So this chapter is a bit longer then some of the other ones has been, which is cool. Sorry it took so long for me to get it posted. I've been sucked into ...
So on words to this epic chapter!
I woke with a start and set bolt upright, my heart pounding and my nude body drenched in sweat. I couldn't remember what I had been dreaming but it had scared me senseless. I glanced around and quickly recognized Axel's room. I glanced over and sure enough, my red head was sprawled out next to me, the silk sheets tangled around his nude body.
"I have never doubted myself." he whispered. "But looking into her eyes and seeing how much she loved you, suddenly I doubted everything." I hugged him back, feeling dazed, confused and hugely grateful to Namine. "I love you Roxas. I have always loved you, I will always love you."
I covered my face with my hands as last nights images came back into my mind. I wanted to laugh and then I wanted to cry. I rubbed my face with shaky hands and quickly squashed down the regret that was trying to get a hold of my heart.
"I love you Roxas. I have always loved you, I will always love you."
I turned my head and gazed down at the man next to me. His red hair was beautifully contrasted to the black pillows and sheets, a flame against the darkness. His pale skin stark against all the black, had me wanting to run my lips over every inch of his exposed flesh, which was most of him. I laid back down and rolled onto my side facing him. His chest rose and fell, his breath coming in soft wisps as my eyes traveled down his well toned body. I brought my eyes back up to his face and allowed myself to enjoy the peacefulness of the moment as I reached out, intending to touch the upside tear drop under his eye.
His hand shot up and caught my wrist seconds after I had reached for his face. His eyes flashed open and for a moment I was terrified as he stared up at me. As soon as his eyes registered who I was he relaxed and let go of my wrist and instead took my hand.
"Sorry love." he said as he yawned and then stretched. I let my eyes travel down his body and caught a flash of pale, toned thigh as the sheets shifted with his stretch.
"Its alright." I said as I drank in the pure eroticism of his body wrapped in the black silk. He glanced over to me with half hooded eyes and I swallowed rather loudly. A slow, Cheshire cat grin started to stretch across his face.
"Whats the matter love?" He asked as he bent his knee and the sheets slid off his thigh to pool between his legs.. My mouth went dry. By the way I was reacting one would think I hadn't just spent an entire evening making love to this man. And yet here I was, craving him like I'd never had him before, or maybe a better comparison would be, that'd I'd had him but would never be able to get enough of him.
"Just discovering my insatiable appetite for you." I said as I scooted closer to him and pressed the length of my body to his, my arm thrown across his stomach and my head on his shoulder. He laughed and rolled over, pinning me to the bed under him.
"Insatiable huh?" He purred as he pressed our bodies together, his lips on my ear. "Is that a challenge?" I felt my heart beat pick up and my breath hitched. I let my hands slide over his shoulders and then up his neck to tangle in crimson locks.
"Most definitely." I said, my tongue licking the outer shell of his ear. "The question is, are you up for the challenge?" I asked as he pulled back to look at me. A fierce grin came to his face before he attacked my neck with his lips, teeth and tongue. I gasped and bucked my hips, rubbing our lower bodies together and he growled against my neck. I pulled on his hair, forcing his face away from my neck and then flipped us over so I was straddling his stomach, my hands still in his hair. His hands went to my bare ass and squeezed, his nails digging in. I attacked his neck, careful to never stay in one place for too long so I wouldn't leave marks.
A loud banging had my sitting bolt up right and looking at the large doors on the other side of the room. Axel groaned but let his hands slide down my body, his eyes saying how irritated he was about to become. The banging came again.
"What?!" Axel bellowed at the door, making me jump.
"I'm sorry to disturb you so early Mr. DaNarro but we have a problem." Came a voice through the door and the door knob started to wiggle.
"If you open that god damn door Zack then WE, as in you and I, are going to have a problem!" he snarled and the door knob immediately went still. "Whatever the fucking problem is, take it to Vincent. If he thinks I need to be informed then HE will bring it too me!" There was a pause and Axel turned his eyes back to me but his eyes went dark as the man outside the door started to speak again.
"The problem IS Vincent." he said. Axel's face fell and for a moment he seemed confused. I slid off of him and he got out of bed. He pulled on jeans and then went to the closet and tossed me a pair of pajama pants. I quickly slid them on and he flicked on the lights and opened the door.
"Explain." Axel growled as he threw the doors opened. I moved to stand beside Axel, my arms crossed. The man at the door gave a hasty bow and then stood. His eyes scanned me for a moment and I thought I saw a spark of recognition in his eyes before he turned back to Axel.
"He's been taken." the man said and I felt my heart squeeze painfully. I looked to Axel and found his face a careful mask.
