further consideration, while Sora attempts to touch down with Axel Yoshida to see if we can't win him over as our informant. We have reason to believe that they have established a connection that will ease the transition. Yuffie, Selphie and Kairi will be taking over for the usual wait staff."

The two girls present grinned.

"Professionalism, please."

"Yes Ma'am" They said in unison, sharing a grin with Tifa.

Cloud watched warily as Tifa stood and Leon moved silently towards him.

"Your uniforms will be available at the tact shop by six." Matron raised a hand. "Squall, Tifa – get our new boy ready for the General and briefed on what to expect. We can't afford to blow this."

It was when the hands clamped down on his shoulders that he truly felt he was in over his head.