Title: Last Train
Author: nikki_ntm
Beta reader: Shattered Apocalypse
Chapters: 18/20
Genre: Drama/Adventure/Suspense
Rating: M for language, violence and disturbing themes such as bullying, crime and disease.
Characters: Axel, Saïx, Larxene and Marluxia amongst others (Lea, Isa, Seifer and Org. 13).
Pairings: Implied past/present/future pairings, mainly past Axel/Larxene, current Leon/Arlene, and implied one-sided Isa/Lea.
Setting: Modern Japan (yakuza-themed)

x

Chapter 18: Beast of All Saints

The hallways were dimly lit and, much to Axel's relief, he had yet to encounter anyone. He had never been this tense in his entire life. The slightest change in the buzzing of the lights made him stop in his tracks and strain his hearing so hard that he was sure he could hear a strand of hair fall onto the floor. So far the building looked like any other fancy hospital; he hadn't seen any chambers of torture or heard any strange screams from anywhere, just the insistent buzzing from the dim lights.

Every time he had to look around a corner he stopped to hold his breath before he leaned forward. It was fair to say that he was petrified of what Xaldin and Lexaeus, especially, would do to him if they caught him. He hadn't dealt much with Lexaeus after the night Zexion was murdered and he was glad for that. One hit from Lexaeus and he would be a smashed fly to the wall. Xaldin, on the other hand, would probably take it easier with him; he did have a certain respect for Saïx.

"Is it time soon?"

In speak of the devil and he doth appear. Axel held back a curse and nearly evened himself out with the wall. Xaldin and Lexaeus stood further down the hall, around the corner from Axel. The odds were against him now. He was aware of how certain he had come off when telling Arlene that Saïx would save him from a death sentence if he was caught, but he did fear that Saïx might feel vengeful for being abandoned in the middle of nowhere.

"It's a quarter past twelve," Xaldin said, "They should be in the lounge in about fifteen minutes."

"Shouldn't you be going?"

"As long as you promise to behave."

Axel assumed that Lexaeus must have nodded or something because he could hear Xaldin walk down another hallway. He stood perfectly still until he could be sure that Lexaeus had walked away as well. The lounge – Axel looked around the hallway to find a map of all exists in case of an emergency and found one on the wall across from him. The lounge was a couple of hallways and turns away from here. He repeated the turns quietly to himself and decided to run when he thought he heard Lexaeus come back down the other hallway.

If the meeting was supposed to occur at 00:30 then Saïx would be there earlier. Xemnas would be the one to show up at that time. That gave him a few minutes to maybe fight off some of Saïx's followers and he could try to convince him that he needed saving in the meantime. If Saïx didn't want to understand, he would have to punch him out again, but he had to be careful, he didn't want to cause him anymore damage. That was his plan. Faulty at best and downright stupid at worst.

He slowed down when he saw the big lounge ahead. It looked like a vault with its high ceiling and its many arches. The floor was tiled in marble mosaic. There was sadly no big chandelier hanging from the ceiling. That could have been a part of plan B. There were lights down the walls that looked like torches and the silence here made the hairs on his arms stand up.

"You're early."

Lexaeus grabbed him by his hair with brute force and forced him back and then onto the floor. Axel didn't even try to fight back, Lexaeus could crush his head with the iron grip that he had on him and he much preferred to wait for Saïx's mercy than to go in a fist-to-fist fight with this man.

"I was told that you had company."

"You can't believe in everything you hear, Lex. I mean, I've heard things about you that aren't entirely true." He bit into his cheek to not let out any sounds when Lexaeus pulled him back. There was going to be a huge bold spot after this, if his hair hadn't been pulled out already.

He suddenly snorted and Axel looked up when he heard footsteps from another hallway that ended up here.

"Saïx is going to have a field day with you if that's him, Lex."

"So you still think that he would vouch for you?" He could hear Lexaeus' smug smile like he knew something that Axel didn't. He couldn't even bring himself to answer the question. "Maybe he would," Lexaeus continued, "but do you know whose death sentence he would sign under instead?"

