Roxas stared at the white ceiling, listening to the heart monitor beat rhythmically beside him. The energy-saving light buzzed and dimmed, a collection of dead bluebottles shining inside the plastic casing, their black legs dangling in the air. Fifteen. He counted again to be sure. It was an odd number, but there was a greenbottle too, so it was almost even. The greenbottle was dead too, shrivelled up inside the light. Together they were like a handful of dry seeds scattered out. Sixteen scattered seeds…

'Roxy?'

He twitched but rubbed it away like an irritating smudge, staring at the flies. "Yeah, Sora?"

He could almost feel his alter shuffle. Could they do that? He thought about it, chewing the dry skin on his lower lip. Did they ever actually move? They always seemed to be there, around, hanging about somewhere.

But do they move?

'I can hear you, yanno?' Alter Sora said flatly. A feint, almost non-existent weight tugged Roxas's sleeve. 'I miss Ventus. And – I never thought I'd say it – but I miss Vanitas, too. I want them to come back, Roxy. I… I miss 'em. It's too quiet without them. I'm lonely.'

"I told you," Roxas whispered, "they're not coming back. I don't want them back."
'What?' Alter Sora trembled, his voice high-pitched and desperate. 'How… How can you say that?! We're family!'

"Don't yell, Sora. Hurts my head."

'You can't just get rid of us, Roxas! We're not some dumb puppy you bought for Christmas and you're bored of, we're your brothers!'

"I didn't get rid of anybody!" Roxas snapped. He propped himself up on his elbow and shoved the bedsheets down his lap, half-leaning over the bed. "They just… They went, Sora, okay? They just left. I had nothing to do with it."

'You made them leave!' Alter Sora shot back. 'You said you don't need us anymore! After everything we've been through together!'

"Sora, please, just shut up."

Roxas hoisted himself up into a sitting position. The straps restricted his knees, the buckles hidden somewhere under the bed and out of his reach. He didn't bother trying to look for it; he wasn't eager to 'escape' again.

'It's because of Axel, isn't it?'

Roxas tensed, every muscle wrought into iron. "Don't, Sora."

'It is though, isn't it? Ever since he came along all you've wanted to do is get rid of us. Vanitas was right! These guys are just fakes, Rox. We need each other. I—'

"I don't need you anymore!"

'How can you—'

"I just did, Sora! I don't need you anymore – No, no I'm wrong, I don't fucking want you anymore! I want you all out of my head! I can't do this anymore." He turned to face his alter, staring at another blank wall. "I am so sick of being locked away like some monster because of you three. If I have to do this to get away, then… then fine! Okay, I'll do it. I can't let you hold me back anymore, I won't let you hold me back!"

'Hold you back?' Alter Sora's voice was a faint whisper on the edge of Roxas's hearing. He sniffled, choking down a hiccup. 'Rox, we never meant… I didn't—'

"Just shut up, Sora."

"You having a party in here, Roxas?"

"Huh?" Roxas stared at the door, blinking stupidly, completely dazed. He hadn't even seen the door open, nevermind notice the three people that had snuck in. He looked back at the wall, expecting his alter to say something, but nothing happened. He couldn't hear anything.

Axel smiled, one hand on his hip. "It was a joke, Rox. I was kidding. Here, let me introduce you to someone."

"Introduce me?" He cautiously watched the three men enter the room and take seats around his bed. Axel sat on his left, Pete at the end, and the newcomer on the right. Roxas stared at the brunet, eyes narrowed sharply and his hands scrunching a fistful of bedsheets. "Axel… What's going on?"

"This," Axel motioned to Terra with a quick nonchalant wave of his hand. "Is Terra. He's a friend of your brother."

"A friend?"

Terra smiled warmly and extended his hand. "It's a pleasure, Roxas. Ventus told me quite a bit about you."

Roxas wrinkled his nose and glared at the offered hand. "He shouldn't have. I don't know you and I don't like you."

Axel laughed silently, hiding his smirk behind his hand. He gave Roxas a gentle elbow-nudge and a fleeting smile. "Be nice, Rox."

"I am being nice."

"Well then," Terra said, taking a deep breath. He retracted his hand cautiously. "You don't have to like me, Roxas, but it's not a good idea to judge people before you know them. You brother Ventus trusts me a lot."

