All That's Left [Alpha Draft] - Pt 43;

[keybearer]

Chapter 43: Hit the Deck

Needless to say, the whole crew grew speechless. Some of the sailors exchanged buggy-eyed looks. Others fumbled their swords and blasters. Though Riku opened his mouth, ready to offer a retort, a piercing stare from his Heartless friend drove him to silence. It was easy to guess where he was going with this. As a Heartless, he was the perfect scapegoat. Shadowy, menacing, dangerous… Where Riku saw a kindhearted, if troubled dork, the rest of the crew likely saw a vicious beast ready to rip their hearts out.

Oddly, Sora’s note only served to make Xigbar laugh. Rather than intervene, he opted to watch from a few yards away, while the Doctor raised a shaky finger. His lips twitched, fighting between a smile and a frown.

“My word, that Heartless just write?”

Nodding, Sora scribbled another message. ‘I’m not like the others.’

“So it seems,” said the Captain, nose wrinkled and voice dry. However, like the rest of the crew, she brandished a gun, holding it steady. Likewise, Arrow stepped between her and Riku, casting a deep shadow over the two boys, and though he held his finger on the trigger of his gun, he made no move to shoot.

“What shall we do about him, Captain?”

“What indeed…” Her ears swiveled back again, and she turned toward the rest of the crew. “Men, see to it that this beast doesn’t move another inch. Regardless of his literacy, we must not take him lightly.”

As soon as she spoke, one of the aliens dived at Sora, entangling him in its tentacle arms and pinning him up against its chest. He made no effort to struggle, save to jerk his arms free and scribble another note. All eyes remained fixed on him as he jotted his message, including those of his alien captor. While whispers carried through the crowd, however, a quick look from Xigbar left them momentarily petrified. Rather than pursue companion, they lumbered closer, forming a circle of muscle, scales, pincers and fangs.

Despite this, Sora carried on. ‘I don’t care what you do to me. Just leave Riku out of this!’

“How… strangely altruistic,” said the Doctor. “Captain, with all due respect, I don’t think we should kill this creature.” Just as her pupils started to shrink, he added, “Yes, I’m aware of the risks involved, but if we could contain him, we could very well hold the key to a scientific revolution!”

At first, she balked, giving her companion a prolonged stare. Understandable on her part. After all, even with his intelligence, Sora was still a Heartless, and with his claims, what reason did they have to trust him? And yet, threat or not, she soon turned her eyes back to the shadowy elephant in the room. Though she kept her gun ready in one hand, she brushed a spindly finger across her chin.

“True. He would make a fascinating specimen, but you’re assuming we could contain him. Unfortunately, I’m not inclined to put my trust in a creature that could easily flit through a portal into the next galaxy.”

Sora’s back arched like a cornered cat, and his cheeks puffed up. ‘If I wanted to attack, I would’ve done it by now.’

“Yet you claim responsibility for this boy’s actions,” said Arrow.

“It’s—” Riku started to say, until another look from Sora turned his body to ice.

Sora’s hand trembled as he penned his next message. ‘I drove him to open the door to his home. If it weren’t for me, Destiny Islands would still be there.’

…And in a way, it was true. Riku’s jealousy drove him to desperation. Because Kairi wanted to leave with Sora alone, even in jest. Yet Sora left those details out altogether.

And so he continued.

‘He was going to close the Door to Darkness and seal off all the worlds for good, but I lured him away.’

A sizable lump swelled in Riku’s throat, and he forcibly gulped it down. After peeking at the note, his gaze dropped to the planks below his feet. The silence stretched on. Not a single board creaked. The atmosphere thickened to nauseating levels.

Then Arrow spoke up again, his voice surprisingly gentle. “The boy did claim he was tricked…”

Cracking one eye open, Riku dared to glance Sora’s way again. When Sora merely nodded, Riku cleared his throat. At first, his tongue carried the weight of a block of lead, but after a momentary struggle, he finally remembered how to speak.

“Look, I was only fifteen when I got the Keyblade. Doesn’t that speak for itself?”

The other boy, still clutching his mop, looked up for a moment, and his eyes grew slightly wider. Or did they? By the time Riku blinked, his sullen expression had returned at full force.

