Dinner is Not Over

by Terrence Johnny Stanford

It was supposed to be a simple task, Yet it all fell apart leading to Roxas having his reality shattered. Now falling into the new world of mutants. He must make his choice

7. Understanding and Misunderstanding

Welcome back once again. This time in a smaller wait compared to the last. I hope everyone has been alright. And we have officially reached a point I personally have been waiting for (and maybe a few you guys as well)

This time. Another very long chapter. A little over 20k words and If I didn't know any better. We have reached a 100k mark words here :D

And thank you to those who continue to strike around. After all. While the eternity for Kingdom Hearts 4 continues to drag on. I can only wonder what Roxas content will appear

Cmon Square. Year of Roxas plz

Mlat – thank you once again for continuing to read and review. It's always makes me glad to see ya

And yes. The crossroads are soon….ish… prolly…but I certainly hope the payoff will be worth it

Ultima-Owner – thank you :D

Kaiserreich99 – thanks man. And I hope your Roxas stuff goes well

Unto thine stowy

Play: Ghost Giant OST – The Cemetery

The sun streamed through the windows of Principal Stockholm's office as she diligently worked through a stack of paperwork, her pen gliding smoothly over the forms. The early morning peace was abruptly interrupted by a metallic hum and the subtle shifting of the air. She looked up sharply, startled to see Magneto standing before her, his imposing presence filling the room

"Magneto," Stockholm greeted, recovering quickly from her surprise. "I wasn't expecting you."

"I do enjoy keeping people on their toes," Magneto replied smoothly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "I trust the paperwork for Pietro's enrollment has been finalized?"

Stockholm nodded, pulling a folder from her desk and handing it over. "It's done. He's officially registered as a student at Bayville High."

Magneto opened the folder briefly, scanning its contents before closing it with a nod of approval. "Excellent. The timing couldn't be more perfect for him to join. He will be… an asset."

Stockholm raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "I must admit, I've heard about his abilities. A speedster, correct? He sounds remarkable. How did you come across him?"

Magneto's gaze sharpened slightly, though his tone remained measured. "Let's just say Pietro is of particular interest to me. His potential is… unique."

Stockholm sensed there was more to the story but didn't press further, recognizing Magneto's penchant for secrecy. "And the others?" she asked, changing the subject. "Roxas, Lance, Todd, Rogue, and Fred—how do you see them fitting into your plans?"

Magneto's expression grew thoughtful. "Roxas shows the most promise," he said after a moment. "His abilities are… distinctive, and his determination is evident. The others have their uses, but Roxas—he may be the key to something greater."

Stockholm nodded, though she couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity about Magneto's growing interest in the mysterious newcomer. "And Pietro? What role do you see him playing?"

Magneto's lips curved into a sly smile. "Pietro's speed will turn the tide when the time comes. His abilities are not only impressive but invaluable. You'll see soon enough."

With that, Magneto raised a hand, and the air around him shimmered. "You've done well, Principal Stockholm. I'll leave you to your work."

In the blink of an eye, he was gone, leaving Stockholm to stare at the now-empty space where he had stood. She exhaled deeply, her mind racing with questions. Before she presumed her paperwork

To Roxas

The dream felt so real.

Roxas's body moved instinctively, clashing blades with a tall figure whose stance exuded raw power and discipline. Each strike was met with equal force, his opponent pushing him back with sheer strength alone. Roxas gritted his teeth, determined to land a solid hit, but the brown-haired man countered effortlessly, as if he had fought him a hundred times before.

As they circled each other, the man's voice cut through the clashing of their weapons.

"If you're trying to impress Aqua," he said with a knowing smirk, "you should focus on being more tactful."

Roxas felt heat rush to his face, his movements faltering for just a moment. "Wh—what? That's not—!"

But the hesitation cost him. In a swift motion, his opponent disarmed him, knocking him onto his back. The world spun for a moment before settling, and Roxas found himself staring up at the man's silhouette, a hand extended toward him

"You fight hard Ven," the man mused, "but if you're training this much, she must mean a lot to you."

Roxas hesitated before reaching up. His fingers barely brushed against the offered hand before everything faded into a bright white void.

Ventus.

That name again

Play: Jack Stauber - Vanilla

Roxas jolted awake, his breath uneven as his senses slowly adjusted to reality. The dim glow of the room replaced the blinding whiteness of his dream. He groggily pushed himself off the couch, stretching as he rubbed his eyes

"Ventus…" he muttered under his breath. That name—it wasn't the first time he had heard it. It always lingered at the edges of his thoughts, slipping away the moment he tried to focus on it. Why did it feel so familiar? So personal?

And that brown haired man again…. Did he know him?..

His gaze drifted across the room, landing on Pietro, who was fast asleep, sprawled across the table and covered in a mess of blankets. Not far from him, Todd lay on the floor, snoring softly, as usual

Roxas exhaled, running a hand through his hair. The dream still weighed on him, but there was no point in dwelling on it… for now…

Still… he couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was calling out to him

He then began to start getting up and stretching, shaking off the remnants of his strange dream. He rolled his shoulders before heading toward the small kitchenette area, checking the pantry and fridge. His eyes narrowed at what he found—or rather, didn't find

The snacks they had swiped from vending machine were nearly gone, with only a few stale bags of chips remaining. The fridge was just as bad—barely any drinks left except for a half-empty soda and some water bottles left. With a sigh, Roxas grabbed a water bottle, twisting the cap off as he took a sip

Behind him, the others slowly began to stir

Pietro stretched out on the table before rolling off it lazily, landing on his feet. Lance groggily scratched his head as he sat up on bed. Todd, still lying on the floor, blinked blearily at Roxas, his expression a mixture of confusion and exhaustion

"Dude," Todd muttered, voice hoarse with sleep. "How the hell do you wake up so early? You ain't even got an alarm."

Roxas shrugged. "Guess I'm just used to it."

Todd groaned, dramatically flopping back onto the floor. "Man, that's unnatural."

Pietro, now more alert, effortlessly spun his skateboard on one hand before tossing it onto the ground and stepping onto it in one smooth motion. "Alright, boys," he said, smirking. "Bring your boards. We're skating today."

Lance stretched, cracking his neck before waving him off. "Nah, I'm good. I'll pass."

Todd grunted in agreement. "Yeah, I'd rather not bust my face first thing in the morning."

Roxas, however, glanced at his skateboard leaning against the wall. After last night, he had to admit—he liked the feeling of riding. There was something freeing about it, the way the board carried him forward without him needing to think too much

"…I'll bring mine," he decided, grabbing it and tucking it under his arm

Pietro grinned. "Atta boy."

With that, they all got ready and headed out of their motel room. As they walked through the parking lot, Lance glanced toward the vending machines near the entrance. He let out a sigh when he noticed the machines were still empty

"Seriously? Still not refilled?" he muttered, shaking his head. "Man, that sucks"

Pietro laughed, kicking off on his board and rolling ahead while the others climbed into Lance's jeep. As the engine rumbled to life, they drove off, ready to start their day

Meanwhile to Aqua

In the quiet of the morning, Aqua stirred slightly in her sleep, her mind adrift in a dream she wouldn't recall fully upon waking. Yet, in that moment between sleep and wakefulness, a name escaped her lips—soft, wistful

"Ventus…"

Her eyes fluttered open, and reality settled in. Roxas wasn't here. He never had been. A small pang of disappointment settled in her chest before she shook it off, sitting up and rubbing her eyes

Pushing aside lingering thoughts, Aqua got up and began her morning routine, freshening up before stepping toward her door. As she opened it, she noticed another early riser—Xion

Or at least, half an early riser

Xion stood in the hallway, looking droopy-eyed, barely awake, her head slightly tilting forward as if she might doze off standing up

Aqua raised an eyebrow. "Did you sleep well?"

Xion let out a long yawn before mumbling, "I read an amazing book…" Her voice trailed off, and for a second, she swayed, nearly falling asleep mid-sentence

Aqua sighed in amusement before reaching over to give her a gentle shake. "You need to manage your time better at night," she chided playfully

Xion groaned but relented, rubbing her eyes. "I did manage it… I just didn't stop when I should have."

Aqua chuckled. "That's kind of the opposite of managing."

Still, she linked her arm with Xion's and led her toward the kitchen, the two making their way downstairs to start the morning properly

With plates of warm pancakes in hand, Aqua and Xion settled at the kitchen table, quietly enjoying their breakfast. Xion, still sluggish from her late-night reading, was practically sleep-eating, lazily cutting into her pancakes while Aqua occasionally had to nudge her to keep her from dozing off mid-bite

It wasn't long before Ororo entered the kitchen, a warm smile on her face as she greeted them. "Good morning, you two. I see you're up early. Have you tried the coffee yet?"

Aqua glanced at Xion, then shook her head. "Not yet."

Ororo walked over to the coffee maker, preparing herself a fresh cup. As she took a sip, she noticed Xion's barely-awake state and chuckled. "Maybe Xion should have some," she suggested. "It might help wake her up."

Xion blinked sluggishly, rubbing one eye. "Coffee, huh?" She sounded skeptical but intrigued

"I can make you both a cup," Ororo offered, already pouring two extra mugs

Aqua and Xion exchanged looks before nodding. "Sure," Aqua agreed, curious about the taste

Ororo placed a cup in front of each of them as they sat down. "If you don't want it too bitter, try it with some creamer," she said, setting down a bottle of vanilla creamer between them

Xion, always up for trying new things, took the first sip—only to immediately grimace. "Ugh, that's really bitter…" she muttered, sticking out her tongue slightly in surprise

Aqua chuckled before taking a sip herself. While she handled the bitterness better, it wasn't exactly enjoyable. "I see what you mean," she admitted

Not willing to give up, Xion reached for the creamer, adding a generous amount before stirring. She hesitantly took another sip, and her eyes immediately widened. "Oh—oh, that's way better!" she said, taking another eager sip.

Aqua followed suit, adding some creamer to hers. The difference was noticeable, and she nodded approvingly. "Much smoother," she agreed. Though she enjoyed it, she could already tell Xion liked it a lot more than she did

Curious, Xion asked, "Where does this coffee come from?"

Ororo smiled proudly. "It's Ethiopian coffee. Some of the best in the world," she said. "And once the caffeine kicks in, you'll both be wide awake."

Both Aqua and Xion paused at that, sharing a confused glance. "Wait… kicks in?" Xion asked slowly

Ororo simply chuckled, taking another sip of her own coffee. "You'll see soon enough."

As Aqua and Xion sat enjoying their coffee, the kitchen soon became livelier as Scott, Jean, Kitty, Kurt, and Evan entered, each looking in various states of grogginess as they grabbed breakfast. The scent of pancakes and fresh coffee filled the air as everyone settled in

Xion, now feeling the effects of the caffeine, blinked in surprise. She suddenly felt much more awake—alert, even. The drowsiness that had weighed on her earlier was completely gone, replaced with a strange energetic feeling she wasn't used to. "Whoa…" she muttered, staring at her hands as if expecting something to happen

Aqua, on the other hand, was feeling the effects as well, but she wasn't as thrilled. It wasn't overwhelming, but she definitely felt a little jittery

Xion turned to Ororo, her voice filled with surprise. "Is this normal?"

Ororo smiled knowingly. "Completely. That's what coffee does—it wakes you up."

Xion processed that for a moment, then grinned. "I like this feeling."

Kurt, who had just taken a seat, overheard and smirked. "Xion, did you just discover coffee?" he asked teasingly, unaware that this was actually her first time drinking it

Xion puffed out her cheeks slightly, looking away. "Maybe…" she mumbled, stirring the last bit of coffee in her cup

Meanwhile, Aqua set her cup down, deciding she wasn't as much of a fan of the energy boost. "I think I'll save for occasion" she admitted

Jean chuckled. "Takes some getting used to. Coffee hits people differently."

Xion, now feeling very awake, found herself eating her pancakes faster than before, an odd sense of motivation kicking in. She suddenly felt eager to finish up and return to reading her book before they had to leave for school

Scott raised an eyebrow as he watched her speed through her meal. "Uh… you okay there?"

"Mhm!" Xion nodded quickly, already standing up to take her plate to the sink. "Just… gotta finish something before we leave!"

As she rushed out of the kitchen, Aqua sighed, shaking her head. "I think she really likes coffee."

Ororo simply smiled, taking another slow sip of hers. "I had a feeling she would."

Xion dashed into her room, her movements fueled by the lingering effects of the coffee. She swiftly grabbed her book from her nightstand and slung her backpack over her shoulder before making a beeline for the door. As she raced down the stairs, she nearly collided with Logan, who had just stepped into the hallway

"Whoa—kid!" Logan grunted, stepping back slightly as Xion zipped past him.

