No one spoke, or had even attempted to start up another conversation during the ride. It was like silence was sacred and, if anyone were to speak, it was a sin. Still, it was boring, to say in the least.

Axel looked down at the teen on his left. He acted as if he were about to pass out any second from the way he was forcing his dark blue eyes to stay open. When the boy lost to sleep, his head immediately came into contact with the redhead's shoulder, but he didn't mind. He just went back to sightseeing from the window at his right even though it was basically pitch black outside.

There was a sudden bump that startled everyone. Well, everyone but Naminé. "Sorry, pothole!" she apologized in a giggle.

"God damn it, Nam," the man in the bed of the truck sighed. "Please be more careful. I don't wanna hear from your dad that you're damaged produce…"

"You wouldn't be to blame, though!" she retorted.

The silver haired male let out a short laugh. "It's your dad," he replied. "He'd find a way."

Roxas allowed his own sigh to pass his lips and laid his head back against the criminal's arm. "So close to falling asleep, too," he grumped. He blushed lightly when he felt the green eyed man's hand ruffle his oddly spiked hair and heard him laugh gently.

The rest of the ride to the farm was silent after the incident, but it was comfortable.

I dunno how we're gonna get there, Axel thought, but the both of us are gonna head to Twilight Town…

))((

"Hold on back there a little longer, Ansem!" Naminé called to the silver haired man. "There's a bumpy road ahead, but we're almost there!"

The blonde male let out a small yelp when the car got on the rugged road while a long arm wrapped around him. Both he and the older man turned their attention to the woman as she hollered happily and drove. Was she not completely right in the head?

"We're here!" the girl said with a smile, parking the black truck she was driving in front of a yellow colored farm house with white trim and next to a white truck. "This's my daddy's farm!"

Roxas turned toward the redhead and moved in a way that was telling the other to move. "Out," he muttered in a desperate tone. "Please, I don't wanna be in this truck any longer with her…"

"I don't blame you," the criminal said and got out before helping the teenager.

"Naminé, I hate to do this to ya, but I gotta go," Ansem announced as he hopped out of the truck bed. "Grandpa Xehanort's probably royally pissed at me as it."

She smiled at the tall man. "That's okay," she said and gave him a hug. "Go do what ya have to! I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay?"

He nodded and returned the embrace then turned his head to look at their company. "Nice meeting you two," he said before turning away and walking through the corn field to head home.

A creak flowed through the air as the door to the yellow opened, revealing an aged man with short, blonde hair and goatee with dark blue eyes. He wore a dark red, cotton button up shirt and had the sleeves on it rolled up. "Do I hear you out here, Naminé?" he asked. The man appeared to be angered, but that could have been just because some of the wrinkles on his face.

"Daddy…!" she exclaimed with a smile and ran to him. The woman gave the elder man a tight hug and buried her face into his chest, relaxing into his hold when he returned the hug. "I was scared things had gone haywire here too…"

"Been normal out here for the last few days," he informed. "Ol' Lexaeus down the road thinks his Chocobo's gone lame, but that's not new."

Naminé moved her head to look up at her father. "Wouldn't've made it here without Ansem…"

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm glad you took him with you, then," he said in an almost reluctant manner. He put an arm around his daughter's shoulders when they turned and let each other go. "Oh," he said with surprise. "You picked up some guests along the way."

"Your daughter's a lifesaver," Axel said with the teenager nodding in agreement.

The older man laughed. "Pleased that she could be useful for someone…"

"H-Hey…!"

"So, it's just you and your brother…?"

With a giggle, the blonde female shook her head. "No, not his brother," she interjected. "Not his son either… He's…some guy who found him."

Frowning a little bit, the father kneeled down to be at Roxas' height. "Son, do you know this man?"

"…Yes…"

"Alright…" He then got back to his feet with a small sigh, showing in his body language that he was backing down before taking note of the redhead's injury. "Hurt yourself pretty bad it looks like," he stated.

The redhead nodded. "Not doin' to well either."

He smiled. "Come up here on the porch and I'll take a look at it," he offered. "You, on the other hand…" The blonde father looked down at his blonde daughter. "Naminé, go inside and check on your sister, Kairi."

