He threw Serix away from himself and ran as fast as he could. They had been fighting for only ten minutes, yet the drain on his energy was nearly almost thirty percent. He had tried not to draw the fight out, but the man was staying too much on the defensive for him to do anything of real damage.
Pashnirix could hear the light patter of Serix’s feet behind him as they rushed through the hallways towards the North Tower. Clashing down the stairs, Pashnirix tumbled to the bottom, rolling into a crouch as he rose. He scanned the area quickly with his eyes, ears, and nose—and found that the scent of the tigress was already growing cold.
“Damn,” he muttered, dodging another blow from Serix. Quickly rising from his roll, he sprinted back into the North Tower, intending on getting to the West Tower before Serix. He soon realized that Serix wasn’t even following him.
He paused in his running, leaning against the wall. Suddenly, it occurred to him: Serix had simply portalled to the West Tower. “Damn,” he exclaimed again, hastily portalling off to the West Tower.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just a couple more seconds… I nimbly arranged the second set of bombs at the base of the tower, and was seconds away from finishing when I heard a noise behind me.
Whipping around quickly, I saw it was a member of Organization Zero. While I knew he couldn’t see me, I felt a strange and distinct pull on my energy as he slowly walked closer. Not wanting to disclose my position until the last possible second, I stood still, hands fisted and waiting to attack.
Finally, when he wasn’t even a breath away, I lashed out with my claws, slashing the side of his cheek and rolling away as he swung a huge sword. I ran and jumped off his sword, clipping him again in the back of the head. This time, though, he managed to snag me with the backstroke of his swing, hurling me into a wall.
As I dropped to the ground, I felt way more tired than I knew I should be. My instincts told me that the drain he was performing on my energy was weakening me, and fast. I needed to end this.
Dropping my chains to the ground, I brought them forward to surround him, but to my surprise, they were deflected by a mirror he summoned forth. Since he was hidden behind the mirror, by the time I noticed that the man had portalled behind me, I had only turned half-around, and he knocked me to the ground.
Before I could get up, though, I felt someone run past me, and I saw a multitude of scimitars embed themselves in the white-haired man’s chest. “Mine,” growled Pashnirix in front of me.
The man with the white hair and scimitars in his chest staggered back, glaring at Pashnirix. I rose to my feet with a graceful twist, ready to fight Pashnirix, but it seemed he wasn’t finished. Raising his hand in the air and calling his scimitar back to himself, he stalked forward, roaring, “I don’t like other people touching my THINGS!”
I could see that Pashnirix was near approaching his Final form. A scaly tail swished angrily back and forth as he dashed forward, slashing the other Nobody in a series of elaborate moves. I was frozen by the beauty of it all; Pashnirix was a terrible fascinating fighter to watch, especially this angry.
Finally, the other Nobody acknowledged his defeat, slumping to the ground unconscious. As Pashnirix turned to me, the same steely glint in his eyes, I did the only thing my instincts were telling me: I ran.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I met up with Ximh, Xait, and Ama in one of the main hallways. We were all running as hard as we could. The entire building was beginning to crumble around us, chunks of stone falling with heavy decisiveness.
As we ran out of the Citadel, Triskix and Lexian were arriving on the scene.
“Ximh!” Triskix yelled. “We have to stop whatever you’re doing! It’s destroying our castle!”
“What?” Ximh yelled. We heard a loud explosion in the background.
“No time for talk!” Lexian bellowed. “We need to stop the bombs!” I nearly started cussing my brains out. My instincts were never wrong. Ever.
“But I’ve already detonated them!” Ximh yelled back.
“Then we must contain them,” Lexian answered. “If this continues neither world will have a castle left….” He trailed off, and I looked between Lexian and Triskix, confused. Not only had we failed, but our Castle was going down as well?
“Yes, we have to stop them,” muttered Triskix. “Ximh, where is the largest bomb?”
“In the center….it is supposed to go off first, and then detonate the rest….” Ximh answered hesitantly. “But it’s already started the other explosions….”
“We have to contain the other bombs!” Triskix yelled.
“Yeah, come on,” Lexian yelled, and he and Triskix ran towards the Citadel.
