Stoplight Events

When Axel picks up both kids in the night, he doesn't really see a boy and a girl. And, to be honest, Axel didn't feel like himself when he threw the long leathery cloak over them, smothering the protests and grinning like a younger boy.

He thinks he feels like Ven- like he's drawing on the cinema-worthy smiles and that anytime now the kids under the absurd cloak will burst into joking glares. And one of them- the gangly boy with the two long knives at the ready in much the same way- really looks like Ven. Probably what prompted Axel to do this whole thing, instead of just leaving them there.

This side of Castle, street kids were common. Same on the other side, but not of the variety that carries blades instead of popsicles and can unlock any damn thing but not throw a ball properly.

__________________________

Ven had picked him up while trying every single stunt he could think of with his prized red-and-black disks. They hadn't gone all that bad- Lea wore only a couple extra bruises and cuts. The ground was mostly intact; Isa hadn't even pulled out half of his best sarcastic quotes.

"Hey there- the blond guy watching my moves."

"More like waiting for them to actually happen."

"Good one- here!"

The flying disk goes as high as Lea can make it, ruler-straight and vertical. He chases it with the other one, striking it and knocking both off-course. A roll- one's on his hand, and the other is bounced playfully off that one. Lea doesn't fumble that catch; although he comes close- had to blink, as most people do.

"I'm Lea. And he's Isa. Doesn't have a bite, unless you count sarcasm."

"Don't let Lea fool you- he's been tripping over his feet with those for a while."

"Isa, thought you were meant to support me?"

His friend rolls his eyes- that trait has been carried forwards, honed to perfection now. But this Isa does it carelessly, letting his head follow the movement and closing his bright eyes in the middle of it. Isa's accustomed to Lea's antics, down to the speeches Lea can give and the answers spoken back.

But then again, Isa has seen them a bunch of times already- okay, maybe not as Isa, but Lea gets the point. Much the same way he used to do this with actual knives and guns before switching to something more innocuous and that let them perform on the streets without fear of being chased out by the cops.

"I am. By being honest about your abilities. If it's a guaranteed win, people are bound to come."

"To what, the performance?"

"Pretty much. Or to ask some favor or other from Isa there- he's got a knack for keeping us with a job or two."

The blond guy ponders it for a moment, in the trite pose- hand on chin, eyes pointed skywards and a bit to the side. Lea's a master at copying all of the little standard quirks. Isa might be incredible at securing income for them, but it's Lea who draws the people to them with the smiles and a couple acts strung on for good measure.

"I'm Ven- Ventus for long, but no one uses that. And say, I have this place…"

__________________________

Saïx reacts as usual. Axel supposed he would- he never was one for aiding others without gain. Or rather, not if the relation wasn't bone-deep, name-deep and the whole reason that Axel and Saïx are in this whole mess in the first place.

"If we make it in, they are under your care. I will reduce my dealings with them to a minimum and you'll find the others will have no reason to interact with them in any way either."

Axel grins, mad-cap and daring. It's a bit of Lea there too, reacting to finally doing something more entertaining than their mission. The risks there are too cut-and-paste for his taste.

__________________________

Before Ven, Lea had been in some dubious actions and sneaking in as some guy called Reno. Ripped the name right out of some crappy action-horror movie, slapped on some sunglasses at night and waltzed into the headquarters in his full teenaged glory.

Reno wasn't stopped, but he was filed away with some more hopeful rookies.

And then there was the sulky boy with the shock of neon-light blue hair quietly focusing on some text. How he ever got here, Reno didn't know. Lea was interested beyond belief though-

"Yo. Name's Reno, and remember it."

"I see no point in doing such a thing."

"Because you'll be soon answering to me, that's why."

"If I ever end up answering to a thug with extravagance like you, I'll be sorely surprised."

Reno drops to Lea, who drops to his supposedly most charming persona. He has loads of them.

"Sure you will. So, how about we make the others answer to us?"

The boy- more like he's probably older than Lea, but he won't admit to it- ponders the thought for a minute. Lea sees the statistics flow behind his eyes, feels him calculate how much good will it do to him to have another guy with sunglasses and attitude on his team.

"My name is Isa, but do not use that one around here. And before you say to me that your name is Reno, I can tell it is not. Judging by looks, you ripped it off the film by Shin-Ra Studies- and I prefer to keep all the gambits under my eye."

