{Alternate} Hey, Nobody’s Perfect {2 :: Roxas :: 2} But the Heart Makes it Hard to Tell {Universe}

((This lovely banner was made for this series by brownbl! Thank you so much; you rock!))

♥Amunet’s Introduction♥

Hello everyone..! Welcome back to HNP! So far you guys seem to be really enjoying this… I’m so glad! People don’t always tend to enjoy AU madness; but oh well.

Let’s see, announcements… oh! I’m leaving for a trip tomorrow, so I won’t be answering messages or anything for a few days. Sorry about that, but vacation takes priority sometimes, lol..! I will be spending some of the time away writing, so I should have posts for you by the time I get back.

On another note, if you like Riku I have a new series featuring him! It’s called The FAITH Inside, and can be found at the bottom of my list of stories. It’s yet another sequel to AKFYH, but is centered around the happenings in A Less Than Idyllic Meeting, my first one shot. So if you’re interested, swing by and check it out!

Ok, enough shameless advertising… enjoy the chapter!

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♥Chapter 2 :: Mercenary♥

She could have taken it at any time, but she waited.

She waited because she was being paid to be there, because she was going to get paid no matter what, and because she really didn’t have anything else to be doing. Well, to be specific, she could have been cleaning her ship, counting her money, or plotting out how best to go about getting more, higher paying jobs. But that was a lot like work, and while she wasn’t an overly lazy soul, she didn’t enjoy doing things so predictably.

Adiana was a strict believer in only one mantra: It doesn’t matter what you do, so long as it’s fun.

The purple haired girl had been told she had a rather twisted definition of fun, and she was inclined to agree. She held none of the normal teenage activities that fell under ‘fun’ in any sort of high regard. She did not enjoy shopping, talking to friends, accessorizing, or shameless dating. In fact, Adiana saw such things as boring, not to mention far, far beneath a creature such as herself.

Adi got her kicks from breaking and entering, from consorting with the cruel and sweetly directing the thoughts of the stupid. She enjoyed travel without any destination in mind; she enjoyed foiling the attempts on her life. She enjoyed danger, driving fast, sleeping only when she had to. And, more often then not, she enjoyed taking jobs that required her to do something illegal or, at the least, immoral.

Such was the case in which we find her now, crouched atop a craggy rock facing, her pale face peering over the edge to the simmering green ghost river that flowed beneath her. Her long purple hair had been sleeked back into a severe braid, bangs falling haphazardly into her eyes of the same hue. She was dressed in a skintight bodysuit, jet black in color and ended off with thick, capable boots. She had no weapon in her hands nor attached to her hip, but she seemed confident enough.

For only a second longer she perched, drawing out the job… and then she sprung into the air, silent as she plummeted down to the narrow rocky bridge below. She landed in a crouch and, despite the height from which she fell, bounded into movement instantly. Her steps were light as she ran, a carefree smile on her lips as she bounded across the rocky path. She wasn’t expecting opposition; she had planned ahead for it. And, just according to her plans, there was no one there to block her way as she slid into her goal: the personal chambers of Hades, Lord of the Underworld.

The Olympus Stone was where she’d thought it would be, on a pedestal in the center of the room, around which there was plenty of room for the flame haired god to gloat. His arrogance had been transparent, planned for, and appreciated; Adiana wasted no time checking for traps as she strode to the center of the room and lifted the small gray stone from its perch. Hades would never assume a person would make it past him to delve within his inner sanctum and snatch the treasured protection from under his crooked nose.

Then again, he probably also never assumed that someone would have the gal and ingenuity to replace the spiritual substance in the river Styx with run off water from the Jungle by means of an interworld rift, creating a torrential wall of wet that even the Lord of the Dead could not bring himself to cross. A lack of foresight on his part.

There was a single pocket pouch strapped to her thigh, and Adiana paused to slip the Olympus Stone into it and secure the flap closed. She didn’t pause to gloat, casting her keen eyes swiftly around the room a final time before turning to hurry back for the exit. Again she was met with no opposition; everyone in the Underworld was attempting to quell the wrath of Hades, if they were following her plans. Which she knew, without a doubt, that they were. Her plans tended to be followed to the letter by all parties involved, whether they knew they were involved or not.

