:) Thanks for your reviews! You 5 guys were awesome!

Sorry it's taken so long, I've really dug myself a hole... can't help it! I've got stories to write, and I don't want to let you guys down!

So... I love this Axel. He's bad boy hot... and I can't help but love writing him :D

So... yeah... nothing else to say..

Just please review?

Enjoy! :D

"So you're telling the court that this man is linked to Axel Salvatore how?" The lawyer raised an eyebrow and leaned in towards the witness with the intent to intimidate.

"H-h-he mentioned his name… c-called him b-b-boss man…" The witness cast a hopeful glance towards the prosecution bench where two lone detectives were watching the cross-examination, but no help came from their faces. One of them looked detached and truly uncaring, but the other looked furious beyond belief. His eyes were like ice chips, deadly and cruel as he watched the defense rip into his witness. No mercy showed on his face, only pure frustration.

"So you're saying that this deranged man who pulled the gun out on your cousin was talking about Axel Salvatore as he was intoxicated?" The defense lawyer grinned smugly as the witness quailed under his stare.

"He… he wasn't deranged…" The witness clutched her shirt tightly and looked over at the judge whose eyebrows were raised as he waited. "He… he was very lucid… and he was calm…" Detective Roxas Strife gave his partner a tired, fed-up glare and then promptly buried his head in his arms with a groan.

"She's holding her own very well considering she saw someone murdered." His partner whispered as he pulled out a small notepad and wrote down a few notes for their next witness.

"Do you know the alcohol level he had when he took a breathalyzer test?" The lawyer asked.

"N-no…"

"Put a bullet through my head." Roxas hissed as he saw the witness visibly shaking from where he sat. Anger and frustration washed through him as he glanced back and saw a small group of well dressed and smug men on the back row, a tall and imposing figure in the middle of them. They all seemed to be very watchful of the people around them, keeping their eyes on the hands and actions of anything that could be a potential threat. The entire row was on edge.

Well, all except the man in the middle.

He was taller than the others, this apparent even when he was sitting down. He wore a tailored, three piece black pinstriped suit and a crisp white shirt underneath it, a blood red tie standing out proudly against the contrasting colors. He had a pale, narrow face and jade green eyes that were cat-like and slightly small, predatory and ruthless as he stared everything down. He held his head high and proud, his lips turned into a smirk naturally. He looked polished, pristine, and perfect. The only things truly unprofessional about him would have to be his hair that was wild and spiked back, a vivid crimson color, and the small, upside town triangles under his magnetically powerful eyes.

Turning his gaze around the room calmly, the man noticed Roxas staring at him hatefully and his smirk grew. Tilting his head he winked slowly, lazily, and nodded to where the witness was being roundly abused and Roxas was helpless to stop it. His lips curled up and he casually dismissed Roxas's glare with a raised eyebrow. Fuming, Roxas turned back towards the scene before him.

"Were you aware that he blew a 0.9 on the test, signifying that he was drunk?"

"I'm serious, put a bullet in my head." Roxas snapped under his breath.

"If I did that then where would all of my entertainment come from?" Riku replied easily, nudging his partner and nodding to where the jury looked disgusted and annoyed.

"N-no…"

"You could take this unhelpful brat home and question her… Bradley's having a field day making her piss her pants she's so scared, maybe you would too." Roxas muttered darkly, wanting to look back at the bench behind him again but resisting the urge. He didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"So you weren't aware that he was actually incoherent, therefore the words coming from his mouth meant next to nothing since he wasn't in the right mind?"

"No… I mean, he didn't act like it…" the woman shifted uncomfortably, making Roxas let his head fall back onto the table with a dull thud.

"Easy there, Roxas." Riku droned from beside him as he took careful notes.

"So you'd now agree, based on this information, that him saying something about a boss man and mentioning Axel Salvatore could be just a simple misunderstanding in a drunk man's mind? Axel Salvatore owns no large business cooperation with hit-men, to the state's understanding."

