If what Zexion had with the organization was in any way normal, then the members would treat him like a cheap corner whore. They would whistle and call out raunchy, suggestive things. They would probably taunt and scorn him for being such a slut. But what he had with the members was different than simply being a willing and easy fuck. It didn't matter who he did it with, whether he was on top or bottom; he held the power. For if they did such things then he would stop coming to them. And none of them wanted to lose the only opportunity they had at sharing such fabricated passion with the objects of their lust.

So if it ever came about that he would pass a fellow nobody they would treat him how they normally did. Some would offer a nod or even a single word as greeting. But more often than not he would receive nothing, silence, ignored.

Which was even worse than getting harassed, because in that case at least they acknowledged what he did for them. Granted he hadn't done it out of love or anything, it was an order from Xemnas. But it wasn't something you could do and stay completely impassive. It would have been impossible not to adopt certain thoughts, to not be effected by it somehow, no matter how illogical that seemed.

Even though he hadn't started out this 'mission' caring(in the knowledge sense, rather than the emotional one) about the others at all, it would be an outright lie to say that still was the case. There was no way around that simple fact. He created a sort of attachment to each one. And as time kept going on, it was getting harder and harder to ignore when it was not his name that fell from their lips.

Zexion was used. Shamelessly. By a great portion of the organization. And there was nothing he could do about it. Whether that was because it was an official order that had come from the Superior, he just didn't know.

But what it came down to was the fact that Zexion was a substitute and in their minds he always would be.

Zexion was making another stop tonight. Of course he wasn't bound by Xemnas' order anymore, but the involved members still came to him, knowing what he would still give. But there weren't as many 'clients' as when he first started, all thanks to that Keybrat Sora. Sora was making his way through the castle, killing -or at least trying to kill- any and every member he came across. Turns out his ploy to weaken Sora and his friend didn't quite work like he had anticipated, which took quite a toll on his ego: he never failed. As it would happen, after he had left the boy, Namine had appeared to pick up the broken pieces, trying to patch him up as best she could. Of course he wasn't quite the same as before, but it was good enough that he continued to work his way through the ranks. And he had a feeling she was doing the same for the other boy, the older one. He had hoped to also keep the boys separated by their new found hatred for one another, but he wasn't so sure that was possible now.

Damn witch.

Axel's room was his current destination and he was getting close. But as he neared, Axel met him early.

"Come on," the redhead smirked, grabbing the smaller nobody's hand "I want to go somewhere different this time." Number eight pulled the blue haired nobody through many too bright hallways until they reached the stone door. Yanking it open Axel winked at the other as he led him down into the basement levels of their castle. Zexion's senses were in overdrive at this point. It didn't matter how seductive and eager Axel was sounding: this reeked of a trap.

It was just as he was planning an escape when a hand shot out of the darkness and pinned him to a wall. He choked, thrashing around in the stranger's grasp, but he was not released. The Riku Replica stepped out into the dim light, his face a mask of indifference.

"Why? Why Axel?" Zexion called out to the sneering redhead "After all I've—"

"All you've done for me?" Axel mocked with contempt, "You haven't done shit. You didn't put out as Roxas for me. You did it because that's what Xemnas ordered! This was probably his plan all along!" he spat

"What plan?" Zexion wheezed, genuinely confused about what the pyro was going on about.

"Don't play dumb you little SNEAK. The plan where you get us to let our guards down and tell you things, secret things. Where you get information from us by letting us get into your pants! Then after you're done playing with us you run back to Xemnas and tell him everything you've learned. Little traitor!" he spat.

"Like you're one to talk about betrayal." He growled back, but the hand choking him tightened and so he tried another tactic. "Don't be moronic; you know full well that he told me to strengthen you all with my own power."

"Really now? And why should I believe that?"

"Do you really think I'd be so easily over powered by a mere experiment otherwise?" Zexion gasped, his lungs starting to burn and is throat beginning to bruise. It wasn't very logical that a nobody would be bound by human functions when they lacked a heart, the center of it all. Odd thoughts to have while one is in the middle of asphyxiation.

Axel snorted, "Well, it doesn't really matter the reason anymore. You know more than you should, things that can't be spread around. You know about Marluxia's plan to overthrow Xemnas and take over the organization. You know how Larxene is helping." The redhead slowly made his way over to the struggling shell and touched the pale cheek in mock tenderness "And you know how I'm pretending to aid them, but will soon turn against them."

"Axel please," Zexion didn't like to beg, but that didn't mean he wouldn't "I haven't told Xemnas anything that you've all shared with me, and I wasn't planning to." he sputtered, trying to get in at least one full breath of oxygen "Trust me, I've developed an attachment to all of you, I wouldn't betray you all like that, not anymore!" he exclaimed, throwing out any stupid sentimental thought that might get under Axel's skin, anything to save himself.

"Don't try to pretend you have feelings." the other hissed "We don't have hearts, so we don't have the capacity to feel."

"Oh yeah? Well then what do you call what you have for Roxas?" Zexion made his body rapidly change until a scared Roxas was looking back at him. Axel looked shocked and confused for a moment, but his face hardened quickly.

He slapped 'Roxas', who melted back into Zexion and snarled, "Don't you play dirty mind games with me."

"I can't believe you're really going to let this thing kill me." Zexion gasped in pain around the hand clutching his throat, squirming and thrashing more than he had before now that the end was so tangibly close. They didn't exist, death was supposed to be the grateful release from their painful second lives. But if this was so, then why was he panicking? Why did he fight it when it was all they ever wanted, coming second only to obtaining those elusive hearts? For a moment his mind wandered again, as it so often did in dangerous situations, and he wondered if maybe he had retained a bit more humanity then he realized.

Axel didn't say anything –just watching coldly- as the Riku Replica finally crushed the young nobody's neck with an audible snap and started to absorb the schemer's power. Zexion started to disappear, his body floating away in strips of smoky, black ribbon. Evaporating until nothing was left.

They had started their second existence with only one purpose: to retrieve their hearts. But in the end Zexion had gotten only death, like so many before him. It was obvious to Axel that the rest were soon to follow in the same manner.

Death was all that ever awaited them.