“Wait!” Xait yelled, but Lexian and Triskix were already running.
“Come on,” said Ximh to the four of us, “let’s get out of here now while we can.”
“I think not,” said a voice from behind us. I turned around to see the hilt of Pashnirix’s sword aimed straight for my temple, and then I blacked out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I woke up, I was in a comfy bed, and I was warm. It was strangely quiet; the last thing I remembered was…
“The attack on the Citadel!” I bolted upright in the bed, and then held a hand to my head in pain. “Ow,” I hissed.
“You shouldn’t make any sudden movements,” said a pleasant voice with a hint of amusement. I looked up to glare at Pashnirix.
“You,” I growled, “this is your fault. What the hell happened? The last thing I remember was you clocking me upside the head with your sword, which, by the way, was a pretty dirty move. I expected better from you.”
“My fault,” laughed Pashnirix, “of course. Here.” He placed a cool cloth on my forehead. I didn’t protest. My head was killing me.
“Apparently, my Leader found out somehow about our little plot. That man you were fighting before, Serix, is his faithful little pet, and was spying on me unnoticed,” said Pashnirix. “Xerebus sent Serix to prevent me from meeting up with you. He failed, though, and miserably.”
I though back to that fight. “You said…you don’t like people touching your things,” I said slowly. “Exactly what did you mean by that, pray tell?”
Pashnirix shrugged. “I am a dragon, yes? Such is my nature,” he responded mysteriously. Before I could protest further, he brought something out from behind his back. “Here. This is for you, as an apology for your injuries.”
The moment he said “apology,” I grew suspicious, but I opened the package anyway. Inside was a pair of golden armlets, decorated with beautiful gemstones. I frowned, and turned to him, holding the precious items carefully. “What—”
“I guessed you would like them,” he said. “The gems are tiger’s eye stones. I figured they suited you nicely.”
He was right; the stones were he exact color my eyes turned when I was in Final form, and set in the jewelry as they were, they were gorgeous. “Thank you,” I said, fitting them onto my upper arms, “but these look so expensive, not to mention hoard-worthy. What made the dragon give up what must be one of his most prized possessions?” I teased, nudging him with my foot.
He got up from the bed and walked to the door, eyeing me enigmatically. “Who said I gave up anything? If anything, I’d say I just gained a new possession.”
I furrowed my brow, growing more nervous as he continued to watch me. In a panic, I suddenly grabbed at the armlets, becoming fearful as they weren’t coming off. No matter how hard I pulled, they seemed stuck to me.
I sharply turned my eyes to his, noticing his wide grin. “Oh, crap,” I said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KitKat: Whew! That was a long one!
Rexikat: What the hell! Get these armlets off me, you freak!
Pashnirix: :p Nnnnnope. You walked into this one all on your own.
Rexikat: Look, you insolent dragon, get these things OFF ME!
Pashnirix: Sorry, no can do. You’re mine now. Mine, mine, MINE!
Rexikat: YOU EGOTISTICAL JERK WITH THE MENTALITY OF A FIVE-YEAR-OLD!
KitKat: ^_^’ Oh boy, this should be interesting. I'll explain the nature of the armlets in my next post!
Ximh and I walked to the Dining Hall to meet up with the other members, and to find Xait and Amaterasux. Everyone was gathered, all twenty some-odd of us, except for a few…like RaXi, and Triskix, and Lexian. But Xait and Ama were easy enough to find.
Ximh gave them the black balls that Tamex had made, explaining that they were cloaking devices, and then Kyxsha addressed us all.
“Ladies and gentlemen, now is the time to FIGHT. After your missions, I know some of you are tired, but I assure you, this fight is NOT to the death; it is simply a battle to see which side has the upper hand in this WAR, the war to rule the worlds. So please, go to The World that ALWAYS was and show them. WE ARE NOT TO BE TRIFLED WITH. WE ARE ORGANIZATION THIRTEEN, AND WE WILL RULE THE WORLDS!”
I snorted a bit at her fanfare, leaned over to Ximh, and whispered, “In her overzealous haste, has she forgotten that we are not Org. XIII, but Organization Oblivion?”
