Darkness

Xehanort stood, calm and proud, amongst eleven other black hooded figures. Behind him was yet another army, but this time there were Nobodies along with the Heartless. Worst of all however, was the trembling group surrounded by a ring of Gigas Shadows and Gargoyles. Children. Xehanort was using innocent children as hostages! The air was thick with tension as a deadly quiet seemed to settle over the battlefield. Sora could feel the others shaking with rage beside him. Xehanort stepped forward, a malicious grin on his face. Only then did Sora notice that he was wielding two blades. The addition was sickeningly familiar. The Keyblade of Heart, the very weapon he had stabbed himself with all that time ago to release Kairi's heart. He shuddered.

"I saw into your heart when my Keyblade connected with you Red Hood," hissed Xehanort. "I saw everything. Your strengths, aspirations... fears, weaknesses. "

Sora gave Red Hood a sideways glance but with the helmet on it was impossible to tell his reaction.

"I knew that if your friends were successful in rescuing you, I would need a way to make sure my plans succeeded. I refuse to endure another failure. So I used what I learned about you, you and your family, to seal my victory."

Batman was practically growling with suppressed rage as he stepped forward. "You sick-"

Xehanort raised a hand coolly, then glanced at one of his companions. The hooded figure broke away from the group to retrieve one of the children. The kid came stumbling forward whimpering and shaking.

"Here's how this is going to work," the man growled. "I and my associates are going to release every single one of your hearts, to ensure that none of you ever interfere in my plans again. And if you fail to comply, we shall turn these children into Heartless here and now." He pointed his Keyblade at the wild-eyed child beside him.

Sora was shocked, frozen. Xehanort had never taken things this far before. Shaking his head, he attempted to rationalize the situation. He was sure many kids had been taken by darkness before now. Heck, entire worlds had been destroyed. Why should they give up now? Even if they did surrender, Sora knew the man would leave the children to the Heartless anyway. ...But, that still didn't make sacrificing them right. In fact, Sora felt in every fibre of his being that leaving the children to the Heartless was evil and despicable in every way possible. Feeling dread close in around him, Sora gazed around at the others.

"This is so wrong." Dick whispered hoarsely.

"Nothing we haven't dealt with before" Batman mumbled. "You all need to keep him distracted while I come up with a strategy."

Tim raised his eyebrows at that, and despite everything Jason couldn't help but grin.

"We can try," Dick said. "But hurry up B. There's only so much monologuing a villain can manage."

As Batman disconnected from the conversation to concentrate, the five others stared blankly at each other at a loss. Finally Red Hood stepped forward.

"Isn't making all of us into Heartless a little much baldy?" He questioned. "Technically you only want me right? You could turn me into an evil zombie right here and now, use my Nobody for whatever it is you need it for, and the others couldn't do anything about it because of the hostages. Turning us all into Heartless is overkill really. "

Shaking his head Xehanort sighed. "Have I not made myself clear? I am not taking any more risks with you or any of your comrades. You might have fooled me once, but it won't happen again."

Now Sora came forward to join Jason. "You know Xehanort, using children is pretty low. Even for you."

This time the man laughed. "My dear boy," he grinned, "aren't you a child yourself? And I have used you for my own gain in the past. Why then should this come as a surprise?"

Sora bristled. But before he could counter, Robin joined the others and surprised him as he said. "Sora isn't a child. Nor am I for that matter. We are distinguished warriors, not defenseless innocents. What you are doing is an unforgivable and cowardly act."

Sora looked over at Robin gratefully, but the young crime fighter was too busy glaring heatedly into Xehanort's eyes to notice.

Xehanort inclined his head, frowning. "Your disrespect is concerning, but not altogether unexpected considering your age."

The two simply glared daggers at one another for a few seconds.

"I grow tired of this little game" Xehanort said at last, hoisting his Keyblade up so that it's tip rested on the petrified boy's chest. "Come forward now, or I shall release this child's heart.