"On it…!" she said with a smile then gave the man a quick peck on his cheek before heading inside the home.

With another nod, Axel walked over to and up the steps of the deck as the father went into the house. He made a small turn to the right and sat on a bench that was there, seeing Roxas standing on the steps to be out of the way while the elder blonde came back out with a first aid kit. His green eyes observed the other man kneel down for the second time that night and examine his leg.

"Let's see here…" he trailed off while putting the kit next to him before opening it to grab a bottle and putting some of its contents on the open wound. "Good lord…it's swollen to hell…"

"Hurts like hell," the criminal hissed.

"Doesn't surprise me," he said quietly. There was a moment of silence before the elder spoke again. "What did you say your name was…?"

I didn't, the redhead thought, and it shouldn't matter…

"Axel…"

With a smile, the older man said, "Good to meet you. You can call me DiZ."

"Right back at you…"

DiZ began to wrap the criminal's leg with the gauze he got from the kit. "How'd you do this?"

The other man licked his lips. "I, um…was in a car accident…"

"…Where were you heading before?"

Axel frowned. "I was getting out of Traverse Town."

"Oh…?" The elder spoke with suspicion in his voice and looked up at the redhead, raising an eyebrow at him. "The news says to stay there."

"You'd be stupid if you listen to them," he scoffed. "We hit something while leavin'… I think it might've been one of those…things."

A blonde eyebrow rose even higher on the farmer's face. "You were with someone? Was it the boy?"

"I was with a police officer," the redhead explained. "Givin' me a ride…"

"Awfully nice of him…"

"'M a nice guy…"

DiZ cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the criminal's leg. "Well…the house is up to the brim with my kin, but you're welcome to stay in the barn over there," he said. "Gotta family of three in there already, but there's more than enough room for you and your brother, I'm sure." The farmer turned halfway to be able to see the teenager. "I didn't get your name…"

"I-It's Ro-Roxas," Roxas stuttered.

"Can't fathom what you've seen, Roxas…"

"He's gonna be with me until we find his brother," Axel enlightened as the other man turned back to tend to his wound.

Naminé suddenly emerged from inside the house before she leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms. "Daddy," she began, "I think we should make the fence around here a bit stronger to keep out them monsters first thing in the mornin'…"

The farmer shook his head at the idea. "I don't believe that's essential…"

She frowned at her father. "Okay, I dunno what you've heard or seen on the Tele, or even what the radio told you, but there's some serious…crap hitting the fan. Those beasts are destructive… I don't think people get how bad things are yet…"

"Your girl's right," Axel clarified. "You're gonna want to make sure this place is able to put up a fight."

DiZ scoffed. "Stuff like that doesn't happen around here, Naminé, and you know that."

The woman couldn't help but gape at her father. "Daddy, 'm serious!" she exclaimed. "Axel, tell him about the stuff you've seen already!"

He moved his bright green eyes away from the father and daughter. "I saw a cop come back from the dead, man…"

"…Do what you believe ya should," he said in a sigh. "We got enough things to do around here already as it is."

"Axel and the parents of the other boy in the barn can help out in the morning," Naminé stated. "We just really need to get the fence fixed up, Daddy."

"Just said that it was alright, dear," he pointed out and tied the gauze while his daughter walked back into their home, seeming exasperated. "There ya go, all done. It should start feeling better tomorrow."

The redhead nodded. "Thank you…"

While standing, the farmer said, "Now, if your leg gets hot or if it becomes even more swollen, then ya got an infection."

He bit his lip. "What'd we do then?"

"Gonna have to shoot you, I guess."

You're fucking joking, Axel thought while staring at the man with wide eyes like he was insane along with Roxas. Both of them relaxed a little bit when they heard him give a light laugh.

"We'll clean it then redress it in the morning," he said.

No funny, old man, the criminal thought.

"That's my choice, thanks."

"Everything you need is already in the barn, and be warned: we'll be getting you bright 'n early tomorrow," he told him. "Where do you think you're going tomorrow?"

"I was thinking I'd go back to Twilight Town," he responded. He watched the farmer turn away just then and go inside of the yellow abode. "…Okay then."

