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[H3]Midgar[/h3][u]Deep Ground ~ The Source[/u]

[b]Word Count:[/b] 890
[b]Level 7 Roxas:[/b] 59/70
[b]Exp:[/b] +4
[b]NEW EXP Balance---[/b] 63/70[/center]

At first, Roxas was just as dumbfounded as everyone else. Why the sudden outburst? Why was Nox acting like he had already lost before the fight could even start? But the more Roxas pondered about it, the more he began to remember something from his own past that was, at least, tangentially related. And that was when it hit him. Time travel? Had a future incarnation of Nox jumped back in time into the body of his past self? That was the only thing that would make his sudden change in attitude make sense.

It also followed the rules of time travel, at least the way Roxas understood it back in his world. The rule was that someone could only go back to a point in time that their past self existed in, and that they would essentially enter and take control of their past self. And this seemed to fit that bill. Maybe. Roxas couldn’t be absolutely certain without just coming out and asking, and it looked like he wasn’t going to be getting an opportunity to do that as the tensions rose and C suddenly escalated things by changing Mephisto into another form and deciding to join the fight himself.

But Nox’s actions weren’t the only thing that got the Nobody’s attention. He noticed that Sam, too, looked just as perplexed as everyone else. In fact for a moment he even looked downright dispirited. And that was when Roxas knew what he should do. He had to at least try.

[color=Gold]”Things aren’t going the way you planned, Sam?”[/color] Roxas asked him, approaching slowly and not drawing any weapons just yet. The man offered a slow shrug before he spoke back.

“You think?” Even Sam apparently couldn’t maintain his typical carefree attitude in circumstances like these. He’d deployed some sort of face mask from his armor to shield his nose and mouth from Mephisto’s clouds, and his eyes were narrowed against the stinging haze.

[color=Gold]”Why were you even doing this, anyway?”[/color] Roxas asked, [color=Gold]”You know as well as we do what’s really behind all this. So why suddenly throw your lot in with these guys?”[/color] The Nobody coughed as the looming clouds began to envelop them. He shielded his mouth with his sleeve and his helmet’s green visor deployed as well to shield his eyes.

“When someone offers you a chance for a nice, clean do-over?” Sam responded, “Well, it’s kind of hard to say no.”

[color=Gold]”There’s still another way out of this.”[/color] Roxas offered alongside another cough.

“Oh? Do tell,” the samurai replied, his tone quite humorless as he gave the boy and his allies a dubious glance.

[color=Gold]”Help us eliminate the Guardian. When it’s gone, everyone in Midgar will remember the things they forgot… just like you did. I can’t promise it’ll be perfect, but maybe that’ll give you the do-over that you’re looking for?”[/color] he coughed again while awaiting the response.

“Hmm…” Though one hand continued to rest on the hilt of his sheathed katana, Sam rubbed his chin with the other, and did seem to be considering it.

[color=Gold]”How about this then?”[/color] Roxas offered instead, [color=Gold]”Let’s see who can land the first hit. If I do? You join our side. If I can’t? You can do whatever else you want. No tricks, no gimmicks. Just you, me…”[/color] Roxas paused in order to summon Oblivion and proceeded to hold it both hands much like Sam would with his katana, [color=Gold]”...and our blades.”[/color]

After a moment, the suggestion elicited a snicker. “Everywhere I go, it’s the same. Everyone wants a piece of me. I fight and I fight, for this cause or that, and the moment I run into someone stronger, I’m under new management again. I’m tired of being a blade, passed along and wielded by other men.” He shook his head. “I thought this would be my chance to start all over. But in the end, it was too good to be true.” Sam tilted his head back slightly, staring down the bridge of his nose at Roxas. “So you know what? I’m done. No more recruiting. No more causes. It’s time I started fighting for myself.”

Roxas could only smile at this. [color=Gold]”Then I guess that’s that.”[/color] He turned away from Sam, knowing he needed to go join the others in the fight, [color=Gold]”But you know… I’m not really looking for a blade.”[/color] he said with another cough, [color=Gold]”Just looking for friends really. I guess I was hoping I could count you as one.”[/color] he couldn’t really wait around for a response this time, and dashed off to go join the fight.

“Hah.” On some level, Sam expected Roxas or his allies to try and recruit him by force. The idea that the Seekers might just let him go hadn’t even crossed his mind. It made for a welcome change of pace, but the Brazilian wasn’t going to give them too much credit. After making sure that nobody would rush him the moment his back was turned, Sam turned to go. “Friends, huh?”

Mephisto’s smog and Tycoon’s spells hurried him on his way, and after another moment, Jetstream Sam was gone. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but for once he’d be the one to decide.