I'm a little late, but everybody raise their glasses to ten years of Kingdom Hearts!

BotD Cast: "Cheers!"

And with Dream Drop Distance coming later this year (and I think it might already be out in Japan) it looks like the legacy of awesomness isn't going to be over soon! I just kind of hope that Square gives me enough time to drop all of this fic before the real KH3 is released!

Axel: "DK doesn't own anything that he didn't invent. Got it memorized?"

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Chapter 119: Hunters for Hire

"How's it feel?" Sora asked Kairi.

It had been almost a full day since they had left El Dorado. The two of them were propped up in their bed. The lights were off, with only the soothing starlight illuminating the room through the window. It was a cozy setting, and Kairi was coming close to sleep.

"Not bad." She answered casually. "I can barely feel it anymore. You and Donald were quick

"Please don't make with the magic; otherwise it might have been worse."me think about that." Sora said.

Kairi smiled softly, and pulled Sora close to her on the bed. "You don't need to worry about me, Sora. I'm a big girl now."

Sora grinned, but it slipped away quickly. "I can't help it... Kairi, two seconds later and well, he might have...

He left the sentence hanging in the air, though she knew exactly what he meant. She leaned in closer to him. "Well, I guess it's a good thing you were there, then."

"I'll always be there, Kairi." He put a palm to her cheek. "I promise."

"And I know how good you are at keeping your promises." Kairi said, smiling softly. She placed her lips to his in a gentle kiss. "Try not to worry too much. We'll both get through this whole thing, I'm sure of it."

She snuggled into his shoulder, and they fell asleep minutes later. But Sora's thoughts had kept drifting back to that moment where he had stopped Cortes from pulling his trigger. And Kairi's narrow escape from death wasn't the only thing on his mind.

Where did the flames come from?

Serndask stood in the one of the eight hangers of the Noctis.

Formerly the Munio, it was a large, orbiting space station set into the space above Pax Pacis. It had originally been used by the people of Pax Pacis to defend the world from hostile attackers. From the right angle, it resembled two huge dark grey square pyramids stuck to each other by their bases. Eight long docking arms stretched out from the sides of the station (meant for larger ships that couldn't access the hangers), and the sides of the pyramids were dotted with weapons emplacements.

The station had sat empty for a long time, not having been touched since the Brotherhood had moved in to occupy Pax Pacis. Serndask had only recently brought it back online, and renamed it. One ship had already escaped the surface because their air defenses had been minimal. He wouldn't let a similar incident happen again. Hundreds of Heartless and Nobody ships cruised around the station.

Serndask looked down out of the window of the hanger he stood in. He was the only being on the station, save for a handful of Heartless. The rest of the Brotherhood was on the world below, save for one, who was en route to a new world.

Cossex and Xyran's defeat at El Dorado meant that all but one of the Brotherhood (aside from himself, of course) had failed to defeat a single Keyblade wielder.

He had to take new measures to ensure their capture. So he had summoned a special group of people to the world with the promise of a hefty sum of munny. He had arranged the Noctis as the meeting place, since their ship wouldn't have the proper equipment to enter the world itself.

From here, Pax Pacis resembled nothing but a swirling mass of black storm clouds.

A nearby console emitted a beeping noise, and a series of red indicator lights began to flash. A female voice issued from the console. "This is the Assailant, hailing Noctis. Request permission to dock."

Serndask pressed a finger to a button on the console. "Assailant, you are to dock on arm one. The Heartless will escort you."

"Copy that."

Moments later, Serndask saw the ship in which his soon-to-be employees traveled. It was a larger ship than most, and was a dull, copper-colored vessel. It had a roughly triangular shape, and eight large warp engines attached to the end. Two large 'fins' protruded from the rear sides, and angled to point outwards below the main body of the vessel. It bristled with laser turrets. He could just barely see a few shadowed figures through the crimson-tinted viewport.

Serndask instructed the Heartless ships to escort the Assailant to its destination, and left the rest to the station's automated systems.

He walked into the briefing room. It was a twenty-foot long, hexagonal room, with a holographic protector set into a large, circular, metal table in the center. Computer consoles and large screens lined the walls, which currently displayed the space around and inside the station. These were the only source of illumination in the room, as he kept the lights off here, along with most of the station's space.

Serndask watched as the Assailant docked with the station. Moments later, he watched three beings walk down the hallway toward the briefing room, led by a small group of Heartless.

The one in front (possibly the leader of the three) was undoubtedly the woman who had spoken earlier. She had a thin, athletic frame, and sharp green eyes. Her skin was pale almost to the point of being chalky white. She had long, jet black hair that went down to waist level. She wore a full-body skin-tight suit that had a green and black dazzle pattern.

