KH-Vids Royale III

035​

“All the stupid Kingdom Hearts kids, let’s log on to KH-Vids.”
No, Calxiyn’s terrified inner voice trembled. No more of this stupid song. No more dying. No more of this.
“You’re finally up,” said Blaine. She opened her eyes. He was sitting on the side of her bed, looking down at her.
“Woah!” she exclaimed, sitting up. The last moments she remembered before waking up replayed, but they were fuzzy. She was rescued at the end of the challenge by someone unknown - then his identity had been revealed in that strange place under the volcano to be Blaine. And now he sat next to her, in the dormitory where the players gathered between challenges.
“I’m so confused,” she said, holding her head. Where exactly was she when Roxas pulled off Blaine’s mask? And why was he helping run this twisted game in the first place?
“Have some water,” Blaine said. “They gave out dinner a couple hours ago. I saved you one.”
Calxiyn finally took a moment to catch her bearings. She was back in the same bed she’d woken up in every time she’d been gassed. Everyone who’d survived was up and mingling. On the platform, Roxas was playing an acoustic version of The KH-Vids Song. It wasn’t the recording he loved to torture them with that was playing this time - it was the artist live himself. What a shame, she thought, the song now tainted. This would have been so cool otherwise.
She felt the urge to vomit, overwhelmed by everything that had happened. Her team, the yellow giraffes, had lost, and as she looked from face to face of the remaining players she saw that none of them were there. It felt wrong to still be alive. Almost unfair.
“Why’d you save me?” Calxiyn asked. “You called me your princess. I… I really don’t know what to say to that.”
“Hear, eat this,” Blaine said, passing her a plate with a corn cob, a muffin, two stalks of broccoli and a slice of wet ham. “This might be all we get for a while.”
The intense desire to blow chunks returned, but Calxiyn forced the food down with the help of the water Blaine had offered her as well. As her senses materialized, she realized everyone must have been up for the last few hours while she slept. It seemed like she hadn’t missed much - well, other than the first few minutes of The KH-Vids Song.
Piece by piece, she nibbled the food down until it was all gone. It wasn’t good, but she did feel better - at least a little bit. It felt like she hadn’t eaten in days. The time was passing funny, in a way that was hard to comprehend. For all she knew, weeks had passed down here in the dormitory. Or hours. Probably best not to think about it.
“God, I’ve always wanted to perform that live for you,” Roxas sniffled, a tear in his eye as he struck the final chord. “Shame there weren’t more of you left to see it.”
Whether he was expecting to hear a round of applause or not, no one acknowledged the song as it came to a close.
“Right, well… we’re finally all up, and I think it’s time we talk about the game.”
Talk about a mood change, Calxiyn thought as everyone perked up. She’d take the song again over the prospect of the game starting back up. Please give us a rest, Roxas. I can’t do another challenge yet.
“First up - congratulations to all who survived capture the flag,” Roxas began. “You’re pretty lucky to be here. There’s less than half of you remaining, and that means we’re closing in on the end of the game. I hope that gives you all some relief. Even if it’s only momentary. Next, there’s been a little twist in the game. I’m sure you’ve all noticed our new friend who’s decided to join you all out there.”
The hair on Calxiyn’s arms rose as all heads turned to her and Blaine.
“That’s right. There were eleven of you left after the challenge, but now twelve players remain thanks to our good friend Blaine. I don’t want there to be any animosity, so I suppose I’ll have to explain how he got here in the first place.”
Roxas paused. For dramatic effect or because he really didn’t know what to say next, Calxiyn did not know.
“This game is possible because I allied with senior ranking members of the Kingdom Hearts online community to pool financial resources. There’s no way I could have put this all together myself. Do you know how many of these guys we had to hire?” He waved at the Organization members who stood back, threatening their machine guns. “And yeah, Blaine was wearing one of those masks all along, helping from the background. The mask thing's part of the rules, okay? I’m the only one who can show his face. I am the Composer, after all.”
Bad vibes were a bit of an understatement. The members of KH-Vids were taken aback, horrified at the news.
“Other senior ranking members of the Kingdom Hearts community?” Misty asked incredulously. “What do you mean? Like who!?”
“The owner of KHInsider, and KH-13,” Roxas answered straightforwardly. “If you must know.”
“You’re all sick!” Lauriam screamed, fuming. “We are the community - we made you! And you turn around and do this to us!?”
“You should all just forget about it,” Roxas said. “Who cares who’s throwing the game, anyway? And trust me - there’s more than a handful of Kingdom Hearts website freaks involved in this thing. This is the greatest televised event in human history.”
“So we’re cannon fodder for your financial gain?” Misty spat. “You’re a real dick, Roxas.”
“Just wait until the members of KHInsider go up against each other next,” Roxas laughed. “They’re talking about having fifty players in that one, on a smaller island! Oh, it’ll be good.”
“You can’t be serious!” Blaine shouted, standing from Calxiyn’s bed. “Everything he’s saying is false, everyone! He’s a sad troll who can’t mess with his favorite forum anymore, so he’s taking it out on us in real life!”
Roxas simply cracked up. “Ever the valiant hero, aren’t you, Blaine? Will you just shut the **** up? It’s all true, guys. I wouldn’t lie.”
“Don’t listen! He’s just trying to freak us out!”
The Composer half grinned, half sighed, and ended up shaking his head in his own hands while he tried to suppress a smile. “Look,” he said. “Let’s just move on. You don’t need a lore dump on the history of the game after everything you've just been through.”
“We want answers,” Misty demanded. “We want to know why we just had to watch our friends die like that.”
“But I thought it was obvious why,” Roxas said. Misty looked around, unconvinced anyone else thought it was actually that obvious. “I suppose I should mention after the last round; the prize pool has gone up by quite a bit.”
The great pot of money that hung from the ceiling lit up and the funnel dropped down again. Calxiyn watched stacks of bills rain down, filling it more and more, and more, and more… and it still kept going. After five minutes had passed, it stopped.
“Eighty million dollars,” Roxas pointed. “That’s why.”
She was scared because he was right. Something seemed to snap in everyone as they noticed the money again.
“This won’t be a team game anymore,” Roxas said. “The whole cutesy colorful animals thing was a one time off. We’re back to the original rules. That’s all I have to say for now.”
“And the next challenge?” asked Misty. “When is it?”
Roxas thought for a moment. “Not too soon,” he said. “I’ll let you rest. For now, look forward to the next meal.”
Relief swept the room. Thank all that is holy, Calxiyn thought, exhaling. I just want to lay down again for one moment.
“With that, I bid you adieu,” he said, and left the room. The doors clanged shut behind him and the Organization members who followed.

