Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ The Dark Horse ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The phone made an odd clanging noise as the tall, blue haired man slammed it down with a look of twisted rage on his face. Roxas refused to let himself flinch despite the fact that he was sat on the floor with a thick band of coarse rope binding his hands together behind him, “That obviously went well.” he quipped quietly to himself. Roxas was never one to take something like this rolling over, and he'd quickly found that his kidnappers were not amused by his smart mouth.

The thump of boots and rustle of cloth pulled Roxas from inside his own mind. He tilted his head just enough that he could glare through his spiky fringe at the man looming above him: The man he mentally referred to as X due to the X shaped scar between his eyes. X stared down at him with impassive eyes set in a blank face, “You'd better hope this 'family friend' of your's knows what he's doing.”

Roxas remained silent as X stared down at him for several seconds longer before turning in a whirl of black fabric and stalking over to the door. It was a heavy thing, made of steel: Windowless, boring, and a uniform gray shade. The tall man smacked his palm against it twice.

The door opened and X spoke to the person on the other side. Roxas could almost hear the vastness of the hallway and rooms beyond. A moment later X was slipping out of the room with only the rustle of fabric and the light tap of his boots against the thin carpet. The man who entered rustled and chimed with bangle's and beads, His long dark hair pulled up into trailing dreadlocks. Dreadlocks, as Roxas dubbed him quickly, gave him a sharp glance from beneath high, winged brows. Roxas curled his lip right back at him, watching as the large man stalked to the desk and leaned back against it.

The boring clock on the wall reminded Roxas of a classroom. It was the only thing making any noise, even the adornments his new baby sitter was wearing were silent as the man stood motionless. If there was anything that made this worse than it could have been, it was the helpless waiting. He hated the intense feeling of uselessness that ticked at the back of his mind like a time bomb.

“So,” he drawled, and had to work hard not to let the feeling of smug satisfaction he felt when his watcher twitched in surprise. Roxas kept his tone casual, his blue eyes hood as he spoke, “is your code name Wind chime?”

That fierce face sent him a scorching look that Roxas mentally translated as bad-guy speak for 'Shut the hell up.'

“I mean, with the way you chime when you move it'd make sense.” Roxas carried on blithely ignoring the harsh stare he was getting. “How about the other guy? Do they call him Scarface like some sort of really bad movie?” Suddenly looking horrified Roxas shifted and smacked his head back against cement wall behind him. “Oh god, my life has officially turned into a bad crime movie.”

As Roxas prattled on he wasn't even listening to himself, and he doubted he'd ever talked so much in his life. While he wasn't exactly anti-social Roxas had always been one of the more straight forward and calm types unless his temper had been tickled. All the same he'd found this was a plausible way to annoy his kidnappers and even that small amount of control was keeping him sane, keeping him from giving into the sheer cold terror that was fizzing at the base of his spine. He'd heard what they'd asked of his parents.

He was gabbling about how his ass was going to go numb under the baleful stare of his baby sitter when the door opened with a thup of suction as it was dislodged from it's frame. Roxas fell immediately silent, straining to hear anything that could give away his location. As Dreadlocks and X traded places he thought he could hear the sound of rattling chain-link fencing. The door swung closed to a slightly shrill voice warbling in the background. The last sound was a deeper voice hissing for the higher one to 'Shut up.'

Roxas turned his eyes on X as the blue haired man prowled to the desk and sank into the chair behind it. Immediately he leaned back in the leather office chair and swung his boots up, propping them on the corner of the mahogany piece of furniture. Absently flipping a clump of blue hair over his shoulder X picked up the phone and keyed in a number without even looking.

Intense golden eyes met Roxas' steady blue gaze, and that blank face quirked into a vaguely mocking smirk before smoothing again. Cradling the land line handset against his ear X spoke blandly into it, “Hello Mr. Family Friend.”

There was that term again 'family friend.' There were a few people that Roxas knew could be considered a family friend, though there were only two who were comfortable enough to be answering the Strife's home phone. Zack, his dad's best friend, or Axel, his own. It would be one of those two, and he had a pretty good idea of which one.

Sora chewed his lower lip, staring blankly after Axel long after the lanky man had departed. His mind was whirling with different thoughts. Mostly he wondered if Reno had really called or if Axel was making that weak excuse to just get away. Sora couldn't blame him. For as long as Sora had known those two, Axel and Roxas had been a pair. Once Axel met Roxas they'd been attached at the hip, a lot like him and Riku really. Sora felt that if it was Riku in this position he'd want to run away somewhere as well.

Inhaling sharply he shook the depressing thoughts away and went about finishing the task that Axel had started. Grabbing a number of tea cups and saucers from their familiar places in the cupboards he smiled, just a little sadly, as memories of childhood days begging treats off Tifa with Roxas ran through his mind. Once everything was situated on the tray Sora gave a slight nod before he picked it up and carried it into the living room.

