TITAL 2: Why did It Take Me So Long To Do This?

Riku: *looks around* Al, if you were paying attention, you might know this is Radiant Garden.

Aleri: Yes, but you guys were talking about going to the Islands.

Riku: We were talking, and we were talking about the islands, but I don't think either of us said anything about actually going there...

<Note: "Either of us" meaning Xile and Riku>

Junpei glared at Sammy raising his katana again, "I saw you murder a police officer, you think I'm just going to let that slide because you DON'T WANT TO FIGHT?!" His blade burned with an intense hatred, "I'll end you in one blow. Do the world a favor."

<...I don't foresee this ending without a Deus Ex Machina.

Also, I too will call BS on the conveniently placed replacement arm.>

Something inside Sammy cracked. His hair turned black, and his eyes glowed lavender again. Aura flared at least 50 feet high. He grabbed Junpei by the collar of his shirt, and said, in an angry, distorted voice,"I didn't ****ing kill him! The coat, WHICH WAS STEPHANIE'S, did it ON IT'S OWN. GOT IT? I'm being dead ****ing serious..." His face turned blank, then suddenly the aura flared up to the cosmos. His face was slightly different now, with just lavender filling his eyes. He then said,"If you EVER ****ing tell me to do the world a favor by dying, hell, if you even PISS ME OFF ONE MORE TIME, I WILL ****ING WIPE YOUR EXISTANCE OF THIS ****ING MORTAL PLANE!" He then threw Junpei into a building wall.

<Not so sure if this is god modding and is a Deus Ex Machinmacallit a person saving his sorry ass?>

<...Actually knowing Junpei beyond "he's one of Minato's friends, and you do not **** with him" makes this scary on a different level entirely. ...Not the BS throwing-him-into-a-wall thing, I mean how he's determined to end Sam.>

A feminine voice from the shadows murmured in disagreement. "Yeah... that doesn't make sense. If you kill a man, and then pretend to be a pacifist... then you're fooling yourself. You do not take a dead woman's coat, then blame it for killing a man. It makes you look pathetic beyond belief."

Who else? It was Rekoka. "Well, then, Sammy, looks like you have two choices: Whine like a weakling as you're cut apart, or fight to your last breath."



"Hmph, whatever. I've been shot in the head before. Now, then, introduce yourself, psycho-b****." Rexial spoke casually, as if the weapon were no threat at all. I'd be worried if her heart were stronger, but if I had to, I could overpower her without any effort. Even a direct assault on me won't do any good. Besides, I don't need to bring a weapon to fight with...

"C'mon, explain a little. I really hate being kept in the dark -no pun intended- about this kind of thing. If you need any incentive, keep in mind that I can collapse this heart and turn Cecily into a Heartless at any time, and that means you'll meet your end with her."

I wonder if they'll call my bluff. I mean, I CAN do that, but I don't want to. I'm not even considering the possibility. There's being a jackass, and then there's evil. I like to stay on the jackass side, the lesser of two evils. If I have to slap her around inside her own head a little, better than robbing her of her humanity.


<...I think Sam just failed a test.>

<Due to the recent banning, I will be taking on the characters of Sammy, Jack, and Lia. If anyone would wish to take control of Cecily, they are free to do so although Nebula has first rights since his character is currently involved with her.>

Junpei stood up, his minor scratchs already healing from his Spring of Life ability. He glared at Sammy with an intense hatred, "You think you're a big man?! That you can take me down!? Then, fight me! Here and now!"

Sammy laughed, "Idiot! You keep blabbering on and on! It leaves me WAY too much room for fun." He stepped backwards into a portal and dissappeared.

Junpei chased after him but was too late, "Me and my damn mouth... Tch, I better go find out who that officer was... His department and family will need to know..." He shifted his cap down to shield his eyes, "I hate my job."

--------------------------------------

Jack smiled from his position on the rooftop watching the events unfold, "He finally had the balls to do it..." He laughed, "I'll be waiting in the Overrealm." He smirked and dissappeared into a portal.

--------------------------------------

Meanwhile at THTNW

Xavier waited patiently for the others to arrive as he drew a map from memory of the Shinra HQ, it was shoddy due to his cloudy memory but enough that they could get by with. Suddenly, a pair of hands covered his eyes, "Guess who?" A playful feminine voice asked.

"Lia?" Xavier asked.

"Got on the first try. What're you up to?" She asked curiously.

Xavier nodded moving over so she could sit, "Well... I'm planning on infiltrating..." He paused when she didn't move to sit beside him, "Lia?" He asked not looking back but still studying his plan.

"****ing idiot." A caustic insult spat from behind Xavier, "You need to keep better track of your *****."

Xavier jumped from his seat, instantly drawing Rose from his holster and pointing it at the intruder.

It was Sammy, he had his new Nokir arm wrapped around Lia's throat and a gun to her head, "Do it. Shoot me. You know my reaction will be faster. I'll pull the trigger before you even get a chance."

"Why are you doing this Sammy? What did Lia do to you?" Xavier asked stonily not lowering his weapon.

