Kingdom Hearts: (Organization XIII/Riku)

[syvia]

Title: Omission (Part One)
Author/Artist: Syvia
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Adult language and sex of dubious consent.
Word Count: 7001 and counting
Summary: They think he's the Replica. The longer Riku is stranded in The World that Never Was, the harder it becomes to play along.
Notes: Now with more Axel and Saix moved to part two. I'd like to thank my lovely beta osmandias for her continuing aid and encouragement, and the lovely crimsoncookie for her beta-to-the-head. :D
Prompt: - Kingdom Hearts, OrganizationXIII/Riku: D/S - They thought he was the Replica.


It occurred to Riku as he woke, that this was familiar. He had fought to exhaustion before, and used the portals to escape from a battle to a relatively safe place. Waking after such a ride was both difficult and disorienting- sounds came back first, then a vague sense of pain and a throbbing headache. Eventually he could see again, and feel his limbs. Then he felt as if he were going to be sick, and had to lie there, still, until the weakness and the nausea passed.

Riku waited for his senses to come back and tried to collect his thoughts. He'd been walking through the Darkness, investigating... something. He couldn’t remember what it was right now. Mickey had separated from him two days prior, but he expected to meet up with the small King in a week- they made a habit of checking in at least once every seven days or so. He had been walking through the Darkness... the Heartless were abundant there, but the Shadows were a dime a dozen and easy to kill. Riku had found a small pack of them and not thought anything of it.

Until they called reinforcements.

A lot. Of reinforcements.

Well fine, he knew when he was outnumbered. It had taken him a long time to learn, but now he knew and he wasn't still so proud that he wouldn't turn and get the hell out when there were too many Heartless to handle by himself.

But they'd kept coming. He backtracked, he looked for a rip in space- a useful gateway, anything. He hadn't wanted to use a portal, fearing the drain of energy only to find that there were shadows everywhere and it was his only option. He tried it- and realized it wasn't an option at all. He couldn't use a portal. He hadn't done it since heading into Castle Oblivion and maybe defeating Ansem inside his own heart had dispelled enough Darkness that-

He was utterly screwed.

He fought off more Shadows, reaching within his heart, searching for the connection he shared with the King, hoping and eventually praying that Mickey could hear him- that he'd show up before the Heartless overpowered him. He needed an intervention.

He got one.

Riku jerked forward, sitting up- and didn't get halfway there before something went taut at his wrists and his weakened body couldn't pull free. He remembered- someone had saved him but he had to get out of here before-

"Heh- there it is."

He turned his head toward the voice. His blurred sight took in a dark shape against a white background- nothing else. Riku pulled at his arms- felt the shape of the cuffs that held them down on the table. The shape seemed to tower over him and he wondered how high the table was. He only vaguely felt cold metal at his back.

"I shall inform the Superior."

A different voice, and when Riku turned to find the source, he saw another dark blur- larger- walking away. He twisted fitfully in his bonds- pushed this way and that with his feet- which weren't tied down. His struggles were weak still, and he could hear a snort above his head.

"Yeah, when you wiggle your way out of those, I'm sure you'll kick my ass," the first voice said. "Just calm down, kid. You're not going anywhere, and Xaldin saved you from ending up as Heartless chow. You wanna show some gratitude and cooperate?"

Oh hell no- he fought- he always fought. He'd kept fighting the Heartless when the spears rained down around him- instantly killing some and wounding others- and he'd fought... tried to fight, the guy in the black coat who rode a non-existent wind through Darkness and tucked him under one arm as easily as a toddler. Riku gritted his teeth and pulled harder on the restraints. Feeling was coming back to his limbs. It occurred to him that he wasn't wearing that coat DiZ had given him. He wasn't wearing the shirt he'd had on beneath it either. He didn't even- oh shit, he was naked.

His eyes started to focus but his mind went skittering off in a dozen different directions. His stomach rebelled the movement he hadn't ceased, and the rest of his body followed after- giving out and leaving him, shaking, on the table.

"Oh yeah," the figure- a man in an Organization coat and an eye patch- said wryly. "You're Vexen's kid alright. Glare and overreact just like him and everything."

Riku didn't say anything to that, trying not to vomit- but he was thinking. He thought and realized he was damn lucky the Organization hadn't killed him first and asked questions later. No... Vexen's kid?

They thought he was the Replica.