From the back of the crowd came the sound of heavy thumps. The sea of creatures parted way, revealing a large, potbellied man clad in a loose, dark jacket and a pointed hat. More striking were his limbs, glinting in the starlight with a metallic sheen, while his right eye shone with a pale orange glow. A cyborg? Well, compared to the rest of the colorful crew, a few nuts and bolts weren’t too out of place.

“Aye, he’s just a wee pup! You can’t strap the weight of the worlds to his shoulders without expecting a few blunders.”

The Captain groaned, pinching her forehead. “Be that as it may, Mr. Silver, I won’t dismiss his transgressions with a mere slap on the wrist.”

“And what if more Heartless attack?” said Riku. “Wouldn’t it be easier to fend them off with a Keybearer on board?”

Many of the crewmen glowered in response. The spider-creature even snapped his claws, though he held his tongue and his position. Both Arrow and the Captain looked into each others’ eyes. The Captain’s ears flicked, and she grabbed her chin, head slightly downturned.

“Admittedly, you do have a point.” She began to lower her weapon, though as she spoke again, her voice gained a slight edge. “However, even if we do permit you to roam free, don’t think for a moment that this will be a luxury cruise. You will be expected to work. To prove your worth and strength of character. In fact…” Tucking her free hand behind her back she swiveled toward Silver. “Seeing how you so graciously defended the boy, I’ll leave him under your charge.”

Both Silver and the other boy’s eyes bulged, and a tight, crooked smile spread across Silver’s mug. “Beg pardon, cap’n, but I’ve already got me hands full with Jimbo.”

“Then you’ll simply have to adapt,” said the Captain. “And as for you, Heartless…”

Before she got another word out, Xigbar lazily lifted his hand. “How ‘bout you leave the little pipsqueak to me?”

“Oh?” Her eyes flicked forward, and her pupils rounded out. “I do hope you realize what you’re getting yourself into.”

“Heh, wouldn’t offer otherwise, cap. Thing is, me and the little guy go way back.” He even dared to ruffle Sora’s hair.

Though he briefly bared his teeth, Sora made no effort to fight back. Instead, he wilted in the alien’s grasp. Another note soon followed. ‘If you have to, you can put a bunch of guards out. I don’t care.’

“That’s awfully civil of you,” said the Doctor.

“Which is all the more reason to be cautious,” said the Captain. “Still, this is not a matter to be taken lightly. Xigbar, Mr. Turnbuckle… see to it that this shadowy abomination is constrained and confined to the brig. As for the rest of you lot, expect to become very closely acquainted with our prisoner, as you’ll all be rotating guard duty for the duration of this voyage.”

Some groans and moans broke through the crew until Arrow cut them off with his booming voice. “The Captain’s orders are absolute.”

Not a single sailor dared to raise their voices, though their faces remained locked in perpetual scowls. Soon, the circle surrounding Riku and Sora began to part, and the aliens dragged their feet back to their stations, some climbing ladders, other lumbering down stairs, and others congregating near the wheel. When Xigbar pointed the tip of his gun at Sora’s neck, Riku had to mentally restrain himself. It was fine. Sora knew what he was doing. He could take care of himself.

Yet as Sora, Xigbar, and the tentacled alien drew further and further away, the air itself solidified into ice. For several moments, he stood still, staring at the doorway as his friend vanished from view. However, the sound of the Captain clearing her throat soon shook him from his stupor.

“Oh, enough gawking. Mr. Silver?”

“Aye, cap’n.” The dull pounding of his metallic leg finally pried Riku’s eyes off the doorway, and as he spun around, Silver snorted and cracked a wide smile… before tossing a mop in his face. “Now, lad, you’d best be gettin’ a move on! I’ll be wanting this deck swabbed ‘til it sparkles like the stars.” He didn’t give Riku a chance to get a word in before tossing a bucket his way.

Though he deflated, Riku bobbed his head up and down, practically shoving the mop into the bucket and slapping it against the boards.

“Now, what’s with the sour look? You’re a lucky lad, gettin’ to roam free, eh, Jimbo?”

“Yeah. Real lucky.” The boy, Jim, moaned and continued slathering the deck with water and suds.

After looking between the two boys, the Captain whipped back around. “I’ll be checking in periodically, so I expect this boy to remain on his best behavior.”

“Not to worry, cap’n.” He tipped his hat, then swung his arm forward in a bow. “By the time I’m through with ‘im, he’ll be as prim and as proper as an upper class gent.”

