Kingdom Hearts fic: Potentials - Chapter 5

[mistressofmuses]

In chapter 5: Radiance, Keyblade, and Corridor get a little more information (and some new costumes) prior to the event.

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The following is from the cached version of a blog post by a blogger known as “SoundofLight”. The original has been deleted.

The Script Theory: Part 1

Continuing on my seemingly neverending posts trying to explain the fandom and history that surrounds our favorite Defenders of the Light team, I want to talk about one of the more controversial theories that is sometimes discussed. There are some subcategories to it, and some people say it verges way too far into true “conspiracy theory” rather than fact. But it comes up over and over, and if you spend enough time on forums and chat groups, you’ll probably encounter it.

This is broadly referred to as “The Script Theory.”

DISCLAIMER: I’m not saying whether I believe in this or not. I’m just trying to explain what it is, all right?

“The Script Theory” states that the Defenders of the Light (and other such organizations nationally and even globally) have much greater control over good vs. evil conflict than any of us know.

It’s relatively well known that the Defenders of the Light do control certain aspects of their Heroes’ public personae, and that they do so in part to increase revenue.

And the Defenders of the Light don’t pretend there’s no interest in profit: There are the obvious PSAs the company produces, of course, and themed shows, and exhibition fights. There are the official compilation videos (featuring exclusive Defenders of the Light proprietary footage, naturally!) chronicling highlights for certain Heroes, locations, and time periods. Costume variants almost always come with waves of officially licensed merchandise.

Marketability guides many of the decisions made about the Heroes and what they do. It’s not a guarded secret that Heroes sign codes of conduct to keep themselves “family-friendly” and portray the organization as a whole in a positive light. After all, the Defenders of the Light invest time and training into the Heroes they employ, and they need to make sure those Heroes live up to the “brand” that they’ve established.

“The Script Theory” goes far beyond. It states that everything is under the Defenders of the Light’s/other organization’s control. That the minutiae of rivalries and alliances and hinted romances are all orchestrated with a calculating eye toward fan reactions. In more extreme versions, it states that the Heroes and the Villains are often working from the same script (hence the name of the theory), and the wins and losses are all according to a grand plan.

It sounds completely far-fetched! But there is a seed of plausibility. After all, the advent of superhuman abilities, and then the formation of teams of Heroes (replacing the earlier groups that were more often maligned as “Vigilantes”) created a type of semi-public figure never before seen. Superheroes and their larger-than-life abilities paired with often-humble origins became a blend of extreme celebrity, reality television subject, and social media star. At the same time, their devotion to protecting the world, and battles against equally outrageous supervillains made them essentially a real-live action franchise, with new installments coming out in real time.

And what company could look at that potential and not decide to capitalize on it to the most thorough degree possible?

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Kairi had no opportunity to speak to Riku the following morning. She’d planned on going to see him, or at the very least calling him as soon as she woke up, but she slept through her alarms. She hadn’t done that in years. Honestly, she felt hungover, which seemed terribly unfair considering how little she’d had to drink.

Her official phone showed three missed calls from Headquarters, and she winced at the realization she could incur some sort of penalty for that. Hopefully they’d be forgiving. She could at least be thankful she hadn’t been scheduled to patrol.

There was one voicemail, a clipped message telling her she had a mandatory meeting, and she needed to report to Xehanort’s office at 1:00. And it was now… 12:36. Crap.

A meeting with Xehanort, mere days after he’d made it clear they were not currently in his good graces, was enough to worry about. Being late and at anything less than her best was not an option.

As she was rushing to find a clean costume—she’d foolishly fallen asleep in her formal costume, but couldn’t wear that even if it hadn’t been rumpled—her text alert sounded.

“Where are you??” Keyblade asked.

“Overslept” she texted back.

“We’ll come get you, 5 min.”

She sighed with relief, and kept rummaging for a presentable costume. She found one that at the very least didn’t have any tears or obvious stains. Headquarters did give them surprisingly resilient costumes. After that, she forced a brush through her hair, and rushed through applying the barest minimum of makeup that would still read as ‘presentable.’

One of the usually invisible skills being a Hero had taught Kairi was how to get ready in moments. She could change into costume at a speed stage actors would envy, and apply most of her makeup without more than a glance in a mirror.