"He does?" Roxas's eyebrow shot up in disbelief. "Why?"

"We're good friends. Did he mention me at all?"

"He…" The blond chewed his lip. "A little. You're here to replace Axel, right?"

"Don't put it like that," Axel grumbled.

"I think that's the exact way to put it," Terra said. He scooted his chair closer and rested a hand on Roxas's bed, taking a mental note when the blond scowled at him. "Do you know why I'm replacing Axel?"

"Again, not being replaced," Axel sulked.

"Because me and Axel… We're, um…" He blushed and dropped his chin to his chest, offering the brunet a half-shrug.

Axel patted Roxas's knee comfortingly and smiled. "It's because I really like you, Rox, and I want a relationship with you. Something more than just patient and doctor."

"I-I know that," Roxas stammered, his cheeks bright red.

"Then you understand that Axel can't be yer doctor anymore, right lad?" Pete cut in, one giant hand hidden in his labcoat and the other resting on his thigh. "It would cause a lotta trouble for Axel if you an' him started datin' while he's still takin' care of yer medically. But if Terra was yer doctor—"

"It would mean you and Axel could date," Terra finished simply. "I'm not a mean guy, Roxas. You might like me."

"You're not taking me back to the asylum?" Roxas asked, his voice one emotionless note above a whisper.

"I wouldn't even consider it."

"And I wouldn't let him," Axel said loudly, smiling proudly when the blond looked at him. "You're never going back there, Rox. Never."

Roxas turned to Terra. "Do I still have to go to clinics or have meetings with you?"

"Occasionally." Terra fished in his pocket for a small A5 notepad and pen. "But we can talk about that later. Right now I want to get to know a little bit more about you and your alters. Is that ok?"

"Er…" Roxas rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't think so. Sora doesn't want to talk."

"Sora?" Terra frowned. "I don't—"

"It'll be in the notes I give you," Axel said, nodding at him. "Best just to listen, eh?"

"Right. Sound advice for a change, Axel." Terra laughed hollowly and crossed his legs, resting the pad on his knee and clicking the pen. "Okay, Roxas. Tell me all about you."

Ventus waited impatiently outside Roxas's door. Sat in an uncomfortable blue chair, he turned his phone around in his hand, turning it on and off repeatedly in some hope that Vanitas would get in touch. So far he'd had no luck.

One hour had passed. The voices on the other side of the door had slowly begun to fizzle out and he could hear chairs scraping back. Ventus tapped his phone repeatedly against his chin, his blue eyes fixated on the door.

Pete exited first, closing the door softly. He waddled across to Ventus, his hands sunk in his pockets and his clipboard tucked under his armpit.

Ventus looked up, his blond fringe hanging in front of his eyes. He opened his arms questioningly and mouthed 'Well?'

"He's doing good," Pete said. He looked around, spotted the chair opposite Ventus, and sank into it. The plastic groaned under his weight, threatening to buckle and snap. Pete ignored it and leaned an elbow on one knee, rubbing his prickly beard and sighing. "He's doing very good in fact."

Ventus frowned, his head tilted curiously to the side. He opened a blank memo on his phone and typed quickly, showing it to Pete.

:You don't seem happy? Is he definitely okay?

Pete squinted down at the memo. "Oh. Oh yeah, no the boy really is doing great. Yer brother is showing good signs. Not of recovery, yer understand, but of improvement. It's just…"

Ventus waited, worry and frustration mixed on his face. He edged closer, urging Pete wordlessly on.

Pete shook his head and swept a massive hand back through his black hair, scratching the back of his neck. "You boys… You have no idea who you're messin' with."

'Messing with?' Ventus mouthed. 'I don't understand.'

Pete looked at the white hospital doors nervously, at the people passing by beyond them and the cameras in the corner of the room. He lifted his hands up to his lips to cover them, bowed his head, and spoke in a muffled voice.

"You need to leave. All of you. As soon as possible."

'What?'

"Leave, Ventus. Please. You have no idea the danger you're putting this boy in."

Ventus ground his teeth together, his shoulders tense. 'What are you saying?!'