He pouted. “Hey, leave her alone,” he whispered back.
The Leader, standing behind Kyxsha, opened up a huge portal to the Citadel. This was it; we were going to go through with a plan that I completely opposed and just knew from instinct was going to fail. I sighed, travelling through the portal with everyone else.
As we arrived in front of the Citadel, she called out, “WE COME HERE TO FIGHT! DO YOU ACCEPT OUR CHALLENGE, OR FORFEIT?”
I nearly slapped a palm to my face. Talk about obtrusive.
Organization Zero’s members came out of the Citadel’s main doorway. My eyes darted quickly across the ranks, searching for a ponytail of ice blue hair, but finding none. I narrowed my eyes in annoyance, and wondered where the dragon could be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He finally found what he had been looking for: a pair of golden armlets studded with beautiful tiger’s eye stones. He hadn’t believed the seer who had given them to him when she had foreseen his future need for them, but now, Pashnirix couldn’t have been more grateful. They would make perfect…gifts for his mate. He smiled ruefully.
“I am not so sure how well she will like them, though,” he mused to himself. Pricking his ears, he heard the call of Organization Oblivion outside the Citadel. Polishing his blade one last time and stowing the armlets in his pocket, he made his way up to the roof through a secret passageway and, hiding behind a spire, watched for his tigress.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kyxsha engaged in battle first, with someone who clearly knew how to push her buttons. Wasting no time, I grabbed Ximh by the arm. “Let’s go,” I said.
As I ran, I pulled into my element, feeling the feline ears forming on my head and my tail swishing around my legs. I hadn’t bothered wearing my boots, and I could feel the claws on my feet-turned-paws digging into the ground. Entering the Citadel, I quickly called on my camouflage, and watched the others as they used the balls that Tamex made. I had to give it to him, they worked pretty well. Had my other senses not been enhanced as they were, I probably wouldn’t have found them at all.
“Okay,” I whispered, “you know the plan. Ximh, you take the Central Tower. I’ll take the North and West Towers, Xait, you take East, and Ama, you take South. Understand?”
Everyone nodded, and Ximh said, “Good luck,” as we all set off. Carefully holding the bombs, I scampered off in the direction of the North Tower first.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pashnirix watched as Rexikat entered the Citadel. He had heard their plan, of course, and slipped from the roof to proceed to the North Tower. On his way there, however he met an obstacle…
“Serix,” sighed Pashnirix in annoyance. The man was ridiculously silent, only speaking with good reason, but he was terribly observant, and if anyone would have figured out his dealings with Rexikat, it would have been him.
“Pashnirix,” replied Serix, eyed the other man coldly. “You have been meeting with the enemy.”
The Dragon Duelist laughed him off. “Oh, that. You needn’t worry yourself, Serix. The Leader already—”
“The Leader knows of your plan,” Serix interrupted tonelessly. “He knows you were planning on running away with the Chained Rhapsody, their IX. He sent me to stop you.”
Pashnirix narrowed his eyes. “Running away? I would hardly call ‘kidnapping’ running away,” he taunted, folding his arms, still refusing to draw a weapon.
“Your antics will not sway me, Pashnirix,” answered Serix. “I serve Xerebus. He is my master, and his word is law. I will stop you, or die trying. You are not to leave with that Nobody.” He summoned forth a large sword, and Pashnirix could already feel the drain on his own energy. He would need to end this quickly.
Drawing his scimitar, he said, “Very well, Serix, but know that your fading will not disturb me in the least.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I reached the North Tower without incident. Quickly hurrying down the stairs to the base of the tower, I arranged the bomb exactly as I was instructed. My skin prickled as I worked, but I tried to ignore the feeling.
I couldn’t help but keep looking over my shoulder, not only for enemies, but for Pashnirix as well. Despite our arrangement to make it look like a kidnapping, I didn’t want to be caught off guard yet again. Finishing the job, I took one last glance around, and then hurried onto the next tower, the West Tower. Hopefully, the others would get theirs down just as fast and without incident.
Only one more tower to go…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 1 of Rex's part in the Citadel Attack...