The man walking just behind her was about as tall as her, but drastically different in appearance. He had very high, red hair that wouldn't have looked out of place on a troll doll. He wore a black suit with a large white 'S' across the front. He also had white boots and gloves, and a thin black mask around his eyes. There was a thin black cape with dark blue lining on his back.

And next to this man, was a being that resembled a lizard. He had a long, purple-scaled, snake-like body. He walked on four, flat feet with, which had three toes. He had four sets of forearms, which had four, long fingers. Three thin protrusions sat on the top of his head, and a narrow streak of blue ran down his back. When his lips moved, it was revealed that he had rows of sharp teeth.

They made an intimidating threesome, and Serndask eyed them closely. Each one of them gave off a sense of danger, and he immediately knew that he had made a good choice with these three.

He cloaked his true form in Darkness as he usually did just a moment before they walked in. He gestured, and the Heartless that had escorted them vanished. They halted in the doorway, and looked confusedly around the room, wondering where their future employer was.

"I'm right here."

As if suddenly gifted with superhuman sight, their eyes flashed toward him, seated at the other end of the table. He gestured to the empty seats at the other side of the table. "Please, sit."

The three cautiously sat down, eyeing Serndask with undisguised suspicion. None of them spoke, so he decided he'd have to speak first. "You know what I've called you for."

"No we don't." The lizard-thing replied. "You promised us big bucks to do a job, and that was all."

"Randall, can it." The woman interrupted. She then turned back to Serndask. "What my scaly friend here is trying to say is that we like to know what we're up against before we actually commit to a job."

"We'd rather not go up against an army of giants, only to find out later that we get a hundred munny." The red-haired man agreed.

Serndask smirked. They'd have better luck against the giant army than against four Keybearers. They didn't need to know exactly that yet, though.

"Shego, Syndrome, Randall..." He said, addressing the first two by name for the first time. "I assure you, that the prize you will be hunting is not infallible. And, I might add, worth a tidy sum of munny."

Shego allowed the hint of a smile onto her lips. "What are we hunting?"

"'Who', actually." Serndask corrected. The holo projector in the center of the table hummed to life, displaying the image of the Keyblade Master Sora. It lingered for a moment, while Randall, Shego, and Syndrome committed his appearance to memory. It then changed, becoming Mickey, then Riku, then Kairi.

"The four current wielders of the Keyblade." Serndask elaborated.

"So these are the ones, huh?" Syndrome muttered curiously, as the image switched back to Sora. "What do you want with them?"

"Syndrome, we don't ask questions." Shego said. "Except for one, of course..."

"How much?" Randall finished, with a small smirk.

Ah, pure, simple greed.

Serndask smiled to himself. It was so easy to manipulate beings who were greedy. No scruples, no limitations. Just pay them, and that was the last you'd have to see of them.

"Five billion munny."

That brought a greedy gleam to their eyes, and he knew he had them hooked. "How do you want 'em?" Shego asked.

"I only need one of them: Alive." Serndask replied. "Preferably Sora, though it doesn't matter in the long run. Feel free to do whatever you wish with their allies. Use lethal force if necessarily."

"Anything we need to know about them?" Randall asked.

Serndask produced a small pad of paper. He slid it across the table to Shego, who took it with one hand, and flipped it open. "Anything that my people and I have discovered about the Keybearers and their allies is recorded in there. As are the instructions for the mark you'll need to keep them in line."

He also slid a small bag filled with a greenish substance across the table. "You'll be needing that."

"You've got a deal." Syndrome said with a nod. "Where do we meet once we've got 'em?"

"Simply return to this station once you've captured a Keybearer. You'll receive your payment then."

And your payment will be a one-way trip to the Realm of Darkness.

Not knowing Serndask's true intentions, the three hunters got to their feet, drawing their surprisingly brief meeting to a close. "We'll get you a key in a few days." Shego said, smiling a feral –and slightly alluring- smile.

The three walked from the room, and back the way they had come, talking in very low voices amongst themselves.

Serndask watched them go, still not standing from his chair. He still had a bit of business left to conduct. He waited patiently.

Shego, Randall, and Syndrome had been gone for nearly five minutes before something noteworthy happened.

There was a quiet hiss, but Serndask still didn't move. There was absolutely no sound for another few minutes, but he was acutely aware of a second presence in the room. He waited.

Suddenly, the face of a massive cobra was inches from his, gaping, fanged mouth open, and forked tongue flickering. It hissed, its red, slitted eyes burning. The rest of its body coiled around his chair, effectively trapping him.

Serndask didn't even flinch. "Very impressive."

"I like to make a good first impression on my clients." The snake answered in perfect English.