Tifa looked up as he came in, and just as he had every time she'd look at him today he faltered slightly at the sight of her red rimmed eyes. Such a look seemed so out of place on his 'Aunt Tifa.' Tifa was a strong woman, much like his own mother. It just seemed so wrong to see her looking so very human. Almost as though the entire world were about to crumble around them. Sora handed her a cup of tea prepared just as he knew she always took it, and Tifa cradled the cup in her hands with a grateful smile.

Glancing toward the door again she frowned faintly, “Sora? Where's Axel?”

Sora shrugged faintly, handing cups over to Cloud as well as his own parents, “He left. He told me Reno called, but I think he just wanted to be alone.”

He noticed the two FBI agents trade looks and felt a bubble of anger spark in his chest though he quelled it quickly. Sora was by no means the idiot most people pegged him for. While academically he might not be the brightest bulb in the box he was good with people. He had an affinity for understanding others as well as, if not better than, they understood themselves.

Those agents were wondering about Axel's integrity, and knowing what he did about Axel it made Sora want to lash out at them. It made him want to stand up and defend his friend. It was only the knowledge that they were just two people trying to do their jobs that kept him from voicing his thoughts on the matter.

Tifa smiled sadly and looked down into the warm liquid in her cup, “You're probably right. I hadn't really noticed... but, he's taking this hard isn't he?”

Sora pulled the the woman, who was like a second mother to him, into a one armed hug, “We all are, Aunty Tify.” He said, surprising a laugh from her with his use of the old childish nickname. “But don't worry, we'll get Roxas back. I know we will.”

Tifa leaned against his shoulder returning his hug with one arm around his waist, and he was saddened by the fact that it wasn't as bone crushing as her hugs normally were, “Thanks, kiddo.”

Agent Leonhart cleared his throat causing them all to look toward him curiously. Sora noticed that the man seemed a bit uncomfortable: As if unsure of how to react to the display of emotion. Leonhart shared a final glance with his partner before nodding to Tifa and Cloud, “If they call again, let us know.”

Tifa began to rise, but Yuffie waved her off, “Don't worry about it, we can show ourselves out. You all just relax as best you can, and try not to worry too much. We'll do everything we can, okay?”

Tifa nodded, smiling tightly as she sank back into the sofa, and Sora stared after the two having watched Kisaragi back out of the room hands waving energetically. How anyone could be so peppy when they dealt with such tension so often Sora couldn't fathom as it was trying even on him. Leonhart had simply stalked from the room, all business.

Sora remained quiet listening to the murmur of voices around him, letting it flow over him like a soothing balm. If he didn't hear the words, or the choked quality in some of the voices things could almost seem normal. A thought struck him causing the world to come rushing back into sharp reality and he voiced a quiet noise of remembrance, “I'll be right back!”

Without waiting for a response Sora hurried after the two agents, grabbing a pad of paper and a pen from a hall table as he went. Throwing himself out the door he raised his voice, “Hey! Agent Leonhart! Agent Kisaragi! Please, wait!”

The two agents had just reached the end of the walkway and they turned in concert at Sora's shout. The spring breeze plucked at their hair and the dark suit jackets they wore and for a moment Sora halted on the porch overcome by a surreal feeling. It was a little he was tearing apart from himself, into two people: One standing there with everyone else and the other seeing this like it was one of those crime shows on TV, or a movie. Giving himself a little shake Sora trotted down the walk to stand before them.

Quickly he scratched out a series of numbers on the paper before tearing it away and holding the scrap out to Agent Leonhart, “It's Axel's cellphone and home numbers.” Sora said when the man looked at him curiously. Maybe this way they could talk to Axel, and stop being mistrustful of him. Axel was a good person, and he certainly didn't need their doubt right now.

Leonhart reached out and took the paper, folding it in half once before tucking it into his breast pocket, “Thank you.”

Sora smiled faintly at the curt thanks and simply nodded. Agent Leonhart was already pulling out his own cellphone as the two agents climbed into their vehicle and Sora couldn't help but give a cheerful hum.
Everything would be all right, he just knew it would. After all, they were the good guys, right?

He remained outside for awhile longer gazing up at the restless white clouds and the ambient blue sky. A car door slamming startled Sora enough that he jerked forward, and had to stumble a step to catch his balance. Whipping around he caught sight of two silver haired men advancing on him and he couldn't help but smile in greeting, “Hey Riku.”

Riku offered him a tiny smile, his turquoise eyes peering at him from behind unruly silver hair, “Hey, we heard what was going on...”

Sora nodded, and glanced to the taller of the two, “Sir.” He said, voice quiet and respectful. To be honest Riku's guardian scared him. Sephiroth had an air about him that could make just about anyone want to crawl into a hole and never leave. Sora, however, refused to quail under that stern gaze.

“If you would fill Riku in, I'm going to go speak with the Strife's and your parents.”

“Yes, sir.” The two watched Sephiroth sweep up walk and into the house, not even bothering to knock, and Sora let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. “I don't know how you can live with him...”