I returned to the castle after a brief conversation with Verex, heading straight for my room and locking the door. Pacing the floor for a while, I soon realized that there was nothing more I could do for RaXi now; all I could do was wait for the news of Nyx’s and Xemmsur’s return.
I sat on my barely used bed, and held my head in my hands. If Nyx could live up to her word and rescue RaXi, then the worst of my worries would be how long Pashnirix would detain me for. But if they failed…if they failed I’d be relying on Pashnirix’s word and his skill. By nature, I didn’t like having to rely on anyone else besides myself, but…if anyone, I was glad it was Pashnirix I had to trust. He was someone like me, who understood my way of thinking, who could hold his own against me. I respected him for that.
I laid down, trying to get comfortable as I waited, and ended up falling asleep. I was awakened by the sound of a scream. “TRISKIX! LEXIAN! NYX!”
Leaping out of the bed and dashing out of my room, I raced down hallways and stairways, tracking the sound of the scream to its source. It was RaXi, and I couldn’t help but feel relieved, even with the situation at hand. By the time I arrived, Triskix and Lexian had already gotten to her. I stood silently, and watch their conversation.
They tried over and over to reassure her that they were not, in fact, dead or faded by her hand, but well and alive. She finally understood, touching each of their faces in turn, and then Lexian asked, echoing my thoughts, “What about Nyx and Xemmsur?”
"I'm right here," said Xemmsur from the doorway. "And Nyx is in the other room. She is really hurt." I quickly looked to her. She looked a dripping mess, her cloak covered in blood.
"What happened?" Triskix asked standing up.
"We got there right when Marlex arrived to get Raxi. I don't know what happened to Nyx, but even in her condition she tried to fight Marlex. I took over for her.... and he erm.... I let him get away."
“Define ‘let him get away,’” I growled, turning fully towards her. She shrunk back from me.
“I—I opened a portal, and he—he slipped through,” she stammered. “But we got RaXi back! Isn’t that what you wanted?”
I closed my eyes and placed a palm to my forehead. “Yes, it was what we all wanted,” I said calmly but laced with anger, “but if you could have apprehended one of their members, that would have been rather helpful, don’t you think?”
Xemmsur looked like she was about to cry, but I couldn’t bring myself to feel sorry. She should have known better than to just let him slip. “For all you know, he could have come back the minute your back was turned to destroy you all,” I muttered, voicing my thoughts.
“Rexikat, enough,” growled Triskix, glowering at me. “Nyx and Xemmsur returned successfully with RaXi. That’s more than enough.”
I glared back at him, but let the subject drop. “Whatever,” I murmured. Turning my attention to RaXi, I said gently, “RaXi. You in there?”
“Nyx…NYX! I KILLED NYX!” RaXi screamed and sobbed. I rolled my eyes.
“For goddess’ sake,” I grumbled, roughly grabbing her by the arm.
“LET GO OF ME! LET…GO!” She kicked and twisted, trying to get away from me, but I held fast. Triskix, Lexian, and Xemmsur all shouted in protest, but I ignored them. Dragging her into the infirmary, I pulled her over to where Kyxsha and Tamex were quickly addressing her wounds.
“Look,” I shouted at RaXi, “LOOK! That’s Nyx. She’s fine. Kyxsha and Tamex are taking care of her. In a few days, she’ll be as good as new. Now quit acting like such a baby and get over yourself!”
I released her arm to plant my hands on my hips. “You think you’re the only person who has hurt people in a blind rage? Think again! Triskix, Lexian, Xemmsur—well, maybe not Xemmsur,” I said, hoping my bluff would work. I faintly heard Xemmsur protesting, but I ignored it.
“Point is, everyone has hurt someone they care about, whether intentionally or not, at some point in their lives. You need to get over it,” I said.
“But…but I almost killed her,” said RaXi in a quiet voice.
“And I’m about to almost kill you, if you don’t snap out of it! I swear, I never knew you were this weak, RaXi!”
That seemed to do the trick. At the word weak, her face snapped up to mine, eyes flaring. “Don’t…you…EVER call me weak,” she growled, lunging at me.