12 players remaining

 

036​

A few hours had passed since Roxas left the dormitory. Cin had no idea what time it was - the challenge had ended at sunrise, but how long ago was that? How much time had passed between then and now? He looked around the room - most of the remaining players were in groups, talking and resting. A thought struck him and he walked over to C, who was consoling Mish.
“Hey, C,” Cin said. “You don’t happen to have the hacked tracker, do you?” If he could see where Roxas was now, he’d have an idea where the man might be staying.
“Nah. Nothing,” C replied. “They stripped us on the way back in. But if it’s anything like last time, it should be in my bag again when the game begins.”
****, Cin cussed. That would have helped. Whatever, I’ll fix this on the fly.
“You two have to go to the bathroom, right?”
C and Mish shared a confused look.
“Well, no…”
“Are you sure?” Cin asked, winking at C. His face lit up as he realized what Cin was getting at.
“Well I think I have to take a **** now. Shall we go?”

---​

Blindfold on again, Cin hoped the Organization member was taking him to the same toilet they had the last time he’d used the restroom.
“Stop.”
There was beeping, just like before. So there must be a secret tunnel that heads off from the main tunnel… and who knows what other tunnels this secret one might lead to?
Gas hissed as something heavy opened. Cin felt a set of hands turn him left.
“Your way is free. Continue.”
They walked another five minutes. Last time, Cin had been taken to a break room. Was it also their destination now?
The blindfold was pulled off, and the answer was revealed. They were in the break room, but it was a dirtier than last time. Someone had set up a PS5. There were no Organization guys lingering about working on anything. It was the perfect setup for Cin’s plan.
“Go ahead,” the Organization member said, pointing Cin and C to the mens' room. Mish went into the womens'.
Once they were inside, C closed the door. “We have no time to waste,” he said. “Show me where you’re going.”
“There,” Cin said, pointing at the grate on the ceiling of the stall. They both grimaced - a large poo had been left unflushed in the toilet. The place was a disaster.
“Don’t slip,” C gulped.
Cin stepped on the toilet seat and began to unscrew the grate. He'd left several screws loose to make this easier.
“If he’s coming, I’m going to shout that I need fresh toilet paper, got it?”
“Got it,” Cin nodded. He handed C the screws and grate. “And if he does come back, then lock me up there. I don’t care. Just don’t leave the grate open."
“But won’t he see that you’re gone?”
“Tell him I fell in all this,” Cin said, pointing at the toilet he stood on. Yellow, murky water almost spilled from the bowl. He hoisted himself up into the air duct and stood. Forgot how big this thing was.
"I won't be long, C," he called down.
Faint footsteps echoed through the giant metal walls of the air duct. Mish came around the corner.
“Was it difficult getting up here?” Cin asked.
“The grate was a pain, but here I am,” Mish smiled.
“We don’t have much time, so follow me.”
Cin led her to the first vent he’d looked through on his original adventure in the air duct. Their bags from the game were sitting on tables, already packed. Last time, he’d watched them place their weapons and items back in.
“This is where they keep our stuff,” he told Mish. “I saw this last time.”
“Why did you wait to tell us now?” she asked.
“I was scared,” Cin explained. “Scared that if too many people knew, this would all fall apart. But I trust you and C. We want the same thing.”
“Let’s keep going,” Mish said.
They reached the next vent. “Last time there were tons of guys down here typing away,” Cin told her. “But it’s empty now.”
There were no bodies at the computers, no man in red watching.
“It must be late,” Mish deduced. “Probably not much work to do when the camera is pointing at the dormitory.”
“At least we know they have some sort of base of operations,” Cin said. “I mean, that’s what that looks like this is.”
“What’s next?”
“I didn’t get farther than this last time. Come on.”
The air duct was getting tighter and lower. They both got down and crawled next to each other. The next vent appeared a few meters ahead. There was no light coming from it.
“What is it?” Mish said, squeezing next to Cin. He doubted they’d be able to go any further unless they went single file.
“Look,” Cin whispered. “Who are they?”
Down below, two men in red were speaking in a dark room.
“...Final twist, unless you want our viewers to fall…?”
“What are they saying?” asked Mish. “I can’t hear!”
“...Thinks he’s everything, but… that’ll be a laugh.”
“...After the next challenge… the true game…”
“...That money… for everything…”
“I can’t hear!” Mish said, pushing forward. But the two men in red were heading for the exit of the room.
“...Beneath the dunes…"
The door closed.
“Did you hear anything?”
“Just scraps,” Cin said. “Something about the next challenge?”
“And what were they saying about Roxas? I’m sure they were talking about him.”
“I don't know,” Cin frowned. “Shall we press on?”
“Sure,” Mish said. “I can see another vent up ahead.”
They inched forward at the same time, getting a little stuck as the vent began to shape down into a duct the size of a child.
“Crap,” Cin said. “I can’t move.” He turned to Mish. She was stuck, too - right next to him. Their faces were nearly touching - so close Cin could make out the freckles in her eyes.
“I never noticed you had green eyes,” Cin said. Why am I saying this?
“I never noticed yours were blue,” Mish replied.
“Um,” Cin said. “We’re kind of stuck.”
“I guess we are.”
He felt his face moving closer to hers, their eyes locked. What am I doing? Is this…?
Mish closed her eyes. Is this when I close mine?
Their lips closed in, millimeters from brushing.
“Hey! I need fresh toilet paper, man! This roll’s out!”
Cin and Mish jumped, the moment cut short.
“That’s my cue!” Cin said. “Let’s head back!” They both tried moving unsuccessfully.
“Go!” Mish urged. “Quick!” Her face was red, and she couldn't look him in the eye.
Cin pushed out of the tight air duct and back into the larger one. He didn’t stand, afraid to make too much noise, so he ran like a gorilla toward the grate instead.
“See you back at the dorm,” he said to Mish. With that, he dropped into the mens' room.

