Down the Twilight Path

Fractures

A/N: After more time than I can possibly comprehend, the second act of this story finally begins. And the act hits the ground running, So enjoy, my readers!

Act 2: He who fights monsters

Scene 14: Fractures

Roxas was revealed to be a young blond-haired kid that looked even younger than Jason. Alarmingly enough, he had a vacant look in his eyes, as if he was unaware of his surroundings. When the meeting ended, Vexen guided Jason back to his cell, so Jason decided to ask him some questions.

"Why was the new member of the Organization so... spacey?" Jason asked.

"I cannot be sure. When a Nobody is first created, it can take a while to adjust to the new form," Vexen answered. "Yet I have never observed a reaction as extreme as Number Thirteen's."

"You would know, wouldn't you, Vexen?" Jason said carefully. "As Number Four you turned into a Nobody very early compared to other members."

Vexen caught on to the attempt to fish for information. "You would be correct. But that is none of your concern. Focus on contributing to the Organization."

"Understood, sir," Jason said, deciding to back off for the meantime. As soon as Vexen left Jason alone in his cell, the redhead rapped his knuckles against the floor, and Eileen floated into the room. Jason caught his big sister up on everything that had happened so far.

"I saw that new member. He's so little," Eileen said, clearly worried. "Why would this Organization want anything with someone like him?"

"As of right now I can't be sure," Jason said, thinking carefully. "But he is a Nobody. Presumably that means he has some sort of power that the Organization is interested in."

"So are you going to remain in an alliance with Larxene and Marluxia?" Eileen asked, now giving Jason a serious look.

"Like I told Axel, I pretty much have to now," Jason said. "They held up their end of our bargain. Now I must keep true to my word."

"I understand that much. Just don't allow them to control your actions," Eileen said. "You're already rebelling against most of the Organization. Don't become subservient to a small faction."

"Got it. Just got to make sure I know how to say no to the woman with a load of daggers and the man with the literal giant scythe," Jason said, grinning.

"If you've got the energy to make stupid jokes like that, you have the energy to exercise," Eileen said, swatting Jason on the head with her hand. As Eileen was currently incorporeal her hand just phased through her brother, but her meaning was clear.

Still grinning, Jason dropped to the floor and started doing pushups.

A week passed with nothing of note happening. Jason was sent out for recon and Heartless extermination missions to Wonderland and Twilight Town, making sure to stay out of view whenever he was in the latter world. Regardless of the mission, he seemed to always be paired up with Marluxia or Larxene. As a result, he found himself talking more with them.

Missions with Marluxia were a constant enigma. The pink-haired man handled his scythe with frightening efficiency, slewing Heartless in a single stroke. His calm demeanor rattled Jason a bit — it was as if everything was beneath Marluxia's concern.

On one of the missions, Jason decided to allude to his true goal in the most subtle way he could. The purpose of the gamble was to gauge Marluxia's reaction.

"After a few weeks I've gotten the hang of Heartless extermination," Jason said casually. "Hey, do you think I could spar with you one day?"

"You ask if a human's power could ever equal that of an Organization member," Marluxia said. "Who can say? I will say that any 'spar' we would engage in would be greatly imbalanced, and will continue to say as much in the foreseeable future."