I smiled, easily deflecting her hasty blow. I threw her away from me, and she staggered a bit on her feet. “Now, that’s the RaXi I know and like,” I muttered to myself, smirking. To her, I called again, “Weak! That’s what you are right now, weak! Talking to yourself? Can’t even tell what’s real and what’s not? Please!”
She threw herself at me again, this time with more focus, and I heard Triskix draw out his weapon in the background. He needed have bothered, though. I deflected her again, this time laughing.
“Don’t you laugh at me, Rexikat,” she snarled. “I know what’s real and what’s not. I am not weak. THAT’S what’s real.”
I tried to tone down my laughter, but couldn’t help it. “Alright, RaXi, relax,” I said. “I was only baiting you to get you out of CuckooLand. You should be thanking me. I know how you hate appearing weak.”
RaXi growled at me, looked to Triskix, Lexian, and the others there, and finally sighed. “I guess you’re right. Thanks,” she said grudgingly, “and I’m sorry, guys. For hurting Nyx, for all this…”
She slumped against one of the beds in exhaustion, and Triskix rushed to her side. Holding her up, he said, “Don’t worry, we’ve got you. Everything will be alright.”
Maybe for her, but I still had problems of my own to deal with. Pashnirix…and… “Oh,” I said. “RaXi, when you’re feeling better, look me up. I’ve got…a message for you from someone dear to you,” I told her, not wanting to say something private in front of everyone there.
She gave me a look, and then nodded, and I left, off to figure out exactly what I was going to do about my Pashnirix problem.
--------------------------[Pashnirix’s POV]---------------------------
As he watched the fight between Marlex and Xemmsur, Pashnirix grew more and more worried. The girl wasn’t taking any kill shots whatsoever; at this rate, she’d never win. Apparently, she didn’t understand that Organization Zero wasn’t here to play around.
Finally she pinned Marlex to the ground, but Pashi had a bad feeling. Even as he sensed her forming the portal, he himself entered the Corridors of Darkness, waiting to hunt down Marlex as he entered. Sure enough, the pink-haired man appeared amidst the darkness.
Before Marlex could pass through the other side to another world, Pashnirix dashed forward and grabbed the man, putting him in a headlock.
“Let me go,” the pink-haird Nobody snarled.
Pashi thought quickly. While he had promised he wouldn’t interfere with RaXi if Nyx and Xemmsur won, he never said he wouldn’t touch Marlex. As far as he his Leader was concerned, he could at least pretend Xemmsur won (even thought she didn’t kill him, he sighed internally, such bad form), and say he picked a fight with Marlex after his humiliating defeat.
“Absolutely not,” Pashnirix replied casually. “After a defeat by the hands of two girls like that? You must be trying to make me laugh.” Before Marlex could even react, Pashnirix whirled him around and knocked him out with a blow to the head. Shaking his head, he grabbed the unconscious body and headed back to Citadel Abyss. He’d return the pink-haired nuisance, inform Verex of RaXi safe return…and then he had his own little personal nuisance to deal with.
“But if I may ask,” Pashnirix said, “why not just ask me to take you there yourself?”
My face darkened. “I can’t. The Leader ordered Nyx and Xemmsur to rescue RaXi. Much as I hate obeying orders, I’m already being punished as it is because of you,” I seethed.
Pashnirix frowned and looked displeased, though I couldn’t place why. Shaking his head, he said, “Then I should be going.” He opened a portal, but before he stepped through, he turned back to me.
“You should get out of here, before either of our leaders finds out what’s going on,” he said lowly, “and I trust you will not be speaking of this to anyone, Verex?”
Verex shook his head. “You are helping her, yes? I have no reason to say anything.”
“Alright, then,” Pashnirix said before disappearing through the portal.
[Pashnirix’s POV]
He slipped through the portal, arriving in the world where RaXi was being held. He arrived just in time to see a storm of ice needles pierce through the guards outside of her room. He quickly dodged out of the way, his stray thoughts of Rexikat far removed from his mind.
"Stop! RAXI!" He heard a girl shout out. He looked towards the hole where a door once stood.
"Shut up, you," the one known as RaXi shouted back. "I can kill you in an instant! My first attack...remember? You should feel the crystals in your bloodstream...don't press your luck or...."
