Comatose

Axel coughed nervously, cupping his hands in his lap and slouching down in his chair. He hated awkward silences.
The other members around him sat with still, unfeeling expressions. He wondered if they were brooding at all. Were they hearing what he was hearing?

"The experiment has been tested on several subjects, mainly Dusks, and each time it has been successful. This is a window of opportunity for us; as you all know, the situation with the Keyblade master is threatening our plans."

Axel glanced over at Saïx. The look on the Diviner's face confused Axel; he looked almost distraught, despite the lack of heart. He sat in total silence, biting his fingernails, staring at his shoes. Usually, he had a habit of swinging his leg back and forth, like a bored child in a waiting room; today, he sat stock still.

"Because of my total faith in this procedure, I have hereby volunteered myself to be the first Organization member to undergo the process."
Saix jumped, jerking round and staring hard at the man above him. "You can't!"

The other Nobodies stared at him in surprise. He blushed, sinking back in his chair; although where the blush came from, he couldn't tell.
Axel watched him with narrowed eyes. The Diviner had been acting strangely for a while now - not turning up for meals, going to bed early, avoiding attention from the Superior. Usually Axel hated his suck up nature and his goody two shoes act, but now the absence of it would have worried him, if he'd had a heart.

"Number VII. Please refrain from butting in. As I just said, there is no backing out, least not for me - I have researched this in my own lab for many years, as a back-up plan. There is no danger at all."

Vexen cleared his throat, his eyes catching those of the other man. "Who will be performing the procedure?"
The amber eyes scanned the room. "I will be appointing those of you who are medically trained. Which means Zexion, Xigbar, Vexen and Demyx will be in charge."

The four Nobodies looked at one another with wide eyes. They would have been panicking, had it been possible - each of them knew of the responsibility they had been handed. If they failed, all blame would rest with them.

Xigbar crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair casually, drumming his fingers on the arm of his throne. "Who'll be leadin' the team?"

A silence fell on the surrounding members. The Superior nodded at him. "I will be appointing you as the leader of this project, with Vexen in vice position. As long as you are willing to take every aspect of this extremely seriously."

Xigbar nodded. The two had been mutual 'friends' - if Nobodies could have friends - since they were Somebodies, so he coughed and sat up straight, nodding sincerely. Vexen looked huffy; he was the keenest scientist and everyone knew it. He scowled at Xigbar, who stared back blankly, his eye boring deep into Vexen's icy exterior. The Academic looked away, blinking as the strange feeling of the eye clouding his thoughts faded away.

"The four members that I have appointed will meet with me at the Altar Of Naught for a briefing. The rest of you will gather in the dining room, where I will come and promptly explain the full extent of the plans to you all."


*  *  *

Axel jogged up behind Demyx, smacking the blonde playfully on the back. He jumped, his eyes widening as he realised Axel was behind him.

"Um...hi, Axel."
Axel smiled falsely. "Hey, Dem. Look, how come you're on the team? And've ya got any inside info?"
Demyx shook his head shyly. "I can't tell you."

Axel raised an eyebrow. "Didn't even know you were a scientist, let alone a medic."
Demyx looked hurt. "I'd just finished medical school when I came here."
"No kidding! Seriously?"
He shrugged Axel's hand away. "I've got to go and study."

He hurriedly ducked into his bedroom, safely out of the pyro's reach. Axel stared after him, still surprised by the Nocturne's revelation. He'd never known, and it looked as if no one else had; the only members who didn't look shocked by his recruitment to the team were Xigbar and Xemnas.

Axel stuffed his hands in his pockets, whistling tunelessly as he strolled through the blossoming gardens. As much as Number XI ticked him off, he had to admit that that pink haired Assassin really could garden circles around anyone.

The roses swayed in the pallid moonlight from Kingdom Hearts, serenaded by the cool, crisp half-darkness around him. He strolled down the path, stopping suddenly when a strange noise called to him from behind the immaculately trimmed bushes at the opposite side of the path. It was a noise he vaguely remembered, but hadn't heard for so long, he doubted whether or not it was real. He quivered as it continued, his skin tingling as it echoed out through the gardens.

He crept over to the bushes, and, as he pushed through the leaves, he gasped at the sight before him.
Saïx lay curled up on the soft, grassy ground beneath the bushes, drowning his constant sobs with the lapel of his coat. He jumped when he noticed the pyro standing over him, staring down at his red, puffy eyes and tear stained face.

