Xemnas looked over to see the little Xigbar staring at him sheepishly. "The pleasure is all mine, my old friend," he smiled, "Why don't you sit down? I hope you don't mind, but Saix was here earlier and he shared some of our drink. But there's still plenty to go around." Xemnas handed Xigbar his glass. "So how are you feeling?"
3484 How did we get so off number? Oh well, glad the thread is active again, at least.
Xemnas sighed sadly as he watched Saix run off. That poor man, he thought to himself, He doesn't know just how much he needs someone around right now. Xemnas sat back and let his thoughts run away with him. To his simultanious delight and fear, his thoughts seemed settled on a certain young blonde with a penchant for artistry...
I started a new AMV a couple of weeks ago, but I never got around to finish it due to massive amounts of homework that were late to begin with. Luckily, it's Spring Break next week, so hopefully after I sleep a bit, I can finish that and have it here. In the meantime, Lemon Demon just released a new song called "Knife Fight," which is awesome on so many levels. Once Re:COM comes out, and we get some good footage from there, I'm going to make it a duet between Xemnas and Marluxia. To give you an idea: Xemnas: "I'm gonna slice you up!" Marluxia: "I'm gonna cut you down!" Xemnas: "I'll put you in your place!" Marluxia: "I'll put you underground!" Xemnas: "This is the end for you, you gutter-crawling cur!" Marluxia: "I've got a tip for you, get the point?" Xemnas: "Yeah, sure." Marluxia: "It's time to face the music!" Xemnas: "It's time to face the facts!" Maluxia: "Time to bite the bullet!" Xemnas: "Time to pay the tax!" Marluxia: "We got a blade of fury!" Xemnas: "I am a ball of rage!" Marluxia: "You ready, sucka?" Xemnas: "Born ready!" Both: "Engage!" I'd post more, but I don't want to spoil it. It's ends hilariously, and I wish I didn't have to wait several months to make it. Stay Tuned!
"I think I made myself perfectly clear, Saix," said Xemnas in a friendly tone. "I think it would do you well to talk to someone about this, but at the same time I don't want you to reveal anything you're not comfortable revealing. In essence, what I'm saying is that it's completely up to you. I know what I think you should do, but I don't know how you feel. And I'm not going to force you to share something you don't want to share. I'd love to hear about it, but it's not like I'm going to order you to reveal your life story. You'll tell me when you're ready, sooner or later. Hopefully sooner, but its no big deal if it happens to be later."
((OOC: I believe the question was where did you leave off here? What's the last thing you remember from this RP?))
Xemnas looked at Saix. "I don't want you to talk about anything you don't want to talk about," he said, "but I think it would be better for you if you let it out. Vent." Xemnas sat back in his chair. "But, if you're not ready, I understand. I suppose I've kept you from your business long enough." Turning back to look at Saix, he said "But I think talking to someone would do you well, and if you ever need to talk, you know where I am."
Aww, not Mystery Science Theatre 3000? It's a much better show, in my opinion. :D
"Go as far as you're comfortable with," Xemnas smiled. "I don't mind either way. Actually it's refreshing to have a good, deep conversation with someone. Most times people just run away when they see me. They think I'm going to yell at them all the time. It's not my fault they continuously do stupid things. Doesn't mean I don't care." "Ah," he continued, "but now I'm prattling on in the middle of your story. Forgive me. But may I say, I don't think I've seen you happier?"
I trust Wikipedia about as far as I can throw it, but you're right that it is all latin. And this topic died a long time ago. It was cool to see it again, and I hope it gets stumbled upon again in the future.
Xemnas blinked as he listened to Saix's description. Oh, crap in a barrel, he thought, for it seemed like a pretty fair match for what he was feeling. Trying to shift the focus from himself, he said "Who was it, if you don't mind telling?"