---​

Fifteen minutes later, they sat at Mish’s bed. C looked around, making sure no one was nearby.
“So, what did you find out?” he asked. Cin and Mish seemed unable to answer. “You two okay?” No answer. “Did something happen up there?”
“Cin! Mish!”
It was Misty, running over from where Calxiyn and Blaine were.
“Guys!” she was huffing and puffing. “You need to hear this!”
“Hear what?” C asked.
“From Blaine - and Calxiyn! There’s a whole network of tunnels under the island!”
Cin stood immediately. All his research, all his intuition - it was correct.
“Say no more,” he told Misty. “I need to speak with them myself.”

12 players remaining

 

I'm a married woman in this universe, and here I am getting stuck in vents with other men...

 

always good to keep your options open

 

I had to scale back the romance in this last chapter due to a conflict with my editors.

Thing is, they're trying to launch a "KH-Kids Royale" spinoff on Nickelodeon and the level of gore, language and now sexually explicit content is obviously a concern for them. So, chapter 036 was rewritten forty-four times, dumbing down a beautiful love scene in a dusty, cramped air duct to a preteen fantasy that would only happen on a TV show. Thankfully, I'm fighting hard to have the show rebranded and moved to Adult Swim so we can get back to the content the people really want.

 

Hehe I'm shidding

 

