Just Passing Through [Axel]

[Fate]

Snippets of Information
Traverse Town

'To traverse': to pass or move over, along, or through. That was what this world was made for: people passing through without truly staying in it or lingering too long. Only some decided to stay and live here, but they were a select few. When worlds were destroyed, travelers were dropped off here if they managed to survive. It was very easy to find where one was going after staying here; information passed through quickly.

That was what Zexion was here for this evening. A Corridor of Darkness sounded in the alleyway of the First District, quickly disappearing once he walked through it. The sky was lit with many stars and the town seemed alive with people. Jovial and trivial conversations were flitting in and out of the Nobody's ears as he peeked out from the alleyway. It would not be quite as difficult to blend in here as it would in any other world since it was used to all sorts of different travelers, though, he was not about to go strutting in the streets. With his hood drawn, he stuck to the alleyways as he crept behind one of the Moogle Shops. The Second District was not too much farther.

Information was the goal of his mission. Zexion was out to search for any information about the mysterious figure and what he might be up to. He was more likely to hear it here than anywhere else; if he went to destroy worlds, it was more probable that the survivors would end up here instead of Radiant Garden. That, of course, was not his only goal; any information he could find having to do with the darkness was considered good and Traverse Town, just like many worlds, had its share of secrets. With these thoughts in mind, he found himself nearing the Second District door. He did not want to linger where many people were for too long.

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[Axel]

What Doesn't Kill You Could Kill You

It was a strange thing to want company, but for Axel especially, it was a strange thing to feel a desire for anything at all. He still couldn't figure it out, no matter how hard he racked his brain for answers. Nonetheless, this odd desire was the motivation that drove him to choose a destination that wasn't so focused on solitude. He didn't need anymore of that.

Not entirely on purpose, he found himself stepping out of his Corridor of Darkness into the Alleyway of Traverse Town. He had never personally been to this world of perpetual night, but he knew enough about it to appreciate it for what it was--a welcome wealth of people and activity. As long as he didn't do anything to draw attention to himself, he shouldn't stick out too much. There was an eclectic enough collection of people on this world to avoid being labeled an outsider and a possible threat. The only thing he might have to worry about was the possibility of an Organization member showing up here.

He walked to the mouth of the alley and peered out, turning his head to first the right, then the left. No one seemed to take notice, which suited him just fine. Simply being in a crowd was preferable to being alone on a dark beach. The question of what to do was still in the back of his head, though.

"Man..." He sighed, leaned against the wall just inside the alley, and crossed his arms behind his head. "I may just die again at this rate. But of boredom this time."

[Fate]

A Surprise Visit

A scent caught Zexion by surprise just as he was going to enter the Second District, causing him to pause in what he was doing. Well, that certainly made things interesting now didn't it? He recognized the scent quickly, knowing exactly who just entered this particular world: Axel, the traitor of the Organization. It was rather peculiar that he decided to show up here of all worlds; wasn't Twilight Town the world that he often chose to frequent with Roxas before? Though, the phrase 'with Roxas' was key. He was obviously not around anymore, making Axel's visit to said world rather pointless.

Roxas... why he was so important to Axel was an unknown fact to Zexion. Friendships of any sort were considered null-in-void as Nobodies since they had none of the feelings required. Despite that, Axel continued to try and form a friendship between himself and Roxas, though how much he succeeded was not something Zexion knew. Axel had been shipped off to Castle Oblivion before anything could truly 'develop', so to speak. However, reports said that afterward, Roxas betrayed anyhow, as did Axel on more levels than he did before. It was... somewhat intriguing, though the Schemer did not bother to put more thought into it.

Well, aside from a small little trick he was about to pull. After all, Axel probably did want to see Roxas again, right? Why not give him exactly what he wanted? With a malicious grin on his face, Zexion made sure that no one was looking anywhere near him as he focused on an illusion. He shrunk slightly in height, his cloak disappearing and being replaced with what one would consider to be ordinary clothes. His hair became a golden blond, spiking up and all over the place. With the illusion complete, he opened his eyes, bright blue instead.

He was now Roxas.

Of course, he could not just stand there, nor could he go seek Axel out; that would make things far too obvious. Instead, he decided to take the path to the Third District, the door that one had to go through part of the town to get to. It would give Axel the opportunity to see him and perhaps chase after him if he so chose to; Zexion did not doubt for a second that he would.

He started making his way into the center of the First District, the details of his mission in the back of his mind; this was much more entertaining than gathering information.