"What the hell are you looking at?"
He pushed himself to his feet and barged past Axel, wiping his face hastily with the sleeve of his coat. Axel rushed after him, yanking him back by the wrist.

"Saïx......how did you......I don't....?"
Words failed the pyro as he stared at the other's emotional face. Saïx snatched his arm away and sauntered off towards the castle, pulling his hood up to hide his drawn face. Axel stared after him, his thoughts racing as he failed to provide a logical explanation.

But...why?


*  *  *


Axel kicked the dishwasher shut and flicked the knob to turn it on. Drying his hands on a nearby towel, he clicked off the light switch and left the kitchen, sighing with faux-relief as he finally finished his chores for the day.

He stopped as voices drifted out into the lobby from the drawing room. He sidled up to the door, pressing his ear against it in an effort to listen in.

"It's totally solid. If you don't believe me, look at the plans. How can it go wrong?"
"I don't know. Something about it just doesn't feel right."
"Humans do it all the time. It's a simple procedure."
"No, it isn't. Not in the slightest. None of us are genetically compatible with this kind of....of...meatball surgery! It's ridiculous!"

Axel furrowed his brow. The plans did seem outlandish, to say the least, but all the months of research couldn't have been wrong. Could they?

"Implantation just.....isn't right. It goes against the laws. Kingdom Hearts' laws."
"Laws? How can you preach to me about laws? What about that kid swinging about his Keyblade like it's a liquorice snap, huh? Does he follow any laws? No! So why should we?"

No answer.

Axel stepped back, promptly disappearing into the living room as they exited the drawing room. He slumped down on the couch, picking at his fingernails nervously. It was scheduled for tomorrow; how could they be having doubts now? At this late stage? Couldn't they have voiced it earlier, before everyone's hopes went sky-high?

Axel crept into Where Nothing Gathers, where Vexen was busy setting up a whole host of medical equipment. Axel stood casually beside him, fiddling with the ventilator.

"Axel! Leave that alone, you imbecile!"
Vexen batted his hand away and checked the machine over vigorously, glaring at the pyro.
"What do you want? Shouldn't you be in combat practice? Members VII to XIV are there already."

Axel stared at his shoes. Why did everything have to revolve around orders?
"Vexen?"
The scientist sighed impatiently. Axel's tone lowered and his voice wobbled as he spoke softly.
"What if it goes wrong?"

Vexen stopped scowling and looked into the pyro's eyes. His voice softened and he shook his head.
"It won't."
"But....."
Vexen leaned in closer. "This is a drop in the bucket."

"What?"
Vexen looked around, making sure no one was listening.
"Between you and me....well, I've prepared for the worst."
Axel narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"
Vexen smiled like a snake in the grass. "A back-up."

Axel stared at Vexen, who smiled slyly. "I'll tell you, if you promise not to breathe a word."
"Not even to the Superior?"
Vexen moved even closer. "Especially not the Superior."

They both stepped out of the teleport, Vexen leading Axel along the dim, grey corridor to his lab. The door slid smoothly open in front of them, and, without a word, Vexen lead the pyro to the cold storage at the other side of the room.

"I'm only telling you because of the slip of my tongue. If you breathe a word, I'll kill you. Got it?"
Axel nodded. With one swift movement, Vexen typed in a code, which unlocked what looked like a freezer case. As the protective metal casing split down the middle and slid open, the breath was knocked clear out of Axel's lungs.

"A Replica."

Axel staggered back, his eyes locked on to the figure that seemed to sleep inside the unit. It was tall, muscular, copper skinned, silver haired. His gaze shot across at Vexen, who smiled up at it broadly.

"Forget Xion. This is my finest Replica."
"You replicated.......Xemnas?"
Vexen shrugged as if it were no big deal. "It was a simple DNA transfer. A lock of hair was all it took. To create this marvellous piece of weaponry."

It all slotted into place in Axel's mind, as if this was the missing piece of the jigsaw. "If it fails...you'll use this?"
Vexen nodded. "If my calculations are correct, the operation will be entirely successful. But just in case of a problem, my intelligence has once again come to the rescue."

Shaking his head, Axel drifted slighly closer to it, hardly able to believe the whole concept of the replication. It stood for everything Xemnas had rejected; loss of his power, pride and trust in his most comprehensive scientist.
"Vexen, this is...disgusting. How...he'll kill you. When he finds out he'll rip your head off your shoulders."

Vexen grinned callously. "He won't find out. What you fail to realise is that he is just as stupid and naive as the rest of you. And I mean that in the most offensive way possible."