037​

Yozora quietly spent the last challenge collecting flags off undefended crates. The elation that came with victory was stained by an itching guilt - it was really his moves across the island that led to the yellow giraffes’ defeat. Yet one team had to lose. Nothing about it could be pinned on him truly. He was only one cog, and the game still had many players.
Now, it had one extra. Blaine’s arrival had opened up all sorts of questions about the game. They huddled around Calxiyn’s bed to hear his stories.
“The volcano has a whole system underneath it,” he explained, hand on one knee while he stared at the ground. “But that’s not the only place people are hiding. How do you think they have the stream going the way it is? Or how this whole thing’s running in the first place? There’s almost a hundred people scattered beneath the island, making sure this is the best damned show anyone’s ever seen. And it’s working.”
“You were higher up, weren’t you?” asked Mish. “A MiR.”
“A MiR?” asked Blaine, looking up. Cin stepped forward.
“It’s a nickname,” Cin said. “A Man in Red. I first saw you - well, one of you, when I used the restroom. It’s like you were giving orders.”
“Could have been me, yeah,” Blaine said. “There are three of us in total. The other two are the investors in the game Roxas mentioned earlier.”
“Three men in red,” Mish whispered, listing back and forth while she racked her brain. “Well, two now, I guess.”
“Other than us and Roxas, everyone else is the same rank; one of them.” Blaine pointed toward a regular Organization member who watched them now, machine gun in hand. “They’re the pawns, I guess.”
“There’s something we’re all wondering, Blaine,” Cia said. She stood up. “And you must know. Where are we? Where’s this island?”
“I…” Blaine began. “I don’t know.”
Yozora sighed. Should have known.
“I was gassed, too. We all were. Only Roxas knows where this really is.”
“Heh - even you don’t know. In a sense, we’re all part of the game,” Cin mused. A few laughs rippled around the circle. “We’ve been after Roxas, Blaine. What do you know about him?”
Blaine sat quietly, organizing his thoughts. He let out a slow breath. “He reached out to me around a year ago. That’s when this thing was really being put to plan. He wanted money, and yeah, I have that. But Roxas also reached out to specific people, you know? People from Kingdom Hearts websites. So, when we all first met up with him, I thought it was some fun get together type of thing. But, it turned. He began the presentation. And by the end, I was in.”
“But why, Blaine?” Misty asked bluntly. “Why do something so terrible?”
“I did it for the same thing that’s keeping you alive and hungry,” Blaine said, pointing up at the giant pot of money that hung from the ceiling. “All of us really want one thing. And it’s not our fault, not completely. It’s just the way this world is.”
“Damn, dude,” Cin said. “I wish you had a bit more information for us. Though… I apologize. This is more than enough confirmation of my theory.”
“What theory?” asked Blaine.
“Something weird’s happening. I was able to track Roxas on a GPS and I saw him move across the island. But when I went to his location, he was gone. It hit me then that the island may have some sort of underground network. But I never thought it would be at the scale you’re telling me now.”
“It’s massive,” Blaine said. “But I know my way around it. And I know a few secrets, too.”
“Secrets?” C asked. “Go on.”
“A lifeboat,” Blaine said. “Multiple. They have them beneath the city ruins. If I can reach them, I can bring one back here and pick you all up.”
Yozora stood. “Really!?”
“Yes,” Blaine nodded. “It’s a crazy plan, and it’s not guaranteed to work. But it's all I have.”
“Why should we trust you?” asked Misty. “You could just escape.”
“Then someone come with me,” Blaine said. “I can’t go alone. I need backup, right?”
“Even if he doesn’t come back, who cares?” Mish shrugged. “Let him go.”
“Fair enough,” Misty said.
Blaine peeled a bandaid off his neck. “Looks like they chipped me,” he said. “They’ll know we’re coming. But if we can take out that guy up there, we’ll have one weapon. And as more fall, we can gather their guns.”
“Jesus,” C said. “How many of us are going with you?”
“Hmm,” Blaine rubbed his forehead. “It should probably only be two more people. We need to move somewhat swiftly, and too many of us will only be a hindrance. Calxiyn…” He stood, and held his hand out to her. “Please, I saved you for… a reason. Come with me, in case something happens.”
“Something… happens?” Her lip quivered. “Okay,” she said, and grabbed his hand.
“I need one more,” Blaine looked around. “Cin? C?”
“Hell nah,” C said.
“I should stay back,” Cin said. “I have business of my own, and your plan might be the perfect time to get it taken care of.”
Blaine grinned. “No problem. What about you, Mish? Misty?”
Both girls shook their heads. “I’m good.”
“I’ll go!”
Everyone turned to look at Yozora, his hand raised. I do feel guilty, he admitted to himself. For making sure another team lost that game. I couldn’t save them, but now, with Blaine, I can at least try to save the last of us.
“Yozora?” Blaine asked. “Yeah, okay. That makes three of us. Are we all okay with that?”
Yozora and Calxiyn nodded.
“Guys, I’m not Blaine, but I know a bit about the island,” Cin offered. “You should all use the restroom. That’ll be your chance to steal the machine gun.”
Blaine nodded. “Thanks, Cin. I was thinking that was the best way out of here.”
“Good luck, all of you,” Mish smiled. She hugged Calxiyn.
“Now,” Blaine said. “Follow me.”

12 players remaining

 

So what you're saying is if we want to defeat Roxas we must defeat capitalism first? Guess it can't be helped

 

You can make it back yozora :( you did such a good job stealing all those flags for us
--- Post updated ---

KHVR3 confirmed based and anarcho-frienshipist

 