Axel's heart skipped a beat when he suddenly heard an all too familiar yelp come from the other hallway. Two figures walked into the big lounge and he saw Arlene being pushed forward by Demyx who looked awfully pleased with his new Taser gun. Her hands were tied behind her back and her hair hung over her face. At that moment Lexaeus decided to cuff Axel before he tried to do anything stupid.

"I don't think he would even bother taking her outside. Maybe he would just order Marluxia to finish her off right here, and then he would grant you all the mercy you want."

"Arlene! Are you okay?" He tried to pull on the cuffs, he even tried to shake out of Lexaeus' grip, but to no use.

"I've been better." She looked at him through locks of blond hair with a small smile on her lips. Her body suddenly tensed when Demyx tasered her again, and she fell onto her knees.

"No talking," he said with a frown, "The same goes to you, Axel. I'll keep raising the voltage on this gun until I electrocute her if I have to."

"You fucking brat," Axel mumbled under his breath. This was going to hell. How was he going to get Saïx out of there and save Arlene? Maybe he should just focus on getting Arlene out and come back for Saïx later. He did still have ten days left before deadline. Ten days was plenty for him to get Saïx back and to find Aqua. Xemnas couldn't keep Saïx by his side at all times and when he looked away Axel would snatch him.

Plan C was probably the best plan he had come up with yet. Now he had to find a way to escape from Lexaeus, uncuff himself and get to Arlene before Demyx went through with his promise. All of it had to be done before the rest of his beloved family showed up and complicated things.

"Fuck..." He breathed when he heard more steps come from the hallway to his left. He never thought he would feel as relieved as he did when he saw Xigbar walk out with the man in the white cloak. Maybe his plan could work after all. Xigbar would only have to take one look at Arlene to give the order of her release.

"Not late for the family reunion, are we?" He pushed the man in the white cloak forward so that his hood fell back. Demyx bowed his head, not for Xigbar, but for his boss – for Marluxia. Xigbar had been let loose on Marluxia if the bruises on his face were anything to go by, Axel mused. There was no way Xigbar would let them harm Arlene.

"Where's the guest of honor?"

"They should be here any minute now," Lexaeus replied.

Axel could see that Arlene was trying to avoid looking at Xigbar to not come off as she was pleading him to save her. Each second that went by was a waste of time and Axel couldn't understand why Xigbar wasn't doing anything. He was the one of highest rank in this room, he knew that Arlene had nothing to do with this, he could just let her go.

When steps could be heard from the hallway to Axel's right, they all turned their attention there, waiting for them to show up. There was no turning back now. Xigbar had missed his chance and so had Axel. There was no way that he could overpower them all and get Arlene safe and sound from here.

Saïx walked into the room, followed by Dr. Even, Xaldin and a man Axel had only met once before in Tokyo, Luxord. They had sure cleaned him up. Saïx looked now like the powerful man he was in his tailored suit, fancy shoes and carefully done hair. It was unsettling to see how quickly he had fallen back into old routines after what they had been through out on the roads.

Axel tried to get Saïx to look at him, but he didn't even get a glance.

They all bowed when he entered the room, even Axel was pushed down to bow and he could only imagine the glee Saïx must be feeling at being back with the family again. They weren't given any time to stand up properly before Xemnas walked in through the big entrance across from Axel. It was unbelievable for Axel that Saïx would gladly bow as deep as he was after all Xemnas had been putting them through, but then again, he had never properly understood him.

Axel was pushed back up and he gulped at the heavy and dominating presence of Xemnas as he walked forward, seemingly weightless, like he didn't have a care in the world. He walked up straight to Saïx with a slightly concerned look on his face.

"I'm glad that you are well, Saïx. We've been looking everywhere for you."

"I apologize for the inconvenience I've caused."

