Been a little while, hasn't it? I've been catching up on the Chaotic episodes I haven't been able to watch on TV with the 4Kids website at school. Thank goodness it hasn't been blocked (sighs in bliss). It's like chocolate—no even better than chocolate! It's like chocolate covered strawberries! No! Even better! A virgin strawberry daiquiri! (goes off on some random daydream-fantasy about food)
26: Teamwork
"The thing under my bed waiting to grab my ankle isn't real. I know that, and I also know that if I'm careful to keep my foot under the covers, it will never be able to grab my ankle." –Stephen King
"Ow!"
"Shhhh!"
"Xhostam stepped on me!"
"Quiet!"
"What are you doing?" All of the Organization members froze, barely outlines in the moonlight that was just beginning to peek over the tops of the Hoarfrost Crests. Hazel eyes flashed towards the doors to the Danian Cafeteria.
"Tobias?" Xilvin whispered and the shadowy figure in the doorway made a motion that could have been a curt nod, "What are you doing?"
"Didn't I just ask you that same question?" The oldest Khaos brother responded softly, "I could hear you lumbering around two rooms over. Now answer me, as you are taking refuge in my establishment; what are you doing?"
No one was willing to answer, especially Xilvin and Xhostam for fear that Tobias would make attempts to stop them. No one moved, no one spoke. They simply cast fervent glances between one another.
"Ah," Tobias said and even though it was in a monotone sort of way, Xhostam flinched, "You're going to fight the Heartless." There was still no answer but the eldest Khaos didn't need one to know the response, "Well then, I only have one thing to say to you: Keep Xilvin and Xhostam safe. They are the keys to this whole operation—no pun intended, Roxas—and if something happened to damage the chances of Thomas and Kazdan returning…" He left the sentence hanging and left, letting the door swing gently shut behind him.
"We should go." Roxas said in a low voice and there was a mocking snort of agreement from Xigbar.
The art studios were silent when they stepped out of the Passage of Darkness. Moonlight flooded the great, window-walled room with ghostly silver-blue light. It illuminated the overturned tables and scattered art supplies. Most of these were kicked aside by Xigbar and Luxord. Saix was standing in front of the windows, head tilted back and eyes closed, drinking in the moonlight with a sort ecstasy.
The whole room was drowning in tension in the sort of "calm before the storm" sort of way.
Xilvin suddenly felt that there were going to do something really, really stupid.
"Challenging us again?" Came Nameless' chilling voice and he stepped from the shadows, Odium giggling at his side, "You are a bunch of worthless scum." The strain in his voice was temper induced. He was angry. He wanted the Organization finished.
Axel, who'd been leaning against the wall next to the door, suddenly straightened and pressed his hand against it. A bar of light flashed around the entire room, forming a barrier.
Nameless' glowing crimson eyes narrowed, "That stupid barrier of yours won't matter after your Faded."
"We're not Fading." Xilvin snapped, stepping forward with his fists clenched, "But we our getting our hearts back!"
Odium sniggered, "Heeheehee! You still think you can beat us? Even after we tore you to pieces last time!? Laughable! Ahaahaahaaaaaahahahahahaha!" Tom's Heartless threw his head back, pointing his face to the ceiling, and howled with sickening glee, "Aheeheeehahahahahaaaahahahaha!"
"Shut up!" Xhostam shouted from behind Xilvin, "J-just shut up!"
"Yes, Odium." Lord Nameless hissed, "Shut up. And fight!"
"ATTACK!" Saix roared, spinning away from the window, and a giant, spiked claymore burst to life in his hands. His hair stood on end, his eyes glowed with insanity, and he raised the claymore over his head with a wild cry.
"Brace yourselves!" Axel shouted and dropped to duck underneath a table, covering his head with his hands.
"Wha—!?" Xhostam managed to get out before he was knocked to the ground by a shockwave of energy that sent anything still standing flying through the air. Xilvin skidded across the floor on all fours, digging his fingertips down to try and find purchase.
"Hey Saix!" Xigbar called from his perch atop an overturned easel, "Quit trying to kill us to!" Saix made a snarling noise but leapt backwards to stand between the Freeshooter and the Whirlwind Lancer.
Across the room, Odium was upside down against the opposite wall, legs dangling in the air and a trickle of black blood was bubbling out of cut on his forehead. It vanished into his messy hair, blending in with the midnight black locks.
"Where's Nameless?" Demyx whimpered from beside Roxas.
There was a scream of abhorrence and a couple of tables went flying into the air, smashing into the ceiling, then slamming back down to the floor. Nameless stood where they had previously buried him, a cut on his cheek healing over and his glasses hanging from one ear so they dangled across his face.
"I…am so…sick…" He growled under his breath, shaking in rage, "Of you…stupid…stupid…stupid…interfering…NOBODIES!" He flung his hands out and the air in front of him boiled forward in a rolling swell of heat.
"Burn, baby!" Axel flung a chakram through the space between the Heartless and the rest of the Organization and a streak of fire lit across the floor. With the other chakram, he sliced forward and the oncoming, super-heated air split on either side of him, frothing upwards invisibly to ram into the ceiling. The paint bubbled and dripped down in great white streaks. The Flurry of the Dancing Flames panted and stumbled backwards, catching his chakram as it came back to his hand. The fire barrier flickered and died.