"By whom." he asked as he turned and came back into the room. I moved back as Zack followed him into the room. I let myself sink into an arm chair that was facing the room.
"Leon and Riku had been trialing the van that took him for a few hours, waiting for it to stop so they could find out who's behind it but they lost it a while back. Riku swears it was Xemnas's people in the van but he didn't get a good look." Zack said as Axel went to the closet and pulled on a white shirt.
"Were did they take him from?" Axel asked as he turned back to the room and set on the bed, pulling on his shoes.
"His last location was his residence on the east side of town." Zack said. I leaned back into the chair and felt like I was going to faint. Vincent taken? That just doesn't seem possible.
"He's either heavily drugged or dead." Axel said as he stood and started pacing. "If it's Xemnas doing then we don't have much time. He has a short temper and Vincent won't talk so he'll kill him." I placed a hand over my mouth and closed my eyes. I must have made some noise because when I opened my eyes Axel was looking at me, his face blank.
"I want everyone on this. Find him." Axel said to Zack. "Call Variedy. If anyone can track Vincent it's him."
"Will he help? I thought he didn't want anything to do with the Organization any more?" Zack asked, his voice skeptical and a little nervous. Couldn't blame the man really, Variedy was a scary son of a bitch.
"Do not question me!" Axel hissed, his hands balling into fist. "Just do what I ask. Find Vincent." I stood and moved to Axel, not sure what I was doing but I knew Axel was getting frustrated. I wrapped my hand around Axel's forearm and I felt him tense. His eyes locked on me as I slid my hand down and forced his balled fist opened. I laced my fingers with his and leaned my forehead on his arm. He relaxed and his breath whooshed out of him in a soft sigh.
"Variedy has a soft spot for Vincent." Axel said to Zack. "He'll help us find him. He considers Vincent his best success story."
"Yes sir." Zack said. "I'll let you know what is said." Axel nodded and I heard Zack leave the room. Axel relaxed completely and his arms went around me.
"You'll get him back." I whispered as I hugged him back.
"What makes you think I'm worried about him?" he asked as he pulled away and gazed down at me, his face blank. I gave him a smile that said, Really?
"Axel, he's yours. You protect what is yours. Period." I said as I touched his cheek. "You put up a show for these people but I know the old Axel is still in there, and he would fight through hell for anyone who he considered his." He searched my face for a moment before he pulled me against him again.
"I have always fought for what is mine." he said "The difference is now, I don't have to fight through hell. I have people who fight for me." I chuckled a little, that last comment came out a little bitter.
"What now?" I asked as I pulled away and gazed up at him. He sighed and went to his bedside table.
"I need to make some phone calls. Help yourself to the shower, I'll have some cloths brought up for you." he said. I bit my tongue to hold in my smart ass remark. I knew when I was being dismissed.
"Alright." I said and turned for the bathroom. I grabbed my cell phone out of my pants as I went and then shut the bathroom door behind me. I started the stand up shower and then set on the counter and checked my phone.
I had one missed call from my mom and a few from Namine. I sighed and called my Mom back first. She answered after a few rings.
"Hello love!"
"Hey Mom. You called?" I asked as I gazed around the bathroom, taking in details I hadn't had time to see the last time I was in here.
"I just wanted to know how your visit with Namine went?" I sighed and rubbed my forehead.
"It went fine Mom. But you have to promise me to never contact her again." I said and my mom huffed.
"Excuse me for wanting to help my son."
"Mom, for Namine's safety, I ask that you never again contact her. She isn't welcomed here any more." I said and knew I was about to get screamed at.
"ROXAS! That is no way to treat a friend who came all this way to help you out of a funk. A friend who helped you for 5 years!"
"Mom, I know what she's done for me..."
"I have never doubted myself." he whispered. "But looking into her eyes and seeing how much she loved you, suddenly I doubted everything."
"She's done more for me then I could ever hope to repay but Axel doesn't want her here." I said.
"And suddenly you willing to give Axel what he wants?" she asked, sounding hugely sarcastic.
"On this one thing Mom, yes. I am going to give him what he wants." I said as I rubbed my forehead. My mom went quiet for a second.
"You'll have to tell me what happened." She said, sounding resigned finally. I sighed in relief and smiled.
"I will. In great detail even, but I've got to go right now."
"Alright love, call me soon."
"I will. Bye Mom."
"Bye Roxas." I hung up the phone and set it on the counter before jumping down and stripping off the pajama pants. I stepped into the steamy shower and let the pounding water ease my shoulder muscles. Going from one disaster to the next was really taking its tole on me. I rolled my neck and groaned as I felt it pop several times.