Shit. What would they do if they found out he wasn't?

Riku tried to control his breathing, spoke with some of his old attitude- what the Replica had sounded like to him. He wouldn't be afraid of the Nobodies... or... it was like his partnership with Maleficent. The Replica worked for them- he would have been wary, but there was a kind of confidence. He was useful, and they wouldn't kill him for no reason.

"What do you expect?" he asked, giving the Nobody a mild glare. "I wake up naked and strapped to a table and I'm not supposed to freak out?"

The figure shrugged. "I figure you'd be used to it. Vexen had such a hard-on for dissection."

Shit. Brush it off.

Riku narrowed his eyes and gave the 'you're an idiot' sneer. "He knew how I worked."

"Yeah," and the Nobody sounded tired, but the look on his scarred face gave the impression of mild amusement. "Asshole makes such a nice little toy and doesn't send us the blueprints, or even stay alive to play with it."

"I'm not a toy," and that was his own anger seeping through the act.

A snort. "You have a hell of a lot of moving parts, but he still built you."

He needed to get off this line of conversation before he got really pissed. "What does any of that have to do with me strapped naked to a table?"

The Nobody laughed. "Well, since we don't know how you work, we'll just have to take you apart and find out."

Okay, maybe he was wrong to assume they wouldn't kill him.

Panic froze him and was swept away by a need to act- to get the fuck out. Riku couldn't make a portal, couldn't get out of his restraints. It didn't matter- somehow he was going to-

His captor laughed again, sudden and sharp, and the slant of his eye changed from menacing to something a more like belligerent amusement. "That's a positive for emotion," he said, turning to pick up a notepad. He ignored Riku for the space of time it took to write something down and put the tablet back. Then he pressed two fingers to the side of his neck.

"That sure as hell kicked your heart rate up," he muttered, smirking. "But it's the eyes that really give it away."

Riku lay still, thinking, calming down, and the Nobody eventually stepped back, stripping off one of the black leather gloves.

"That," he said, softly at first and gaining strength, "-was a test?"

"Yep. Oh, we'll look at all the parts eventually- but first you get a chance to prove you can be useful." The Nobody patted Riku's bare shoulder. "Be useful enough and maybe we'll forget about that whole nasty dissection thing."

Riku shrugged it off, or tried, and only managed to shift slightly to the other side of the table. "If you're not going to cut me open," he said through gritted teeth, "let. Me. Up."

The guy smirked again. "We're not done, and you're not going to like this next part." He turned away from the table again, opened a drawer and pulled out a white glove- latex, Riku thought it was. The Nobody pulled it on and made it snap against his skin- smirking although that had to be painful.

"Time for a proctology exam."

"...What?"

Eyepatch guy pointed at the ceiling and waved the pointed finger to and fro. "I stick my finger up-"

"Yeah, I know that-" Riku shut his mouth and tried to speak more softly. "Why are you going to?"

"Too bad Vexen didn't give you a better source of brains- or is this all you? Either way, calm down, kid. I was never the biggest geek of the group- that was Vex- but I know my shit." He grabbed a tube of something in the leather-covered hand and squeezed clear gel onto the latex.

"Wait-" he stretched his legs out over the table, trying to give the guy less access, "sir-"

"Xigbar. I think we can skip formalities. I'm Xigbar, you're... eh, you know who you are," eyepatch guy walked up calmly and put a hand on Riku's leg which... suddenly felt very light. The Nobody grasped his ankle and there was no resistance as Xigbar pushed it toward Riku's ass. He couldn't get any resistance- could barely feel his own muscles.

"Just relax, kid."

Riku knew how wide his eyes must have looked. He didn't think he could help it. Pulling on his restraints hadn't worked before and it wasn't working now but he didn't care- he couldn't just lie there and take it.

"Pretend I'm Vexen, if that makes it easier," he said, shifting Riku's leg.

Spread, vulnerable- he was right back in Hollow Bastion, invaded by Darkness so fully that he couldn't use his own mouth to scream. No- no, this wasn't as bad. It was only his body, not his heart.

But it was his body, damnit.

"Wait," he said, throat dry. "Isn't it easier if I'm standing up? I won't run or anything," he promised. "You can let me up."

It wouldn't exactly be better... but if he got this, that meant he could control the situation, if only a little. Maybe he had a choice here- it would tell him a lot about the situation. But mostly Riku just wanted out of the restraints and off the damned table.