Axel barely heard him, as all his attention rested solely upon the Replica. There was something unnerving about it - seeing something that mirrored their Superior in every way lying in a dormant state, unclothed and vulnerable, sleeping innocently, unaware of the purpose laid upon it.

"What I've told you isn't the half of it, kid. This creation is for future reference. If our dear Superior should make a rather silly decision on our behalf, we have the ability to erase him and start again with a more...companionable version."


*  *  *


Axel staggered through the hallways towards Where Nothing Gathers, his hands and feet numb. The Replica's face had shot through his mind all day; the sheer likeness of it was uncanny and it made his skin crawl just to contemplate the repercussions of existing under the rule of one of Vexen's warped experiments.

Xion punched him playfully on the arm as she ran up behind him, laughing cheerily.
"What's up, Ax?"
He shook his head, not wishing to speak. The mere sight of it was enough to silence him forever.

She shrugged and rushed off ahead. He called after her, words unexpectedly jumping from his throat. "Where're you goin'?"
She laughed and put her hands on her hips cheekily. "Jeez, Axel! You're head's right up in the clouds! The implantation, silly! It's today! Hurry, or you'll miss it!"

He froze as she dashed off down the corridor, disappearing into Where Nothing Gathers.
This was it.

Axel felt his pulse race as Xemnas approached the table, watched by all the members who sat up on their thrones, looking down into the centre. His silent audience.

He removed his shirt and lay down on the table, nodding at Zexion, who placed a mask over his nose and mouth.
"Breath in deeply. That's it."
His amber eyes slowly closed and his body lay limply on the table as everyone looked on. Axel glanced over at Saix; the Diviner's hood was pulled all the way up, hiding his face.

Vexen was dressed in an immaculate white coat; he stepped forward, in silence, standing opposite Xigbar, who was dressed the same. The Freeshooter held out his hand to Demyx who passed him a scalpel. Vexen dabbled the chest gently, prepping the incision line.

There was a low, collective gasp as Xigbar pushed the scalpel in, wincing as the breastbone cracked. Axel's stomach churned squeamishly as blood rose to the surface, staining the perfect copper skin on the Superior's chest. He gripped the arms of his throne and move to the edge of his seat as Demyx lifted up a black, steel box, unclipping the front and lifting the lid to reveal a large, bloody, shallowly-beating heart resting on a bed of clear ice.

Vexen lifted it out with gloved hands, and, when Xigbar signalled, placed it inside the chest cavity. Axel looked away for the next part; he was in severe danger of throwing up. He glanced across at Roxas and Xion, who sat together on the one throne, huddled together with their hands over their eyes.

A smash and collective screaming prompted him to open his eyes. He looked down at the central platform in horror as blood spurted garishly from the wound and Xemnas's eyes sprang wide open. Screams and desperate cries exploded within the surrounding Nobodies as they dropped down from their thrones and rushed to the table, manically questioning the three medics who floundered in a vain attempt to control the bleeding and quieten the screaming of the now wide awake Superior.

Axel watched as Saix hurled himself through the gathered crowd, pushing through to the table and leaping on to it, sitting astride the Superior as he coughed out mouthfuls of dark blood and sobbed desperately.
"Xemnas! Xemnas, listen to me! Please! Hold on, Xemnas!"

Saix ripped the heart from the Superior's chest, throwing it aside and cupping the face below him gently with his hands. He locked his eyes onto those of the Superior, his own tears falling on to the bloodstained body below him.

"No...no! Xemnas! Stay with me!"
Xemnas coughed, splattering Saix's skin with blood as Xigbar and Vexen tried to hold back the other members and usher them out the door. Axel screamed at Saix as he pressed his forehead against Xemnas's in a vain attempt to keep him awake.

"Xemnas, please.....don't leave me..........I love you!"
Everyone froze for a fraction of a second, hearing Saix's desperate plea. After a moment of tranquillity, they burst into screams once more, shouting viciously at the medics who panicked as Xemnas's face drained and he struggled to keep his eyes open.

Saix closed his eyes and shook his head, bursting into the same uncannily noisy sobs as before in the gardens.
"Xemnas........NO!"

A muscular, copper skinned arm fell to the side, the fingers lying limp and cold. Saix's eyes widened and he stared down in horror, unexplainable tears pouring down his gaunt face as he screamed out as loud as his lungs would allow.

"Xemnas!"