Pashnirix was beginning to wonder what he should do in the event RaXi killed everyone there, if Rexikat would even still want to bring her back. He shrugged, thinking it wasn’t his problem. His part of the deal was to make sure she was in either his hands or Organization Oblivion’s; he could care less about collateral damage.
"THAT'S, ENOUGH RAXI!" A man's voice boomed. "CALM YOURSELF, NOW!"
Pashnirix looked sharply at the sound of Marlex’s voice. The one whom Verex had not wanted catching RaXi…and with reasonable worry.
"No! Impossible…you're DEAD!" RaXi screamed. "Master...Marluxia...." She grabbed her head in agony, falling to the floor as she said softly, "I'm....sorry....." before falling completely unconscious.
There was a brief silence before Marlex called out, "Why didn't you fight her?! I told you, if you don't fight...you'll be KILLED NYX!"
"Marlex..." Nyx muttered. Apparently, the two were acquainted. He watched with lazy interest as he spoke to her.
"Stay there!" Marlex shouted. "I'm sorry Nyx...but I'm afraid RaXi will be coming with me. Don't try and stop me...or I'll have to fight you."
Pashnirix sighed quietly, hiding in the shadows. This would either take a while, else be over in an instant. His thoughts strayed once again to Rexikat as he waited. When she had told him that she was under order not to go after RaXi, it had made him want to cringe. Whether it was in displeasure that his potential mate would allow herself to be repressed in such a way, or in anger that someone would dare order the Tigress around, he couldn’t tell. But what he did know was that he personally was hoping Nyx would lose to Marlex. It had been too long since he last fought with the Tigress, and he was eager to feel again.
-----------------------
KitKat: Aw...Pashi...
Pashnirix: What? I don't think it would be wise of me to pick a mate who could die as easily as my last one...
KitKat: Oh, yeah, right. Just disregard the hearts and squees and kawaii's that were going off at your little episode of overprotective-ness there. :3
“Rexikat?” I heard a soft knock on the door as I was about to go through the portal.
“Rexikat, it’s me Nyx. Can I come in? RaXi… she isn’t… I don’t feel her at Zero’s. I think the Villains have her, and using her as a bargaining tool.” I paced towards the door, and then paced back, holding a hand to my head.
“We will bring RaXi back. You have to believe in us. Please? Xemmsur and I… we have the will to find her, and we will, there is no question about that. We have lost so much around us we will not lose anyone else. I know that Xemmsur will fight and fight bravely and whoever gets in the way will be tested.” I waited to see if she had anything else to say before I left.
“Everyone is brought to the test sooner or later, as apprentices we accept that like we always have. Please, I ask that you put your faith in us. We are stronger that what we seem.”
She finished talking, and I sighed. “Sorry, Nyx,” I murmured, “but I can’t accept that. I'm not an apprentice, and never will be. I'm a tigress, and I always protect the things that matter to me, no matter what. If you fail, I ]have to be ready to bring her back.”
I opened up a portal in front of me, walked through, and cast a chain through the darkness, muttering, "Find Citadel Abyss." My chain would find the highest source of energy in the world at the moment and latch onto it, leading me straight to the citadel. When I went through the other end of the portal, I found that my chain had wrapped around the ankle of a man, and quickly extended it to a full-body wrap.
Taking another chain, I went up behind him and pulled the chain around his throat. "Tell me your name," I growled.
His hands scrabbled over mine, trying to pull away the chain. "Verex," he rasped out.
Verex...why did that sound familiar? "Okay, Verex," I said, "I'm going to ask you some questions, and you're going to answer them honestly. Does your organization know where RaXi is?"
"RaXi! You know her?" He choked himself, straining to be free of me, but I wouldn't let go that easily. "Yes! They do. They just sent someone to get her."
I processed this for a moment. If Organization Zero had already sent someone while we were in the meeting, then...
"Please," Verex gasped. "I don't want Marlex to get RaXi, but I can't go myself. I don't know who you are, but if you can help me, perhaps we can make some sort of deal."