Xigbar paused, tapped his fingers a few times on Riku's skin. The toes of his other foot curled against the metal. He wouldn't kick- wouldn't exactly resist.

"Hell," the Nobody shrugged. "Why not? Wouldn't help if you ran," he said, reaching up with the leather-clad hand to undo one of the wrist-cuffs. "I might let you get out the door and through a few hallways before I pulled you back. You could give the guys a show," he said idly, pulling at the restraint. "Give 'em ideas. Not that all of them are gay, but it's not often we've got a live one here." He loosed the cuff but left it on Riku's arm, tapped him on the chest with two fingers. "Can't underestimate the power of a pulse, kid. If one of the others is horny enough, you'll be damn convenient." His tone was sly, amused, and the whole thing was probably aimed at keeping him obedient.

He stayed still, tried not to let his growing anxiety show on his face- it was bad enough to have something shoved inside of him for clinical reasons- he didn't exactly believe Xigbar... but he wasn't stupid enough to run bare-assed through an enemy's territory.

"I won't run."

Even though every nerve screamed at him to do it. He considered calling the keyblade- his armor- and making a break for it. Even as it sounded good- sounded like it would get him out of this situation- he didn't put any faith in his ability to hold the armor for long. He still felt too weak. Xigbar shrugged again and stepped back. Riku pulled his wrist out of the cuff and sat up-

Then found himself staring down the barrel of the strangest looking gun he'd seen in two dozen worlds. The other hand was still empty of all but the latex glove and lubricant.

"I bet you have a couple tricks up your sleeve," the Nobody said, eyes narrowed. "Trying them would be stupid." His mouth grinned, but his eyes and voice were dead.

Riku nodded. This, would be why his first instinct was a bad one. So they expected resistance... well hell- who actually wanted this kind of exam? But... maybe Xigbar would trust him otherwise. They thought he was the Replica- they'd figure they could trust it to follow orders... most orders. So he'd be the Replica, and he'd get the hell out of here at the first opportunity.

"Let yourself out of the other one," and the gun turned into smoke.

Riku did, and slid carefully off the table. By the time he was done, Xigbar had a small plastic cup in hand, which he dropped on the metal surface Riku had just vacated.

"You a righty or a lefty?"

He curled his fingers protectively inward. "Why?"

"Righty." Xigbar raised the uncapped tube and held it above Riku's hand, squeezed. Riku opened his hand automatically to keep the gel from falling to the floor and flinched at the slickness of it over his skin. "It'll feel better if you jerk off while I'm doing this, and we want a sperm sample anyway."

Riku froze, looked at the cup. He would have bolted then, but Xigbar put a thin hand on his hip. "Look," he said, and his voice was low but far from comforting, "either you do it, or I will."

He had to cooperate. He had to follow orders. Wow this was humiliating. He rolled the gel between his fingers, reached for his... he had to stop thinking about it and just do it. Riku closed a hand around his limp flesh and began half-heartedly stroking. He wasn't aroused and this... he knew how, yeah, but.... Fuck. Fuck and hell and damnit, the gel was slightly cold, slippery. He wiped the excess off on his thigh and kept going, all too aware that someone was standing right behind him. This wasn't working- it wouldn't. Jerking off felt okay, it always did, but he wasn't really... and that made it even worse.

"Yeah, you're still tense," Xigbar said, like he was talking to himself. "Fuck if I know why- unless Vex really was that small. Spread a little, and lean forward." His voice was still low, too close, and it had gone a little rough. Riku gritted his teeth, did as he was told and hoped the bastard wasn't getting off on this. It felt wrong- the hand on his hip, giving the Nobody leverage as his finger pressed into him and moved slightly, stretching. He wanted to squirm and didn't want to give Xigbar any satisfaction- but his muscles had given way to the intrusion and it pressed further- brushed something that made him freeze and stop breathing.

"Well, whaddaya know?"

"Satisfied?" and he tried to make his voice annoyed rather than breathy.

"How's that sample coming?" Xigbar drawled, like he was asking what time it was or whether it was raining.

Riku cursed softly and worked his hand again over his finally, finally stiffening erection. He grabbed the cup in his other hand, holding close, almost cupping it over the tip of his shaft. He wanted this over with- they wanted a sample, he'd give them their damned sample. Xigbar drew his finger out- Riku almost breathed in relief- but then Xigbar pushed in again, and out...