"Y-yes…"

"Fuck me." Roxas groaned into his arm as the witness looked at him pleadingly, confusion all over her face. Riku patted his shoulder consolingly and jotted down another note, his expression blank and uncaring. Of course… they'd been through this drill before. People stopped caring when something disappointing happened time after time.

"No further questions, your honor." Bradley smiled warmly at the prosecution table as he adjusted his tie and sat down smoothly.

"Does the prosecution wish to re-examine the witness?" Roxas stood up and faced the judge, watching as the witness crumpled in grief and fear on the stand, her red eyes filling up with tears as she realized just how badly she'd failed. Sighing and looking down at Riku's notes, he felt a small ray of hope that his partner had found something that he made missed. He'd been taking notes, after all.

This hope was dashed when Roxas saw the childish doodles of paopu fruit and palm trees decorating small circles of hearts that said, "Riku and Sora 4-ever". They were done for.

"No, your honor…" Roxas sighed, pushing the notes away disgustedly and giving Riku a black look. "The prosecution rests."

The steps of the Twilight Town court house were swarming with news reporters, their lights flashing and blinding everyone who dared exit the doors. Their shouts and questions and yelling was so loud that even 10 yards from the door Roxas already knew he was going to get a headache.

"We'll do better next time." Riku said beside him as he clipped his briefcase shut and tugged on his tie a little. Roxas gave him a black, angry look and flipped him the middle finger as they rounded the corner.

"How can you say that?" Roxas demanded irritably as they walked, fast paced to the door. The humiliation at hearing, "not guilty," was still fresh in Roxas's mind, and he wanted to get as far away as possible.

"Well, we'll get a better witness. Funny thing about the mob; they always give you reasons to throw them back in jail." Riku chuckled at his little joke, but his laughter died off awkwardly at the stare that Roxas threw at him.

"You didn't even listen to what was going on, Riku! You were so busy doodling about being with my cousin that you didn't even notice that our main problem was sitting 8 rows back from us! Newsflash, Riku, he's straight!" Roxas snapped, tugging at his hair ruefully and gripping his laptop bag tightly with his other hand. Riku slowed down at that, his face oddly grave and his eyes severe as he turned to Roxas and set his briefcase down slowly. Folding his arms and frowning he shook his head.

"No, I didn't pay attention, Roxas." He agreed, flipping silvery hair out of his eyes to make sure that Roxas could see them fully. Aquamarine eyes peered over at him with weariness and annoyance, trying to convey a different message than what his face showed. "Because every single case is the same. Every single person we've put on the stand has been bribed by them, threatened by them, scared by them, or supports them. How do you play a game against a team that outnumbers you one town against two people? Don't you get tired of it?" Riku asked.

"Get tired of trying? Sure, it gets old… but it's the-"

"Right thing to do, I know… but we can't fight them forever." Riku shrugged and frowned, looking away from Roxas to stare out of the double doors where lights flashed and reporters surged close to see them through the glass. "It gets old, always failing. Doing what's right isn't… always so nice, you know?" Roxas frowned at that and set his laptop bag down as well, disliking where the conversation was heading.

"What are you trying to say…?" Roxas questioned edgily.

"It gets old, doing what's right and having no recognition. No, we're just failures… be damned the fact we tried… we still fail in their eyes…" Riku rubbed his hand over his face and gave a forlorn look to his partner.

"So what, you're not going to do this anymore?" He demanded.

"Nothing so dramatic, Rox… I'm just tired. Tired and police force don't mix." Riku joked feebly. The dark stare was still in his eyes though, a weary and fed-up look.

"It's still the right thing to do, no matter the consequences." Roxas stated firmly. Laughing, Riku nodded along, his playful smile breaking the awkward ice that had formed for a moment between them. Picking up his briefcase, Riku nodded and rolled his eyes, turning towards the crowd waiting.