Sammy smiled stroking Lia's face with his gun hand, "I need her... Her powers, the ability to create and destroy... If I take her, I'll have all the power I could need... Or ever imagine. Even Minato wouldn't be able to stand in my way."

Lia whimpered helplessly, pleading for Xavier's help with her eyes.

Xavier glared at Sammy, "You're insane! What's wrong with you?"

"Don't you know? It's better to live on your feet than to die on your knees. I'm taking control, starting with this little *****." He tightened his grip on Lia as he opened a corridor, "Now, be a good boy, Xavier." His gaze hardened in an instant, "And don't follow."

Suddenly, Sammy fired a round from the gun, Xavier didn't have time to react as the bullet flew and ripped through his calf muscle.

As Sammy disappeared, Xavier roared in pain, dropping to the floor as his leg gave out from under him.

---------------------------------

Fia and Alexei down the hall heard the gunshot.

Fia's eyes shot wide as she heard Xavier yell, "That was Xavier! We've got to go! He must be in some sort of trouble!"

Aleri stopped in the middle of his conversation with Riku and Xile. His eyes changed, as they did when he went into Hax Mode, minus the glowing. There was an intense focus in those eyes. "...Sorry, but I need to go. I just felt something change... something big. Sorry for disrupting your afternoon."

With that, he turned and left through a Light Corridor. "S*** just got real."



<I'll try to play Cecily as best I can, but I'll have to make up her backstory.>

Rexial looked at the two identities of Cecily. "Hm, I see. So, you're the fragment that recalls all of her most painful memories? I can sense a couple more fragments in here... One of them is the inner demon that they were trying to empower, to have it swell until it could take over completely. And one of them is the child who never knew any of this; your innocence. And then there's the dominant one: the broken girl who puts up a cheerful facade so that people will accept her."

The one who had threatened him laughed again, a bone-chilling sound. It wasn't a mirthful laugh at all; it was plain now that it was full of sadness and despair. "Mweha-hahahah-hehah... That's...!"

"Not t-true!" The girl blurted.

Rexial crossed his arms. "Hmph, I know I'm right. I can see everything in your heart."

That was not the right thing to say. "Noooo! Get out! Get out, get out, get out!" Cecily screamed, clutching her head.

W-what the hell is going on!? She's rejecting my presense... and... no way, she's actually forcing me out! Dammit! If only I had been more tactful...



A black blur shot out from Cecily's form, slamming against the nearby wall. It reformed into Rexial, but byt the time he was on his feet, the girl had fled. He would never find her in the city... "Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!"

Leaning on the wall nearby, Rekoka sighed. "You suck at talking to girls."

"Ugh, how can you be so flippant at a time like this!? I just scared a demonic, traumatized girl into running away! ...And now I feel as if everything is going wrong. I can tell. Sam finally caved in and realized how evil he is, and decided to go with it. It looks like we'll have to stop him... I have an army, but they're really not prepared for anything yet. The best they'll be able to do for now is guard my castle...

She put a hand on his shoulder. "So you don't have an army. You still have your own power... and that sword."

"'That Sword'...? Oh, you mean the Fragrach. ...The Fragrach! I didn't even think of that! S***, if Sam gets his hands on it... We have to book it and get back to the castle! He doesn't know about it, so it may be safe, but..."

Riku: Oh, crap. That can't be good.
<THTNW>
Sora: *hears gunshot* Hey, what the--! *runs toward the sound* Hey...what happened here...?

Alexei nodded to Fia, "I'll take point." With Bogatir shouldered and aimed, he was ready to take what action necessary. He carefully entered the room, but snapped into protective mode as he saw Xavier on the ground.

"Fia! We need you in here! NOW!" He ripped off the bottom of his shirt and tied it around the leg, trying to stem the bleeding. "You let a gunshot take you down?" He looked up with a joking smile, "We'll get the bastard." His face turned to ice as his emotions disappeared.

Sora: Um...a gunshot? But...who has a gun that would shoot Xavier?

Aleri entered through his Light Corridor to answer the question. "This is why I'm almost pissed off that I know this stuff, thanks to my extra three senses. Who else would do this? He'd be overconfident enough to let Xavier live, but still sadistic enough to shoot him in the leg. He kidnapped Lia, and there are two reasons anybody would do that: To use her powers for evil, and to torment Xavier."

"Her powers are Aura-based, and Aura isn't worth **** here. So, they must be from the Overrealm. And how many people do we know from the Overrealm who aren't currently under some form of supervision, and happen to be violent? Ah, and the 'not under supervision' part is my bad. Sorry about that, he slipped out of the House while I was asleep. Do I even need to spell it out?"



At Rexial's Castle...

The master of the castle returned, striding through the front door, the guards saluting him. Rexial briskly stepped forward, hurrying to the stairs leading up to the Observation Room. He ascended them faster than humanly possible.

"Sukiru, we have a-"

"Yes, yes, I know." The man seemed genuinely disturbed by this turn of events. "...So, you want to take the weapon that you think would empower him to actual-threat status in combat, and bring it with yopu to confront him? My friend, you are the greatest idiot I have ever met."

