Take the Fight out of the Kid
Chapter 3
'The worst is not; So long as we can say "This is the worst".'- William Shakespeare
I stopped outside Roxas' building, wondering if he'd answer the phone, or the door when I got up. My fingers hesitated before pressing the four numbers that were his apartment and floor; 19-15. He loved the view from the fifteenth floor but apartment nineteen wasn't the best for several reasons- most of which involved his neighbors being drug addicts and dealers.
"Hello?" Ventus, and he sounded bored, so Roxas wasn't home to torment. "I said hello you tosser."
"Shut up and let me in Ventus. I want to get my shit so I can leave." the buzzer went off right away and I jerked the door open harshly since I was getting mad. My feet were heavy as I walked, glaring at every addict and dealer that got in my way, shoving passed the lower-class business men and actually pushing Mr. Bubbles into the wall so he was out of my way after he'd tried to start up a conversation.
"Stupid fucking kid… where the hell is he if he's not back yet? God I cant believe this stupid shit." I clenched my hands together and ground my teeth.
I raised my hand to knock on the door but after the first knock it was opened and Ventus pulled me into the apartment before slamming me up against the wall. "Where is he ya twat! He went out looking for you three days ago so where is he?" so that's why he's high strung; no Roxas to beat up on, no stress relief.
"Like I know. I saw him earlier today for like, two seconds."
"What was he doing?" I looked into his blue eyes and realized they looked nothing like Roxas' in any way. They were a different shade, a different shine, and a different intensity. Ventus was mad as hell and probably ready to throw shit at a fan. So there was going to be no calming him down, I was ready for a fight by then so why not?
"He was running away from a guy with an axe."
"And you didn't help him?" my eyes went wide as I wondered if he actually cared before he slammed his fist into the wall beside me. "Where is the little snot-bugger!" I could smell the stench of marijuana and I realized why he looked so freaked out; he was high.
My eyes followed the line his arm made and I saw the hole in the wall beside my head. I took a moment to wondering how a nine year old kid could punch a hole in the wall, but I was jerked from my thoughts as he punched my stomach with his other hand.
My reflexes kicked in and I punched back before bring my knee up into his stomach. I'd never actually fought Ventus before, certainly not this harshly but as we both threw punches at each other I knew that there was no hope in pulling us apart until we were both satisfied or the other was out cold.
A scream caught my attention and I looked over, being pelted by Ventus over and over as he yelled about me being a stupid Irish twat. "Oh my god! Ventus… who is that boy! Get him out of here!" Ventus took my dumbfounded moment to trip me and kept beating me as I curled into a ball on the ground. "Ventus, Ventus get him out of here!" she sounded so scared and the shrill tone to her voice made me shiver.
"Just die you stupid kid!" that was fairly rich, it would have been richer if Ventus wasn't beating me to death since I was older. Options for me were smaller though so I just took the opportunity and thrust my fist out, hitting his weak spot and hopping up.
I rushed passed his crying form on the ground and into the shared bedroom and grabbed my bag of stuff, making sure it had everything in it before rushing back out into the hallway. Ventus was standing there with his mothers rolling pin and I took a moment to stare at him, wondering only slightly if I should inform him that I'd already killed a man that day.
"Ventus… wha' the fuck are ya gon' do with tha'?" I distinctly remember the Irish accent at that moment because he just scoffed and hammered the rolling pin into his open hand a few times.
"I don't give a shit who you are… because that stupid fucking accent has pissed me off, since the fucking day I met you." he raised the rolling pin and came running at me, but thanks to the many trips I'd taken to his house I knew it like the back of my hand and turned to my left and ran for the far kitchen entrance. Ventus followed and we passed the point where he'd been standing when we came out of the kitchen once again and I ducked out of the front door and down the hall so I could get on the elevator and get the hell out of that place to find Roxas. "Get back here you tosser!"