"Of course, Roxas, it's still right… I'm just tired of working hard and getting nothing… nice guys finish last. People like Axel Salvatore who runs mobs and things that aren't supposed to be good… still have a pretty good life, regardless. We're doing what's right and sit there pay check to pay check, struggling to survive and being made fun of by everyone in sight for us not succeeding while Axel Salvatore sits in a penthouse surrounded by beautiful women without a care in the world." Shrugging, he nodded to his partner and turned to leave, his steps sure and confidant as he made his way to the doors, gave a backwards wave, and then stepped out to face the press.

Roxas sighed and leaned against the small statue that they'd stopped near, rubbing his temples to try to ease the pressure that he felt building against his skull. They had these conversations every now and then when the pressure to win against something you couldn't beat grew too big…but Roxas hated having to try to push it into his partner's head that good was good, and bad was bad, no questions asked. Riku always seemed to toe the line, mentioning things about grey areas, and though they'd worked together since they'd both become the two youngest detectives on the force… Roxas sometimes didn't know who he was really dealing with.

"Rough day to be a detective." Roxas jerked out of his slightly self-pitying stupor to see Axel Salvatore in the flesh, flanked by his right hand men (and one woman) and staring at him with smug amusement.

"Don't mess with me, Flurry." Roxas snapped, grabbing up his laptop bag and putting on his best police face. "You step one toe out of line and I'll-"

"I wasn't stepping out of line anywhere, Detective Strife." His voice was soft and muted, the danger lurking in the under tone as the man's lips curled up into a slightly cruel smile, ever green eyes flashing wickedly. "Just telling my good friend Marluxia here how it was a shame that your witness couldn't have been a bit more… what was the word?"

"Self-assured, sir." The man beside him said, a sneer growing over his face as he flipped his pink hair back.

"Yes… it was a pity that she seemed so scared. Your case would have been very strong with a sturdy witness." Roxas felt his fists clenching tightly, the nails digging into his skin and the blood rushing to his face.

"Maybe if you hadn't threatened her and made her fear for her own life by testifying she would have been able to focus past seeing her cousin's murderer in the same room as her." Roxas hissed in reply, his vision narrowing until all he saw was Axel's tall, imposing, and utterly revolting form.

"Threatened her? Detective, the only one throwing things like threats around here… is you. I'm perfectly sociable." The small clutter of people around him cracked slightly wry grins at that and Axel raised an eyebrow.

"You've got your publicity, Salvatore; just get the hell out of the courthouse." Roxas snapped miserably, turning away and mentally prepping himself for the press. He'd have to make a mad dash towards his car to make it without being mauled by the greedy demons. As he turned to leave though, Axel spoke again.

"It's a shame about your partner… he doesn't seem to have very good morale these days." The smug superiority in his voice rose, and Roxas clenched his hands back into fists as he whirled around and glared.

"Leave my partner out of this." He hissed.

"Is that happening to you as well? It must be tiring being one of the few cops that truly cares about bringing scum like me into the courthouse." Axel's face remained carefully composed, his eyes sparkling far too brightly to be innocent.

"Is that a confession?" Roxas taunted angrily. He didn't know why he did this to himself, playing around with the one thing he hated the most. It only served to make him do stupid things and slip up with his speech from anger. The mature thing to do would be to walk away, but despite his attempts, Roxas couldn't make himself leave.

"Are you that desperate for one?" Axel asked quietly, hands slowly sliding into his pockets as he cocked a hip out and grinned wryly. It wasn't a real smile though; it was a slightly forced, calculative turn of the lips that could be mistaken if you'd never heard of Axel Salvatore before. Roxas knew him though, and knew the cold, ruthless cruelty his smile was capable of.

"Look, Salvatore-"

"Oh, please, detective… it's Axel. Haven't I told you that before? We've known each other for so long I'd almost say we were… friends." The smile widened a little into something a lot more mocking, and Roxas's glare hardened into something that could only be pure hatred.

