Organization XIII's Rivals

" 'Watch out for them'?" Vexen hissed as he repeated the words as if not believing them, eyeing Zexion with a new light, so to speak, and very questionably.

After a few miniscule seconds intently staring at the Cloaked Schemer, he turned his body to fully face him, a stern expression on his face. "You want to watch out for them now? Whatever happened to the 'get rid of all obstacles and hindrances' plotting Zexion from before? True, Axel's gone, and there is nothing we can do, but they have to cope with it themselves, is none of our business." He then narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "This isn't because of Larxene, is it? I mean, from the beginning we had planned to stop Axel and their...bonding, and even planned more, but now your demeanor is switching. Not to mention when I caught you two. Are you actually attracted to her in some way? I never pictured you the girlfriend stealer or the hypocrite, you know. I hope you're aware that if Axel was the one who spotted you, as well as your spending time with her, he would've murdered you before you could even blink.

Thinking he sounded too condescending, he added, "Or would've tried to." It was then he made a dramatic pause, a slight curl wavering on his lips. "Unless you can explain your actions, I'm merely making my own conclusions."

Roxas took time to breath for a moment, feeling a bit of awkward tension overtaking him. He had never really spoken to the Savage Nymph before, or even spoken to her at all, let alone having to converse a deep subject with her. Their only connection, truthfully, was Axel, as his best friend and girlfriend respectively, and the two people he cherished. So being here alone with her was quite...not frightening, but uncomfortable, not to mention this is the female that Axel loved, and who claims to love him back. Sighing, he asked the most easiest question to start with, and he looked up to stare deeply and searchingly in her eyes for anything, "Did you really love Axel?"

 

As Vexen shot accusations at him, Zexion widened his eyes, surprised, as he felt his body stiffen. Narrowing his eyes, he spoke, with a trace of coldness, "Do you truly believe I would believe I have 'emotions' for anyone? There are certain reasons for what I do...but none of them is because I would have an attachment to anyone." He hesitated for a moment.
"If you must know, when you 'caught' us, I was merely trying to help her out of her predicament...in exchange for a little...assistance she could provide me. And so, I must continue to seem...as if I...am beginning to understand the two better, as if on the same 'emotional' level as them."
He crossed his arms, as he continued to lock his gaze with the scientist's. "I am a bit...surprised...to find that you're suddenly distrusting me. I should think you'd unerstand my motive is always to back up any...plan I have in mind."

"Of course," Larxene snapped, her voice coming out angrily. "Of course I did...I don't know why you would question that truly..." She clenched her hands into fists. "Even when...even when Zexion kept trying to convince me I wasn't...I stood my ground."
Sighing, she slowly unclenched her hands. "Roxas...if...if I...no...if something were to happen...to me...take care of everything...okay...?"

 

"Attraction is not a emotion, my partner, is the desire and lust that comes from the body, and how it looks," Vexen corrected all-knowing with a wave of his index finger, the same curl in his lips. Of course, he was simply just pondering over Zexion's past actions ever since Axel's fall, as he was behaving, and being more helpful than usual, and that had to be questioned. The Academic just simply gave a swirl of his hand as dismissal, as the curl turned into a smirk. "So, of course, you're planning something, and I'm quite shocked that you suddenly think is distrust that I shot these incriminations at you, but it wasn't loss of trust, but interest and curiosity. You can't expect me not to ask and take in all the event considering you were acting oddly." He then took a break there, placing his chin into his fingers, before looking at his comrade. "It seems you sounded a bit backhanded by the distrust comment, I'm guessing people are pointing fingers at you?"

"Nothing's going to happen to you, Larxene. And Axel wouldn't want it that way either, if that's what you're thinking, after all, the reason he's dead right now is because he tried his best to protect you and what you shared," Roxas explained, a bit startled by the sudden suggestion that she had asked of him. But he was his best friend, and despite his skeptical view on her, he knew...that Axel would want Larxene safe, and that was enough to comply. He really was about to counter angrily back until she said those words, but it won't stop him from questioning her further, it only made him calm. "Part of the deal...as I've heard, was that if he died, that Saïx would keep the secret so Xemnas wouldn't find out, and you wouldn't get turned into a Dusk, or something else. That would make Axe'ls death pointless if something happened to you, right? If anything, if that was me, even if someone wanted to kill me and is almost succeeding, I would try my best to make it through for his memory...."