By the time I had gotten out of the shower I had just about talked myself out of any worry that I had had for Vincent. The man could handle himself and Axel would do what ever it took to get him out of whatever situation he was in. Beside that he was an arrogant ass that didn't give a damn about me. I grabbed a towel and began to dry off, humming a little. A soft knock came to the door.
"Yes?" I called as I began to work on drying my hair.
"Mr. DaNarro sent me with a change of cloths for you." came a soft feminine voice from the other side of the door. I cocked my head to the side as I stared at the door, I didn't know Axel had any females on his payroll. I wrapped my towel around my waist and opened the door.
"Aerith?!" I asked, shocked as I eyed the brunette. She smiled and handed me a pile of neatly folded cloths.
"Hello Roxas." She said as she smoothed down her shirt. "I'm glad to see you healed from your injuries."
"How did you..?" I asked, still in shock at seeing the gentle, loving woman here of all places.
"I'm head of the house hold staff here. News travels within the right circles." she said with a small smile. "Once your ready I am to take you to Mr. DeNarro." I nodded and started to close the door but paused and glanced back to see Aerith stripping the bed. I opened my mouth to say something but closed it again when I realized I didn't know what I was going to say. I closed the door and proceeded to the counter.
I hadn't seen her since I had left...and at the time she had just broken up with my brother. How strange to see her here...I shrugged it off and got dressed. The cloths that she had brought for me were brand new, still had the tags on them and everything. The jeans fit amazingly and were my favorite brand, the shirt was just a simple sleeveless black v-neck.
I came out of the bathroom to find the room crowded with people. Each seemed to have a task to do that was being directed by Aerith and I had a feeling that not one inch of the place would go uncleaned. I approached Aerith and the girl she was currently talking too on the other side of the room.
"Be sure that gets done. Mr. DeNarro doesn't want any hair or fibers left in this room by the time you're done." Aerith was saying as the girl took down some notes in a little book she was carrying. I stopped next to Aerith and snatched the notebook away from the girl.
"Hey!" she said and reached for the book. I stepped back and flipped through to find detailed notes on the cleaning of each room, what was done, what was found and when.
"If he doesn't want any fibers or hairs found, he sure doesn't want this little black book to be found either." I said to the girl as I handed it off to Aerith. The brunette nodded and slid the book into her pocket. The girl was glaring at me and opened her mouth but Aerith hushed her with a look.
"If you hope to keep your job Ashley then I suggest you keep your mouth shut. No more taking notes." she said and the girl nodded and went off to do whatever cleaning task she had been assigned. Aerith sighed.
"Sorry about that Roxas. She's new, I guess this was her way of keeping track of what was to be done." she said as she handed me the book. I gave her a questioning look as I took the small spiral. "I trust you can dispose of it?" she asked.
"Yeah, so were is Axel?" I asked as she lead me to the door and out into the hall way.
"In his main office over in the business side of the manor." she said as we started down the hallway and toward the stair case that would take us down to the next hallway.
"Any thing new on Vincent?" I asked, trying to sound uninterested. I felt Aerith glance down at me but she made no comment on my failed attempt. I was trying not to worry, not to care but my mind kept taking me back..
"Not that I have heard yet." she said as she stopped and held open a door for me. I glanced inside the door and noticed that it was what appeared to be a small servants corridor of some kind, a lot like the one I had snuck out of on my first visit. I glanced over to Aerith who simply smiled. "It's a lot faster then the hallways and a lot safer for both of us." she said.
"Why didn't Vincent use these when he snuck me out." I grumbled as we started down the hallway. She chuckled a little behind me.
"Because most people don't know these hallways very well and they are like a maze if you get lost. I wouldn't suggest ever trying to navigate them with out either me, one of my staff, or Axle with you." she said. "Take the next door on your right."
I opened the door and found myself in what appeared to be a large wash room of some kind with multiple large washer and dryers. We passed by the staff with out much notice and entered a large freight elevator.
"Wow" I said as the elevator started down. "This place is like a huge hotel."
"It is run very much like a hotel. The only difference is we have only two very important guest that must be satisfied at all times." she said with a soft smile. "Its not always easy but we do our best."
"You must do a good job or you wouldn't still have a job. Axel isn't one to keep around people who don't do what he wants them to do." I said as I slid my hands in my pockets.
"Very true." was all she said before the freight started to come to a stop and the doors slid open. We were now in what appeared to be a large storage room. The walls were covered in deep shelving from floor to ceiling, all covered in neatly folded linens. I couldn't help gape a little as Aerith steered me through the people that were busy working on putting up and pulling down linens. We came to another door and quickly slipped out and I found myself standing in the main hall way. The door we had came out of was set into the paneling to the right of the front door.