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[Axel]

A Sighting Followed By Doubts

Standing here in the alley was doing nothing to alleviate his boredom. He supposed he could take a walk around the town, seeing as he had never visited before. Apparently, this was a hot spot for shopping and, presumably, entertainment. Not that Axel was all that interested in shopping, even if he had been carrying an abundance of munny. Which, of course, he wasn't. Not many newly-resurrected people came back to life with munny in their pockets. Then again, not many people came back to life.

"Hmm..." Still leaning on the wall, he turned his head to look out of the alley and onto the town proper. He was pondering just where to begin his little exploration when a sight he had never expected to see again flashed across his vision, moving through the milling crowds. Axel froze. His eyes widened in disbelief. No. There was no way. He couldn't possibly have seen who he thought he just saw. It must have been someone who looked eerily similar.

Roxas is gone, and he isn't coming back. Unless...something happened to Sora?

Doubt was now worming its way into his head. What if it really was, and Axel was letting him slip away? But something didn't add up. Why would Roxas have come here? There wasn't a connection, and Twilight Town was the more familiar location.

Axel scratched the back of his head. This shouldn't be that hard to figure out. People could be mistaken for other people all the time. But since he had nothing better to do at the moment, Axel reasoned to himself, there would be no harm in following this person who looked disturbingly like Roxas.

He made his way out of the alley and into the crowds, hoping to blend a bit, even if his shock of red hair was very distinct. He didn't want to just approach Roxas--or the look-alike if that was the case--and risk being wrong. If Axel turned out to be mistaken after getting a much closer look, then he would simply abandon the trail and go back to being bored. If it really was Roxas, though... Well, he wasn't sure what would happen then.

[Fate]

Because I Can, I Will

With his head turned toward the Third District door, Zexion smirked to himself. Axel had indeed seen him and he was going to follow him, a sign that the redhead was at least curious. The Schemer was choosing to be subtle about this and not go over to Axel and start talking to him. No, that was not much like Roxas at all anyhow; he wouldn't even know that his friend was here and he could continue doing what he was doing. In this case, it was going into the Third District. He let his grin disappear as he opened the door, slipping through the opening.

It was the smallest of the three districts of Traverse Town, not having much in it at all. Zexion took a few steps forward, looking around as Roxas normally would; comparatively speaking, he actually moved his head when he looked around unlike Zexion, who would let just his eyes do all of the work. There was a fountain at the far end, though he couldn't quite see what was there. There was also another alleyway that led somewhere else, but he wasn't about to go poking around there. Besides, he doubted he would get the opportunity.

He walked over to the fountain, looking it over for a minute in supposed curiosity. There was no one else in this district now, only him and soon-to-be Axel. Zexion supposed that this was a bit cruel and unnecessary; the Superior had specifically stated that they should not seek out the traitors of the Organization. However, he could say that this was a loophole in that argument; he was not seeking out Axel in this case but drawing him out. Nonetheless, he did have to make sure this did not turn into a battle; he knew how powerful Axel was.

For now, he would wait and see if the redhead would actually approach him. If he did, then he needed to plan what to do from there. Would Roxas remember Axel or would he forget him? If he remembered him, would he be hostile or would he be friendly? Zexion was willing to guess that if this were the true Roxas and he had been separated from Sora, he would remember Axel and perhaps lean toward the friendly side of things. That also made it slightly more satisfying for the Schemer; what better than to bring one's hopes up and then have them crashing down at the end?

If he had a heart, he supposed that this could be considered revenge for what happened in Castle Oblivion. He would have felt bitter and hateful for what Axel did, then would have tried to do everything he could to show that it was not acceptable. However, he felt none of that. He felt no resentment for Axel killing him, merely the thought that he would not allow it to happen again. This was not for revenge at all; Zexion was doing this because he could.

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[Axel]

Hope is a False but Attractive Premise

The back of Roxas kept appearing and disappearing among the crowd, but his destination was clear. He was heading for a large door that probably lead into an adjoining district. If Axel recalled the reports correctly, that would be the Third District, a smaller, yet more open, space. Maybe there, he could get a real look at that face. There would be no mistaking those blue eyes.

He saw Roxas enter the door as predicted and followed not too closely after him. Knowing how Roxas used to act on missions for the Organization, he would probably take his time standing right in the front of the door, surveying the new location. And Axel didn't want to run smack into him, which would turn out to be even more awkward if this person was not really Roxas. So, he waited the space of a few breaths before slipping through the door himself.