And that was enough comfort he could give her at the moment, before he said, "But I'm not exactly done with my inquiries either..."

 

"Yes...they are..." Zexion nodded, seeming slightly unnerved by the smirk that was playing on Vexen's lips. "I suppose Roxas believes I'm a possible suspect already..."
Concentrating on where the boy was now, he saw that he and Larxene were in his room, most likely conversing. The Savage Nymph knew that he was with her all night, so she should've told Roxas that he wasn't really a culprit...but even so, it wouldn't help the boy to trust him, despite anything anyone said. Frowning, he noticed he could not really form his next thoughts in his scheme...he had planned on what to do from then, but now, he could not seem to recall them, let along think of something new. But with the way everything was going, it would be the perfect opportunity...to do...something...but he just couldn't seem to think of anything other than what Larxene and Roxas could be speaking about...

"Then ask them all already," Larxene said, crossing her arms, as she tilted her head up to look at him. Instead of the previous glossy look in her eyes, they now had a trace of anger, as well as determination. "I have something...I need to do, and I don't really want to waste much time. So...just ask them all already."

 

OOC: Hey guys!! ^^ Miss me? Sry, I've been super busy this week and needed sleep :D But I'll be reading for a little bit, obviously.

 

OOC: *faints* Wow, I actually thought something bad happened to you xD. I even sent you a email, I was kind of worried (I thought you were busy though, but it was like whoa, what if something happened as well? x.X).

"Then...what do we do, Zexion?" Vexen asked cryptically, sighing and looking around his lab, the mess of the beat on machine all over the place. This was getting too much, and maybe he was right on taking a break for awhile. Yet, he couldn't just simply let it go that way, for some reason. He checked everything, and nothing said of any attempted murder, unless there was a way to do so without being detected. "And while most will think you're the suspect due to your little act, tell me, who do you think it is? If Axel was in fact, killed?"

Roxas rolled his eyes at the sudden mood, but held his ground as he wanted to know, yet he couldn't help the fact that his voice was bitter. "If you loved him, why didn't you at least stay over at the lab for awhile? I understand your arms were hurt somehow, but...it seemed that fighting with Reixa was more important to you than to just simply at least look over at the casket, get close, and just stare at him for awhile and get the fact of the state he's in! he wasn't sleepig, he was dying, and I didn't see so much from you when you got the news, all you were thinking about is a stupid girl fight. It wouldn't hurt to wait a few minutes. Better yet, I didn't even see you that upset, which caused me to question you! And then you never came back and left right off...and..."

He breathed in harshly, and shifted his head away from her a bit bristled, but minding the last words, he said, "And if you have to take care of something, I'm going with you if it has something to do with Axel. If he was murdered, than I have a right to investigate too, don't I?"

 

OOC: :D Sry. But since I'm lazy and took all my energy to read the older posts, can you recap what's been happening recently after the whole n00b situation? xDD.

 

OOC: It's fine xP. And ugh, don't remind me -_-. that n00b situation tired me :P. But anyway, *takes breath* well Max, I think you read, is starting to blame Zexion that he killed Axel to Larxene, as he last sensed his presence there in the lab, which the Cloaked Schemer denied. From there on, is a sudden mystery now whether Axel was murdered or the machine simply malfunctioned, and if he was killed, who done it? *-* Larxene is trying to find some clues, and left to find Xert by Memory's Skycraper who seemed to be helping, wanting information, but he didn't know anything else than what he told, and he attacked her. After Larxene didn't feel in the mood to fight, he then left to Shrouded City, and she remained there. Meanwhile, Zexion was questioning Max, didn't get anywhere, the he went to Vexen's lab after (with Xangel) to see if he found anything amiss in the wrecked machine, but came nothing.

Before that, Roxas asked Zexion to portal him to Larxene (scent her), as he wanted some answers on her love for his best friend. So he went there, told her what he needed, and are in Roxas' room discussing about Axel right now. That's where we're at.