Pete licked his dry lips, staring at Roxas's door before his eyes flashed to Ventus. He shook his head, his hands trembling. "You need to leave."

'Not without Roxas—'

"Ansem won't let him go, lad! You listenin'? He won't let… Aw, no… No, no, I shouldn't have said. Ventus, you gotta understand—"

Ventus couldn't hear him. Muffled nothingness flooded his ears and penetrated his body until he was drowning, suffocating, choking on air. Everything stopped moving, stopped mattering, didn't matter, and never mattered. His lower lip trembled, his hands shook like an earthquake rocked underneath him, heart flooded with terror, mind lost. His phone almost slipped from his fingers but with a difficult and desperate flail he caught it before it hit the ground, taking a long deep breath.

"Ventus, listen ta me" Pete reached out and grabbed the blonde's knee.

Ventus jolted up and staggered back, stumbling over the chair and landing hard on the concrete floor with an almighty CRASH! He groaned, a grunt caught in his throat.

"Ventus, stop actin' like this. Here lemme help you—"

Ventus slapped the hand away.

'You knew?' he mouthed, struggling to regain his feet, eyes wide and horrified. His legs folded underneath him a second time and he struggled to his feet, demanding his limbs obey.

Fear turned to rage. He swallowed a curse in his throat and snarled at Pete. 'You knew!'

The silent demand left Pete stammering for words. Useless sounds dribbled from his lips.

Ventus looked him up and down, eyes filled with loathing and disgust. 'You're in league with them. I defended you!'

"I-I don't understand. Ventus you're moving you're lips too fast. Calm down.'

"Calm down? Calm down!' Ventus laughed hysterically, the action soundless and eerie. His eye twitched, the action so strong that his shoulders hunched inwards. He clamped his hand over it, but it was too late. Pete saw.

Mouth agape, Pete pointed at Ventus accusingly. "P13 has a twitch, too, that same twitch. Ventus, do you have a mental condition?"

Ventus glared at him and slowly lowered his hand. The twitch was gone.

Without looking back, Ventus marched to Roxas's room. He heard Pete's loud footsteps echoing behind him, heard the doctor's shouts that he was acting rashly, that he didn't understand, he didn't know the entire story, that there was a good explanation.

Ventus slammed Roxas's door open. Axel, Terra and Roxas stared at him, all of them confused. The smiles that had been on their faces dropped and they stared at him worriedly, concerned and anxious for an answer.

Tears shone in Ventus's eyes and he choked down an angry sound. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his heart thumping, blood rushing in his ears. Pete caught up to him and tried to drag him back but Ventus shook him off and shoved him away so hard that the fat man tumbled over and crashed down on his side.

"Ventus!" Terra yelled, both him and Axel rushing forward, their chairs clattering back.

They ran past the blonde in the doorway and knelt beside Pete, both of them using their strength to pull the doctor to his feet. They grunted, the heavy weight hurting their backs, and when they looked back through the door they saw Ventus kneeling beside Roxas's bed, his fingers fumbling with the straps and yanking them free.

"Ventus!" Terra snapped again, leaving Axel with Pete. He grabbed the blonde's shoulders and yanked him up, holding his thrashing body still. "What the hell has gotten into you?!" he growled. "You're acting like a mad man!"

"Get off him!" Roxas yelled, freeing one leg and booting Terra in the shin.

"Ow! Roxas—"

"Roxas, don't kick Terra!" Axel yelled from the hallway.

Struggling until his other leg was free, Roxas twitched, a surged of rage filling him. He pounced forward, aiming for Terra, to break him away from Ventus, but halfway through the movement he was tackled to the bed by a blur of red hair and green eyes.

"Axel, geroff!" he snapped, hands pinned to the bed and legs kicking out uselessly underneath Axel's skinny body.

"Not until you calm down! What the hell is going on?"

"Tell Terra to get off Ventus! Make him get off!" Roxas growled, shaking his head from side to side like a rabid mutt, bucking upwards. "Get off! Get off, get off, get off!"

"You've both gone mad!" Terra muttered, avoiding a wild thrashing arm that was on a collision course for his face. "What the hell happened?!"

Out in the hallway Pete waddled over to his desk and pressed the silent alarm rapidly, wheezing and completely out of breath. Axel glanced at him over his shoulder and frowned.