Well, Lea's busted. At least, it was only this one Isa guy.

__________________________

Axel flicks one of the small pyrotechnic devices high over his head. Watches it sail for a while in the air, at attention like a soldier, before ducking to the ground and bringing down Roxas and Xion with him.

Saïx remains standing further off, clicking his pistol at the impromptu opening. It's redundant, and everyone knows this- Axel knows his explosives too well.

Only thing he keeps from Reno, asides from a couple of trusty guns.

A jewelry box is a pretty accurate thing to place the target in, all things considered. Although it probably wasn't empty- and Xion's pockets probably weren't bulging a bit either. But Axel doesn't mind too much. So far, they've done alright. Taken down some unlucky guards and picking open a window latch in front of Saïx probably helped. Axel already saw the best stuff though, but he'll let his friend figure out those for his own- if anything, Saïx prefers to evaluate things at his own rate and against his own scale.

He hears him mumble something about efficiency and exceeding himself on the pyrotechnics for a small-scale, stealth based mission. In answer, Axel does what he's always done:

A grin and a victory sign, empty vial high in the air.

On normal days, Lea would've taken a deep drink from it.

__________________________

Reno would've too. If they hadn't been unceremoniously kicked out after being a tad too footloose for their own good. But Lea did, and many times, when their street acts went along well enough.

When Ven picked them up, Lea was all up for sweet-talking some cheap fizzy drinks from a bored shopkeeper. And Isa, despite now showing it, was shooting pointed glances at his friend- he's taking too long to get them some drinks. They're taking too long to earn proper credits and not rely simply on Ven's good word of their physical skills and half-assed sarcasm.

But that time, Ven leads them off on a surprisingly well-lit route that leads past a bunch of almost-normal shops and restaurants, where for once Isa relaxes his shoulders and Lea throws his arms behind his head.

That time, Lea got to test his skills on a guy who almost didn't give them the treats. Sea-salt ice cream, because Lea had always wanted some of that.

Isa rants at him later, in the quiet glare-based way he always does. A sloppy performance, and why did he ever decide that sticking with him was a productive choice.

"Only saying that because you could never get some the fun way."

It took longer than Lea's usual cons, but he somehow found himself taking over extra chores in his first week as a rookie in Departure, while Isa looked on smugly and offered him a drink that was always slightly warm and half-flat.

__________________________

Axel and Saïx always pick the elevated route back to headquarters. Mostly because it's more deserted, and people walking around with awkward bundles fits in well enough with the drunk-on-night-lights rooftops.

Axel picks it for showing off. To keep himself in good shape, to take the city in properly and not muddled by crisscrossing pedestrians or shiny cars. In a way, it's also to make sure Roxas and Xion don't stray too far and get lost- Saïx can and will report witnesses, and Axel doesn't fancy taking on them as targets.

"You'll get us caught, Axel, and I'll have you explaining why we suddenly have two more members and why I'm dragging you home by that hair of yours."

"And that'll be because you were the only one up on top of the buildings still acting sober and two street kids tailed us home- so then you'll be stuck with the boring admin duties again."

He was aware Isa knew how to do the backflips, but he didn't picture stoic-guy Saïx going through the same motions and beckoning them all forwards.

And the idiot even picked the widest gaps in between the buildings, so Axel has to pace himself instead of simply careening off the nearest edge.

__________________________

They picked up the acrobatics from their brief stint as street actors. They honed the skills with Ven, prancing around and thieving like the actors from the movies across rooftops.

They got told that the technique was quite lacking… but it had its merits. Namely, and here Ven demonstrated with a smooth reverse arc that snapped a guard into unconsciousness, no one expected anyone to be trying those stunts. Much less without the safety of a green screen or so many cables.

So they sneak up and in everywhere. Isa does it too stiffly, leaning always towards maintaining stealth until the attacks are dealt.

Then the trio of them gets caught out-and-up-side of one of the pretty exotic restaurants, and Isa slinks them out mostly unpunished by going on and on, almost completely monotone, on how they are rehearsing for this one movie-

"How's it called?", a young girl in 'traditional' attire asks with the look of someone who knows it's not completely true.

"Ven, what was the name? It seems to have slipped my mind, with all the being caught in such a place and by such a beautiful girl-"

"No diversionary tactics, stunt extra. But thanks. Come tell me if you think you can slip in another actress in. Ask for Jasmine."