"Go" Batman whispered quietly. "When visibility is reduced, I need everyone to begin a surprise attack and fight to protect the hostages until I can evacuate them to safety."

Sora had no clue what the man was planning, but he understood there wasn't time to ask. They would all have to trust that things would make sense in due time.

They were walking forward now, hands held up in a placating gesture, and Batman whispered so quietly that they all had to strain to hear, "Sora, you stay by the group of hostages and take down any Heartless. The rest of you, hold off the cloaked figures."

Then he fell silent as they approached the awaiting enemies. Stopping several feet from them, the Bats and Sora watched as Xehanort directed six of his warriors to move forward, Keyblades raising menacingly. Panic coursed through Sora. The figures came nearer with each step. Their fleeting chance of escape was practically nonexistent. Nothing was happening! Time seemed to slow down as the dark Keyblade Wielders lifted their weapons for the final strike.

A low quiet hum radiating over their heads was the only warning before a series of hissing noises erupted from the surrounding area and smoke began to swirl into the air, reducing visibility in seconds. All of them knew that this momentary distraction was the time to move. Leaping into action, Jason drew his swords and lashed out at the two hooded figures in front of him. Tim kicked at the one before him on Jason's left while Batman seemed to have completely vanished on his right. In a matter of seconds the entire scene had dissolved into chaos. The Bats were using the distraction to the fullest of advantages, pushing their enemies back and refusing to let them find their bearings between a blur of slashes, punches, and kicks.

Sora darted in the direction of the children the moment the fighting had begun. He only found them when he was within two feet, the smoke was so thick. There were five kids, all huddled together and cowering as Heartless surrounded them. With a fluid motion Sora cut through the creatures and circled around the children checking for more enemies. Heartless and Nobodies were lurking a few feet away but hiding in the shadowy smoke. It was only then with a jolt that he remembered there was another child with Xehanort. Only moments after the thought struck him, Nightwing came sliding to a stop next to Sora and placed the kid on the ground; he was either to weak or too scared to stand. With a quick wave Dick leapt back into the smoke, leaving Sora to circle around the children, protecting them as best he could.

It was extremely difficult to fight when he couldn't see. It came down to lashing out at anything that came into view. Sora desperately hoped his friends would stay away from him, as he wouldn't be able to distinguish them from the enemies. But from the sounds of metal clashing on metal and angry or pain filled yells, he was fairly confident that they were being kept preoccupied.

Jumping off an approaching Darkball and reducing it to a cloud of swirling darkness, Sora flipped over the group of children to come face to face with a Dragoon. It caught him by surprise and he made to jump out of the way of its lance before remembering the children were behind him. Planting his feet into the ground he flicked his Keyblade up and took the entire impact of the attack. It broke his defense and he stumbled back, barely managing to catch himself before he tripped over the kids now huddling together on the ground.

"Don't worry guys." He said encouragingly despite the huge, menacing creature approaching them. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you!"

Sora would have preferred to attack the Nobody from behind, but knew he couldn't in this situation. So he charged foreword, directing his blade into a break in the creature's armour. It flinched, but didn't dissipate, instead swinging its lance heavily back down. Knocking it away, Sora sidestepped and twisted his Keyblade into another weak spot as the creature thrust its lance at him yet again. It dissolved from his attack just as its lance tore his sweater, half an inch from his skin. Too close. A muffled scream had Sora turning instantaneously to see three Mega Shadows closing in on the children. His heart sank. They were so huge. He raised his Keyblade quickly. Sora had been hoping to preserve all his magic for possible injuries but this couldn't be helped.

"Fire!"