"Why don't I help move things along?"

Riku cursed under his breath and sped up, tightened his hand around both the cup and his flesh, stroking harder. His hands trembled- he was not going to drop the cup. The faster he got off, the faster this would end.

...What if the Nobody wouldn't stop?

Don't think about that.

He bit his lip and tried not to make any noise as the thrusts became more forceful, a movement from the elbow, not just the wrist and it, combined with the stroking- felt good. He didn't look down. He didn't want to watch himself... that was stupid. It was his body and- Riku lost all train of thought as the heat built in his groin and against whatever it was in his body that Xigbar had found that felt so damn good. He moaned, panted, and didn't hear himself as the world turned over and suddenly he was hanging from Xigbar's arm, pressed between it and the Nobody's chest.

The finger left his body and he sighed, and didn't groan at the pain of an ache where he'd never had one before.

"Vexen had taste- I'll give him that."

Riku clenched his teeth to keep from replying. Xigbar guided him to lean against the table and took the cup- with specimen- from his hand. He stood there, watching his captor with drooping eyelids. He was still exhausted, although his illness from transporting while exhausted had faded. He hadn't eaten anything in who knew how long, and just the amount of emotional stress was enough to leave him tired as hell. Xigbar threw him a blanket, which he fumbled for a moment, then unfolded and wrapped around himself.

"Take a break, kid. I'll send someone around for ya' later."

He couldn't walk anywhere, and he sure as hell didn't want to be carried. Riku climbed back onto the table reluctantly, kept the blanket between himself and the cool metal (hating the lube still covering parts of his skin) and resolved to sleep only for a few minutes. He couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.

The room dimmed- he thought he heard footsteps.

Riku fell asleep.

***

Kairi was stringing shells on the beach. He walked up and she turned- smiled at him before patting the sand next to her. Riku folded himself onto the sand and grinned back.

"It's kinda lonely here, you know?" she murmured, looking at her partially-constructed charm.

"Well yeah, but you know- you've still got Selphie and Tidus. Wakka and-"

"Riku, do you remember what happened to that shell charm I made before we all left home?"

He blinked, looked at her. "Yeah," he said, even though he wasn't sure- he did that a lot. "Yeah, you gave that to-" Riku stopped mid-sentence and his mouth hung open, like he would finish what he'd begun to say any second now. But he couldn't remember. Kairi had given it to someone, but Riku couldn't remember who. He could remember it had been important... dangling from the bottom of a Keyblade... hanging in front of his face. Of course he remembered it.

But who had carried it?

Kairi was looking at him as he put a hand over his heart.

"Yes," she said, "exactly."

***

He heard music.

His back was cold. Most of the blanket was clutched to his chest, bunched in his arms... not covering him. The music was coming from behind him, and he felt eyes on his back. Great. Just great.

Riku propped himself up on an elbow and looked over his shoulder. This Nobody was younger- looked younger, anyway. His gaze traveled from Riku's ass (what could be seen of it) to his face and turned less appraising. He smiled and kept playing the rather large musical instrument on his lap.

"Hi. I'm Demyx," he waggled his fingers briefly and replaced them on the strings, "and you're the Replica."

He wondered if that would have sounded so horrible had he actually been the Replica. Riku forced the thought away. He didn't want to sympathize with his copy. It had tried to kill him, damnit.

"I've got clothes," Demyx said cheerfully, "and you can get washed up. Then we'll go find something to eat." Riku spotted the pile of black (of course black) clothing on the countertop. "Soap," the strings plinked softly as the Nobody picked up a roundish white shape and tossed it in Riku's direction. Then he started playing again, amusing himself, Riku guessed. He caught the bar.

"Okay," and he got off the table. "I don't need help- just show me where the water is and-"

Demyx smirked. Riku flinched as the Nobody broke into a furious melody and a fountain of water- it was shaped like a man- a man with a large musical instrument- appeared from nowhere at all.

"What the hell are you-"

"Hold your breath."

The clone raised its instrument and brought the thing down over his head. Riku flung an arm up to block and the water... acted like water. It poured over him, soaking hair, skin. He never heard it splash upon the tiles and when he rubbed the water out of his eyes it was obvious- he was drenched... and the water instrument still held its shape. Riku stared at it, then at the sodden blanket still clutched in one hand. He dropped it.

