Unrestrained [Vexen/Axel/Zexion/Lexaeus]

[Matt]

More Important Things to Do

Vexen made it back to the Castle that Never Was unscathed, still breathing a little hard. Mere moments ago, Axel had attacked him and sent him flying off of the roof in Traverse Town. The Flame probably would have done more damage, or at least attempted to do so, if he had stuck around long enough. But the Academic wasn't about to push his luck any further for the day. He had already gotten what he wanted out of him anyway, which was just the reaction from antagonizing him. It had proven rather amusing, until the inevitable violence broke out. The former Organization member really was too easy to provoke wasn't he? He hadn't changed much since Castle Oblivion, still insolent and volatile.

Something needed to be done about him-- that was without question-- but the Academic certainly wasn’t about to volunteer for that task. He did not have time to waste with such pests. As one of the brains of the Organization, it was his job to take on tasks that required his higher level of intelligence. Aside from not being in his range of expertise, a physical task like the one at hand would be taking his presence away from more crucial projects that he was working on. Better to find someone who was mostly just good at taking orders and fighting when told to.

Though, how to take care of this? Perhaps he should report it to the Superior, or at least to another member that would be able to take care of Axel. Though, how many of them were really capible? Even though he was his superior, Vexen had a hard time respecting Xigbar and his like for goofing off during missions. Xaldin was still currently missing from the Organization, which only left him with all of the members lower than himself. He wasn't about to ask any of the neophytes to do something like this either; they simply wouldn't be able to handle it because of their incredible incompetence. Perhaps next time he required someone proficient at playing cards or musical instruments he would look to them.

That left him only with Lexaeus and Zexion, the former of which was obviously able of eliminating Axel. Zexion, not wanting to dirty his hands, would simply give him a snarky excise as to why he couldn’t do it and leave, and that was if he could even be found. He had not been easy to locate or at all helpful recently.

Well, that meant he had a bit of walking to do then didn’t he? He was currently in the Hall of Empty Melodies, which meant he had to go find Lexaeus before he could do anything. Hopefully, the Silent Hero wouldn't be anywhere too difficult to find him, such as his sleeping quarters or the Grey Room. The sooner Vexen found him the sooner he could return to his research, which was truly far more important.

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[Axel]

Vagabonds Returning to Not-So-Open Arms
--------

Home sweet home. Or not.

This place was a dull as it was gray. The Flurry of Dancing Flames had never considered this a real home. Returning to it now evoked no fond memories--those were reserved for Twilight Town--and even if he had the capacity to feel, Axel would have felt nothing but loathing for the Castle That Never Was. The drab, lifeless surroundings were only a constant reminder of what all of them lacked.

Immediately after he had left Traverse Town, Axel had sped through Betwixt and Between, finding it completely void of Sora and Dusks. It was just a seemingly infinite blur of colors and shapes. When he finally emerged, he stepped out into the streets well outside the Castle. A part of him was still trying to convince the rest of him that this was not a good idea.

Going back into that Castle before Zexion had concrete plans laid might result in disaster. And to what part of the Castle would Vexen have gone? Axel didn't possess the Schemer's talent for sniffing out intended quarry. The best he could hope to do was guess correctly and, barring that, quickly hop from area to area in his search for the Academic. If he did that for too long, however, the whole of the remaining Organization members might converge on him.

He would have to go room hopping, taking care to avoid the Round Room at all costs. For all he knew, they would be having a meeting that he would walk straight into. He summoned another Corridor and disappeared into it.

Luxord must have rubbed off on him, because Lady Luck was on his side. The first area he had chosen to search was the upper level of the Hall of Empty Melodies, and lo and behold, there was Vexen standing like a prime target in the middle of the lower platform.

Axel wasted no time in leaping down to the lower level, summoning and throwing flame-propelled chakrams as he fell toward the Academic. He landed with a resounding thud and straightened in time to catch his weapons.

"Yo, Vexen! Don't think you can run away when the fun was just beginning." He grinned, a malicious glint in his eyes.

[Matt]

Unwelcome

Right as Vexen was about to open a corridor of darkness and begin his search for Lexaeus, he was interrupted by the arrival of someone he was not at all expecting to see: Axel. Under hardly any circumstances would having the misfortune of running into the Flame be something he would consider even remotely a good thing, but after the less than friendly terms that the two had left on hardly five minutes before, his presence would undoubtedly mean violence for the Academic.

