Binary - Chapter Fifteen
Alright, one more chapter after this: the epilogue.
Title: Binary
Author: Lost Forevermore or Woebegone121
Rating: R for swearing, themes, and violence. (as of now. Rating is subject to change.)
Pairings: Sora/Riku, Axel/Roxas, Demyx/Kairi and various other random scatterings
Genre: Mystery/Romance
Disclaimer: If I owned it, Kingdom Hearts would be a musical.
Warnings: Slash, language, possible adult content, eighties metal music, Motley Crüe, Guns 'n Roses, Savage Garden, fat cats, Roxas' mouth, Axel's lighter, Sora with a motorcycle license, crappy apartments, and excessive amounts of randomly named bands that may or may not have anything to do with each other.
Summary: Detective AU. It all started with a motorcycle accident, a missing blond, and a stolen computer disc. Now Riku's tracking his so-not-boyfriend and a hotheaded blond down with the help of his rock-obsessed, pyromaniac, partner-in-fighting-crime and his secretary who still hasn't figured out that she works for him, not the other way around. Not to mention the gang that's trying to kill them. And poor Riku's mop still isn't magical.
Or, at fanfiction.net.
“I need to breathe,” Kairi reminded Riku after about five minutes of him holding her like she was the last hope of a doomed man, which was a uncannily accurate simile in this case. He reluctantly allowed her to untangle herself from his hold, and she didn’t stray far from his side, curling her hand in his. Of course, Kairi would understand that he’d need to keep her close, just for a little while, just until he didn’t see flames and panic every time he closed his eyes.
“I don’t understand,” he said. He’d seen that car go up in flames, knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything was over, and that something he had worked so hard to protect had just gone up in smoke. He had been absolutely certain that all of their miracles and lucky shots had been used up. Still, it looked like they’d pulled yet another, from only God knew where, and he didn’t know exactly how to feel about that. Had he inadvertently traded one friend for another here?
Kairi nodded. “I know you don’t. And, frankly, there’s not a lot that I understand either. We need to go. There’ll be time to explain later.” She gave him a tired smile, tugged on the hand Riku still had a death grip on. “Riku, I’m not going anywhere.”
“You were dead,” Riku replied, not letting go. “You were dead and I watched you die, I’m gonna hold your damn hand for a little while. And I want some kind of explanation. Give me the nutshell.”
“In a nutshell, I wasn’t in the car,” she said, shrugging. “What, you really think I was just gonna wait in the car while the boys had all the fun? I’d turned around to help, and… next thing I know, the thing’s a burning fireball in the parking lot. After they took you guys, I called in a couple of favors.” She motioned toward Leon, leaning against the wrecked pickup, and Yuffie, who was honest-to-God bouncing beside Sora. “DiZ sent me these guys as well as…” Kairi gestured up the embankment, taking a few steps toward the road. Riku followed, looking to where she was motioning.
“The Firebird?” Riku asked disbelievingly.
The car was still bright red, paint gleaming as it sat there on the side of the road. It looked rough, though, like it honestly belonged in a scrapyard, rusting away - and Axel would murder him for that though, had Axel actually been psychic and they did, in fact, manage to save his skinny ass. In addition to the scratched paint and the dent in the door, the back window looked to have a few more bullet holes to match its bumper, the glass a spiderweb of cracks. The windshield had a crack on the passenger’s side, and the front end looked as though Kairi had driven it into a brick wall.
Or perhaps a truck with a camper on the back.
“Yeah…” Kairi said with a sigh and a shake of her head. “Looks a little tragic, doesn’t she?”
Riku nodded. ‘A little’ was an understatement. Axel was probably going to cry.
“Hey, guys!” Yuffie called, waving at the pair of them. “Sora’s waking up!”
Riku, still refusing to release Kairi’s hand, dragged her with him over to Sora. They crouched down beside the brunet, who groaned and shielded his eyes from the sunlight before blinking at the sky.
“Hi there, sunshine,” Kairi said, smiling.
“How’re you doin’, kid?” Yuffie asked brightly.
“…I’m dead,” Sora replied, blinking at Kairi, confused. “…or Kairi’s a zombie.”
Kairi shook her head. “Nope, not a zombie, no double-tapping here. And you’re not dead.” She laughed a little. It was strained, but genuine, and Riku couldn’t help the little smile at the sound. “Just back from the dead, that’s all.”
“Oh, that’s alright, then.” Sora sat up slowly, wincing. “God,” he groaned. “What, like, hit me?”
“A Firebird.” Riku finally released Kairi’s hand in favor of holding it out to Sora, who took it and rose unsteadily to his feet.
After a moment of looking around, staring at the wreck and then at the Firebird, Sora shook his head and murmured something Riku couldn’t quite catch, but was pretty sure it would have made Kairi blush. “So what’s the plan?” Sora asked. “And why does Leon kind of look like he wants to murder someone?”
“He’s been in the truck with Yuffie for a couple of hours,” Kairi explained. “Your bike’s in the bed of the truck, by the way. Are you okay to drive it?”
Sora shrugged. “I once hijacked an entire royal caravan with a broken arm and the flu,” he replied. “This? This is cake, dude.”
“…Impressive,” Kairi admitted. “We get to hear that story, right?”
Sora grinned, a little tight. “Sure. If you want to wind up in a secluded cabin in northern Canada for the rest of your lives.”
“Later.” Leon strode over to them, cell phone in hand. “The roadblocks didn’t work. They took an alternate route, apparently, they knew we were coming. We need to move now.”
“What?” Kairi snatched the phone out of his hand. “How did they know we were coming?”
Leon shrugged helplessly.
Sora sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Do we have a back up plan? Tell me we have a back up plan.”
“We have a back up plan,” Kairi said, thrusting the phone back at Leon. She turned, starting for the Firebird. “The back up plan is to think of the back up plan in the car. You’re driving, Riku.”
“You two go on ahead,” Yuffie said. “We have to unload Sora’s bike. It won’t take long, but time’s a-wastin’!”
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Riku asked Sora, keeping in step with him as they walked toward the cars.
“I’m fine, but…” Sora paused, looking at him. “…I feel like you’re about to do something stupid.”
