Kingdom Hearts fic: Potentials - Chapter 9

[mistressofmuses]

In chapter 9: A fight against the Organization takes an unpleasant turn.

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Confidential memo sent internally to members of the Defenders of the Light:

Confidential, not for distribution

To our devoted Heroes:

This report is to give you the information we currently know about the Organization, from research conducted internally and based on reports from our Heroes. We will continue updating as we learn more. Please keep in mind this is for your knowledge and protection only, and this information is not to be shared externally.

Here is a list of known Organization members and their abilities. Any members whose abilities are unknown are a top priority to gather information on:
Axel - elemental fire
Demyx - elemental water
Larxene - elemental lightning
Lexaeus - enhanced strength
Luxord - unknown
Marluxia - elemental plant control
Naminé - unknown
Roxas - artifact “keyblade”
Saix - unknown
Vexen - elemental ice - PRESUMED DECEASED
Xaldin - elemental air
Xigbar - appears to have a special firearm; artifact?
Zexion - illusionist - PRESUMED DECEASED

As always, if any further information, additional or contradictory to the above, becomes clear, please report it immediately to the Defenders of the Light.

Thank you for helping us to Defend the Light.

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The day of her therapy session had been Radiance’s only break. After that, it was back to patrol, along with what felt like at least half of the Defenders of the Light’s roster of Heroes on any given day.

Expanded patrols made sense. Almost all of the Heroes had had encounters with the Organization since their original appearance, though none of the others had reported being drawn into the other dimension. The Defenders of the Light had used the various reports to provide what intelligence they could to the Heroes, and it suggested that there were likely at least eleven members of the Organization in the city. That number included Naminé, which was apparently an accurate name. Every Organization member had, or was presumed to have, some kind of superpower. And the Nobodies were still a threat as well.

Zexion and Vexen had been the only casualties so far. Reporting on that altercation had been minimal, and had kept to a neutral tone: Keyblade and Corridor had acted in self-defense and had neutralized the threat posed by two of the Organization members. As conflicted as she still was over it, she was still relieved they weren’t confronted with video evidence of it at every turn.

Ordinary patrolling was a relief compared to the alternate dimension. At least this was, in the most literal sense, familiar territory. Days blurred together, with the skirmishes constant but small. Most came with no clear winners, just collections of small injuries and exhaustion.

Kairi hadn’t had a chance to see Riku or Sora since the “dimensional encounter” as it was being called, instead having to content herself with quick, non-incriminating texts. At least Radiance was always patrolling with one of them, if not both. And when she did get a half or full day off, the two of them were patrolling together. It was better than nothing, but no substitute for genuine time spent together out of costume.

She was trying not to allow it to bother her, though it seemed to be taking a toll on all three of them. Corridor especially had been quiet, bordering on withdrawn.

Now all three were on the hunt for a group of Organization members that had been spotted in one of the city parks. There’d been a small fire, though no one was hurt, and it was assumed the Organization was responsible.

Oddly, the Organization didn’t really seem to be doing much in the way of villainy. They seemed more interested in goading Heroes into fights, containing their crimes to fairly petty actions. But the fights against the Defenders of the Light were genuine and violent.

The fact that there’d been a fire that prompted this call meant that Axel was probably one of the members they were looking for, since he was a fire-manipulator.

Radiance was on rooftop duty again, since she was at the biggest disadvantage in a close fight. She tried not to be resentful. She failed, but she still tried. This particular roof was the largest and highest around, the top of a hotel that towered high above the park itself and the nearby retail stores. She hadn’t spotted anything yet, but this was the best vantage in the area where the fire had been set.

A crunch of gravel on the flat roof behind her was the only alert she had to someone behind her. Nothing had come over her earpiece, so she knew it wasn’t Keyblade or Corridor coming to keep her company.

She didn’t immediately react, instead tensing without letting it alter her posture much. When the person a few yards behind her shifted, feet moving minutely over the bits of loose gravel just so, she rolled sideways.

Just in time, as a lick of fire cut through the spot she’d been crouched, heat intense enough to feel even from feet away.

By now she’d righted herself, facing her opponent. Axel, of course. She gave one sharp whistle into her mic and a flare of bright sparks upward from her position as an initial alert. “Found our firestarter.”

“We’re on our way,” Keyblade answered, voice immediate and clear in her ear.

“Firestarter. That’s pretty catchy,” Axel said. “Seems like the sort of name a Superhero would have.”

“More like a Supervillain,” she snapped.