The Captain took one last look over her shoulder before tucking both her hands behind her back and strolling up the stairs. With that, Riku blew a hefty sigh and resumed his swabbing duties, and for a time, neither he nor Jim uttered a word, though there were times where Jim stopped his mopping to watch Riku with a hint of a frown. Whenever Riku looked his way, he dropped his gaze back to his feet and resumed working.

Riku wasn’t sure how long it was, but eventually Jim broke the silence.

“So, you’re a Keybearer…”

Blinking, Riku loosened his grip on the mop and turned halfway around. “Well, wasn’t it obvious?”

“Okay, that giant Key’s a little hard to miss, but… wow.” He ran a hand over the top of his head. “I don’t know whether I should envy you or not.”

“Don’t.” Riku nearly growled the word, though he was quick to soften his voice. “Sorry, but as great as it might sound from a distance, heroics aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. It’d be one thing if I had to watch over one world, but look around.” He pointed to the surrounding starlight. “I’m responsible for every single one of those stars, and I’ve already let people down.”

“Yeah. I heard.” Briefly, Jim turned his back on Riku, mopping just a bit further. “But, hey. For what it’s worth, I don’t have the greatest track record, either.”

Brow raised, he couldn’t help a little laugh. “Oh boy. How bad are we talking here?”

Jim looked away again. “It’s kind of personal.”

One, two steps and he took another swipe at the deck. “Heh, well, lemme know if you want to talk about it sometime. Something tells me we’ll be here a while.”

“That you will,” said Silver, “but don’t take that as an excuse for dawdling. Now that there’s two of ya, I’ll be expectin’ twice the work.”

For some reason, Silver’s hat drifted into the air, and a little pink blob floated out, assuming his shape. “Twice the work!”

At first, Riku stared, but was it really that strange? Genie’d shape shifted plenty of times before, so he shrugged it off and said, “So, blood, sweat, and tears, huh?”

Chuckling, Silver flashed a grin. “Can’t be much tougher than defending the universe. In fact, given your muscle and your experience, I oughta expect more from you.”

“Wow, don’t do him any favors,” said Jim.

“No, it’s fine,” said Riku. “I’m the stowaway, remember?”

“That’s mighty humble of you, ah… Riku, was it?”

“Yep.” He took a broad step to the side, dragging the mop along.

“Well, do try to set a good example for Jimbo!”

x.x.x

That freaky alien practically crammed Sora into the tight, dark hallway. The walls blew by so fast, his head started spinning. A door flew wide open, and the alien flung Sora inside, sending him hurtling toward the dry wooden floor. A THUD from behind rattled the room, followed by a click. From beyond the barred window, Xigbar gazed upon him like a caged tiger ready for the kill. Ironic, since Sora was the one cooped in a dark, cramped room. Behind him, a simple cot sat against the wall, flat, thin, probably hard as a rock.

Rubbing his back, Sora pulled himself onto the bed and collapsed.

“Y’know, you’re acting way more complacent than I expected, kiddo.”

Sora rolled his eyes, shifting so that his back faced the door. You wouldn’t understand.

“Wow. Not even gonna give the old angry look? Talk about a letdown…”

Sora didn’t bother to respond. In fact, his eyelids started to slide shut against his will. Come to think of it, he had gone a while without sleep… It’d be easy to just drift off here and now. Let Ven take the reins. Hope Riku’d get to the bottom of things.

Unfortunately, Xigbar had to open his mouth again. “It’s funny, too, because you could bust outta there without breaking a sweat. With all your spells, you could knock out most of the crew, and then it’d just be you and me…”

He still refused to speak up. Yes, Xigbar had a point. Sora and Riku together had the power to overwhelm the whole ship, but the fact that Xigbar even suggested it suggested he had some kinda counterattack. What if he tried using the crew members as leverage? What if he threatened to hurt the Captain, that Doctor guy, or Jim? This wasn’t a town, a fortress, or an arena. It was a ship soaring through space. More importantly, it was made outta wood, meaning his usual fire spells risked setting the whole place ablaze.

“It’s not like you’re in any condition to fight,” Ven added. “Besides, do we really wanna take chances when he’s got gravity on his side?”

…No. In space, that was asking for disaster. Who knew what kinds of crazy stunts he could pull? Gulping, Sora squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. If they could catch Xigbar off guard, maybe they’d stand a chance. Even Nobodies had to sleep, right? Unless Nobodies were more like zombies, or he’d somehow chugged some kind of magic super coffee, but what were the odds of that?