The clone moved its instrument back over Riku's legs, coating him thoroughly before drawing the instrument back and holding it as Demyx held his own. Riku combed back his dripping hair and glanced at Demyx, who was still watching him as he played. He continued to smirk slightly, his gaze interested and... appreciative.

Riku turned his back to the Nobody and started scrubbing. He missed Hollow Bastion. No he didn't. He didn't miss Kairi's blank unconsciousness or having to fight with... Riku stood, naked and dripping, frozen. He couldn't remember. There was something important he didn't... know. He'd worked for Maleficent, he had been trying to get Kairi's heart back and utilizing Darkness to do it.

He had been so upset when he found out.

Who?

"Hey."

Riku jumped nearly out of his skin and turned. Demyx stared at him, eyebrows raised inquisitively.

"You okay?"

"I'm just thinking..." he muttered, reapplying the soap, more quickly now, not thinking about his audience and just getting things over with. Why did it feel like he'd been doing that so often lately? He lathered and scrubbed every part of his body- paid extra attention to his hair and his ass. He still didn't feel like he'd fully cleaned the lubricant from his body but there wasn't much he could do about it. Riku turned, dropped the soap on the table and looked at the clone- which pounced.

It closed over him like a suit, fitting its arms to surround his, spreading his legs to cover Riku's. The excess water created by the long coat traveled upward and the clone's head melted into the body, draining into Riku's hands, as if he held a bowl of water in each hand. He moved his hands over his body, rinsing away dirt and dried sweat. This felt strange as hell, but the water was warm enough and he saw the logic in this. No waste of water, no need for special facilities... no need for him to walk around this place in nothing but a blanket. All he had was a single curious- almost kind- Nobody who stared at him a bit longer than Riku appreciated. He closed his eyes and held his breath as he scrubbed his head and the attentive little pools of water on his hands past over, through, and it felt like he was submerged. The liquid traveled with him, keeping against his skin, and he couldn't reach out of the nimbus of water to the air.

When he was clean, it left him of its own volition, pulling, almost sucking the water from his skin. It pulled away and reformed into a man- one arm raised, touching the top of his head. It lingered a bit, but when it finally pulled away, his hair was dry.

Demyx was still playing. Riku blinked as he realized the clone was his shape now, and holding a larger instrument. Riku stepped away from the clone- his feet were dry. He patted himself over the chest, arms- as he walked and his thighs brushed together it felt dry. He was completely dry.

That was handy.

He reached for the first thing in the clothes pile and lifted it... and stared.

"That would be a thong." Demyx was smirking at him.

"You have to be kidding."

"No- but Xigbar probably was."

Riku tossed the thong to the countertop, tried not to think about the spirit in which the 'gift' had been given, and found a pair of boxer shorts folded in a black shirt. Shorts, shirt, he was quite happy to follow them with pants, and a hooded vest. Aside from the lack of color, it was quite similar to clothing he would have chosen back home. He looked up sharply at the sound of water draining and saw the clone climbing into a sink, one leg- which promptly lost solidity- at a time. Eventually it disappeared into the drain.

Back to his clothing- he realized there were socks but no shoes.

"What happened to my other clothes?" he asked Demyx, pulling on the vest.

"Dunno," and the Nobody stood up, raised his instrument- which disappeared. "Maybe Xigbar does, but he didn't tell me if he did. C'mon."

"I don't get a coat? Or shoes?"

"Why would you?" Demyx answered easily. "It's not like you're one of us."

"Yeah," Riku shot back, stung for reasons he couldn't explain, "I have a heart."

"Yep," Demyx nodded. "C'mon."

Riku tried to keep track of the hallways- tried to make some order out of the layout... and realized the only thing he actually knew was how to get back to the lab. He couldn't think of a reason to go back there and everything looked exactly the same.

"So I've... never met anyone here," Riku waved a hand around the castle. "Vexen didn't fill me in on much- we were kinda busy when I was... constructed. What's everyone like?" He didn't know if that was true... it was probably true. The Replica hadn't existed before he fought Vexen- and... it made sense. He had to be careful of what he said here- keep it simple so it would be easier to remember and repeat himself later.

"Ooh," Demyx grinned. "Yeah- first time here. Okay, from the top- there's the Superior, he's usually around somewhere, mostly upstairs, looking at Kingdom Hearts."

"...He looks at a door?" Riku muttered.