Their timing was perfect as always, and one of Corridor’s dark doorways opened at the edge of her room just as she put on her domino mask, settling it into place with skin-safe adhesive.

Corridor and Keyblade both stepped through. Radiance grabbed her bag and rushed to meet them. She leaned up to kiss each of them on the cheek, and they stepped back into the dark.

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With Corridor’s help, all three of them were on time for the requested meeting. Early, even: the door to Xehanort’s office was closed, murmuring voices on the other side of the door just barely audible.

Radiance was grateful for a chance to catch her breath before the meeting. She felt better than when she’d gotten up, but barely. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too obvious.

“Are you feeling alright?” Keyblade asked.

She winced. So much for that. “Just tired, I think. I completely slept through my alarms, and felt really off when I finally woke up.” Turning to Corridor she added, “Thank you so much for picking me up; there’s no way I could have been here in time.”

“Any time. I hope you aren’t getting sick.” Corridor pulled off one of the fingerless gloves that were a part of his costume, and felt her forehead.

“No fever.” She flashed a smile. “I’m sure it’s nothing, and I’ll be just fine.”

Corridor went from feeling her forehead to quickly helping to touch up her makeup from her rush job, blending blush a bit more, making sure her eyeliner was straight behind the mask. “Keyblade said the same thing this morning, that he felt ‘off.’”

“Maybe we just had too much punch at the event last night,” Keyblade said, though Radiance knew that wasn’t it. “I’m sure it’ll pass.”

“Oh!” Radiance exclaimed. “The event! Corridor, did Keyblade fill you in? I was going to this morning, and then, well…”

Corridor gave her a crooked smile. “Yeah, he told me. Parallel dimension, ooh, scary. Though at least it explains the whatever-creatures.”

“I wonder—” Keyblade started, but then the door to the office opened, and Nymph, Thorn, and Stalwart stepped out.

The floral scent that always accompanied Thorn was briefly overpowering, but the three older Heroes walked past with barely a glance at the three who were waiting. Stalwart offered a brief nod, typical enough for him, but the other two didn’t even acknowledge them. Also typical, Radiance supposed.

“Come in, please, all three of you,” Xehanort called from inside the room. “And close the door behind you.”

This was not the conference room he’d met them in just a couple days before; this was his private office, as spacious and well-appointed as befitted the head of the Defenders of the Light. Radiance had been there before, though not any time recently.

Xehanort gestured for the three to sit down in chairs pulled up in front of his desk.

“While all of you may receive additional information as needed, this preliminary meeting is to update you on everything we know about the current situation. I assume Corridor has been brought up to speed after missing the announcement last night?”

She noticed the subtle emphasis on ‘missing,’ as if it had been his choice, but she couldn’t say anything. Corridor nodded tightly, and Xehanort continued with almost no pause.

“As stated, we’ve detected an alternate universe converging on our own. This is the source of the monsters you and other Heroes have encountered lately. Our researchers have taken to calling the creatures Nobodies, since they, well, leave no bodies. While we have done our best to quell any concerns among the public, there is a genuine threat that the Defenders of the Light must be prepared for.”

Keyblade nodded earnestly, and Radiance caught herself leaning forward as well.

Xehanort handed each of them a sealed manila envelope. “These are hard copies of our current information about these creatures and the dimension they originated from. Feel free to examine it at your leisure; we always support additional analysis that could prove revealing. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that there will be severe penalties if the information you’ve been given is shared.”

All three nodded.

“The largest concern at the moment is that we anticipate there are stronger, more dangerous creatures in this dimension as well.”

“Sentient?” Corridor asked.

That was the real question, wasn’t it? Because the Heartless came in plenty of varieties, and most of them could be dangerous under the wrong circumstances. But they generally weren’t fully sentient. They were driven by instinct, and had the intelligence necessary to fight, hunt, and protect themselves, but no more. But when they’d taken on human forms, and retained that human ability to think, to plan… that was when they became truly dangerous. They’d almost lost Corridor to it. Hell, the scar over Keyblade’s heart showed they’d nearly lost him, too.

Xehanort nodded. “Quite possibly. I understand how this may be of additional… interest to you, Radiance.”

Her heart leaped in her chest. Of course there’d be speculation, with her being classed nominally as a ‘dimensional’ Hero. They’d never found out where she’d come from.