Whatever the case, lying low offered Riku a chance to work his way back into that Captain’s favor and get a handle on the situation. Sure, he could hop through a portal and grab the others, but if he did that, what would that mean for Riku? Xigbar would probably make it out like it was Sora’s scheme all along, that he was off to grab more Heartless flunkies, or a band of pirates. Sure, they couldn’t lock up a Keybearer, and throwing him overboard wouldn’t stop him from using his Glider, but one wrong step risked shattering any chance of earning the Captain’s trust.

And if they were gonna learn about Xigbar’s plan, they needed to stay close.

He looked back at the door for a fraction of a second. Just long enough to confirm he was still looming by the bars. Even if Sora couldn’t leave, there were other options left. In fact, Sora soon grabbed his pen and paper again, pulled them close to his chest, and quietly started to write.

‘Found Riku. Stuck on giant boat. Not sure where we’re going, but Xigbar’s here.

Left space port. Talk to Ringabel.

I’m sorry I messed up.’

Tiny wisps swirled and rose from the sheet, but stretched no higher than Sora’s shoulder. With another gulp, he dropped the letter inside, silently praying that they’d find it soon.

But as the last strands of darkness parted like ash on the breeze, he formed a pillow with his arms and finally let his eyelids drop like curtains. Well, Ven… I guess it’s your turn.

Outside the door, Xigbar let out a husky laugh, but it barely registered as Sora slipped into slumber at last.

x.x.x

Under Silver’s watchful eye, the deck swabbing slipped into quiet monotony. Step, swipe, step, swipe. As Riku and Jim waltzed from bow to stern, they were met with crooked grins, leers, mocking, and jeers. Some of the crew members had gathered near the barrels spread along the very edge of the deck, whispering and murmuring to one another. One look at the lot, and Riku was met with glares fit to shatter a mirror from their sheer ugliness. However, no one dared step closer, even if the spider creature hissed and snapped his claws.

At least they were smart enough not to pick on a Keyblade wielder, and after a while, Silver escorted them down the steps and into the galley, where the boys spent a few short moments draped over one of the many short, wooden tables while a cauldron bubbled above the heat of a flickering orange fire. Metallic clicks caught Riku’s ear, and it wasn’t long before he lifted his head, watching as Silver’s fingers retracted, replaced with an array of blades. Riku couldn’t help but whistle at the sight, using one of his arms to hold up his cheek while his other hand sat flat on the tabletop.

“Man, you’re like a walking utility knife.”

Barking a laugh, Silver retracted all but one large cleaver, which he used to chop up some long, squid-like creatures before tossing them into a nearby pan. “Aye, but these gears are good for more than cuttin’.” To prove his point, he retracted the blade, shooting a burst of fire beneath the pan before dumping its contents into the cauldron.

“Well, it looks like you’ve got kitchen duty taken care of,” said Jim, pushing away from the table. He didn’t make it far, however, before Silver stepped away from the counter and scooped up a small, sharp knife.

“Not so fast, Jimbo. You’re forgettin’ that we’ve got a whole crew to feed.” Using his other hand, he scooped up an onion and tossed it straight into Jim’s clutches. “My arm may quicken the process, but I’m still just one cyborg.” Turning around, he gestured to a mountain of potatoes, then to some barrels in the corner. “And we’ve got onions to dice, potatoes to peel, perps to juice… the list goes on! Then, when everything is said and done, we’ll have to tidy up this old galley for the next meal.”

“Tch.” Jim glared down at the onion, then dragged his feet deeper into the kitchen.

Pressing his palms on the table, Riku sluggishly pushed himself away. “I’d be careful. You put me in a kitchen, and I might set the whole place on fire.” An enormous exaggeration on his part, granted, but with all his adventuring, he’d hardly learned to cook more than fire-roasted meats, sandwiches, and basic salads.

“Ha!” Silver gave him a hard pat on the back. “All the more reason to learn while you’re young. A little hands on work will set ya on the right path and pound some skills into your skulls that’ll serve ya the rest of your lives.” With his other hand, he grabbed a potato, lobbing it into Riku’s hands. “And it all starts with something as simple as a measly spud.”

A look of dread overtook Jim’s face as he eyeballed the rest of the pile. “And I take it we have to do the whole pile by ourselves.”