"Sorry!" she called out without stopping, her voice trailing behind her as she made her way to the front of the mansion. She plopped herself down on the bench near the entrance, eagerly flipping open her book while waiting for the others to finish breakfast

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, Aqua turned to Evan as she finished the last of her pancakes. "How's your morning going so far?" she asked

Evan shrugged as he leaned back in his chair. "It's alright. but, y'know, nothing new." He smirked slightly, though there was an edge of frustration beneath it. "At least we sent that Pietro guy running."

Before Aqua could respond, Professor Xavier entered the kitchen, his presence instantly catching everyone's attention. He observed the students with a warm expression, pleased to see them all getting ready for the day

"Good morning, everyone," Xavier greeted, his voice calm and welcoming. "It's always nice to see you all up and preparing for the day ahead. "Anny concerns before heading off to school?"

Scott, finishing his last bite of food, shook his head. "Nope, all good here."

Kitty stretched, yawning. "Just another day of school, I guess."

As the group finished up their meals and conversations, the mansion buzzed with the usual morning energy

One by one, everyone finished their break feast and began to head out. Before Evan could get up and leave. Ororo turned to Evan with a warm smile. "Good luck on your new journey," she said, pulling him into a brief but affectionate hug. Evan, though slightly embarrassed, accepted it with a smirk

"Yeah, yeah, don't get all mushy on me, Auntie O," he teased, but there was appreciation in his voice. As they both got up

Scott, leaning against his car, called out, "Alright, who's riding with me?"

Jean, Kitty, and Kurt all stepped forward, and with that, the four piled into Scott's car, which soon sped off toward Bayville High

Ororo, meanwhile, led Evan, Aqua, and Xion to her own car, starting the engine as they settled in. The moment they were on the road, Xion—still feeling the rush of her morning coffee—eagerly flipped open her book and buried herself in it

Evan, glancing over, raised an eyebrow. "Alright, I gotta ask—what's got you so hooked?"

Xion's eyes practically lit up as she looked up at him. "It's a European geography book! Did you know that the Netherlands has more bicycles than people? And that the Danube is the second-longest river in Europe?" She rattled off the facts with uncharacteristic enthusiasm

Ororo and Aqua exchanged amused glances before giggling. Evan, on the other hand, just shook his head with a smirk. "Yeah, I'm guessing the coffee did something to you."

Xion blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You seem way different than I first met you after you had a coffee," Evan said, leaning back in his seat.

Xion tilted her head, then considered for a moment. "Maybe so" she said cheerfully, making Ororo ans Aqua chuckle again

After a moment, Evan asked, "So, how bad is the homework here?"

Xion pouted slightly. "Not too bad, just boring."

Evan snorted. "Yeah, figured."

Later

Play: Klonoa 2 OST – moonlight museum ver 1

Before long, both cars arrived at Bayville High. Scott pulled into a parking space while Ororo drove up to the side of the school, stopping to let Aqua, Xion, and Evan out

Eager to test something, Evan pulled out his skateboard the moment he stepped out, balancing it under his foot

Xion and Aqua, caught off guard, exchanged glances before shaking their heads and brushing it off

"Come on," Aqua said, nudging Xion as they walked toward the entrance

As they caught up with Jean and Kitty, Evan kicked off on his skateboard, weaving his way through the morning crowd with a smirk, eager to see what he could pull off

Meanwhile

As Lance pulled into the school parking lot, Roxas, Pietro, and Todd hopped out of the jeep. The school grounds were already bustling with students moving about, catching up before class

As they walked toward the building, Lance and Roxas both noticed Fred lumbering across the campus. Roxas grimaced at the sight, a surge of irritation flashing across his face. Without a second thought, he pushed off on his skateboard, swiftly weaving through students and putting distance between himself and Fred

Pietro raised an eyebrow. "What's up with him?"

Lance sighed. "Blob pissed him off real bad," he said, nodding in Fred's direction. "Wouldn't worry about it, though."

Meanwhile, Roxas smoothly walked through the crowd, careful not to bump into anyone. As he skated past, he suddenly locked eyes with Evan from across the courtyard

Evan, still recalling the events of the previous night, stiffened slightly. His cautious gaze flicked between Roxas and Pietro, and the realization settled—he wasn't crazy. Roxas had definitely been there. And now, seeing him skate directly toward Pietro only confirmed his suspicions further

But what really made Evan grimace was the sight of Pietro himself. Clicking his tongue, he turned away and skated back toward his own group, deciding not to dwell on it for now

Roxas rolled up to Pietro, stopping beside him and picking up his board

Pietro smirked. "So, how's the skateboard treating you?"

"It's fine so far," Roxas replied simply

The two walked back over to Lance and Todd, joining them on the benches outside. As soon as they sat down, Todd let out an exaggerated groan. "Man, I'm starving!"

Lance shot him an unimpressed look. "Well, maybe if you didn't inhale all those chips last night, you'd still have some left today."

Todd scowled but didn't argue. Instead, he shifted the topic. "So, Roxas, how'd last night go?"

Roxas exhaled, leaning back against the bench. "More eventful than I wanted," he muttered, not exactly proud of how things had escalated into a fight between Pietro and the X-Men

Meanwhile…

At a table on the other side of the courtyard, Aqua, Xion, Kurt, Scott, Jean, and Kitty were gathered. While the others chatted about homework, Xion was completely absorbed in her book, flipping through pages at an impressive speed

Aqua, however, was only half-listening. Her eyes constantly darted around the school grounds, scanning for any sign of Roxas. She knew she needed to talk to him, to clear up what had been left unsaid

For now, though, she just had to hope she'd catch him before the day was over

As the group continued their conversation, Jean casually brought up, "So, Duncan's throwing a party this weekend. Apparently, it's gonna be huge."

Kurt's ears perked up. "A party, huh? Sounds fun! We should go!"

Kitty nodded eagerly. "Yeah, totally! We need to do something exciting for once."

Scott, however, immediately shut that idea down. "You two do realize it's only for juniors and seniors, right?"

Kitty groaned, slumping back in her seat. "Ugh, seriously? That's so lame."

Kurt huffed. "Well, in that case, maybe we should just have our own party at the mansion!"

Scott gave him a skeptical look. "Yeah, I doubt Xavier would go for that. And even if he did, what if someone saw your real form? You know how bad that could get."

Kurt merely waved off Scott's concerns. "Pfft, please. If people actually gave me a chance, I bet the girls would totally be into me."

With a confident grin, he clicked his tongue at Kitty, Aqua, and Xion

Kitty rolled her eyes and scoffed. "In your dreams, Fuzzy." She stood up, deciding she had enough of Kurt's antics

Aqua, meanwhile, held back an amused giggle, shaking her head at his confidence

Xion glanced up briefly, an amused smile on her face, before simply returning to her book without a word

Seeing their reactions, Kurt took it as a 2/3 win in his favor. If Aqua and Xion weren't totally against it, that had to mean something, right?

"Well I guess it's reply and occasionally to shake zat tail! Woo!" said Kurt

Feeling victorious, he did a small celebratory dance in his seat—completely unaware that he was now unintentionally revealing his tail for all to see.

Scott reacted on instinct, immediately yanking Kurt down to hide it. "Kurt! Be careful!"

Kurt scowled. "Ow! Dude, what was that for?"

Scott kept his voice low. "You were showing your tail! You can't just expose yourself like that!"

Annoyed, Kurt vanished in a puff of smoke with a loud BAMF!, startling everyone at the table

Aqua frowned at Scott. "You didn't have to be that rough."

Scott sighed, rubbing his temple. "I couldn't risk anyone seeing it."

As the conversation settled, Evan still seemed tense, his arms crossed in mild frustration

Scott noticed and turned to him. "What's up with you? Something bothering you?"

Evan exhaled through his nose, clearly irritated. "It's nothing. Just—" He glanced over toward the other side of the courtyard where Pietro, Lance, Todd, and Roxas were sitting. "I saw Pietro talking with his suspected cronies this morning."

Scott leaned back slightly, his arms crossed. "Evan, there are other mutants in the school. I'm assuming those are the 'cronies' you're talking about."

Evan raised an eyebrow. "Other mutants? Who?"

Scott gestured toward a corner of the courtyard, where a rather large student was devouring an absurdly oversized sandwich. "That's Fred Dukes. He's not exactly on friendly terms with us."

Evan made a face as he watched Fred practically inhale the sandwich. "Yikes. Alright, who else?"

Scott continued, "Then you've got Lance and Todd. They've been causing trouble for a while even before Pietro arrived"

"And what about the blonde dude?" said Evan

"His name is Roxas" said Scott "That's where it gets complicated. him and a girl named Rogue are kind of…."

Before he could say anything else, Xion and Aqua both spoke up defensively. Expecting Scott to call Roxas something to the likes of a thug

"Roxas isn't a crony," Xion said firmly

Aqua nodded. "You can't just lump him in with them, Scott."

Scott raised a hand. "I wasn't finished," he said calmly. "I was going to say that Roxas and Rogue aren't fully with them. Unlike the others, they haven't exactly been outright causing problems."

Evan still seemed skeptical. "So, besides those six, is there anyone else not with the X-Men?"

Scott shook his head. "Not that we know of. If there are, they're keeping quiet."

Evan glanced between Xion and Aqua, now curious about their quick defense of Roxas. "Alright, I gotta ask—why are you two so sure he's not trouble?"

Xion didn't hesitate. "Because he's helped us a few times. He's not some mindless thug like the others."

Aqua nodded in agreement. "We also haven't directly seen him cause trouble. Just because he's near them doesn't mean he's like them. You should give him the benefit of the doubt."

Evan exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I dunno… I still think he was up to something last night."

Scott didn't say anything right away, but it was clear that he was at least considering their perspective. Even if Roxas wasn't an obvious threat, there was still too much uncertainty surrounding him. Rogue on the other hand. Also seemed more on the wild card side

Xion huffed in frustration, still fuming over Scott and Evan's assumptions about Roxas. Without another word, she abruptly stood up and walked away from the group, heading in the direction Kitty had gone

Scott let out a sigh, rubbing his temple. "Great. We just alienated her."

Aqua, though equally annoyed by how Roxas had been judged, could tell that Scott and Evan hadn't meant to offend. She folded her arms and sighed. "You guys could've worded that better."

Jean smirked playfully. "Look at you, Scott. On fire today—pushing people away left and right."

Scott groaned. "Not helping, Jean."

Jean shrugged. "All I'm saying is, maybe ease up a little. You're acting like the school hall monitor." Making Scott sigh

Meanwhile

Rogue walked toward the school, scanning the area in hopes of spotting Roxas. Before she could reach the entrance, she suddenly heard a distinctive poof, followed by a loud crash coming from the basement

Her eyes narrowed. What the hell was that?

Changing direction, she made her way down to investigate. As she stepped into the dimly lit basement, she spotted Kurt—his true blue form frozen in place as he stared at her in sheer panic

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Kurt felt a mixture of fear and relief—glad it was Rogue who had found him and not some random student who's never seen his real form

Rogue, however, was more focused on the room itself. Scattered computer parts littered the floor, wires dangling from the broken ceiling panels. She glanced around and then back at Kurt. "What the hell are you doin' here? You mess this place up?"

Kurt, still fiddling with his watch, frantically shook his head. "It was like this when I got here!"

Her gaze shifted to the wreckage before settling on the only device that seemed intact. Curiosity got the better of her, and she reached down to inspect it

Kurt's eyes widened in alarm. "Uh, Rogue? Maybe just leave that thing alone, ja?"

Rogue ignored him, flipping the device in her hands. "Relax, I'm just lookin'."

Kurt, clearly uneasy, reached out. "Seriously, it's best if you—"

Before he could finish, Rogue accidentally pressed a button

*ZAP!*

A blinding flash of light filled the room. When Rogue's vision cleared, Kurt was gone.

Her breath hitched. The device slipped from her fingers, clattering onto the floor. Horror dawned on her as she stared at the empty space where Kurt had been just seconds ago.

"What the hell did I just do…?" she whispered

Meanwhile,

Play: Super Mario RPG OST – Forest Maze

elsewhere in the school, Roxas and Todd were walking to class, Todd practically begging him to help pull off some kind of prank

"-Come on, man! Just one little prank—"

A sudden, sharp zap echoed through the halls, cutting Todd off mid-sentence

Both boys froze

Roxas turned his head toward the sound, an uneasy feeling creeping up his spine. Todd blinked, his usual mischievous demeanor fading

"The hell was that?" Todd muttered

they exchanged glances before silently agreeing to investigate the source of the noise. They cautiously made their way down the hall toward the basement, where they found Rogue standing amidst the wreckage, trembling slightly, her expression a mix of shock and panic

Upon seeing them, her eyes darted toward them in alarm. "I—I didn't do anything!" she blurted out defensively. "Mind your own business!"