"One of these days, I'm going to find the proof needed to put you behind bars for life, Salvatore. You're starting to slip up." His words fell on deaf ears though as Axel merely grinned smugly and stepped around him, shrugging and reaching into his pocket to pull out a pack of cigarettes.

"Is it alright to smoke in here? I don't wish to offend anyone." Roxas felt his blood begin to boil, but he merely adjusted the strap of his laptop bag and gave one last withering glare to Axel's posse before he turned and walked away, completely ignoring the pointed looks being thrown his way from one of the occupants in the group.

Silence descended on the group as Axel watched Roxas Strife walk through the double doors and slip through the flashing photographers, a smirk dancing along his lips.

"He's got nothing to work with." Marluxia observed as he stepped up to Axel with intentionally loud steps to ensure that his boss was aware that he was moving closer.

"I do pity him." Zexion stated from behind, his face stoic as he spoke. "It must be frustrating to fight a never ending battle."

"I wonder," Axel mused out loud, pressing his fix against his mouth, "how long it will take before I make him snap?"

"How's the informant?" Riku took a drink of his coffee and leaned a little closer to the table, glancing at his partner and frowning as Roxas pulled out a folder and tossed it to him to give to the chief for review.

"He's dating the accountant for Salvatore's assets… finally worked out a small position as the main entourage because of connections." Roxas nodded to the small screen where the central headquarters of the Salvatore Mafia was in clear view, smalls sections showing the different rooms that had been infiltrated. Guards for the building patrolled and passed by the cameras, unaware that they were being watched.

"And he has nothing so far?" Their superior raised an eyebrow and gave Roxas and Riku a skeptical glance. The two exchanged annoyed looks before shrugging pretending not to be irked by the stupid question.

"The main entourage isn't the most trusted… it's just the most connected. He hardly even speaks to our informant, let alone looks at him. He's still working on it."

"How do you know he won't chicken out and rat?" Riku grinned and rolled his eyes.

"He's too much of a good guy for that, chief; we don't pick hindrances for people like Axel Salvatore." Roxas rolled his eyes at that and opened up another folder for the overview of their informant.

"You sure he's clear?"

"I checked him myself." Roxas assured him.

"Alright, I'll go with what you say about it; we'll see just how well he does after another month or so. Speaking of informants… what about the duo?" Riku grinned smugly and pulled out a small radio, clicking a few notches and setting it on the table.

"Hear for yourself."

It was dirty, and it was dark. the streets were lined with grime, and the only light emitted from dim, fading street lights. It was the bad side of town, the side where you didn't want to be caught unless you wanted to get shot.

It was the right place for the twins.

The red headed girl adjusted her short skirt and felt the small twist of top-of-the-line cuffs that could twist and bend, but not break unless cut. It was the perfect kind to hide in her mini skirt and thankfully you couldnt' see them in the outline. Pushing her hair back softly she fixed the small microphone in her clip, and cocked her hip out, winking at her partner.

"Hey, baby, you looking for some fun?" A seedy looking man with a winning smile sidled up close and raised an eyebrow invitingly. The red headed girl smirked in return and nodded to her friend who flashed a glance their way before adjusting the strapless dress a little more securely around her body.

"That depends…" The red head looked him up and down slowly before running her thumb along her fingers. "We don't come cheap."

"We…?" His chilling, greedy grin grew and he looked over at the blonde girl once more. "Are you who I think you are…?" There was a muted silence as a routine cop strode past, giving them a cursory glance before quickening his pace and turning the corner. It wouldn't do well to be caught in the middle of the business proposition taking place.

"That depends as well," The blonde chimed with an alluring, soft voice. "Who do you think we are?"

"Only heard by name… Salvatore Twins?" The red head and blonde exchanged knowing glances before they leaned in towards him and their smiles grew predatory.