Axel hated the person Saïx became around Xemnas. He lost his own will and became an extension of whatever it was Xemnas wanted him to be. It was sickening for him to see and he wasn't going to let Saïx fall into the trap he knew Xemnas had set up for him.

"Let's make you better, Saïx. Dr. Even has told me all about the damage you've been caused while you were gone. You trust me to make it better, don't you?"

It was frightening to see that gentle smile on Xemnas' face when Saïx nodded slowly. He was putting his life in Xemnas' hands willingly and he didn't even seem to fear what it was Xemnas was going to do; he was blinded with trust for the man that would be his perdition.

"Saïx, don't go with him!" Axel had to grit his teeth when Lexaeus grip grew tighter.

He wasn't going to stay to hear him out; he didn't even want to turn around to face Axel. He stared after them when Xemnas reached for Saïx's arm and they both stopped.

"He's talking to you, Saïx. Aren't you going to dignify him with an answer?"

"No."

"Please, Saïx…I can explain everything…"

Xemnas simply raised his hand in Axel's direction for Lexaeus to silence him with a quick pull on his hair. No one else uttered a word. The way Xemnas trapped Saïx in an imaginary bubble where only the two of them existed was morbidly fascinating to witness. They were in a room full of people, and yet, Saïx's attention never wavered from their superior.

"I give you permission to leave with him right this moment if that's what you wish, Saïx." He tilted his head slightly when Saïx looked away from him briefly, and he reached his hand out to brush away a stray hair from Saïx's face, "Do you want to leave?"

"Don't let him manipulate you. Saïx, you have to listen, he'll end up hurting you. He's using you. You have to trust me –"

"Look at him," Xemnas interrupted as he spoke to Saïx in a gentle voice. Saïx did as he was told. He turned to look at Axel. The indifference in his eyes hurt more than the fact that he was simply following Xemnas' orders, but Axel had faith that he could still reach out to him. Even when he was distant and seemingly out of reach, Saïx let him in. This time was no different, Axel was certain of it.

"Come with me."

"Are we done?" He turned back to Xemnas for confirmation. A small nod was all he needed to not have to look back at Axel again.

As Xemnas stepped forward, Lexaeus forced Axel to stand back up on his feet to face Xemnas properly.

"Axel, few have angered me as much as you have and lived to tell the tale. You nearly took away my most valued treasure and now I'll take yours in the best way I know how."

Axel tried to wriggle out of Lexaeus grip, he needed to make Saïx understand that he was digging his own grave by going with Xemnas, "Please, let him go. He's been nothing but loyal to you – just, please…"

"It's a little late for this, don't you think? You had your shot, Axel. I gave Saïx a choice. This is as far as you got."

Xemnas walked past Marluxia and gave him a nod that made Xigbar frown slightly.

"Saïx! If you go with him I swear it's the end for us. Saïx, come back!"

Saïx walked off with Xemnas and Dr. Even while Xaldin and Luxord stopped by the entrance to stand guard. Marluxia stepped forward, taking off the white cloak to reveal that he was wearing his suit just like everyone else. He barely dared to glance at Arlene when Xigbar had him under his watch, but he still sneered when he faced Axel.

"Long time no see, brother. How about we take this opportunity to catch up?"

~ooo~

Marluxia was walking ahead of them while Lexaeus and Demyx made sure that Axel and Arlene didn't try to escape. Xigbar was following them, uncharacteristically silent. He had yet to say anything for Arlene's sake which had led Axel to believe that Arlene was going to be punished under Xemnas' orders, there was nothing Xigbar could do without betraying the head of the family.

In the basement they were led into a big storage room where there were pipes coming down the ceiling and into the floor. Both Axel and Arlene were cuffed, each to a pipe on one side of the room, both facing an empty wall in front of them. Arlene looked feverish from all the electric shocks and Axel worried that she was going to faint if she didn't get proper medical attention.

"Xigbar, c'mon. She has nothing to do with this. Look at her." Xigbar was passing him by but stopped in his tracks when Axel spoke to him.