“Actually, I was about to kiss you.” Riku managed a tiny little grin, then leaned in and pressed a quick, gentle kiss to Sora’s lips. “It’s gonna be alright,” he said, quietly, the confident words for his sake, just as much as they were for Sora’s.
Sora, however, didn’t look so reassured. “Riku, there’s something-“
“Riku!” Kairi yelled from the passenger’s side of the Firebird. “Let’s go!”
“Hold that thought,” Riku said, pressing another kiss before pulling away. “Tell me after. It’ll give me something to look forward to. You know, besides saving lives and bringing down Organization XIII.”
“This is…” Sora looked worried. “Riku, you have to know that-“
“Riku!” Kairi shouted again, and yeah, Riku really needed to get going. Sora could confess his love Hollywood-style later, because Axel, Roxas, and Demyx needed them to be quick.
“Later!” he called, jogging away towards the Firebird. He opened the door - it gave a reluctant creak, and he winced - sliding inside. Kairi was already buckling up. “So. Are we doing something stupid?”
“Probably,” she said as he turned the engine over and pulled back onto the road. “I can’t imagine how else we’re gonna pull this off.” Kairi sighed, leaning her head back against the seat and closing her eyes. Riku mentally counted to ten, and Kairi opened her eyes again. “Floor it. The warehouses by the river, and I don’t think we have a lot of time.”
Riku shook his head, pressing the pedal to the floor. “Sentimental bastards.”
A line of warehouses stood down by the Mississippi River in St. Louis, a group of rather unimpressive buildings. Their windows were typically grimy and covered in nothing but dirt, and Riku knew from experience that the insides were crawling with pests, from cockroaches to mice to the occasional junkie hiding in the corner or behind a crate. Theyall belonged to the Organization, and it was no secret that some of the most heinous crimes happened in those very warehouses. Knowing what he knew now, Riku was even relatively sure that there were a few organs and other black market items stored away. And that thought was really fucking creepy.
There was nothing, really, to announce the presence of the gang, other than a few parked cars and one incredibly familiar van. Riku parked away from the windows, facing it, and wished, again, for a much more inconspicuous car. He eyed the building with a mix of trepidation and anticipation. He was ready to rush in, guns blazing, but that had more of a chance of ending in tragedy than sitting back and assessing the situation did. Granted, this whole mess had pretty good odds of ending in tragedy, but hey. Riku was an optimistic guy, sometimes.
“Call Leon,” Riku said to Kairi. The others seemed to have fallen behind somewhere along the way, and Riku was only a little worried. Of course, his foot had practically been pressed to the floor the entire drive, so there was a relatively good chance that he had simply driven a little too fast for them to keep up. “Put it on speaker.”
It only rang once before it was picked up, and Sora’s voice filtered through. “Riku?”
Riku blinked. “Sora? I thought you were on your bike.”
“I was, but Yuffie forgot to put gas in the damn thing.” Somewhere in the background, Riku heard Yuffie shout that she had already apologized, like, at least twenty times, thank you very much. “That’s why we’re behind. I’m in the truck with them.”
“Well, we’re here,” Kairi said. “So. Anybody come up with a plan?”
“Kind of, we’re still working on it,” Sora replied. “So just sit tight and wait for-“ He was cut off by a sudden, quick beep. Kairi did a double take at the number.
“Hold on a minute, Sora,” she said, cutting him off. “…Apparently, Demyx is on the other line.”
“Wait, Kairi!” Sora said quickly. “They’re just teasing you, trying to-“
Kairi glanced at Riku and pressed the button to switch to the call waiting. Neither of them said a word as they heard a small shuffle, a quick rush of fabric, and then, a voice that chilled them both to the very core.
“I see you’ve finally decided to arrive.” Dark and easy, Xemnas’ voice seemed to fill the car and suck away the air - Riku could barely breathe, and Kairi clutched his arm in a mix of fury and fear. “We waited for you, Riku, you’re a little late to the party…”
Riku swallowed back the tight lump in his throat, the anxiety and anger threatening to rob him of what little air he managed to suck in. “That was nice of you.” He kept his voice light and easy, a laid back tone. By the way Xemnas chuckled, he knew it was false.
“Looks like you brought a guest, too.”
His eyes flashed over, meeting Kairi’s gaze.
“Back from the dead, Little Red?” Xemnas asked. There was a sudden bout of noise in the background before Xemnas barked, “Quiet!”
“I’m kinda like a cockroach,” Kairi managed, eyes darting between Riku and the phone.
“Hard to kill? We’ll see about that,” Xemnas said. “Riku, I can see that you’re listening.”
Riku jerked his head up and he glanced around. He couldn’t see anyone, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t somewhere in the shadows, watching and waiting, crosshairs trained with deadly precision. Damn Axel and his conspicuous car.
“I’m going to offer you a deal, Riku,” Xemnas said. “Your get out of jail free card. A way to save those most precious to you.” Riku waited, watching the phone. “You bring me Sora. I have Roxas and Demyx, all I want is Sora. You get Red, and your merry trio gets to walk away with all of its members safe and sound.”
“You’ll take the hit off Kairi?” Riku asked.
“Riku-“
He held up a hand to cut her off, wanting to hear the reply. Xemnas chuckled again, knowing he had Riku exactly where he wanted him. “I’ll take the hit off Kairi. You can go back to your apartment, your cat, your cases. All you have to do is give me Sora. Little Red doesn’t even have to come in, you only have to be in here for a few moments.”
Riku was silent for a long pause. “…You’ll see me in a few minutes.” He reached over and pressed the button again, ignoring Kairi’s stricken look. “Sora, you still there?”
“Yeah. We’re about five minutes away from the warehouse, so just sit tight.”
“Sora, you have to know something.” Riku took a deep breath. “I think I love you. I think I’m in love with you. I think I want to wake up next to you every morning and fall asleep with you and hold your hand on the couch. I want you to see my shitty apartment and pet my cat and park your bike next to my car. You get it, Sora?”
There was a long pause from the other end of the line, then a quiet, “Yeah. I get it. I think I love you too.”
Riku swallowed and nodded, even though Sora couldn’t see him. “How far are you?”
“Five minutes, still. Traffic.” He heard Sora take a shaky breath. “Riku….”
“Don’t have a lot of time, Sora,” Riku said, sure that Sora was about to tell him not to do something stupid. “Am I on speaker?”