I looked over my shoulder at Ventus and stopped running when I saw him in the middle of the hallway, screaming, crying, and pounding his fists against the hard floor. "I hate you! I hate you so much!" I got the feeling he was no longer yelling at me and just stuffed my hands in my pockets after securing my backpack to my back. I ducked my head and hunched my shoulders a little as I walked out of the building, deciding to search Stanley Park for Roxas first since a tall tree would make good coverage once night came.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
I hadn't been able to find Roxas for two weeks and I was getting worried, I'd been forced to get myself an apartment when Mr. Skellington told me that if I came to work in dirty clothes again that he'd get the Reaper to get me a new job, I'd told him go ahead but he said he'd do worse and just throw me out on the street without my papers- unfortunately I needed those.
"Axel, how was your weekend?" Mary had always been kind, telling me just how to get somewhere and putting it into the GPS in the phone when it was out of the building, she'd even come to my 'apartment' which was really just a room in a building filled with ten year olds and everyone on the one floor shared the bathroom, to make sure I was living alright, but despite working by Robson square I still lived in Gas town, hoping to find Roxas again.
"Uh, fine I guess… didn't sleep much."
"Why not? It doesn't seem like you've gotten much sleep at all, are you feeling alright? You know you can take some sick days if you need to. Mr. Skellington wouldn't mind if you-"
"I don't want Mr. Skellington to give me anything. I've been looking for my friend when I get off work, I just haven't had the time to sleep or go grocery shopping." I plopped down in the seat after handing off the coffee that Mr. Skellington had asked for only ten minutes before hand and Mary took it into him since I'd scarcely spoken to him since our last blow up.
"You know, I could help you if you want me to. I'm sure it cant be that hard. How old is he? Five? He's probably at the local childrens center. So if we-"
"He despises those places. All I know is the las' time I saw him, he was wormin' between the crack in the buildin's in that alley tha' I killed tha' guy in. I haven't seen 'im since and no one seems to care when I ask." Mary was the nosy type, but in most cases it was a good 'I'm only caring' type of nosy, but now she was just getting on my nerves. I curled my legs up to my chest and set my chin on my knees to try and help me think of places he still might be, but I'd already checked everywhere for him and found nothing- he hadn't even gone home!
"Axel, would you mind coming here for a moment?" Mr. Skellington's voice reached my ears from his office and I took a deep breath as I got up and walked in, ready for him to demean me for skipping something stupid in his coffee like peppermint- didn't the shit-head know that it wasn't coffee if a buncha shit was thrown into it?
"Yes Mr. Skellington?" he looked up from the small screen on his desk that doubled as both a TV and computer, he had a slight frown on his face and his cup of crap in his hand; great, he was pissed about the coffee… another run to the coffee shop for me.
"Do you know this boy?" he turned the screen towards me and my eyes went wide as I saw Roxas sitting in the same room I'd been held in when I first entered the building. He looked completely dirty and covered in dried mud, his blonde hair was filled with dirt and mud making it almost black and his face was smudged with dirt, but those eyes, they were sad and scared, but it was Roxas.
Adrenaline rushed through me and before I could answer Mr. Skellington I turned on my heel and rushed to the stairs, knowing I wouldn't be able to just stand still in the elevator. I rode the spiral staircases railing and ran down the twenty stories, when my feet hit the bottom I rushed to the security office, the door was open and the head security guard was holding it.
Three more doors and I burst through them all and froze, Roxas looked so scared and flinched horribly when the sound reached him. Relief flooded my body and I walked over to him, he stood up and met me half way, wrapping his arms around me as I returned the hug.
"You stupid Brit… wha' you think yer doin'? Not bein' anywhere for weeks." he was crying and I let out a sigh as he just soaked my shirt in tears and smeared it in dirt. He truly looked like he'd been buried for the two weeks he'd been gone. "I guess I'll get ma answers later." I was just really, really happy that he was back at the time, my family was whole again- even if he didn't know about my feelings.
"A-Axel… I-I was so scared. When-when you told me to leave!" he trailed off there with a loud wale and I just held his face to my shirt so it'd soak up the tears. I had been dragged to designer stores by Mary and she'd gotten a bunch of 'appropriate' clothes for me, a bunch of suits and business shirts and blazers and I was kind of surprised he recognized me- but I guess my hair and eyes helped with that.
