An Organized Meeting [Organization XIII]

[Matt]

A Possible Solution

Hearing Xigbar scoff at his statements, Vexen gave him a condescending look, just long enough to rebuke his words. "When making a conclusion, one must first put forth all the observations they can. No matter how 'obvious' they may be." With that he turned away from the ignorant Number Two. He had been tempted to add another insult of his intelligence at the end, such as: "Someone who is as bright as you claim to be should know that." But he did not feel like wasting his breath in petty childish squabble. There were much more important things to be worrying about than Xigbar's extremely blatant stupidity. Not that that meant he wouldn't be doing any more disagreeing with the Freeshooter.

"Obviously his motives matter." he said, objecting to the first rhetorical question in the stream of several. "Being able to understand what he hopes to accomplish is the key to being able to reason with or manipulate him." The logic there was so obscenely basic there, that if being unable to understand that didn't prove Xigbar to be dull, who knew what would. Seeing as he only seemed to repeat the Freeshooter's thoughts, except translating them into his own bizarre language, Vexen chose to completely ignore everything Luxord has said. Besides, it was very difficult to take someone seriously when they're playing with cards in the middle of a serious meeting.

Upon hearing Lexaeus begin to speak, Vexen listened attentively.
The Silent Hero didn't typically say something unless he believed it to be truly worth hearing. This fact earned him credit when he chose to share his thoughts. "Perhaps Lexaeus." he replied, politely acknowledging the thought as making some sense. "However, if he honestly believes his role as a tool to be so noble, he could be too stubborn to easy accept help from anyone. Clearly he's more than capable on his own..." From what he knew of him, Vexen didn't think the man would be easily controlled. Though he could be wrong.

His gaze turned sharply to Demyx, who appeared to be trying to tell them something. He might have snapped at the Nocturne to just spit whatever he had to say out, would that not likely just startle him and cause him to take even longer. Now if anyone member was an idiot, it was that one. And aside from lacking a brain, he also lacked any sense of motivation or work ethic. Vexen was surpirsed that his announcement even involved him leaving the castle, seeing as that was something he rarely did.

All he had to say, however, was something about seeing three silver haired men. Though Xemnas dismissed Number Nine's news as unimportant, Vexen choose to share his knowledge on them, just so everyone would know. "From what I have seen," he added in, "these men are in league with Maleficent. New 'pawns' of her's. Although it would appear their relationship is rather strained..." Something of real intrigue, though he decided not to mention it, was these men's mere existance. They were neither heartless, nor nobodies, nor whole. They were something else... Secretly, he hoped to look into it at some point.

So the Superior had assigned the matter of dealing with the mysterious figure to Zexion. That was fine with Vexen. It wasn't as if he wished to spend his time looking for him. He had a much more intersting task that he wished to attempt to accomplish. He intended to discuss the matter with Xemnas, though not at the moment. Once everyone else left, he would ask what he needed to ask. In the mean time, it was asked if anyone else had anything else they wished to say. While the Academic did have a number of complaints with the current state of things, as well as suggestions for how to fix them, he chose to keep his mouth closed for the moment. After all: he wouldn't want to strain the Superior's patience, especially when he had a favor to ask of him.

[Lagunamov]

Assemble the men for a road trip.

The meeting continued pretty much as expected, Vexen retaliating when called out by Xigbar, with what he deemed yet another pointless statement. Making assumptions of the suspect’s intentions was a waste of time, since they would still need to gather Intel on that in the future to confirm it, and any piece of evidence they find would be enough to point into any branch of speculation. Not dignifying the academic with a response, he simply picked out the wax from one of his ears, showing how little he cared for his words. The man didn't care for a constructive arguement anyway, all he cared about was satisfying his little ego by putting people down.

The discussion continued, with almost everyone present chipping in here and there. Other suspects were brought up but quickly dismissed by Xemnas, while obviously catching Vexen’s attention. That could only mean the opera singer would try and get new specimens for his experiments. All in all, things progressed relatively smoothly, with the next order of business stated quite clear, if albeit in quite a worrisome way: locating their main pray, the man in white, and negotiating with him, which most likely meant recruiting him in one way or another.

“I know this is probably inferred in the ‘tracking down’ part, but is our little schemer really enough to find this man who apparently stole our dress code and flipped the color to a close opposite?” he asked, leaning forward in his seat. There were three recon members in The Organization, and him being one of the only two who actually put some effort into the job, he felt the need to step in. “We can only speculate his motives at the moment, so some recon should be done in whichever world he bases himself. Speculation is all fine and dandy, but it won’t particularly help us land a good deal with him if, as soon as we approach him, we have nothing but guesses on how to persuade him into, well, anything really,” he continued, explaining his point. He genually wasn’t trying to put down the member assigned to the task, we was actually concerned that one person alone working on such a task could prove short.