))((

Axel took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing his eyes after he had settled down on some hay he had covered up by a blanket he and his blonde companion had found near the barn doors. He was putting his hands behind his head when he heard and felt Roxas moving around before he cracked open an eye. He let out a quiet laugh at the repulsed expression upon his face.

"Smells like…"

"Shit…?"

"Exactly what I was gonna say…" After a short moment of silence, the blonde let out a sigh. "I miss Cloud…"

The redhead gave his companion a small, sad smile. "I bet…"

Roxas frowned. "How far away is Hollow Bastion, exactly?"

"I'm not sure of that myself… Sorry, Rox…"

Shaking his head, the blonde assured him, "No, that's alright… I didn't fully expect an actual answer…" He closed his eyes and snuggled into the blanket and hay below him, waiting for sleep to overcome him once more that night.

Turning his head to look away, the criminal stared at the wall to his left. He then closed his bright green eyes after a while as sleep began to take over. Hopefully things would be better in the morning…

))((

A deep male voice let out a chuckle. "I love you, babe…" He then laughed before letting out a scream when a gun fired.

"Holy…!" Axel jerked himself to sit up as his hand flew to his chest and grip his shirt. He looked around with wide eyes while he panted and his heart raced.

"Axel…?" the blonde questioned in a sleepy voice before he yawned. "You okay…?"

Letting go of his shirt, the redhead let out a shaky sigh and scratched the back of his head. "F-Fine," he said quietly. "Go back to sleep…"

He didn't have to tell the teenager twice. When he was finished speaking, a light snore came from Roxas. He shook his head at him before laying back down himself and closing his eyes. This was not a night, nor the time, to be up at odd hours of the night…

))((

"Time to be up," a man with brown tresses and dark blue irises said, his baritone voice disturbing the criminal's sleep.

Said man yawned and stretched his long limbs before sitting up. He scratched his head then turned his attention to his left to observe the blonde after he heard him moving around and releasing his own yawn. "You alright?" he asked with amusement in his voice as the other itched random places on his body and looked around.

"Yeah…just scratchy…"

The brunette gave Roxas a smile. "Considering you slept in a barn, young man, be happy you don't have spiders in your hair."

"Wh-What…?!" he gasped, shaking and hitting his head some in an attempt to remove any arachnids.

He chuckled. "Bet your uncle got 'em though, right?"

"Not his uncle…or his cousin, or his brother, or his father," the redhead informed then stood up. "I'm Axel…"

"Terra…"

"Dad…!" another brunette male with dark blue eyes exclaimed when he leaned into the barn from its door. He waited a short moment before Terra had turned to give his son his attention. "We're building a fence today! Tractor 'n all…!"

Roxas and Axel watched the over energetic teenager dash off with a bounce in his step with raised eyebrows. What was he on, and, whatever it was, could they have some? No one was ever that robust. Not naturally, anyways.

"Okay, okay," Terra said with a laugh as he turned to look at the other two men. "Pro'lly should get to it, 'cause if we don't we won't hear the end of it." He moved forward to the door before he spoke again once he heard the other two following him. "That's my son, by the way," he stated while they headed to the house. "Name's Sora…"

"Why name him sky?"

"Since he was born, he's been as open as the sky."

Fuck, the redhead thought, I think I got a cavity…

"Although," the brunette began, "it could be that he's just dumber than a sack of Keyblades…"

"Daaad…!" Sora called, not having heard his father.

Terra let out a light chuckle. "He does make up with enthusiasm, though," he added before the three of them were in front of Sora and a blonde man that oddly enough looked exactly like Roxas. "Oh, is it true that you were heading to Twilight Town?"

With a nod, the criminal gave the brunette father a small smile. "Family's from there," he stated.

He let out a hum. "Well, Twilight Town's on the way… I, honestly, wouldn't mind a person who can bash some skulls in needed, ya know?"

Axel gave him a shrug. "Sure, it's appreciated very much."

"Not a problem," he said then turned around to his family. "Ventus, Sora, this's Axel and… Er, I'm sorry, but what's the kid's name?"

"Roxas…"

"…and Roxas..."

The blonde man smiled and looked at his younger copy. "That's an interesting name."