Getting back up the cliff was a little harder then getting down; it wasn’t enough to slow her down overmuch. The girl just jumped from ledge to ledge, even footing to even footing. It took several minutes, but the slender young woman eventually slung herself up onto that elevated ground. She straightened and took another brief glance over her shoulder, then moved at a light jog due north.

Amidst the darkness there was a glowing circle; a transport pad to her waiting ship outside the Underworld’s reach. Adiana’s eyes lit up and her pace increased. She stepped into the center of the transport pad and smiled as it began to glow, tiny particles of light breaking free from its surface to curve around her body. It was a modification of normal transport beams; she had tweaked it to respond to her own heart energy, something impossible to replicate and thus making her ship almost impervious to piracy. As the golden lights increased she found herself glowing to follow them, shooting up and out of the world like a bullet. But it wasn’t into the nothingness of space that she reappeared immersed in golden light, but into the transport bay of her small Gummi Ship. A safe Haven... Haven being the ship’s name, of course.

“Haha..!” the girl laughed as she sprang from the transporting room, humming cheerfully to herself as she moved through the small ship to the pilot’s chair. “Piece of cake.”

She snapped her safety harness into place and deactivated the hover setting, wrapping her pale fingers around the joystick steering controls as the nose of the Gummi Ship dipped low during the shift. The control of steering firmly under her command, Adiana flicked the safety off the thrusters and punched them, laughing childishly as she was pushed back roughly against her seat by the G forces. The black and purple Gummi Ship shot away from the world, running at reckless speeds until it had long disappeared off of radar.

It was only when the ship’s onboard computer informed her (with pretty flashing lights and a calm but slightly threatening voice) that to continue at such a speed would leave her stranded without fuel half way to her destination that Adiana finally eased off the throttle. The Gummi Ship Haven slowed to a brisk but respectable speed through the blackness and random asteroids, rolling gently to resist gravitational pulls.

“Are you done yet..?” a deep growl of a voice snarled in her ear, and Adiana smiled.

The voice had not come from the radio, which she kept off most of the time to make her lie that it was broken more believable. No, this voice spoke from the darkness inside the Haven, from the shadows cast by corners and machinery. It was a cruel voice, an evil voice, a voice that was capable of giving grown men nightmares.

“Ah… Ohm, great to hear from you. And so soon..!” Adiana replied sweetly, smiling at nothing in particular. “You must miss me terribly… I knew it..!”

“No such thing.” Ohm, Adiana’s long time partner who would never, ever admit to actually being her friend, replied with disdain. “But your communicator has been ringing nonstop. One more time, and I shall destroy it.”

The communicator was a point of interest in the lives of the two mercenaries. It was true they needed it to contact clients, confirm facts and, on rare occasions, order take out. But for reasons not completely known to any, both Adiana and Ohm held an intense hatred for the communicator. Adiana purposefully ‘forgot’ it when she went out on jobs; Ohm would ‘thoughtfully’ chuck it after her whenever she tried to leave it with him, aiming for her head if possible. They hated that communicator, and, for what it’s worth, the communicator hated them as well.

But that’s another story.

“The communicator..?” Adiana made a face. “Wonder what was so important…”

“It was that sister creature of yours.” Ohm replied promptly.

“‘Sister Creature’… oh, you must mean Kumiko.” Adiana mused aloud. “Odd… she never calls. I have the sneaking suspicion she’s ashamed and/or afraid of me. Wonder what she wanted…”

“She has a job for us.” Ohm replied moodily.

“Huh..?” Adiana scanned the space before her for stray asteroids and adjusted her course accordingly. “And you know this how exactly..?”

“That damn communicator… it has such an obnoxiously annoying ring.” Ohm hissed in reply. “After several round of ringing, you would answer it too.”

“You answered the communicator..?” Adiana was impressed. She usually just let it ring and collect messages until it became imperative she listen to them.

“I won’t repeat myself.” Ohm snapped. “The girl said there was some job she wanted to hire us for… to work for some group. She didn’t seem willing to disclose much over the phone, but she did say you were the only one she knew that could help.”