"That's nifty." I muttered under my breath as we started up the grand stair case but this time went the opposite way.
This side of the manor was teaming with activity. I kept my eyes down cast so as not to make eye contact but I couldn't help but notice that everyone seemed to have some kind of purpose as they made their way up and down the hall and through doors. Aerith stopped and knocked on a set of double doors to our right and then stepped back and motioned me forward. I stepped forward just as the doors were pulled open from the inside. I glanced back at Aerith only to find she was already gone. I sighed as I turned back to the door and came face to face with Variedy.
"Who is it?" I heard Axel ask as Variedy eyed me up and down. Then he looked me in the eye and I got the feeling he was trying to tell me something but I couldn't figure it out.
"It's Vincent's boy toy." he said over his shoulder, I opened my mouth ready to snap at him but he silenced me with a look.
"Explain to him what is going on Variedy and then bring him in." Axel said from the room. My hands were balled into fist as I stepped back to allow Variedy into the hallway with me. He shut the doors and and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me off to the side a little.
"What the hell is going on?" I asked as I pulled my shoulder out of his grip.
"Marluxia is here. He is the one who came to your house and Vincent had him convinced you two were lovers. He is Larxene's right hand and we can't afford to lose that cover for why you are here." Variedy said, his face blank.
"Have you found Vincent yet?" I asked, my voice soft. Variedy seem to relax a little, like he had thought I was going to throw a fit.
"No, but we're trying. Come inside but act like a worried, scared lover." he said as he nudged me back toward the door. "Also, it's Mr. DeNarro right now." he shot over his shoulder before he pushed the doors opened again.
The room was a large office much like the one I had previously seen Axel in but this one was much more formal. The right side of the room was set up as some kind of command center, lots of screens with different imagines and a few computers. A lot like the set up in Vincent's room only much bigger.
Operating those computers were Zexion and Riku, Leon and Demyx were standing behind them watching one of the screens. My brother was standing next to Axel who was seated at his desk. Marluxia was seated in one of the two chairs facing Axel. Variedy led me to the other chair but stopped me and pinched my side. I flinched before looking up at Axel.
"Thank you for allowing me to be here Mr. DeNarro." I said, in what hoped to be a shaky voice. I lowered myself down into the chair slowly and then wrapped my arms around myself.
"You are quite welcome Roxas. I'm sorry that your visit is for such an upsetting reason. But we are looking for him, I promise." he said as he held my gaze. I was trying to keep a straight face so I looked away and tried to pull some tears out. I heard someone move and looked up to find my brother standing next to me. I looked up at his face and he just gave me a sot comforting smile and squeezed my shoulder.
"It'll be alright." he said and I felt tears stream down my face. I just nodded my head and stared at the curtains behind Axel.
"Cloud go and help Leon. Make sure that they miss nothing." Axel said as he stood and turned his back on the room to gaze out the window behind him. "Marluxia of what use are you to me if your here and not out looking?" I glanced sideways to the pink haired man seated next to me. He was slouched down in his chair, his legs crossed and his hands on the arm wrest of the chair.
"As soon as we get a general location I will accompany Variedy." he said as he examined his nails. "Together there's no way we won't find him."
"Like I need help." Variedy said from behind me and I jumped a little. I had forgotten he was here. Marluxia glanced back at him but didn't stare long. Was he scared of the other man as well? He didn't seem like he was.
"I didn't say that you needed help, just that my presence will increase the odds." he said, shrugging his shoulders. Variedy didn't reply so I assumed he didn't care. I glanced back to Axel but he still had his back to us. I wrapped my arms around myself and closed my eyes.
"He's going to be alright." I said with my eyes closed, trying to sound confident for both Axel and for me. A hand appeared on my shoulder and squeezed gently.
"He will be alright." Variedy said and he was much to close for my comfort, his face just centimeters from my ear. "I will make sure he is alright, you have my word." I simply nodded my head. Axel had turned back around when Variedy had spoken, his eyes were locked on us.
"Variedy's word is a solid as steel. He'll either bring Vincent back alive or bring you back the heads of the one's who killed him." he said as my eyes locked with his. I nodded and it wasn't hard to look shaken.
"We've got a location." Came Leon's voice from the other side of the room. Variedy's hand was gone from my shoulder and Marluxia stood up, moving to were Leon and the others were. I stood as Axel came around the desk toward me. He reached out his hand as if he would touch my cheek but stopped and then let his hand fall.