((OOC: What makes you think the RP is dying? It better not, I've been trying too long to get in here...)) "Oh," said Xemnas, "I'm just wondering what it felt like. I met this girl today, she's young, but she's sharp. Thinking about her feels strange, and I'm worried it might be...but I don't recall ever feeling romantic love, so I might just be paranoid. So I asked you to, you know, compare notes." Xemnas sighed and sat back. "It's probably nothing. I don't even know why I brought it up. Besides, I'm probably old enough to be the girl's grandfather by now. It just wouldn't do." Though his face was the definition of decisivness, in his mind he felt like what he just said was somehow...incorrect.
3469. If you're really us from the future, then what number are we thinking of right now? 69, dudes! Woah...
3466 He's always there when the chips are beginning to fall. He wouldn't care if they kicked him and grabbed him and shot him and stabbed him and nailed both his ears to the wall.
3464 Wake up, little spider. No, you're not dead. Just paralyzed. Temporarily. You really are an amazing creature. You and I are not so different. Well, to each his own. I chose my path, you chose the way of the hero. And they found you amusing for a while, the people of this city. But the one thing they love more then a hero is to see a hero fail. Fall. Die trying. In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually they will hate you. Why bother? Here's the real truth. There are eight million people in this city, and those teaming masses exist for the sole purpose of lifting the few exceptional people onto their shoulders. You, Me, we're exceptional. I could squash you like a bug right now, but I'm offering you a choice. Join me! Think of what we could accomlish together...what we could create! Or...we could destroy. Cause the deaths of countless innocents in selfish battle again and again and again until we're both dead! Is that what you want? THINK ABOUT IT, HERO!
3458 People always told me "Be careful what you do! Don't go around breaking young girl's hearts!"
"Saix?" Xemnas asked after what felt like forever. "I've got a question, and it might seem a little weird. I can't believe I'm even saying this..." His hand clutched the spot on his cloak where he knew Naminé's drawing was. "...do you remember ever feeling love? Anything like a romantic attraction?"
Believe me, I toned down Frank Miller's "Sin City" for this, but I loved the characters so much and this story is basically "Kingdom Hearts using non-Disney worlds." Obviously Star Wars will come back, since I already established Luke and Leia, and other chapters will deal with other non-Disney worlds that I would've loved to see in a KH-style game. But yeah, Sin City is a graphic novel taken to the literal, and the film version is R-rated for a reason. I tried my best to tone it down for the site while staying true to the character and the story. I mean, "Pirates of the Carribean," while obviously much more lighthearted than this, was dark enough to have to be toned down for inclusion in Kingdom Hearts II. So basically, Kingdom Hearts II turned a PG-13 into a PG, so I turned an R into a PG-13. Please leave more comments! I'll be writing the third chapter some time next week, if I'm lucky.
3456 Hey! Wait a minute here! Oh, what is it?! Knives are dangerous. We could get hurt. Hurt? I don't wanna get hurt. Who does? Okay then. In that case, I challenge you to a... TICKLE FIGHT! Tickle Fight Tickle Fight Don't bring no knives to a Tickle Fight Just bring your fingers And bring a feather And everyone can sing together now... Ahhh....that was fun.....where my knife?