“Hmm…” Adiana nibbled her bottom lip thoughtfully. “I haven’t seen Kumiko for years… it must be something pretty important. What did you tell her?”

“That you’d take the job, for the right price.” Ohm growled. “I told her to find us in Wonderland if she wanted to buy our services.”

“Ah… Ohm, you wicked creature..!” Adiana laughed lightly. “You told them Wonderland, but not where in Wonderland..!”

“If they can find us, they’re worth our time.” Ohm replied, unrepentant.

“Agreed.” Adiana said, practically humming at the thought of new fun to come. “This is exciting… I can just feel it. This job is going to be different… special. Something different, something new… a challenge..!”

“Don’t sound so happy, Adiana. That challenge could take on a form you cannot handle.” Ohm warned, more out of an intense dislike for happy tones then in actual concerned response to her words.

“Pffft..! Yeah right..!” Adiana giggled, her fingers dancing across the controls. “I still can’t wait… I’ll meet you in Wonderland, Ohm.”

“If you run out of fuel again, I am not coming to fetch you from the recesses of space…”

“Yes dad.” She replied, rolling her eyes. “I’ll see you there..!”

And, as abruptly as conversation had begun in the cabin it ceased, allowing silence to settle once again.

~*~*~*~

Wonderland was a realm of nightmares.

That was the only thought that entered Roxas’ mind as he viewed his surroundings with a slight sneer, his eyes narrowed. It must have once been a beautiful, bright place… but now the grass was overgrown, buildings were crumbled ruins, and the rare inhabitant was vicious and wicked.

“This used to be such a beautiful world…” Kumiko said, sighing heavily, as if reading his mind. “But Modgnik Straeh imprisoned the inhabitants and took the power away from the Heart Court. What little order there was here was lost very quickly. This world has gone wild.”

“An odd place to pick for a meeting…” Sora murmured from the young woman’s side.

“No… not really. This sort of place suits Adi well.” Kumiko said with a small sigh, her thoughts in too much turmoil to be embarrassed about the brunette’s closeness.

That particular observation about the young woman who was supposed to play the major role in making him whole again was not entirely reassuring, and Roxas found himself wondering on exactly what Kumiko was referring to that related to her sister. He hoped to the deepest corner of his at-the-moment nonexistent heart that it wasn’t a reference to the umbrella-like vultures, who had attacked them en masse within seconds of stepping off their Gummi Ship.

“And you’re sure the guy who answered the communicator didn’t say exactly where in Wonderland we were supposed to meet them..?” Riku asked with a sweat drop as he pondered just how much walking his poor feet would have to endure.

“No… I tried calling back, but no one is picking up.” Kumiko said with a small sigh.

“From the sound of your sister, she probably did this on purpose.” Zenith laughed. Zenith recognized this strain of humor; he held a bit of it himself. This much had been made readily apparent to the Nobodies when Zenith came up to them, masquerading as his twin Riku, and asked compromising questions about their dating lives.

Needless to say, the young man had taken the initiative and avoided such pranks ever since.

“I’d agree… we’ll have to search for her.” Kumiko said with a mushroom sigh.

“There’s no way… we’ll have to split up if we want to find anything by nightfall.” Axel added.

“Exactly.” Kairi said, stepping forward with a cache of communicators in her arms. “We’ll go in pairs…”

“Great idea.” Riku cut in. “A communicator for each pair… Sora, you go that way with Kumiko. Kairi, why don’t you and Demyx head that way… Zenith, you and Axel head south. Roxas, you and I will head towards the ruins… maybe we can find traces of them there.”

Roxas nodded, unable to help smiling at the very obvious attempt. He understood Riku’s slightly evil pairing system, and apparently so did Sora and Kumiko, if the faint blushes were any indicator worth noticing. The fact that each Nobody had been paired with a more ‘experienced’ Ultima member was also duly noted.

“Got it…” Zenith said, twisting his communicator in his hands. “Check in every hour on the hour, even if you don’t find anything.”

“Right. Good luck, everyone..!”

~*~*~*~

Adiana was being a good girl, at least by her definition.