The Third District was surprisingly devoid of people. Of course, that could be attributed to the lack of shops in this area. In the small, square space, there was not much to entertain a huge amount of people. There was only more neon and a few lamps scattered about offering illumination to fill this world's sun void. There was also a fountain nestled into a corner of the area. That is what drew his attention, not because of any aesthetic appeal but because of who was standing in front of it.

Now was probably the best opportunity to verify this person's identity. But from the back...Axel could swear this was Roxas. Though, why he was here was a complete mystery. Hope was a silly thing, and he pushed it aside as best he could. Even if it was Roxas, there was not a guarantee that he would be friendly toward Axel. Circumstances could always change, for some reason or another. He knew that quite well from his own experiences.

He walked toward the fountain but stopped several feet away from Roxas. Adopting a casual stance, he made sure not to appear anxious or overbearing. If this was not Roxas, such behavior would most likely produce an uncomfortable situation. But when he finally spoke, he could not keep all traces of hope from his voice.

"...Roxas?"

[Fate]

Dare to Believe

Axel followed him straight into the Third District, letting him wander first before he came up behind him. He stood a few feet away, Zexion waiting for him to make the first move. He had to gather his bearings, make himself completely resemble Roxas in every way possible. He knew how to make himself look like Roxas, but acting like him was an entirely different story. He had acted as Sora before, which was close but not quite. He not only had to act like Roxas, but the Roxas that Axel knew to make it authentic.

His tone already sounded hopeful. Zexion made a surprised sound, turning around abruptly like Roxas would and gave Axel a shocked look. He glanced him over a few times. "Axel?" he said, showing his surprise through his tone as well. If he were Roxas, he would not expect Axel to have shown up here. "I never thought I'd even see you again." He let a slight bit of despair go into those words.

"Kind of weird world..." he added, looking around a bit as his face returned to its usual solemness, "What are you doing here anyway?" He had to wait and see what happened now. This was how Roxas acted, but would Axel truly believe it? Would he let that hope control him and see that this was Roxas standing in front of him? Zexion knew Axel was no idiot and that he would naturally be wary, but this was also an elaborate illusion; it took Riku ages to see through a similar one before, making Zexion curious to see how long it would be before Axel did.

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[Axel]

My Questions First

When Roxas turned around, that was enough to convince Axel in that moment that his best friend was standing right here in front of him. But when he said his name, that cemented the fact in his mind. If that was not enough, the sadness tinging Roxas's confession that he thought he would never see him again softened Axel's expression from surprise into one of regret.

Before he could say anything, Roxas quickly continued, commenting on the strangeness of Traverse Town, then asking him what he was doing here. This confused Axel a bit and struck him as odd. Considering everything that had happened between them and then between him and Sora, Roxas should have had something to say other than a casual question about his reasons for being here. Shouldn't he have been surprised at seeing Axel alive at all?

"What am I doing here?" He made a broad, sweeping gesture with his hand that ended up pointing at Roxas. "What are you doing here? If you're here, something must be up with Sora." Not sure I'd mind that.

[Fate]

I Don't Have All the Answers

Oh yes... Sora. Zexion read the reports on what happened with Roxas and Sora. It happened after Castle Oblivion, during the time when Sora was sleeping. Roxas had gone back with Sora, despite Axel's attempts to bring him back to the Organization. That's what the reports said, though not much else. The Schemer was going to have to fabricate something very quickly concerning that, though he was used to having to do that. He had Roxas's features darken at the mention of Sora, looking down.

"Yeah..." he said, "After all that Kingdom Hearts stuff... things kinda changed. I don't know how to explain it, but I wound up out of Sora. I'm my own person again but... it still doesn't feel right. You know what I mean?" It was within Roxas' nature to be confused by this sort of thing and look to Axel for answers, or at least Zexion surmised as much. It was different acting this way and being confused, seeing as he almost never was and almost always had the answers. He was giving Axel a sort of desperate and confused look right now; if he were truly Roxas, he would be doing that.

"I just... don't even know what to do! I thought everything would be fine when I merged with Sora before. Now I'm just confused... I went back to Twilight Town, but it wasn't the same. I don't think I like eating ice cream by myself; takes all the fun out of it." He grinned a little bit, trying to lighten up the mood like any normal human being would. If this were actually true, Zexion wouldn't be sure what to consider Roxas as, especially with the limited details he was giving.