"That would be us. Care to have some fun?"

"And how are we sure that you check out?" The brunette pushed his hair back and observed the stone-faced, calm blonde in front of him. His dead blue eyes watched Leon with an unblinking, unhelpful stare as he reached slowly and carefully into his pocket to pull out a thick stack of bills, wrapped in a rubber band.

"My business has helped along shipments before; our money remains in a secure, private bank. Clean sweeps of each man and an alias to go along with any person running a transaction so that clients won't be tied to problems that could come along." Leon made a motion to his men and one of them grabbed the money and ran a highlighter alongside of it, checking for the authenticity. Seeing that it was real currency he then passed it underneath a small, portable scanner that checked it as unmarked, clean bills, meaning that they'd been kept from public processing banks.

"Weren't you tied to the Faire incident?" Leon remained slightly slouched in his chair as the man's lips pursed in anger and his eyes flashed at the mention of the incident.

"Merely eating dinner with him; our businesses haven't worked with one another." He voice remained dead and unfeeling though his eyes betrayed the conflict within. Leon debated the matter for a moment in silence, running his fingers along the bridge of his nose where a scar stretched across and left him branded.

Finally, he came to a decision.

"Here's how the transaction will go; you will be reached by a private number where your men will be directed to a specific spot. They will fly low, under the radar, and meet at the spot where they will be processed through and then given the specific merchandise to deliver. Each package has a bomb and if opened, it will detonate and both evidence and your men will die, after which your business will meet the same fate. You will fly them towards the main tower in Traverse Town where it will land at the designated spot and then be transferred to a semi with another load of your men and my client's on board to ensure the smooth progression.

"Once it is on the semi you will call the number to confirm the motions and then be directed to a new site where the products will be moved to another plane flown under the radar and then delivered to the next movement of a different business. Once you've delivered to them, then your part is over and you make the call. If things check out alright, you will hear from us. If not…" Leon's voice trailed off and he raised an eyebrow as the blonde's glare darkened. Taking a small sip from his whiskey the brunette shrugged.

"Then consider yourself a dead man."

The man slipped down the hallways, his presence unnoticed by the others around him. He made sure to keep in the shadows and out of the eye of the other people in the building, his death certain if anyone saw him. He was, after all, expendable. He was merely dating the accountant of Salvatore's assets; he wasn't anything special.

Walking up the large, extravagant staircase in the dark, he heard the passing of feet on stone, and he slipped into a small enclosure, pulling the curtain back and pressing himself as far back as he could so that he wouldn't be seen. As the steps drew closer his heart sped up and he tensed, praying they didn't pull back the curtains and expose him. He was new as it was; he didn't need to be viewed as a troublesome snoop before he'd even gotten the main man's trust.

Thankfully, the steps drew closer and then faded away into nothing as the person descended the staircase. Breathing a silent sigh of relief the man leaned against the back wall, resting for a moment.

Though, he didn't have much time for rest as the wall behind him suddenly gave way and he stumbled back, arms flailing.

He fell onto the ground, hard, the fall knocking the wind out of him and leaving him gasping for breath silently. With wide eyes and a rapidly beating heart he looked around him, eyes blind in the darkened area that he'd fallen into. In the gloom he could just barely make out smooth walls and the wall that he'd fallen through, a small latch on the inside of it like it was a trap door.

His heart beat rapidly in his chest, and cautiously he took in a slow, even breath, ignoring the ache in his ass from the fall. Standing up slowly, he looked up to see a tall ceiling of the same smooth texture that the walls had, and that beneath him steps of the same style led upwards in a tight spiral. Clicking the button on the small pin on his belt, he knew that the headquarters would be getting a recorded video of his findings as he discovered them. That way, if anything happened to him they'd still have proof of something.

He hesitantly followed the steps, fingers sliding along the walls and finding numerous other trap doors as he walked. Where these steps led to he didn't know, but with his heart beating a tattoo into his rib cage and the adrenaline rushing in his veins, he was determined to find out.