Ven hurriedly led them out the door, claiming that the rendezvous was at an inane hour in the morning to take pre-dawn shots, all the while praising Isa on his initiative.

"And that's why you watch your step, Lea. Or we end up waking up early again."

__________________________

Axel doesn't bother with announcing their presence back at headquarters. A low-ranking member must've already seen him by now, and if not, all the better. Means he can catch some Z's before having to go to some mind-numbing meeting and introducing the two rookies.

For now, they just stare at the huge structure. It used to be a high society house, Axel reckons, with the sprawling gardens that aren't that unkempt and the aesthetically pleasing exterior. Then Seeker took it over- how will be a story he'll tell the kids if they pull through the first meeting- and now it's just a base of operations with delusions of grandeur.

He shoves the kids into a room with a barely-wide-enough couch and turns on a mysteriously high-quality television set to a clichéd action-horror movie.

"You'll like this movie- one of my favorites."

He hears Saïx from behind him, standing aside the couch and glaring more than watching.

"Because you don't have the capacity to appreciate anything better."

"Shush. You like it too, just because you can make vaguely lewd criticisms at the girl with the wheel-y weapons."

__________________________

Jasmine did end up joining the troop, after she caught them again on the streets practicing stunts. Ven was quick enough to make the whole thing seem like an impromptu rehearsal, but this being just the three of them probably didn't go as well.

Lea remembers her arriving with a huge cat- quite distinctly a cat, and not some guard dog or anything- and going straight for Isa. His friend was twirling the handle from one of the weight-thingies from the gym nearby and nearly dropped it when the girl sidled up to him.

"So, practice cancelled?"

"More like we're early, miss…?"

"Jasmine. Hm, didn't think you'd forget about me-"

"Haven't, only we pretend to since you've caught us frolicking around instead of getting things done. Shame on you Isa, since you're the guy usually herding us into-"

"We did promise this girl we'd find her a spot, wouldn't we?"

Ven ruffles the back of his own hair, laughing all the way before extending a hand towards the girl. The cat hisses at the limb, but Ven doesn't care- if it has an owner, a bite won't do a thing, after all.

"Weird way of being a gentleman, but sure thing. Jasmine, what do you say to joining the insane double-life of…"

He lowers his voice and widens his grin. It's overly playful, even for Ven, but Lea quite liked the expression. Has tried to replicate it a bunch of time, but it never comes off with that amount of innocence.

Must've been a Ven thing.

"…thieves and high-class thespians?"

She nods solemnly, before smiling warm and flicking her fingers so that the cat stops hissing at Ven.

He remembers getting back to their old base vividly, rushing through huge sprawling gardens and hollering all the way. Not that it was really necessary, but it was part of the fun- it got some of the lazier groupies chasing behind them and let the initiation go as fast as possible.

Jasmine bats Zidane away within the first five minutes, runs herself into a dead end within ten. Faces off against Aqua and Terra, the two members with seniority, without flinching at the revolver on the blue-haired girl's hand or the longer bar on the huge boy's, within a half-hour.

When she ends up daintily seated between Isa and Ven watching a movie, Lea knows she's there to stay for as long as the group shall last.

__________________________

Their meeting happens way too early, before Saïx has been caustic enough or Axel can give both the strays a good scare on one of the chase scenes.

Then again, they are going to get at least shocked into silence by this.

The lighting is awful by choice, same as the cramped sofas and the all-black décor. Axel slumps down on one, bringing Roxas and Xion down with him amidst a bit of good-natured evil cackling. It earns him a twin set of glares and a twin set of vindictive snuggling for comfort, but it's better than sharing with someone else. And anyways, Axel is still occupying his one-and-a-half slots of the sofa, even if a bit of it overlaps with Xion's space and his arms are nearly slung over Roxas's shoulders.

Nymph commandeers a sofa for herself alone by virtue of daggers and Tasers rifling every single pocket in her clothes. Hero one for his massive size, Freeshooter for booting Nocturne off his. Saïx- sorry, Diviner here- doesn't really sit. Saïx and those iterations of his before only every leant against surfaces and sat only for the most formal of business meetings.

This is just a show of reports. A little initiation, but it goes off just as fast as expected.

"So, Flurry brought home a pair of puppies. I'd suggest… Poppet for the girlie on your arm, Tiger for her boyfriend, since he's growling so much. Then again, he better- wouldn't be much of a-"

"Name's Roxas, and you'll be using that unless you want a couple things unlocked."