Chapter 2: The Right Back Alley Chapter 2: The Right Back Alley The Gummi ship had been making strange noises during the trip, so when they reached the next world, Goofy stayed behind with Setzer on intercom trying to make repairs. When Sora, Donald, and Ela landed on the world, they were met with a very bleak cityscape. Donald shuddered at the dark, almost monochromatic landscape, then to the bullet-ridden road sign that read “Basin City: 600 ft.†Sora, however, was elated. “This is just like those old black and white detective movies I used to watch as a kid! I remember I used to stay up late when my parents weren’t looking and just watch James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, Orson Wells, all the greats…†Ela studied the road sign. “That’s interesting,†he said, “These bullet holes almost completely obscure the ‘B’ and the ‘A’ in this town’s name.†“All the better!†squealed Sora in glee. “It’s a perfect name for the story of a hard-boiled detective. ‘Sin City.’ And I’m its newest Private Eye!†Sora lowered his voice, imitating the inner-monologue of a tough-guy. “I keep two Magnums in my desk. One’s a gun. I keep it loaded. The other’s a bottle. It keeps me loaded…†“Psst,†whispered Ela, “Don’t look now, but I think suspicious character number 1 has just graced us with his presence.†He subtly motioned over the guardrail, where a man could be seen at the bottom of the hill, slinking through the sparse covering of trees that separated the rocky hill from the city proper. He was wearing modest clothing: A black sweater with a white zigzag, and a pair of black jeans. But the moonlight caught his glasses in a way that gave them an almost inhuman glow. Also, it was hard to tell from this distance, but his fingernails looked a bit too long. Sora, Donald, and Ela followed the road down to the claustrophobic collection of buildings hoping to head the bespectacled man off, but he was nowhere to be found. So they shrugged and wandered the streets aimlessly until suddenly, a voice from behind said “Excuse me.†After jumping a mile in the air, they turned around to find a man in a trenchcoat staring at them. He was obviously an older man, but he had an energy and strength about him that belied his age. He bore an X-shaped scar on his forehead. He reached into his coat and very quickly flashed a badge. “Lieutenant John Hartigan, Basin City PD. What are you boys up to tonight?†“Just sight-seeing,†replied Sora quickly. “We’re kind of new in town.†“I see,†said Lt. Hartigan. “Then you wouldn’t happen to know anything regarding the whereabouts of one Nancy Callahan, age nineteen?†“No sir,†said Sora. “But if we find anything, we’ll come see you,†added Ela quickly. Hartigan’s face dropped for a second, then offered a sad smile. “Thanks, but you wouldn’t know where to find me. I’m…undercover. Thank you for your time,†he added before disappearing into the shadows. Another hour of walking, and they found themselves in a section of the city populated by old-fashioned lampposts. There were several women leaning against each of these. These women, in Sora’s opinion, were wearing far too few clothes. A tall woman in leather and fishnets walked up to the group and smiled. “Welcome to Old Town,†she said, “you new around here, boys?†“Oh boy,†Ela said quietly before turning to the others and saying “Let me handle this.†Turning back to the tall woman, he said “Yeah, we’re new, but we seem to have taken a wrong turn, and we’re sorry to have bothered you.†“Wait!†said Sora, “Maybe they know something about this Nancy Callahan person?†At this, the women froze to look at the trio. They suddenly drew a large assortment of guns from seemingly nowhere. Also seemingly out of nowhere, a small woman dropped from the rooftops and brandished two samurai swords and a mean look at the heroes. “What do you know about Nancy Callahan?†the tall woman asked slowly. Donald’s voice quivered as he spoke. “Only that some cop was looking for her…Lt. Hartigan?†The tall woman blinked. Lowering her gun, she said “If you see him again, tell him that Gail and the Old Town Girls have her in safekeeping, and not to worry about it. Now, you boys better buy something or leave.†“What do you have?†said Sora. Ela grabbed them both by the arm and led them away quickly, saying “Trust me, you don’t want what they’re selling.