"You're damn right, she has nothing to do with this. I told you that before you went into the big house. I also told you to stay the fuck away from her to keep her out of it. Did you listen?"

"Xigbar," Lexaeus called from the doorway. This was going to be Marluxia's time to shine. He turned away, and faster than Axel could comprehend, Xigbar reached him a small piece of metal before he walked out of the room. It would take some time to get out of the cuffs with this, but now they had a chance at least.

Demyx walked out with Xigbar, but handed Marluxia the Taser gun before he left. They closed the heavy metal door and suddenly, with Xigbar gone, Marluxia slowly turned into his normal, entitled self.

"You have no idea how long I have wanted to show you this, Axel."

"Is it going to be prettier than Xigbar's rearrangement of your face? Because I think it's going to be difficult to top."

"I hope for your sake that you'll be able to maintain that lovely sense of humor after this. You'll need it."

"So you brought us here to show us a tape?" Axel chuckled as a projector lit up the empty wall in front of him, "You have lost your touch, Marluxia. Either that or Xigbar really scares you."

Marluxia grabbed Axel by his throat and pushed him up against the pipe that he was cuffed to, "I'm not afraid of anyone. After this you won't be around anymore, Axel, and there won't be anything to stop me from finally ending Saïx's time as the second in command of this family. You'll get to watch, Axel. You'll get to watch while I bend him after my will." He laughed and nodded in agreement with himself.

"What about Arlene?"

Marluxia seemed near obsessive when he slowly let go of the grip he had on Axel's throat. He chuckled as he looked at Arlene and then back at Axel.

"If Xemnas could get Aqua to love him, I can do the same to Arlene. I'll make her forget all about you, about that other lowlife. I'll be the center of her universe and she will help me control the most powerful family in Japan."

"You don't think Xemnas will try to stop you?"

"Xemnas will fall together with Saïx. Haven't you noticed how close the two are?" He was trembling with excitement, like a scientist on the verge of a breakthrough and he couldn't stand still, the thought of what possibilities lay ahead was almost too much for him to keep in. "Xemnas speaks to him differently, treats him differently – I'm sure you've noticed that he even smiles at him. I've always asked myself why Xemnas would care for someone as replaceable as Saïx. Do you know why, Axel? What do they remind you of?"

"Fuck you."

Marluxia titled his head to his side slightly and didn't even try to hold back the wide smile on his face.

"You've heard this before, haven't you? Did Saïx use to pine for you, Axel? Were you his knight in shining armor?" His smile grew at the stern look on Axel's face, "He found a great rebound, wouldn't you say? I'll tell you what they should remind you of, Axel. A newly wedded couple. In a way, that's what they are."

"Shut the hell up!"

"Oh, that's right. You weren't invited to the wedding. I'm sure Saïx hasn't said anything about it either. Not that you should be jealous because you have feelings for someone else. Someone who Saïx has been so very keen on chasing away."

Axel was going to say something in his defense, but whatever he was about to say died in his mouth when he saw Isa projected on the wall. He was wearing his old clothes; a turtleneck to hide his tattoo and the gray sweatpants from the mini market by the fishery.

"Dr. Even said that it was urgent. What can I do for you, Isa?"

"I've thought about your proposal. I'll do it if you promise me that Lea won't go to jail."

"I can't promise you that, Isa. Everyone in the family would be outraged if he isn't punished for what he did to Zexion. Unless, of course, it was all a mistake, then maybe I could do something to diminish his time in jail."

"How long?"

"Three years."

"What the hell is this?" Axel fidgeted where he stood. Marluxia simply shushed him and leaned back into the chair he had sat in as he looked back at the wall.

"Think of how much better it will all be if you confess your crimes, Isa. I've read your file. You can't sleep, you don't eat and it doesn't matter how much you punish yourself, Lea could still go to jail for the rest of his life for protecting you. And you can't commit suicide because that would render Lea's sacrifice into nothing, wouldn't it?"