Hiding behind the redhead a little bit, the teenager bit his lower lip. "U-Um…thank you," he replied while the blonde woman came up to the small group.

"Time to get to work," she informed. "We've all seen their capabilities, so the faster this fence gets more secure, the better."

Sora gave the female a grin. "Can I help?"

Giggling, Naminé hid her smile behind her pale hand. "Sure thing!" she said. "You can be the foreman and nag me whenever I take a water break while sitting on the tractor. Think you can be a good foreman?"

"I can be on the tractor?" he questioned, watching the young woman nod. "Cool…!"

"Sor and I 'ill get to it then!" With that, she headed off to the back of her home and having Sora tag along behind her like a lost puppy.

The blonde mother sat down on a bale of hay as he smiled. "I can watch Roxas for you, if you like," he offered while Terra walked over to his white truck. "We can chitchat."

"I'm eighteen, thank you," Roxas mumbled into the criminal's back. He walked over anyways, noticing he hadn't been heard, and sat down. He was actually kind of relieved he hadn't been since it was rather rude.

Axel looked up at the empty, bright blue sky and watched the clouds mosey long across it. He stood there with his arms crossed as he observed. He wondered why everything had started. He also pondered on how it could have happened.

It'll probably be done in a couple weeks, he thought, give or take some days.

He then looked over at the man working on the white truck. The man seemed like an okay guy, but no one can ever be sure unless they know said being for a long enough while.

By that time he had given the other his attention, Terra had pulled his shoulder length hair back into a loose ponytail and had the hood of the vehicle popped open as he worked on it. He wiped his hand on oil stained rag he had stuffed in his dark wash jeans pocket before using his shoulder, covered by a skin tight, black, short sleeve shirt, to itch his ear. "It's a piece of shit, but it does alright, I suppose," the brunette stated when he heard the redhead walk up.

"Did you need some assistance?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I got it," he said. "Do you need some help?

The redhead raised an eyebrow at the other male. "What're you talking about?"

Sighing, the brunette said, "Making sure that the kid you've taken under your wing's gonna be okay." He turned his head to look at the criminal. "Do you even know what you've gotten yourself into?"

"I think I'll be alright," Axel stated before deciding to change the subject. "Um, so, how's your kid?"

"Sora's okay, I think," Terra responded. "Ven has family in Olympus… We were coming back up from visiting them." He sighed and ran a clean hand through his hair. "We were at a gas station and I saw a man attempting to snatch 'im," the male explained. "I thought he was getting kidnapped, and I was on the guy in a second… I'm just happy I was there…" The brunette shook his head. "We saw a lot of corpses on our way here, but we're a strong family, Axel. Nothing's gonna overwhelm us…"

"Your plan, then, is too…?"

The brunette cursed under his breath when his grip slipped, making a loud tink sound. "Uh, get back to Destiny Islands and allow this…whatever it is, get fixed. ShinRa will give out shots then SOLDIER will do its thing," he responded. "Of course, if things were to not end up that way…I guess we could get on my gummi ship…"

Axel stared at the other man with surprise filling all of his facial features. "You…have a gummi ship?"

Terra nodded. "I work on the water, so it's kinda a necessity…and now that I think about it, Ven probably won't be all that excited about the boat, but y'know."

"I see… Well, good luck with the truck."

"Thanks, Axel," the other man said before going back to work on the vehicle while the redhead turned his back to him and walked away.

The criminal observed the two blondes sitting on hay bales in front of the yellow house. Ventus appeared to be having a nice time. Roxas on the other hand…well, the man couldn't be sure, but he was leaning toward more that the kid just wanted to be alone. "Yo," he greeted when he walked up to them and crossed his arms before he smiled a small smile. "Having a nice time with Ventus, Roxas?"

He silently nodded.

"Heh, you guys really are relaxed, aren't you?"

Ventus let out a light laugh. "We're doing just fine," he stated. "Roxas was just explaining to me the joys of high school."

He looked at the other blonde. "Oh and how's that…?" the redhead asked.

Rolling his eyes, Roxas replied, "Waaay to easy."

"Well…yeah!" Axel scoffed then watched the smaller blonde for a short moment. "So…you're okay?"

