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[key_destination]

[Roxas is walking through the hallways with his golem just in front of him. His head is down as if unconsciously walking until he pauses and a hand grabs into the material over his chest. When he finally looks up, his gaze is an icy glare with tears slipping down his face.]

No one is really going to stay with me, are they? I get it now...

[He roughly

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[flames_eternal]

[The sight of his best friend being so distraught tugs at his non-existent heartstrings immediately. His eyes are a little wide in surprise, and anyone can tell he's worried.]

Hey, Roxas... [He stares at his communicator for a moment longer, before opening up a Corridor of Darkness, deciding it's best to just go find the teen.]

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[flames_eternal]

Axel exits the dark portal into the hallways, close to where he suspected Roxas to be. He spots the boy immediately.

"Roxas! What's going on, man?" He glances at both Oathkeeper and Oblivion briefly before focusing his attention on his wet face.

[key_destination]

"Axel..."

The tears seem to stop for a moment as Roxas registers Axel's appearance only to begin again as he raises Oathkeeper. "You're going to leave...aren't you?"

[flames_eternal]

Well, Axel can say he's a little relieved that Roxas has stopped crying. That is, until the keyblade wielder raises Oathkeeper at him and ask that question.

"Roxas..." He takes a few cautious steps forward, his hands at his side, body tense and alert, and ready to summon his Chakrams if it comes down to it.

"Look, Roxas," he pauses again as he runs a gloved hand through his spiky red hair, "you know I can't leave, right? Remember what happened before the Black Order, partner?" Bringing up his own fading is something Axel doesn't like doing but something is... really wrong with his best friend. Could it be what happened between the pyrokinetic Nobody and Xion? Or Sora's return? 'Unless it comes to sacrificing myself for you, I'm not going anywhere. Got it memorized?'

[key_destination]

A part of Roxas blinks back, registering Axel's words, but Beatrice's control makes him grip the keyblades more. "NO! You always leave the castle...!" She's watched everyone leave for missions, use those dark portals, and taking forever to come home- reluctant, weren't they? But it was so lonely...

"You're going to stay here now. No matter what." Moving forward quickly, Roxas raised Oathkeeper high to a downward slash at Axel.

[flames_eternal]

"With you Roxas." Axel retorts. Besides the few times he left to just... leave or when he played 'retrieve Xion', Axel was pretty sure he did not leave always. Axel barely registers what Roxas says next before he's trying to dodge Oathkeeper. The keyblade makes contact unfortunately, and Axel lets out a grunt before summoning his weapons engulfed in a swirled mixture of purple-black darkness and flames, to block any other oncoming attacks.

"Uh oh!" He slips into a battle stance, confused. "Hey, Roxas?! What's going on?" 'Talk to me, man.'

[key_destination]

"Everyone's leaving! Everyone leaves and it gets lonely...cold..." Metal twangs resound through the halls as Roxas continues slashing at the Axel's weapons, each blow becoming faster with the rising frustration in his voice.

"You're going to leave too, I know it!"

[flames_eternal]

'This about the recent disappearances then?' Axel had noted the other posts to the Black Order's network about it, but had not really known what to say to any of them. Ace, Eva, the cat, and a girl he did not know the name to... Now the (ex-) XIIIth member of the Organisation.

Axel continues to block the blows coming from the keyblades. "Roxas! Listen to me for a sec!" He's trying to hold back on using any of his flames, so he blocks again with his chakrams, then shoves them forward, putting enough force behind the thrust to push the younger male back enough to orchestrate a plan.

[key_destination]

Roxas stumbles backwards from the force of the shove, but he shuffles away a few steps too as he brings Oblivion up defensively.

"No, I won't listen to you! You're just going to leave!"

[flames_eternal]

In that moment of surprise, Axel springs forward, ignoring Roxas' outcry completely, chakrams poised within his hands as if to strike him. He lights the one in his right hand aflame and throws it past the other Nobody in hopes of it becoming a distraction, then with his now free right hand grabs Roxas and pushes him down to the ground, shifting his weight so that neither of them are hurt in the action. With his left hand, he pins the blonde's right arm down to the ground, the other - the left - he grips tightly with his right hand.

"Roxas, calm down!" He yells it, green eyes stern before he regains his composure, and quietly repeats himself. "Roxas, calm down. Dunno what's going on, but I'm not gonna leave. Commit it to memory, alright?"