“No, I kinda figured this was a private conversation.” Sora sounded confused. “Why?”
“Ask Leon if the airbags have been deployed recently.”
“Why? Riku, what are you going to-“
“Please.” Riku sighed. “It’s important. Please just ask him.”
There was another pause, Sora’s hesitation, and then, finally, “He says that he bounced off a wall.”
“Explains why they didn’t go off when I hit the camper,” Kairi murmured.
“Riku, what are you going to do? Don’t-“
“Five minutes, Sora,” Riku said quietly. “I’m counting on that.” He reached over and ended the call, then looked at Kairi, taking in her suddenly determined, fierce expression. “Get out of the car.”
She shook her head, putting on her seatbelt.
“Kairi, get out of the car.” His hands were shaking on the wheel, and he gripped it tighter, until his knuckles were white. The fear in his system had ebbed into something more like desperation, anger morphing into determination. She didn’t move. “Goddamnit, Kairi, get out of the car!”
“I saw you when you watched the car burn,” she said, and met his eyes. He knew that look well - if he wanted her out of that car, he was going to have to physically move her. “I watched all of you fall apart. Don’t put me through that, Riku. If one of goes, we all go.”
And that was how it had always been, wasn’t it? Always each others’ shadows, a trinity, a force to be reckoned with. It seemed like all along, that had been their secret to success, from grade school to college to now, sitting in Axel’s broken and beaten Firebird with their lives on the line. Again.
Riku nodded once, and took a deep breath. “We have five minutes,” he said. “We only have to last five minutes.”
“They’re gonna start shooting the second we walk in.” Kairi leaned under the seat and pulled out her trusty Ladysmith. How she had managed to keep that same little handgun this whole time, Riku didn’t know, but he was thankful. “The impact is gonna stun us. Might even knock us out.”
“With any luck, they’ll kill us while we’re unconscious then,” Riku said. He still had the gun he’d gotten off the driver of the camper holstered at his side. He flexed his hands on the steering wheel. “Call Xemnas.”
Kairi pushed another couple of buttons, picking his number from the list of recent calls. He picked up after the first two rings.
“Have you made your decision, Riku?” he practically purred. “You know the gang… they’re getting antsy, and I’m not sure I can guarantee Axel’s safety much longer. I’ve been able to keep them entertained by reminiscing… did you know that Axel doesn’t remember a lot of his more infamous exploits? It’s been quite the learning experience for him.”
Riku gritted his teeth.”Yeah,” he bit out. “I’ve decided. I’m coming in.”
“I knew you’d see it our way… Marluxia always said that you were a quick study. Now, you just bring him right in the front door where we can see you.”
“Sure,” Riku said, then reached over and ended the call. Lucky for them, that was exactly the entrance he was pointed towards. After a quick glance at Kairi’s pale face, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a long moment, and floored it.
Riku had done a lot of stupid things in his life. In fact, at one point, the three of them had sat down with a piece of paper, and had actually written a list of stupid things Riku had done (they had aptly titled it “Stupid Things Riku Has Done”). Granted, that activity had involved copious amounts of alcohol, but the list had somehow managed to be at least semi-legible. The first and foremost thing on that list was “Dating Selphie,” and the reasons listed were… well, good reasons, if Riku said so himself. One, he was gay. Two, he was gay. And three, he was gay. Granted, it was at a stage in his life where he was trying very, very hard not to be gay, but, nonetheless, his gayness succeeded, and his friendship with Selphie was never quite the same.
Quite honestly, Riku had no idea why his month-long romance with Selphie was first and foremost in his mind when he really should have been focusing on the fact that he was driving Axel’s precious Firebird through the wall of a warehouse. There were quite a few thoughts, actually, an important one being “What the hell am I doing?” which was right up there with “Maybe I should have thought this through.” The loudest thought, though, occurred to him at about the same time the wall was falling down around him, the roof was being dented in, and the windshield was breaking.
“We’re gonna have to revise the list.”
The fact that both himself and Kairi emerged from the car in one piece, holding handguns each, to perfect silence, was more than Riku had hoped for. He noticed, mostly as an afterthought, that he’d managed to take out Xaldin with some of the debri - the man was still alive, just… not going to be able to help the Organization. Which was good. That was still, like, seven against the two of them, considering Axel, Roxas, and Demyx were out of commission, bound to a support beam. Perhaps driving directly through the warehouse hadn’t been such a good idea, considering they were now surrounded.
Riku wasn’t feeling particularly lucky, but he’d gotten this far. He leveled his gun, set his sights on Xemnas. “I’m gonna give you until the count of ten to let them go.” He glanced over at Kairi. Her face was still white, but she wore a wholly determined expression, the same that he had seen when they’d first decided to take this case, bounty on her head or not.
Xemnas chuckled. “Made your choice, indeed, then,” he said. The shock of their stupidity had worn off, apparently, as the click of weapons being cocked filled the air. “How noble, one final blaze of glory.”
“Ten,” Riku counted. Ten seconds to come up with a plan that wasn’t going to end up with them all dead.
There was a sudden flurry of motion beside him, and he glanced over just in time to see a punch aimed right toward him. It glanced off of his cheek, and he stumbled back, stunned momentarily, just long enough for the gun in his hand to be yanked away from him. He grappled blindly for it, but a swift blow to his stomach brought him to his knees easily, and when the black finally faded from his vision, he looked up and saw Kairi throwing his handgun away.
“I’m sorry,” she said, voice shaking and tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Riku, but I can’t watch him die.”
Riku stared at her, standing slowly, and she took a step back, not dropping his gaze. Rough hands grabbed him, hauled him away before he could even start to struggle. “Kairi…” he managed as they drug him away - she was just standing there, watching him, a tear trickling down her cheek.
He woke up a little when his back hit the concrete floor and a boot on his neck kept him down, gasping for air. He looked up at Marluxia, who simply smiled down at him.
“Looks like someone else made your choice for you,” the man purred, and finally let up the pressure, allowing Riku to suck in a gasp of air. The detective scrambled back, hitting something soft, and glanced back to find Axel staring at him with wide eyes.
“I want to make a deal,” Kairi said. Riku watched her - he couldn’t even hate her, God help him. “Riku for Demyx.”