Demyx blinked. "Uh... no. It's a moon. Big as anything- I'll show you when we pass a window. Anyway- Xigbar you met, he's around somewhere. Xaldin's off on a mission. Vexen's dead, you knew that."

Riku gave him a sidelong glance. Demyx was utterly unconcerned about it. His voice dipped slightly... maybe in respect, maybe out of some sense of propriety, but he didn't care. Well, why would Demyx? Riku had heard at least five times that Nobodies didn't have hearts. Why did it shock him when they did something that reminded him of the fact?

"Lexaeus is dead, Zexion is dead, Saix is around here somewhere- he mostly does stuff for the Superior. Axel's around somewhere- be nice to see a familiar face, right?" He grinned at Riku.

Riku mentally blinked, smiled.

Shit. Someone else had survived from Castle Oblivion.

"Then there's me, then Luxord, he's around. Marluxia's dead, Larxene is dead, Roxas is off on some mission. That's the Organization, but we used to have Naminé too. You don't know what happened to her, huh?"

Riku pretended to think about it, shook his head. "No... not really. I looked for her before the castle fell," he grimaced, pretended worry. "I don't know where she is now."

Which wasn't exactly true. He'd spoken with Naminé before she had left the castle- she'd had something to do. Riku couldn't remember what. Another part of his missing memories. He didn't know where she was now- but he knew she'd gotten out of the castle just fine.

Demyx sighed, shrugged, and turned to the next door that came to hand, shoving it open.

They walked into a kitchen.

There were two Nobodies sitting at the table, both heads leaning downward. One, with whiter blond hair than Demyx, was sprawled carelessly in his chair and engrossed in a set of playing cards. The redhead was toying with a butter knife- resting the blade tip on the table, he twisted it from side to side, watching as it reflected the light. His gaze flicked towards them briefly, dropped to the knife again, then back up. He didn't move his head, only his eyes, which narrowed. A smirk cut across his face and widened.

"Demyx and our little doppelganger," the blond said, staring at two cards he'd just drawn from the deck.

"There's Axel and Luxord," Demyx didn't bother pointing, thinking, and rightfully so, that Riku would be able to figure it out. He'd never seen Axel, but given the reactions he could guess which Nobody was which. "Guys, this is the Replica."

"Yeah," Axel drawled, head still tilted downward, gaze slanting upward, "we've met."

"Hardly a fitting name," Luxord mused, drawing another card from his deck, ignoring Axel, "he is somewhat more than that."

Riku felt a chill, shoved it down and tossed a grin in Luxord's direction. "Thanks."

Luxord nodded and continued his card game.

Riku felt eyes on him as he followed Demyx to the icebox. He suspected they were green.

"This stuff is a little weird sometimes, but always edible. The Dusks keep us stocked with food. You can ask them for something specific, but they won't always understand what you want."

Okay. He reached for a bottle of what appeared to be milk and recognized a wedge of what appeared to be Traverse Town pepperoni cheese. There were loaves of bread in a box on the counter, plates in a cabinet and fruit near the bread box. Riku made himself a plate and reached for a piece of fruit... hand hovering over the bowl. There was nothing he recognized. Demyx, standing nearby, took a bite out of some odd violet fruit which squished in an appetizing manner.

"This is a purp," he said with his mouth full. "Montressor fruit- very good stuff."

"And the last one," Axel smirked.

Demyx looked at Riku, looked at the fruit in his hand, then poked about in the bowl. "How 'bout a pomegranate?"

Riku took a green apple from the bowl and smiled briefly. Then, because he had no reason not to- and he had no idea where else he could go- Riku took his plate to the table and sat down. Demyx took a seat next to him and propped his feet up in another chair. Not counting Demyx' second chair, there were eight empty seats. Six on one side, six on the other, one at the head.

Axel stared at Riku, smiling slightly.

He felt ill. Choking down the food regardless, he tried to think. What did he know about Castle Oblivion? What did he know about his Replica's time there? He knew the names of the ones who'd died, he knew which of them he'd killed- other than his Replica popping up to bitch at him every now and again, he'd had to deal with Ansem, not the Organization.

Shit.

Okay. Think, don't freak out, Riku told himself. There were other Nobodies there, and someone else took care of them. The hole in his memory again. He couldn't come up with a name- or a mental image. It was connected with Naminé, he knew- and it was an unfortunate side-effect of... something.