“Having just one of us looking for him, figuring out what he wants, and then striking a deal seems exceedingly optimistic. The trail grows cold and the mark is leaving our sights. If we want to act before he does and breaks something or someone we need, then I think we should employ more than just one member,” he was almost finished, deciding to lean back on his seat and letting his shoulder drop a few inches. “Zexion can track smells and smooth talk people, I’m the best at gathering info from eavesdropping and moving quickly through worlds, and Demyx is… he is… ok, he’s good at something, that’s why he does recon in the first place, right?”

[Angelus]

A corridor of darkness opened, and Xaldin stepped out of it. He quickly and quietly went to his seat and sat down. He glanced at the other members and explained his tardiness.

"The Dusk charged with the task of informing me of this meeting was slow. But it has been dealt with." He listened to Xigbar's rant and then, after nodding at Two, he replied.

"Two is right. Zexion's tracking skills are superb, but he's hardly in any position to do combat with anyone that has that caliber of strength. My tracking skills are just as good, and I have not only the manipulation skills to talk to this so called tool, but to fight and survive if things turn ugly." He paused and scowled at Demyx.

"And as much as I hate to admit it, Demyx's findings may hold some value. Normally his only use is reading off of cue cards and running away, but these three may be worth investigating further." He looked at Vexen, and then looked toward the Superior.

"A task I've no doubt our residential scientist would love to do. After all, what better way to find out how much of a threat these three are then to send one of our own suited for research to confront them. It would provide us with as Vexen would say, valuable data; and perhaps even give us the chance to either persuade them to join us, or to eliminate them before they become a problem."

After this comment Xaldin folded his arms and remained silent.

[Nothingness]

Up The Ante

Luxord had patiently listened to everyone's comments on the matters at hand, particularly Demyx's report about the three silver-haired men piqued his interest. Xaldin's sudden appearance and rather uncharacteristic backing of Demyx's notion to investigate them brought a smile to Luxord's face. "We should be investigating the nature of those three silver-haired men, as well. One should always keep a close eye on the newcomers, lest the veterans be taken for all they're worth." After saying that, he stated a little more boldly, "We should all be aware that we can't underestimate potential foes." He was, of course, referencing Roxas, the traitors, that witch, and Sora.

While the talk was constantly shifting back to the red-haired man, Luxord was feeling particularly ambitious in the sense of tracking him. "I also wish to be involved with the tracking of this 'Tool of the Darkness.' If he is truly still a man with a heart, he is aligning himself with the darkness for a reason--perhaps an extrinsic motivation. Everyone has an agenda, and it's so easy to manipulate those with a powerful longing. And, frankly, between Xaldin and myself, we can manipulate those deep-rooted emotions with ease." He finished with a rather sinister smile, "There is a reason greed is known as a deadly sin."

[Fate]

Patience is Key

Zexion stayed completely silent after he gave his information, letting the other members fill in their words. Vexen of course responded immediately afterward, speculating about the man. He also disagreed about Maleficent being a problem, though the Schemer couldn't say that he was surprised. Maleficent may not seem like too much of a problem to the Organization, only seeming like a pest, but she did pose a decent threat. Lexaeus brought up the excellent point of her being able to use this "tool of darkness" without him saying a word. He silently agreed to this, nodding as his eyes kept flicking to whomever was speaking at the moment. Good points were made, Xigbar's point about the Keyblade Masters crucial; if this tool of darkness was determined to get rid of them, then the Organization might need to do something.

Demyx also mentioned something intriguing to Zexion, a point that he was going to have to keep locked in the back of his mind and possibly investigate further if he could. More beings of darkness rising up was certainly interesting, particularly since the darkness had been waning up until now. Was it possible that those of the dark were planning something? It would need to be investigated further and Zexion would do that when he could, seeing if these men Demyx mentioned would actually be worth looking into more.

His eyes then fell on the Superior once more, focusing as he spoke again. His eyebrow raised slightly as the Superior assigned the task of tracking down this man and negotiating with him to not any Nobody, but himself. It made the Schemer curious, his eyes narrowing a bit. Yes, Zexion was gifted with tracking down the particular scents of others and he certainly possessed a silver tongue. However, this man was obviously powerful if he was able to handle at least five fighters at once while destroying part of Radiant Garden. It would not be the first time Zexion went to negotiate with someone he knew was powerful, though this man was a bit different than Riku; Riku could be considered a Shadow compared to this man.