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[Axel]

Can't Help Being Notoriously Suspicious

Axel should have found this situation more than satisfying, if it was true. Roxas was here, and he was apparently his own person again, independent of Sora. But what did that mean for Sora? Was he sleeping again, or...? Wait. Axel didn't know anything about what had happened after his death. Maybe Roxas could fill him in, and he could figure this out.

"What happened with Kingdom Hearts?" For all he knew, Xemnas hadn't returned from the dead because he had never died. Maybe he had done something to Sora that had shaken Roxas out of the kid again. A thought suddenly occurred to him. What if Roxas was back with the Organization? Axel hated his inherently suspicious nature, especially since this was his best friend, after all. But he knew better than most not to trust someone completely, even if he claimed you as his friend.

The outburst from Roxas took him by surprise, though. If Axel had possessed a heart, it would have been overflowing with sympathy at this point. As things stood, he could try as hard as he liked, but the most he could offer in response were words with only a hint of true feeling behind them. "Hey...don't worry so much. You just stick with me, and we'll sort through this mess." He took it as a good sign that Roxas was attempting a grin. Though, something was still scratching at the back of his mind. Something about this was wrong, but he didn't quite know what.

[Fate]

What? You Don't Trust Me?

"Kingdom Hearts is gone," he said, looking down, "It's not even there. Xemnas used its power to try and get rid of Sora." Of course, this was the area that started getting a little sketchy. This was only a theory that Zexion had yet to prove, though it was a very believable one. Axel knew exactly what the Superior was like and he wouldn't put it past him to do something like that, especially when there was power involved.

Was that an attempt to show sympathy he heard coming from Axel? Was he truly telling 'Roxas' that everything would be all right, a Nobody's attempt at comfort? If Zexion had a heart, he would be reveling in what was happening; it certainly seemed like Axel was believing this disguise now, despite initial skepticism. Naturally, he could not revel in this at the moment because of his current cover, deciding to only making Roxas look up and give Axel an attempt at another smile. "Yeah, maybe you're right. I really should stop worrying shouldn't I?" An innocent face on the outside, or at least as innocent as any Nobody could be.

Zexion was slightly unsure of how long he was going to keep this game up. There were a couple things he would like to get to know from Axel, if he possibly could. It wasn't very vital information, but any information was good for the Schemer. Though, prying it out of him would be a difficult task indeed. Axel, like him, was very wary of others, even those he considered to be his friends. He could not just start asking questions right away or Axel would get suspicious very quickly. He needed to establish some sort of trust here; then perhaps he could get the information he wanted. After all, Axel wouldn't hurt Roxas would he?

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[Axel]

You've Got One Chance to Get This Right

Well, that answer didn't contain much helpful information. And the vagueness of it stirred up more questions than solutions. Using the power of Kingdom Hearts to get rid of Sora didn't seem like it meshed too well with Xemnas's original intentions for the place. Sure, Xemnas was a power-hungry psycho, and sure, Axel had guessed that Xemnas wasn't seeking Kingdom Hearts just to get his heart back. But fixating the reason for all that desire for power on simply eliminating Sora seemed like overkill, even for the Organization's leader.

He folded his arms and looked at the ground, thinking. The fact that Roxas didn't give too many details was also raising a warning flag in Axel's head. If he had been with Sora, he should have known more information. He hadn't even mentioned who had won the fight between Sora and Xemnas, so whether or not Xemnas had died and come back was still a mystery to him. If Roxas knew something, he wouldn't be keeping it from him, would he? Never mind that Axel had kept plenty secrets of his own from Roxas.

And then another thought surfaced. He had been dead and had come back. What was there to stop other previously dead Organization members from coming back, as well? And he knew one in particular who was very good at making you believe things that were not real. He looked back up at Roxas, who was smiling at him, and he was careful to keep his expression neutral. Simply throwing accusations out would not be profitable. He had a better way of determining if this was an imposter or not.

Turning so that his left shoulder was facing Roxas, Axel lifted his left arm away from his chest and casually waved it in the air. "Say...Roxas? When you left the Organization, you left something behind for me." He shifted his gaze to eye Roxas out of the corners of his eyes. "Do you remember what that was?"

[Fate]

The One Question I Can't Answer

Zexion watched carefully as Axel crossed his arms, seemingly thinking. Skepticism was setting in again; he could feel it. Axel was not keen on believing him right yet, though that could partially be his own fault. He had given information on an event that he was not present at. Though, Roxas was present and he probably would have been able to give Axel much more information than the Schemer did right there. He grimaced slightly, returning to Roxas's more blank face that he often wore and wondering what Axel was going to do now.