“True love wins again.” Xemnas smirked, waving a hand at Marluxia, who sliced the rope holding them all tied to the support beam. Roxas was the first to stand, slowly, and he drug Axel up with him. Riku stood next, but Marluxia had to haul Demyx up. Riku glanced over at Kairi and saw it, then, the puddle of liquid slowly trickling his way. Gas from the Firebird. He glanced up at Kairi, whose gaze flickered over to him, and he gave a barely perceptible nod. He understood.
“I see it,” Axel muttered under his breath.
It hadn’t reached them yet, but it was slowly coming their way. They needed to stall.
“Is this what I get?” Riku yelled, the volume sudden and sharp in the quiet. “After everything I’ve done for you, this is what I get?”
“R-Riku, I-“ Kairi managed.
“You choose him over me, ove r us. What the hell has he done for you, Kairi? We saved you more times than I can count, what has he done for you?!” His voice cracked.
“…I love him, Riku.” She was full-out crying now, and he felt guilty for a moment, but he pressed on.
“And we loved you!” He took a step forward, and Axel reached out to grab him, held him.
“Let her go,” Axel said lowly, and the venom in his voice sent chills down his spine, made Kairi let out a broken sob, even as Demyx finally reached her, wrapped her hesitantly in his arms. “Hope you’re happy with your choice, princess.”
Kairi let out another sob, turning and burying her face into Demyx’s shoulder. The trickle of gasoline still hadn’t reached them, but it was only a few steps away. Riku wrenched from Axel’s grasp and took the few steps, but the redhead caught him again, yanking him back and pushing him behind him.
“Well, well, let’s get this show on the road. You have a minute and half to leave,” Xemnas said to Kairi and Demyx, “or you’re going to end up watching.”
“Any last requests?” Marluxia asked with a smirk.
Riku glanced from Axel to Zexion to Kairi and Demyx, watched them make their way away from the puddle of gasoline. Kairi glanced back at him before Demyx tugged her out of the building and away. In that split second, she gave him an almost terrified look, but he managed a bare, ghost of a smile, so quick that only she caught it, before his scowl slid back into place and she was gone.
Gone, safe, and out of the way.
“I got a couple,” Axel said. “First, this.” He turned and grabbed Roxas by the shoulders, pressing their lips together. Roxas let out a completely undignified sound before practically melting into Axel, like this was some kind of movie or something. He curled his hands in Axel’s rumbled, torn shirt, clinging to the redhead. When Axel finally pulled away, the blond was flushed and stunned-looking.
“…Well,” Xemnas said. “And the second?”
“I want a last smoke. I want the whole goddamn cigarette, got it?” Axel immediately pinned Zexion with his gaze. “I got my own lighter, just gimme a smoke.”
Zexion glanced at Xemnas before practically gliding over, holding out the cigarette between two delicate fingers. Axel took it with a nod. “Thanks,” he muttered, and lit up.
“Axel,” Roxas started. “I… you know I…” The blond stumbled over his words. Axel reached out a hand and dragged the blond in for a hug. Riku glanced away.
“Yeah, Rox, I know.”
“Is that it?” Xemnas asked. “Nothing else you’d like to add, boys?”
“There is one more thing,” Axel said, turning away from Roxas and taking another step forward. “We wanna give you a little present, Xemnas, one little reminder of the fact that we saved your sorry ass, which, by the way, was a colossal mistake on our part.”
“I repaid my debt.” Xemnas gave a little smirk.
“Well, we’re gonna repay ours,” Axel said, taking a drag of his cigarette before flicking it away - directly toward the gasoline.
The line of flames that shot up was just the distraction that they needed. The Organization members jumped back, Lexaeus being unfortunate enough to have his coat just a little too close to the fire. Immediately Riku and Axel took off into the maze of crates, their exit being blocked by the Organization itself. Axel yanked Roxas after him, the blond letting out a surprised shout of “Holy shit, you pyro!”
Riku ducked behind one set of crates, sprinting and frantically hoping for a back door or something, at least. The fire was spreading quickly, if the sound of shouting and the smell of smoke was anything to go by. He stopped for a moment to breathe.
“What the hell was that?” Roxas hissed, eyes wide. “What the fuck is it with you people and burning shit?!”
“Quick and easy,” Axel replied. “There’s gotta be a back door, right?”
“Let’s fucking hope so, considering Riku smashed through the other one!”
Axel glanced at Riku. “That reminds me - what the fuck did you do to my car?”
“Really? Not the time, guys,” Riku said, “Come on.”
There was an ominous click behind them. “Not so fast.” Riku swore and glanced backwards at Marluxia, who had his gun trained on them. “First to move dies. Second to move dies. Third to move dies. I suggest you all stay still.”
“Fuck off,” Roxas said. “And for the love of God, dye your hair a different color.”
“Leave my hair out of this!” Marluxia snapped. “You just volunteered to be the first - say goodbye, Red.”
There was the crack of gunshot, and Marluxia dropped, gun falling from his grasp. The trio looked back down the way that they had been running. “Come on,” Sora said, giving them an insistent wave.
Ten minutes later, Riku was standing in the sunlight. Kairi had a hold of his hand, crying into his shoulder - tears of joy intermingled with the sporadic, “I knew you’d get it, I’d never leave you like that!” - and Axel on his other side, pulling them both into a massive hug. Smoke billowed up into the sky, and guys in full-out body armor were dragging out the Organization, a few in cuffs, and a few in body bags.
“You fucking idiots!” Roxas was yelling, clinging to Axel. “You ridiculous, stupid idiot, will you please realize that I fucking love you and I want you to quit doing stupid things!”
“Why the hell are you yelling at me?” Axel paused and blinked. “Wait. Wait. You love me?” He grinned wide. “You love me!”
“Yes, you asshole, I love you!” And with that, Roxas fisted his hands in Axel’s hair and dragged him down into a hard kiss, one that Riku really didn’t think he had any business watching. So he turned his gaze away just in time to see Demyx pulling Kairi away into a tight, life-affirming hug, which Riku really didn’t want to watch either.
Finally, his eyes landed on Sora, coming toward him. Riku met him halfway, fingers carding through soft brown hair. He kissed Sora softly, then with a little more enthusiasm, and smiled as he pulled away.
“You’re an idiot,” Sora said, and rested his head on Riku’s chest. “You’re an idiot and you saved my brother and I think I kind of love you.”