"Shut up and tell me where the bastard is. I thought he had so much potential for good... but it looks like we don't have any choice but to finish him off now. I'm taking the Fragrach. Besides, he'd probably find a way to steal it anyway. Jack probably sided with him, and that punk knows how to get it." The swordsman took off down the stairs, stepping into the alcove hidden behind them.

<...Do I even need to point out that I have too many magically-sensitive characters? I mean, half of them already know about this stuff. And they're the ones who MATTER, in my cast, so no cases of "the not-so-awesome characters stumble on something and get in way over their heads".>

Xavier glared at the Russian, "I wouldn't have normally... My leg's shot right now." He hissed in pain as Alexei worked, "Fia, get me up. Get me transport... I'm going to find him." His tone became a dark whisper, "And I'm going to kill him."

Fia looked at the wound, "He tore straight through a major muscle. I don't have the kind of magic for that."

Alexei finished the field dressing and looked up to Fia, "I do not think we will change his mind about this," He looked back to Xavier, "She is right however, your leg is not going to be able to hold for very long. So make it quick."

He stood and went to Fia's side, turning back to look at his comrade.

Aleri rolled up his sleeves. "Way to ignore me. I've got enough power to nuke a city, I think that's enough to fix a wound like this. ...Well, power's not really the issue here, but either way, I can probably help the recovery process along. I won't be fighting while I'm helping Xavier heal, though."

<And so, I conveniently occupy one of my characters so that he is too busy to go fight. Hurray! ...I hope.>

Xavier gave Aleri an irritated glance, "There's no faster option? Couldn't Yukari or Namine get me back in action now? I need to go after him... Lia..." Momentarily, the young man's face seared with hurt remembering the look of helplessness in her eyes as she had asked for his help and he had failed her.

Aleri returned the look. "Xavier, you had military training. You of all people should know that there is no quick fix for a major muscle being shot. I hate this, too, but a temporary solution will leave you incapable of saving her, and you'll run the risk of being a cripple for life. Sit down and let me heal your wound while we locate Lia."

Xavier groaned, "Goddamit! The one time she really needs me and I slipped up... If I lose her, Aleri... I won't have much left..."

Fia grimaced at her leader's fraught tangle of emotion, "Xavier, you can't help anyone in the condition you're in. Just let him heal you!"

Xavier gave a guttural growl but nodded his acceptance, "Alright... I know... It's just... Tch..." He sighed in defeat.

"Don't worry. He's Sam, he's not going to know how to beat us. Everybody has wanted a piece of him from the start, and now we have a solid reason. He's as good as hamburger meat, man." Aleri reassured, wasting no time charging up his magic and beginning the process of magically cleaning and disinfecting the wound thoroughly. After that, he created a protective barrier around the injured area and began to cast a complex spell.

"...This is a really tough spell. It accelerates your healing, so what would take months is only going to take most of the day... er, well, it could actually take up to a week, if we're not lucky. Problem is, I have to be here the whole time to heal it, concentrating to maintain its effects. Neither of us can go to fight. It's frustrating, but have a little faith in everyone else. They're not that weak."

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Y'know, I'd normally be all for trying to persuade him to come back, but I don't think it's going to make a difference. I'm going after him, who's with me? ...Who knows where he is?"

Minato seemed to materialize as he and Yukari appeared from upstairs, "I know." His glare was dark, death eminated from him as Dues Xiphos appeared in his hands, "Yukari, stay here and help Al. Sora, let's go."

He opened a portal but before he could step through, Xavier grabbed him by the ankle, "Slow him down... Save Lia..." Xavier let him go as he said the last part, "Leave Sammy for me. He's MY fight."

Minato laughed and nodded, "Alright, you heard the guy. I'll leave the portal open. Yukari, tell Xavier when he's healthy enough to fight again. He'll want to know."

Sora dismissed his Keyblade. He wouldn't need it quite yet. "Alright, well, after you," he said, stepping to the side to allow Minato to pass. He looked at Xavier. "No worries. I always help out my friends."

Aleri nodded to Yukari. "Good to have a healing expert here. Thank you."




Rexial stepped into the antechamber. Rather than face the path deeper into the dungeon, he faced the wall opposite the entryway, took in a great gasp of air and yelled,

"REXIAL, YOU JACKASS! GODDAMN YOUR LONG-ASS FAKE-OUT DUNGEON!"

At this verbal command, the hidden door, once flush with the wall, slid inwards and revealed a new room. It was filled with rows upon rows of lockers...

The lord of the castle opened one that was set slightly behind the door, in an alcove with three more. He reached into it, pulling open a secret door into a locker that was not visible from anywhere else in the room. Removing the contents of this hidden compartment, Rexial belted the mighty weapon to his side.

"The Fragrach... it's a good thing I got to it first. We could have been in some trouble if Sam had gotten his hands on this weapon."

Yukari smiled, "No problem. I'll monitor his vitals. You just keep that spell going, okay?" She gave Xavier an optimistic smile, "We'll have you back up in no time."

Xavier smiled, "Thanks, just wish you guys could move faster."

-----------------------------------------

A portal opened in front of Rexial and Minato's voice came from it, "You coming with me and Sora, Rex?"