038​

Blaine was blindfolded, aware that Calxiyn and Yozora were somewhere behind him while the Organization member led them outside the dormitory and into the hall. He heard their footsteps tap the floor as they meandered forward. This was the tunnel Roxas and himself had sent the kids from KH-Vids down on the way to their inevitable dooms, and now here he was; one of them, walking it himself.
Cin had said one last thing before they’d walked off to use the restroom:
“Blaine. There’s a passage that takes a passcode - wait until they open that door before you go for the gun.”
He wasn’t a walking atlas, but Blaine knew the island’s underground system decently well. That tunnel would give them access to much more - a whole web of halls that spanned the island.
“Stop.”
They staggered to a stop, and Blaine felt Calxiyn bump into him. She grabbed his arm - they both knew the time was coming.
Beep, beep - beep.
A mechanical door slid open. “Turn left,” the man said. The voice's position gave Blaine an idea of where the Organization member was standing, but one more phrase would confirm it.
“This way?” he asked, turning right.
“No,” the Organization member said. Right behind me, Blaine realized. Now… or never.
He turned around, and lifted one leg as if to walk toward the door.
One step.
Blaine dropped to the ground and swung his leg out. His shin swept the Organization member off his feet as it crushed into his legs.
“Gah!” Something clattered to the ground.
“Grab it!” Blaine screamed. Bodies jumped over him and he felt a struggle begin. He pried the blindfold from his face and saw Yozora and the Organization member struggling. Calxiyn had retrieved the gun and was pointing it at them.
“Yozora, stop!” she said. He rolled off the mystery person and smacked into the wall. The heavy gun made Calxiyn’s arms shake. The Org member jumped to his feet and turned to her.
“Like you have the guts to use that, little girl,” the member’s robotic voice rattled. He jumped at Calxiyn.
“Calxiyn - nooooo!” screamed Blaine.
But Yozora’s arms wrapped around the member’s head and pulled him backward. The two fell to the ground in another struggle. Blaine watched the member’s legs kick out in panic as the air slowly left his body. After a minute of thrashing, the lifeless body rolled onto the metal floor.
“I got him,” Yozora gasped. “I actually got him. You okay?”
“I should be asking you that,” Blaine sighed, relieved.
They looked at the ground where the staff member lay. Yozora crawled over to him. “I’m gonna take it off,” he said. Gently, he wrapped his fingers around the mask with the Keyblade symbol on its face. As he pulled it off, he noticed it was only held on by two bands that went around the back of the head. He pulled them up and the mask slipped off. Beneath was the plain face of a bald man.
“I… I don’t know what I was expecting, but I don’t know him,” Calxiyn said.
“You won’t know any of them,” Blaine informed. “They were vetted to be people with no relation to anyone in the game. To keep things fair.”
The three stood in silence, looking at the dead body.
“Hand me that,” Blaine said, pointing at Calxiyn. She gave him the gun. “Yozora. Put that on.” He pointed to the Organization member’s clothes.
“These?” Yozora asked.
Blaine nodded.
Five minutes later, a 'new' Organization member stood with them.
“This is pretty comfy,” Yozora said, his voice distorted by the vocoder inside the mask. “Nice and warm, especially compared to those nasty tracksuits.”
“Take this,” Blaine said, handing him the machine gun. “Now point it at us.”
Yozora raised it at Blaine and Calxiyn.
“Put your hands up.” She did, and Blaine followed.
“Walk behind us, Yozora," Blaine said. "We're your captives, right?”
Blaine led them down the hall with Yozora following. They passed two Org members heading in the other direction. Yozora gave them a head nod and they walked on, undisturbed.
“Almost there,” Blaine whispered.
They passed some vending machines and water fountains before they turned right. A vast hallway led into the distance. LED lights lined the walls and a moving platform allowed one to stand while being carried into the island’s depths.
“This will lead us to the center of the island. There, we head for the ruins, where the lifeboats are.”
“You know the way, right, Blaine?” Calxiyn asked nervously.
“I know exactly where we’re going,” he replied. “Follow me.”
He stepped out onto the moving platform, and before his toe touched the first rubber of the belt, an alarm started blaring in the underground tunnels.
Bwah! Bwah! Bwah!
Red lights began to flash and the cheery voice that announced player’s deaths returned with a new message: “Warning, warning, - player loose in after hours. Warning, warning - player loose in after hours.”
“What’s happening!?” screamed Calxiyn. “I thought we hid the body!”
“They have cameras everywhere.”
“Then did we ever stand a chance!?”
“Yes,” Blaine answered. “But we have to move fast.”
****, he thought, realizing the **** show he’d just activated. We’ll need more than speed to get out of this one.

---
​

Back in the dorm, the players had been left momentarily unattended.
Bwah! Bwah! Bwah!
Lights began to spin on the walls, casting a scarlet glow on the room between pulses.
“It’s happening,” Misty said to Cin. “They must have found them.”
“I’m not waiting,” Cin said, standing. “I know where they’re keeping our stuff - our food, our bags, and our random weapons, too. I’m getting it back.”
Misty got up.
“Not without me,” she said.
Cin ran toward the door, and she followed.