"Anyways…it's like we haven't been seeing people consuming one another for the last three days," Ventus said with a saddened tone and had the expression to go with it. "It's…nice here, isn't it…?"

Axel nodded. "So, um…whaddya do when the dead ain't walking?"

The bigger blonde of the two let out another laugh. "I'm a vet from Destiny Islands," he explained. "Kinda like DiZ, but more of smaller animals, like cats and dogs. What about you?"

"Used to work at the University of Twilight Town…"

"We need to have confidence that things will go back to normal and we can go back to our jobs ASAP. I mean, it can't stay like this!" Ventus bit his lower lip.

The redhead shook his head. "No, I used to," he corrected. "I was released a little while ago…"

"My apologies," the mother sincerely said. "I've heard, though, that after a disaster people tend to go back to college." He shook his head in amusement. "Guess humans don't like to die stupid."

"Speaking of disasters…how did you manage the city?"

Ventus licked his lips with a small frown adorned on his face. "Terra just drove," he said. "So many people needed help that we passed and over some…and just…"

Axel decided he would take pity on the disturbed man. "It's alright," the redhead stated in a comforting tone. "You don't have to say any more than you can…"

"I'd like to go home tomorrow, but, even if we did, both Terra and I can't erase the things we…Sora…have seen…" The parent sighed. "Don't you desire for the chance to go back in time before all of this happened? You know, to set things right?"

"It was bad before," the criminal argued. "Sure it was a different bad, but still!

The blonde raised an eyebrow at the redhead while the teenager had a look of curiosity. "People are eating each other, Axel."

Axel scoffed. "Oh, and they weren't before?" he asked in an almost sarcastic manner. "The banks, politics, the…the bullshit…! Now, all of that is gone." He uncrossed his arms before bringing a hand up to scratch the back of his head. "Chaos comes in various forms, you know," he said then watched as Ventus looked away as if he disagreed with him. "…I'll be back later."

"Okay, Axel…"

He turned to his right, towards the brown barn, and made his way to the back of the two-story, yellow home. The redhead smiled some at the sight before him: Sora bouncing up and down happily on the tractor seat, pretending to drive it, while Naminé hammered away on the fence.

Still working on that fence, I see, the criminal thought then waved to Sora. The brunette waved back to him with a huge grin on his face then went back to "driving."

"How ya doin', Sor…?"

"Good! I'm gonna be driving the tractor!" he exclaimed. "I'm also the foreman. Be careful, Naminé!"

Axel kneeled down next to the old, black, rusting tractor and examined its engine. "Know how to drive one?" he heard the blonde woman ask.

He shook his head. "Can't say that I do…"

"Too bad," she stated.

The redhead chuckled. "Well, how're they to drive?"

"Amazing…!" the brunette teenager exclaimed.

"Pain in the butt," she stated. "Big, heavy as heck, and slower than…" She trailed off when she went back to her fence building unintentionally, but the man let it slide. He shouldn't be distracting her anyways. He should've been helping her instead.

Walking up to the female's side, he watched her put the fence together for a little bit before he spoke a word. "Want some help?"

"Oh my gosh, that'd be great!" she said as she turned to look at the man and smiled. "Things would go along faster if those 2x4's were cut to length… Would you mind?"

"Not at all," he said and went over to some metal legs attached to two pieces of wood with a saw laying over it. He then bent down to grab a piece of wood before placing it down after he had picked up the saw.

Naminé sighed after a long silence. "Daddy doesn't understand how bad it is out there…"

"He doesn't," the redhead agreed.

"I saw someone in Traverse Town kill a kid by shooting 'em in the face! Probably just a young teenager or even barely one…"

"You gotta do what chya gotta do to survive," Axel insisted.

The woman turned around so she could see the redhead and looked at him like he was asinine. "Like putting a gun to a child's head and pulling the trigger?! Screw that," she pronounced loudly then turned back to the fence. "They didn't even hesitate either… They just turned, put the barrel right between the kid's eyes, and…shot 'em…" She let out a shaky sigh. "You just don't see that! It's not like in the movies."

He shook his head. "They don't fall like you think they ought to."