"Relax Roxas… deep breaths." I'd never been the comforter for someone being this scared before. Normally when Roxas had come to me it was just that he was upset because Ventus had beat on him a bit too roughly or that he was upset about their father and had nightmares again, but he'd never been hysterically crying before. All I could remember about situations like this was that rubbing someone's back in slow circles and breathing calmly yourself helped them.
The door opened and I tightened my arms a bit, not raising my head to look at them since I knew I would glare. "Why don't you take the rest of the day off Axel? I'm sure Mary can do what has to be done for a few hours. Go get him cleaned up and I'll see you first thing in the morning." I wanted to turn around and yell at him for being a jackass by letting me leave, but I gave it up and took a deep breath.
"Common Roxas, I've gotta make a stop before I take you back to your-"
"No! P-please don't make me go back! Axel you cant! You cant make me go back, please! Please! Promise me you wont make me go back!" he was looking up at me then, his eyes filled with fear and pain as he shook me by the annoying lapels of my dark blue blazer. I did nothing but nod my head in agreement before leading him out of the security center and towards the main entrance.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
We stopped off at the central post office for all of British Columbia- a business completely overrun by money-grabbing buggers, but it was easier to have a box for mail there then have to keep changing mailing addresses. Roxas had remained fairly silent and I could do nothing but try to smile to cheer him up, pointing out the fact that I might as well be a stuck-up snob and I raised my nose just to prove it, acting like the rich people we always made fun of.
"You know Roxas, you can talk to me about it. I promise I wont take you back to your house." we were waiting in the sky train station and I could see as soon as I took a step towards the waiting train for Gas town as it pulled in he didn't want to come with me. "I got an apartment close to my aunts, I was hoping if I lived around there I'd find you sooner. Didn't do much good though I guess."
Roxas was very wary of the way I walked from then on, if I even looked like I was going towards his house or if I tried to take a route that was too close for his liking he'd stop and I'd have to go a different way to my apartment.
As soon as I opened my door though Roxas bolted into the room and collapsed on my bed, holding my pillow and holding in tears as I got some water boiling in the small kitchen in the room so I could make us some hot chocolate as I offered to make him some Mac and Cheese since I had nothing else. Roxas accepted the offer and I got cooking before bothering to even ask him about why he didn't want to go home since I knew that was a talk much more suited for a rooftop.
"Sorry Roxas, but Imma have ta change… this monkey suite sucks." I pulled the blazer off my shoulders and started pulling the tie off.
"N-no problem… I'm going to try and have a bit of a nap." he burrowed his head into my pillow and before I had gotten my sweat pants pulled up I could hear his light snoring and smiled, it was so easy for him to fall asleep, it was like he had a mental switch.
I'd finished making the Mac and Cheese before waking him up, he was groggy when he started eating, but by the time we finished he was docile and sad again. "Common we're goin' ta the roof." I tapped his shoulder with my hand before walking over to the door and opening it so I could usher him to the roof.
"Hey Axel! How's it going?" I stopped as I saw the girl from across the hall wink at me and just smiled.
"Fine Haley, have a good night." it was odd how the house acted; most of the kids would all open up their door around curfew and say goodnight to each other, most people left me out of it, but Haley always came to my door and would wish me goodnight.
"Aren't you going to be home tonight?"
I motioned for Roxas to walk on as I answered and kept walking myself "Yeah, just going to be a little late for curfew. don't worry though, I wont be caught." I gave her a smirk since it was extremely hard to get passed the building owner once curfew hit and she just rolled her eyes and waved me off in a playful kind of way.
The roof was covered in trash and clothes strewn all over and I walked over to an area I'd cleared with a long stick of all garbage and clothes. Roxas followed me and we sat down on a dry spot just as rain started to fall. "Alright Roxas, no one can hear us, so spill… why don't ya want ta go home?" I watched with analytical eyes as Roxas pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged his legs.