"They will get him back." I whispered to him, searching his face and finding nothing but his mask.
"I need him back." he whispered so quietly I almost didn't hear him before he walked away. I stood shocked for a moment before I followed him over to the monitor area.
"Zexions got in narrowed down to a few blocks." Demyx was saying as we came over. "Normally this would be Vincent's job and he's much better at it but seeing as this is for Vincent..." he trailed off for a second.
"We figure he's got to be within a mile of were we lost the van." Riku picked up. "Here," he said pointing to the section of a map that was on one of the screens. "To here." he pointed to the other side. "Most likely candidates are these building I've got highlighted yellow.
"I know the area." Variedy said from where he was examining the map.
"Alright." Axel said and everyone turned to face him. "Variedy and Marluxia will go in first, find the building, narrow it down to one. Send back which one and I'll send in the back up. You wait for the back up." he said as he locked eyes with Variedy. "No mess up on this. I want him back alive."
"Then we need to go in as soon as we find the building." Variedy said and everyone looked at him, some thinking he was nuts. "If they think that we're moving in, they kill him, no questions asked. When we find the building we move in, take him back first and then you send in back up." Axel looked at him for a moment and I could tell he was fighting with his pride.
"Fine, you're the expert here. Do what needs doing Variedy." Axel said and that sentence seemed to mean a lot more to Variedy then to any one else. A slow, creepy smile spread across his face. "You ready to move?" Axel asked and Variedy nodded, still smiling. Marluxia nodded as well and when Variedy turned and headed for the door the pink haired man followed him. I felt my stomach squeeze at the thought of Marluxia being at Variedy's back. As soon as the door was closed behind them I was wrapped in arms from behind. I relaxed into his embrace and leaned against his chest.
"Is it safe for Marluxia to be the only one with Variedy?" I asked and I felt Axel chuckle. Cloud sent me a look asking if I was crazy.
"The last person on earth you need to worry about is Variedy." Leon said as he took a chair by the computer. Demyx turned around in his chair and winked at me.
"I hear he once killed 12 people with nothing but a hand pistol and a small sword." my mullet haired friend said.
"If Marluxia turns on him." Riku said, his voice distracted as he continued to monitor the screens. "Variedy will kill him."
"I hope he does. Saves me a lot of future trouble." Axel said. I turned in his arms and wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my face on his chest.
"He scares me." I muttered into Axels chest.
"Good." he said as he rubbed the back of my neck. "Don't ever let him not scare you. Fear of Variedy will keep you alive. You five go and get ready, I want you scattered around the outskirts of that area. When I have the location I'll give the word and you move in, fast. I want this over quick, determine who is in charge and detain them, Kill the rest." I looked back at the other five in the room, looking for some sign of guilt or fear or something but they all just stood and moved for the door like this was the most normal thing for them.
"Happy hunting." I said. Demyx glanced back at me and gave a wink but it lacked his usual luster. I buried my face back in Axels chest as the door shut behind the five. Axel pulled away and took my hand.
"Come." he said and he led me to the chair that Zexion had occupied. He sat me in one chair and then took the one directly in front of the monitors. "Let's see where Variedy is." he said as he picked up a small ear piece with a microphone on the end and then handed me just a small ear piece. Then his hands expertly maneuvered the keys and the screens responded. "Ah, there he is." he said just as the screen to my right came to life.
They were in what appeared to be an ally. Marluxia was in front, looking around a corner. I put the ear piece in and set forward.
"Have a target building yet?" Axel said into the microphone but his fingers kept moving over the keyboard.
"Narrowed down to two." Came Variedy's voice through the small device in my ear. Marluxia signaled that the cost was clear and Variedy moved forward, he paused at the corner before continuing around.
"Keep me updated." Axel said as he turned his attention to another screen that had come to life. "Variedy is wired, as is your brother. Everyone has an ear piece tuned to the same channel." he said to me as I continued to watch the screen that was showing Variedy movements. "Normally it would be Vincent who is wired or he's the one here at the console running things." he muttered as he began working on the keys again.
"You'll get him back." I said but kept my eyes on the screen.
Variedy and Marluxia were coming up on a large building that had definitely seen better days. At one point in it's life it might have been an apartment complex but now it was just a barley standing structure. I could see Marluxia just in the camera's view as he ducked behind a dumpster, followed shortly by the camera. Now I was looking at the ally that they had just come from.
"We've got two men outside this apartment building." Came Variedy's voice. "Big guys, dressed nice, don't fit."
"Watch, make sure, then move." Axel said. "Cloud, status." I looked to the other video feed. Apparently my brother was on the roof above the apartment building that Variedy was in front of.