The first creature stumbled back, flames licking its chest. The other two stopped in their approach long enough for Sora to lunge at them. He swung his Keyblade smacking the Mega Shadows backwards. All three enemies were now a safe distance away, but they hadn't dissolved. It would take more than that to down these monsters. Sora braced himself, but just as they began to charge, flashes of light tore through the smoke and cut into the creatures, making the area explode in dark mist. Seconds later, Sora was staring up at the Batwing, with Batman leaning over its side, hovering several feet above the ground. At Batman's outstretched hand, he understood immediately and picked up one of the children, carefully handing the crying child up. He felt exposed as he knelt down again and again, knowing that an army of Heartless and Nobodies hid just out of sight. But Batman was taking care of any enemies that ventured to close with exploding batarangs. Finally all the children were secure and Batman sped off into the open sky without another word. Feeling a wave of relief, Sora turned to find out that much of the smoke had cleared by the presence of the plane, and what he saw terrified him.

Dick was lying on top of a bush, not moving. He had a bunch of Braig's arrow-laser-things sticking out of his chest. Mercifully, his chest was still moving, but he needed medical attention right away. Tim was lying still and, based on the long narrow crater between him and Isa, he had been thrown pretty far. Was his leg supposed to bend that way? Damian was lying next to him, half-frozen. Literally. And Jason…

Jason was kneeling in the middle of the clearing, holding his upper arm, blood running down his fingers. His helmet was broken again, showing off a good portion of his upper left face. Xehanort had the Keyblade of People's Hearts leveled directly at his chest. Isa and Braig were standing on either side of Jason, hands pressed firmly on his shoulders. The other nine hooded figures were standing back, not getting involved until they were needed.

Braig leaned down close to Jason's ear. "Now, be a good boy, or I'll shoot the little one full of holes. Got it?" He raised his arm towards Robin, his finger tightening on the trigger.

However, he wasn't able to finish his threat. At that moment, Sora dived in, swinging his Keyblade so it knocked both the Arrowgun and Xehanort's Keyblade off of their intended courses. His next swing blasted both Braig and Isa away from Jason. Finally, he whirled, aiming his Keyblade at Xehanort.

Free to move now that that nut job with the eye patch wasn't pointing a gun thing at his brothers, Jason drew his gun with his good arm. Eye Patch hadn't quite caught his balance from Sora's attack, so he leveled his gun at him and fired. Repeatedly. The first shot landed in the bastard's shoulder, but the rest passed through thin air. He looked around wildly, trying to find where Eye Patch had teleported to. A small metallic click had him diving to the side, glowing purple arrows slamming into the ground behind him. Jason looked up. Eye Patch was dangling upside down in midair, ponytail swinging above him, an angry grin on his face.

"Oh dear, now that's just not polite. Shooting before your opponent is ready?" That condescending tone twisted in Hood's gut. He really wanted to shoot this ass in the face. Before he could, Eye Patch vanished again.

Pulling his helmet off, he closed his eyes. Years ago, Batman had given him some sensory deprivation training. He hadn't really used it since he had come back from the dead (or from the darkness or wherever Nobodies came from. He hadn't been listening), but he hoped he remembered enough to be useful now.

There were the sounds from Sora and Xehanort's battle. Metal clashing against metal, the scuff of feet on the grass, angry banter, the distinctive whine of magic. Dick, Tim and Damian, breathing, barely, but breathing. The nine other hooded figures were breathing as well, almost as still as his fallen brothers. And the small click of a trigger, to his left.

Red Hood lifted his gun in the direction of the noise and squeezed off four shots. Three thuds hit flesh, and the ponytailed bastard cried out in pain. Opening his eyes again, a fierce grin spread across his features. None of the injuries were fatal, but with three bullets in his legs and one in each shoulder, Eye Patch wasn't going anywhere any time soon. All that was left was X-Face.

Sora was winning. It didn't seem like Xehanort had recovered from his fight with Sora and Jason the previous day. Had it really only been a day? Seemed like longer, but then, if it had been, Xehanort wouldn't be limping from a knee injury or wincing from a shoulder wound, would he? Jumping back, Sora tossed his Keyblade in a Strike Raid. The Keyblade of People's Hearts went flying, landing in the dust half a field away at the same time Sora's Keyblade smacked into his palm. He dashed forward, sweeping his Keyblade in a move which would definitely toss Xehanort's other Keyblade out of his hand.