Roxas frowned, unconvinced. "Rogue… what's wrong?"

Todd's gaze shifted to the ground, spotting the odd device lying nearby. His instincts kicked in, and without thinking, he snatched it up

"Hey, what's this thing?" he mused, flipping it in his hand

Rogue's face paled. "Todd, leave it!" she snapped, stepping forward to grab it from him.

But Todd, ever the agile one, simply hopped back, easily dodging her attempt. "Relax, I just wanna see what it does!"

"Dammit, Toad!" Rogue hissed as Todd gave a sly grin before acrobatically leaping out of the basement, disappearing before either she or Roxas could stop him

Roxas let out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Great…"

Before he could say anything else, Rogue suddenly grabbed his hand, her grip tight and desperate

"Roxas, please… don't tell anyone about this," she pleaded, her voice shaky

Roxas turned to her, noticing the fear in her usually composed expression. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rogue, calm down. Just tell me what happened."

She bit her lip, hesitating. "Promise you won't tell?"

Roxas exhaled, giving her a reassuring look. "I don't have a reason to tell anyone anything."

She swallowed hard before reluctantly admitting, "That thing—" she motioned toward where the device had been, "—it makes things disappear… and I—I accidentally made Kurt disappear."

Roxas' eyes widened as the realization hit him. That meant Todd had just run off with something that could potentially make people just disappear

"Oh no.." he muttered under his breath

Rogue still looked shaken, and he could feel her grip tightening on his hand. Seeing how distressed she was, he instinctively pulled her into a comforting hug. At first, she tensed, but then, as his steady presence settled her nerves, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, as if grounding herself in the moment

"It's okay," he murmured. "We'll figure this out."

Rogue buried her face against his shoulder, taking in a shaky breath.

"Whatever happened," Roxas continued, his voice firm, "I know you didn't mean it."

She held onto him a little longer, letting herself believe that, maybe, things could still be fixed

Meanwhile Little later

As Xion walked beside Kitty, making their way through the crowded school hallways, a faint, familiar voice reached her ears. It was brief, almost like an echo, but unmistakable

"Xion! Kitty!"

She abruptly stopped, her eyes scanning the hallway in the direction she thought she had heard it. But there was nothing—just students hurrying to their first classes

Kitty, noticing Xion's sudden hesitation, turned to her. "Something wrong?"

Xion frowned slightly, still looking around. "I could've sworn I just heard Kurt for a moment…"

Kitty gave a small shrug. "Eh, he's probably just teleporting around to get to class. You know how he is."

Xion wasn't entirely convinced, but there wasn't much she could do about it right now. Maybe it really was just Kurt teleporting somewhere nearby. She let out a small sigh before nodding. "Yeah… maybe."

As they reached a crossroads in the hallway, Kitty waved before heading off toward her class. "See ya later, Xion!"

"See ya," Xion replied before continuing on her own way.

Her first class of the day turned out to be with Rogue. As she entered the classroom, she casually took her seat, coincidentally close to the other girl. It wasn't long before Xion noticed something was off—Rogue looked tense, her posture stiff, and her hands subtly gripping the edge of her desk

This got Xion curious as she leaned slightly closer, lowering her voice. "Hey… is something wrong?"

Rogue flinched just slightly before quickly composing herself. "It's just… homework," she muttered dismissively, not even making eye contact

Xion could tell that wasn't the truth. Rogue's tone, her body language—she was definitely stressed about something else. But it was also clear she wasn't about to talk about it, especially not to her

Xion had picked up on Rogue's subtle dislike of her. She wasn't sure why, but either way, she knew pressing Rogue further wouldn't get her anywhere

So, for now, she let it go

"Alright," Xion said, sitting back in her seat. "If you say so."

But something in the back of her mind told her—whatever was bothering Rogue, it wasn't just schoolwork

Meanwhile

Roxas walked through the school hallways, his gaze scanning around as he searched for Todd. He hoped that whatever trouble Todd had gotten into with that strange device wasn't anything too drastic

Just as he turned a corner, a familiar feminine voice called out to him

"Roxas!"

He stopped and turned to see Aqua approaching him, her calm yet observant blue eyes meeting his

"What are you doing out here?" she asked

Roxas quickly composed himself, not wanting to bring up the situation with Rogue and Todd. "One of my buddies was looking for something," he said, trying to keep his tone casual

Aqua tilted her head slightly, studying him. She could tell something was making him nervous, but she decided not to push. Instead, she gave a small smile. "Well, if we don't start heading to class, we're both going to be late. Wanna walk with me?"

Roxas hesitated for a moment, his mind still preoccupied, but eventually relented. "Yeah, alright."

As they walked together, Aqua subtly stuck a little closer to him, their shoulders nearly brushing. After a moment, she spoke softly. "I like when we walk together… we should do it more often."

Roxas glanced at her and couldn't help but let a subtle smile form on his face. Even though his concern about Todd remained, Aqua's presence was… comforting

But then the both of them suddenly heard something. A voice. It was faint, barely more than a whisper, but distinct enough to catch their attention

"AQUA!"

They both stopped, looking around

"Did you hear that?" Roxas asked

Aqua nodded, her expression slightly puzzled. "Yeah… it sounded like Kurt."

They glanced around the hallway, but there was no sign of him

Aqua let out a small breath, trying to brush it off. "He's… maybe just teleporting around somewhere."

Roxas didn't entirely shake the uneasy feeling, but with no sign of Kurt, he let it go for now as they resumed their way to class

As soon as they entered, the teacher gave them a sharp look. "You two were almost late. Take your seats."

They both nodded and quickly sat down

Despite settling in for class, Roxas couldn't shake the feeling that he hopes Todd isn't causing too much trouble

Meanwhile

Todd snickered to himself as he twirled the strange device in his hand. Skipping class was already a win in his book, but now, with this weird zapper, things were getting really interesting

"Let's see how this works" said Todd

He aimed it at a nearby water fountain, pulling the trigger

ZAP!*

In an instant, the fountain was gone. Just… vanished

Todd's smirk widened as he looked at the device with admiration. "Oh, man… this is sweet!"

Excited, he started zapping random objects around the school grounds—a trash can, a bench, even a lamppost. Each time, the object disappeared into thin air. He couldn't help but cackle to himself

As then The familiar sight of Principal Stockholm's car pulling up made Todd freeze. His grip tightened around the device as he instinctively hid it behind his back

The car door opened, and Stockholm stepped out, adjusting her sleek business jacket. Her sharp eyes landed on Todd, and she sighed in irritation. "Toad. I don't care what you do, but if I find anything slimy on my car, you can consider yourself in detention for the rest of the year."

Todd grimaced, swallowing down a retort. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, lady…"

She scoffed before heading inside the school

As Todd watched her disappear through the doors, a devious idea formed in his mind

With a wicked grin, he aimed the device at her car and—

ZAP!*

The car vanished

Todd clamped a hand over his mouth, stifling a burst of laughter. "This thing is too good!"

His chaotic streak wasn't satisfied just yet. Acrobatically leaping onto the roof of the school, he made his way toward Stockholm's office, peering inside through the window

Her office was cluttered with files, fancy pens, an obnoxiously large desk, and framed certificates she probably thought made her look important

Todd grinned. "Say goodbye to your junk, lady."

ZAP!*

A bookshelf vanished

ZAP!*

Her desk chair was gone

*ZAP ZAP ZAP!*

Various knickknacks disappeared one by one as Todd giggled to himself

After one last zap to a random stack of paperwork, he flipped out of the office and bounced away, still laughing like a madman

"haha. Eat my ass boss lady" said Todd mischievously to himself

Meanwhile

Scott sat in his classroom, his brows furrowing in concern. Something felt… off. Kurt wasn't in class. Sure, Kurt liked to mess around, but he never outright skipped

Once class was dismissed, Scott didn't waste time. He quickly made his way through the hallways, searching for Jean

When he finally found her, he wasted no time. "Jean, I need you to locate Kurt."

Jean blinked, a little surprised at the request, but nodded. She placed her fingers against her temple, her eyes closing as she reached out with her mind…. Seconds passed… Then a minute

Jean's expression twisted into a frown

Scott grew more concerned. "Well? Where is he?"

Jean's brows furrowed deeper. "I… I can't find him."

Scott's stomach dropped. "What do you mean?"

Jean opened her eyes, looking at him with worry. "I mean he's nowhere. Not in the school, not anywhere in town, not anywhere I can track. It's like… like he doesn't even exist."

And if Jean couldn't even sense him, then it wasn't just a case of skipping class. Something was wrong

Scott clenched his fists. "Kurt, where are you?"

As he marched down the hallway, his sharp gaze landed on two familiar figures—

Roxas and Aqua, walking together

Scott grimaced

He didn't know if Roxas was involved, but given his general unease about the guy, Scott couldn't shake the feeling that Roxas at least had some idea of what was going on

Jean, noticing his reaction, gave him a look. "Scott, what are you gonna do?"

Scott exhaled sharply. "Follow me. I've got an idea."

Roxas and Aqua continued their walk down the hallway, but Roxas remained on edge. His mind kept drifting back to Todd and the device

"Roxas!"

Scott's voice cut through the air, making Roxas subtly tense up

He and Aqua came to a stop, turning around just as Scott and Jean caught up to them.

Scott wasted no time. His suspicious gaze locked onto Roxas. "Have you seen Kurt?"

Roxas kept his expression neutral. "No, I haven't."

Aqua glanced between them, a frown forming. "What about Kurt?"

Scott's jaw tightened. "He's been missing all day."

Aqua's eyes widened. "What? That doesn't sound like him…"

Scott turned back to Roxas, his gaze hardening. "You sure you don't know where he is?"

Roxas forced himself to remain calm. "I told you—I haven't seen him."

Jean, meanwhile, discreetly reached out with her mind to scan Roxas's thoughts… Only to find out … she couldn't

Her brows furrowed. "That was… odd." She thought

It wasn't that he was resisting her telepathy. It was like trying to read a void—empty, unreachable. That shouldn't have been possible.

Aqua turned to Roxas again. "Are you sure you haven't seen Kurt?"

Roxas met her gaze and, once again, lied. "I don't know what happened to him."

But that subtle shift in his tone…. That and Roxas saying 'happened' rather than 'seen' seemed to also give away an unintentional hint

Scott noticed

Roxas knew something

And that realization sent a surge of frustration through Scott. Kurt was missing, and now Roxas was lying to his face?

Scott stepped forward, his hands clenching into fists. "Roxas, if you know something, you better tell us now. Where. Is. Kurt?"

Roxas stood his ground, his voice gaining a slight edge. "I don't know."

The tension between them crackled like a live wire

Scott's patience snapped. "Stop lying! This isn't a game! If something happened to Kurt, we need to—"

But Before he could finish, a massive hand grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him off the ground. Scott's eyes widened as Fred effortlessly hoisted him up with one arm.

"The hell—?!" Scott struggled, but Fred didn't budge as Fred chuckled

"Whats up slim? Need a hand?" Said Fred as Roxas narrowed his eyes at Fred's sudden appearance

Jean immediately stepped forward, but before she could do anything—

Lance stepped up beside Roxas, smirking. "I'd back off if I were you, Jean. You don't want problems."

Jean's eyes narrowed, already preparing to retaliate

Aqua took a tense step forward. "Roxas. What is this?"

Lance stepped in front of Roxas, extending an arm to block Aqua. His gaze hardened as he addressed her.

"Don't take another step."

Aqua and Jean tensed, immediately recognizing what he was about to do. As Lance then stomped on the ground

A low tremor rumbled beneath their feet

The hallway quivered as Lance's power caused subtle cracks in the floor, throwing Scott and Jean slightly off balance

But Scott took this chance when he realized Fred's grip slightly wavered

With a swift, forceful movement, he twisted in Fred's grip and kicked off the larger mutant's chest, using the momentum to free himself and land on solid ground

Fred grunted in annoyance. "You little—!"

It was about to escalate until suddenly a voice stops them

"What the hell is going on here?"

A sharp, authoritative voice cut through the tension like a blade. It was Principal Stockholm, her piercing gaze sweeping over the scene. Arms crossed, she seemed mad

Lance quickly shifted his stance, smoothly playing the victim. "Principal, we were just standing here when these three—" he gestured to Scott, Jean, and Aqua—"started freaking out on us for no reason."

Jean immediately opened her mouth to protest. "That's—"

But Stockholm shut her down with a sharp look

"I don't want excuses. All of you—my office. Now."

Aqua swallowed hard "This can't be good" she thought

She had never been in trouble at school before. As she hesitantly followed Stockholm, she glanced over at Roxas, he gave her a silent, apologetic look

Instead, Roxas turned to Lance and muttered, "Come on."