Suddenly he wished he'd spoken more with Naminé before they'd parted ways. He hadn't wanted information about his Replica or anything else going on in the castle. Now he paid the price for willful ignorance. He tried to line up the pieces into a semi-comprehensive whole but the gaps were huge, maybe too wide to jump over, and they worried him. The holes in his memory might be useful. He could very truthfully say he couldn't remember everything that went on in Castle Oblivion. He recalled that Naminé had held some power over memory- she'd offered to lock his away for him, to seal Ansem deep inside his heart.

It might work.

"Fancy a game?"

He was already playing one.

Riku paused in the act of lifting an apple slice and looked up. Luxord was staring at him now, the deck of cards in his hand.

"If you say 'strip poker'," Riku warned, "I'll scream."

***

They played Gin Rummy and Luxord always won.

Axel and Demyx seemed to expect this, but groused in an idle fashion as the blond won hand after hand, after hand, and Riku was very, very glad they weren't betting anything. He played as best as he could, but the game was unfamiliar, and his instincts of what to throw away and what to keep were rudimentary at best.

They didn't bet, but they did keep score. Axel had moved around the table at some point, sitting next to Riku and offering advice, which Riku didn't particularly want. He was less than thrilled about Axel's habit of whispering into his ear.

Riku tried, at first, to Go Gin by collecting three sets of three cards- nine total, and discarding the last, using as many as he could.

Luxord did this more often, and he did it faster.

"You gotta sacrifice something," Axel murmured.

So Riku did. He laid down three Jacks and the three, four and five of hearts. The Deadwood was an ace, a two, and the four of spades. Luxord smirked and laid down six through nine upon Riku's run and four queens. His deadwood was an ace and a three. He hadn't been the first to lay down cards, but he still got points and he was still in the lead.

"Great advice," Riku muttered.

Axel smirked. "Kid, you never heard our titles. Luxord," he pointed, "is 'the Gambler of Fate'."

Riku looked at his opponent, at the smug expression.

"It's not that it's hard to win his games- it's that you can't. He's going to beat you." Axel continued to play with the knife, reflecting little beams of light over the table. "Doesn't mean you can't get something out of it, though"

Riku felt his mind drawing back from the implication of those words. Then Demyx' chin slipped out of his hand.

He woke up an inch from the table and jerked himself backwards in the chair. "What?" he cried, looking around. "I don't know what happened to the crystals!"

Axel smirked. He did that often, as if he had to remind himself that his face should hold some form of expression.

"Time to turn in, Demyx."

"Yeah, okay," the other Nobody murmured, pulling himself out of his chair. Riku set his cards down and started to do the same, a hand shot out to grasp his shoulder and pull him back down. Riku's stomach made a home in his left shoe- no, sock. He didn't have any shoes.

"I'll show the kid to his room."

Demyx grinned wearily and didn't reply, calling up a portal and stumbling into it with barely a departing wave. Riku very much felt the staring of those left at the table, and left his cards laying.

"I think I should get to sleep too," he offered.

"How unfortunate," Luxord answered. "Just when things started to become interesting."

Axel stood up. Riku stood up and moved to the farther side of the chair, getting out from under the Nobody's hand. "It's past his bedtime," the redhead smirked. "He's only two months old, after all."

Riku decided he really, really hated that smirk.

"Then I suppose you had best ensure that he does not become lost," the gambler returned, his expression utterly neutral.

If he hadn't fought other members of the Organization, known they were powerful, Riku might not have been able to take these ones seriously. Not all of them were gay, Xigbar had said. It occurred to Riku that that didn't mean they weren't interested in guys. It just meant they weren't only interested in guys.

Axel extended a hand, then moved his arm until it gestured toward the door.

Lately, Riku hated his life.

They walked.

Riku didn't ask Axel to open a portal, Axel didn't offer. Riku tried to memorize the path from the kitchen to his room. Axel didn't say anything, which allowed him to concentrate on his surroundings. He didn't feel like mulling over what might happen once they got to his room- he wasn't sure he wanted to know how Axel knew which room he'd been assigned- he knew he wouldn't like it.

They got to a door- just like all the other doors in the place- and Axel stopped, waving a hand at it and gazing languidly at Riku.

"Thanks," and he didn't move. Neither did Axel.

Riku opened the door and stepped inside.

Axel was right on his heels.