†“How do you know?†said the tall woman, Gail, “The kid looks lonely.†“He’s got a girlfriend,†Ela shouted back from the distance. “Never been a problem here,†Gail laughed as the trio rounded a corner and the women went out of sight. “What has that got to do with anything?†said Sora. “And besides, Kairi’s not…†“Stop living in denial, kid,†said Ela before a sneakered foot connected with his head. Before the others knew what happened, Donald was thrown into the wall of the alley with a “WAAK!†before falling down unconscious. Sora summoned the Keyblade as their assailant showed his face. It was the bespectacled man they had seen earlier. His face was expressionless except for an eerie half-smile. His hands were held out to the side in a relaxed manner, and Sora could now plainly see that the fingernails were pointed and probably razor-sharp. “Who are you?!†Sora shouted as he swung with the Keyblade. The bespectacled man dodged the blow by alighting on the Keyblade and kicking Sora in the face, knocking him out. *** The first thing Sora saw when he awoke was bathroom tile. He seemed to be in a large shower room of some kind. He looked to his left and saw Donald and Ela were also awake. They were staring at something on the opposite wall with terror. Sora followed their gaze. The heads of several women were mounted like animal heads with similar dumbfounded gazes. Sora, like the others, could only stare in silent horror. “He keeps the heads. He eats the rest,†said a gravelly voice from a corner of the room. The heroes’ gazes were pulled from the wall to a large man sitting in the corner. His face, gargoyle-like to begin with, was covered in scratches and medical tape. Yet despite his monstrous appearance, his eyes belied a soul worth trusting. All Sora could say was “Huh?†“Kevin,†said the hulking man, “The little weirdo in the glasses. He eats people. Women mostly, which is probably why we aren’t steaks right now. They’re keeping me alive so they can pin it on me. But what they want with you three, I got no idea.†Donald cringed. Sora tried to hold back his insides. Ela asked, “Who are you?†“Me?†said the man, “I’m nobody. Just another brute with a mean face and a ‘condition.’ Which reminds me…I haven’t taken my medicine in a while. When you’ve got a condition, it’s bad to forget your medicine.†“Right,†said Ela nervously, “Well…my name is Ela. These are my friends Sora and Donald.†The man stared at them. “You sweethearts? Don’t matter to me if you are.†“God no!†said Ela. “Why does everyone always think that about me? No, we’re just on one of those quests you read about in the fantasy books.†“I don’t read much,†said the man, “wasn’t that great at school. Name’s Marv,†he added extending a hand for them to shake. “How did you get here?†asked Sora. “And for that matter, where is ‘here’?†“Well, they killed someone who did something nice for me. She only wanted me to protect her from them, but she was still nicer to me than anyone’s ever been. But I was stone drunk so I couldn’t protect her when she was murdered right next to me. Like I said, they needed someone to pin this all on, and they thought I was the perfect patsy. But I wasn’t about to stay put, so they locked me up.†Marv lit up a cigarette, much to the chagrin of the heroes, as he continued. “As for where ‘here’ is, ‘here’ is the Farm.†“The Farm?†Donald repeated quizzically. “Yeah,†said Marv, “The Roark Family Farm.†“Umm,†said Sora, “We’re kind of tourists, so…†“Aww, Christ,†sighed Marv, “I ain’t Mr. Storyteller over here. The Roarks have controlled most of Sin City since it was built. They’re nasty too, every single one of them, up to the current generation. Cardinal Roark found Kevin and the two of them began their eating binge together. I was able to let the Cardinal meet his God, but then Kevin sliced me up and hit me with a goddamn sledgehammer. Then there’s Senator Roark, he’s in congress now. He’s got a laundry list few people know about, and I can’t tell you the details.†“If these Roarks are what you say,†said Ela, “Then I hope none of them have any more kids.†“Well, there’s the thing,†said Marv, “The Senator used to have a son. I don’t know his name, everyone just called him ‘Junior.’ Anyway, he liked to get his kicks with little girls. If they could’ve spoken after, I don’t think they’d say it was much fun. But there was a good cop in Sin City, the only one. Hartigan. He was able to save the last victim before she became a victim, and put little Junior into a coma with a few less parts while at it, if you catch my meaning. But the Senator didn’t like that much, so he pinned all of Junior’s crimes on Hartigan. Got him kicked off the force and sent to jail.†“Hartigan?!†Exclaimed Sora, “We just saw him!†Marv looked at them gravely. “If Hartigan found a way out, that must mean Nancy’s in trouble.†“You know her?†asked Ela. “’Course I do. Sweet kid. Saved her from some frat boys who were roughing her up a few years back. I hate it when guys beat up on dames.†“So,†said Sora, “It looks like we have to find a way out of here, defeat Kevin and the Senator, and rescue Nancy.†“Almost,†said Marv, “except that the Senator ain’t the one running the show here.†“Who is?†asked Sora. “And…what is that smell?†added Donald. “Damn,†said Marv, “He’s here. The guy who’s behind all this, if you can even call him a guy…†It was then that the door opened. A dark-skinned man who was taller than Marv and had one gold eye entered, surveyed the room, then moved aside for a smaller creature to enter. He looked like he had been human once, except that he was canary yellow in addition to being bald and cartoonishly ugly. He also smelled like a rotting corpse covered in expired mayonnaise. “So,†said the yellow man with a sick grin, “This is the Keyblade Master I’ve heard so much about.†“How do you know who I am?†asked Sora, “Who are you?†“Just an investor in Xehanort’s little war,†the yellow man replied. “You can call me ‘YB.’†“Does that stand for ‘Yellow Bastard’?†asked Marv with a grin, “’Cause that’s what you are, you yellow *******!†YB gave a look to the taller man, who went over and smacked Marv across the face. “Nice shot, Manute,†chuckled Marv, “By the way, I love your new eye. Sorry I lost the old one for you.†The tall man, Manute, stared at Marv with his good eye quivering. “Enough!†said YB. “You can all just stew in here. Once Hartigan leads me to the Princess of Heart, I’ll offer him the heroes of the Key as a bonus.†“What’s in it for you?†said Ela. “Power to do what I want,†replied YB with a grin. “Whatever I want, However I want it, Whenever I want it! True, I was always able to get that here, but think…and entire universe where I can get away with anything. Isn’t that enough?†And with that, YB and Manute left the room and locked the door. About five minutes after they left, Marv started ramming the large steel door. “What are you doing?†asked Donald. “What do you think?†said Marv, “I’m getting us out of here. They got Goldie, they ain’t getting’ Nancy.†“Stand back, Marv,†said Sora as he summoned the Keyblade. A ray shot from its end and the door slowly swung open. “I won’t ask how you did that, ‘cause I probably won’t understand it anyway,†said Marv as he ran past them. They followed him up the stairs and to the Farm proper where they were surrounded by Neoshadows and several trench-coated heartless. Sora’s Keyblade, Donald’s magic, and Ela’s chakrams took care of several heartless, but Marv really did a number on them. At first he was punching them out with a strength akin to Hercules, then he found a hatchet and a gun he had hid, and went to work with them. Finally, there was one heartless left. “Now that there,†said Marv to the creature, “is one damn fine coat you’re wearing.†Marv took the heartless by the neck and removed its coat before destroying it. Putting the coat on, he found it was a perfect fit. *** When they returned to Old Town, they found the girls in a shooting war with a large band of heartless. “Where’s Nancy?†Marv asked Gail when they found her. “Hartigan took her to some motel for safekeeping. But these guys are relentless. Each one we kill, Manute summons ten more!†“Manute?!†exclaimed Donald. “So if we destroy him, we’ll stop the Heartless,†said Sora. “Donald, Ela, Marv, help the girls. I’m going after Manute.†“Wait,†said Gail. She made a hand motion and the small girl with the swords appeared. “Take Miho with you,†said Gail. “Neither of you can get close on your own, but together you have a chance.†Sora looked at Miho, who nodded. Together, they jumped up to the rooftops, cutting down heartless as they went. Battling in formation, they leapfrogged and launched each other at their enemies. When they were in sight of Manute, he noticed them. “The Keybearer!