Xehanort’s voice took on the calming, almost paternal tone that he’d used the night before to calm the journalists as he said, “There’s no reason to suspect any direct connection. But contact of this magnitude with an alternate dimension is quite obviously rare. We may assign you to a few additional therapy sessions, just in case the proximity of this new universe helps prompt recollection of your own.”

Radiance nodded. Extra sessions she could deal with.

Keyblade glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He always knew when something made her uncomfortable. He switched the topic. “Have there been encounters yet?”

“Not yet, but considering the rate of increase we’ve seen for these ‘Nobodies,’ we anticipate that contact could happen soon.” Xehanort glanced between the three of them. When none of them broke in with further questions, he smiled, like he was announcing a new holiday.

“Now, since this seems set to become one of the most significant events we’ve faced, all three of you will be fit for new costumes. We want the public to be assured that the Defenders of the Light are ready to take on this new threat. It’s quite possibly the start of a new era in what our Heroes are called to do, and our readiness should be obvious from the first glance.

“Keyblade, Radiance. The two of you are dismissed. Please report to costuming for final tailoring. Then report to the arena for a training session. This is an opportunity to show how seriously we are taking this, as well as to get used to your new costumes; there should be reporters on site. Corridor, stay here a moment. I have something additional to discuss with you before you join them.”

Their dismissal was firm enough that Radiance and Keyblade couldn’t even try to loiter outside the office to wait for Corridor. They settled for walking toward the costuming department as slowly as possible while not being obvious about it. Radiance was fairly sure they were thinking the same thing, even though they couldn’t risk saying it. But for her at least, she was suddenly very worried that Corridor was getting confirmation of the thing he’d been most afraid of. That somehow he was going to be scripted to betray them.

“Maybe Xehanort is just making sure he’s caught up on everything from last night?” Keyblade stretched, the casual gesture exaggerated.

“Yeah, maybe.” She nodded, wishing she believed it. She’d been the one saying they needed to give the Defenders of the Light the benefit of the doubt, right? Or at least that it was overreacting to assume the worst.

Anxiety wasn’t going to help. Corridor would let them know, and as they’d already decided, they’d deal with whatever happened however they had to.

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Radiance hadn’t visited costuming for a good six months before her middle-of-the-night remeasure, so being back so soon felt strange. At the very least, they’d been right about why that appointment had been requested so suddenly. She and Keyblade were hustled into different rooms again.

The same woman as before ushered her behind a dressing screen and handed her the new costume. “They keep you on hours as unpredictable as ours, don’t they?” Radiance asked as she changed. It seemed terribly awkward to stay silent.

“Have to be awake when the Heroes are,” the woman replied.

Radiance took a quick look in the full-length mirror behind the screen. The new costume was similar to her old one, following the same tried-and-true superhero standards. It had to be tight but not restrictive, allowing the best range of motion while still being flattering.

There was a faux-corset at the top, but the reinforced panels were more for protection than shape, meant to be skin-tight, but not any tighter. Draped fabric at the hips gave the illusion of a mid-thigh-length skirt and more feminine cut, without risking tangling her legs. It also concealed small pockets in the tight-fitting leggings.

The color scheme was the same, white at the top, with the ‘skirt’ fading through the gold-pink-purple shades of a sunset. The accents were sparkling gold. Her mask was still white with gold edging, but now one side had gold spikes fanning out like a sunburst. The low-heeled calf-high boots were also white with gold trim.

She liked it, which was good.

The costumer had done a good job when it came to measuring it the first time, because there was very little to alter.

“Do I get a weapon this time?” she asked, flashing a bright smile.

The woman gave her a flat look in the mirror.

“Worth a try,” Radiance said.

Once she’d finished, Radiance thanked the woman, then waited in the hall for Keyblade. He joined her before too long.

The new version of his costume played up the ‘fantasy knight’ aspect of his persona. Dark grays and blacks were more prominent this time, and combined with the reinforced panels (not made to look like a corset for him) and side buckles, it looked almost like armor. Deliberate accents of color drew the eye along specific lines, strengthening the impression. A short-sleeved half-jacket edged in red and gold provided a splash of the vivid primary colors usually associated with Keyblade. He also had arm and shin guards that matched the jacket.