The nine hooded figures raised their hands simultaneously, glowing darkly. Nine dark orbs crashed into Sora's chest and sent him flying back. He landed heavily, vision swimming. A shadow fell over him as he fell unconscious.

Jason's heart stopped. X-Face was standing over where Sora had landed. The Bats were crumpled behind him, still breathing, but not looking too good. Mullet head had a massive claymore positioned over Dick. "Enough. It is clear that these pitiable creatures are the things tying you to the light." He turned his cold yellow eyes up to Jason. "Perhaps, if I eradicate them for you." He raised his claymore, then brought it down, straight for Dick's head, in what was sure to be a killing blow.

Time seemed to freeze, and then suddenly, he was falling. Everything went dark. He closed his eyes. He had reached terminal velocity, the fall would kill him. Wait. Something was slowing him down, turning him upright. His eyes snapped open as he landed, both feet touching solid ground. Jason looked around, confused.

He was standing on a black surface, surrounded by infinite darkness. "Where am I?"

It is called Dive to the Heart. Jason whirled towards the voice. Standing in a spot which Jason would swear had been empty a second ago was, well, Jason. The entirety of its being was made of darkness though, with the exception of glowing yellow eyes. Unlike the Heartless Jason had seen so far though, this one stared at him with intelligence in its eyes. It is normally a place for Keyblade Wielders to Awaken. But it is also a place we may speak.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

I am your darkness. And I want to help you.

Jason snorted. "Yeah right. Why should I believe you?"

You must. Or the ones you have given your heart to will die.

"So that's it then. I give in to darkness, and Xehanort wins."

No. I am your darkness. He wishes to put in his own darkness. His wishes are not mine.

He blinked. This was unexpected. "What do you mean?"

I am your darkness. You must be you. I do not exist otherwise. Dark Jason cocked his head slightly. I can give you power. To save the ones you have given your heart to.

Tempting. "What's the catch?"

I am your darkness. I wish to continue. Do not drive me out again.

Hmmm. "If we do this, we do it my way. You don't try to take over-"

It was not I who tried to corrupt your heart. Xehanort had very persistent darkness. It was a piece of this which tried to express itself. But what hurts it also hurts me.

"Fine. But we have to figure out a way to get rid of that later. You help me with that, I won't let Dick do his little 'light hug' again. Agreed?"

Dark Jason paused, mulling it over. Very well. He melted into the floor, and Jason stepped back in surprise. As soon as his foot landed, light burst out, the darkness peeling from the floor like butterflies. He raised his hands to protect his eyes.

When he lowered them, he was standing on a stained glass window. The design was strangely personal. It featured him, his eyes half closed as if he were falling asleep. He was wearing his uniform, but his helmet was in his outstretched hand. His other hand held an All Blade and a gun was strapped to his thigh. The background was ringed with the symbols of his family. The Batsymbol. Nightwing's bird. His own bulkier version of the Batsymbol. Red Robin's sigil. Robin's R. A more delicate version of the Batsymbol, the one Batgirl uses. The middle was littered with disjointed images. A tire iron, exactly like the one he had used to steal the Batmobile's tires. A cookie. A batarang and a birdarang. A green circle, overlaid with a crowbar. Red crossed arrows over a starburst. It was his life, done in brightly coloured glass. The light shone again, and Jason opened his eyes.

AN: Is it bad that I completely forgot it was Friday? Heh. Oops. Also, we weren't sure whether to call Briag and Isa Braig and Isa or Xigbar and Saix because we weren't sure if they were Nobodies or not at the end of DDD. Sora did defeat them, so I'm saying not, but I'm not ruling out the possibility. If anyone knows for sure, let me know.

Well then. As always friends, read and enjoy!