“Aye! You’re a sharp one.” Again, his fingers retracted, replaced with tiny tongs, which he used to scoop up four pale, spotted eggs.

“Well, guess there’s a first time for everything,” said Riku. He took the small knife as Silver passed it along and licked his lips as he brought the blade to the potato skin.

“Over here, Jimbo!” Stepping aside, Silver gestured to a clean cutting board. “Do be careful, now. Wouldn’t want ya nicking one of your fingers!”

“I think I can handle it.” He didn’t even meet Silver’s eye as he started chopping away.

Squinting, Riku continued his attempts at shaving the potato skin. As he worked, however, a nagging question began gnawing at his mind. “So, Silver… How’d you get to know Xigbar?”

Initially, the only sounds that followed where the shing of blades slicing and the sizzling of the pots. Silver kept his eyes on the counter, not even sparing Riku a glance. “When you roam these parts of the galaxy, you meet your share of strange folks, especially with the state of the worlds bein’ what it is.”

“But that doesn’t explain why he’s here.” Pausing, Riku sliced off another chunk of the potato skin, then nudged it into a steadily growing pile. “What’d he do? Promise you power beyond your wildest dreams? His group’s pretty big on manipulation, so you need to—”

THUNK.

After successfully beheading an eel-like creature, Silver gazed over his shoulder, lips pursed and robot eye shimmering. “Whoa, now. That’s a pretty steep accusation, especially on account of you stowin’ away.” Another slice, and he added, “Come to think of it, why’d you sneak on board in the first place?”

“Because I couldn’t let Xigbar escape.”

As he sliced another part of the onion, Jim winced. Pausing in his work, he turned to the others. “Is he really that big of a deal?”

“Yes.” He placed as much emphasis as he could muster on that syllable, giving it enough weight to smash a hole through the floor. “I’ll be blunt. His group leveled an entire city just to send a message, and now it’s nothing but a smoking ruin.”

There was a soft clink, as Jim’s knife hit the cutting board. “You’re kidding.”

Riku’s head dipped down, while his bangs cast shadows above his eyes. “Look, I’ve watched two worlds literally fall apart, including my home. I spend every day risking my life, dealing with Heartless, villains, and the results of my own screw-ups…” He sliced off another piece of potato skin, albeit with more force than before. “Point is, I wouldn’t lie about something like this.”

“Geez. And you got started at fifteen?”

“Yeah, but honestly, I think I’m the lucky one. Sora…” Hesitating, he leaned back against the edge of the table. “He used to be a normal kid, just like us. Always smiling, laughing, goofing off. Before the Heartless came, he was so carefree…”

For a few moments, Jim merely resumed cutting the onions. “Yeah, well, Heartless tend to have that effect on people.” He practically shoved the knife through the next piece of onion.

Had Riku struck a nerve? It wouldn’t surprise him if so. “I take it you know from experience…”

No response. Instead, Jim continued to slice, while Silver stirred the pot and poured more spices in.

“I can’t say there’s anyone on this ship who hasn’t had their share a Heartless troubles. Even setting off on this voyage means putting our hearts on the line.”

“But what are you trying to do?” said Riku. Maybe knowing would shed light on Xigbar’s motives. At the very least, it was a start.

“It’s a treasure hunt.” Jim’s eyes lingered on Riku for a few seconds, but he ultimately resumed his work. Upon finishing the first onion, Silver tossed him another.

“But why go so far into space?” Charting the seas was one thing, but an entire galaxy? Maybe even the universe?

Shaking more spices over the cauldron, Silver chuckled. “Anything less, and it would’ve already been found.”

Which explained absolutely nothing. Why join a treasure hunt? Was it some magical artifact that’d benefit the Organization? Was it just for the thrills? Even with the Organization’s recent attempts to turn people to the dark, they seemed to have bigger motives at play. Wasn’t this a bit of a downgrade?

“Well, what I said about Xigbar still stands. Whatever you think of me and Sora, can you at least promise to watch your backs?”

“I’ll keep an eye on ‘im,” said Silver. “But in return, you’ve got to promise you won’t be picking any fights.”