He raised a hand, fire coming to life in the space around his fingers, which he spun into a rotating ball. “Supervillains, are we? That seems awfully judgemental.”

“Don’t like being called a Villain, don’t act like a Villain.” Fragments of light hovered and danced around her fingers, though she was aware just how sad that looked in comparison to the fire Axel controlled.

“I’m not sure how much room you have to lecture us about that.”

The words had an edge she could feel, making it clear he knew what had happened in the castle. Of course he would. It was his teammates who had… died.

The sick unease that still prompted overpowered the feel of the corridor opening as her backup arrived.

Keyblade and Corridor moved to her sides, all three standing in a ready stance. Three against one should have made for a quick fight, except for new dark doorways, cut jagged through the air, opening behind Axel.

Two new Organization members stepped through. One Radiance recognized as Larxene, the woman who’d been there at the first encounter. The second was less familiar, but tall and broad enough she knew from the reports they’d been given he was probably Lexaeus. Electricity-imbued daggers and super strength, respectively; plenty of fun to fight against.

The first throwing knife flew past Radiance’s face, a crackle of electricity stinging her cheek. She threw a bolt of her own light back, though Larxene side-stepped it easily.

“Must be a shame to have light that’s just for show,” the other woman taunted.

Radiance bit back a less-than-clever reply that would have gotten her a profanity writeup. Because yes, she’d love something with more kick, but she worked with what she had.

Larxene was not an ideal opponent for her, since Radiance had to rely on close combat in absence of a weapon, and prolonged contact with a human livewire was a capital-B Bad Idea. Fortunately, Radiance had been pitted against Nymph in sparring matches and the “Heroine vs Heroine” exhibition fights that they both loathed for years, so she had a couple strategies.

The fact that Nymph and Larxene had such similar powers seemed like a strange coincidence, considering how few female Heroes there were in this region and how few women seemed to be part of the Organization, but Radiance pushed the thought aside as she dodged another of the electrified knives.

A rumble at her feet pulled a fraction of her attention toward where Keyblade was guarding against Lexaeus. The enormous man had a firmly grounded stance, with one hand held in an upturned fist. The gravel that had worn loose on the roof rattled, lifting itself up around them.

Fuck. She kept the curse purely internal, but it looked like he had a power other than the super-strength they’d been briefed on. Elemental earth, maybe?

Radiance had to trust Keyblade to handle it. The slight motion of the gravel was enough to complicate her own movements, and made her glad they weren’t fighting on solid ground. If he was an earth manipulator, that could get very dangerous very quickly.

Larxene was readying another of her blades, balancing it lightly between her fingers as she judged Radiance’s position. Radiance ducked low, pulling as much light to her fingers as possible before rushing forward.

She sent her collected light in a concentrated bolt directly at Larxene’s face.

Radiance’s light may have been “harmless” or “just for looks,” but she’d yet to meet something that could see and wouldn’t try to avoid a moving ball of sun-bright light coming toward their face.

Larxene did not prove to be the exception. She ducked, throwing up her arm to hide behind the long dark sleeve. The light crashed into her, showering her in more blindingly intense sparks. She regained her balance quickly enough, but still staggered, blinking watering eyes as she tried to focus.

She’d probably be unable to see much of anything for a little while; the light Radiance had thrown at her would be like staring at the sun, or at least an extremely bright stadium light, head-on.

Radiance rushed forward, aiming a low kick at Larxene’s knees. It landed perfectly, Larxene collapsing with a cry.

“Not just for looks,” Radiance couldn’t resist snapping.

The other woman slashed out blindly with the knife still in her fingers, but Radiance was able to dodge it easily, the blade missing her by nearly a foot. She brought up her own arm in a sharp upward strike, hitting Larxene in the wrist and sending the knife flying.

Radiance tucked and rolled toward it and picked it up, relieved when it only gave her the barest shock of static. The knife was definitely made for throwing rather than cutting; the point could wound, but the edges weren’t particularly sharp.

Even so, Radiance held it like a regular knife, fingers tight around the lower part that served as a hilt. She didn’t have the skill to throw it with any expectation of accuracy, and she didn’t want to throw away the only weapon she had, however temporarily she had it. Even though she hoped she wouldn’t actually have to use it to cut anyone.

Using a weapon comes across as “too aggressive” to test audiences, she heard in her mind, and shook it away.

Larxene was still casting around to refocus on Radiance, but her vision would probably start to clear soon. Radiance pushed her advantage while she had it, lunging up just to the side, pushing the knife up under Larxene’s jaw.