She bit her lower lip and turned back. "…Have you had to do it yet?"

"Do what?"

"Kill one of them," she elaborated.

Which one should I tell her about, Axel wondered as he frowned, either one of the things I've had to do already would creep her out…unless I just lie and say I haven't killed one of them yet…

"I had to…bash in one of Roxas' half-brother's brains in with a hammer," he confessed. "I fell while he was chasing me and crawled more than halfway up my body when I took the hammer from Roxas and…yeah…"

Her dark blue eyes were wide and she moved to be looking at the fence again. "I couldn't do that," she admitted. "Y'know what…? I'm happy we're getting this fence built. Daddy just wants to keep the family safe and thinks inviting more people is a bigger hazard than those…thingies." She shook her head. "Well, what about yours?" Naminé asked. "How's your family?"

"My parents and twin brother are in Macon," he said. "Er, at least…I believe they are…"

"Aw, I hope so too for your sake," the blonde woman sympathized. "Maybe it's not as bad there!"

The both of them fell silent and the criminal picked up and cut board after board while the woman hammered away. "That'll probably be enough for now, thank you," she suddenly said after he cut eight boards into two pieces. He nodded and placed the saw back down where it had been resting before then walked over to her side again and examined the fence she was working on. "Do you think this'll work?"

"In the shape it's in now? No, I don't," she declared. "I'm gonna come back and maintain it no matter how strong it gets. At least, that's my plan."

"You're tough."

Naminé laughed. "Well, when you and your twin are the youngest out of six children, and the other four are boys…you learn how to get some thick skin," she replied with a bright smile. "Anyways, if you're trying to get yourself into more work, it's not gonna come outta me." She picked up a handful of nails. "Daddy might be in the barn by now," she told him. "Maybe he'll have something for you to do."

"Alright," he said with a chuckle. "Oh, and, uh, Naminé…thanks again for the ride."

"Couldn't leave ya behind…" She smiled one more time before going back to work on the fence while Axel turned and walked off to the barn.

When he entered, he was greeted with DiZ looking up and glaring at him which brought forth a confused expression to appear on the redhead's face. What had he done? He didn't remember doing anything wrong. Perhaps it was because he just talking to his daughter?

"…How'd you get outta Traverse Town?" he asked, using the pitchfork he had in his hands to move hay around.

The criminal raised an eyebrow at the elder man. "I told you already that I gotta ride," he pointed out. "During it, we hit something and got into an accident. Afterwards, I walked until your girl found me."

DiZ let a noise reverberate in his throat that seemed to indicate he didn't fully believe him. "You're no worse for wear…"

"Er…this farm's a nice plot of land."

Scoffing, the old man said, "Heh, if you told me years ago I would be doing this for the rest of my life, I woulda told you that you were full of shit." He let out a small laugh. "Never was the plan to own a place like this, you know. It was in the family…and so was I," the man said before pausing in his work and looking up at the redhead. "Family's important and all that matters most of the time… You agree?"

Axel nodded. "I was raised to think like that."

"Well, where are they now?" DiZ asked. "Parents…? Siblings…? Wife, girlfriend…? Boyfriend…?"

"My parents are in Twilight town along with my twin."

The elder man went back to his work. "Hope they're safe, but now you have this kid to take care of," he pointed out. "Roxas, was it? You just randomly found him?"

Axel narrowed his eyes. "What're you getting at?"

He stopped again and watched the criminal for a short moment. "…Humph…" He then thrust his pitchfork into a pile of hay and crossed his arms, narrowing his own dark blue eyes. "Can I give you some advice?"

"What…?"

"I dunno who you are, or what you've done..." He trailed off then cleared his throat. "Hypothetically speaking, if this apocalypse, or whatever the hell this is, gets worse, or even things get worse before they get better, you're gonna hafta rely on complete strangers," he stated. "If they begin to start questioning you, you're gonna be in some deep shit if you've decided to fib to them… Oh, and I'd check out that attitude of yours…"friend.""

Suddenly, the sound of the tractor starting up filled the air before a high pitched scream broke through it and both men ran out of the barn. What was going on? What had happened?

"Go…!" DiZ ordered. "I'll go get my gun!"