Isa looked down on his hands and he nodded slowly at Xemnas' question. He seemed exhausted, his shoulders were slumped and his eyes were sunken.

"Three years, right? You'll let him go after that?"

"If he chooses to leave, yes."

"You'll have to keep me alive until then. I have to see that he's released like you promised."

Xemnas chuckled and Axel could see that he leaned closer to his desk. Isa was nervous, but he seemed determinate enough.

"What do you think the goal with my experiments is?"

"I don't know. Play around with my organs to see how long you can do it without me dying?"

"No. I'm interested in helping you, Isa. I can make all that guilt go away, I can erase all those bad memories and give you new ones. You can be whole again, Isa. I can turn you into a person who can deal with the life that you've been dealt, so that you can be close by Lea when he gets out of jail."

The screen flickered and a wave of white noise went across it. The sound broke into small static noises until it became muffled whimpers and the waves of white noise became thinner until the image changed. The angle had shifted. The camera stood on a table and was filming the event from the side. There was water dripping from the stretch board ahead and the constraints of leather were visible, even from there.

Xemnas turned off the electricity on the machine he was maneuvering and walked up slowly to the stretcher. Marluxia smiled wider at the startled gasp he heard from Axel.

"Why are you crying, Isa? This can't hurt more than it did the first time. Are you having trouble controlling your thoughts?"

"You were going to make it stop."

"I am, that's why I'm putting you through this. We have to change the way your brain connects your thoughts, it's going to be difficult for you to control them. The ones that are strongest, your memories, will emerge and you'll see them while awake and while you sleep."

Isa pulled on his restraints and tossed his head around in an attempt to get away. Xemnas reached down by Isa's side for something that looked like a piece of cardboard and grabbed Isa by pressing his cheeks hard enough to make his mouth open.

"You'll need this to not bite your tongue off." He forced it into his mouth and reached for transparent tape on a small trolley behind him and put it over Isa's mouth to prevent him from spitting it out. He stepped away and set the machine on; sending another wave of electricity through Isa's body.

The cuffs were cutting into Axel's wrist the further he tried lean forward, but the pain completely escaped him as he was forced to hear Isa's anguished and muffled screams. He was dizzy with anger and for a minute he forgot that this had already happened.

"You'll make a good other, Isa."

"Turn it off!"

"And have you miss the greatest movie ever made? You haven't even gotten to the part where they drive him insane. That's really the best bit, when they don't know who they're going to get. Is it Isa, the poor broken young man who only wanted to save his best friend or Saïx, the indifferent scientist who thinks he's there to observe the experiments being done on a psychotic patient? Nothing is more amazing than having Saïx do a report on Isa with a straight face – although, it gets really interesting when they start implanting Aqua's memories in him."

It was getting harder to breathe through the lump forming in his throat that was causing a burn down his chest and threatened to make his eyes water. He blinked the tears away and tried to ignore the footage in front of him as he used the small piece of metal Xigbar had given him to break free from the handcuffs. He glanced at Arlene and saw that she had sunken to the floor and hidden her face against her knees.

He tried to put all of his attention in both Arlene and the cuffs to ignore the sudden humming coming from Isa where he sat in a clinically white room by an equally white table. He didn't even seem to be aware of the fact that he was humming.

"Isa, can you tell me where you were during the week?"

"Gogo ichi ni sanpo shinagara..."

"Who taught you that song, Isa?"

"Dr. Even."

"Why is that?"

"It will save me from the demons."

"That's right, Isa. What happens when the demons are out?"

"The sky will scream."

"And?"

"Don't scratch the wall." He sighed, "Never scratch the wall."

"Isa, can you tell Saïx to take you into the laboratory and prepare your water session?"

Axel stopped and had to look as Isa's face changed into that of someone callous and soulless. The Saïx he was seeing now seemed to be completely detached from Isa and all of his memories.

"The subject should be ready for the next step in the process. He has been indoctrinated with the safety procedures in case the wall should weaken. Dr. Even said that he wouldn't be able to modify the subject's brain matter until the first memories were implanted. This is the time."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Saïx."