Summoning Frozen Pride, Vexen blocked the chakrams that came at him as their wielder dropped down to the lower level of the room. Lowering the shield slightly, he scowled at the red-haired assailant. "How dare you show your face around here." he snapped, clearly unamused. Axel was implying that the reason for his appearance was "fun", but Vexen knew good and well that was not the truth. Evidently he was still merely unhappy with what the scientist had said, and wanted revenge. How petty.

Of course, the pettiness of the Flame was no new discovery. What was surprising was that he had the nerve to come marching right into the Castle That Never Was and attack one of the members of the Organization. Shaking his head, the Academic's unmistakable aggravation faded more into mild disapproval. "Foolish of you to charge straight into the lions' den all alone like this." If he had had the upper-hand in Traverse Town, he certainty didn't have it anymore, in the middle of his enemies' stronghold. "I did not expect such imprudence, even from you... You must not value your own existence very much. Not that it's difficult to understand why."

Raising his hand, a single dusk appeared on command. Obviously the reason for calling it was not to fight the traitor that stood there. Dusks were among the weakest of Nobodies, and one by itself could hardly pose a threat to a higher Nobody. No, what Vexen required was a simple courier. "Inform Number Five of our unwanted guest, and tell him that his presence is requested in the Hall of Empty Melodies to take care of it." "Yes, my liege." It replied hollowly, disappearing to go carry out the task it was given.

"I suppose that leaves me to deal with you for the time being, doesn't it?" he asked dryly, though it was said as more of a statement than a question. Avoiding a fight was not going to be an option, he could see.

[Axel]

When Fire Falls
--------

The appearance of the Dusk earned a raised eyebrow from Axel. The other eyebrow joined it momentarily at the mention of Number Five. Lexaeus was around here somewhere, after all. That meant there was only a short amount of time to spare before he had the Silent Hero breathing down his neck. He would just have to make the most of what he had.

Just as he had during that first meeting with Zexion in Traverse Town, Axel began to pace, with the predatory air of a feline, around the Academic. Unsurprisingly, Vexen rotated with him, keeping that shield in between. He would need far more than a shield to protect him from what the Flame was about to unleash.

Chuckling with pretend amusement that didn't reach his eyes, Axel persisted in his pacing, chakrams hanging loosely at his sides. "Oh? You mean you're actually going to do something that involves physical labor for once? This, I just have to see."

He paused abruptly and spun his weapons in his hands. "As for dealing with me, I'd like to see you try. Oh, except you've already called for help. Big surprise. Can't seem to do anything yourself, can you?" He smirked. "Those are big words coming from someone who couldn't handle two teenage kids."

Right at that moment, a large circle of fire exploded, covering practically the entire platform. The gray of the room burst abruptly to life with the mingling of firelight and shadows that twisted over every surface. The heat was intense, though to Axel, it was invigorating rather than debilitating.

And he was not finished.

Spreading both of his chakrams wide to both his front and back, he summoned more fire that spiraled around him and exploded outward. The smooth and cold floor of the platform was now charred black with tiny flames licking at nearly every inch of the mess.

Time was of the essence, and this was the quickest way to melt the arrogance off the Chilly Academic's face.

[Summary:
Axel used Inferno.
Remains in effect for the next three posts.]

[Nothingness]

Act II

Well, a show this soon was rather unexpected. Luxord was leaning against the wall, as high as possible so to avoid being noticed. Standing on one of his cards, he had the perfect view of the proceedings down below in the Hall of Empty Melodies. He was remaining silent, and even if Vexen were to see him, well, what good would it do once the Academic was roasted alive? "And so, the two men fight on. As David and Goliath, will the tiny mouse of a man, Vexen, defeat the flaming behemoth, Axel? Or be crushed underfoot?"

His mulling was soon brought to a close as Axel decided to add an arena to the already self-contained battlefield. A ring of fire formed around the combatants, and it certainly added an atmosphere to the fight. The warm touch of the fire mingled with the cold shrieks of steel--a Hall of Empty Melodies no more. A melody of battle now rung out, discordant and harmonious at the same time. The rising action of the second act had begun.

[Fate]

Cut! I Want More Feeling in This Scene!

Things didn't go as expected, but Zexion couldn't say he minded too much.

As planned, Vexen went on his reconnaissance mission to Traverse Town. Zexion had chosen to stay at the Castle today instead of do a mission, waiting for the moment when Vexen would return. He spent his time writing reports for other missions, which unfortunately was quick to finish and gave him more time to twiddle his thumbs and wait. Naturally, he did not really do this and roamed the upper levels of the castle. It was only when he was nearing Proof of Existence before he sensed Vexen's return.