Lance nodded, and the two walked off together

Fred, rubbing the spot where Scott had kicked him, grumbled before following

Aqua's heart twisted uncomfortably

"Roxas… what are you hiding?" thought Aqua

Once Stockholm led Aqua, Scott, and Jean into her office, they were greeted with a bizarre sight. Or rather—A lack of one. Half of the furniture was gone. Papers were scattered where a desk should have been. Decorations, a filing cabinet—missing

The office looked as if someone just ransacked the place

Scott, Jean, and Aqua stood stunned

"What… happened here?" Scott muttered. As he turned to principle Stockholm who was fuming, her expression darkened.

"That's exactly what I want to know." Muttered Stockholm as now she didn't care that they were supposed to be in trouble anymore

she stormed off, presumably to find school staff to deal with this mess.

"….are we still in trouble?" Aqua asked Jean nervously, but before Jean could answer her

ZAP*

The three of them heard a noise as they all run to the window and looked. Down below, in the courtyard, Todd was gleefully hopping around, zapping everything in sight with a strange-looking device

A trash can—gone

A bench—gone

Even a lamp post—gone.

Scott's expression hardened. "HUH!?"

Jean's eyes widened. "Is that—?"

Aqua wasn't even sure what to think but it certainly didn't look good

"…I think we may have another major clue to what happened to Kurt" said Scott "..let's go. We need to stop him" as the trio began to leave Stockholm's office

Meanwhile

Rogue stood in the hallway, her arms crossed tightly as she leaned against the lockers

"?" as she then noticed Aqua, Scott, and Jean hurry off. Though she had a pretty good gues to why they seemed to be in a hurry. Her stomach twisted with guilt.

If she hadn't accidentally zapped Kurt earlier. Maybe none of this would've happened. Should she tell them at this point? She then bit her lip, debating whether she should or not

Meanwhile,

in the school library, Kitty, Xion, and Evan walked in, their voices hushed as they stepped between the tall bookshelves

Evan sighed, running a hand over his head. "Look, I really am sorry about earlier, alright?" He looked toward Kitty. "I wasn't trying to be a jerk about Roxas—"

Kitty gave him a look before gesturing around the library. "Yeah, well, lower your voice, genius. We're in a library."

Evan immediately quieted down. "Sorry."

He turned to Xion, who still looked slightly guarded. "I didn't mean to make you upset, either."

Xion's expression remained neutral. "I don't forgive you."

Evan winced. "Ouch."

"But," Xion continued, her tone a bit softer, "I do want you to at least give Roxas the benefit of the doubt."

Evan let out a small huff but nodded. "Fine. I'll try."

Kitty, deciding to change the subject, turned to Xion. "So, uh—what kind of books are you into? Anything you're looking for?"

Xion tilted her head. "I'm not really sure. What would you recommend?"

Evan smirked. "Comics. Definitely the comics."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd say that."

She glanced at Xion before adding, "Personally, I love a good romance novel." She reached for a book on a nearby shelf and held it up. "This one's about a handsome young guy who meets a shy girl, and they slowly fall for each other."

Xion's eyes subtly lingered on the book for a moment, though she didn't say anything

Kitty raised a brow. "Wait, are you actually interested?"

Xion quickly looked away with a slight blush. "No."

Kitty smirked. "Uh-huh. Sure."

Unbeknownst to them, someone else was listening

Up on one of the higher bookshelves, Pietro crouched, watching them with a mischievous glint in his eye. Plitting something mischievous to pull on Evan. But before he could, there was a sudden strange appearance

A ghostly silhouette of Kurt suddenly flickered into existence

"Evan! Kitty! Xion!"

Xion, Kitty, and Evan stiffened, eyes widening as Kurt blinked out of existencevas if he was never there, stunning the three of them

Kitty swallowed. "Did we all just see that?"

Xion nodded. "That… that was Kurt, right?"

Evan rubbed his eyes. "I think so. But—what the hell was that?"

The three of them exchanged a look

"We need to find Jean," Xion finally said. As The three quickly left the library,

Up on the bookshelf, Pietro remained, stroking his chin "Well," he muttered to himself, "this just got a whole lot more fun." And with a smirk, he quietly zoomed off

Xion, Kitty, and Evan rushed through the halls, determined to find Aqua, Scott, and Jean

It didn't take long—Scott was already pacing in frustration while Aqua and Jean were deep in conversation, still trying to figure out what had happened

"Guys!" Kitty called out, catching their attention. "You're not gonna believe what we just saw."

"What is it?" Jean asked

Xion took a breath. "We saw Kurt. Or—at least, we think we did. He was in the library for a second—then he just… phased out of existence."

Scott's expression hardened. "Did he look hurt?"

Xion shook her head. "No. He didn't look like he was in pain. It was more like he was… trapped somewhere."

Scott exhaled, feeling a small sense of relief. "That means he's still alive."

Jean nodded. "That also explains why I couldn't sense him. He's not in our plane of existence."

Scott clenched his fists. "This has Roxas and Todd written all over it."

Xion tensed, ready to argue, but before she could say anything, Aqua spoke up. "Scott… Roxas knows what happened to Kurt," she admitted. "But that doesn't mean he did anything"

Scott exhaled sharply, clearly not happy but willing to move forward. "Fine. Let's just go find Todd."

Little Later

Play: Sonic and the Black Knight OST – Misty Lake

Todd was still messing around with the device, zapping random objects in and out of existence, completely oblivious to the fact that he was being watched

Jean narrowed her eyes before lifting her hand, using her telekinesis to yank the device right out of Todd's grip.

"Hey!" Todd yelped as he turned, only to realize he was completely surrounded

Scott stepped forward, eyes locked on Todd. "Start talking. What did you and Roxas do to Kurt?" which earned a slight glare from Xion

Todd blinked. "Whoa, hold up—we didn't do anything!"

Jean's gaze sharpened as she probed into Todd's mind. And to her surprise, He was telling the truth

"He's telling the truth" said Jean

Aqua let out a quiet breath. "Then Roxas really didn't do anything…" feeling at slight ease

Scott, however, was far from satisfied. His visor started to glow slightly. "Then tell me how we get him back."

Todd gulped. "L-look, man, I dunno! I was just messing around with the thing!"

Scott took a step closer, his body tense with restrained fury. "Then maybe I should blast you and see if you pull tell me then!" Catching everyone else off guard

Todd paled. "W-whoa, okay, okay—let's not get crazy here!"

Suddenly, A voice called out to then

"Back off. All of you." The voice said revealing to be Rogue

Everyone turned as Rogue walked toward them, her expression unreadable.

Scott narrowed his eyes. "What do you want, Rogue?"

Rogue crossed her arms. "I want y'all to stop jumping to conclusions. Todd and Roxas didn't do anything to Kurt. If you wanna be mad at someone…" She sighed, then admitted, "Be mad at me. This is my fault."

A heavy silence followed

Jean frowned. "What do you mean?"

Rogue hesitated, clearly hating the idea of admitting this, but she had no choice now. "I… it was am accident. I accidentally zapped Kurt with the thing. That's what started all this…"

Everyone wasn't sure what to think as Todd took this chance to run off

"I don't know how much It may be helpful to show you where it happened. There was a lab" said Rogue

"A Lab?" said Aqua curiously

"Yes. Cmon" Said Rogue as she motioned for everyone to follow her

Little later

"The school has an abandoned lab?" said Xion curiously as Rogue nodded as she led the Xmen into the school basement

The moment they stepped inside, Aqua and Xion exchanged a glance, both sensing something strange about this place

"Why is this place abandoned?" Aqua wondered aloud, looking at the dust-covered equipment

Xion frowned. "Feels like no one's been down here in years…"

"I dunno. Seems very old…" said Evan as he and Kitty began to examine all the broken down computers and tech

"Maybe like, there's some sort of manual for the thing" said Kitty as she began to sift through some of the the cabinets

Scott, however, wasn't interested in the history of the place. His mind was only on Kurt

And his anger was reaching a boiling point

He turned toward Rogue, his glare intense. "If anything happened to Kurt because of you… you're gonna regret it."

Rogue's expression darkened as she took a step toward him. "Watch yourself. You threaten me again, and I'll make sure y'all never find Kurt.*

Tension crackled between them, but before it could escalate, Kitty and Evan focused on the device Todd had been playing with

Kitty examined it carefully. "This thing doesn't look like any ordinary zapper…"

Evan squinted as he examined the strange device, running his fingers along its edges. "This thing is old, guys. Like, really old."

Kitty glanced at him. "How old are we talking?"

Evan frowned. "Hard to say, but it ain't something we should be messing with.. Once we figure out how to get Kurt back, we should destroy it. This thing's dangerous.*"

Before anyone could respond, the air crackled with energy, as a familiar voice phased in from nowhere—"Reset! Reset!"

Everyone turned in shock as Kurt briefly appeared in front of them, flickering like a ghost pointing to the machine before disappearing

"Kurt!" Jean called out, but he was already gone

"Reseting?... ok" said Evan unsure if that's what Kurt intended "Would destroying be a better option?"

"If he wanted us to destroy it. He would said so" said Scott "Besides. We can't destroy if it by chance has a dead man's switch…let me see it" as Evan handed him the device

Scott proceeded to examine the device more closely, carefully wiping away more dust "…this looks like it could be it" as he proceeded to press the button and he and everyone hoped for the best

The device whirred violently, heating up as lights began to flash wildly. A portal burst open, swirling with chaotic energy

On the other side, Kurt was clearly visible, his golden eyes wide with urgency

"Kurt!" Scott shouted. "Come through!"

Kurt shook his head. "Nein! Keep it open—I'll be right back!"

And just like that, he vanished once again, but before anyone within the team could react. A set of shadows stretched across the basement walls.

Roxas, Lance, Todd, Pietro, and Fred emerged from the stairwell, stepping into view.

Todd smirked. "So this is where y'all went with the zapper thing." As he pointed

Lance cracked his knuckles. "Hand it over." As Roxas felt unsure about the device

Aqua and Xion tensed at Roxas's presence, their gazes locking onto him

"Roxas?..." said Xion

Roxas didn't say anything—his expression unreadable, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes. He knew they would confront him about this. And he wasn't proud of it.

Evan, however, felt his suspicions harden into certainty "This guy's a thug," he muttered under his breath

Scott stepped forward, his stance firm. "Not happening. This thing isn't yours, and you don't know what you're messing with. You need to leave."

Lance smirked. "Nah… I think it's time to rock and roll." Before anyone could react, he slammed his foot down—

The ground rumbled, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the floor as the entire room shook violently, As the tremors subsided, Lance turned his head toward Rogue

"You in or what?" he asked, rolling his shoulders

Rogue scoffed, shaking her head in frustration. "Nah, I'm done with this mess. Y'all handle it."

She brushed past them, but as she reached the stairs, she hesitated—turning just long enough to give Roxas one last look. Almost giving Roxas an apologetic look as then, without another word, she walked away, disappearing up the stairs

"Guess that means it's just us," Lance muttered, cracking his knuckles. "Which is fine by me."

Scott narrowed his eyes. "We're not letting you take the device."

Lance smirked. "Then let's do this the fun way."*

Scott then fired an optic blast at Lance, who stomped the ground again, sending a shockwave that threw Scott off balance. Jean used her telekinesis to stop falling debris from hitting Kitty, who phased just in time to avoid a sudden leap from Todd.

Meanwhile, Pietro blurred into motion, dashing toward Xion and Aqua with a cocky grin. "Hope you girls can keep up!"

Xion and Aqua summoned their keyblades

"Try us," Aqua shot back

Pietro vanished in a streak of silver right as Aqua swung at jhim but Pietro dodged effortlessly, reappearing behind her

"Too slow—"

Aqua spun, launching a blast of water that forced Pietro to sidestep just in time.

"Oho, okay!" Pietro grinned. "Maybe this will be fun."*

Evan activated his spikes, his arms gleaming with hardened bone. He turned just in time to see Roxas approaching, Keyblades in hand

"You're mine," Evan growled, lunging at him raising the spike staff, Roxas barely blocked the strike, crossing his Keyblades just in time to deflect Evan's flew as the two clashed as Evan pushed harder

Roxas' eyes narrowed—but he said nothing, simply parrying the next strike and pressing forward. Evan slashed again, his bone spikes gleaming as he aimed a heavy strike at Roxa

To which expertly deflected it, sidestepping and keeping his stance firm. He wasn't looking to overwhelm Evan—just outlast him. Evan, however, was pissed

Between Pietro's antics earlier and now Roxas—who, in his eyes, was just another Brotherhood thug—he wasn't holding back

"Come on!" Evan snarled, sending a spike bursting from his arm in a quick jab.