 

OOC: Okie doke. Guess I left Reixa fighting some Heartless in Radiant Garden :D

Reixa looked around, her nerves still hanging from a thread from fighting and... other happenings, but she noticed that most of the Heartless had been destroyed, excluding a few Shaows that had fled from cowardice. Standing straight, Reixa dismissed her staff as she leaned against the wall, catching her breath. Looking back out over the old castle ruins, she took a deep breath and began walking again.

As she left the bailey and continued on, she passed through the passage of more stone walls and eventually came to a round type of balcony. It's orange and red sky above reminded her of Twilight Town, an almost depressing 'feeling'. Looking to her left, she saw a small passage leading into a dark wallway. Reixa walked over to it, poking her head through the dooway before entering. She noticed that instead of just one passage, the hallway took many confusing turns that left her a little frustrated.

After around ten minutes of wandering, Reixa found a large, white door. Tentatively, she approached it and warily opened it, peering inside. A large desk in a round room was there, with many papers scattered everywhere and among the frames, drawings, graphs, and pictures on the walls, something caught her eye. It was written in purple ink, scribbled onto the far wall. It read something along the lines of 'Door to Darkness'...

 

OOC: I'm glad you're back, chula!! :glomp:

"...Max," Zexion answered, tilting his head up. "It's as if he's trying to frame me, so he's the most likely culprit...so far...if Axel was, indeed, murdered...but...it is a bit strange...how the machine malfunction...unless you know why it had suddenly?"

"I told you..." Larxene's eyes turned to the floor. "I need you to take care of...everything...in case something happens to me...remember?" She hesitated for a moment. "And if you want to know about everything else...someone had informed me about Axel, and I was certain that since you and Vexen were taking care of everything, there was nothing for me to worry about...at least, that's what I tried to tell myself." She bit her lower lip, as if suppressing something. "And as for that 'stupid girl fight' there was a...reason I needed to prove. That is all...are you done with your accusations now?"

 

OOC: :D Glad to be back, and ty ^^
Too bad Larxy lost xDD. Not much to prove there, huh? I'm really bored and hyper, can you tell? Thus the uber long post.

 

"Max?" Vexen repeated incredulously, eyeing Zexion with a bit of hesitation, not getting why the plotter would want Axel killed, if he did do it. Hearing Zexion's question, his brain wired as he went to explain, "Yes, I do. The machine...basically, to put it short, the machine couldn't handle the pressure. The light, the vitamins, the whole energy, it was too much. I notice this because of the gas compass, the point was way over, and the glass on it was broken, and the casket looked like it short-ciruited from the inside. Nothing seems out of the ordinary that will say otherwise, which is why I'm perplexed by this whole situation..."

It was then he half-lidded his eyes, going back to his thought before. "And, by the way, if it was Max, why would he do it? I thought we came to the fact that he needed Axel and Larxene for his plans? Why would he kill...the most important puppet of them?"

Roxas sighed, not completely satisfied, but he at least got what he had wanted to know, and for Larxene to prove, she didn't seem to be lying about it either. He made his way to get up numbly, this whole problem exhausting him to the bone, and the headache forming was making it worse. He stared up at Larxene, studying her briefly, before replying seriously, "I'm done. I will...take care of things....just don't do anything stupid, okay? Remember what I told you before...and, I want to go with you...." He then scratched his head with his hand tiredly, not wanting to say this. "We are...Axel's precious people, right? So shouldn't we stick together in this? I don't trust anyone else, and...I'm still unsure of whether to trust you, but if he loved you, there must be a reason...he's a good judge of character, and that's enough for me..."

 

"There could be a numerous of reasons...perhaps to have Larxene in distraught, even willing to seek help from her enemies," Zexion answered, after some contemplation. "And...for all we know...Max could cloak Axel's prescence somehow...already he's managed to hide the place Larxene had warped to once before...so all that I know is that Max might have a place in this entire scheme...possibly..."

"...I have to do this one alone," Larxene said, tilting her head up, looking over at Roxas with a trace of sadness. "Just...make sure everything's fine here...and don't worry, I'm not planning on doing anything foolish..." She gave a dry half-smile. "Trust me on this?"

 

Vexen groaned, his eyes killing him from the overdose of the thinking and the figuring out, and he walked forward to the vacant chair Roxas had used, sitting himself on it. Running hand down his face, he closed his eyes as he pondered over Zexion's words. "This Max is a pain, he's always been. So...are you saying that Axel might be alive or something of the sort? I mean, what would this guy gain from this?" Opening his eyes, he thought some more. "Maybe...we should ask someone to explore this obscured phenomenon..."