12 players remaining

 

JAILBREAK JAILBREAK JAILBREAK

 

039​

“We need to hurry, Roxas. It isn’t safe here.”
The Control Room was in a frenzy; alarms blaring, machine guns cocking, voices shouting at each other to get moving.
“Keep checking the cameras!” Roxas shouted over the chaos. “We need to find them!”
Someone stayed at their desk, furiously smashing a button to jump from camera to camera. The giant LED screen switched views of the island's dim halls. Roxas had installed that alarm for one reason; to go off if anyone with a microchip installed in them passed a certain point. Unless this was a fluke, his players had escaped.
“Please, Roxas! You wrote the protocols yourself - we must move to the hidden chamber!”
Shut up, please, Roxas thought, his eyes pinned to the enormous screen. The camera panned to the center of the island, at the crossroads where four tunnels met. Two figures caught his eye.
“Stop!” he shouted, raising his hand. There you are, you devils.
Blaine and Calxiyn were being led at gunpoint by one of his own Organization team members. Where are you taking them? Roxas wondered. Something wasn’t right.
“Members, mobilize!” called someone from the back of the room. “Try not to die and keep your eyes on the prize!” They began to march as a unit.
“Wait,” Roxas snapped, turning. They stopped on his command. “Take me with you. I need to make sure we capture them alive.”
“B-But, Roxas!” It was the one who’d been asking him to come along with him this whole time. “Your protocols!”
“Oh, **** off already,” Roxas sighed. “Stay here, and keep the cameras rolling - all of you! This could be the best part of the game yet.”
His workers stared at him for a moment. Then, like a switch had been flicked, they returned to what they were doing before. The bewilderment ceased, and Roxas headed for the door.
Imagine the reaction when Composer and Player meet outside the walls of the game. Ah… the potential alone sates me. One of the members handed him their machine gun. Roxas checked the safety and threw it over his back.
He finally had a role to play, and he couldn’t wait to join the show.

---​

Misty, dizzied by the flashing lights, ran as fast as she could to keep up with Cin. She knew they didn’t have much time before the dormitory was checked and their escape discovered. Voices echoed down the hall. Cin stopped right in front of Misty and she smacked into him.
“Get back!” he squealed, pushing her against the wall.
“This way!”
She heard metallic shouting. A group of Org members closed in, their footsteps approaching. Cin pulled her into an alcove behind a stack of metal pipes. There was a crescendo and decrescendo of footsteps as a group of goons ran by and disappeared into the pulsing lights.
“Close one,” Misty said when she was sure they were gone.
“This is insane,” Cin said. “Completely insane.”
They hurried on and passed an empty break room, warm food left on the table. As they passed entrances, Misty noticed the doors were wide open as if a mechanism was in place to keep them that way once the alarm sounded. One had a set of bunk beds and a little toilet. Another had cleaning supplies lining the walls. It all seemed so arbitrary. Finally, Cin began to slow down as if he knew where they were.
“It should be here,” he said, entering a room. Misty followed him in to see a row tables with their duffel bags on top.
“Good find," she smiled.
“Indeed,” Cin said. “There were guys in here stocking these up before capture the flag; our maps, food and weapons.” He immediately went to a nearby locker and opened it, looking through the inside.
“Cin?” Misty asked. “You don’t want your bag?”
“Nah, there’s something else I’m looking for.”
Misty shrugged and walked up to the first table. The blaring from the alarm system had yet to subside, and the lack of light made it hard to see the zipper. She fumbled with the first bag until it tore open. What’s this?
The bag was empty. She dropped it to the floor and grabbed the next one. Zip! Also empty. Misty pulled one after the next open in a panic - there wasn’t a single item to be found.
“Cin!” she called. “They’re empty! All of them!”
He ignored her, his head deep in a third locker. “It’s in here somewhere…”
Misty walked up behind him. “Didn't you hear me?” His arm in the depths of a bag, he pulled out a paintbrush.
“This,” he said. “This is it. I brought this with me to LA. Thought I’d never see it again.”
“You risked coming here for that?”
“Yeah,” Cin shrugged. “It’s my favorite brush.”
“What’s in these lockers?” Misty asked. “Our stuff?”
“Sure is."
Misty pushed him out of the way. “Are you serious, Cin? We could call our way out of here!”
“I highly doubt a phone is gonna work on this island, Misty. Let alone underground." Her hands dug into a bag. There was lipstick, a Kroger receipt, a random wallet - none of them were hers! Where was her phone?
Hissssssss.
“You hear that, Misty?”
She was tearing through the lockers, looking for the blue case that would give it away. **** Blaine’s plan, we need real help. Come on, phone, where are you!?
“Misty…”
She heard a body hit the ground behind her. She whipped around to see Cin collapsed on the floor.
Hisssssssss.
The gas coming from the ceiling finally caught Misty’s eye, but before she could groan about being gassed yet again, she fell to the floor and collapsed next to Cin.

---​

At the dorm, Lauriam had convinced the others to march up the tunnel with her and out to the beach to wait for Blaine. Cia had argued about the dangers of exposing themselves to Org members, but Aelin managed to convince the group it was worth it.
“This is our chance!” she said. “Let’s use this bedlam as a means to freedom!”
Now the seven of them charged down the hallway, the exit their goal. They broke through layers of mist and fog and passed the dead body of an Organization member.
“I see the exit!” screamed C. There was a light ahead. “But it’s closing!”
He was right. Lauriam cursed as a giant metal door began to close. "Run!" she screamed, hoping to slide underneath it. But it was too late, and even if she was able to get through, everyone else would have been stuck in the tunnel.
“They must know we’re here,” fretted Tamale. “Why else would it close? We should head back to the dorm before they show up.”
****, he’s right, agreed Lauriam. But surely we can do better than the dorm. “Come on, everyone, let’s head back! There was that hallway that opened up by the dead body!”
The clang of metal as they ran back down the tunnel was almost as loud as the incessant blaring of the alarm that, for some reason, had yet to be turned off.
They were almost to the door that led down to the break room and bathrooms when four Organization members ran out of it, heading for the dorm. The last one turned as they came out of the doorway and spotted Lauriam and the others.
“They're here!”
He pulled up his machine gun and pointed it at them. The other members turned and raised their weapons, too.
“What are you doing out here?”
“Hands up! NOW!”
“Uh oh,” Lauriam gulped, looking at the rest of the KH-Vids kids, then back to the Org. “I think we might have made a wrong turn on the way to the restroom…”