"Leon and I are on the roof to the north of the building."
"Visual of the two men?" Axel asked.
"Yes."
"Riku status." Axel said.
"Demyx, Zexion and I are surrounding the other building, Nothing suspicious here."
"Head for the target building. Variedy, address."
"1314 Rue"
"Variedy, have they moved at all?" Axel asked, his attention back on the other screen.
"No, just keep glancing up and down the road every few minuets."
"Leon take them out." Axel said. I switched back to my brothers screen to see Leon set up with a sniper riffle aimed down. "Variedy, Marluxia move in." The screen that had Marluxia and Variedy started to move again. I could now see the two men who were leaning against the wall next to the entrance of the building. Like Variedy said, they weren't moving, just watching. As they noticed our men moving across the street they stepped away from the wall but made it no further. The one to the right was dropped and seconds later the one on the left followed. Variedy and Marluxia moved quickly and dragged the bodies off the sidewalk and I was given a close up view of one of the dead guys faces. He had a perfectly round hole in the middle of his forehead. Leon had really good aim.
"Cloud, Leon. Get to ground level. Get ready to move into the building as soon as Variedy gives the word." Axel said. "Riku, Zexion, Demyx, You in position?"
"Yes" the three said together.
"Good. Variedy, Vincent is top priority here. Get him to safety before you start killing people."
"Understood." Came Variedy's voice. They were entering the building but it was too dark for the camera to see much. We got a few flashes of lights but nothing to interesting. "Several men in a room directly to the right of the door, appear to be heavily intoxicated." I felt my eyes strain as I tried to make out shapes in the dark camera. I caught a flash of light, like a door opening and then the screen was lit up.
I caught a glimpse of the room they had entered and I let out an involuntary scream. Axel had me in his lap, my face press to his neck as the image started to register. I had seen Vincent, just a flash, but if he wasn't dead already I didn't think he'd make it out of the building.
"He's alone." Came Variedy's voice.
"Get him out of there." Axel growled as he stroked my hair as small sobs found there way out of my throat.
"I don't know that he'll..." Marluxia started to say but Axel cut him off.
"Alive or dead, get him out!" he snarled into the head set. I couldn't help it, I pulled away from Axel and looked.
Variedy was closer to Vincent now and so the view was closer. He was barely recognizable, if it wasn't for the long black hair hanging down the back of the chair, I wouldn't have thought it was him. His face was beaten badly, both eyes were swollen closed and he had several large gashes on his forehead and cheek. He was shirtless and his chest was decorated with long, thin whelps several of which were broken open and bleeding. Variedy was closer now and I could no longer see Vincent's face but a glimpse of his hand had shown that several of his fingers were broken.
"Vincent. We're here to get you out." Came Variedy's voice. "Nod if you can understand me." Variedy looked back at Vincent's face and his face came back into the screen. His head came forward slightly and I took it for a nod. Tears were now flowing freely down my face as I watched Marluxia and Variedy's hands worked on untying him from the chair.
They were down to one wrist when the door burst opened. Variedy spun around and a gun was in the hand I could see. The man who was standing in the door looked shocked to see them there.
"Kill him." Axel said from beside me. I looked up at him as the gun shot sounded through the head set. His face was pissed. He looked ready to spit fire. "Kill them all, I want one alive, kill the rest. Everyone move in!" he said.
"We have to get him out of here." Variedy said. "Axel he needs medical treatment immediately."
"I've got the room set up for him here, Dr. Yanc and several of his doctors are on stand by. All you have to do is get him here." Axel said as he leaned forward on the consul to get closer to the screen. "Are his legs broken?" he whispered. The camera shifted a little as Variedy shifted Vincent's weight.
"Yeah, you need to let your doctors know whats coming."
"I will." he said and he let his head hang. I was simply numb, I couldn't believe this was happening. Axel finally moved after a moment and went over to his desk but the screen had my attention. Marluxia was at the door of the room, gun out, and looking around the door frame out into the hallway.
"Clear" he said and we started moving toward the door. It was a slow process but Variedy was being very careful.
"Vincent if you die on me I will beat the crap out of you." I heard Variedy hiss and I laughed through my tears. I looked to my brothers screen to see Riku place a gun to the underside of a mans chin and pull the trigger, blood and thicker things covered the wall behind him. I gulped a little as I watch them move on down the dark hall way. Suddenly Variedy, Vincent and Marluxia came into view on my brothers screen. Vincent looked like nothing but dead weight hanging from Variedy.
It was then, watching him hang lifelessly from Variedy that I realized that I cared. It wasn't just an act for Marluxia, I did care about him.