†exclaimed Manute, “But how?!†“The main word here is ‘Key,’ you idiot!†yelled Sora as he Miho delivered quick cross-slashes to Manute. The tall man fell to his knees and dissolved into darkness as he said “This…isn’t…the end…†Miho and Sora then turned to help the others eradicate the remaining heartless. *** “Eight years!†said Nancy. “Why do you think I kept writing all those letters? It wasn’t just gratitude. I tried falling in love with boys. I even thought I did, once or twice. But I was already in love with you!†“That’s enough, Nancy,†said Hartigan. Sitting next to her on the motel couch, he tried to talk some sense into her. “I’m old enough to be your grandfather! You’re scared, and it’s got you talking crazy.†“I’m not scared,†said Nancy, and with that she pressed her lips against his. For a moment in time, they were two star-crossed lovers melting together. Then Hartigan pulled away sharply. “Dear lord, no,†he said as he got up and walked to the other end of the room. “There’s wrong, and there’s wrong, and then there’s this. For god’s sake, Nancy, you’re just a kid! That’s the whole thing.†“I love you,†Nancy said to him as he began to exit the room. Turning back for a second, Hartigan smiled and said “I love you too, with all my heart.†Hartigan decided that a cold shower was just the thing to keep his wits about him. He got in and tried relaxing when he heard the door open. At first he thought Nancy had followed him, then he noticed the smell that had plagued him during their entire trip to the motel. The curtains pulled back and a gloved fist connected with his face. Hartigan fell down and was held there by a yellow foot. He looked up into an angry yellow face that was trickling a small amount of yellow blood. “Recognize my voice, Hartigan?!†screamed YB. “Recognize my voice, you piece-of-s*** cop?! I look different, but I bet you can recognize my voice! I’d be really insulted if you didn’t recognize my voice!†“Sure I recognize your voice, Junior.†*** When Sora, Donald, Ela, and Marv reached the Motel, they found it dark and deserted. The broken window didn’t bode well either. They looked in to find Hartigan, completely naked, hanging by his neck with his hands tied, holding a shard of broken glass in his feet with which he was attempting to cut his bonds. “What happened?†exclaimed Donald as the others cut him down and got him his clothes. “Roark Jr.,†said Hartigan. “He’s back. His daddy brought him back somehow, turned him into some yellow mutant in the process.†“YB…†said Ela softly. “Where’s Nancy?†asked Sora. “He took her. Back to the Farm, most likely. He said something about delivering her to someone, but I have a hunch he’s going to want to finish what he didn’t get to do eight years ago.†“How are we going to get there in time?†asked Marv. “Knowing Junior, he’ll send some goons to pick up what he thinks is a dead body. When they arrive, we’ll be ready.†*** “The Princess is safe, but we’ve got a problem,†Junior said into his communicator, “The Keyblader and the Brute escaped, and I lost Manute.†“Correction, Roark,†said the image of Xehanort on the communicator, “It’s your problem. It’s your responsibility to make sure it doesn’t become my problem.†“Xehanort,†Junior said, “You need to come and pick her up now. And leave me some more reinforcements.†“You have all the reinforcements you require,†said Xehanort. “As for the Princess, I will pick her up on my own time. And she’d better be kept safe.†“Yeah, but…†“Do not forget your place, Roark. Xehanort out,†and with that, the communicator shut off. “Double-crossing…who does he think he is?†whined Junior. He turned to Kevin, who was sitting nearby reading a Bible. “I want you to set me up for a party tonight,†he said. Kevin narrowed his eyes at him, to which Junior replied “Don’t judge me, cannibal. Just make it perfect or else I’m calling my dad. It’s the perfect way to get back at Xehanort and Hartigan. She’s a little old for my taste, but I can forgive that just this once!†*** Hartigan drove them to the Farm with the car stolen from a couple of stupid thugs. They were halfway through the woods when Marv stopped them. “It’s Kevin,†said Marv, “He’s close. Hartigan, you go on ahead and rescue Nancy. The four of us will handle Kevin.