As he finally reached the end of the spiraling staircase the man found himself facing another trap door, the only indication of it being able to move being the small latch hanging from the "wall". Blood rushing through his veins, the man stepped closer, fingers reaching towards the latch, his mind hardly registering that his hand was trembling. Gripping the latch firmly, he took a deep breath and pulled the door with a jerk, excited when the door swung forward silently on well oiled hinges.

And revealed his boyfriend, a hand paused in mid-air as the other clutched onto papers tightly.

His boyfriend didn't have a wide range of emotions, but shock was one of the ones apparent. His one visible eye widened and his mouth dropped in surprise as he stared at the obvious intruder in the staircase. The man in the secret hallway could only stare back in equal shock, his finger itching for a gun to hold but his gut telling him to keep up the act. He had to remain in control of his character; one false move and he was done for.

"What are you doing here?" His boyfriend hissed, reaching forward and clutching his shirt tightly in a small hand. Raising his hands up in defense, the man winced and screwed his face into something truly scared and shocked, his need to lie rising fast.

"I-I- I'm not- I don't know what-" He stuttered, feeling a blush rush to his cheeks. "I didn't know where I was going; I got s-so turned around, and-"

"How did you even find this place?" His boyfriend demanded in the same angry, low voice. One hand gripped the papers to his chest tightly, hiding the words from his view, and the other hand gripped his shirt threateningly. It was a stance that he'd never seen from this man before; it was threatening and violent. The man knew he had to do something about it because he suddenly felt like he'd be dead in less than a minute unless he started really doing a lot of lying, and fast.

"I-I don't know!" He made his voice turn pathetic and terrified. "One moment I'm trying to find you and I took a turn that I'd never taken before, and-and next thing I know I'm falling into here from nowhere!" He blubbered and made his eyes go wide and pitiful, mentally praying. If this piece right here didn't fit into place, he was a dead man by noon. His boyfriend raised an eyebrow at that and his lips pursed.

"Where did you fall into?" His boyfriend demanded, but he noticed how the grip on his shirt was lessening. The accountant didn't seem as suspicious anymore, and if anything, he seemed worried and relieved.

"D-down there…" He motioned pathetically behind him and let his shoulders sag. The accountant looked past him, peering into the gloom like he could see right where he'd fallen through, and his lips turned down in concentration.

"You'll show me?" He demanded, letting go of the man's shirt altogether and shutting the door behind him. Nodding furiously, he took a hold of his boyfriend's hand and poked his lip out.

"I'm sorry, Zex; I didn't know- I'm so sorry…" He tightened his hold like a needy child, praying that it worked.

"Only the guilty are sorry." Zexion replied stiffly, watching him carefully.

"I-I am! You're… upset with me." Hanging his head he grabbed hold of Zexion's free hand with both hands, trying to convey a secret message. "I don't want you to be upset with me." Zexion frowned at that, his face obscured partially by disorderly slate grey hair, and he knew that he was thinking. This was the trickiest part. Though Salvatore was the head of the organization and the oil that ran it, his accountant was the smarts and the schemer; one false move in front of him and he was as good as dead.

"Let us see where you fell in, shall we?" Zexion finally suggested quietly, pulling the papers closer to his chest with a tense arm. Walking past him he kept his hand in his grip and tugged him along., pretending not to notice the secrecy Zexion had with the papers. He'd need to go back later to investigate the room that he'd almost been in. Based on his boyfriend's fury, it was something important.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, hanging his head. Zexion paused at that, turning to look up at his boyfriend with an unreadable expression.

"Just… try not to fall into any other doors." He replied quietly, leaning up to kiss him lightly on the lips. "I'd hate to have to kill you, Demyx."

Hit or miss? Let me know in a review!

:) So... Demyx is the undercover agent... how will that turn out?

Let me know!

I'll update soon!