Axel's Girl (On Hold For KH3)

Just Keep Running

                   Siax breathed in an irritated sigh. "Laxh failed to appear today, for the fifth day in a row. Her missions remain uncompleted. No one has seen or heard anything from her." He turned to face Xemnas. "Save a few insignificant articles of clothing, her room is empty. Superior, how do you wish to proceed?"

                   Xemnas remained distant, having only a mild interest in what was being said. "There is no need for anything to be done. The girl is unimportant. As for Xion..." His shoulders tensed. "This charade has gone on long enough. Send Axel to retrieve her."

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                   Laxh yanked her hood over her face and pressed her back against the dingy street wall. The crowded streets of Coruscant's underworld paid no mind to the misplaced teenager. I have to find some place to crash before I run into any unpleasant company or pass out where I stand. Laxh slowly breathed out. Relax, you're just another bounty hunter looking to make some cash. Everything is on a strict need-to-know basis. No one here is going to be your friend for free.

                  Laxh let her stride fall into an even rhythm. She cautiously entered a practically empty bar. The weird alien thing that was bartender there looked her over before asking if he could get her anything. "No thank you, sir." Laxh dared not speak louder than a half-whisper. She sat down at a table in the corner and slouched, studying a map she'd found in a gutter. The map was wet and moldy, but it was all she had to go on since she couldn't read the alien symbols decorating every store-front.

                  "You are holding that upside-down." The man who had appeared in the seat across from her said suddenly. Laxh gasped and sat up very straight. The man smirked and pushed a large portion of his greasy black hair out of his face to reveal one of his violet cat-like eyes. "Allow me." He snatched the map out of her hands and flattened it out on the table. "This looks like a child's drawing."

                  Laxh gave a disappointed sigh. "That's probably exactly what it is." She took the piece of paper from the stranger and threw it to the ground. Slouching again, she banged her fist on the table. "That was all I had to go on, and it isn't even a map."

                  The man chuckled. "Why would you need a map?"

                  Laxh eyed him, trying to determine how much she wanted to tell him. What she finally settled on was, "I'm lost."

                  "Aren't we all?" The man said jokingly. "What's your name there, lost thing?" He chuckled again and held his index finger over her mouth. "Never mind, I don't want to know." He reached into one of his vest pockets and pulled out a cigarette. He relaxed back in his seat and smoked, watching Laxh like she was the world's most interesting sculpture.

                  "I need work and a roof over my head." Laxh  glared at the man. "I'd like not to get either by ill gain if I can avoid it."

                  The man laughed again and smiled like the devil. "I've got a job you might not like," he leaned forward and breathed smoke into her face. Laxh nearly gagged. He tilted her head up, harshly hold her by the throat. "How desperate are you?"

                  Laxh yanked back away from him. "Not that desperate." She picked up her suitcase and got up to leave. The man grabbed the handle of her luggage and slipped his hand around her waist. She wrestled to get free and he held her arms still, almost crushing them like twigs. Laxh's suitcase fell to the ground, spilling most of its contents on the floor.

                  "Dante," the bartender called. "Leave the young lady be and go home, ya drunk." Dante snarled and shoved Laxh to the ground before walking out of the bar. "Sorry, miss." The bartender smiled for a half-second and then got back to work.

                  Laxh rose to her knees and started to clean up the things that had fallen out of her suitcase. She paused when she came across an envelope she didn't remember packing. Laxh flipped it over and found it was already open. She looked inside and saw a bunch of numbers scribbled on the inside. "What in the worlds..." Laxh folded the envelope and shook her head. "Whatever."

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                   A dark portal materialized in Traverse Town, and Axel walked out. "Why do I always get stuck with the icky jobs?" He asked himself. He walked to where Xion stood, stopping a few yards away.

                  "Axel..." she started.

                  "Xion... what are you gonna do?"

                  Xion's gaze fixed onto the ground. "I've decided that I have to go back to where I belong."

                  "Well, to be honest, I always felt that was best, right from the very beginning." Axel clenched his fist. "But you know, it still really bugs me. Something about this just stinks."

                  "It's for the good of everyone." Xion said softly.

                  "But how do you know that? Everyone always thinks they're right..."

                  "This is right."

                  "They're gonna destroy you!" Axel shouted. He gasped when he saw Xion whip out her keyblade and standing in battle stance.

                  "Please don't hold back, Axel." She pleaded. "Promise."

                  Axel grunted and groaned. "What's your problem?! You both... think you can do whatever you want. Well, I'm sick of it." His chakrams materialized in his hands as he shouted, "Go on, you just keep running. But I'll always be there to bring you back!"