Restraint [Vexen/Axel]

[Axel]

Knowing and Understanding Are So Fleeting

Well, dammit. Vexen was logically too slow to have completely avoided every single bit of Axel's signature attack, but that didn't matter. He'd just continue to cower behind that shield and throw verbal insults. And the Academic found everyone else so childish. The irony.

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

You have a heart, don't you? While Naminé and I... We don't really have hearts, do we?

I... I don't know, either.

I guess not...

But the heart's not something you can see. I've started wondering whether it's something you can't feel either... If so, then... Nah, never mind.

Roxas had always driven him crazy with his inability to finish thoughts. And that had been a very important one. Vexen could prattle on all day about science and experiments and empirical evidence. But the heart was more than something you could stuff into a test tube. And Vexen--cold, rational Vexen--would never understand it.

"Even with all your books and your data, you still know nothing."

Axel moved then, to the side on which Vexen wasn't wearing a shield. When close enough, he temporarily let go of both his chakrams, summoning a large orb of fire between the spinning weapons. The blast, even if Vexen managed to turn his shield in time, would be large enough to catch more than just the shield.

Zexion had told him to make himself an immediate threat to the Organization.

[Summary:
Axel used Pyre Shock.
Posts until next use: 4
Uses remaining: 2]

[Nothingness]

Dinner and a Show

After that rather raucous night before, Luxord hadn't been feeling at his best. Nobodies may recover faster than normal people, but a raging hangover in the morning is still a raging hangover, even if it is gone in an hour or so. Still, he wasn't expecting this to happen while going for a stroll. Watching from the corner of the Gizmo Workshop roof, and sipping a nice glass of Pinot, he had a pretty good view of the fight while being mostly obscured from view himself; and what a fight it was! He could feel the heat coming off of every single attempt the Flame made to murder the Academic.

"Perhaps I'll just eliminate the Flame myself after he's done with the Academic. The two are oppositions after all, and they double-down on every hit." Stroking his chin, he wondered if he should feel bad killing his drinking partner. Well, technically he was just using the Flame for information back then, but still, they did have a good time...if his fuzzy memory did any justice. Regardless, the Flame served his purpose and could now be eliminated. A new traitor had been found among their ranks, and their current one was no longer needed. If Number Four were to be collateral, well, who would complain?

[Matt]

The Show Is Over

"Oh really?" Vexen had no idea what he was talking about, did he? Not only that, but apparently he knew nothing at all! How amusing. If not knowledge, what did Axel think comprised both data and books? And if not from experiments or studies, where exactly did he get the information he pretended to be so sure of? His version of logically concluding something appeared to be derived through delusional fantasies based on emotions he couldn't even feel. Nobodies-- albeit Roxas-- simply did not have hearts. There was no point in arguing such a blatant fact.

"Well--" the Academic was cut off, abandoning the unfinished sentence as the Flame made a move. Not even allowing for the other Nobody to finish statements anymore, hmm? Clearly his patience was running low. How much further could he be pushed, Vexen wondered... The possible consequences of said pushing still seemed insignificant at the moment.

By the time Axel had released the chakrams, sending them flying towards Vexen, he had already began to turn around. Not trying that again, is he? However, the large ball of fire that was summoned between them suggested that blocking the attack directly would not be a very good decision. Unfortunately for him, he was not left quite enough time to create any sort of defense using his element. The best he could manage to do was barely get his shield in front of himself in time.

When the weapons collided with the shield, the sphere exploded, more or less as expected. Frozen Pride had taken the initial impact of the blow, but damage caused by the blast of the explosion could not be avoided entirely. Vexen was sent flying back several feet, well off of the roof of the Gizmo Shop. Before crashing straight into the ground from the third-story height, he slowed his fall [using glide], landing on his feet with a soft thud.

Breathing somewhat heavier than usual, Vexen glared up at his attacker above him. Now that he had been wounded, although far from fatally, his air of amusement was gone. He was no longer in the mood for antagonizing his adversary. That was something he already succeeded in doing. Besides, now that the shark had tasted blood it would surely be wanting more, and it was better it not be given that chance. With much more important things to be doing, he was only wasting his time.