12 players remaining

 

Cin pls

 

040​

Deep beneath the island, Blaine, Calxiyn and Yozora hastily made their way to the docks Blaine had outlined in his escape plan. They’d been due north on the moving platform for a good twenty minutes, constantly pivoting backward to make sure no one was creeping up on them. The nature of the long, thin hall meant they could only be accosted from two sides. Blaine knew it wouldn’t be long before they reached the end. There, he’d find a control center - if they could make it through that and reach the docks, they’d have access to the lifeboats. If we make it, his inner voice repeated, fully aware that the alarm going off would make things more difficult.
I shouldn’t have been so careless, he thought, rubbing his neck where the microchip had been injected. I knew about the alarm. I knew it would go off after we passed a certain point. But I was so eager. Not that they wouldn’t figure out what I was up to eventually. A longer head start would have been nice...
“I see something up ahead,” Yozora said, his voice manipulated by the mask. “A change in scenery.”
“Then we’re nearly there,” Blaine told him. “Prepare to shoot, Yozora. I don’t think it’s going to be a warm welcome.”
They reached the end of the long hall and Blaine noticed a strange lack of Organization presence.
“No one,” Calxiyn gasped, as relieved as she was surprised. Her head turned back and forth as she took in the room at the end of the hall. There were a couple sprawling hallways that branched off in other directions, but the massive door in front of them led to the control center.
Blaine ran up to the door and then moved to its side, checking it for something. There, a keypad opened at the touch of his fingerprint. Orange buttons rose from the mist.
“You know the code?” asked Yozora.
“Unless they changed it.”
His fingers tapped the buttons he prayed would open the door; 4, 6, 1. Beep, boop, bap.
A mechanical groan rumbled from the wall as gears turned and metal churned. The door began to open from the bottom up and more mist poured out. Fifteen thousand on fog machines alone. What a joke, Blaine sighed.
The door opened an a metal clang echoed down the long hall. The fog cleared up and Yozora held his machine gun at the entrance.
“Blaine,” he called. “I don’t think there’s anyone here.”
“No?” He poked his head around the corner. The control room was deserted - chairs left on the floor, personal items scattered everywhere, random computers still running. Blaine stepped into the the room. “Come on, Calxiyn.” He reached back for her.
The trio walked carefully through the quiet room. Screens flickered, showing various parts of the island. Blaine saw the top of the volcano and the old town at the end of the tunnel. It was different when he had his Org mask on; when he wasn’t a victim of this plot. He’d taken pride in his work then, even gloated as the first KH-Vids members fell. But now he felt hollow, and those beautiful landscapes only filled him with the fear of what it would be like to be out there, fighting at those places himself. How could I put Calxiyn through this? Or any of us?
There was no time for regret now, though. He’d made his choice - for money, and for love.
“Quickly, both of you,” Blaine said, skipping forward. They reached the back of the room. Blaine unlocked another door and they entered a dark passage that led to a spiral staircase. Tap, tap, tap. Their footsteps sounded like clinking glass as they hurried down the stairs.
“This should take us right there!” Blaine called, excited. Their escape was imminent.
Blaine reached the bottom of the stairs and felt cold air hit his face. “Through this door!” He pressed down his fingerprint as Calxiyn and Yozora caught up to him, and the three of them stood there as it opened. The fresh smell of sea salt wafted into the room.
“My god,” Calxiyn said. “I smell it; the ocean.”
“This is actually happening,” Blaine smiled, hugging her. “We’re getting out of here.”
The door opened and the mist cleared. They looked out to freedom, but all they saw was an army of Organization members with their guns pointed at them. The first one pulled off its mask - it was Roxas.
“Fancy meeting you here,” he grinned. "Hands up. All of you."