And Axel's scent followed shortly after. How interesting. Zexion didn't fathom that Axel would ever return to the Castle That Never Was if Xemnas was still in charge. Whatever Vexen had said to him must have truly provoked him, which of course made things more authentic for this staged performance. He might as well play a part as well instead of just direct, or at least direct where he could see the action. A Corridor of Darkness appeared in front of him moments later, allowing him to walk through it and disappear.

He appeared in plain sight on the higher level, and for that he was glad. Axel had encased the room in flames, surrounding himself and Vexen. Luxord seemed to be looking on as well, though avoiding the fight as per usual. Zexion looked down at the two from his position, putting on a face of disdain and astonishment. "So I did sense a traitor in the castle after all," he said, his tone cold. "And what brings you here? Are you looking to get yourself killed? You know there will be no hesitation in doing so." For added effect, he summoned his Lexicon; this had to look good after all.

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[Matt]

Feeling?

Vexen watched as Axel began to move around him menacingly. Like a shark circling its prey slowly, having just gotten a taste blood and wanting more. Certainly not wishing to become anyone's meal, metaphorically or otherwise, he turned with the shark, keeping his eyes trained on it and his shield between them. A head-on assault was clearly not going to work, no matter how many times it was tried.

Continuing to rotate, the Academic rolled his eyes at his enemy's meager attempts at provocation. They were not even more wasting the breath to reply with. Not that he really had a chance to say anything either way, for at that exact moment, flames erupted from all sides, forming a large ring that looked approximately twenty feet in diameter. The floor within it was also charred, transforming virtually into a bed of hot coals. Due to the fact that he was not actually standing on the ground, but instead hovering above it, this specifically did not pose so much of a problem as the fire itself.

The heat had always been something the scientist had hated, almost as much in his days of having a heart as in his current days without one. It was for this reason that he had made a habit of avoiding missions to worlds that were abnormally hot, such as Agrabah. And the temperature in the Hall of Empty Melodies had suddenly become unbearably high. The Chilly Nobody felt as if he were practically melting. Perhaps he was.

Hearing the Schemer's voice, Vexen glanced up to the large balcony overhead. There he was, Lexicon in hand, being a bit more bold than usual. Near him, stood another spectator: Luxord. Despite neither of them being the ideal man for the job, he supposed reinforcements were reinforcements all the same. "And so they begin to arrive..." he murdered, loud enough only for Axel to here. "It would seem that is exactly why he has come." he called to primarily to Zexion, though what he had to say next was for the Gambler to hear also. "Clearly, he must be eliminated.

[Prythian]

The Dusk reached Lexaeus relatively quick, of course, but Lexaeus was not the fastest mover, both physically and actually taking action. Watch and wait. He'd suggested to Zexion in Castle Oblivion. His intelligence prevented him from just running off into things without thinking most of the time.

This was not one of those times. Number 4 sending him a message wasn't necessarily something of great importance ordinarily, as bound up as he was in his research and projects, but Axel's arrival in the castle made this an exception. Lexaeus immediately opened a Corridor, appearing in the Hall of Empty Melodies. Unfortunately, he had arrived outside of the ring of fire, preventing his entry.

He held out his hand and rocks appeared out of nowhere to cluster around it, breaking away to reveal Skysplitter. A red-black aura appeared around him as he begin to prepare for the battle that no-doubt awaited him if the ring ever fell. "Vexen. I am here." He called out to the Academic. "I am unable to bypass the traitor's flames. You must buy time."

The Silent Hero had an idea on how to get around the barrier.

[1/2 Charges made]

[Nothingness]

All the King's Men

One by one, all the players were arriving, and he, the audience, would be watching it all. Now, if only the Diviner would show up, then this show would truly begin! But alas, 'tis not to be so, it would seem. As Vexen called out to them that they should eliminate the traitor, a wily grin spread across Luxord's face. No, he wouldn't take part in the "elimination" just yet--the Flame still had something he wanted to know.

"Well, well, well," Luxord muttered, "Who do we have here?" Lexaeus just appeared on the stage, intent on helping Vexen eliminate Axel. Letting his card lower him down to slightly above Zexion's level, but still on the opposite wall, he began to say, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." Looking specifically at Axel and Vexen, then at Lexaeus and Zexion, he finished, "They have their exits and their entrances." He wondered whose exit it would be. After all, they were in the third Act; someone would have to die before the end.

[Axel]

Time Grows Short
--------

Zexion had arrived before Lexaeus, which was unsurprising. The Schemer would have known Axel was here the instant he had entered the Castle. The Flame spared a glance upward when Zexion spoke. He also took note of the Lexicon's appearance. There were roles to be played now, and Axel would play his well.