In a flash of white light, the Academic's weapon vanished. Turning around, he summoned a corridor of darkness with a quick wave of his hand. He might have left Axel with words of farewell, had he even been in earshot. And also of course were he not trying to kill him.

[Nothingness]

So Much for a Show

Luxord sighed: he should've expected this. Naturally the Academic can't even make what should be such interesting entertainment tolerable, and leaves just when it does become interesting. Luxord sighed as he finished his drink and set it on the edge of the roof. "I really don't want to sully my hands, but..."

Jumping off the roof, he landed softly on top of two cards--one beneath each foot--and casually stepped off, clapping his hands slowly as he jaunted over to Axel. "That was a wonderful show, Flame, absolutely marvelous. But, it was a bit short lived." Quickly shooting a hand of cards up his sleeve, he caught them and flushed them out. With a flick of the wrist, Axel suddenly froze in time--he didn't want the Flame going anywhere, now. "You see, I'm at a bit of a, how shall we call this...an impasse. I have orders to kill you, but I also would rather not. Frankly, because in a fair fight, you'd win, and in an unfair fight, well, you'd win. Both styles I love to play, mind you."

Pacing around Axel, he started plucking cards out from his hand, looking at them, and making them vanish between his knuckles. "I mean, I have this neat little trick, as well as a few others up my sleeve, but really--what good will it do when you can move, right? And plus, you're far to fun of a drinking partner to eliminate so callously, anyway." Stopping in front of Axel, he stared at him, giving him daggers in an attempt to see through the veil. "We both know you let more slip than you wanted to earlier, and I'll leave you to your devices, but," he turned and started walking away, "Whatever it is you're planning involves the Lunatic, and his is a bad side I'd rather not get on." Stopping, he walked back up to Axel and stopped about a foot away, leaning in slightly. "So, I guess I'll let you go for the moment, but do promise me one thing, old boy," he patted Axel's cheek twice before saying, "Put on one hell of a show, this time." And opening a Dark Corridor of his own and disappearing, dispelling the effects of Stopra upon his departure.

[Luxord used Stopra, three posts until next use]

[Axel]

High Risk, High Reward

Oh, it was sweet watching Vexen fly off the roof with fire licking at him. Seeing as the Academic possessed that natural glide ability, he didn't quite smash into the ground as much as Axel would have liked. But seeing Vexen's face wiped clean of that arrogant smirk was more than enough of a reward for the Flame.

He thought he could just leave and have this all be over? Vexen better think again. Axel had seen the change in the Academic's demeanor, and he wanted to see more of the same. Now.

Where would he go? Axel could easily follow Vexen through the Corridors. But he needed to hurry if he was going to have any clue as to where Vexen would go next. The more that he thought about it, though, he knew where Vexen would be. He'd be going to whine to Xemnas about how much the traitor had hurt him. That meant...

Going straight in there? Who knows who'll I'll run into? ...What if I run into Lexaeus, and Zexion isn't even there?

His innate element was a reflection of his tendencies, though, namely to be wild and destructive. Cautionary actions were of no use to him right now. Vexen had set him off using just about every possible angle, and Axel was going to make him pay for it. If he had to walk right into the hornet's nest to do it, so be it.

Whirling around at the sound of clapping, the Flame's eyes landed on Luxord. What was he still doing here? He was given no time to say or do anything before he was frozen, forced to waste time here while Vexen was getting away.

Dammit, Gambler.

The good news was that Luxord didn't seem too keen on killing him. The bad news was that apparently, Axel had said too much during their night of debauchery. The Gambler knew he was making plans that involved Saïx, but this was followed by more good news. He was going to let Axel and Saïx be for the time being.

If Axel had been able to move, he might have widened his eyes or even lashed out reflexively when Luxord patted his cheek. As things were, he could do nothing.

Oh, I'll put on one hell of a show, all right. You can be sure of that.

He would have grinned, and when Luxord left, returning him to the normal flow of time, Axel did grin. No further time was wasted. He would consider what to do, if anything, about the Gambler later. Right now, he had an Academic to hunt down.

"I almost hope there's an audience for this particular scene, dear Vexen. Just as long as they stay out of my way long enough for me to finish you."

He opened a Corridor and practically sprinted into it.