Axel felt the cuffs click, but he held them in place. Marluxia hadn't noticed anything. He exhaled slowly to rid himself of some of the cocktail of emotions he was feeling and to keep himself from jumping on Marluxia and beat the living daylights out of him, or the few daylights Xigbar had left for later.

"Axel."

The three of them looked up when Naminé showed up with that gentle smile on her lips. She was flickering all the time now and she was transparent.

"The hacking is almost complete. They will try to undo Ansem's last act of redemption. Saïx is his last chance to undo the hurt he caused by helping Xemnas keep Aqua by his side. Saïx is keeping her alive. You're the only one who can break the wall. It's weak now, break it before they redo the experiments."

Marluxia tried to hit her, but she simply reappeared on another place in the room. Her voice was metallic and she was breaking into pixels.

"What if I hurt him?"

"I can delete you, Axel."

She vanished before Marluxia could try to hit her again. Axel took off the handcuffs and hurried up behind Marluxia just as he turned around to walk back to his chair. Axel smirked as he clenched his fist and planted it against Marluxia's face. He fell backwards against the wall, holding his hands over his face when he felt an old wound open up again on his eyebrow.

"Not so cocky now, huh?"

He clenched his fist again and sent a blow against Marluxia's chest and heard something crack. Xigbar really had gone all out on him, no wonder he had decided to sit down all throughout his little film screening. He grabbed Marluxia by his throat before he could roll into a ball, pinning up against the wall hard enough to feel his heartbeat through his thumb.

"Where are they?"

"You think they'd tell me?" His smile looked wicked with the blood running down his face.

"No, I don't, but you would know anyway."

"I'd rather die than tell you anything."

Axel's eyes flashed dangerously and he came in close, "Oh, but you see, Marluxia, I would never kill someone as well needed as you. That sounds more like something Xigbar would do, no? How about I call him in here and have Arlene tell him all the sick things you were planning to do? He doesn't have to know the truth, right? He just needs one single excuse to torture you enough to make the ninth circle of hell seem like a walk in the park."

Marluxia didn't even have to think about it and it was gratifying for Axel to see the terror in his eyes at his threat.

"Third basement floor."

Axel let him go and quickly took the Taser gun that Marluxia had left on the small table by the door and gave him a small shock. It was enough to knock him out briefly and leave him immobile for a while. He hurried up to Arlene and got her out of her cuffs and helped her up on her feet.

"Hey, are you alright? Can you stand?"

She nodded and stepped back, "I'm sorry you had to see that, Axel. I didn't know that he had..."

He pulled her into a tight embrace and he had to swallow the lump that quickly formed in his throat, "I didn't know either." He looked down on the floor to avoid seeing whatever it was that was projected on the wall.

"You should go after him. I'll stay here. I have to know where he keeps Leon." She broke the embrace. "I'll come after you as soon as he tells me where Leon is."

"No, you go and get him right away. Unless he's upstairs with the giants, in that case come and get me. If not, run for it, Arlene. Run and don't look back. I've got this covered." He smiled at her and he had to quickly swallow before the lump had any chance to reform, "Here, take this. If anyone tries anything funny, shock 'em with all you've got. Even if it's Xigbar."

He hurried to the door and pulled it open, hoping that there was no one outside.

"Axel." Arlene looked at him from where she stood, "Don't die, okay?"

"You know me. I'm immortal." He gave her one last smile before he ran down the hallway and into the elevator that would take him to the third basement floor. He hoped for Arlene's sake that they wouldn't have to meet again. She deserved to live the normal life that she wanted so badly and she deserved to be happy while living it.

The elevator stopped at the third basement floor with only a light as an indication of where he was, and then the doors slid open.

"Axel."

Naminé stood waiting for him out in the hallway. The dim fluorescent lights around her flickered in her presence and she pointed down the hallway.

"You must hurry. Break the wall."