"Enjoying the view from the safety of the upper level, Schemer?" He grinned. "Why don't you come down here and throw those threats around?"

To be sufficiently convincing, Axel knew he would have to attack Zexion. No one in the right frame of mind would strain a business partnership by attempting severe injury, but in this case, it was necessary. The Schemer probably knew it, too. Or at least, Axel hoped he knew it.

Before he could act on this idea, the low rumble of a voice alerted Axel to the arrival of Lexaeus. Luckily, the ring of fire prevented the Silent Hero from getting to him. For now. If Vexen wasn't dead by the time the flames disappeared, Axel would just have to content himself with the knowledge that he made himself as much of a threat as he possibly could. The others would be aware that he had no qualms jumping straight into the middle of the Castle. And even if he ran away now, there was always the chance he would return when they weren't expecting it.

"I'm so flattered! All of you missed me this much?" He had noticed Luxord somewhere above, as well, but the Gambler was of no concern to him unless he decided to get directly involved. No, Axel''s attention quickly snapped onto Zexion as he threw one of his chakrams up at the bookworm, flames speeding it on its way. "Come join the fun, Zexion! I know you want a piece of me!"

The weapon returned to him, and Axel immediately leaped into the flames. He didn't stay there for long, quickly jumping out and slamming into the ground, sending fire exploding in a circle around him.

[Fate]

Balcony Scene With a Bit More Flair

Vexen agreed that Axel had to be eliminated, though did not move much at all to attack. One would think that he would want revenge for being killed by Axel in Castle Oblivion, but Zexion couldn't say he was too surprised with this; Vexen, like him, was not much of a fighter. Ice would also be melted by fire, making his attacks almost useless with Axel's ring of fire. Indeed, until the fire dissipated, Vexen would be unable to attack; it also prevented him, or anyone else, from coming in to get close hits on Axel. It was a smart move on his part.

Lexaeus appeared shortly afterward, which meant that he had probably been summoned by Vexen. He wasn't able to get into the ring either, which meant that Vexen would have to hold Axel off in the meantime. Luxord's short bit was intriguing as well, all of them actors in a way. That was the truth, for really Axel and Zexion were acting while the rest were buying the performance. Just as before, Vexen was caught in the middle and would have to play a part he didn't audition for. Though, Zexion could help him this time instead of idly watch he supposed.

He could also have a flaming chakram thrown at his face. That wasn't in the plan, but it certainly worked. Zexion ducked to get away from it, which was a bit of an advantage he had from being where he was. Still, it was close and it showed that they needed to get into character more, play their parts better, even if it involved hurting the other. Neither of them had qualms about hurting each other, or so the Schemer imagined, but severely hurting one another would be bad business. Still, appearances had to be kept.

"Yes, I do," he replied back to Axel, false contempt in his voice, "Though, that's not how I do things." He moved back to his previous position, the Lexicon glowing. "Vexen, I will help you buy time. I suggest you move so you are not hit." The pages of the Lexicon flipped rapidly, stopping for a moment as meteors quickly started to descend into the Hall of Empty Melodies. Twenty of them, all with a three-foot diameter, fell. Lexaeus and Luxord were somewhat out of range, but Vexen would need to move if he didn't want to get hit.

[Battle Report:
Zexion used Meteor Mirage
Cannot be used for another five posts
Three uses remaining]

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[Matt]

Close Calls

The deep sound of Lexaeus' voice came from directly outside of the fiery ring. So he had arrived, and fairly promptly, which was good. Unfortunately, the Silent Hero was still unable to be of much help, being separated from the fight by the blazing barrier. As he had said just said, Vexen would just have to buy himself enough time, it would seem. "I'm sure I can manage." he replied coolly, though the heat was growing increasingly uncomfortable and Axel appeared to be itching to stick a chakram in the Academic's back.

Once again, Luxord was choosing to be literally about as unhelpful as possible. Granted, his theatrical metaphor was not remotely difficult to comprehend, it was simply totally unnecessary. He chose to ignore the Gambler, seeing no point in replying him like usual. Unlike him, Zexion had chosen to take the initiative to actually be of some assistance. Although his idea of help was awfully hazardous.

Suggesting to Vexen that he move out of the way, the Schemer summoned a couple dozen meteors that came falling down towards the Inferno. They came falling down towards the traitor, but Number Four was also partially caught within the range of the not so precise attack. He was about to raise his shield above his head to partially stop the oncoming meteors, but he realized that this would leave him far to open to attack from Axel. Such as the circle of fire that had just been created, which he attempted to block with his shield, succeeding mostly.