She flashed him a quick thumbs up and a grin, and he returned the gesture. There was no way to tell if Corridor had been whisked away into his own costuming room yet or not, and they still couldn’t loiter, since they’d been given somewhere else to be.

Most of the time, the Heroes were allowed to train alone, in whatever manner they preferred. There was an understanding that every Hero had a training regimen—the job was too physically demanding and image-based for them not to—but the organization saw no need to dictate specifics.

However, the Headquarters building did include both an arena and a fully equipped gym for any of the Heroes to use. The arena itself could be customized to any number of specifications: obstacle courses, team-ups, exhibition fights, superpowered sporting competitions, and more. Even Heroes who mostly chose to do their training elsewhere were “encouraged” to at least periodically make appearances at the official facilities. The fact that it was one of the few areas easily accessible to the press may or may not have been incidental.

“What do you think they want us to do?” Keyblade asked, voice low enough there was a chance ambient microphones might fail to pick it up.

“Probably just general training.” Radiance shrugged. “Let everyone see our new costumes, let us each do some flashy moves, the usual.”

They had been told to report to the arena rather than the gym, which made sense if it was going to be for the benefit of the media. Both were accessible, but the arena had viewing windows placed high along the walls, rather than the ground-level sidelines of the gym.

Keyblade opened the door to what was jokingly called “the green room” and gave an exaggerated half-bow to let Radiance go ahead of him.

The green room didn’t offer much beyond a place for Heroes to compose themselves. There were a couple small lockers, which they used now for the folders they’d received at the meeting. But the space wasn’t designed to serve as a dressing room or the like—any Hero in the Headquarters building would already be in costume. It was a last chance to take a breath and get ready before being on public view.

Radiance took advantage of it by running through her usual routine of stretches and warm-ups. They could be made acrobatic and showy enough for the media to see, but if anyone was already there to see them? Best not to keep them waiting once the Heroes arrived.

Keyblade ran through his own quick warm up, summoning and dismissing his weapon from various positions. Neither of them quite broke a sweat—deliberate, of course, as that would be no way to debut their new looks—but they synced their preparations to each other, and faced the door together, ready to go.

It was like the path from the locker room to the field at a sports stadium, a smooth-walled tunnel letting them into public view. With nothing more than “training exercise” to go on, Radiance wasn’t certain what to expect. Obstacle course? That could be good, giving them a chance to feel any differences in their new costumes. Sparring? Less likely, since it didn’t test well when it wasn’t planned in advance. (For how popular ‘who would win in a fight’ discussions were on fansites, no one was satisfied with the results of sparring matches. It always led to excuses about how it would be different if they could go truly all-out.)

Radiance heard the metallic noise of the Keyblade reappearing, and they stepped into the brightness of the arena. She tried to assess everything at once as her eyes adjusted. No other Heroes currently in the arena, and just the usual assortment of blocks and ramps providing varied ‘terrain’ and cover.

The hit came from the side, before she’d even seen the creature, slamming into her shoulder with potentially bone-breaking force. She stifled a cry as she turned the hit into a roll instead of a fall, absorbing and redirecting as much of the energy as she could.

It was one of the white monsters, and the damn thing must have been just waiting by the entrance for them. Radiance gave herself just enough of an extra push to land back on her feet, darting a quick glance toward Keyblade, before she was dodging another strike from the ambushing creature. What had Xehanort said they were called? Nobodies.

The Nobody’s deceptively gentle, fluid motion still felt strange to guard and defend against, but she’d just been reminded how hard they could hit.

Running away, yes. What a wonderful introduction to your new role on the hyper-competent team. The thought was bitter enough she could taste it.

She’d been all in favor of giving their employers the benefit of the doubt. But there was no way that—yes, she confirmed with a quick glance—three of these things had just mysteriously appeared inside Headquarters. If this had been a surprise incursion, the whole facility would be in lockdown, steel shutters blocking off every window and door except for the emergency exit through the basement.

No, this had been planned, and the fact that they were sent in here with no warning or chance to prepare had been part of that plan.

Her adrenaline surged along with her frustration. Of course they could handle the Nobodies, they’d been fighting them on patrol all week. That didn’t change the fact that they deserved some kind of warning, especially if this was for an audience.