Her first impulse upon receiving the notion of meeting with her sister and any cronies she brought along had been to begin her fun with a rousing game of Mucking with Their Minds, followed up by a fun romp through the worlds in the greatest Hide ‘n’ See game ever. It would have been fun, and far from ordinary.

But it was her sister that was coming to her, the sister Adiana hadn’t seen in ages. So it stood to reason that she could afford to be a little nicer to her then she would be to other customers. So instead she had dutifully gone to drop off the Olympus Stone to the hunchbacked little man who had paid her to fetch it. She’d even politely stuck around to exchange thanks, just incase heever needed her services again. And once that was done, she had gone directly to Wonderland to meet her partner in crime and wait.

She had known when they arrived in her Wonderland… she knew everything that happened in Wonderland. It was wild, unfettered… and completely under her thumb. For it wasn’t Modgnik Straeh who had kicked the Queen of Hearts and her wimpy King out of their castle and their positions of power. It had been a barely teenage Adiana, unleashing a power and tenacity one would have never thought her to possess at so young an age.

Which explained why Adiana had chosen to wait for her guests in the Heart Castle, the majority of which had long since crumbled away into artful ruins.

She was in the throne room, sprawled across the high backed throne that once supported the hot tempered queen. Adiana did not sit as a victorious queen, but as a spiteful child. Her head was braced against one arm rest, her lavender hair left unfettered to pool against the ground. Her legs were draped across the opposite arm rest, kicking her black leather boots childishly.

Adiana wasn’t one to get bored. When most people would get bored, she would settle in some sort of comfortable position, close her eyes, and let her mind explore. She was smart, perhaps a genius… her mind was forever churning over new thoughts, ideas, and concepts. People’s actions were easy to predict, reactions of physics and magic were child’s play. So when Adiana’s body was idle her mind was not; each moment was spent processing and plotting and planning. No moment was wasted on boredom.

So she wasn’t bored when she heard the footsteps, nor was she sleeping even though her body was limp and relaxed. Her mind was processing, filtering her information about the intruder before she even cracked her eyes opened. The footsteps were decidedly male, steady and firm; there was the miniscule squeak of rubber soled sneakers against the tiled floor. He was most likely unarmed; his movements were more of curiosity then of hunting for an attacker. She could assume he had been searching for some time now; he was letting down his guard, underestimating her…

The footsteps stopped abruptly; he had seen her. It was time to open her eyes.

So she did, turning her head to look directly at the suddenly tense young man who stood across the ruined throne room from her.

“Ah… you found me. That means you win, you know.” She chirped, lifting a hand to gesture at him flippantly. “Come on in… don’t worry, everything that’s going to fall from the ceiling has fallen already. Its bad luck to linger in doorways, after all.”

He watched her for a long moment… then Roxas took his first step towards the reclined girl. He had to admit, she was not what he had expected; despite the fact that Kumiko had claimed this young woman as her sister, he had pictured her as… bigger. Stronger looking. Not so… little.

“Are you Adiana..?” he couldn’t help asking guardedly.

“Of course.” She replied, finally sitting up properly in the chair. She shoved purple strands from her hair as she stood, placing her hands on her hips. “And who are you..?”

“Roxas…” he replied slowly, watching her every move.

“Ah…” Adi tilted her head to the side, then walked closer to him with a grin. “You’re a Nobody, aren’t you..? No, you don’t have to answer that…”

“How did you know?” Roxas asked, his eyes narrowed.

“My dear boy… I know everything.” Adiana said with a laugh. “You’re traveling with my sister… you were wanting to talk about a job..?”

“That’s right… he found her.” Riku’s voice echoed on the walls as the silver haired boy stepped forward, his eyes alert. He paused, sweat dropped slightly, and then continued to mutter into the communicator. “At least, I think he did…”

Adiana watched the two of them in amusement; the doubt was evident in their eyes as they looked her over. She allowed herself to muse over what they had expected and then shrugged it off; it didn’t matter. What they wanted, and how much they were willing to pay, of course, did matter. So she took a long look at the two and began to do what she did best: talk.

