Hearts of Vengeance 5

CHAPTER 5

Marluxia looked at himself in the mirror, admiring his new wardrobe.  “I have to admit, this is such a refreshing change from the usual black hooded cloak.  It goes so well with the color of my hair.”  Marluxia was dressed in a deep purple suit with a lavender dress shirt underneath the jacket, and wore a flowing maroon overcoat over the suit.  On the right breast of the jacket, he had a single black rose pinned onto it.  After confirming his choice of dress, Marluxia turned away.  “Now…  Getting revenge on Roxas and Axel, while satisfying, just doesn’t seem to be enough even if I do manage to control the Keyblade’s power.”  An evil, greedy grin crossed his features.  “I believe the one thing that could sweeten it all, would be if I took control of Twilight Town; both the part created by Ansem the Wise, AND the part where Organization XIII’s base was situated in the “World that Never Was.”  I could spread my “flower power” through both realities and create my own garden of darkness.”  The more he thought about it, the more Marluxia smiled and craved the idea.  Hold out one hand, a swirl of flower petals gathered around and began to form the shape of Marluxia’s scythe before transforming into that very weapon.  Sitting down at Ansem’s computer, he started searching through the monitors.  “Now, I wonder how Larxene is doing with her search.  Can I really trust her, now that she has a heart?”  He finally came across a monitor that showed the image of Larxene’s face.  Ever since Larxene had been revived, she seemed to show signs of wariness, reluctance and mistrust towards Marluxia.  Even if it was all in his head, Marluxia did not want to take any chances.  “If she should desert/betray me, then I shall be in need of some other servants to dispose of her and take her place.”  He turned towards the door out of the laboratory and into the night streets.  “I believe I know where to look.”

After much walking in the darker streets of Twilight Town, Marluixa found himself standing in front of a seedy looking tavern.  He looked up and read the brightly lit neon sign, which read “Faris’ Pirate Brig” in bright blue letters.  “This is where I’ll find the men or women I need.”  Marluxia told himself as he pushed open the doors.  Inside the bar was exactly like the name had suggested, as the bar looked as though it had been taken out straight from the age of pirates.  Marluxia saw mercenaries, warriors, and thieves off all kinds drinking, smoking, playing cards, shooting craps, playing pool and what not; some of them were even collecting the bounties of the targets they captured.  Marluixa wandered up to the bar and took a seat, waiting for the bartender to come his way.  Sure enough an attractive young woman about in her mid-twenties with long purple hair flowing behind her, dressed in a men’s frilly white dress shirt, short leather skirt, and calf high leather boots, came up to Marluxia.  “Am I correct to assume that you are Faris?”

“Aye, that be my name.”  Faris nodded.  “Will ye be having anything to wet yer whistle?”

“I’d like some Vodka please.”

Faris deposited a large bottle of Vodka and a shot glass on the table, and screwed off the top.  “There ya go.  Now what brings ye to my humble bar, matey?  Ya have a sort of air about ye.”

“I’m looking for some mercenaries for hire.”  Marluxia explained as he took a drink of vodka.  “I’ve heard that you’ve got some of the best there is.”

“That we do, my pink haired friend.  That we do.  What exactly are ya lookin’ for?”

“Well…  Let’s just say I need a powerful fighter who can do a “killer for hire” job.”  Marluxia took another drink.

“I see…”  Faris thought for a moment.  “If ye want someone who’s strong and dedicated to his job…I got just the lubber for ya.”  Faris walked out from behind the bar and called to the far side of the room. “Hey!  Steiner!  Ya got a customer here!”

Marluxia turned around looking to see who Faris called over.  His eyebrow raised as stocky looking knight came his way.  The man looked to be about in his late 40s, clad head to toe in armor.  His armor had traces of rust all over it, looking like he hadn’t cleaned it in days, and his weapon of choice appeared to be a large sword shiny strapped to his back which played contrast to his rusty armor.