"Pete, don't call help. We don't need it."

Pete ignored him and sank into a chair, still pressing the button. "I'm sorry," he said sadly, shaking his head. "I'm so sorry, lads. You don't mess with people like him."

"Like who?" Terra asked.

"Beats me, I—OW! Roxas, don't bite me!"

"Get off me, Axel! Get off!"

"No—OW! I said stop!"

"This is ridiculous!" Terra growled. "Ventus," he grabbed his friend's arms tightly and held them close, ensuring he couldn't lash out anymore. "What's happened? What's going on?"

Ventus breathed deeply, his cheeks flushed. His hands moved so fast that Terra could hardly make out what he was trying to say. He followed one hand and then the other, trying to read the blonde's lips simultaneously. One crucial word emerged.

Terra's eyes widened and he released Ventus as if the skin burned him. "You're sure? You have to be sure, Ventus. You have to be."

"Sure about what?" Axel asked.

Terra stared at his friend. Something in the blonde had snapped, forcing him into a state Terra had rarely seen. The distant, diluted stare, on the brink of tears, was completely out of Ventus's character. The blonde's shoulders trembled, as if he was shivering, and he couldn't settle, fidgeting from foot to foot like a stallion eager to bolt from the paddock.

"We have to leave," Terra said, his voice too stunned for emotion. "Now."

Ventus nodded and turned to Roxas, holding out his hand.

Both Axel and Roxas stared at the offered hand. Axel slowly rested back and edged off of Roxas, standing beside the bed with a baffled grimace.

"What the hell is going on?"

"I'll fill you in later," Terra said. "We have to leave, and it needs to be now. We're running out of time."

Roxas ignored the doctors and focused on Ventus, rubbing the twitch away from his eye.

'Roxy, what's going on?' Alter Sora asked tentatively. 'Our Ventus never acted like this.'

"That's because this one is real."

Ventus frowned and pushed his hand further towards Roxas, his eyebrows pinched and his lips parted with desperation, the word 'please' mouthed twice.

'You saying our Ventus wasn't real?' Alter Sora whined.

Roxas ignored him and took his brother's hand, letting himself be helped up. Before he could blink, Ventus picked up his shoes and pushed them to his chest, urging him to hurry.

Thirty seconds passed with anxious pacing on Ventus's part and confused and worried stares from the doctors. Roxas tied his last lace and stood, taking Ventus's offered hand and holding it tight, looking down at their fingers. His left side twitched and he swallowed, fighting hard to drown out his alter.

"We're going now," Terra said.

Ventus nodded and darted out the door, dragging a limping Roxas behind him whilst a bewildered Axel brought up the rear. Pete ran after them, arms open, repeating his apologies, trying to make them understand that security was already on its way up the building, that there was nothing to be done.

Ventus pulled Roxas through a series of double doors, followed closely behind by Terra and Axel. Pete approached the glass, but no sooner did he reach it then Ventus grabbed the metal handle and slammed it shut. Glass shattered and Pete's nose crunched, blood spurting through the gap. Whimpering, Pete collapsed backwards, his labcoat spurted with pink and red dots.

"Woah…" Roxas whispered, watching Ventus flex his sore hand.

"Was that necessary?" Terra asked, ignoring his friend's glare and following them down a short corridor.

Axel jogged behind them, looking over his shoulder at Pete howling with pain, the door pushed open by one large red hand. They rounded a narrow corner and through another set of doors until they were on the main corridor. Sound burst back into existence: whirring, whizzing machines, chattering nurses, authoritative doctors, squeaky wheels of beds with groaning patients, a woman sobbing somewhere on their right, a door creaking open.

Ignoring it all, they followed a set of arrows towards the stairs, disregarding the elevator completely and hoping to bypass security. When they reached the stairs they were empty, the floor was so high up that everybody wanted to take the lift. The steep grey stairs made their footsteps echo, but when Ventus began his descent he felt a soft tug on his arm and looked back.

Roxas stood at the top of the stairs, shuffling from foot to foot. "I can't."

Ventus frowned and tugged.

"No!" Roxas snapped, yanking back. "You don't get it. I can't. My knee, it hurts too much." He lifted his trouser leg just enough to show them the bottom of the white bandages. "See? There's too many steps. Can't we take the lift?"