Zexion was unsure of what he was asking here. Roxas had left something for Axel when he left the Organization? That was not something that he knew, though the information had been too trivial to be written down of course. Axel picked the perfect question to ask the Schemer, the question that would truly determine if the Roxas standing in front of him was the real one or not. The real Roxas would have been able to answer that question without hesitance, but Zexion found himself searching for a possible answer; he couldn't find one.

"I... I don't remember," he said, making Roxas look slightly sad at this realization, "I don't even remember everything I should. Sora's memories... they just overloaded mine and... why can't I remember?" He gave Axel that desperate and confused look again; though, in his mind, he knew that his little game was over. Axel was not a particularly sympathetic Nobody unless Roxas was concerned, and Zexion was not the real Roxas. This was just one last attempt at making him believe his illusion.

It was interesting while it lasted, he supposed.

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[Axel]

So Sorry, You've Pushed the Wrong Buttons

Axel closed his eyes and smirked a little. It looked liked this wasn't really Roxas, after all. Any disappointment he would have thought he felt was greatly overshadowed by a growing sense of fury, though he was careful not to show any outward signs of it. Instead, he faced "Roxas" once more and tapped an index finger to his temple. "Don't have it memorized, do you?"

He paced a little to the right, then back to the left, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. He was like a cat, waiting to spring at any moment. "You remember the ice cream, but you don't remember what some of the sticks can say? And you don't remember leaving one for me in a plain white envelope?" He spread his arms and shook his head. "Don't even try to play it off with some lame excuse." Little tongues of fire were beginning to dance beneath his hands.

Within moments, his gloved hands grasped both chakrams of Eternal Flames. If he was right, the person behind that disguise wouldn't prove to be much of a threat to him in a straight fight. And Axel was just about pissed off enough to have no qualms watching him die. Again. However, there was always the possibility that he could gather some crucial information about the current state of the Organization, how many members were left, where they all were, and so on. So, perhaps killing him so quickly wouldn't be the best idea. A wickedly cold smile spread across his face, and he pointed one of his weapons in the imposter's direction. "You should know better than to get on my bad side, Zexion."

[Fate]

Wrong to You, but Right to Me

Indeed, his game was over. As soon as Axel said his infamous phase, Zexion knew that the illusion would no longer work. He continued to watch in his Roxas guise, staring forward and watching as Axel paced around in a predatory manner. He seemed ready to attack at any moment, which Zexion needed to be prepared for if he chose to do so. Fire was beginning to dance beneath his hands, the first among many signs that Axel gave to him that he was less than pleased and that this little trick was over.

He did not even bother to pretend to be surprised when both of the chakrams appeared. He remained completely still, his hands at his sides for the moment while he waited for Axel to attempt something. It was still Roxas looking back at the Flame at the moment, though that would soon change. Axel grinned at him, pointing one of his weapons at him. He wasn't going to attack first but instead have a friendly little chat? Intriguing. Zexion couldn't help but smirk as well as Axel said his name, a face not incredibly fitting for Roxas.

"I wonder if I should return that sentiment," he said in a mildly curious tone, his own voice coming out instead of Roxas' for a moment. The illusion shattered, leaving Zexion in its wake with his hood down. That malicious grin was still on his face for a moment. "You should have known better all along Axel. Even if he had managed to separate from Sora, did you really think that Roxas would come visit you? Why should he trust someone with a history of betrayal?"

It was his turn to do a bit of pacing, taking a few steps around the area a bit. The pace was not quite like Axel's however; Axel's showed that he was ready to pounce at any moment. While Zexion could if he chose, he would not; he had Axel trapped here now anyway. He was not about to leave after all of that trickery. Not to mention, the Schemer got what he wanted anyhow; he got Axel to react and show that remnant of emotion. It showed just how much he was prone to it; he could use that later if he so chose.

"And here I thought you knew better," he continued, stopping his pace. He stayed stationary again, waiting to see if Axel would just thrust his weapons at him or continue this delightful conversation. Unlike the last time they met, Zexion was at his full power. He knew how Axel worked and the battle would be tight if they chose to have one. However, the Schemer didn't predict that happening. Axel liked having information just as much as he did. Perhaps they could do a little exchange; Zexion did have questions that needed answering.

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