Roxas hesitated for a while, but ended up nodding his head, and surprisingly, gave her a soft smile. Honestly, Larxene didn't seem that bad as she was portrayed or what he thought of, so maybe Axel did make a right choice. "Fine then. I'll trust you on that. Only if you promise that you'll turn out to be alive in all this..."

 

Zexion closed his eyes, focusing on searching for Axel's 'scent' one last time, in case he was truly somewhere around still...
"...Who?" he asked, a bit absent-mindedly, trying to concentrate as he searched for his 'scent'. He knew he'd probably come up with nothing except for the remainers lingering in the lab, but it was always worth a shot.

Larxene hesitated for a moment, before giving a soft chuckle. "I promise you...I won't die, Roxas...no matter what happens, I won't..." Raising her arm, she opened a portal of darkness. As she stepped through, beginning to disappear, she turned to face Roxas. "Take care, Roxas..." she said, before at last, finding herself in the Shrouded City, alone...

 

"Well, think of who Max is conversing alot with, and who also disappears without a trace in the long run...our dear Savage Nymph," Vexen boredly told him, knowing Zexion could've gotten this alone, yet he understood once he found him concentrating. "Besides, as you said, we should keep a eye on Larxene, right?"

Roxas didn't like the fact of Larxene going alone somewhere, considering what she might do and the way she was talking, and even if she did promise, he couldn't lose track of her. If perhaps, she wasn't going to look over her life, then he would, because Axel would never have wanted her gone. Roxas eyed his bed wistfully for a moment, wanting to just lay on it and sleep, just...replenish himself, but he knew he wouldn't be able to with the current dilemma, and his thoughts and emotions. Holding back a yawn, darkness encircled him as he portalled, the ebony view dispersing as he found himself in Vexen's lab, the Chilly Academic sitting, while Zexion was...probably smelling people again. "Did I come at a bad time?"

 

As Zexion furrowed his eyebrows, he kept half his mind on what Vexen was saying, trying to absorb this as he continued searching...that is, until he heard Roxas's voice, breaking his reverie. Opening his eyes and tilting his head up, he said, "Ah, Roxas...of course not." He took a step forward. "...So I suppose you and Larxene have spoken your concerns about Axel?"

Looking about, Larxene found herself in the hallway of the castle of the City, the place tall and foreboding and...empty. As she walked forward, her footsteps echoed slightly. Shifting her arm, in a flash of light, her kunai appeared in between her fingers. Grasping them tightly, her expression was just a grim line upon her lips.
Come find me...I know you can sense your enemy...enemy...

 

Roxas just shrugged, not answering, still staring at him for awhile, before turning his eyes on Vexen, who he heard groan at his sudden presence. Giving a empty smirk at him, he found himself peering at the Cloaked Schemer again. "Larxene went by herself to some place she wouldn't tell me about, and I came to ask, since you're the one with the ability, if you could keep your senses on her, and tell where she is. I won't go after her, I just need to be sure she'll be alright." Licking his lips, slightly, he also asked, "And...have you figured out anything?

"Nothing," Vexen answered on behalf of Zexion, his eyes turning into slits as he eyed the boy, who made his machine in a heap of clobber, which was un-needed, and now the female he wanted to scout for them goes off. "It leads to a malfunction any way you look at it...if there is a way to do so to make it look like a accident, then I don't know..."

 

Zexion had known that Larxene had gone to the castle of the Shrouded City, but he had hoped Roxas would know why. Seeing as she did not tell him led to various reasons for why she chose to do so...
"She's at the Shrouded City," he answered, warily. "Any reason why she might want to do so, Roxas?"

 

Roxas nodded at Vexen's explanation, a bit confused about this all as well, only to turn back to Zexion once more, hearing his inquiry. Thinking he should reply to this one, he shook his head, his face stern. "She didn't tell me why. But she was acting weird...like she asked me to take care of things...and it was suspicious enough for me to go on about a speech and how Axel wouldn't want her gone, since he died protecting her." He then make connection with Zexion's eyes, different shades of blue clashing. "That's why I want to see what she does, so if there's any trouble, I can go and help her...."