“So… you are members of Ultima… hm. The two of you can’t be much older then I am… I would have expected you to be older.” Adiana began, tapping her chin with a finger.

“The feeling’s mutual.” Riku replied slowly.

“Guys, we’re on our way… we’ll be there in a few minutes.” Kumiko’s voice crackled over the communicator.

“Ah… my sister’s voice.” Adiana’s smile was small but oddly sincere as she slid to her feet. “Been a long time since I’ve heard from her… hope she had the common sense to avoid the Jabberwocky.”

“The what..?” Roxas questioned.

“The Jabberwocky, of course.” Adiana said, turning her back on her guests and motioning them forward. “Well, come on in… no use standing around.”

“What’s a Jabberwocky..?” Roxas muttered to Riku as he followed her.

“Beats me…” Riku said with a small frown. “Sounds like something she made up…”

Adiana resisted the urge to call her dear Jabberwocky just to see the look on their faces before she turned to look at them, the scientific portion of her brain kicking into full gear. She usually heard a description of the job being offered, then spent several days researching not only the job itself but the people behind it. She enjoyed knowing everything before she jumped on the boat… mostly so there were no surprises, partly because she liked the stunned expressions the spouting of such information usually brought on. She had been able to do no such thing in this case… a bit irritating, but she was approaching it from a different angle: it just made the job more the challenge she had hoped it would be.

“Let’s see…” she began in an amused tone, looking the two of them over closely. “You both are used to combat, but not to each other… you haven’t known one another very long. But there is still some link between the two of you, since you’re almost grudgingly trusting of one another… ah! You must be a friend of Roxas’ somebody. What’s your name?” she jabbed a finger towards Riku.

“You know things like that, and expect me to think you don’t know my name..?” Riku asked guardedly.

“I don’t… and don’t think it makes me happy admitting it.” Adiana said with a small sigh. She instantly brightened again, a mischievous sparkle in her eye. “So, your name would be..?”

Roxas watched the purple haired girl guardedly as Riku grudgingly introduced himself, almost twitching as Adiana warmly asked just how long he had been a practicing swordsman. It would be easy to assume she already knew these things, or that she was pulling her information from the air; so Roxas focused his gaze on her, trying to figure her out. It was only after watching her for a moment that he came to the slightly disturbing conclusion that she was drawing conclusions on the spot, conclusions that were influenced by their actions and words.

He snapped out of his observation when she turned her eyes to him, curious about something.

“Huh..?” was his clever response to her suddenly intense scrutiny.

“I’ve never actually been around a high level Nobody.” Adiana mused aloud. “Only the little white ones… you know, the fast ones. They’re hard to kill… I have nothing against Nobodies, but I’m not a pacifist either. If it attacks me, it’s going down.”

Roxas failed to see what this had to do with anything, and stayed silent as she stepped closer to him. He glanced at Riku, noticing he was watching the two of them with a calculating eye of his own. He was being absolutely no help at all. But he rapidly lost interest in what Riku was doing when a pale hand pressed against his chest.

Adiana had just enough time to register the stillness beneath her palm before the blonde started away from her, his expression so guarded that she almost laughed. As it was she allowed an amused grin to linger on her lip as she met his wary gaze.

“Easy..!” she laughed. “You know, if we’re going to be working together, you’re going to have to start trusting me. I just wanted to feel for myself.”

“Who says we’re going to be working together?” Roxas replied a bit darkly.

“We brought Roxas along for the field experience.” Riku lied smoothly.

“No you didn’t, though it’s cute you’re trying to trick me.” Adiana laughed, reaching her hands for Roxas’ face. He flinched but didn’t move back as she gently turned his face to the side, examining his profile. “After all, you’re the first one who would benefit from this, Roxas. Why wouldn’t you be here to ask me about retrieving your Hidden Heart?”

Roxas stiffened, turning his head against her hand to lock eyes with her. Her fingers were warm against his cheeks, and he was able to watch his reaction confirm her educated guess as light filled her eyes. It was a bit disturbing, how expressive her emotions were.

“So you’ve known what we were coming to ask about the whole time..?” Roxas asked, his tone frigid.