Roxas leaned back just in time, the tip of the spike barely missing his cheek. He tightened his grip on his Keyblades, deflecting Evan's next attack while keeping his expression unreadable

"Fight me for real!" he growled, slashing again, but Roxas simply parried. Evan could tell—Roxas wasn't trying to hurt him. That only pissed Evan off more

Meanwhile Aqua and Xion were struggling against Pietro.

"Tsk, tsk," Pietro teased, effortlessly weaving between their attacks. "I thought magic girls were supposed to be graceful!"

He blurred behind Xion, flicking her hood before zipping away before she could react.

"Ugh, he's fast," Xion muttered

"We need to slow him down," Aqua said quickly. "He's cocky, but he can't keep dodging forever. If we limit his movement, we can land a hit."

Xion nodded. "I have an idea—cover me!"

Aqua didn't hesitate, summoning several water orbs and launching them at Pietro.

He easily dodged, zipping around them like a silver blur

"Is that all—" Suddenly, Xion used her keyblade to fire an eletric beam not at Pietro, but at the ground in front of him forcing Pietro to swerve at the last second and stumble "Whoa—" Aqua took the chance launching a powerful jet of very fast powerful bubbles

"Are those bubbl—AUGH"

Splash!*

Pietro was blasted backward, slamming into the ground with a wet, disgruntled groan.

"Nice shot!" Xion grinned while Aqua smirked

Meanwhile

Lance stomped again, causing a tremor that sent Jean stumbling

"Stay on your toes!" Scott called, firing an optic blast at Blob—only for it to bounce off his stomach harmlessly

"Nice try, four-eyes," Blob grunted, charging at them but Kitty barely phased in time, grabbing Jean to pull her intangible with her before Blob could crash into them."Ugh— freakin' phasing girl—" Blob growled

Meanwhile, Todd was leaping from wall to wall, avoiding Jean's telekinetic blasts.

"Man, y'all are slow," Todd cackled before spitting a glob of slime at Scott.

Scott barely dodged. "Ugh, gross—"

Jean snapped her fingers, catching Todd midair with her telekinesis. "Not so fast—" She flung him across the room, sending him crashing into a pile of debris.

"Ow! Okay—cheap shot, lady—" said Todd

Meanwhile

Evan panted, glaring at Roxas as he dropped to one knee. He had fought as hard as he could, but Roxas was too fast, too skilled, and most frustratingly—he still wasn't fighting aggressively. It was like he was holding back

"Damn it…" Evan gritted his teeth, trying to push himself up, but Roxas stepped back, lowering his Keyblades

"Stay down," Roxas said flatly before turning away

Without missing a beat, he rushed toward Lance, Todd, and Blob, joining them as they continued battling Scott, Jean, and Kitty

Scott scowled. If he had doubts before about Roxas, they were gone now

"So, you really are siding with them," Scott muttered, raising his visor. "Figures."

Roxas said nothing, simply readying his Keyblades again as the fight continued.

Jean's expression tightened—Roxas was good. Maybe not as experienced as someone like Logan, but he fought with an efficiency and precision that was hard to counter. He weaved between attacks, striking at their defenses just enough to put them on edge without fully committing

Kitty phased through an incoming swing, countering with a kick—only for Roxas to block it mid-phase, much to her surprise

"What the—" said Kitty as before Roxas could do anything.

There was a sudden car noise that they heard making them all stop

*BEEP BEEP*

Suddenly, a car horn blared through the room. Everyone froze

A moment later, a car shot through the still-open portal, its headlights blinding them momentarily as it barreled straight toward them.

"MOVE!" Scott shouted, the X-Men jumping out of the way.

Lance and Todd dived behind Fred and Roxas

The car raced toward Fred and Roxas, but instead of getting run over, both of them instinctively planted their feet, bracing themselves

SCREEEEECH—!

The vehicle slammed into them, but—amazingly—they stopped it.

Fred barely budged, and Roxas, while pushed back slightly, held his ground, gripping the hood with both hands to absorb the impact

"Whoah. Good thing I'm the blob" said Fred

"You could say that again" said Todd

Xion and Aqua gasped, their hearts skipping a beat "Roxas!" as once the dust settled. They feel relief to see that Roxas is fine

Lance, patting him and Fred on the back, smirked. "Not bad, you two. Guess you're built tougher than you look."

The driver, a man who looked to be about Scott's age, opened the door, rubbing his forehead. "Man… that was rough."

From the passenger seat, a familiar voice groaned, "Did… did we make it?" Everyone turned as Kurt slowly opened his eyes.

"Kurt!" Jean exclaimed, her frustration melting into relief.

"You're alive!" Scott added, his tension finally easing.

"Looks like we did," the driver said, surveying the destruction.

Todd, who had been gripping his head in frustration, now noticed something else— "Aw, come on!" he groaned, pointing at the shattered device. "The thing's busted! This whole fight was freakin' pointless!"

"Then let's get outta here," Lance muttered, nudging him "This paety's over"

As Lance along with Todd and Fred began to turn to leave. But before Roxas could follow, Aqua and Xion ran up to him

"Roxas!" Aqua called, He stopped but didn't turn around

"We're still having that talk, right?" Aqua asked, her voice softer now

Xion, standing beside her, looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please."*

Roxas exhaled, rubbing his temple before finally responding "Yeah… but not now."

"Cmon Rocky we can't stay forever" said Lance prompting Roxas to continue

"…sorry we encountered this way" muttered Roxas as he went up

Aqua and Xion would then turn their attention to Kurt now that he has reappeared

"We're glad you're alright Kurt" said Jean

As the dust settled, Aqua and Xion turned their attention back to Kurt, relief washing over them

Evan, who had finally stood up, suddenly blinked as he recognized something. "Wait a minute…" He gestured at the car. "Isn't that Principal Stockholms' ride?"

There was a moment of silence as everyone processed that

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose. "We're so dead."

Play: Super Mario rpg OST – Rose Town

Meanwhile, Xion's gaze shifted to the man who had been driving "Who are you?" she asked curiously

The man smirked, crossing his arms. "Name's Forge."

"Forge?" Jean repeated, frowning.

"Yup" Forge replied. "I've been trapped in that weird dimension for nearly thirty years—"

"Wait, what?!" Evan gawked, looking him over. "You don't look a day older than us!"

Forge grinned. "Neat, huh?"

As soon as the dust settled, Scott wasted no time. "Alright then, let's get out of here before anyone comes to check on that noise."

Everyone quickly nodded in agreement. The last thing they needed was an explanation for why Principal Stockholm's car was wrecked in the basement.

With quiet urgency, the group slipped out of the basement and into the main halls of the school. They walked briskly, trying to act casual while also keeping an eye out for any staff.

Once they were clear, Scott turned to Forge, crossing his arms. "Alright, man, I gotta ask—what were you even doing in there in the first place?"

Forge grinned, adjusting his old-school jacket. "Now that, my friend, is a groovy story. You see, I was studying the concept of mixed realities—kinda like how folks think about ghosts, ya dig?"

Evan blinked. "Ghosts?"

"Yeah, man," Forge continued, gesturing with enthusiasm. "I had this theory that some places overlap with others, like layers on a record. I started experimenting, doing a little dumpster diving, picking up what I could from tech shops, trying to make sense of it all."

Scott narrowed his eyes. "Wait… but if you were stuck there for almost thirty years, how come you're not, like… old?"

Forge chuckled, waving a hand. "Ah, that's the kicker, man. That place? I call it the Middle-Verse. It's like dipping in and out of reality, and apparently, while you're there, time just… stops for anything organic. No aging, no hunger, no nothing."

Kitty made a face. "That sounds totally weird."

"No kidding," Jean muttered, rubbing her temple. "That makes zero sense."

Forge shrugged. "Hey, don't sweat it, sister. I'm just glad to be back in the real world."

As they stepped outside, Forge suddenly froze, his eyes widening

"Whoa, man…" he breathed, staring at the cars in the parking lot. "What are these? They look so… futuristic."

Scott raised an eyebrow. "They are nice. But they are just cars"

Forge walked up to a sedan, examining it closely. "Nah, man, this ain't just a car. This is like something outta one of those sci-fi flicks! Back in my day, we had muscle cars, big engines—these look sleek!"

Evan scratched his head. "Uh, dude… what year do you think it is?"

Forge turned to him. "Well, last I checked, it was 1975…"

Scott and Jean exchanged a glance

"Oh, boy…" Kitty muttered

Scott sighed. "Look, why don't you come with us to the Institute? We can get you caught up on everything."

Forge considered it for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah, I got some people to reunite with first. But don't sweat it, man—let's trade digits. I'll hit you up later."

Scott pulled out his phone while Forge took out an old notepad and pen, scribbling his number down

"We'll keep in touch, cool cats," Forge said with a grin, giving them a casual wave before strolling off

As he disappeared down the street, Aqua sighed. "So… how mad do you think Principal Stockholm will be when she finds out her car is wrecked in the school basement?"

Jean winced. "Oh, way more mad at whoever got it down there than at us for fighting with Lance, Roxas, and Fred."*

"So, what, we just don't mention it?" Evan asked

"Exactly," Jean said firmly

Before anyone could say anything else, Kurt suddenly asked, "Uh… what time is it?"

There was a beat of silence before everyone froze

Scott checked his watch and groaned. "Oh, man… we have one last class left, and it starts right now."

"Crap!" Evan shouted

"RUN!" Kitty yelped

The group immediately scrambled, sprinting toward their classrooms before they were counted as absent

Meanwhile…

Rogue sat at her desk, resting her chin on her palm. She felt a huge wave of relief knowing that Kurt was okay. After all, she was the one who made him disappear in the first place. And even though she still felt guilty about it, a small part of her was grateful to Roxas for keeping his promise and not telling anyone

Still… maybe she should've told Scott or Jean earlier

Before she could dwell on it, she saw someone enter the classroom. Roxas quietly walked in, his usual aloof expression in place as he took his seat beside her.

Rogue glanced at him before muttering, "You alright?"

Roxas gave her a brief nod. "I'm fine. You?"

She exhaled, leaning back. "Honestly? ah felt a lot more at ease when I saw that Kurt was alright."

Roxas didn't say anything, but his expression softened just slightly. As theh sll heard a knock on the door, Everyone turned as the teacher sighed, walking over to open it

Standing there was Aqua, looking sheepish. The teacher gave her an unimpressed look. "You're late."

Aqua rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, sorry about that…"

"Well, lucky for you, you didn't miss much. Take your seat." Said the teacher while Aqua walked into the classroom, she moved toward the empty seat on Roxas's other side. Rogue's lips pressed together into a subtle grimace seeing Aqua

Later

As the class wound down, the teacher stood up, adjusting his glasses. "Alright, before you all go, I have another duet project for you."*

A collective groan rippled through the students, but the teacher ignored it, reading off the partner assignments paring up the student one by one

"-Roxas and Aqua-"

Rogue stiffened ever so slightly. Aqua, on the other hand, visibly perked up, her eyes glancing toward Roxas with clear delight

Rogue fought the urge to grimace again. She had hoped to be paired with Roxas like last time

As the bell rang and everyone began gathering their things, the tension between Rogue and Aqua became more noticeable

Neither of them said anything outright, but there was an undeniable presence between them as they both subtly vied for Roxas's attention—Aqua with her gentle warmth, Rogue with her more casual, cool demeanor

Before either of them could make a move, a familiar voice cut in

"Yo, Rocky!"

Roxas turned to see Todd, Lance, and Pietro strolling up, waving him over

Aqua instinctively tensed, feeling uneasy at their presence.

Rogue, however, saw an opportunity "Mind if I tag along?" she asked, her tone casual.

Lance shrugged. "Yeah, sure. You wanna come, come."

Rogue smirked slightly, glancing at Aqua like she had just won something.

Roxas turned back to Aqua. "Sorry, I gotta go right now. But… I'm sorry about earlier. About the fight. We can talk when we practice our lines later, alright?"

Aqua blinked before relaxing, a small smile returning to her face. She had been so worried that Roxas actually harbored malice toward her and Xion. But hearing him say this reassured her—it was just a bad situation, nothing more

Still, she looked at him softly. "You don't have to lie to me, Roxas. If something's bothering you, I'll understand."

Roxas nodded. "I know. And I do look forward to our talk."

Aqua had the urge to hug him again like before. But with Pietro, Lance, Todd, and Rogue right there, she hesitated

Instead, she gave him a reluctant nod and turned to leave, heading off to find Xion and the others. As she walked away, she exhaled, still feeling a lingering warmth in her chest. Whatever happened earlier… she would get to talk to Roxas about it. And that was enough for now

As Aqua walked through the halls, she eventually spotted Jean, Xion, and Kitty standing near the lockers, chatting

Jean was the first to notice her. "Hey, Aqua! How was English class?"