The knight bowed politely to Marluxia and introduced himself.  “Greetings, dear sir.  I am Aldebert Steiner, at your service.”

“Hmmm…  You’re well mannered and seem obedient, but are you strong?” Marluxia asked.

“I am VERY strong, sir.”  Steiner said with confidence and raised his shiny sword into the air.  “Check my record and it will show that I am the man you’re looking for, and not these rogues and knaves you see around me.”  He waved in dismissal at the other mercenaries.

Faris passed Marluxia Steiner’s credit sheet, from beside him.  “Read it and weep.”  Faris told him.  “Boastful Steiner may be, and full of hot air he seems, but aye, he has quite the spotless record for bounty huntin,’ AND he has the muscle and staying power to back it up.”

Marluxia read the paper over and his eyebrows arched in surprise, before his eyes narrowed and his mouth sported a cunning grin.  ‘Perfect…’  He thought.  ‘He may be stuffy and full of it, but it this report shows that he’s got the power and skill to match his pride.  But I want to see him in action.’  He looked at Steiner.  “Steiner…  Can you show me a taste of you abilities?”

Steiner bowed again.  “But, of course, sir, anything for a hopeful employer.”

Marluxia looked around the area before setting his eyes on a bald muscle-bound brute with a beard, nearby.  He grinned evilly.  “I want you to beat that hooligan up.”

“It shall be done!”  Steiner nodded, before readying his sword.  He made a quick motion as his sword began to shine in the light and radiate a powerful energy, before he charged at the brute.  “IAI STRIKE!”

The brute had only enough time to grunt and look up, before Steiner’s sword clashed right against his bare flesh.

The sound of steel cutting into human flesh echoed through the entire bar, and fresh human blood splattered onto the floor, wall, and a nearby table.  The next sound heard was the thud of the brute’s bloodied and disemboweled corpse hitting the floor, leaking more blood onto the carpet.  In front of the corpse stood Steiner, his sword covered in blood, and looking grimy at the body.  “May your cursed soul rot in hell, wretch.”  He said simply, as he cleaned his sword off.

“Hmmm…”  Marluxia smiled with satisfaction.  “He’ll do nicely.”

Meanwhile…

Roxas was walking around the shopping plaza, with a bar of sea-salt ice cream in hand thinking back to yesterday.  He was feeling a little cautious as of late, ever since yesterday’s Struggle Competition when Marluxia, his former Organization colleague who was supposed to be dead after a fierce battle with Sora, had shown up out of nowhere and caused quite a commotion in the sandlot, all to threaten him, Axel, and Naminé, announcing that he was back for vengeance against them.  But apparently when Sora wished for the Nobodies to be reborn with hearts, Marluxia’s heart must have returned back to the remains of its former body.  But now that he had a heart, that heart must full of anger, hatred and revenge.  Since Sora was out of reach, Roxas was the next best target for Marluxia, who only desired to control the Keyblade and Keaybearer’s power.  But he also sought out Axel, who had uncovered his plan and aided in his demise, and wanted revenge on him just as badly, for turning Naminé against him and throwing a wrench into his plan.  The question was, WHERE and WHEN Marluxia would strike.  They could have fought then and there at the Struggle Match—but Marluxia declined and fled.  Almost as if he had another agenda.  ‘What could Marluxia be after, besides the Keyblade’s power or Axel’s and my head?  It doesn’t matter if he’s a Nobody OR a human—he’s always been so secretive and on his own side.  I don’t know how or why Xemnas didn’t catch onto his plot.  I always knew something wasn’t quite right about him, and Axel did too.  Marluxia’s secretiveness and unpredictability have always made him dangerous like that…’  He took another bite of his ice cream and sighed.  “Even with a new life, peace doesn’t seem to last long.”

