☼ 001 - [video]

[got_it_memorizd]

[The feed clicks on and we can see an image of a man's face. His bright eyes are wide with something like curiosity, and he's kind of grinning as he turns the device in his hands with a low whistle.]

Man, this is way fancier than any equipment I ever got at work. It's the swankiest walkie-talkie I've ever seen! [He gives an amused laugh, then

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[Video --> permaprivate]

[got_it_memorizd]

Seems to me I already did, somehow. [That missing time is really bugging him, too.

[He gives Sora a crooked grin then.] Mm, something tells me Xemnas hasn't gotten any better at making friends, despite the new PR angle he's apparently trying out. [And the smile shifts a little, colored with a twinge of surprise.] Who, me? Nahh~ they couldn't catch me if they tried. [And boy did they, back home...] I'm touched that you asked~ I'm wondering, though, if it might not be worth it to go after them. I have a bit of experience as a mole, you know.

[Weird as it is speaking freely to Sora of all people, Axel knows where his allegiances lie these days. While he's not about to wear a Good Guy Hat any time soon, he's definitely more inclined to be honest with the people standing on this side of the line in the sand. He doesn't want Xemnas and the others to wind up with their talons in anyone else he cares about, and he's willing to go to the frontlines if necessary to prevent it.]So how long have you been here, Spike? Got any useful

[got_it_memorizd]

[He purses his lips and looks thoughtful for a moment. Well, it's not like it took a genius to figure out the acronym wasn't 'mansex']

'Seeker of Darkness'? Is that what the Heartless is calling itself? Good grief, I always knew the chief was corny but that takes the cake. Riku told me he... it? whatever. was here and got an actual body back like a cheater. I guess it's too much to hope Xemnas will just absorb it and cut our gratuitous dramatic pontification problem in half, huh?

[lockandkeyblade]

[Sora shakes his head.] Put em' together, and we'd be right back where we started. Their somebody called themselves Master Xehanort. Had this guy in black as an accomplice- he's just as bad too. If that Xehanort ever comes back, we're in big trouble.

Did Riku fill you in on what happened to everybody?

[got_it_memorizd]

Master Xehanort? Now that's just too much. From what I hear, he was a whiny nerd who didn't know how to take no for an answer; sounds to me like his Small Potatoes Syndrome really got the better of him, and unfortunately everybody else had to pay the price for it. [He shakes his head then--guy in black?--and plucks curiously at the folded fabric of his hood. Uh... you're gonna have to be a little more specific.

[He shakes his head then.]

Uh-uh; he told me he was a workaholic and that Xino Mao's definitely up to something sinister, but I have yet to get a History of The Port, as it were.

[lockandkeyblade]

Actually, it's not the Xehanort you know. He was older. And way more dangerous.

The last thing you'd call this guy is Small Potatoes.

He took all of us down one by one. He even had his sidekick total the city with something called the X-blade.

[got_it_memorizd]

Older? [Buh.] Correct me if I'm wrong, Sora, but people don't usually get younger as time goes on, in my experience.

Something called the... [Additional buh. X-blade? Sorry kiddo, it's pronounced the same, so Axel is even more hella confused now. He waves a hand.] Isn't that what they're all called? All those, you know... keyblades...?

[lockandkeyblade]

It's like this... [He takes the time to actually type it out, to text Axel:]

'χ-blade'

[Sora shakes his head.] It's all complicated. But... trust me. He was older. And it took everybody to take these guys down.

He attacked Aqua first. Then he ambushed me and Roxas, and put us in this... weird place. We couldn't get out for a really long time. While we were gone, Vanitas used Xion to lure Ven in and by the time we got out, Vanitas took over his body and made the χ-blade. And Xehanort's heartless-- Ansem ended up fighting Xemnas.

And then after that, me and Roxas and Aqua had to stop Vanitas while Riku, Terra, Aslan and Joe finally took down Xehanort.

[He feels tired just thinking about all the fighting.]

[got_it_memorizd]

Keybl... χ-blade? [He scratches his head and frowns.] Ahh, s'all Greek to me, kiddo, I'll stick to my chakrams.

[But as he listens to the story, the grin on his face fades and the space between his eyebrows grows progressively smaller as they knit together, until a pronounced crinkle is visible. He doesn't know who all these people are, but he really doesn't like the sound of this. Especially the part about ambushing Roxas and using Xion as bait. He doesn't have to remember everything about who Xion is for that to really grind his gears.

[He waits until Sora is done, then gives him a stern look.]

So where does all this stand now? Is this Xehanort fellow gone? And who's Vanitas?

[lockandkeyblade]

Yeah. He's gone. We took down both of them and they disappeared from the Port. Ansem did too. For a little while.

[Then they had to pick up the pieces after.]

Xehanort hasn't come back yet. But his apprentice-- the one who summoned the χ-blade-- he's still around. His name's Vanitas, and you gotta watch out for him. He's in Xino E. Mao too, and he's got this big problem with Roxas.

[got_it_memorizd]

Vanitas. Got it. [His expression hardens visibly at the news that he's got beef with Roxas. Is that so~? Maybe we'll have to have a chat with this Vanitas fellow.] Good to know--what's he look like? So I'll know who not to invite to the housewarming party.

[lockandkeyblade]

[Axel gets a reluctant pause in return as he leans back from the NV, crossing his arms.]

Me.

1/4

[got_it_memorizd]

2/4

[got_it_memorizd]

[Sora. It's not nice to pull peoples' legs.]

3/4

[got_it_memorizd]

[Wait, you're not even cracking a grin. You can't possibly be serious.]

aaand done.

[got_it_memorizd]

... Okay, Sora, when I said I didn't think the worlds could handle two of you, that wasn't a challenge.

[lockandkeyblade]

[He looks a little flustered.]

It's not like I wanted a look alike.

Especially not one like him.