Xion turned toward her as well, curious. "Yeah, anything interesting happen?"

Aqua smiled slightly. "It was alright. The teacher assigned another duet project."

That immediately piqued their interest.

Kitty tilted her head. "Ooooh, who'd you get paired with?"

Aqua hesitated for a brief moment, knowing this might stir some feelings, before saying, "Roxas."

Xion's expression barely changed, but Aqua felt the subtle pang of jealousy radiating off her friend, Jean and Kitty, however, exchanged an unsure glance

"Roxas?" Jean asked, a slight edge to her voice. "The same guy we fought earlier?"

Kitty folded her arms. "Yeah, that guy's kinda bad news, Aqua. I mean, we literally just fought him"

Aqua shook her head. "He just needs a real chance. I know you're unsure about him, but if you just talk to him—really talk to him—you might see there's more to him than you think."

Xion, despite her jealousy, nodded in agreement. "I think so too. He isn't… bad. I can feel it."

Jean and Kitty still looked skeptical, but Aqua could tell they weren't completely dismissing the idea

Before they could continue, they stepped outside and spotted Scott, Evan, Kurt, and Ororo waiting for them near the vehicles

Scott nodded toward them. "Alright, let's get going."

Jean, Kitty, and Evan climbed into Scott's car, while Aqua, Xion, and Kurt got into Ororo's vAn and drove off, Ororo glanced in the rearview mirror, sensing something was on their minds. "You all seem deep in thought. Is something wrong?"

Kurt, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly grinned. "Actually, nein! I had a super fun day!"

Aqua and Xion turned to look at him, surprised at his enthusiasm

Kurt chuckled. "Let's just say I made a new friend today." Subtly referring to Forge

Meanwhile, Xion sat back, pulling out a few books from her that Kitty had suggested, as

She started to read one of the books to have her mind momentarily distracted from the tension regarding Roxas

As the van continued down the road, the atmosphere felt lighter, but in the back of Aqua's mind, she was already thinking about her next conversation with Roxas

Meanwhile

As the group made their way across the school grounds, Pietro smirked and nudged Roxas with his elbow

"Alright, man," Pietro said casually. "What's the deal with you and those two girls? They were practically all over you, just like the emo chick over here."

Rogue immediately grimaced at that comment, stepping just a bit closer to Roxas in irritation. "Watch it, Speedy," she muttered.

Roxas, however, remained unfazed. "I know them," was all he said, Pietro blinked at the vague response but shrugged

Meanwhile, Todd stretched his arms lazily and groaned, "Man, what's for dinner?"

Smack!*

Without warning, Roxas smacked Todd in the back of the head

Rogue smirked at the sight, thoroughly enjoying that moment

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" Todd whined, rubbing his head

Roxas didn't respond, simply continuing forward with Lance and Pietro snickering at Todd's expense

"Damn, man," Lance chuckled. "You're so annoying, you actually got someone as chill as Roxas to hit you."

Todd rolled his eyes. "Whatever, man…"

As they reached Lance's jeep, Rogue glanced at them and asked, "So, what's the plan for the rest of the day?"

Lance shrugged as he hopped into the driver's seat. "We're heading back to the apartment to drop off our school stuff first."

Everyone piled into the jeep, with Rogue sitting beside Roxas

As the vehicle rumbled to life and pulled out onto the street, Rogue glanced at Roxas and softly said, "Thanks, by the way."

He looked at her, tilting his head slightly. "For what?"

"For not telling anyone ," she said, keeping her voice low

Roxas gave her a small, warm smile. "It's my pleasure." which made Rogue smile in return, feeling oddly reassured

The jeep sped up, the wind rushing past them. Rogue low-key liked the feeling of the air hitting her face, and more than that, she liked that Roxas was beside her, but if she had it her way, it'd be just her and him

Little later

As Lance's jeep pulled into the lot, Rogue took in the sight of the rundown motel they apparently lived in. It wasn't the worst place she had ever seen, but it was far from ideal

"Wait," she muttered, furrowing her brows. "Y'all really stay here?"

"Yeah," Lance said as he cut the engine. "Why? Expectin' somethin' nicer?"

"I mean…" Rogue trailed off, trying to find the right words. "It just looks… kinda mediocre."

Roxas simply shrugged. "It's livable."

"You betcha too. Roxas is nice enough to allow us all to stay" said Todd as Lance smacked him "-OW"

Rogue blinked in surprise. "Wait—you're tellin' me this is Roxas's room? And y'all just stay with him?"

Lance smirked, walking up the steps. "Pretty much."*

Rogue hadn't expected that. She figured they all just had separate rooms, or at least two. But just onem

Roxas paused at the door and looked at Rogue. "Are you sure you wanna see it?"

She crossed her arms and huffed. "I ain't that judgmental."

With that, Roxas unlocked the door and stepped inside. The others filed in, tossing their backpacks in a corner

Rogue glanced around, taking everything in. The room itself was simple—borderline cramped with pillows and blankets sprawled across the floor. It was clear they made do with what little space they had.

Todd made a beeline for the fridge, yanking it open. "Man, we got nothin' but water bottles left?" he groaned

Lance rolled his eyes. "That's 'cause you drank all the Coke."

Todd grumbled something under his breath before slamming the fridge shut

"Guess that means food run," Pietro "And they still haven't refilled the vending machine."

The boys collectively groaned at that, and Rogue shook her head in amusement as they all headed back toward Lance's jeep.

"Alright," Lance said as he started the engine. "I think I may know a place. It won't be too long"

"I hope you're right'" said Pietro as he and Todd climbed into the jeep. As Roxas climbed in last as Lance starts it and began to drive off

Rogue sat beside Roxas in the backseat, feeling the breeze rush through her hair as the jeep sped along the road. The wind felt nice, but her mind kept drifting back to earlier events.

She bit her lip, glancing briefly at Roxas. He stared out the window, seemingly lost in thought

"Ah feel bad about Kurt…" she thought. He could've been stuck in that place for good if it wasn't for Roxas and the others.

Despite the guilt gnawing at her, Rogue still felt a wave of relief knowing Kurt was safe. She didn't want to admit it out loud, but having Roxas next to her—calm and composed—made her feel more at ease

Back at the X-Mansion…

Play: K OST – Suoh MiOSTo

Kurt sat comfortably in the lounge with Xion and Aqua. The two girls had been listening intently as he described his strange experience

"So… where exactly were you?" Aqua finally asked, curiosity lacing her voice

Kurt scratched the back of his head, his tail flicking lazily. "Forge called it the 'Middleverse.' Weird place, really. All the main buildings and structures were there, but… there were barely any people."

"Barely any?" Xion echoed, tilting her head

"Ja," Kurt continued. "Some people would appear—like shadows or echoes—and then just… vanish. I tried calling out to them, but I don't think they could hear me. It was like they were there and not there at the same time."

Aqua and Xion exchanged a glance

"So hearing your voice echoing earlier at the school…" Aqua started

"…wasn't just a coincidence," Xion finished, her brows furrowed

Kurt nodded. "Exactly. But hey—I'm just glad I'm out of there."

"Did you see anything… peculiar?" Aqua asked carefully, a slight hope flickering in her eyes. Maybe Kurt saw what Roxas was doing when he went missing…

Kurt shrugged. "Not really. Just bits and pieces of conversations from different students. Nothing that seemed important."

Aqua tried to hide her disappointment, nodding nonetheless

"Man," Xion said with a small laugh, "I hope I don't end up in a place like that."

"Trust me," Kurt grinned, "you don't."

The three of them shared a laugh, the tension easing

Just then, Scott appeared in the doorway, arms crossed

"Hey," he called out. "We're running some sessions in the Danger Room. You guys in?"

"I'm good," Kurt said quickly, waving him off. "Had enough adventure for one day."

"Same here," Aqua agreed with a smile. "I think I'll pass for now."

"I'll join!" Xion said, standing up with a determined look. "I could use the training."

Scott nodded. "Alright. Let's go, then."

As Xion followed Scott out of the room, Aqua remained seated beside Kurt, her gaze lingering on the window

"Roxas" she thought. "We'll talk soon"

"Hey," Kurt said softly, glancing at her with concern. "You alright?"

Aqua looked up, forcing a small smile. "Yeah. I just… need some time to think. I'll see you later, okay?"

"If you're sure," Kurt replied, though worry still lingered in his eyes

"I'm sure," Aqua reassured him, standing up. "Thank you, though."

As she stepped out of the lounge and headed for the front door, a gruff voice stopped her

"You planning on going somewhere, kid?"

Logan stood leaning against the wall near the door, arms crossed. His sharp gaze softened slightly when he noticed the expression on Aqua's face

"Just… needed some air," Aqua said

Logan studied her for a moment before asking, "Closed the gap with that person you care about?"

Aqua paused. Her shoulders tensed. the look on her face said it all.

"Didn't think so," Logan muttered, pushing off the wall. "Ain't my business, but… I hope you figure it out"

Aqua blinked, surprised by the unexpected encouragement. A faint smile tugged at her lips. "Thank you, Logan."

"Heh," Logan grunted, waving a hand dismissively. "Just don't get lost out there."

Aqua then stepped through the double doors, feeling the breeze brush against her face. She tilted her head up toward the sky. The sun had begun its slow descent, casting an orange hue across the clouds

For a moment, she just stood there—taking it all in

It's strange… she thought. Even though it hasn't been that long… it still feels unreal to see a real sky again

The memory of the Realm of Darkness weighed heavily on her. The endless, starless expanse. The cold, suffocating silence. Compared to that place, this sky felt like a gift

But with that gift came questions

"What have I missed?"

Her fingers clenched slightly at her sides.

"What happened to Terra after I forced him out of the realm of darkness? Is he alright?"

Her mind flashed back to that moment—the desperation in her voice, the determination in Terra's eyes. She'd saved him from the darkness, but at what cost?

And Ventus…

Her gaze lowered.

He woke up, but… why does he seem different?

The boy who had once smiled so warmly, who always believed in their dreams… now went by the name Roxas. He looked the same but felt like different

Aqua took a deep breath, stepping through the front gate of the mansion

"I spent so long in that place… alone. And I thought I had come to terms with everything.." she thought "…But sitting there, in that darkness, forced me to rethink everything—every choice before we all separated… Was it all worth it?"

She looked ahead

"Maybe… a walk will help clear my mind" she thought

The streets stretched out before her. New sights. New sounds. Each step she took away from the mansion felt lighter, as if the weight of her questions might lift—if only for a little while

Little Later

Aqua wandered through the city, her steps slow and thoughtful as the sounds of cars, chatter, and distant music filled the air. The golden glow of the setting sun reflected off the glass windows of nearby buildings, casting warm hues across the sidewalks

As she walked, her mind began to drift

"What if things were different?"

A soft smile formed on her lips as a warm thought surfaced

She imagined Ventus walking beside her, his hand slipping into hers with a familiar, comforting ease. The memory of his innocent grin felt so vivid

Then…

Aqua pictured herself pulling Ventus into a hug, then Terra appeared next, wrapping his arms around both of them, pulling them into a big group hug, And then—Xion, smiling shyly but stepping in with her arms joining the embrace, as if she had always been part of their little family

Finally, Master Eraqus appeared—wise and kind—placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, pride in his gaze as he looked at them all together

A perfect moment in Aqua's opinion

But reality slowly crept back in

Her smile faded, her steps slowing. The city streets bustled with life around her, but none of those faces were Ventus, Terra, or Eraqus.

"Wishful thinking", she thought with a soft sigh "But… it would been nice."

The crowded sidewalks didn't matter anymore. She focused ahead, weaving through people with newfound purpose

Hopefully she'd reconnect with Ventus soon

Even if he seemingly goes by a different name now

Meanwhile

The warm scent of pizza filled the booth as Roxas, Rogue, Lance, Todd, and Pietro shared a large pie. The city lights from the nearby window flickered against the glass, and the low hum of conversation buzzed around them

Rogue sat close to Roxas, subtly leaning toward him, while Todd and Pietro sat across the table. Lance lounged beside Roxas, casually sipping a soda

Between bites of pizza, Rogue glanced over at Roxas, brushing a strand of white hair behind her ear

"So… where are you from, anyway?" Rogue asked, her Southern drawl soft but curious

Roxas paused for a moment. The question caught him off guard, but he quickly remembered the story he'd come up with to fit in

"Seattle," he replied casually, grabbing another slice of pizza

"Seattle?" Todd repeated with a grin. "Yo, how come you never talk about home? You always act like you ain't got no past."

Roxas shrugged, keeping his gaze on the pizza box

"Not much to tell," he said vaguely. "It rains a lot there. Streets always kinda damp. Sometimes the city feels quiet, even when it's busy. The clouds stick around more than the sun does."