As Roxas reflected, he was unaware of the fact that a certain someone was watching him from afar.  Larxene had been stalking Roxas for quite some time now, under Marluxia’s orders.  It was strange though.  If she had been a Nobody, this would be no problem as her personality as a Nobody portrayed her to be sadistic, cruel, savage and malicious, living up to her title as the “Savage Nymph” and the perfect right hand woman to Marluxia and his ideals.  But now that she was human—now that she had a heart—things were so much different.  Now she felt fearful and uneasy around Marluxia, who seemed more like a power hungry madman than the ambitious idealist he was back at Castle Oblivion.  Also—in her new long lost heart, she was experiencing other feelings long forgotten; such as regret.  She felt the regret of following Marluxia down the road to ruin, regret of betraying the Organization’s goal of becoming human again, regret of betraying her teammates, and the regret of not being able to see or be with a certain member.  “Axel…”  She shook her head and grabbed her temples.  “Why does his face keep appearing in my thoughts?  What happened to the old me?  The “Savage Nymph,” the woman who would cause her enemies pain and torment both mentally and physically? The one who went against the Organization’s ideals for her own?  Well I did strive for my own heart once—but Marluxia changed all that.  He filled my mind with thoughts of power and control—and I lost sight of things, all because of him!”  The more Larxene thought about it, the more she hated and resented Marluxia.  “Is my life really worth it?  Just to serve him down yet possibly another path of ruin…?”  She threw off her Organization cloak, leaving her in a tight white t-shirt, a black leather vest, and a short black jean skirt.  “Well I’m not doing this for him anymore…”

Roxas sat up from the bench he was sitting on and stretched.  “Well, I’m not gonna do anything just by sitting here and dwelling on things…”  He told himself.  “Think I should—” He froze in his tracks and stopped in mid-sentence.  Something didn’t feel right.  Roxas outstretched one hand and felt the Keyblade materialize right into his palm.  Gripping the Kingdom Key, he got into a fighting stance and looked around cautiously.  ‘Something tells me I’m not alone…’

*Swish!*  *Swish!*  *Swish!*

Roxas heard the sounds of something metallic sailing through the air, and had only seconds to react.  With one quick spin of the Keyblade, he heard a few small clang sounds, and watched as 3 kunai fell to the ground, crackling with electricity.  “Wait a minute…  Electric kunai!?”  Roxas narrowed his eyes.  “Only one person I know uses electrical power and kunai…”  He turned around to the left and faced his attacker.  “Larxene!  The Savage Nymph!”  He pointed his Keyblade at the attacker.

Larxene smiled cunningly, brandishing her kunai.  “Roxas.  The Key of Destiny.  I never thought I’d see YOU again, traitor.”  Her smile faltered as she said that.

Roxas snorted.  “Traitor?  I could say the same about you!  You dropped the chance get your own heart and sided with that backstabber, Marluxia!”

Larxene hissed at the name of the Graceful Assassin.  “Yes, I did.”  She growled.  “And that was no doubt the biggest mistake I ever made.”

“No duh.  And the next big mistake was having the audacity to show your face to me!”  Roxas shouted, before leaping out at Larxene and spinning his Keyblade out at her.

Larxene ducked over Roxas’ attack.  “Nice try!  But fighting against your other self helped me practice!”  She fired a kunai at Roxas’ back.

Roxas whirled around and leaned to his left, as the kunai shot by, tearing a hole in his jacket.  “Whoa!  STRIKE RAID!”  Gripping his Keyblade lightly, he reared back and threw it at Larxene as if it were a boomerang.

At the same moment, a set of kunai in each hand, Larxene raised her hands above her head, and started generating electricity into a growing ball of lightning above her head.  “BOLT BALL!”  She cried out, as she saw Roxas launch his Keyblade at her, and threw her electrical attack.

As both attacks clashed, Roxas’ Keyblade span around wildly in mid-air as it struggled to push away the lightning ball.  The lightning ball crackled and sparked wildly as the Keyblade pushed into it, bolts of electricity shooting out everywhere as both objects pushed one another in opposing directions and their owners concentrated and watched them anxiously.  Finally, the bolt ball gave out with a loud “BANG” and blew up like a firework, sending the Keyblade spinning right back to Roxas.