"Worst taunt in the history of-"

Click. No one knows from where Xion got the thick padlock, but the long knife stuck inside was doubtless the reason it was currently open. She closed it with her hand, and fussed with the thing for a long half-minute- click.

"At least, the kids know their business. So Roxas and-"

"Xion."

"Sure thing. So where you from?"

The banter goes off and on for a while, reports exchanges. Saïx takes care of theirs, passing the ornate box with the ashes over and playing dodge-ball with the questions. They're vague enough Axel can tell they're true, but it could apply to a whole wide range of things.

He notices Saïx avoids mentioning the strays. They just pop in mid-sentence, attention drawn to them and then swiftly off to unlocking a door that never was there and pushing an empty box towards them. Plausible enough, since in the tale they snuck in before Axel pulled the fire curtains down and Saïx got a couple shots in for good measure.

Then everything descends to mindless chatter and Axel finds himself voicing the little question from before-

"We ever getting any new décor?"

"Why the girly question, Ax? Did we really fall for your 'I'm a boy' trick?"

"If we did, I wouldn't be amazed at all."

"So says the guy who went as Isa for-"

"Who's Isa?"

Figures it would be Saïx on the sarcasm- for all his ploys, he hasn't dropped that as completely as he would've liked.

"Some guy I used to know. You know, everybody's changing-"

__________________________

"And I don't feel the same."

"Lea, you'd be the one who would be unable to get such an obnoxious song out of your mind."

"Not my fault it's catchy. And you're just miffed I'm seeing more of your girl."

"Not my girl, in any case. And if you keep straying out of the mission boundaries, you'll get into trouble-"

"With Mouse? Are you kidding me? So long as we haul back in one piece, we'll be okay. And it's not like-"

"Lea, I hope that this time you intend to pay and I don't end up running off. The girl at the last bar had some mean guns."

"Didn't use any, right?"

"All water- got soaked, and you know Rajah takes bad to them."

"Isa here does too, so same thing. And you love when I swindle food for your romantic outings, so shush and go over to that rooftop or something."

They clamber up, Saïx barely beating Jasmine by an inch or two and still having to bow to her and extend a hand to help her out.

She doesn't take it this time, choosing to only leap and smile at him before sitting close enough for Lea to wolf-whistle at them.

__________________________

When almost-not-quite-Saïx lifts the gun awkwardly, Axel doesn't think for a moment this is it. Saïx dispatches of people either in complete stealth or hazed in blood- execution style is for those who love the flair, after all. So Axel hears the oath and watches Saïx pull the trigger with a bemused expression on his face.

He doesn't need to ask who are you, or what have you done to Saïx. And honestly, it isn't Axel's problem- far as he's concerned, he likes Isa more. Or maybe the same, but Isa was more open and still managed to crack a non-serious expression once in a while.

"I did say I would shoot you."

"With a water gun?"

Of course it would be. But Axel has to ask- it's just not something Saïx would do, in all of his non-whimsical glory.

"I didn't specify with what."

He needs better excuses, and as Axel levels the toy back at his companion, he thinks that maybe he'll manage to extract something better than a couple wet-cat hisses.

The next day is a lazy day, and Axel doesn't even pretend he didn't spend most of it sleeping. He wakes up only to Roxas clicking his knife into place in the flimsy lock to his room and some practice riddled with cheap sarcasm.

Remains awake only to rescue Xion from a mind-numbing exercise from Saïx on proof-reading, although the girl doesn't seem so bored and Saïx actually thanks her for her time in a roundabout way.

"Thought it was an order…?"

"I am considering the overtime, unless you consider your work as unfulfilled. In which case-"

"Saïx, when I say you are a workaholic, I don't mean it as a compliment. Now will you come out of there and, I don't know-"

"Precisely."

__________________________

He dozes off in the middle of another movie with Roxas and Xion, when the wandering swordsman and the lady at headquarters pick up a ragamuffin from the street.

"Could've been you. Except for the fact that, you know, he might've skill."

"And you could've been the swordsman if you had half the attitude. But then Saïx would've ended up as the girl from the abandoned school, and that doesn't work out."

"I'm sure it once did", Xion states calmly before nicking some of the chips off Axel's tray.

"Sure, when you were going through all the ledgers."