“Not the whole time.” Adiana admitted as she stepped back from him. “Just since you stepped into the room. Trust me when I say that the Hidden Hearts are unmistakable that way.”

“So you’ve actually seen these Hidden Hearts before..?” Riku questioned, looking amused for reasons Roxas would have very much liked to kick him for.

“Of course.” Adiana’s smile dropped very slightly… then came back twice as bright. “Kumiko..! About time you got here… I guess you had the common sense to avoid the Jabberwocky after all.”

“What..?” the silver haired girl replied with a clueless expression on her face. It stood as a testament to the relationship the two of them had that those were the words she chose in greeting.

Kumiko stood with the others in the entrance of the ruined throne room, filing in slowly. Adiana turned to look at them fondly as they all moved into the room, looking them over curiously. She brightened and reacted overly childishly when she laid eyes on Zenith; she gasped and stabbed a finger in his direction.

“Riku..!! How did you get over there so fast..?!”

“Don’t play dumb.” Riku replied with a sweat drop. “That’s my brother, Zenith.”

“Hi…” the young man in question was looking at the purple haired girl in amusement.

“And three sets of twins in a group this small is almost statistically impossible; therefore you must be Roxas’ Somebody.” Adiana said, looking at Sora thoughtfully. “Let’s see, there are only so many options… Oars, Roas, Aros, Sora…”

“Wow, how’d you do that..?” Sora was looking at the girl like she was a performer at a circus.

“Sora then…”

“Oh, oh..! Guess mine..!” Demyx was just as entertained.

“Guys, we’re here for a reason…” Kairi murmured with a sweat drop.

“She doesn’t guess names…” Roxas spoke up, watching her warily. “She figured it out.”

“Another Nobody… and another.” Adiana didn’t acknowledge Roxas’ words, looking the group over carefully. “Both Hidden Hearts… were the three of you traveling together before you joined Ultima..?”

“One step at a time, Adi.” Kumiko cut in before things could get anymore confusing then they already were. She quickly introduce her companions before returning to the task at hand. “So… you already know why we’re here.”

“That’s right. You see, in my years on the road I’ve developed the ability to see the future…”

“She’s come into contact with the Hidden Hearts themselves.” Riku cut her off. “She recognized Roxas somehow.”

“Very good.” Adiana said, sounding proud. “And Axel, and Demyx… so it’s pretty obvious what you…”

Adiana wasn’t one to leave a sentence unfinished, but in that instance she had no choice; Kumiko had abruptly surged forward and enveloped her sister in a tight hug. Despite all of her advanced thinking, physical contact and the display of actual emotions was something Adiana failed at every time. For a long second she stood frozen, unable to move even her head without bumping her sister.

“Uncalled for mushy moment has been brought on by what, exactly..?” Adiana finally choked out, leaning her head away from her twin.

“It’s not uncalled for… I knew you’d been leading a rough life since you left home.” Kumiko replied, trying to fight off tears. “But… can’t you hear yourself..? You’re… you’re so different.”

“No really… it’s probably just my height. Despite what Ohm says, I’ve grown an inch or two over the last few years.” Adiana replied, trying to twist free… and failing.

“No… it’s not that.” Kumiko sniffed, her voice pained. “I thought of you for this job because you have a knack for getting into places you know good and well you aren’t supposed to be… but I never dreamed you would have such knowledge of this already. It can only mean… that you’ve had more interaction with Modgnik Straeh then I would have ever guessed. And no one walks away from Modgnik Straeh unscathed.”

“Ah… is that it..?” Adiana’s eyes softened almost too little to notice as she disentangled herself, patting her sister on the head. “Well, cut the waterworks; you’re worrying Sora.”

Sora, starting at his name randomly entering the conversation, blushed and tried to look a little less worried under the amused stares of the rest of his party.

“But..!”

“No buts..!” Adiana said, waving a finger disapprovingly as she turned to move away from any more potential outbreaks of emotion. She twisted around to face them again and flopped down into the high backed throne, steepling her fingers together. “Now, let’s get back to business. To make it official: the rebellion group Ultima wants to hire me and my partner Ohm as mercenaries to infiltrate the Modgnik Straeh castle and liberate the three Hidden Hearts he has there. Correct..?”