---​

“The restroom? You expect us to believe that?” shouted the first Org goon, his weapon drawn at Lauriam’s face.
“Escaped players, I repeat - escaped players. This is a code six-three, code six-three, over.”
“Where at? Over.”
“Tunnel F. Over.”
“On our way. Over and out.”
“We were just on our way back,” Lauriam explained. "We - uh - ate dinner at the same time, and I think our digestive cycles are starting to line up after being together for so long."
“Sure. Explain this, then,” the Org member responded. They dragged one of their co-worker's bodies out from against a wall - the one Blaine and gang had killed on their way to the docks. “He’s dead. Who was this? One of you?”
“No,” Lauriam said, trying to bide time while she thought of a suitable response. "Not me, not Cia, not C-"
“None of us,” Risk shouted. “I swear! We just needed the toilet!”
The second Org member raised his weapon and walked up to Risk.
“This one looks guilty.” He pushed him, and Risk fell to the ground. “Ah!” he screamed, holding his shoulder where the gun had hit him. The Org members surrounded him, prodding him with their barrels.
“Shall we kill him? I’ve been itching to pull this trigger. No one would know a thing.”
“I say we skin him alive and have a feast.”
“Bloody hell, we’re not orcs. Put a revenge bullet in his brain so we can move on.”
“Wait!” screamed Risk. “B-but - the game! You can’t remove me from the game!”
The man cocked his machine gun and placed it on Risk’s forehead.
“Until the big man gives the word, we can do as we please.”
Lauriam watched his finger flex as if to pull the trigger, but the vengeful member was interrupted by a hiss. Gas began to float down from the ceiling and both members pulled back their guns.
“Lucky,” he groveled, looking at Risk. “You get to live another day.”
“I do?” Risk asked, wholly confused. He looked both relieved and exasperated.
“It's Roxas’s will.”
More gas spilled from the ceiling, and by the time Lauriam realized she was passing out, the rest of her friends had already collapsed.

---​

“Oh, Blaine,” Roxas smiled. “My old partner in crime. You thought I’d let you get away?” Behind him, a row of speedboats teased escape. “You and your lovebird - ugh… what a cute little story-line you’ve woven into my game.”
Blaine put his arm in front of Calxiyn. “Shut up, you deranged freak. At least one of us had the guts to go against the game. How insane are you? How many more people need to die before you call this thing off?”
“Well, there’s at least one more challenge, so… a few?”
Blaine spat. He was utterly disgusted. “How many more friends need to die before this is over?”
“This train isn’t stopping,” said Roxas, eyes closed. “We’re all on it now. You, me, Calxiyn… you know it, too, Blaine. The forces behind this game are so much bigger than you or I. We’re pawns in a greater scheme.”
Hands clenched, Blaine felt sweat run down his forehead. The boats were so close, but it was over. He didn’t have a magic backup plan. They would never make it now.
“Arghh!!!”
Behind Blaine, Yozora opened fire. Blaine grabbed Calxiyn’s hand and dove to the side before bullets rained down where Yozora stood, tearing holes through his thin body. The machine gun, dented and broken, fell to the floor in front of Blaine’s feet. The shreds of Yozora that were still left unraveled on the floor amidst a pile of bullets.
Roxas lay on the ground, uninjured. He was helped up and brushed off. Next to him were the dead bodies of several Org members who had dived in his way to take the bullets for him. One of their machine guns was handed to him and he checked the chamber. “Thanks.”
Doo-doo-dah! “Player number thirteen - Yozora - has left the game.”
“Ah, Yozora,” Roxas nodded. “So that’s who that was.”
Blaine looked at Yozora’s machine gun, but it was useless. Roxas marched over alone.
“Shame you couldn’t run away together,” he said. “Now go on, Blaine. Say it before I kill you.”
“Say what?”
“Just tell her you love her. We’ll make it look good in post.”
Blaine turned to Calxiyn. She looked at him, panic in her eyes, and he knew now was the worst time to say it. But Roxas was right; he was about to die. There wouldn’t be another chance.
“Calxiyn,” he whispered. “I’ll just say it. I love you.”
She stared back at him. Her mouth opened, and he wondered what she would possibly say. He could have let this game play out and walked away a multi-millionaire. He was set for life. But no… he knew deep down why he really joined as an investor when Roxas asked him to. It was because he had one condition. And that was that Roxas must invite Calxiyn.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I know we’re going to die… and I know I supported you that one time years ago when everyone else hated you… but… I don’t even know you.”
Blaine froze. What more could he do? What could be more romantic than this?
“Ha ha ha ha haaaaa!”
Roxas cracked up. He had to keep himself from falling over as he cackled like Tidus on the balcony in Luca. Blaine wished he was dead. He rolled over, turning away from Calxiyn.
“O-oh,” Roxas wheezed. “Oh, that’s too funny. I mean, damn Blaine, I’ve been turned down before, but that-” He shook his head and exhaled. “That is quality content. Anyway, guards! Cuff them.”
Blaine felt arms wrap around him, but he was powerless.
I could have just been rich, he thought. I could have been ****ing rich.
“What’s going to happen to us?” Calxiyn asked. “Are we back in the game?”
Roxas looked away. “Hmm… nah. I’m gonna make an example of you two. Lock them up, boys. We’ll get to them in the morning.”
Calxiyn screamed and cried as they led her from the docks, but all Blaine could do was look at the speedboats as they dragged him away.
We were so. Damn. Close.
The last thing he saw before he was pulled into the depths of the island was Roxas crack a beer as a boat left for sea.

11 players remaining

 

lmaooooo calxiyn couldn't even humour him, potentially seconds before death? cold as ice

 

Calxiyn oh my GOD.

SAVAGE