...What was it with these Organization Zero guys and deals? I released him, taking all of my chains back. "Your leader has already sent someone to retrieve RaXi, but you didn't want that person to go. If that person gets to RaXi first, it could mean bad things for her. You want to go yourself, but you can't. Am I understanding this correctly?"
Verex nodded.
"Fine. Where is Pashnirix?" I asked. Putting this information together with what I knew of Organization Oblivion’s plans, it looked to me like there was going to be a two-on-one standoff between us and them over RaXi.
“His room is two floors up, at the end of the left corridor,” said Verex, and I raced off to find the Dragon.
Two floors up, and down the left corridor…I skidded to a halt outside his door and jiggled the doorknob. I knocked impatiently, and nearly punched Pashnirix in the face as he opened the door.
“Tigress? What are you—” He looked confused as he addressed me, but I didn’t have time for that. I shoved him into his room, shutting the door behind me, and looked to him seriously.
“Listen. You need to do Verex a favor. You need to go and…” I thought for a moment about what I would ask him. I needed to figure out a way to keep RaXi safe in the event that Nyx and Xemmsur failed. I could ask him to find out where RaXi was, but by the time I could get there, it would probably be too late anyway; someone would have won the fight already. Verex seemed ridiculous worried that Marlex would get to her first, so I guessed Marlex was a viable threat. But Nyx and Xemmsur were on their way at the moment to get RaXi. I couldn’t send Pashnirix against them; they’d be slaughtered.
“Rexikat?” Pashnirix questioned me again, and then looked up as someone else pounded on his door. He pushed around me and opened the door to Verex, who was still coughing. “Verex? What is going on?”
Finally, I made a decision. “Pashnirix, I need you to go to wherever RaXi is being held, and observe the fight between Marlex and two Nobodies from my Organization. Should Marlex win…should he win, could you knock him out and take RaXi for yourself?”
Verex gave me an angry stare. “Take her for himself? Why?”
“To keep her safe, that’s why!” I whirled and shouted at him, all my frustration finally releasing. “Because she’s my friend, and I don’t want to leave her at the hands of her enemy! And I think you feel the same way, Verex, and since neither of us is in any position to help her, Pashnirix is our best option!”
“Do I get a say in this, perhaps?” Pashnirix said calmly. “You haven’t exactly told me what I get out of this, Rexikat.”
I regarded him carefully, and asked, “What do you want?”
“In exchange for defecting against my Leader, betraying my organization, and aiding the enemy, I’d say—”
“Don’t think of it as aiding the enemy,” I snarled, “think of it as saving your ass, because if you do this, and she gets hurt, I’ll tear you to pieces and leave you writhing and screaming in your own guts.”
Verex stared at Pashnirix. “Or you could always say you simply wanted the credit for yourself,” he said slowly. “You and I both know that you have no particular vested interest in this organization.”
“Well said,” Pashnirix murmured. “But I still require some sort of payment from the Tigress. Perhaps…conditional terms. If my intervention is not necessary in your organization’s retrieval of RaXi, then you will owe me the amount of time that I wasted. However, if your organization does fail, and you wish me to take RaXi instead, you will have to fight me for possession of her.”
I thought quickly about his offer; I didn’t have much time to contemplate. For a back-up plan, it didn’t really seem too awful. Should Nyx and Xemmsur win, I would simply have to escape for however long necessary. And if they lost…I had no doubt I could hold my own against Pashnirix in a fight.
Holding out my hand to his in firm decision, I said, “Deal. But you won’t interfere if Nyx and Xemmsur win?”
Pashnirix held a hand over where his heart would be. “Cross my heart and hope to die,” he said sarcastically, before answering seriously, “You have my word, Tigress.”
----------------
KitKat: ...I can't believe you just made a deal with Pashnirix. You really must trust him, huh?
Rexikat: It wasn't about trust, it was about--
KitKat: Oh, yeah, I forgot, you guys are secret lovers. That's what secret lovers do, right? Back each other up?
Rexikat: -_- You say that one more time, and it'll be you I'm tearing to pieces. I made the deal to make sure RaXi would be returned safely, more than that stupid LEADER can say for himself! *starts angry ranting*
KitKat: Oh boy.