“I know I love you,” Riku said, and kissed him again.
Title: Binary
Author: Lost Forevermore or Woebegone121
Rating: R for swearing, themes, and violence. (as of now. Rating is subject to change.)
Pairings: Sora/Riku, Axel/Roxas, Demyx/Kairi and various other random scatterings
Genre: Mystery/Romance
Disclaimer: If I owned it, Kingdom Hearts would be a musical.
Warnings: Slash, language, possible adult content, eighties metal music, Motley Crüe, Guns 'n Roses, Savage Garden, fat cats, Roxas' mouth, Axel's lighter, Sora with a motorcycle license, crappy apartments, and excessive amounts of randomly named bands that may or may not have anything to do with each other.
Summary: Detective AU. It all started with a motorcycle accident, a missing blond, and a stolen computer disc. Now Riku's tracking his so-not-boyfriend and a hotheaded blond down with the help of his rock-obsessed, pyromaniac, partner-in-fighting-crime and his secretary who still hasn't figured out that she works for him, not the other way around. Not to mention the gang that's trying to kill them. And poor Riku's mop still isn't magical.
Or, at fanfiction.net.
“I need to breathe,” Kairi reminded Riku after about five minutes of him holding her like she was the last hope of a doomed man, which was a uncannily accurate simile in this case. He reluctantly allowed her to untangle herself from his hold, and she didn’t stray far from his side, curling her hand in his. Of course, Kairi would understand that he’d need to keep her close, just for a little while, just until he didn’t see flames and panic every time he closed his eyes.
“I don’t understand,” he said. He’d seen that car go up in flames, knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything was over, and that something he had worked so hard to protect had just gone up in smoke. He had been absolutely certain that all of their miracles and lucky shots had been used up. Still, it looked like they’d pulled yet another, from only God knew where, and he didn’t know exactly how to feel about that. Had he inadvertently traded one friend for another here?
Kairi nodded. “I know you don’t. And, frankly, there’s not a lot that I understand either. We need to go. There’ll be time to explain later.” She gave him a tired smile, tugged on the hand Riku still had a death grip on. “Riku, I’m not going anywhere.”
“You were dead,” Riku replied, not letting go. “You were dead and I watched you die, I’m gonna hold your damn hand for a little while. And I want some kind of explanation. Give me the nutshell.”
“In a nutshell, I wasn’t in the car,” she said, shrugging. “What, you really think I was just gonna wait in the car while the boys had all the fun? I’d turned around to help, and… next thing I know, the thing’s a burning fireball in the parking lot. After they took you guys, I called in a couple of favors.” She motioned toward Leon, leaning against the wrecked pickup, and Yuffie, who was honest-to-God bouncing beside Sora. “DiZ sent me these guys as well as…” Kairi gestured up the embankment, taking a few steps toward the road. Riku followed, looking to where she was motioning.
“The Firebird?” Riku asked disbelievingly.
The car was still bright red, paint gleaming as it sat there on the side of the road. It looked rough, though, like it honestly belonged in a scrapyard, rusting away - and Axel would murder him for that though, had Axel actually been psychic and they did, in fact, manage to save his skinny ass. In addition to the scratched paint and the dent in the door, the back window looked to have a few more bullet holes to match its bumper, the glass a spiderweb of cracks. The windshield had a crack on the passenger’s side, and the front end looked as though Kairi had driven it into a brick wall.
Or perhaps a truck with a camper on the back.
“Yeah…” Kairi said with a sigh and a shake of her head. “Looks a little tragic, doesn’t she?”
Riku nodded. ‘A little’ was an understatement. Axel was probably going to cry.
“Hey, guys!” Yuffie called, waving at the pair of them. “Sora’s waking up!”
Riku, still refusing to release Kairi’s hand, dragged her with him over to Sora. They crouched down beside the brunet, who groaned and shielded his eyes from the sunlight before blinking at the sky.
“Hi there, sunshine,” Kairi said, smiling.
“How’re you doin’, kid?” Yuffie asked brightly.
“…I’m dead,” Sora replied, blinking at Kairi, confused. “…or Kairi’s a zombie.”
Kairi shook her head. “Nope, not a zombie, no double-tapping here. And you’re not dead.” She laughed a little. It was strained, but genuine, and Riku couldn’t help the little smile at the sound. “Just back from the dead, that’s all.”
“Oh, that’s alright, then.” Sora sat up slowly, wincing. “God,” he groaned. “What, like, hit me?”
“A Firebird.” Riku finally released Kairi’s hand in favor of holding it out to Sora, who took it and rose unsteadily to his feet.
After a moment of looking around, staring at the wreck and then at the Firebird, Sora shook his head and murmured something Riku couldn’t quite catch, but was pretty sure it would have made Kairi blush. “So what’s the plan?” Sora asked. “And why does Leon kind of look like he wants to murder someone?”
“He’s been in the truck with Yuffie for a couple of hours,” Kairi explained. “Your bike’s in the bed of the truck, by the way. Are you okay to drive it?”
Sora shrugged. “I once hijacked an entire royal caravan with a broken arm and the flu,” he replied. “This? This is cake, dude.”
“…Impressive,” Kairi admitted. “We get to hear that story, right?”
Sora grinned, a little tight. “Sure. If you want to wind up in a secluded cabin in northern Canada for the rest of your lives.”
“Later.” Leon strode over to them, cell phone in hand. “The roadblocks didn’t work. They took an alternate route, apparently, they knew we were coming. We need to move now.”
“What?” Kairi snatched the phone out of his hand. “How did they know we were coming?”
Leon shrugged helplessly.
Sora sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Do we have a back up plan? Tell me we have a back up plan.”
“We have a back up plan,” Kairi said, thrusting the phone back at Leon. She turned, starting for the Firebird. “The back up plan is to think of the back up plan in the car. You’re driving, Riku.”
“You two go on ahead,” Yuffie said. “We have to unload Sora’s bike. It won’t take long, but time’s a-wastin’!”
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Riku asked Sora, keeping in step with him as they walked toward the cars.
“I’m fine, but…” Sora paused, looking at him. “…I feel like you’re about to do something stupid.”
“Actually, I was about to kiss you.” Riku managed a tiny little grin, then leaned in and pressed a quick, gentle kiss to Sora’s lips. “It’s gonna be alright,” he said, quietly, the confident words for his sake, just as much as they were for Sora’s.