*  *  *

Axel gasped as perspiration dampened his forehead through exertion; Vexen snapped at him harshly as he began to tire.
"Hold on, Axel, for the love of God. Do you want to drop it, you stupid fool?"

Axel shot a look of false fury at him. "Shut up, Vexen!"
Vexen ignored him, punching the code into the door mechanism and storming through into the corridor that lead to his lab. Axel felt his stomach churn as he spotted garish pools of blood dripping from the body they carried between them. The Superior's lifeless head rolled across Vexen's arms as he held on to the upper end, leaving Axel to grip on to his feet.

"What about the others, Vexen? You gonna let them in on your little Replica plan, hm?"
Vexen barked back at Axel, his arms beginning to tire from hauling along Xemnas's dead weight.
"The Dusks I've reprogrammed will take care of them. I've set up memory wiping vessels. Similar to the pods created for preserving my replicas. Don't look at me like that, Axel! Hold on to the body, you fool! If you drop it I'll kill you."

The two Nobodies hurled the body into an ice bath that stood prepared in the middle of the room. Axel watched silently as the body sunk to the bottom of the tank, blood tainting the freezing water as a mass of silver hair rose to the surface.

Vexen shoved him, jolting him back into reality. "Concentrate, you imbecile! Come here and help me open the replica pod."
Axel obediently charged after Vexen, aiding him in opening the case and removing all the tubes and wires and needles that were connected to what reminded Axel of some kind of doppelganger.

When the case had opened, Vexen and Axel stood back, watching as the body twitched and jolted. Axel jumped as the eyes suddenly prised open, revealing deep amber eyes, identical to those of the lifeless body that lay at the bottom of the ice tank behind them. It was completely unclothed, revealing smooth, toned muscles and flawless copper skin. The only difference between the two entities was the scar on the lower stomach; it was only present on the real Xemnas, a product of a vicious fight with a giant Heartless.

The Replica stepped slowly out of the pod, walking unsteadily across the room to the bright lights above the operating table. It behaved primitively; it seemed to be intrigued by the lab instruments, and paced around cautiously, unsure of how to react to the situation before it.

"What are you going to do with the other -"

An almighty shove sent Axel flying into the pod from which the Replica had emerged. He spun around, but Vexen had already set the case to shut itself tightly, sealing Axel inside. He banged on the clear glass, but Vexen simply stood before him, smiling cruelly as Axel's limbs grew heavy and he fell into a deep, coma-like state.

Vexen's callous grin grew. "Comatose."

He turned round, facing the Replica. It spun around, staring back at him, it's eyes full of emotion. Vexen sighed; that was the last thing he'd wanted. He was still altogether surprised - despite the lack of heart - at the success. After all, the 'test subjects' the Nobody Superior had spoken of had been in Vexen's charge; he had, in fact, secretly used the Replica for experimentation.

He advanced towards it, holding out his hand. It dropped to the floor and whimpered like a little dog in pain, shying away from him, cowering in the corner like a frightened child. Vexen knelt down in front of it, stretching a false smile across his emotionless face.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here to help you."

He slowly slipped his hand into his pocket and drew out a knife, plunging it swiftly into the chest of the Replica. It shrieked and recoiled, speaking in tongues as it could not yet form sentences in logical language. Tears of pain and terror poured down it's face as Vexen ripped the test heart from it's chest, throwing it in the bin as if it meant nothing.

"You won't be needing that."
One swift punch knocked it out cold. He locked his arms around it and hauled it along the floor, lying it beside the ice tank in which the true Superior lay.

Vexen stood back, admiring his work once again. It always pleased him, to see a good job done; he watched as the wires and tubes flowing from the dead Superior connected to the Replica, supplying it with blood, necessary DNA and, above all, vital memories that lay deep in the confines of Xemnas's brain.

He glanced up, his eye catching the Nobody that lay unconscious inside the Replica pod. He laughed hollowly at the redhead; such a fool, to trust the Academic.

*  *  *

Vexen linked is hands behind his back, strolling through the Hall Of Empty Melodies. Pods were lined up in regimented rows; they held each member of the Organization, in ranking order, slowly but efficiently rewriting the memories that involved the Superior.

He studied each peaceful face as he passed it; every member slept as soundly as he had anticipated, soon to awake and go about their daily lives just as they always had. As if nothing had happened.

Vexen glanced down at his Rolex watch. He sighed impatiently, before rolling his sleeve back up and heading for the exit. It would take at least three months to rewrite the memories of all the members.

"Well," he remarked, his voice echoing through the empty halls, "looks like I've got some time to kill."