Riku spun around, still in the doorway, and grabbed the door in his hand, keeping the Nobody just outside. He glared, Axel smirked.

"You want me talking about this in the hall? Where anyone could hear?"

Riku bit back a curse and let him in. He never turned his back to the redhead, extending his arm to press the door firmly shut. Axel continued to smirk at him and gave that same appraising look Demyx had before.

"What do you want?"

"I want a bribe, Replica," Axel said.

Riku found it kind of refreshing that he'd gotten straight to the point.

"You're infiltrating enemy territory here, Riku," and the smile that accompanied it was sharp, blades reflected in light. "The last thing you want is someone accidentally telling the boss his sheep is a wolf."

He wanted nothing more than to draw Souleater and cut the bastard into pieces. "What kind of bribe?"

"I bet you can think of something," Axel said, pacing forward, he pulled off one of his gloves and laid his fingers, then his hand, on Riku's neck. He flinched back, knocking Axel's arm away with his wrist. The Nobody grabbed that instead, wrapping his hand- not painfully- around it, pressing his fingers firmly into Riku's skin before letting up a bit.

Axel smiled, self-assured, and shifted his gaze from Riku's wrist to his eyes. "You can think it over. Or you can accept now and I'll sweeten the deal."

Riku narrowed his eyes. He thought this was about sex- but it hadn't been for Xigbar... and Demyx hadn't even tried to touch him.

"Let's be clear about what 'the deal' is, and I'll tell you whether I accept."

"You've got balls," Axel said, pointing, still smiling that heavy lidded half-grin that Riku didn't trust and grasping his other wrist in a bare, very warm, hand. "Here you're in Organization Headquarters, lying about who you are, trying to get who-knows-what kind of information-"

"I'm not trying to get information!" Riku almost-shouted, although it occurred to him now that recon wasn't a bad idea. "One of your guys picked me up in the realm of Darkness and now I can't get out of here!"

The smile faded at that. Axel frowned slightly, gave him a more intent look. "You can make portals."

"No I can't- I've tried."

"You should try again," Axel spoke as if to a child.

What the hell did he want out of this? The Nobody just stood there clutching his wrist, staring at him.

"Give me a portal out of this world and you won't have to worry about it," Riku promised.

Axel chuckled. He shook his head and- Riku jerked his hand away as those fingertips began to move in little circles on his arm. Axel crossed his arms over his chest, cocked one hip to the side.

"Won't work."

"Why not?"

There was that smile again, oddly sympathetic. "If leaving the Organization were that easy, others would have done it by now." Axel sighed, lifted a hand to his temple and scratched lightly. “But I'll forget you're the actual Riku and give you a more convincing story to tell when people ask just what you did in Castle Oblivion."

"If?" Riku bit out. He considered telling Axel to go to hell just because the Nobody was starting to piss him off, but he knew he couldn't waste the resource. The answer was probably yes- but he wanted to know what he was trading. He didn't actually have a choice. Who would the Organization believe, him or Axel? The answer was obvious.

"What’ll you give me?" Axel smiled, lazy, extended a hand again and rubbed his thumb over Riku’s neck- his pulse.

"Sex?" he gritted out. What the hell else did he have?

"If you're offering," Axel said- no, purred, pulling Riku forward with that hand.

"This isn't an offer," Riku murmured, bringing his hand up to meet Axel's chest. "This is blackmail."

"Nooooo," Axel drawled, smirking, leaning down to him, "it's blackmail if you don't get anything out of it."

"Then it's blackmail," Riku reiterated.

"Well fine, if you're gonna be negative."

Riku opened his mouth- and Axel stole his reply.

***

He felt a hand on his shoulder but didn't acknowledge it.

Kairi sat down beside him and took his hand into both of hers, tracing a finger along the lines. They'd done this as children- Kairi would play the fortune teller and read his future. Wild predictions and silly stories that they'd laugh over.

Then Kairi grandiosely and mysteriously predicted that Riku would experience a great deal of pain.

That same day he fell out of a tree and broke his arm.

They never played that game again.

She wrapped one arm around his, hugging it against her body as his hand lay over hers. Her finger stole over his palm so gently that it tickled. Riku held himself still and didn't look at her.

"You're very strong," she said.

Riku snorted. "Oh yeah?"

"Yep!" she said cheerfully. "It's in your lifeline."

"What part?"

"The part that keeps going."

***

Part Two