"Nice block, Number VIII." Xaldin stated, "But I think you overdid yourself."
"I HATE YOU!" Lord Nameless shrieked, "ODIUM! DESTROY THEM!"
Odium gave a squeal of delight and launched himself from the wall with a quick flip. Lord Nameless followed close behind him. Odium charged Xhostam and as he ran, his hair was tossed from his face to reveal that horrid eye. The Winged Slayer screamed in panic and threw his arms in front of his face, stumbling backwards to sink to the floor against the wall. A long-bladed knife was suddenly in Odium's hand and it was swinging down in gleaming steel to take Xhostam's life.
"Xhostam, you idiot!" Xilvin screamed, running for him, "Move!" He dove, intending to take the hit instead, but someone else shoved him aside. A cry of pain as the knife wedged into Demyx's shoulder and pinned him to the wall.
"Xhostam! Get Up! Fight!" Xilvin grabbed Number XV and hauled him to his feet. In the same move, he spun and flung his leg out, smashing it into Odium's chest and knocking him backwards. Then he turned to Demyx, "Hey! Are you alright!?"
"Go…" Demyx panted, sweat beading his forehead, "Go…fight! I can take…care of myself! Go! Now!"
"You're not Fading!" Xhostam pushed past Xilvin and yanked the knife out. Demyx didn't even have time to scream as Odium came charging back at them, laughing and snarling. Luxord stepped from nowhere and raised a hand. A giant card emblazed with the Nobody symbol popped out of the ground and there was a comical thud as Tom's Heartless ran head first into it.
"Xilvin!" Luxord snapped without looking at the Howling Storm, "Go help the others! Roxas and I will assist here!"
"Right!" Xilvin bounded across the room, whip in his hand, and was almost beheaded by a flying chair had it not been for Saix's claymore cleaving it from the air.
"Watch your back, Number XIV!" The Luna Diviner snapped and leapt away, aiming his great weapon at Nameless.
"Whoops! Over here!" Came a mocking voice and Xigbar appeared hanging upside down from the ceiling, ponytail dangling. He aimed and fired, catching Nameless in the shoulder, before disappearing again, "Ha, ha! Now I'm here!" He teleported (Xilvin could find no other word for it) and shot Odium in the leg. Tom's Heartless crashed to his knees, giggling, and rolled away before Roxas' Keyblade could smash into him.
"Hey! Hey!" Axel skipped out of Nameless' blasting range as Kaz's Heartless let loose a volley of burning dark energy, "Eyes on the fight, Xil, eyes on the fight!"
Xilvin raised his whip and smacked it into the floor. The resulting noise made his own eardrums pop and everyone else smacked their hands over their ears for a few brief moments. Nameless' pants became shredded into shorts.
He bared jagged teeth in an animalistic way and he raised his hands over his head. Sharpened pencils and silver pens floated into the air from the floor and pointed their tips at Saix, Xaldin, Axel, and Xilvin.
"Crap." Axel muttered.
"Hmph." Xaldin snorted and several intricate spears spun into existence around him.
"Go. Die." Lord Nameless growled and brought his hand down in a swift chopping motion. The pens and pencils shot forward.
Xilvin's whip cracked into the air, knocking a handful of the utensils down but he wasn't fast enough to catch them all. He ducked, bracing himself for stabbing pain, when a cold wind lifted his bangs. The Howling Storm peered through the arms he'd folded over his face to protect it from the oncoming projectiles and saw that he and the other three Organization members were surrounded by a tornado that caught up pencils and pens and tossed them away. Xaldin's lances danced in the whirlwind, spinning and flashing as though daring Nameless to approach.
Xilvin could just see his Heartless through the currents of air and garbage. Nameless' usually calm and cold face was contorted and twisted by hatred and anger. It was frightening to see Kaz's—his Other's—features warped in such a way.
And that's why I'm going to get my heart back," He thought as the wind died down and stopped playing with his spiked hair, Because you don't deserve to use Kaz's body for your sick little plans.
"Let's get Chaotic!" The Howling Storm shouted and ran full tilt at Nameless, whip raised and ready. Nameless sneered and shouted an incoherent battle cry, racing forward to meet him.
I figure that's a good a place as any to stop. Besides, it's late and I'm sleepy and I want to go to bed.
Hm, it helps to watch Mad Max: The Road Warrior before writing a fight scene. (grins) Yeah, that's what I was doing. Stuffing my face with chocolate cake and watching the movie. Better than the first one, it is. Highly recommended. Also the Bourne series—Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum—are good too. Plus they have Matt in them and he's a cutie.
Ahem, anyway! I cut this off where I did because I'm a jerk face and I like what Xilvin said. Go Xilvin, you rock. This story is running away on its own. I think the end is changing too. Darn you. Better than Writer's Block, though.
So thank you guys for reading, please leave me a review, and I'll see you in the next chapter! Byes!
P.S. If anyone has any quotes from Tom and/or Kaz saying something, I dunno, friendshipy from the show could you please send them to me? I have…plans for them. X3