†Hartigan nodded and headed towards the farmhouse in a diagonal. The rest of them waited for Kevin to show his face. He did, but not before showing his feet to Marv. Kevin leapt all over the place, as usually, throwing kicks and slashes to the heroes while they offered blows back, all of which expertly dodged by Kevin. “Over here!†called Marv, and Kevin leapt on him. That’s when Marv pulled out a pair of handcuffs, and chained himself to Kevin. “There, creep,†said Marv, “Let’s see you hop around now!†And with one punch, Marv knocked Kevin out. “Go help Hartigan,†said Marv, “he’ll need it. He’s got a bum ticker.†“What about you?†said Sora. “I’m not even close to finished with this creep yet, and I don’t want you watching the rest. It’ll give you nightmares.†Understanding, the rest of them ventured to the barn just in time to hear Junior’s ranting. “You’ve had it! You’re about to keel over! You can’t even lift that cannon!†Sora, Donald, and Ela burst in to see Hartigan wheezing on the floor, Nancy tied up in a corner, and Junior in his underwear holding a whip and a really large knife. They also noticed he was brimming with the power of darkness. “You gave me a scare there for a second, old beans!†Junior called to the newcomers. “I’m taking no chances with any of you. First I soften you all up, then it’s Showtime!†With the whip, he sent blasts of dark energy towards the heroes. He managed to knock Donald and Ela out, but Sora was hanging in there. Sora swung with the Keyblade, and Junior was barely able to dodge it. “You look like something my cat coughed up!†called Sora. “It’s not wise to make fun of me like that,†replied Junior, “It brings out the worst in me!†Junior’s whip wrapped around the Keyblade and kept it still as Junior came close and raised his knife. “Here it comes,†he smiled, “It’s gonna hurt!†“You’re right about that, “ said Hartigan as he came up underneath and stuck a switchblade into Juniors disgusting belly. “Sucker,†muttered Hartigan as he broke Junior’s arm, removed vital parts with his bare hands, and started beating Junior’s face into the floorboards, shouting “Eight Long Years, you Son of a *****!†After a while, what had become a puddle of yellow goo dissolved into darkness. Sora untied Nancy, and they helped Donald and Ela out of the barn. It was about this time that Marv ran up. “Kevin’s gone, kid’s not human. I killed him. I tore him apart, and he just disappeared in smoke and then came back together and hit me. Ran off.†“He won’t get far,†said Hartigan. *** In the moonlight, Miho was surveying Old Town when barely audible footsteps made her turn around. Kevin was standing there. So, this is your new foe said telepathically. Indeed. Shall we continue our battle? I’ve beaten you for centuries. What makes you think the forces of evil can win now? You know what they say on this rock. “Walk down the right back alley in Sin City, and you can find anything. The two silent demons nodded and posed for battle. *** “Nancy,†said Sora, “You’re a Princess of Heart, and there’s going to be a lot of people coming after you. You’re better off in our protection. Marv, Hartigan, you’re welcome to come with us too.†“Marv should go,†said Hartigan, “I’ve got friends on their way to collect evidence. I’m gonna blow this sick mess wide open. I’m gonna clear my name and get Senator Roark thrown behind bars where he belongs.†“Be careful,†said Nancy, “I can’t lose you. Not again.†She walked up to him and kissed him, then all of them except Hartigan warped to the Gummi ship. “Nice kids, all of them,†said Hartigan to himself. “Shame to lie to them like that. I hope they can forgive me for it.†He knew he couldn’t go with them. With his heart the way it was, he wouldn’t last even a second in a real battle. He also knew there was no way he’d be able to get Senator Roark. Roark was more likely to get him first. After killing the senator’s only son, the rest of Hartigan’s life was sure to be horrible. The Senator would also use him to find Nancy, and he couldn’t allow that. In Hartigan’s mind, there was only one way to truly beat the Senator and keep his loved ones safe. “An old man dies,†muttered Hartigan as he knelt down, “A young woman lives. Fair trade. I love you, Nancy.†A gunshot echoed through the woods, and wasn’t even acknowledged in Sin City.