It slithered away from Serndask, with what appeared to be a smile. It stopped at the other end of the table, and coiled around its own body. It seemed to implode in upon itself, and then quickly took on a brand new shape.

In just a moment, a man of about twenty stood in the place of the snake. He had black skin, a clean-shaven head, and a thin black beard and moustache. He wore a black fedora on his head, which was slanted down slightly to cast his dark eyes (already covered by shades) into shadow. He wore a slightly baggy dark red jacket with a hood. The hood (which was currently down, and seldom used) had a thin layer of reddish fur around the rim. His black T-shirt had a thin layer of black armor over the chest. He wore black jeans, with a few red pouches strapped to his legs. He also wore a pair of black leather boots. A survival knife was tucked into his right one.

He was leaning casually against the head of a seven-foot long staff. It was made of a dark red metal, with a pyramidal head, which was abruptly cut off at the top.

"The legendary Thomaias." Serndask said in way of greeting.

"At your service." The man replied, taking his hat off momentarily, and inclining it toward him.

"Please, take a seat."

Serndask watched the shape-shifter closely, wary of the man. Thomaias was one of the greatest bounty hunters that had ever lived, all sources agreed. But he was also notoriously unpredictable and crafty. He was a far cry from the three beings that had left moments before.

He'd be a bit harder to deal with.

"I've got an assignment for you, if you're interested." He told him.

"Obviously you do. Why else would I be here?" Thomaias had his booted feet propped up on the table before him, with his arms crossed behind his head.

"Of course." Serndask grimaced. "I find myself in need of the Keyblade..."

"The legendary sword that brings either salvation or destruction to whatever world it touches? That Keyblade?"

"Yes."

"Alright, we're on the same page, then!" Thomaias grinned, showing very white teeth. "What do ya need?"

Serndask sighed. "I need one of these people alive." He showed the images of Sora, Mickey, Riku, and Kairi again. "These are the four current wielders of the Keyblade. I'm willing to pay you five billion for one of them. The rest don't matter if you bring me just one, though I'll grant you a bonus for any others."

"Three teenagers and a mouse? Really?" Thomaias wondered aloud, looking at the hologram. None of them, except perhaps Riku, even remotely resembled warriors, let alone the ones who would carry the greatest weapon that had ever existed. Still, he'd seen enough in his life to know not to take things at face value.

He was living proof of that philosophy, after all.

He shrugged. "I could probably snag one of 'em for you. What do you want the Keyblade for?"

"That's not your concern."

"I like to know my clients motives before I take a job for them, my friend."

Serndask growled. The Darkness around him surged forward briefly, coming within an inch of Thomaias' face.

The man didn't even flinch. He just smiled slightly. "Nice trick."

He was a bit thrown off. Serndask wasn't entirely sure how he should react to Thomaias's defiance, so he retracted the Dark energy back to its typical place over his body.

"Let's just say that I need a door opened, and leave it at that."

"Works for me." Thomaias shrugged, and stood up. "But just so you know, my time is pretty valuable. I'd like payment for even confronting these guys at all. Since your brilliant Brotherhood couldn't take them on their own, I'm guessing that the Keybearers aren't easy to take on. I want seven thousand in my account up front in a week's time."

Serndask glared at him through the blackness, his orange eyes flashing into view momentarily. Unfortunately, it seemed that the shape-shifter before him was immune to intimidation. "Very well. But I expect results, Thomaias."

"And I assure you, you'll get them, Mister Serndask." He tipped his hat toward him again. Serndask noted the use of the new title. "I'd like a little more info on my targets, though."

Serndask tossed him a notepad which was identical to the one he had given those who had come in before him. Thomaias caught it easily, and flipped it open to the first page. He looked for just a moment. "I need a mark?"

"To keep them from summoning their Keyblades. Otherwise, it becomes virtually impossible to hold them." He slid a small bag across the table.

Thomaias looked at it for a moment, before picking it up, and tossing it back into the shadows. "I'd rather take my chances without creepy black magic, thank you."

"You'll regret it later."

"We'll see about that, won't we?" Thomaias replied with a roguish grin. He turned and walked to the door, sending a casual wave over his shoulder. "Good luck looking out, Mister Serndask. I'll be back before you know it."

Serndask watched him closely as he walked back down the hall, rising slowly to his feet. He wasn't entirely sure what he should make of the man, yet. He wasn't at all like Randall, Shego, and Syndrome. He at least seemed to have some form of moral compass, though he couldn't judge it adequately.

He can't be trusted. But he'll probably win this little war for me.

His business completed, he opened a corridor of Darkness. In seconds, he had left the Noctis, and was back in the palace of Pax Pacis.

!

Further developments. Rest assured that you'll be seeing more from all of these guys really soon…

In the meantime, please review!