"My-my brother… he attacked me when-when I came home that day. I was crying, and mom had asked why her double vision wasn't working and why one Ventus was crying and the other wasn't. She had a bit of a break and Ventus got mad at me for it. It was just a flurry of attacking me, over and over again he told me that if I ever went back, he'd kill me."
"And ya believe 'im?"
"Of course! You didn't see what he's capable of!"
"Yeah right! He broke the wall right beside ma head Roxas! It was hilarious, we beat up on each other 'til yer mom started screaming tha' I was a stranger." I gave him a smile and it forced one onto his face. "Common, ya always talk'd 'bout leavin' so what's so different now tha' it's happened?"
"I-I guess I'm just scared. I'm scarcely nine Axel. I don't even think ten year olds should be out on their own for heaven sakes."
"Well… this aint Brittan. We leave the nest early, so ta speak. Now c'mon, give a smile and buck up a 'lil. S'not like yer on yer lonesome." he looked at me and I remember that we just stared at each other for a minute or two before both bursting into laughter. The rain had started to fall heavily and we were both getting soaked.
"C'mon, we should go inside, yer gettin' soaked."
"Well… aren't you the one who said I needed a shower?" Roxas lifted his face to the sky so I had grabbed his chin and brought his head down so he'd look at me.
"Yes, in clean water, an' if we're not quick, yer shower'll have ta wait till mornin' thanks to the building owner." I moved my hand from his face to his hand and started a brisk jog back into the building so I could at least throw him into the shower room before curfew so he'd have an excuse if we did get caught.
"Axel… I know this is a lot to ask of you… but, can I live with you. Un-until my tenth birthday at least."
"O' course… I kinda thought tha was obvious." we just shared a smile and I pointed into the bathroom. "The boy's side is blue, you can use the stuff outta my locker, I've got some soap and a towel an' everythin' I'll be out here." Roxas nod his head and walked into the communal washrooms tentatively- but who wouldn't?
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
It had taken me one more week once Roxas moved in to move myself, I still wasn't close to Robson Square, but I had my own bathroom, and a full kitchenette, two bedrooms and a fairly large living room, it had no furnishings though so we were without furniture until my second paycheck- something the both of us could live with. I bought a bunch of blankets with the rest of the first and second and we just spent our nights together in the smaller room, huddled together under the pile of blankets.
"Axel, do me a favor and bring me Mr. Omashi from the fifth floor… he should know your coming." I popped my head into Mr. Skellington's office and nod to him before heading to the fifth floor- someplace I'd never been before. The elevator ride was fairly long, but I didn't want to use the stairs since my legs were hurting and when I got to the floor I instantly realized that this was an odd floor indeed.
People were walking around with smokes in their hands and bags under their eyes, they were all still wearing suits but it was extremely laidback and I could tell that none of them took their jobs seriously. I looked to a woman who didn't seem to be smoking since it usually gave me a headache and cleared my throat.
"Excuse me ma'am, do you know where a Mr. Omashi is?"
"Get lost kid!" the woman snapped at me and I just rolled my eyes before just turning to find this person on my own.
"Does anyone know where Mr. Omashi can be found?" my voice was fairly loud, but over the clinking of keyboards and the shuffle of papers, all accompanied by the movement of high heels on the polish hard flooring and the several people talking between booths, it just managed to carry.
"Yeah, he's in the back corner." I couldn't tell where the voice came from, so I just thanked the person with the same volume to my voice and started walking towards the back of the room since the person didn't mention which back corner Mr. Omashi was in.
I looked from side to side, but when I noticed a head of blonde hair duck into a cubicle I walked over, not knowing if it was this Mr. Omashi or not. My eyes quickly scanned the name place, informing me that I'd found the right man. "Excuse me, Mr. Omashi, but will you please come with me." he turned around and his pale grey eyes looked at me for a moment before he got up with a sigh, his cigarette smoke fanning over my face, making my eyes water and sting.