"The lift will be overrun with security by now," Terra said, his arms folded.

"And why are we avoiding security, exactly?" Axel asked. "Half an hour ago everything was fine. What the hell changed?"

"Everything changed," Terra growled. "You have no idea who you've been working for."

"Then enlighten me," Axel said, standing beside Roxas. "Who are we running from? Why are we even running?"

Terra looked at Ventus, saw his friend's hard stare and small shake of the head, and faced Axel. "Now is not the time or the place. We have to leave the hospital."

"And go where?" Axel asked.

Ventus ignored the arguing duo and turned his back to Roxas, crouching down and extending his hands backwards, glancing over his shoulder. With a soft nod of his head, he indicated to his back.

"Wait, a piggyback?" Roxas scoffed. "I'm not two, Ventus."

Ventus straightened up. 'So you'll walk?'

Roxas twitched and glanced over the bannister at the long way down. By now Terra was wagging his finger in Axel's face and said redhead was threatening to break it off. Sheepishly looking at the ground, Roxas swallowed his pride and sighed.

"Fine. I'll take the damn piggyback."

Ventus forced himself to smile and resumed the position, slowly hoisting Roxas up settling him into a comfy position. He jogged down the stairs, hearing Terra and Axel yelling for them to wait, but he wouldn't slow down. His heart was racing. On every floor he checked that his worst fear wasn't going to barge through the doors with armed security at his back.

Behind him, his chin bobbing up and down and his arms wrapped loosely around his brother's neck, Roxas rested against Ventus's back, his mind under siege by a thousand thoughts. Ventus was warm, and as they ran down the steps a disturbing thought occurred to him.

"What day is it?" he asked, looking over his shoulder and searching for Axel. The redhead was behind him on the right, one hand on the banister to keep his balance. "Axel?"

"Huh?" Axel glanced across at Roxas, missing the last step and almost falling over. "Y-yeah?"

"What day is it?"

"Day? Er, Wednesday, I think."

"It's Thursday," Terra corrected.

"Thursday then," Axel grumbled. "Why, Rox?"

Roxas chewed his lip and rubbed his eye, trying to prevent the twitch.

'It's the others,' Alter Sora whimpered, panicking in the back of Roxas's mind. 'It is, Roxy! They've found us! They—'

"Shut up, Sora!" Roxas growled.

Ventus frowned and shuffled Roxas further up his back, hoping to jog him out of his episode.

They reached the ground floor where a few stragglers were attempting to take the stairs to the first, second, and third floors. Ventus gently eased Roxas off his back and took his hand again, pulling the blonde's hood up and over his face, ignoring his brother's yelp of surprise.

Pulling his own jacket hood over his head, hiding his hair and fringe, Ventus pushed the door open and entered the hospital lobby with Roxas, Terra, and Axel hot on his heels.

Near the elevator two security officers held their fingers to their ears were a black wire curled down towards the radio attached to their belts. Mobs of people and nurses swamped the area, the help desk was cluttered with so many files that the people sat behind it could hardly make out the old woman asking for directions. Sound bubbled around them and nobody cared to notice them Ventus checked the faces of people he passed quickly and thoroughly, deciphering whether they were who he was avoiding or not. Nobody came close to the description he was hiding from. They made their way through the crowd of people and towards the exit without hassle. For a moment Axel's self-conscious got the better of him and he was sure he could see one of the security officers staring at him, isolating him from a crowd of thirteen people. He stared at the floor and pulled his coat collar up, refusing to believe he was that distinct.

Outside the light was blinding. Crispy gold leaves blew past their feet in the wind and bumped against the legs of patients and visitors entering the hospital. Ventus pulled Roxas along the side of the building, near the parked ambulances, where they wouldn't be seen, and pulled his hood down with cautious glances in all directions. Roxas copied him, enjoying the soft breeze through his hair and squinting in the light.

"Now that that's done," Axel grumbled, following them round the corner. "Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on? What are we running from? Why are we even running?"

"Ventus," Terra said, "Aqua's still in the hospital. You know I can't leave her."

Ventus's hands moved quickly, almost a blur. Terra shook his head sadly.