“Hey, I’m already on thin ice. No way am I gonna make things worse.”

x.x.x

After a while, Xigbar left the brig behind. For the past few hours, the kid had stayed curled up on his cot. He’d barely even budged an inch. Where was the fire he knew Sora had? This was the same kid who kept sneaking into the Organization’s castle. The same pipsqueak who managed to cling to his consciousness even as a Heartless. And to top it all off, he carried the heart of a Keyblade wielder. That same kiddo who tried to act like a full-fledged Keybearer back in the day, right down to the death glare.

It was funny, because if it weren’t for his mission, he could’ve bagged the kid and dragged him straight back to Xemnas’ doorstep. It was what he’d wanted: a good, close look at the Heartless wonder. The reasons weren’t completely clear. Was it Ventus’ heart? Was it the fact that Sora was a self-aware Heartless? Was it retribution for his repeated infiltration? Xemnas had always been pretty tight-lipped, but lately…

Well, not like either one of those kids had done anything to endanger his mission. With Sora and Ventus sticking to their cell and Riku under Silver’s watch, the status quo remained mostly the same. Whistling a tune, Xigbar marched through the hall with a spring in his step. Truth was, he hadn’t expected this exact outcome. A fight would’ve at least helped shake things up, but those kids just had to stick to the straight and narrow.

Luckily, by the time Xigbar parked himself at one of the galley’s many tables, Riku and that Jim kid were nowhere to be seen. Instead, he sat in the middle of a pack of smelly, brawny, snarling, dribbling freak shows. A disembodied head with tentacle hair sitting on a headless torso with its face glued to his chest, an eel-like weirdo with his eyes in his mouth, not to mention the spindly, snarling spider. It was like he’d waltzed into the middle of a circus act, minus the screaming crowds and glaring lights.

Whispers and grunts and growls carried through the room.

“I can’t believe there’s a Keybearer on board!”

“We shoulda thrown ‘im overboard!”

“Naw, we shoulda hung ‘im from the crow’s nest!”

Light tapping carried across the floor, and before Xigbar knew it, a giant pincer snapped in his face. He didn’t even bat an eye as Mr. Scroop hissed in his face, though the putrid stench of his bad breath threatened to make his lunch come pouring out.

“Do you realize what this means?”

“Heh. What’s the matter, webby? You scared of a couple a kids?”

Scroop’s claws twitched, and he thrust his arm at Xigbar’s neck. However, instead of touching flesh, it passed through a twist of black smoke. Flickering behind Scroop, Xigbar gave him a tap on the shoulder.

“Scroop, pal, if you’re gonna pull off this mutiny, you might wanna work on your subtlety. And that goes for the rest of you! I mean, come on. With the way you guys keep huddling around each other, even a brain dead monkey would start to wonder what your deal is.”

Many of the aliens bristled. Others growled, groaned, and shouted in protest, but while their reactions amplified Xigbar’s already enormous smirk, a red light pierced through the darkness, making them all shrink back in an instant.

“The situation’s changed.” Silver spoke in a low rumble, offering his men a chilling scowl. “It’d be one thing if it were just the lad, but these Keyblade wielders aren’t to be taken lightly.”

“Which is why we should eliminate the problem,” said Scroop. “We can’t have that boy sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.”

“Duh, but why do you think I framed him in the first place?” said Xigbar. “Look at it this way. At least now he’s got the cap and her flunky against him. This ain’t like the other worlds he’s visited. Here, he’s just a glorified prisoner, and a even magic Key won’t solve his problems.”

Sure, that didn’t stop him from snooping, and it sure as heck wouldn’t stop him from getting to the map, assuming they had it, but if that’s what it came to, then hey. That meant potentially snagging that shiny little sphere even earlier than planned. With the sigil in place, they’d know from the start.

“Aye, and since the lad’s in my care, I’ll keep workin’ him ‘til he can barely stand, and the same goes for Jimbo.” He held his hands behind his back, taking two big steps forward. “But you’d all best be keeping your traps shut and your heads low. The boy already suspects Xigbar, and there’s nothing stopping that Heartless from grabbing reinforcements.”

“Nothing except his own morals, anyway,” said Xigbar. “Far as I can tell, the kiddo’s serious about sticking around, but I’ll see about upping security a bit.” With just a snap of his fingers, a Sniper Nobody dropped from the ceiling, cocking its crossbow and staring blankly into Xigbar’s eye. “And if anything goes wrong, I’ve got a neat little trick just for him.”

After all, he was a Heartless. Free will or not, Ventus’ heart or not, there were some things you just couldn’t change.

TO BE CONTINUED