He stayed silent yet again as Xigbar, Xaldin and Luxord filled in conversation for him. All three of them all seemed skeptical of the Superior's orders as well, Xigbar pointing out a key point as he typically did. Without anything to negotiate with, it would be dangerous to approach this man. He could turn into a possible foe, which was not what the Organization needed at this point. Xaldin and Luxord seemed proud of their skill, confident that the two of them together could handle such a threat like this. There was no question about Xaldin's prowess in battle and his decent ability to manipulate. Luxord could do it as well if he so chose to and the two would indeed be an interesting combination. Nonetheless, Zexion found their confidence to be slightly misplaced, especially since none of them knew much about this mysterious figure.

He went into his thinking pose, mulling a new thought over. This man was a "tool of darkness", implying that he was out to destroy the light. The Organization was of neither the darkness nor the light, making them rather pointless to kill, or at least in speculation. Zexion could not be sure until more was looked into.

"If I may..." he said politely, "Xigbar brings up a valid point. Speculation about this man's motives is not going to help us negotiate with him, nor would we be able to guess where he bases himself out of; poking around and searching every world for this man would be unwise, especially since we have nothing to negotiate with anyhow. I believe it would be wiser to wait and see instead. He attacked Radiant Garden, a world of light, this time. He will undoubtedly strike again, but it is unknown where or when; all we possibly guess is that it will either be another world of light that is as strong as Radiant Garden, or he will finish what he started there." Zexion was not a fan of this uncertainty. This was why he always chose to wait things out, following the advice Lexaeus had given him in Castle Oblivion; waiting and seeing what develops would be more helpful advice at this point.

"Once we have more information on this man and perhaps a better guess of his motives, we could then perhaps consider negotiating. At that point, I will follow the Superior's order with or without aid. The only problem we face now is how to obtain that information." He crossed his arms now, waiting to see what the others would say now. He had spoken his part. While he would, without question, follow the Superior's orders, he wanted to be sure that the orders he followed would not end up in his untimely death.

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[Prythian]

Lexaeus nodded gravely. He certainly didn't have much to say this time around, all the crucial points being brought up. The look on his face was near unchanging in its seriousness as he considered possibilities and situations that they had not yet thought up. The only topic he could come up with that hadn't been brought up was the situation on the heroes of the Keyblade Sora and Riku. He didn't have enough information to make a suggestion on that even should it have been brought up.

And yet...

"Maleficent may be seeking him out herself. Follow her pawns and you may find the man."

[Demyx]

Demyx was glad that Xemnas had assigned Zexion to finding this dude who had visited Radiant Garden. It was a bit of a relief, since the guy didn't sound like someone he especially wanted to mess with. He was kind of disappointed that Xemnas didn't deem his info about the three silver haired dudes as important, but it was alright it was all the info he really had.

Though he was surprised to hear Vexen speak up and elaborate on the three guys, apparently being pawns of Maleficent. Demyx didn't know that, but it made sense he guessed. Then Xiggy spoke again talking about how having only Zexion look for the man wasn't that great an idea and that him and Demyx also did recon and could look as well. He didn't like Xiggy somewhat volunteering for him but he was going to argue in front of Xemnas about it. "Uh, yeah, I'm like totally good at the whole recon thing," he added to Xiggy's statements.

Then after Xigbar talked Xaldin had arrived. Apparently the dusk giving the message to him had been slower. He added his own statements in and surprisingly, agreed with Demyx about the three silver-haired guys being important. He was shocked, it wasn't often Demyx had made a point that all the other members seemed to agree with. Luxord also added in his two scents and how he wished to be part of the tracking as well.

Zexion spoke up next wishing to just wait and see when this man would attack again, since they didn't really know much about the guy to begin with. And then Lexaeus suggested following those three since Maleficent might be searching for the man to use for her own goals. Demyx wasn't sure what else to add to the conversation since pretty much everyone else pointed out everything that seemed important.

"I can like help out with following after those three if we think they might like lead us to that dude," he said. Hopefully if he did get assigned to do that that would be all he had to do and that someone else would take over when that dude was found. "So, like can I summarize this all then? We got this like one dude who attacked Radiant Garden and don't know much else about him besides a brief description and that he uses darkness. We have that witch Maleficent back there as well and she has those three silver haired dudes as pawns, but they aren't like, as under her control as previous ones. And we think she might be looking for this dude using them and trying to get him to join her. That sums most of it all up right?"

[Administrator]

You fail to see the point, my Organization.

Xemnas looked around the room again, and shook his head. "You fail to see the point I was setting out to make," Xemnas said in his slow monotone. "I did not forbid any one of you from making any such actions on your own. I merely ordered Zexion to conduct a formal investigation, as I know his reports are the most detailed, and he has significant tracking abilities." His gaze fell upon the Cloaked Schemer, and he nodded slightly.