However, he didn't exactly want to be taking any more explosion damage for the day either, so lifting his hand, Vexen created four large chunks of ice above himself that began to spin a few feet above it. This was not ordinary ice, no, and so it was not nearly as easily melted as frozen water typically was. None the less, the surrounding flames certainly would not be strengthening the ice, so it was good that it's function was a short one: to block whatever attacks threatened to hit the Academic.

This it managed to do, or at least somewhat. Although the meteors that had come from directly above had been stopped, Vexen still felt the blast of nearby explosions. And coming from all sides, Frozen Pride was unable to block all of the damage. He stumbled backwards, though stopped himself from actually falling. His breathing, having become steady since arriving back to the Castle, was starting to grow heavier. Hopefully, Axel had taken plenty of damage himself.

[Used Spinning Shield]

[Prythian]

The Silent Hero stood there, concentrating. The flames couldn't last much longer, or so he thought. No one knew how powerful Axel had gotten since his death, but if he was like most of the other members, he'd been somewhat weakened. Lexaeus was still unable to use some of his powers. As he focused his energy, the red-black aura grew stronger around him, and his cloak was ruffling in the dark wind that was flying outwards from his body.

The wind fanned the flames in front of him, making them shoot up somewhat higher, and doubtless some of the darkness would be seen passing through the flames. When the flames came down, the Hero would be well prepared to handle Axel.

[2/2 Charges: Full Power Attained]

[Axel]

Why Couldn't This Have Been a Deleted Scene?
--------

Oh, hell.

It was necessary for the Schemer to be involved in "disposing" of him, but Axel could have done without the meteors raining from the sky. Even if he had jumped back into the flames, it probably wouldn't have done him much good. The platform shook with the impact of the falling rocks, and despite Axel's speed, the attack proved just a little too much for him to handle right now.

Vexen was, as usual, cowering behind shields, though the Flame took some small comfort in seeing that these did not make the Academic entirely impervious to the shockwaves that spread along the ground. Axel did his best to dodge and weave--he really didn't, after all, wish to get smashed to pieces, especially not by Zexion--but he got caught in one of the explosions.

A string of obscenities shot through his head.

He went tumbling over to the side of the ring opposite Vexen, but he did manage to land catlike in a crouch. Unfortunately, that was right where another meteor decided to make its temporary home, and Axel had to scramble out of the way to avoid a direct hit to the head. His breathing now a little bit more ragged, the Flame shot a look up toward Zexion that said, "I really will kill you if you're not careful." That's how Zexion should and would interpret it, anyway. Anyone else who saw the look would have just pegged it as pretend rage at the attack.

Then, he noticed the darkness pouring through a section of the ring. That's when he decided that the second the fiery wall vanished, he was out of there. He wanted no part of Lexaeus or the Skysplitter until absolutely necessary.

Wasting no time at all, Axel shifted his attention back to Vexen and darted into the flames again. Seconds later, he burst out of them straight at the Academic, leaving a burning trail in his wake. Just as soon as he skidded to a halt, he whirled, despite the pain that suddenly stabbed him all along his ribcage, and launched one flame-propelled chakram each at both the Schemer and Vexen.

[Fate]

Award For Best Supporting Actor? Maybe?

Was that too much of a preemptive strike? Perhaps, though it worked.

The meteors caused the platform below to shake, hitting both Axel and Vexen. Zexion had not meant to hit the latter in his attack, but he needed to show that he wasn't going to hold back against this traitor. If they had not been business partners, he would have started the fight this way as well simply to get rid of him faster. He wasn't going to give Axel any sort of advantage by holding back. He didn't typically like starting his fights with these sorts of attacks, but he could be bold this time around. Lexaeus was here this time, some of his darkness seeping into the fiery ring as wind fanned the flames. He was preparing himself.

Axel didn't seem happy of course. He was giving him this harsh look of sorts, one full of false rage. It said all it needed to though, at least to the Schemer: if he wasn't careful, that business deal wasn't going to stop Axel from really killing him. He would need to hold back just a tad so he didn't fuel that fury. Lexaeus was the one that needed to take care of him anyway, not him.

Zexion decided just to look on as Axel attacked Vexen again with speed and fire on his side. While he didn't see the outcome of that, he did see the chakram come straight at him. He didn't have the time to duck this time or even use the Lexicon as a shield, the flaming chakram hitting him full force and making him stumble backward with some definite scratches, the ends of the chakram rather sharp. He knew that if he was in the ring at this point and not above the entire thing, Axel would be able to do a lot more damage like he was to Vexen. He wasn't about to join the Academic either and neither was he going to use another attack; he would wait, and then strike.

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