Roxas caught the Keyblade in mid-air by the handle, just in time as Larxene came dashing at him, kunai out and sparking with voltage as she slashed at him like a wild cougar.  Dodge rolling to the side before he got carved up; Roxas used his Strike Raid one more and threw his Keyblade like a boomerang once more at his opponent while her back was still turned, this time, nailing her right in her lower back and knocking her onto her front.  *BAM!*

Larxene growled to her self as she narrowly missed Roxas with her electrical slash, when seconds later, she felt a heavy impact on her back that sent her face first into the ground.  “UGH!”  She grunted as she hit the ground.  She rolled onto her back, just in time to see Roxas coming at her from above, swinging his Keyblade down upon her.  Hissing, she brought up her kunai and generated an electrical shield between her and Roxas, pushing back him and his Keyblade as the electrical energy crackled and sparked.

Roxas struggled to get through Larxene’s shield but to no avail, finally opting to bounce back and flip over onto his feet as Larxene scrambled to hers.

“Give up yet, Roxas?”  Larxene cast a smirk at the Key of Destiny.

“Not in your life!”  Roxas spat at the Savage Nymph.  “Get ready!”  Suddenly Roxas rushed Larxene at the speed of sound, his Keyblade pointed straight out in a thrusting motion.  

Larxene had no warning and was hit dead on, cleaved through by Roxas’ split second attack.  Before she had time to recover, she was struck again a second later from behind by the same attack, before being stuck a third and fourth time, now being struck from different directions seeing only a blur of white and gold.  

It was as though Roxas briefly became pure energy to charge right through Larxene’s body, Keyblade first and cut her to the bone in a second.  It was one technique that Roxas learned when he was still a part of Sora, from a warrior named Cloud, known as the Sonic Thrust.  With it Roxas could move at the speed of sound, becoming one with the air, and cut right through to the bone of his enemies with his Keyblade, greatly injuring/weakening them, just as he was doing to Larxene.  After one more cleaving strike, Roxas was now behind Larxene who had dropped to her knees, in pain.  Using this opportunity, Roxas rushed at Larxene in a fast slide attack swinging his Keyblade right around upwards to strike her up into the air.  Giving chase, Roxas jumped up into the air and pointed his Keyblade out at Larxene.  “RAGNAROK!!”  Roxas fired a cluster of lasers upon Larxene.

Larxene was just recovering from the onslaught of Roxas’ Sonic Blade attack, when she was struck from behind and hurled into the air.  Before she could recover and get to her feet though, she turned right around in time to see Roxas shout out and unleash a barrage of magenta laser beams from his Keyblade right at her body.  Larxene screamed as the beams of intense energy passed right through her body, burning through muscle and skin tissue and igniting every nerve in her body with pain.

“Ha!  How do you like my “Ragnarok,” Larxene?”  Roxas shot, as he watched the Savage Nymph hit the ground.  When his feet touched the ground, Roxas carefully walked over to check on his opponent.  But before he was in 2 feet of her— *CHOOM!* A blinding flash of electricity went off, blinding Roxas temporarily.  When the flash, and his vision, cleared, Larxene was nowhere to be found.  “Shit!  She must’ve used a teleportation spell.  But did she really get away?  Or is she in hiding, planning a sneak attack?”

“Oh, Roxas!”  

Roxas turned to the pathway leading into the marketplace, just in time to see Larxene smiling and waving at him in a taunting manner.

“Catch me if ya, can!”  Larxene smirked and smacked her rear at Roxas, sticking her tongue out at him before running off.

“Why that cocky bitch…!”  Roxas fumed as he chased after Larxene.  As he entered the market place, he turned to the item shop and spoke to the clerk with urgency.  “Excuse me, but did you see a blonde woman in a jean skirt go by here?”