He was an arrogant ass that didn't give a damn about me and he made me care about him.
"Demyx, Zexion, go with Marluxia and get Vincent back to the manor." Came Clouds voice. Demyx and Zexion appeared next to Variedy and together they took on Vincent's weight and Marluxia led them off.
"Can I kill everyone now?" Came Variedy's voice. I looked over to Axel only to find him still by his desk. The head set was on the consul next to me. I picked it up and put it on. "Axel?" Variedy asked.
"Yes." I said, my voice shaky. "Kill them all. In the most painful, creative way you can think of." I heard Variedy chuckle and it gave me the chills.
"If you say so." he purred and then he was gone.
"Roxas you have no idea what you just did." came my brothers voice.
"Try to save at least one, but if he kills them all oh well." I said as I watched Variedy's camera. He was moving very quickly back down the hallway. Something in his left hand gleamed in the darkness and I got the impression of a large sword like object. He came to a door and he was very still, his back to the wall next to it.
"There are at least seven people in here." he breathed into the mic. "I can take them all but if you want one for a keep sake I suggest some of you get down here."
"I'm on my way." came Leon's voice. "Cloud and Riku got side tracked." I looked over to the other screen to see Riku thrust his arm around a corner and fire off several rounds, to which there was return fire.
"Demyx, Zexion-" I said into the mic. "Report?"
"We've got him to the van and are en-route." Came Zexion's voice. "Let the doctors know he's going to need a blood transfusion, hes lost to much blood."
"Axel" I said over my shoulder, covering the mic. "He's going to need a blood transfusion." I heard Axel relay the message to the doctor (well I assumed thats who he was on the phone with).
I looked back to Variedy's screen to see that Leon had joined him. Leon was holding up three fingers and pulling one down at a time. At the last one Variedy spun to the door and kicked the door in. Variedy went left, his sword already taking one man in the stomach, he jerked the blade up and the man was severed in half. The attack was a shock to everyone in the room so it took them a moment to process, but a moment was all it took.
"The one behind the desk." Leon said, his voice coming in between heavy breathing. "I want the one behind the desk."
"He's yours." Variedy said and he changed directions, spinning around he took a head from its shoulders and the camera was sprayed with blood. I flinched back a little as I tried to see through the red now tinting my window into the gore.
Variedy made good on my request, several of the people he came across he simply wounded with his blade before he turned his attention on the next. He shoved his blade into one arm, severing the limb, then he gutted the man while was still screaming on the ground, dragging his sword slowly up the mans stomach to his chest. I watched as his intestines spilled out and onto the floor and the man reached down trying to hold himself together.
I felt a small laugh bubble up and before I knew it was I cackling into the head set and shortly after my laughter was joined by Variedy's. The head set was snatched off my head.
"Hey!" I said as I turned to face Axel. He just gave me a look and I shut up. I quickly put back in my ear piece.
"Leon did you get the one behind the desk?" Axel asked.
"Yes, I've got him in the hall way, bound and gaged. I'm leaving Variedy to his madness and I'm headed back."
"Agreed." Axel said before he took the head set off and set it down but picked up a small ear piece like mine. "Lets go." he said to me.
"Where?" I asked as I stood and set my ear piece on the desk.
"They'll be pulling up any second." he said as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the door. I quickly caught up with what was happening and broke free of his grasp and took off for the main entrance. "Roxas!" Axel called out but I ignored him as I flew toward the stairs.
I needed to see him, I needed him to see me, know that he did this to me. Made me care.
I was half way down the stairs when the front doors flew opened and several people came in wheeling a gurney. I skidded across the tile floor as I got to the bottom but managed to keep myself standing.
Aeirth was holding the door opened that led to the freight elevator but I managed to catch the gurney. I grasped at Vincent's arm and tried to say something but I was pulled away as the gurney went through the door.
"Vincent!" I called out, reaching for the gurney again but whoever had grabbed me, shook me.
"Roxas!" they said and I looked up to meet vaguely familiar blue eyes. "We will take care of him, but you have to let us work."
"Dr. Yanc" I said and he nodded.
"Yes, I promise to take care of him. I will let you know as soon as you can see him." he said but I kept straining against his grip. Finally I felt him hand me off to several pairs of hands.
"Rox, you gotta let them do their job." Someone was saying as I watched Dr. Yanc disappear through the door that they had taken Vincent through. I felt tears break free but I held it together and relaxed into the hands that were holding me back.
"You're right, I'm sorry. Just got a little carried away." I said as I turned to face Demyx, Zexioin and Marluxia.