I just turned around, leading the way to the office of the building I'd learned quickly that everyone in the building knew was located. Mary's eyes instantly went wide as I held the door open for Mr. Omashi. "Hey Axel.. Can you do me a favor and go do a favor for me?" Mary gave me a large eyed expression, her face close to pleading.
"Alright, what's up?"
"I need you to go down to the corner store and pick something up."
"I already said I'd do it, so what do you want?" I was slightly concerned about what she wanted, but as Mr. Skellington's voice raised in his office my mind was side-tracked.
"I don't care if you don't think it's important to you! I said I needed it by today and that means I need it!" my eyes went wide and I turned my head before Mary snapped me out of it.
"I need you, to get me a bucket of Chocolate-Chippy-Ice-Cream! It's really important because I've got cramps and it's the only thing that makes them stop! Here, take a few silver coins, you can keep what you don't use!" Mary slapped ten silver coins- far too many for even a four gallon bucket -and pushed me into the elevator as the yelling escalated. The last thing I saw was her picking up the phone and dialing as the elevator doors closed.
I was still fairly shocked as I walked through the store at the corner of the street, close to the old Library- a building I liked going to if I ever got the time. I was scrolling through my contacts for the phone in Roxas and mines apartment to ask him if he wanted me to grab him some candy when my shoulder was jostled and the person behind the action grabbed me by the lapels.
"Oi! Hands off!" I dropped the large bucket of ice-cream, causing the lid to pop off and the frozen exposed cream to fall right onto the ground, still in the bucket. "What's yer problem, ya wanker?" I pushed myself out of his grasp and brushed myself off before even looking at the guy.
"Danny… what're you doin' here grabbin' me like tha'!" it was one of the boys I had met in the Reapers Palace (as I learned it was called) and he had actually been an alright guy.
"Well I've been only calling your name for five minutes… the better question is what are you doing calling me a wanker." I just rolled my eyes and scoffed as I picked up the ice-cream bucket to take it up to the front and pay for the soiled bucket before buying another that I could actually give to Mary.
"So, what have you been doing Axel?" I shrugged a bit and pulled my phone out again.
"Can you just give me a second? I've got to call my roommate."
"You have a roommate? Oh, is it Jenn?"
"Nah, haven't even talked to her since the Reapers Palace. I doubt I'll see her again really."
"Harsh. Alright… I'll wait." I nod my head and hit the first number before raising the phone to my ear and waiting for Roxas to pick up, hoping he was there.
"Hello? You've reached the-"
"It's me Roxas. I'm at the store, do you want any candy while I'm here?"
"Yes! Oh my god, I'd love some! I haven't had sugar-snaps in so long! And zippy-doo's!"
"Alright, sugar-snaps and zippy-doo's… anything else?"
"No… but you shouldn't have to buy me candy Axel… I already feel bad about you having to buy everything for me, and don't we have to save money for the second bed?"
"Nah, we're good Roxas. I'll be home around the normal time with your candy, and if the land lord comes by for rent can you tell her I'll wire it from my account?"
"Alright, do you want me to call you back if he does?"
"Nah, I'll do it once I get back to a computer- anyhow, I'll see you later. Bye."
"Bye Axel." he hung up first since I always waited for the dial tone, once the tone hit my ears I flip the phone shut and stuff it into my pocket.
"So… Roxas, who's he?" I looked at Danny with a smile and turned up the Candy isle.
"First friend I made in Canada. His mom's crazy an' he's been mistaken for his twin brother ever since they were born, it doesn't help that his brother hates his guts." Danny nodded his head and he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "What've you been up to?"
"Oh, nothing much, I got a class B job license, kinda peeved about it since all I've got is a stupid runner job. You're probably doing some kind of fantastic job training in that suit."
"Yeah right. I'm a personal assistant to Mr. Skellington… not fantastic or fun. I'm here for his secretary right now. And trust me, I'd rather have a class B. I wanted to be a river rider."
"Ouch, no thanks. That's the job Henry got… didn't you hear about what happened to him?" I shook my head negatively, not knowing but having a bad feeling about what might have happened.