Sora, however, didn’t look so reassured. “Riku, there’s something-“
“Riku!” Kairi yelled from the passenger’s side of the Firebird. “Let’s go!”
“Hold that thought,” Riku said, pressing another kiss before pulling away. “Tell me after. It’ll give me something to look forward to. You know, besides saving lives and bringing down Organization XIII.”
“This is…” Sora looked worried. “Riku, you have to know that-“
“Riku!” Kairi shouted again, and yeah, Riku really needed to get going. Sora could confess his love Hollywood-style later, because Axel, Roxas, and Demyx needed them to be quick.
“Later!” he called, jogging away towards the Firebird. He opened the door - it gave a reluctant creak, and he winced - sliding inside. Kairi was already buckling up. “So. Are we doing something stupid?”
“Probably,” she said as he turned the engine over and pulled back onto the road. “I can’t imagine how else we’re gonna pull this off.” Kairi sighed, leaning her head back against the seat and closing her eyes. Riku mentally counted to ten, and Kairi opened her eyes again. “Floor it. The warehouses by the river, and I don’t think we have a lot of time.”
Riku shook his head, pressing the pedal to the floor. “Sentimental bastards.”
A line of warehouses stood down by the Mississippi River in St. Louis, a group of rather unimpressive buildings. Their windows were typically grimy and covered in nothing but dirt, and Riku knew from experience that the insides were crawling with pests, from cockroaches to mice to the occasional junkie hiding in the corner or behind a crate. Theyall belonged to the Organization, and it was no secret that some of the most heinous crimes happened in those very warehouses. Knowing what he knew now, Riku was even relatively sure that there were a few organs and other black market items stored away. And that thought was really fucking creepy.
There was nothing, really, to announce the presence of the gang, other than a few parked cars and one incredibly familiar van. Riku parked away from the windows, facing it, and wished, again, for a much more inconspicuous car. He eyed the building with a mix of trepidation and anticipation. He was ready to rush in, guns blazing, but that had more of a chance of ending in tragedy than sitting back and assessing the situation did. Granted, this whole mess had pretty good odds of ending in tragedy, but hey. Riku was an optimistic guy, sometimes.
“Call Leon,” Riku said to Kairi. The others seemed to have fallen behind somewhere along the way, and Riku was only a little worried. Of course, his foot had practically been pressed to the floor the entire drive, so there was a relatively good chance that he had simply driven a little too fast for them to keep up. “Put it on speaker.”
It only rang once before it was picked up, and Sora’s voice filtered through. “Riku?”
Riku blinked. “Sora? I thought you were on your bike.”
“I was, but Yuffie forgot to put gas in the damn thing.” Somewhere in the background, Riku heard Yuffie shout that she had already apologized, like, at least twenty times, thank you very much. “That’s why we’re behind. I’m in the truck with them.”
“Well, we’re here,” Kairi said. “So. Anybody come up with a plan?”
“Kind of, we’re still working on it,” Sora replied. “So just sit tight and wait for-“ He was cut off by a sudden, quick beep. Kairi did a double take at the number.
“Hold on a minute, Sora,” she said, cutting him off. “…Apparently, Demyx is on the other line.”
“Wait, Kairi!” Sora said quickly. “They’re just teasing you, trying to-“
Kairi glanced at Riku and pressed the button to switch to the call waiting. Neither of them said a word as they heard a small shuffle, a quick rush of fabric, and then, a voice that chilled them both to the very core.
“I see you’ve finally decided to arrive.” Dark and easy, Xemnas’ voice seemed to fill the car and suck away the air - Riku could barely breathe, and Kairi clutched his arm in a mix of fury and fear. “We waited for you, Riku, you’re a little late to the party…”
Riku swallowed back the tight lump in his throat, the anxiety and anger threatening to rob him of what little air he managed to suck in. “That was nice of you.” He kept his voice light and easy, a laid back tone. By the way Xemnas chuckled, he knew it was false.
“Looks like you brought a guest, too.”
His eyes flashed over, meeting Kairi’s gaze.
“Back from the dead, Little Red?” Xemnas asked. There was a sudden bout of noise in the background before Xemnas barked, “Quiet!”
“I’m kinda like a cockroach,” Kairi managed, eyes darting between Riku and the phone.
“Hard to kill? We’ll see about that,” Xemnas said. “Riku, I can see that you’re listening.”
Riku jerked his head up and he glanced around. He couldn’t see anyone, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t somewhere in the shadows, watching and waiting, crosshairs trained with deadly precision. Damn Axel and his conspicuous car.
“I’m going to offer you a deal, Riku,” Xemnas said. “Your get out of jail free card. A way to save those most precious to you.” Riku waited, watching the phone. “You bring me Sora. I have Roxas and Demyx, all I want is Sora. You get Red, and your merry trio gets to walk away with all of its members safe and sound.”
“You’ll take the hit off Kairi?” Riku asked.
“Riku-“
He held up a hand to cut her off, wanting to hear the reply. Xemnas chuckled again, knowing he had Riku exactly where he wanted him. “I’ll take the hit off Kairi. You can go back to your apartment, your cat, your cases. All you have to do is give me Sora. Little Red doesn’t even have to come in, you only have to be in here for a few moments.”
Riku was silent for a long pause. “…You’ll see me in a few minutes.” He reached over and pressed the button again, ignoring Kairi’s stricken look. “Sora, you still there?”
“Yeah. We’re about five minutes away from the warehouse, so just sit tight.”
“Sora, you have to know something.” Riku took a deep breath. “I think I love you. I think I’m in love with you. I think I want to wake up next to you every morning and fall asleep with you and hold your hand on the couch. I want you to see my shitty apartment and pet my cat and park your bike next to my car. You get it, Sora?”
There was a long pause from the other end of the line, then a quiet, “Yeah. I get it. I think I love you too.”
Riku swallowed and nodded, even though Sora couldn’t see him. “How far are you?”
“Five minutes, still. Traffic.” He heard Sora take a shaky breath. “Riku….”
“Don’t have a lot of time, Sora,” Riku said, sure that Sora was about to tell him not to do something stupid. “Am I on speaker?”
“No, I kinda figured this was a private conversation.” Sora sounded confused. “Why?”