"I won't leave her Ventus. Look, he won't even know us, he's never met us and he has no reason to suspect what we look like. We'll be safe, I promise you. I'm worried about you and Sora, not us."

Ventus's hands moved again, slower and almost tiredly.

Terra rolled his eyes. "And Vanitas."

"Wait, what's gonna happen to them?" Roxas asked, looking between them both. "I don't understand. Why did you hit Pete? Why did we leave?"

"My questions exactly," Axel said sourly. "What's going on Ventus?"

Ventus grimaced and stared at the ground, shaking his head.

"They deserve to know, Ventus," Terra said. "Hell, they're gonna need to know."

'No,' Ventus signed.

"Ventus—"

'I said no, Terra. Not until I know for sure that Ansem is here. I don't want…' He looked at Roxas, saw his brother's worried stare, and turned back to his friend. 'I don't want Roxas to regress. I don't want to cause Sora's breakdowns again or encourage Vanitas's alcohol problem. They can't know, Terra. Not until we know for sure. It could do more harm than good.'

"So could not telling them," Terra said. "Ventus—"

'No, Terra. I know what I'm doing. There's no way Ansem can be here, I just…'

Terra frowned and signed with his own hands, isolating Roxas and Axel from the conversation. 'Why would Pete lie?'

Ventus read his friend's hands and shrugged. 'Who knows.'

'He was close to Roxas. He had no reason to lie about this. Ansem—'

'He isn't back, Terra. He isn't.'

'You're not thinking straight.'

'I am thinking straight!' Ventus signed angrily, glaring at his friend. 'Just go find Aqua, Terra. The last thing I need is you sticking your nose into this and telling me how to take care of my family!'

Terra bristled, squaring his shoulders. He stayed still for a moment, both locked in silence, ignoring the glances Axel and Roxas gave them. The wind drifted past, picking up the bottom of their coats until finally Terra turned away, staring at the ground.

"I'm going back for Aqua."

'Terra—'

"No." He shook his head, ignoring his friend's hands. "He won't recognise me, and I can see I'm not needed here." He dug his hand in his pocket, fished out a black car key, and tossed it to Axel. "Take my car. I'm parked in F08."

"Your car?" Axel frowned, catching the keys one handed. "Why?"

"You came with Sora. I doubt he's coming back for you any time soon."

Without looking at Ventus, Terra headed back into the hospital, pulling up his coat collar as he walked.

Axel scratched his head. "Well that was weird. So, any idea what's going on, Ventus?"

The older blonde sighed silently, pulling out his phone and typing another memo.

:Take Roxas to Auron's house. Stay there until I get back. If you find Vanitas tell him to call me straight away. It's urgent.

"Uh-huh," Axel mumbled, squinting at the message. "And why can't you tell him yourself?"

"What's so urgent?" Roxas asked, peering over Axel's arm at Ventus's phone, then looking up at his brother. "What's going on? I don't understand. Ventus…?"

Ventus took his phone back and swallowed a lump in his throat, typing another message.

:Trust me, you need to go to Auron's and stay there until I come for you. Go now. Don't open the door to anybody, okay? Just wait until I get there.

"But—gwah!"

Roxas grunted, his muffled curses squashed into the folds of Ventus's coat as the older blond swept him into a hug. Strong arms hung over Roxas's shoulder for a brief second before Ventus pulled away. In the blink of an eye Roxas was watching his brother's body running away from them, already back at the hospital doors and rounding the corner to find his car, leaving Axel and Roxas alone.

"Well that was odd," Axel said, nudging Roxas's elbow. "Come on, let's go find Terra's car and get you some place warm."

Roxas stayed still, ignoring the gentle tug on his arm and staring at where Ventus had once been. "You think he's okay?"

"Huh? Oh. I guess. He seems like a smart guy."

"What was with that outburst?" Roxas asked. "I'm the mad one. I'm supposed to act out, not Ventus."

"I dunno what to tell you, Rox." He shrugged, patting the blonde's shoulder. "Maybe he's having a bad day."

"Maybe…"

"But what won't help," Axel said, spinning the blond to look at him and smiling, "is us freezing our asses off. C'mon, let's get going."