“Um…I think I saw her go up towards the station.”  The clerk replied.

“Thanks!”  Roxas took off down the street, making a beeline for the station.  He was almost near the outside of the station when another taunt stopped him his tracks.

“You’re going the wrong way pint-size!”  Larxene appeared on the outside of the alleyway, laughing.  “Over here!”  She blew the raspberry at Roxas before ducking into the alleyway.

“Grrr!”  Roxas chased after Larxene with a snarl, bolting away from the station and into the alleyway.  He ran through the alleyway on winged feet until he was right outside the Usual Spot.  “Now where the hell is she…”  He looked at the Usual Spot entrance and thought.  “Is she—maybe?”  He crept over and pushed back the curtain a little.  Roxas suddenly noticed a figure with their back turned, wearing the same clothes Larxene was wearing.  “Got you!”  He slide dashed at the figure and walloped it with his Keyblade, hard…only to watch as a dressing dummy fell over, in pieces.  Roxas sighed in disappointment and frustration as he picked up the jean skirt and jacket.  “A decoy…  Nope…she’s not in here.”  He was about to turn and leave when…

*Crackle*

He heard a faint crackle of electricity and looked above, only to get an eye full of black laced panties as he found himself accidentally looking right up at Larxene’s butt, as Larxene had been hiding up in the rafters, doing the splits and keeping herself up with both legs against opposite rafters, giving Roxas an accidental view of her panty-clad rump.  “Ack!”  Roxas blushed and bled a little from the nose, and then dodge rolled just as Larxene came down with an electric drop kick.

As soon as she saw Roxas demolish the dummy, Larxene saw her chance.  She sparked a little electricity to get his attention, even if it meant him getting a good look at her when she was only in a t-shirt and panties.  As soon he was taken aback by her state of dress and a full view of her underwear, she swooped down with a drop kick, her legs charged with electricity.  As Roxas dodge, she touched ground, sending electric shockwaves along the floor, catching and paralyzing Roxas with an electrical current.

As soon as Roxas broke from his role, he turned to face Larxene, only to get a few thousand volts pumped right through him, trapping him in a paralyzing electrocution.

“Heh…  You can’t move can you?”  Larxene smiled craftily.  “I’ll give you this:  You certainly wore a worthy opponent to fight.  You certainly lived up to your role as one of the Organization’s best fighters…”  She walked up to him, swaying her hips as she did so.  Suddenly her smile faltered as her heart got in the way.  “You know—as hard as it is to believe—I wish I didn’t have to do this.  But it’s an unwanted debt to Marluxia—so I don’t have a choice in the matter.”  She clenched a fist, which ignited with lightning from her fist all the way her elbow.  “Thunder Punch.”  She said simply before delivering a devastating electrical blow to Roxas’ torso.

There was a violent flash of light in the Usual Spot, and seconds later, Roxas went flying out the curtain and sailed through the air, landing right in the Sandlot and skidding along the ground.  Roxas groaned in pain as he weakly struggled to get up, although his muscles and nerves felt as though they were on fire.

In a bolt of light, Larxene appeared in front of Roxas with her jacket and skirt back on, and kunai out.  “It’s been fun Roxas—but it’s time to end this…”  She raised an arm back, prepared to deliver a fatal blow to Roxas.

“FLAMETHROWER!”  *Fwoosh!*

Larxene back flipped away as a long stream of fire came at her from the side, and scorched the spot where she once stood, burning the ground black.  “The hell?”  She heard footsteps coming from the road leading to the Marketplace and looked over, just in time to see the interloper showing his face.  “You!?”  She looked surprised.

Axel had his head lowered, chuckling, before he raised is head and opened his eyes.  “Nice to see you again, Larxene…  Sorry for my intrusion.  Got it memorized?”  He smirked as his chakrams appeared in his hands.

TO BE CONTINUED