“Ask Leon if the airbags have been deployed recently.”
“Why? Riku, what are you going to-“
“Please.” Riku sighed. “It’s important. Please just ask him.”
There was another pause, Sora’s hesitation, and then, finally, “He says that he bounced off a wall.”
“Explains why they didn’t go off when I hit the camper,” Kairi murmured.
“Riku, what are you going to do? Don’t-“
“Five minutes, Sora,” Riku said quietly. “I’m counting on that.” He reached over and ended the call, then looked at Kairi, taking in her suddenly determined, fierce expression. “Get out of the car.”
She shook her head, putting on her seatbelt.
“Kairi, get out of the car.” His hands were shaking on the wheel, and he gripped it tighter, until his knuckles were white. The fear in his system had ebbed into something more like desperation, anger morphing into determination. She didn’t move. “Goddamnit, Kairi, get out of the car!”
“I saw you when you watched the car burn,” she said, and met his eyes. He knew that look well - if he wanted her out of that car, he was going to have to physically move her. “I watched all of you fall apart. Don’t put me through that, Riku. If one of goes, we all go.”
And that was how it had always been, wasn’t it? Always each others’ shadows, a trinity, a force to be reckoned with. It seemed like all along, that had been their secret to success, from grade school to college to now, sitting in Axel’s broken and beaten Firebird with their lives on the line. Again.
Riku nodded once, and took a deep breath. “We have five minutes,” he said. “We only have to last five minutes.”
“They’re gonna start shooting the second we walk in.” Kairi leaned under the seat and pulled out her trusty Ladysmith. How she had managed to keep that same little handgun this whole time, Riku didn’t know, but he was thankful. “The impact is gonna stun us. Might even knock us out.”
“With any luck, they’ll kill us while we’re unconscious then,” Riku said. He still had the gun he’d gotten off the driver of the camper holstered at his side. He flexed his hands on the steering wheel. “Call Xemnas.”
Kairi pushed another couple of buttons, picking his number from the list of recent calls. He picked up after the first two rings.
“Have you made your decision, Riku?” he practically purred. “You know the gang… they’re getting antsy, and I’m not sure I can guarantee Axel’s safety much longer. I’ve been able to keep them entertained by reminiscing… did you know that Axel doesn’t remember a lot of his more infamous exploits? It’s been quite the learning experience for him.”
Riku gritted his teeth.”Yeah,” he bit out. “I’ve decided. I’m coming in.”
“I knew you’d see it our way… Marluxia always said that you were a quick study. Now, you just bring him right in the front door where we can see you.”
“Sure,” Riku said, then reached over and ended the call. Lucky for them, that was exactly the entrance he was pointed towards. After a quick glance at Kairi’s pale face, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a long moment, and floored it.
Riku had done a lot of stupid things in his life. In fact, at one point, the three of them had sat down with a piece of paper, and had actually written a list of stupid things Riku had done (they had aptly titled it “Stupid Things Riku Has Done”). Granted, that activity had involved copious amounts of alcohol, but the list had somehow managed to be at least semi-legible. The first and foremost thing on that list was “Dating Selphie,” and the reasons listed were… well, good reasons, if Riku said so himself. One, he was gay. Two, he was gay. And three, he was gay. Granted, it was at a stage in his life where he was trying very, very hard not to be gay, but, nonetheless, his gayness succeeded, and his friendship with Selphie was never quite the same.
Quite honestly, Riku had no idea why his month-long romance with Selphie was first and foremost in his mind when he really should have been focusing on the fact that he was driving Axel’s precious Firebird through the wall of a warehouse. There were quite a few thoughts, actually, an important one being “What the hell am I doing?” which was right up there with “Maybe I should have thought this through.” The loudest thought, though, occurred to him at about the same time the wall was falling down around him, the roof was being dented in, and the windshield was breaking.
“We’re gonna have to revise the list.”
The fact that both himself and Kairi emerged from the car in one piece, holding handguns each, to perfect silence, was more than Riku had hoped for. He noticed, mostly as an afterthought, that he’d managed to take out Xaldin with some of the debri - the man was still alive, just… not going to be able to help the Organization. Which was good. That was still, like, seven against the two of them, considering Axel, Roxas, and Demyx were out of commission, bound to a support beam. Perhaps driving directly through the warehouse hadn’t been such a good idea, considering they were now surrounded.
Riku wasn’t feeling particularly lucky, but he’d gotten this far. He leveled his gun, set his sights on Xemnas. “I’m gonna give you until the count of ten to let them go.” He glanced over at Kairi. Her face was still white, but she wore a wholly determined expression, the same that he had seen when they’d first decided to take this case, bounty on her head or not.
Xemnas chuckled. “Made your choice, indeed, then,” he said. The shock of their stupidity had worn off, apparently, as the click of weapons being cocked filled the air. “How noble, one final blaze of glory.”
“Ten,” Riku counted. Ten seconds to come up with a plan that wasn’t going to end up with them all dead.
There was a sudden flurry of motion beside him, and he glanced over just in time to see a punch aimed right toward him. It glanced off of his cheek, and he stumbled back, stunned momentarily, just long enough for the gun in his hand to be yanked away from him. He grappled blindly for it, but a swift blow to his stomach brought him to his knees easily, and when the black finally faded from his vision, he looked up and saw Kairi throwing his handgun away.
“I’m sorry,” she said, voice shaking and tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Riku, but I can’t watch him die.”
Riku stared at her, standing slowly, and she took a step back, not dropping his gaze. Rough hands grabbed him, hauled him away before he could even start to struggle. “Kairi…” he managed as they drug him away - she was just standing there, watching him, a tear trickling down her cheek.
He woke up a little when his back hit the concrete floor and a boot on his neck kept him down, gasping for air. He looked up at Marluxia, who simply smiled down at him.
“Looks like someone else made your choice for you,” the man purred, and finally let up the pressure, allowing Riku to suck in a gasp of air. The detective scrambled back, hitting something soft, and glanced back to find Axel staring at him with wide eyes.
“I want to make a deal,” Kairi said. Riku watched her - he couldn’t even hate her, God help him. “Riku for Demyx.”