"He fell in training, got crushed and surfaced a week later… he was missing his right arm and left foot, it was horrendous." I shivered for Henry, he'd been an alright guy- everyone that wasn't a giggling squealing girl was alright actually.
I opened my mouth to make a comment but my phone rang and I picked it up. "Hello? Axel here."
"Why aren't you in the office?"
"Mary sent me to the store for-"
"I don't care what she sent you for. You're my assistant and I didn't tell you to leave. Get your ass back here right now you stupid ingrate." I could hear crying in the background and heard Mr. Skellington snap at the crying woman before the line cut.
"Uh, I've gotta go, I think I might have just gotten fired."
"Alright, here, I'll give you my number." Danny reached for my hand but I pulled it out of his grasp.
"Forget it, I've gotta go, how 'bout you meet me here tomorrow around five PM?"
"Alright, see you then." I gave Danny a curt nod of my head before stuffing my phone into the breast pocket of my jacket and rushing out of the store, completely forgetting to pay for Roxas' sugar-snaps and zippy-doo's.
The ride up the elevator was nerve wracking as I bounced in the spot, wondering why the hell he was so pissed at me and why it had sounded like Mary was crying.
The door opened and I saw a bunch of men dressed in white in his office, all walking around with scrub brushes before the glass wall once again turned black and Mr. Skellington, sitting on the waiting room sofa caught my attention.
Red splatter was the first thing I noticed as I looked at him, the while under shirt of his suit was splattered in red as he sat there, a scowl on his face. "I need you to go to my house for me and grab my second suit."
"Why didn't you just tell me over the phone?" I still hadn't caught my breath and he just shrugged.
"I didn't feel like it." I ground my teeth together and rolled my shoulders before letting out a sigh.
"Where is your house?" Mr. Skellington rambled off an address and I quickly put it into the GPS of the phone and got back into the elevator so I could get to Mr. Skellington's house and back as soon as possible.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
I hadn't even gotten to his street before my phone went off and I picked it up, expecting an angry Mr. Skellington to be yelling at me, asking what was taking so long. "Hello, you have Axel here."
"Axel… why the sad voice? Are you unhappy with your current job?"
"At the exact moment, I'll never be happy, I hate being the stupid desk-jockey I am." I refused to tell the Reaper that I also didn't have enough money to actually keep a roof over Roxas' head and food on the table at the same time since I knew that I already had to downsize to a single bedroom apartment- something I'd already talked to the land lord about and he'd been willing to agree to.
"Really? Well, I guess you'll love me then." the Reapers voice was playful but I just ignored his tone as best I could and scoffed.
"Yeah right, I doubt that. But go on."
"How rude! Anyhow, I got you a new job… it doesn't pay as well, but it's the best-paying job I can get you right now in your Class grade. So, so, so, do you love me or not?"
"Just give me a location and the time I start."
"Tomorrow morning, Broadway and Kingsway, thirtieth floor of the white building."
"Alright, thank you… when do I quit my current job?"
"It's already been done, go home and sleep, your sift starts at five." I let out a sigh and hung up without a pleasantry. And let out a sigh on the bus, I guess I should have taken Danny's number, but at the same time, he was just another guy.
AN:
Me: alright, I hope this is an alright Chapter… this is the best I can do with it at the moment though (So please don't hate me)
Axel: wow… I don't have enough money? But, I got a class A license.
Me: yes, you did… but the Reaper is being mean to you and only acting like he's being nice.
Axel: that bitch! Where the hell is Xigbar? I'll kick his scrawny little ass to a pulp!
Me: wow… cool down there a bit Axel, it's not like your not going to taste your share of flesh. You just have to wait, for the opportune moment.
Roxas: I'm the stupid ditsy kid this time? What's with that, I thought I was your favorite!
Me: nope! That'd be Axel (From Kingdom Hearts at least) who doesn't love a good pyromaniac?
Sora: thank you all for reading, and we'd all love to hear what you have to say about this chapter and story thus far in general! Reviews make us all smile a lot. Have a good day! Y'all come back now ya' here?