Radiance sent a shower of bright sparks one way as she dodged the other, ducking around one of the obstacle blocks. Her light didn’t hurt the Nobodies, at least not that she could tell, but she could still use it as a decoy. Despite a lack of visible eyes, the creature did hesitate, drifting a little in midair back and forth, like it had to decide which way to go.

Radiance pressed her back against the padded block, and spared a moment of attention to find Keyblade. He had two of the things focused on him, but was holding his own. At least his weapon worked on them. Radiance looked back to her immediate opponent. It was still drifting in a holding pattern.

If her powers couldn’t harm it, physical altercation it was. Not for the first time, she wished Marketing had decided using a knife would be an appropriate addition to her skillset. Apparently that had come across as “too aggressive” to test audiences. She hadn’t expected costuming to give her one when she’d asked, it wasn’t really their call, but she also hadn’t really been joking.

Radiance waited for the best opening she could, breaking cover to get behind the Nobody, if there really was a front or a back to the creatures. She turned the forward rush into a tumbling pass, a move that did test well, and also made her a smaller, less predictable target.

On her second forward roll, the new radiating spikes on her mask very nearly caught on the ground. That would have to be adjusted for, if she didn’t want a neck injury or to lose the mask. People were willing—mostly—to allow the mask to provide the polite fiction that her identity was a true secret. Losing it mid-fight would remove even that shred of pretending.

At least the move had paid off, and she’d made it behind the thing without it immediately attacking. That wouldn’t last long, but the chance to land a hit or two was better than nothing. She closed the remaining distance between her and the Nobody and delivered a punch followed by a kick, gratifyingly knocking it back a couple feet while she darted away again.

Without her powers being effective, and without a physical weapon, this would take forever. Her best bet was probably just distracting it until Keyblade had a free moment to finish it off. Not her favorite look, especially in a surprise exhibition fight where she was supposed to be at her best. But sometimes it couldn’t be helped. Knowing when to rely on a teammate was a skill as well.

She ducked behind another block of their ‘terrain,’ trying to break line of sight for her opponent. Looking over at Keyblade, almost at the other end of the arena, she saw he was still engaged with both of his Nobodies, though at least one looked injured, hitching a little in its motions. She’d have to keep hers busy for a while longer.

She was about to jump back out, to try and get a couple more strikes in, when she was hit by a familiar vertigo-drop in her stomach. It was familiar enough not to send her to her knees, and as soon as the wave passed, she looked near-frantically for the source.

And there was Corridor, dramatic entrance as easily performed as ever. He’d been given his own costume upgrade, still all-black and well-fitted, calling to mind the attire of a fantasy cat burglar or outlaw. He had close-cut black pants and shirt, with a tight jacket that flared slightly at the waist, all out of monochrome black fabric so matte it seemed to absorb the light. Fingerless gloves, heavy boots, and a plain black mask completed the costume.

Corridor immediately lashed out with his long knife, cutting down the injured Nobody and evening their playing field.

Except as soon as the weakened Nobody went down, disappearing into wisps of nothing, a Shadow Heartless bubbled up from the shade of one of the obstacles.

“Welcome to the show!” Radiance chirped, darting back into view and running closer. “I’ll trade you!”

“Any time,” Corridor answered with a feral grin, waving his hand in a gesture they used to signal agreement.

Radiance ran past him for the Heartless, while Corridor drew his knife and closed with the Nobody that had been pursuing her.

A snap of her fingers and a sharp gesture sent orbs of light spiraling out and then back inward around the Heartless. The light burned away at the Shadow, withering it to nothing by the time the lights converged at their midpoint.

Keyblade had taken care of his remaining Nobody, and this one wasn’t replaced with anything new. Corridor slashed at the one that had been after Radiance, and Keyblade threw his weapon at it in a flashy move that delivered the final blow.

Radiance stood at the ready, in case anything new intended to join the battle, but nothing did. The three Heroes relaxed their stances at the same moment, prompting applause from the viewing gallery. That confirmed the fight was over; during action of any kind, no sound was transmitted from that room to the arena.

But of course their performance had been for an audience, and now it was time to be interviewed about it. She pushed her frustration away, ready to portray total confidence to the waiting media. It was possible that was going to be the greater challenge.

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