“Surrender to the Defenders of the Light, and you won’t be harmed.”

It was a gamble. Radiance had positioned herself so she could press with the knife point if Larxene moved, but she was still in danger of being electrocuted if Larxene got a hand on her too quickly. And there were two more Organization members out here: if either of them were watching too closely, if Keyblade or Corridor weren’t holding their full attention…

Larxene gave a bitter laugh. “Unlikely,” it sounded like she muttered.

Radiance wondered for a second whether Larxene meant her surrender was unlikely, or if the promise she wouldn’t be harmed was the unlikely part. But then a black-hole tear appeared behind Larxene, and she fell backwards into it.

“No!” Radiance cried, reaching toward her, but she’d already vanished into the blackness. There was a split second where Radiance considered following her through, but that would have been foolish at best.

Angrily, she spun to lend aid to Keyblade or Corridor.

Corridor and Axel were trading strikes in what looked almost like a dance. Keyblade was holding his own against Lexaeus, despite the Organization member having a significantly larger weapon.

Radiance sent a quick stroke of light out to glint off of the keyblade adding an extra flare of brightness the next time Keyblade swung it, producing a muted version of the effect she’d gone for with Larxene.

Still, it got Lexaeus to look away for a moment, giving Keyblade an opening for an extra strike.

She heard a sharp exhale come through her earpiece, and since she was watching Keyblade, it had to be from Corridor. She turned to scan for him.

“Stop!” Axel’s voice rang out, loud enough to draw attention.

And both she and Keyblade did as he’d said. Corridor was flat on his back, Axel’s spinning fire hovering just in front of his chest and throat.

Radiance put up her hands and dropped the knife she’d taken from Larxene. Keyblade withdrew, letting his weapon sag down in his hand. Not total surrender, not yet, but Corridor was their immediate priority.

Lexaeus also pulled away from Keyblade, not pressing an advantage. He moved faster than someone that large, carrying a sword that impossibly huge, should have been able to, and retreated so he was standing just behind Axel.

“You know, if that’s the best you have, I’m going to be disappointed,” Axel said, staring down at Corridor.

“Let him go!” Keyblade yelled. It was the useless kind of thing that Heroes had to yell, even though it never made a difference.

“Oh, I’m not going to hurt him.” The fire vanished from Axel’s fingers, and he turned his hand palm up.

Corridor took it, letting Axel pull him to his feet.

Radiance felt a chill down her back. This is how it always had to be. She waited for the words.

Corridor looked right at Keyblade, and then at Radiance, expression cold and blank. He flicked his wrist to open a corridor. Lexaeus stepped through, followed by Axel.

Corridor paused for just a moment, still staring at them. And then he turned and stepped through, saying nothing at all.

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Radiance couldn’t breathe.

She barely remembered getting off the roof, and only Keyblade’s firm grip on her arm grounded her at all. They were in a stairwell now, she dimly realized, though she couldn’t have said whether it was in the hotel they’d been on top of or not. They’d stopped walking.

She was racking her brain, trying to think if there was some way she’d missed the signal. Had he said it when Axel knocked him down? No, because she’d heard him when he got the wind knocked out of him. The mics had been working perfectly.

And he’d paused, looking right at her. It was like he was making sure she knew he wasn’t saying anything, drawing attention to the absence of the words.

“Why?” she whispered. “He didn’t, I mean…”

Keyblade pressed a quick finger to her lips, cutting off her babbling, and gave a minute shake of his head. Of course, she couldn’t say anything that would imply they’d had a planned signal. Even if it hadn’t come.

But he knew the same thing she did, that something was wrong. Something had changed. His big blue eyes, visible behind his mask, were wet with unshed tears.

Some little detached part of her noted that at least the shock and betrayal would seem genuine now. No need to do their best impressions, not when it was real.

She gave into the tears first. Keyblade pulled her close, letting her cry on his shoulder, careful of the spikes on her mask, and just hugging her. She thought he might be crying too, muffling it in her hair and at her shoulder.

The shock took over for a few minutes, her mind somehow spinning and blank at the same time. She clung to Keyblade, unable to do anything else. She only really came back to awareness when Keyblade shook her shoulder. Absently, she realized he’d been speaking to her. She blinked, eyes swollen and sticky, tears drying under her mask.

“We have to make our report,” he repeated. “We can’t go missing, too.”

She nodded. Because regardless, it all marched on.

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