As he spoke, his mind flickered with half-formed images—gray skies, wet pavement, and the faint sound of rain tapping against windows. The strange part? While he was describing a different place

Its unintentionally accurate

Rogue rested her elbow on the table, propping her chin on her hand as she listened

"Sounds kinda peaceful. Bet you got a lot of places you like there," she said with a soft smile. "You should give me a tour one day. Show me your favorite spots."

Roxas glanced at her. The sincerity in her tone caught him off guard for a moment, but he smiled back

"Yeah," he said, his voice calm but genuine. "I will when I am able"

Rogue leaned a bit closer to Roxas, her expression softening

"You mean it?" she asked quietly, referring to his promise

Roxas nodded "Yeah. I mean it."

For a moment, Rogue felt a flutter of warmth just between the two of them. But Roxas certainly hopes he wouldn't have to really explain his home

Little Later

The group stepped out of the diner, the cool night air brushing against them as they made their way toward Lance's jeep. Just as Rogue was about to take another step, she suddenly winced, bringing a hand to her temple as a dull headache pulsed through her skull.

"Rogue?" Roxas asked immediately, his brows furrowing with concern. "You okay?"

She forced a small smile, shaking her head as if to dismiss it

"Ah'm fine, Just a small headache, that's all," she assured him

Still, Roxas watched her carefully as they continued walking. He didn't quite believe her, but he didn't push it

As they neared Lance's jeep, Rogue glanced down the street before looking back at Roxas

"Ah actually stay nearby," she admitted. "Ah can walk home from here."

Roxas frowned slightly. "You sure? I can walk with you."

Rogue looked at him for a long moment, then gently reached for his hand. The second her gloved fingers wrapped around his, a wave of warmth rushed through her—but she kept her grip light, hesitant

"Ah'm sure," she said softly, giving his hand a slight squeeze. For a moment, she had the urge to do more—to lean in closer, to press her lips against his in a quiet, fleeting moment of affection. But the fear of what her powers could do held her back

But the idea was so tempting. She knew she couldn't

Instead, she reluctantly pulled away, stepping back with a small, knowing smile

"See ya later, Roxas." She said as she walked off into the night, Roxas watched her go, his fingers tingling slightly where she had held them. Something about her expression lingered in his mind—like she wanted to say more but didn't

"She'll be fine, man," Lance said, giving him a pat on the back

Roxas nodded slowly, but an uneasy feeling settled in his chest. Was she still shaken up by what happened earlier?

With a sigh, he turned and got into the jeep with the others

As Lance pulled out of the parking lot, Roxas leaned back in his seat, eyes drifting over the passing streetlights. For a split second, as they passed a corner, his gaze locked onto a familiar figure

"!?" said Roxas as he realizes that its Aqua as he then gets a flashback memory

A soft, fleeting vision of his hand intertwined with hers, warm and familiar

It made his heart skip a beat. But before he could fully process it, his body moved on instinct

"I'll catch up with you guys later," Roxas muttered as he suddenly pushed the jeep door open and hopped onto the sidewalk

"Ohhh, Roxas is off to be Prince Charming again," Todd teased, leaning forward with a smirk.

Before Todd could say anything else, Pietro swatted him on the shoulder. "Shut up, man. I just wanna get back to the room already."

Play: Shadow Generations OST – Collection Room

As the jeep rolled away, Roxas turned toward where he had seen Aqua, his heart still racing as he was walking briskly, trailing behind Aqua at a careful distance. His heartbeat pounded against his ribs, an unfamiliar nervousness creeping into his chest

After their last meeting, where things had been tense and uncertain, he wasn't sure how she would react to seeing him again

And yet, something in him—some undeniable pull—urged him forward. He had to talk to her. He had to see her. Since she's right there and no school or anyone else

As Aqua walked beneath the glow of a streetlight, she suddenly slowed her pace. As she soon became aware she's being followed

At first she tensed but she eased when she noticed that it was Roxas. A small, knowing smile tugged at her lips before she turned her head slightly, catching his gaze

"It's alright," she said gently. "I was actually hoping to see you."

Roxas stiffened for a second, surprised. He hesitated, but seeing the warmth in her expression eased his nerves. Slowly, he stepped forward until he was walking alongside her

"Yeah?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck

"Yeah," Aqua nodded. "You wanna have that talk we've been meaning to have?"

He exhaled through his nose, his lips quirking up slightly. "Yeah… I do."

They continued down the sidewalk, the city around them alive with the hum of passing cars and faint chatter from pedestrians. For a moment, the comfortable silence between them felt… right.

"Hey," Aqua suddenly asked, a small, amused lilt in her voice, "by any chance, have you memorized our duet?"

Roxas blinked, momentarily thrown off by the unexpected question. "Oh." He scratched his cheek, thinking for a second. "Uh… I have to."

Aqua giggled softly, shaking her head.

"Well, that makes two of us," she admitted. "I haven't memorized it either. But… we can practice soon."

Roxas glanced at her, watching the way her eyes reflected the city lights. There was something so familiar about this moment—walking beside her, joking about something trivial like a song

Like it wasn't the first time. He didn't say anything right away, just nodded with a small smile of his own

"Yeah," he murmured. "We can."

As they walked side by side through the dimly lit streets, Aqua found herself naturally gravitating closer to Roxas, drawn by the quiet familiarity between them. Their shoulders nearly brushed as they scanned the area for a place to talk in private

Eventually, they stumbled upon a quiet spot—a small, empty plaza with a few benches tucked away from the main street. A streetlamp flickered softly nearby, casting a warm glow over the pavement

Aqua let out a small breath as she sat down, stretching her legs slightly. Roxas sat beside her, his hands resting on his knees as he stared ahead

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

"So…" Aqua started, folding her hands in her lap. "Where do we begin?"

She glanced over at Roxas, searching his face for any sign of where his mind was at. Deciding on a question, she tilted her head slightly. "How's everything been for you since we arrived in this world?"

Roxas exhaled through his nose, considering. "I've been fine." It was a simple answer, but something about it felt distant

Aqua frowned slightly but didn't push. Instead, she tried a different approach. "Have you seen anyone else from our world?" she asked, her tone hopeful. "Anyone at all?"

There was a small pause before Roxas shook his head. "No, I haven't."

Aqua sighed softly. While she had hoped for a different answer, she wasn't surprised. If Terra was here, he would have found them by now—or at least, she hoped he would have. So far, it seemed like only Roxas, Xion, and herself had made it to this world. She began to put her hand on his to squeeze it slightly

Just as she was about to ask him more, Roxas suddenly turned toward her. "Why do you call me Ventus?"

Aqua's breath hitched slightly. She blinked, caught off guard by the question "What…?" she asked, as if she hadn't heard correctly

Roxas watched her carefully. "You keep called Ventus. You say it like it's my name." His fingers curled slightly. "But…" He hesitated before continuing, "It feels familiar, but I don't know why. I keep seeing these… visions. Things I don't understand. And the name Ventus is always tied to them."

Aqua's heart clenched. She had suspected something was off—but hearing him say it aloud hurt more than she expected

She opened her mouth, then closed it again. The memories of leaving Ventus in Castle Oblivion came rushing back. She had left him there to rest, to recover—so what happened to him?

What had changed?

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced herself to meet Roxas's gaze. "That is your name," she said gently, yet firmly. "Ventus… I've always known you as that. It's who you are."

But the way Roxas looked at her—like he was hearing it for the first time—made her chest tighten. Whatever had happened to him between Castle Oblivion and now. It certainly messed up his mind. And that realization stung more than anything.

Aqua's grip on Roxas's hand tightened slightly as she looked at him, searching his face for any sign of recognition. "Are you sure you don't remember?" she asked gently, her voice laced with quiet hope

Roxas hesitated, his fingers twitching slightly against hers. "I only remember bits and pieces," he admitted

Aqua swallowed hard, trying to keep her emotions in check. "How much do you remember me?" she pressed, her voice softer now

Roxas exhaled, his thumb unconsciously grazing over her knuckles. "I only really started remembering you when Xion and I found you in the Realm of Darkness."

That revelation made Aqua's heart ache, but it also gave her hope. He could remember—he was remembering, even if it was slow. Without thinking, Aqua instinctively held his hand more affectionately, her warmth meeting his. And then Roxas said something that caught her completely off guard

"I find myself thinking about you a lot." His voice was quiet, but sincere. He glanced at their joined hands before looking back at her. "And… I don't know what would've happened if I didn't. But I'm glad I found you."

Aqua's breath hitched slightly, her chest tightening with emotion. Still, she needed to understand more

"Besides the bits and pieces you can remember about being Ventus…" she started carefully. "What's the earliest thing you remember as Roxas?"

She watched him closely, hoping his answer would provide some kind of clue—something that could explain what happened to him after she left him in Castle Oblivion.

Roxas furrowed his brow, thinking. "The earliest memory I have…" he started slowly, "is waking up in front of a gated mansion in a forest."

"A mansion? In a forest? How did he go from Castle Oblivion to there? Did someone abduct him?" Thought Aqua as her fingers tightened around his without her realizing it.

Roxas then continued, "There was a man. He… gave me the name Roxas. Said it was for a new purpose."

Aqua's eyes widened slightly. "Who was he?"

Roxas hesitated. And then—he didn't answer

He clearly knew, but he wasn't telling her

That made Aqua's heart ache even more. So Instead of pressing further, she shifted closer and gently pulled Roxas into an affectionate hug, resting her chin against his shoulder

Roxas stiffened slightly at first but soon melted into the embrace, his hands lightly gripping her back. For now, Aqua decided, she wouldn't push him with the questioning. She trusted he'll tell her eventually as gently stroked Roxas's back as she held him close

"It's alright," she whispered. "We'll go through this together, like we always have."

She felt Roxas tense slightly in her arms, then relax, his face heating up with a faint blush. Slowly, he reciprocated the hug, pulling her tighter against him.

Aqua let out a shaky breath. "When I last saw you…" she started softly, "I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again. I didn't know if you would even wake up."

Roxas stayed quiet, his hold on her not loosening in the slightest

"Even then, I thought I left you somewhere safe," Aqua continued, her voice trembling slightly" But then, her breath hitched again as tears welled up in her eyes, slipping down her cheeks

"But now…" her voice cracked as she buried her face in his shoulder. "I'm finally able to hold you again." Before she looked up to face

Their faces were close now—so close that she could see the softness in his eyes

And then, in the quietest voice, Aqua whispered "I love you. A lot. And that's never going to change."

At that moment, Roxas's vision blurred—not from the emotion in the moment, but from something else entirely..

Another memory surfaced…

He stood beside Terra, watching as Aqua trained under Master Eraqus. Her movements were precise, powerful, beautiful

Terra let out a small chuckle beside him "You like her a lot, huh?" he teased

Ventus immediately blushed, his expression scrunching up in childish denial. "W-What? No! I just—she's just really good, that's all!"

Terra smirked knowingly. "Uh-huh. Sure."

Ventus pouted, crossing his arms, but his blush betrayed him.

Terra's smirk softened into something more thoughtful. "You know… I think if you actually went for it, Aqua would return your feelings."

The flashback ended, and Roxas blinked, his breath slightly uneven as he returned to the present moment

Aqua was still there, holding him. He looked into her deep blue eyes, a strange warmth filling his chest

"Aqua…" he murmured. "You make me feel like I have a real heart."

Aqua smiled softly, brushing away the stray tear that lingered on her cheek "Of course you have a heart," she whispered. "You are my heart."

Their foreheads pressed together, noses touching, their breaths mingling in the space between them

Another memory surfaced in Roxas's mind—this time clearer, more vivid than before

Ventus stood across from Aqua, both of them breathing heavily after an intense sparring session. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the training grounds. They had been at it for a while, pushing each other to their limits, but now… it had come down to this

One final strike

They dashed toward each other, keyblades clashing with a brilliant spark of light. Aqua twirled around, her movements precise, but Ventus reacted quickly, meeting her strike with equal force. They stumbled, off-balance, falling toward each other—

And suddenly, they were too close.

Noses nearly touching, breaths mingling—if either of them moved even slightly, their lips would have met

Wide-eyed, Ventus felt his heart hammering in his chest. Aqua's face was just as red as his, frozen in place

"Aqua wins," Eraqus's voice rang out, cutting through the tension like a blade

They immediately jumped apart, flustered, avoiding each other's gazes as if pretending that hadn't just happened

Aqua cleared her throat, brushing her hair back while Ventus rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, cheeks still burning

If Eraqus noticed, he didn't comment on it

The memory faded, and Roxas found himself staring into Aqua's eyes once more, feeling a strange sense of familiarity—like a missing piece of himself had just fallen into place.