"Demyx, show him to Vincent's room here in the manor and get him settled in." came Axels voice. I looked up to find him standing about half way down the stairs. "I assume you don't want to be far?" He asked me. I nodded and gave a hasty bow.
"Thank you Mr. DaNarro." I said, my voice shaky.
"Zexion, Marluxia meet me in my office." he said before he turned around and started up the stairs again. I felt a terrible pain in my chest as he walked away. I wanted to call out to him so badly but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
"Come on Rox." Demyx said as he wrapped my hand in his. I nodded and allowed him to lead me up the stairs again. We made our way to Vincent's room and managed to get there without incident.
I collapsed onto the bed and Demyx set next to me. Neither of us said anything for a while, just sitting and thinking.
"How bad is he?" I finally asked, staring at the ceiling. I felt the mattress shift a little.
"I don't know Rox." Demyx said. "Pretty bad. From what I could tell they used every torture technique they could think of and some that were just simply violent." I squeezed my eyes shut and bit my lip.
"But Vincent is tough. He'll pull through." I said keeping my voice confident.
"Rox.." Demyx said his voice saying that he thought I was in denial.
"He will be fine!" I snapped as I shot up from the bed and started to pace. "Where is the hospital room here in the manor?" I asked.
"Rox, you've got to let them.." he started but I cut him off with a glare. "Axel is going to get angry if your wondering around the manner." he said after a moment of silence. "He's already mad about this whole situation, don't make yourself the target of that frustration."
"I want to know the second that they have him stable." I said my arms crossed. Demyx gave me a questioning look and I knew what was coming next.
"Why do you care?" he asked and I glared but said nothing. "Do you not remember who were talking about here?"
"Of course I do!" I hissed. It was Demyx's turn to give me a slight glare.
"He slept with you on Axels orders Roxas." he said as he stood from the bed. "And when confronted about it he didn't even pretend to care that he had hurt you."
"So because he followed orders I shouldn't care that he could be dying?!" I asked, my voice raised slightly.
"Of course you should care but your not just caring Roxas, your romanizing this." he said as he searched my face. "Do you think if you care enough he'll wake up and suddenly have feelings? Suddenly feel sorry for what he did?" I looked away from him as I felt tears fill my eyes once again. "Roxas?" Demyx asked, his voice soft again. He touched my chin and turned my face back to his, his blue eyes searching mine.
"I just want him to see what he did." I whispered. "I want him to see that he made me care about him." Demyx wrapped me in his arms and set us back down on the bed.
"Oh Rox." he whispered.
"I tried so hard not to care this morning after we found out" I said as I started to full out cry. "I told myself over and over again that he was an arrogant ass that didn't give a damn about me but I kept thinking about all the times he had saved me. Even after everything had happened, he stepped between me and Axel when Axel almost lost it and really hurt me." Demyx's hand stopped its soothing motions.
"He did?" he asked. I pulled away and nodded as I wiped my face.
"Axel was really angry with me. He was.." I trailed off looking nervously at Demyx but continued when he motioned for me to go on. "He was hurting me, making me bend at an angle that was stressing my bullet graze, when he finally let me go I told him to go to hell. He changed. Something changed and then Vincent was there, holding him back." I closed my eyes as more tears came. "You're right, I tried to romanticize him..."
"That was very out of character for him." Demyx said and my eyes shot open as I looked over at him. He gave me a shaky smile. "I've never heard of Vincent going up against Axel for anything. Maybe he can care?" he said but he sounded doubtful.
"I don't want him to care." I said. "I just want him to know that his actions have consequences."
"So..." Demyx said. "You're trying to punish him by caring about him?" I shook my head and laughed a little.
"Sounds silly but if he see's it..." I trailed off and then looked to Demyx. "If he see's how much I care, maybe he'll feel sorry for what he did. Maybe he'll realize that you can't treat people the way he treated me with out consequences."
"And the consequences are you caring?" he asked, sounding doubtful.
"I can't hurt him physically. For one, he's already hurt; For two, I couldn't even if I wanted too, other then landing a punch last night, which I am pretty sure was pure luck, I don't think I could touch him. I can't hurt him emotionally because he doesn't care. The only think that leaves me is my caring for him."
"Kill him with kindness, huh?" he asked and I gave him a watery smile.
"Something like that." I rubbed my face in frustration. "Or maybe I'm just attracted to lost causes." I said bitterly as I glared at the floor. Demyx patted my back.
"For all of our sanity, lets go with kill him with kindness, K?" he said and I laughed until it subsided and then I sobbed. I curled up onthe bed with Demyx laying next to me, whispering soothing nothings as I slowly let sleep suck me under.
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