“It sounds kinda impressive when she says it like that…” Demyx muttered.

“That’s right…” Zenith replied. “We’re prepared to provide back up…”

“Don’t need it; Ohm’s all the backup I need.” Adiana said breezily.

“Huh… some back up. He didn’t even come here to meet us with you… what if we’d been assassins or something.”

“You’d be bad ones; if you were any good you would know that Ohm is very much here and very much on guard.” Adiana replied smoothly, her lips curving up into a smile.

At her words Ohm stepped forward; though he was whisper silent as he moved Adiana knew he had reared up to his full height behind her by the quelled looks that dashed across her guests’ faces. Leathery black skin, muscular but lean body, a face stretched and dragon-like, eyes red, slitted, and long as the average forearm. He rose from behind the throne as if a part of the shadows that massed behind it and, coincidentally, he was.

“Now, if you’re done with that arguing nonsense…” Adiana continued in amusement. “About our fine… there’s fuel costs, food, fines for breaking and entering, personal endangerment, surveillance, fetch and retrieval… times two. Plus we’re going against the High King himself; high treason is extra. Sooooo…. I’m thinking 140,000 munny will be about right, don’t you..?”

“You’d charge your sister that much..?” Roxas questioned with a sweat drop.

“In a heart beat!” she replied, flashing a peace sign.

“That’s ridiculous..!” Riku complained.

“That’s cheap for us, mortal.” Ohm growled, enjoying the tensed poses their guests instantly developed at his voice. “Adiana’s being overly kind…”

“Not so..!” Adiana objected, tilting her head back to gaze up at him. “It just so happens that 140,000 munny is the exact amount of change we need to buy one of those nice High King transport ships off the black market. Haven has been rather lonely, of late… she’d like the company of another death device..!”

“She’s not taking this seriously at all..!” Kairi murmured, her eyes narrowed in disapproval as she watched the girl and the beast banter.

“That’s just how Adiana’s always been…” Kumiko said softly, twisting her fingers before her.

“Hey…” Sora bit his lip and laid a hand on Kumiko’s shoulder. “I’m sure this’ll all work out… you’ll be spending more time with her after this, right? Maybe you’ll be able to find out more about what happened to her.”

“Yeah, thanks Sora…” Kumiko said, clearing her throat in embarrassment.

“Look, we’re not here to play around.” Roxas spoke suddenly, taking note of Axel’s throbbing forehead vein and the tendency of things to spontaneously combust when the red head got too aggravated. “We came here to hire you… and if that’s really the price you want, then just say so.”

“Don’t tell her that; it sounds like an option to talk more.” Riku groaned, stepping forward. “140,000 munny… done. Payable to you after you retrieve all three Hidden Hearts and make sure they safely go to the Nobody they’re connected to. Deal..?”

“Deal.” Adiana said warmly. “I’ll get your Hidden Hearts back to you safe and sound Roxas, Axel, Demyx. You can count on me.”

It was the most sincere she had managed to sound the entire visit, and it caught the entire party off guard. Roxas blinked and stared at her in confusion, unable to help his automatic suspicion edging away. Perhaps she was just bad with first impression; perhaps she wasn’t that bad at all…

“Now, get the heck out of my castle.” She said, that warm tone still innocently masking her intentions.

One second Roxas was still puzzling over ‘perhaps’… and the next moment he was flying through the air, shoved back with an immense wave of darkness. He saw the random blur of his companions flying head over heels beside, above, below him… and then darkness as they all landed in a mighty heap far from the castle.

It may have been his imagination, or perhaps the mild concussion landing on his head had given him, but Roxas could have sword he heard Adiana’s diabolical laughter echoing after him.

Yaay, chapter 2!

I realized as I was writing this that Adiana in this series is going to be a bit different then Adiana in SV/AKFYH for one simple reason: this Adiana has never suffered the crushing blow of utter defeat. She’s always been on top of things and in control, so she’s haughtier, more arrogant, and wilder. She’s a b-witch. XD But I’ll have fun showing her growth and development in the following chapters to change that. ^_^v