“True love wins again.” Xemnas smirked, waving a hand at Marluxia, who sliced the rope holding them all tied to the support beam. Roxas was the first to stand, slowly, and he drug Axel up with him. Riku stood next, but Marluxia had to haul Demyx up. Riku glanced over at Kairi and saw it, then, the puddle of liquid slowly trickling his way. Gas from the Firebird. He glanced up at Kairi, whose gaze flickered over to him, and he gave a barely perceptible nod. He understood.
“I see it,” Axel muttered under his breath.
It hadn’t reached them yet, but it was slowly coming their way. They needed to stall.
“Is this what I get?” Riku yelled, the volume sudden and sharp in the quiet. “After everything I’ve done for you, this is what I get?”
“R-Riku, I-“ Kairi managed.
“You choose him over me, ove r us. What the hell has he done for you, Kairi? We saved you more times than I can count, what has he done for you?!” His voice cracked.
“…I love him, Riku.” She was full-out crying now, and he felt guilty for a moment, but he pressed on.
“And we loved you!” He took a step forward, and Axel reached out to grab him, held him.
“Let her go,” Axel said lowly, and the venom in his voice sent chills down his spine, made Kairi let out a broken sob, even as Demyx finally reached her, wrapped her hesitantly in his arms. “Hope you’re happy with your choice, princess.”
Kairi let out another sob, turning and burying her face into Demyx’s shoulder. The trickle of gasoline still hadn’t reached them, but it was only a few steps away. Riku wrenched from Axel’s grasp and took the few steps, but the redhead caught him again, yanking him back and pushing him behind him.
“Well, well, let’s get this show on the road. You have a minute and half to leave,” Xemnas said to Kairi and Demyx, “or you’re going to end up watching.”
“Any last requests?” Marluxia asked with a smirk.
Riku glanced from Axel to Zexion to Kairi and Demyx, watched them make their way away from the puddle of gasoline. Kairi glanced back at him before Demyx tugged her out of the building and away. In that split second, she gave him an almost terrified look, but he managed a bare, ghost of a smile, so quick that only she caught it, before his scowl slid back into place and she was gone.
Gone, safe, and out of the way.
“I got a couple,” Axel said. “First, this.” He turned and grabbed Roxas by the shoulders, pressing their lips together. Roxas let out a completely undignified sound before practically melting into Axel, like this was some kind of movie or something. He curled his hands in Axel’s rumbled, torn shirt, clinging to the redhead. When Axel finally pulled away, the blond was flushed and stunned-looking.
“…Well,” Xemnas said. “And the second?”
“I want a last smoke. I want the whole goddamn cigarette, got it?” Axel immediately pinned Zexion with his gaze. “I got my own lighter, just gimme a smoke.”
Zexion glanced at Xemnas before practically gliding over, holding out the cigarette between two delicate fingers. Axel took it with a nod. “Thanks,” he muttered, and lit up.
“Axel,” Roxas started. “I… you know I…” The blond stumbled over his words. Axel reached out a hand and dragged the blond in for a hug. Riku glanced away.
“Yeah, Rox, I know.”
“Is that it?” Xemnas asked. “Nothing else you’d like to add, boys?”
“There is one more thing,” Axel said, turning away from Roxas and taking another step forward. “We wanna give you a little present, Xemnas, one little reminder of the fact that we saved your sorry ass, which, by the way, was a colossal mistake on our part.”
“I repaid my debt.” Xemnas gave a little smirk.
“Well, we’re gonna repay ours,” Axel said, taking a drag of his cigarette before flicking it away - directly toward the gasoline.
The line of flames that shot up was just the distraction that they needed. The Organization members jumped back, Lexaeus being unfortunate enough to have his coat just a little too close to the fire. Immediately Riku and Axel took off into the maze of crates, their exit being blocked by the Organization itself. Axel yanked Roxas after him, the blond letting out a surprised shout of “Holy shit, you pyro!”
Riku ducked behind one set of crates, sprinting and frantically hoping for a back door or something, at least. The fire was spreading quickly, if the sound of shouting and the smell of smoke was anything to go by. He stopped for a moment to breathe.
“What the hell was that?” Roxas hissed, eyes wide. “What the fuck is it with you people and burning shit?!”
“Quick and easy,” Axel replied. “There’s gotta be a back door, right?”
“Let’s fucking hope so, considering Riku smashed through the other one!”
Axel glanced at Riku. “That reminds me - what the fuck did you do to my car?”
“Really? Not the time, guys,” Riku said, “Come on.”
There was an ominous click behind them. “Not so fast.” Riku swore and glanced backwards at Marluxia, who had his gun trained on them. “First to move dies. Second to move dies. Third to move dies. I suggest you all stay still.”
“Fuck off,” Roxas said. “And for the love of God, dye your hair a different color.”
“Leave my hair out of this!” Marluxia snapped. “You just volunteered to be the first - say goodbye, Red.”
There was the crack of gunshot, and Marluxia dropped, gun falling from his grasp. The trio looked back down the way that they had been running. “Come on,” Sora said, giving them an insistent wave.
Ten minutes later, Riku was standing in the sunlight. Kairi had a hold of his hand, crying into his shoulder - tears of joy intermingled with the sporadic, “I knew you’d get it, I’d never leave you like that!” - and Axel on his other side, pulling them both into a massive hug. Smoke billowed up into the sky, and guys in full-out body armor were dragging out the Organization, a few in cuffs, and a few in body bags.
“You fucking idiots!” Roxas was yelling, clinging to Axel. “You ridiculous, stupid idiot, will you please realize that I fucking love you and I want you to quit doing stupid things!”
“Why the hell are you yelling at me?” Axel paused and blinked. “Wait. Wait. You love me?” He grinned wide. “You love me!”
“Yes, you asshole, I love you!” And with that, Roxas fisted his hands in Axel’s hair and dragged him down into a hard kiss, one that Riku really didn’t think he had any business watching. So he turned his gaze away just in time to see Demyx pulling Kairi away into a tight, life-affirming hug, which Riku really didn’t want to watch either.
Finally, his eyes landed on Sora, coming toward him. Riku met him halfway, fingers carding through soft brown hair. He kissed Sora softly, then with a little more enthusiasm, and smiled as he pulled away.
“You’re an idiot,” Sora said, and rested his head on Riku’s chest. “You’re an idiot and you saved my brother and I think I kind of love you.”
“I know I love you,” Riku said, and kissed him again.