Note from forevermagik13: Oh Axel... you're just so fun to write for when you're either angry or being moody...

Axel appeared in Castle Oblivion, his hood up. He wasn't sure how far they were into this attack. Well, rather, he knew that 37 and the latest group of people had headed to Castle Oblivion roughly half an hour ago. It had taken Saix all of two hours after being notified that Sora was no longer here to attack it again—though, he did have to go get approval from Xemnas first.

Technically, Axel shouldn't know about this. But he had gotten rather good at learning information he shouldn't be able to know.

The entrance hall was relatively clear. A poor Larxene replica still lay on the floor. She was trying to get up and failing miserably.

Huh, Axel thought. Riku usually destroys the Larxenes first, 37 must have really ticked him off…

He walked over to the Larxene Replica and held out a hand to help her up.

"Leave now," he hissed, not letting her see his face. "If you do, you might live. Just, don't go back to Saix."

She spat in his face.

"Well, never mind then," Axel muttered.

He punched her in the face swiftly, doing enough damage to finish her off.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't particularly want to kill you."

He straightened up and started walking throughout Castle Oblivion, trying to see if he could find anymore replicas that were with Saix. He didn't particularly want to get involved. But he needed to touch base with Riku—and the sooner the better, especially with the raids starting again.

He moved through the hallways swiftly, not seeing anyone. He eventually got to the computer room, where Riku and 37 were sparring. Glowing black-and-white 'X's were over the computer room door and Axel wondered if they had actually figured out how to block an area off, or if it was just one of Alpha's illusions.

"I'll get through one of these times!" 37 spat at Riku.

"Fat chance," Riku said, nearly stabbing his blade through 37's leg. 37 blocked the blow though and sent Riku flying back with a bunch of ice-needles.

Riku burned through the needles with Dark Firaga and propelled himself back over to 37, landing a nice combo. 37 responded by freezing Riku in place, then shattering the ice with his shield. Riku paused for a moment, reeling from that blow, before landing another combo.

Figuring that this could go on for a while and deciding he didn't have time for this, Axel opened a dark corridor around 37, sending him back to The World that Never Was.

"Hey, I had control of that," Riku said, wiping blood from his nose.

Axel lowered his hood so Riku could see that he was rolling his eyes. "Please, you two would have gone on for at least ten more minutes like that. I get rid of him for you, and do I even get a thank you? No!"

Now it was Riku's turn to roll his eyes. "I was actually trying to destroy him so that maybe he wouldn't come back."

"And then Saix'll just send another Replica in his stead," Axel replied. "Especially since he now has the green-light to keep attacking."

Riku sighed. "And where were you before this attack to warn us? Or maybe even just five minutes ago, so you could help?"

"I can't openly be against Saix yet," Axel said. "Especially since I'm not exactly betraying the Organization—or, I'm trying not to, at least."

Riku sighed again, banishing his blade. "So what brings you here, now?"

"Did Namine arrive alright?" Axel asked. "I did send her here."

Riku nodded.

"Good," Axel said, leaning back against the wall.

"Thank you, by the way," Riku said.

Axel shrugged. "Eh, no problem. And I took care of 17 for you."

"Whatever. Is there anything else you came here for?"

"Well, no sense in warning you that the attacks will be amped up now that Sora's gone, you've already figured that one out."

"Do you have any clue as to why they stopped while Sora was here?" Riku asked.

"Xemnas didn't want Sora getting hurt. He still wants to turn him into a Heartless, you know."

Riku grimaced.

"I can keep an eye on him, if you want," Axel said.

What am I saying? he thought to himself. Why would I want to… oh sheesh… I'm going soft…

"No," Riku said. "I don't think he'd want that."

"Right, well, whatever," Axel replied, secretly glad that Riku had just saved him from that obligation that his big mouth had almost gotten him into.

"Anything else?" Riku asked.

"Saix doesn't know Namine is here, yet," Axel said. "Best keep it that way."

"I was planning on it," Riku said tersely.

Axel shrugged. "Just checking. I know you can get hot-headed and overlook simple details like that."

Riku growled. "Protecting Namine is one of my top priorities," Riku said. "I thought you, of all people, would have learned that by now."

Axel held up his hands defensively. "And again, just checking. Saix wants to catalog her, so watch out."

"Why would he want her catalogued?"

"Heck if I know," Axel said. "I have long since given up trying to even understand Saix's motives."

"Do I detect bitterness in your voice?" Alpha asked, coming out of the computer room.

"Nobody asked you," Axel said, turning away.

"Where are you going?" Riku asked.

"I'm gonna go give Joseph some more ideas about how to kill Saix," Axel said, not even turning around.

"29'll kill you if he hears that," Alpha said.

"I'd like to see him try," Axel scoffed.

Neither Riku nor Alpha figured it worth their time to argue that issue.

"No one's actually going to let Joseph follow through with those plans, are they?" Vexen asked, coming out of the computer room.

"I'm not," Alpha said. "I respect 29 too much."

"As annoying as Joseph is, I don't want him to get hurt," Riku muttered.

"I'm actually a tad scared of 29 when it comes to Joseph," Vexen admitted.

Alpha gaped at him. Riku would have, but he had been away from Namine long enough…

He started to form a dark corridor, thought better of it, and formed a different dark corridor, then disappeared.

Meanwhile, Axel had found Joseph and was currently giving him more ideas for Saix's murder, as well as better ideas of how The Castle That Never Was was laid out—and some random keys that he had stolen and made copies of.

"Now be sure to share those keys with Riku," Axel said. "He might just need them."

"What for?" Joseph asked, his eyes wide.

Axel shrugged. "I dunno, just share them if you need to."

"Can I share them with other people besides Riku?" Joseph asked.

"You can share them with Namine, I suppose. And maybe Alpha if you need to. But no one else."

"Cool! What do they go to?"

Axel laughed. "Well… this one is for…"