"I guess," Roxas whispered, looking over his shoulder worriedly and ignoring his annoying twitch.

Ventus jogged into the car park on the right side of the hospital, bumping shoulders with numerous people. He ignored the insults they spat at him and pulled his phone out of his pocket, trying Vanitas's number again.

Vrr… Vrr… Vrr… Vrr… Hey this is Vanitas. I'm not around at the minute, but if you leave a message I might call you back. Beep.

Ventus twitched. He dropped his phone back into his pocket and stopped outside of an empty car spot in the car park, bent double and heaving for breath, his legs shaking like jelly. Frowning, he looked up and down the long line of cars, and back at the empty spot where his car should have been.

Vrr-vrr! Vrr-vrr!

He jumped. His phone vibrated, rattling loudly against the junk in his pocket. He grabbed it, smiling with relief when he saw Vanitas's name pop up.

The video message opened and the roof of his car came into view. The video was sluggish, the image jumping and blurry. He couldn't see much; the passenger side of the dashboard, the phone slid somewhere down the seat it was on and Vanitas's wild black hair came into view.

Vanitas was looking out the window, both hands on the steering wheel, the engine revving and sirens flashing bright blue against the glass.

"Ventus!" Vanitas yelled, hands moving frantically on the wheel, taking a sharp right turn. "Ventus, someone—ccrk—following—ckrck—Ventus, Sora is—home! Kairi's—"

Ventus frowned, his eyes skimming the crashing image. Without thinking he started running again, across the car park and out of the hospital, down the main street where traffic was backlogged as far back as his eyes could see. He refused to put the phone down. The small buffering circle was slowly going round and round and round and with every step his breath felt like knives in his exhausted lungs.

Finally sound burst from the phone. Ventus held it to his ears and cut across the practically parked traffic, jumping over bonnets and ignoring the honks of pissed off drivers.

"Ventus, there's four—Ccrk—"

Ice shot down Ventus's spine and he looked at the image of his brother. The car was totalled, the front end completely smashed into a lamppost. Vanitas was frozen, looking down at the camera, mouth open half-way through his rant, eyes bloodshot, wide, full of fear, blood trickling down the side of his head and staining his eyepatch. Ventus saw a black car through Vanitas's left mirror, the man in it suited in black, his window rolled down.

The call finished buffering.

Smoke rose from the car bonnet, a horn screeched over every other noise, and two men in black suits reached in and dragged Vanitas's flailing body out of the car. Ventus froze, hands squeezing his phone so tight that his fingers turned white, teeth ground together and every breath hitting his chest like a dead weight. He watched his brother dragged around the back of his car, caught a glimpse of the surrounding area –an empty field, goalposts, some little kid screaming at the top of his lungs in the background, flats in the distance, could be anywhere. The second man in black reached into the car and picked up Vanitas's phone, sunglasses shading his eyes, his hair and face hidden beneath a hat and a scarf. The man's cheeks twitched and Ventus bristled before the phone was switched off and the call disconnected.

Panic flooded him. Ventus tried to reconnect the call twice. Twice it failed. People bumped past him, cursing. With numb fingers and an erratic heart, Ventus pocketed his phone and made his way through the mass of people, trying to dodge the crowd as he sprinted to Kairi's apartment, praying he found Sora first.

Hi everyone! In case you don't recognise me, I used to be the Unwritten Promise, but I'm now Luna-Atlas :)

Anyway, I am so sorry that I left this story for so long! I just hit a wall and I procrastinated and before I knew it a whole year had gone XD But I'm back!

About this chapter, I so desperately wanted to give you the other half to go with it because it's gonna blow minds and people are gonna freak out and it's gonna be great! The reason I didn't is because I feel like this is a fast-paced chapter, so I decided to break it up a little. But, in the next chapter, I promise you're going to see:

Ventus,

Sora,

Ansem,

Roxas,

Axel,

AND you're going to hear from Reno!

Maybe I'll slip Vanitas in too…

So a lot's going to go down! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter because Ansem is finally on the move!

And to all of my amazing reviewers, I am so sorry that I never got back to you! I promise I am trying my hardest to reply to everybody, and you have no idea how much all of your reviews mean to me. I take everything said on board and I love hearing back from you all! Thank you all so much!