Without thinking, the words left his lips

"I love you."

Aqua's eyes widened, but only for a second before she broke into the happiest smile he'd ever seen on her

And then. Aqua couldn't resist herself as she leaned into him for a kiss. It was warm, soft, and full of every unspoken feeling between them.

Roxas kissed her back without hesitation, his arms instinctively wrapping around her as they lost themselves in the moment

When they finally parted, their foreheads remained pressed together, their breaths mingling in the small space between them

Aqua let out a small, sheepish laugh. "I feel a little embarrassed admitting this, but… there was never a boy I felt this close to before." Her fingers gently traced over his, holding his hands between hers "But I'm glad that it's you."

Roxas wasn't sure how to describe the feeling swelling inside him. "Was this love? Could a Nobody even feel love?" he thought

Yet, looking at Aqua now—her warmth, her smile, the way her presence made him feel whole—he couldn't deny it

Even if he didn't fully understand, he knew he didn't want to let this feeling go

So he smiled

"You've changed," Aqua murmured, squeezing his hands. "But… I'm glad to know you're still the one I loved."

Roxas hesitated before asking, "Were we going to do this one day? Before the school bell rang?"

Aqua blinked in surprise before giggling softly. "As much as I would have loved to… I wasn't sure if you would've done the same." She tilted her head, gazing at him fondly. "But now I know."

As they held each other in a comfortable silence, Aqua gently ran her fingers through Roxas's hair before she finally spoke again. "Hey… would you rather I call you Roxas or Ventus?"

Roxas thought about it for a moment before answering. "I feel more connected to the name Roxas."

Aqua's expression was soft, though there was a hint of something else—maybe longing. "I see…" She had hoped he'd say Ventus, but she accepted his answer with a small nod. "Roxas it is."

After another quiet moment, Aqua hesitated before asking, "Will you come to the Xavier Institute with me?"

Roxas's expression immediately changed, his body tensing. "I can't."

Aqua frowned. "Why not?"

Roxas looked away, loosening their embrace. "I just… I can't."

Aqua's worry deepened, but she could see how closed off he became at the question. Instead of pushing, she simply reached up and caressed his cheek, her thumb brushing against his skin gently. "I hope you'll change your mind soon."

Roxas felt something stir inside him at her touch—something warm and familiar, yet foreign all the same. His mind raced for a way to hold onto this moment a little longer… And then, an idea struck him "Hey… do you wanna get ice cream?"

Aqua blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. "Ice cream?"

Roxas nodded, feeling oddly nervous for reasons he didn't fully understand. "Yeah. If anything's still open."

Aqua smiled softly. "Sure."

They wandered the city streets until they eventually found a small ice cream shop that was still open. Roxas ordered a vanilla ice cream for himself, while Aqua decided on rainbow sherbet after a curious glance at the colorful swirls

Once they left the shop, they found a quiet bench to sit on, enjoying the cool night air

Roxas took a bite of his ice cream and leaned back slightly. "I did this with a couple people, One of them always said it was 'the icing on the cake.'" Vaguely referring to Axel and Xion

He would've mention that part. However Aqua didn't know that Axel was the dude that knocked her out a while back. So it may be better to leave that out. For now

Aqua glanced at him in surprise. "Really? That's nice to hear. I'm happy to see you trying new things."

There was a slight hesitation before Aqua added, looking mildly embarrassed, "I, uh… I've never actually had ice cream before."

Roxas turned to her, a little surprised. "Never?"

Aqua shook her head, feeling a little sheepish. "I guess I just never had the chance." She took a careful bite of her rainbow sherbet. The cold sensation made her pause for a moment, but then—her eyes widened slightly. It was sweet

Aqua smiled as she savored the flavor, nodding in approval. "I like it... I can see why it's popular."

Roxas chuckled, watching her reaction with amusement. "Yeah… it's one of the little things that makes everything feel normal."

Aqua glanced at him, noticing the way he looked at his ice cream, almost as if it held some kind of nostalgia for him. Roxas sat back against the bench, his ice cream almost finished, when a thought weighed on him. He looked over at Aqua and hesitated before speaking

"Hey… I'm sorry. Our reunion wasn't exactly ideal."

Aqua glanced at him, then shook her head with a gentle smile. "It's alright. I'm just happy to see you again. That's what matters."

Roxas felt a warmth in his chest at her reassurance

Aqua then looked up at the night sky, a hopeful glimmer in her eyes. "Maybe soon, when we get home, we can find Terra. Or… if he happens to find himself here."

Roxas almost asked who Terra was but stopped himself. Something about the name felt distant yet familiar. But he didn't want to ruin the moment, so he let it go.

Instead, Aqua suddenly perked up, turning back to him. "Oh, don't forget! We still have our duet to memorize."

Roxas smirked slightly. "Right… guess we'll have to practice later."

After they finished their ice cream, Aqua sighed and stood up. "I have to go now."

Roxas nodded, standing up as well. There was a moment of hesitation between them before they leaned in, sharing a quick but meaningful goodbye kiss. Their lips met softly, and for just a few seconds, the world felt a little lighter

As they pulled away, Aqua gave him one last lingering look before heading off into the night.

Later Back at the X-Mansion

Play: Undertale - Home

Xion sat in her room, a book in her hands, but she wasn't reading. She had been trying, yet something gnawed at her, distracting her from the words on the page

A bit of jealousy

She squeezed the book a little tighter, her grip firm against the cover. The feeling was directed at Aqua—but why?

After a moment, she sighed and carefully bookmarked her page before closing the book. Feeling restless, she stood up and quietly stepped out into the hall, walking through the dimly lit corridors of the mansion

As she passed near the entrance, she heard the door open. Instinctively, she stepped to the side, peeking around the corner

It was Aqua. Xion remained hidden as she listened

Wolverine's voice came from nearby, laced with his usual sarcasm. "Y'know, if you came earlier, you could've made it back in time for school."

Aqua let out a small chuckle. "Sorry for being out so late."

Wolverine folded his arms. "Yeah, well, you might wanna make a habit of comin' back earlier. Otherwise, Xavier or Ororo will start enforcin' a curfew."

Aqua nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

Xion quietly slipped away before she could be noticed. She hadn't planned on eavesdropping, but she couldn't help herself

Still feeling restless, she made her way toward the kitchen. She wasn't particularly hungry, but… a midnight snack sounded nice

Aqua then stepped into the kitchen, stopping in her tracks when she saw Xion already inside. The girl was mid-step toward the fridge, and they both blinked at each other in surprise.

"Oh—Xion? What are you doing up so late?" Aqua asked, tilting her head.

Xion hesitated before rubbing the back of her neck. "Uh… just looking for a midnight snack."

Aqua gave her a knowing smile. "Late-night reading again?"

Xion's sheepish expression was all the confirmation she needed. "Yeah… sorry."

Shaking her head in amusement, Aqua watched as Xion opened the fridge and then checked the pantry. After a moment of consideration, she grabbed a few cookies and began munching on them

"How was your walk?" Xion asked between bites.

Aqua, choosing to leave out the part about seeing Roxas, simply smiled. "It was enjoyable. You should come with me next time."

Xion perked up at that. "I'd love to"

Aqua nodded, then moved toward the pantry, grabbing a bagel and biting into it as she leaned against the counter. "Did I miss anything while I was out?"

Xion shrugged. "Not much. Just some sessions in the Danger Room, but nothing major."

Aqua hummed in acknowledgment before eyeing Xion playfully. "And how's your homework coming along?"

Xion froze for a second before forcing a casual tone. "Oh, uh… a little difficult, but manageable."

Aqua chuckled softly, finishing her bagel. "We can work on it together later."

Xion smiled at the offer. "Thanks, Aqua."

As Aqua stood up and stretched, she glanced at the clock and let out a small sigh. "I should get to bed. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight," Xion said, finishing the last of her cookies as Aqua left the kitchen as she walked to her room leaving Xion to her midnight snack

As Aqua slipped into bed, she let out a slow breath, sinking into the soft covers. But as she hugged her pillow tightly, she found herself yearning for Roxas's touch instead

She closed her eyes, a small, wistful smile forming on her lips

"I hope you'll join the institute eventually…" she thought

With that thought lingering in her mind, she slowly drifted off to sleep

To Roxas

Play: Undertale OST - Respite

Roxas sat on the roof of the motel, gazing up at the stars. His thoughts drifted to Aqua—her words, her touch, the way she looked at him like he was something real.

"You have a heart… and you're my heart."

The words echoed in his mind, making his chest feel both warm and heavy. He wanted to believe her, but deep down, the truth gnawed at him. He was a Nobody. He wasn't supposed to have a heart. Was it right to let her believe otherwise? Should he tell her the truth?

Before he could dwell on it further, he sensed something—an approaching presence. A shadow stretched over him, prompting him to turn around

Descending from the sky, with an air of authority and purpose, was Magneto

Roxas stood up cautiously as the mutant leader landed gracefully on the rooftop

"How is my son?" Magneto asked without preamble, his piercing gaze locking onto Roxas

Roxas straightened, keeping his expression neutral. "Pietro's fine."

Magneto studied him for a moment before giving a small nod, satisfied with the answer. "Good."

Then, he took a step forward, his tone shifting. "I've noticed something about you, Roxas." Roxas remained still, waiting for him to continue "When you fight, you show more restraint—especially against those associated with Xavier."

Roxas frowned. "Is that a bad thing?"

Magneto gave a measured smile. "Both yes and no."

He walked slowly, hands behind his back. "Showing restraint with fellow mutants can be valuable—it helps forge bonds, establish trust. However…" His red cape billowed slightly as he turned to face Roxas fully. "You must also know when not to show restraint."

Roxas narrowed his eyes. "And what if the people I'm supposed to fight are the ones I care about?"

For a moment, Magneto was silent, his expression unreadable. Then, with an air of understanding, he spoke. "That is not an easy burden to bear. But sometimes, we must make difficult choices for the sake of a better future."

He stepped closer, his voice lowering slightly. "If you care for them, perhaps you can sway some of Xavier's students to see our perspective. If they are willing to listen, of course."

Roxas remained quiet, processing the suggestion

Then, Magneto's tone became softer—almost persuasive. "Staying on my side, Roxas, will pave the way for a perfect world. One where no one has to suffer… where everyone can be whole."

Roxas stiffened. His breath hitched slightly at those words

Magneto placed a firm yet reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I know this is not easy for you. But there is no harm in trying. Just remember—Xavier is misguided. He leads those who follow him into disarray. You must remain strong against his influence."

Roxas felt a weight in his chest—one he wasn't sure how to describe. Was Magneto right? Would following him really lead to something better?

As Magneto's words lingered in the air, Roxas found himself deep in thought.

Could he really sway Aqua and Xion to join him in the Brotherhood?

Aqua… she seemed strong, wise, and always guided by her heart. She cared about him—he knew that. But Would she believe in Magneto's vision of a perfect world?

And Xion… she was different. Maybe, just maybe, she would listen to him. Maybe she would understand why he was doing this.

But what if they refused? What if they looked at him like he was the enemy?

His hands clenched into fists at the thought. He didn't want to lose them.

Magneto watched him carefully, as if reading the conflict in his mind. "You are still doing fine, Roxas." His voice was steady, reassuring. "There is no need to rush. In time, you will see things clearly."

With that, Magneto lifted off the ground, his cape flowing behind him as he disappeared into the night.

Roxas remained standing on the rooftop, staring at the empty space Magneto had left behind.

He felt he has a choice to make. And he hoped it wouldn't burn his bridges with Aqua and Xion

To be Continued

Trivia

1: One thing I always find funny about Forge's first appearance, is that in the actual show. His lab was set to explode the moment someone entered it. So how he managed to pack explosives under the school without being put on a watch list is both very funny and a mystery

Not to mention the guy had 2 episodes where he had any sort of notable role. I was contemplating not even using him at all for this fic for that reason alone

But considering time constraints and budgetary reasons. I wouldn't be surprised if they wanted him to show up more

2: So. We finally have the Roxas's first kiss. The specific reason why I wanted it to be Aqua. Is because of the fix "You Were Ventus Once" and the concept the author had that Roxas and Aqua already knew each other is a tragic idea I like so much. Maybe it's sadistic of me. But eh.

Tragedy makes the good more meaningful. In my own opinion

3: I've written some guest work for my friends Kaiserreich99 and FanFicHazza. If you get curious, you should check their stuff out. And you shall see. I think they would both appreciate it very much

4: funny enough. I've been binging plenty of Mario lore and I find myself kind of obsessed with the Wario spinoffs.

Did you know there is a sentient watermelon called the "Angry Watermelon"? Yeah, Wario Land enemies are wacky as hell. And I love it

Oh Wario Land. Plz return one day. It's been 17 years or so