His eyes continuing around the room, Xemnas said, "I leave the rest of you to use your best judgment on how to approach matters." The Superior looked at Xaldin, Xigbar, and Luxord in turn. "If one of your superiors orders you to help conduct and investigation," as he said this, his eyes fell upon Demyx for a moment before continuing, "then obey their orders to the letter. If there is something you wish to investigate, I give you the go ahead here and now, and report any findings you make directly to me. Is that understood?"

Nyxar nodded slightly. "Yes, sir." Xemnas looked at him and, if he was capable of feeling emotion, he would have laughed, or at least smiled. Since he was not, he merely nodded slightly and looked away. "All of you are dismissed to go about your business. I expect you to begin investigating soon, Zexion." With that, the Superior left, a Corridor carrying him off elsewhere.

[Angelus]

If it wasn't for the fact that Xemnas was the leader of the Organization, Xaldin may have let his "anger" get the better of him. But he bit his tongue, a simple task he was quite familiar with. He left his seat and looked at the other members, particularly Demyx and Luxord in particular.

"Demyx, I want you and Vexen to investigate these three silver haired men, and to bring back any information you can gather. Luxord, you and I will also investigate this mysterious tool of darkness." He looked at Two.

"You do as you want, you always do anyway." Not that he had the authority to order Xigbar around anyway.

He opened a corridor of darkness and before he left, he said: "Don't get yourself killed, Schemer."

[Nothingness]

A Team Effort...Interesting

Luxord's face remained emotionless as Xemnas explained what he originally intended. Luxord couldn't help but think that if Xemnas didn't try to be so straightforward with everything he said, that the slight nuances of his speech might actually make it through. Not that it particularly mattered to Luxord--he was in play, and that's all that mattered to him. Besides, having a partner for missions was always more fun, especially for such dangerous game as the one they were tailing.

As Xaldin left, Luxord clapped his hands together and smiled. "Well, that was rather enlightening, wouldn't you say?" Luxord looked around at the remaining members. "I know that I need not say this, but always be aware of your mark. Learn their tells, and you may know victory. Fail to do so, and be taken for all your worth." Opening a Corridor of Darkness, he vanished with one final statement, "Food for thought."

[Demyx]

Xemnas soon spoke after Demyx had and just pointed out that Zexion had been chosen to give a formal report while the rest of them were to do as they saw fit. He relaxed back in his chair for a moment. Good, that meant he didn't really have to do anything. Though then Xemnas made a point that if one of their superiors told them to help out with investigating they were supposed to do it.

Man, he thought he had almost gotten away with not having to do anything, but of course The Superior had to say that. Now one of the older members were totally going to send him out to do stuff, it was so unfair. Almost on cue after Xemnas left, Xaldin told him to investigate the three silver haired dudes with Vexen. He sighed when Xaldin finally left. He had to work with Vexen? Man, he wasn't going to be enjoying himself anytime soon.

He looked over in Vexen's direction. "Uh, like see you out there man," he said over to him. He then waved and a corridor of darkness enveloped him getting him out of there.

[Lagunamov]

Encore... Encore... Encore...

“That settles this friendly meeting,” Xigbar started stretching on his seat almost as soon as Xemnas had left. Having the whole thing finalized and the orders given was the best news of the day, maybe topped by the fact that participating in either manhunt was optional for some members. Him, being one of them. And even then, he was considering popping around at some point or another to check out the bigger fish, and possibly cause some more mental scarring on the schemer.

Xaldin spoke to him for a second before leaving himself, almost right after Xemnas, but gave him the exact opposite order than Demyx. Of course, getting Xigbar to comply to anyone’s orders was hard already, since he only really answered to Xemnas himself and whoever was currently designated as second in command. At the best, he only helped with others if asked nicely, or if he was bored out of his mind and in need of something to entertain himself. Luxord left only moments later, giving a little speech in his usual own little language before summoning his own Corridor of Darkness.

“I should take my leave as well, not much use hanging around here now,” he commented, putting his hood back on, the shadow cast on his face completely obscuring it from sight. It wasn’t something particularly needed for nobodies to traverse corridors with; it was just going to help with the theatrics. “I’ll see you two bookworms around. Feel free to use the Dusk network if you need my assistance at some point,” he stood up on his seat, turning his body and facing Zexion, “You better have practiced that victory posed I taught you though,” he finished his sentence, raising his hands in the air in front of him and flailing them around for a second, only to bow before the two stunned accademics before disappearing into a Corridor of Darkness.

[Matt]

Back to Work

As Xigbar spoke, his words mostly just amounting to a lack of confidence in Zexion's ability to carry out the assignment that had been given to him, the seat between Xemnas and Lexaeus was suddenly filled. So, Number Three was back now as well. That set the count now at nine. Good... Xaldin also voiced a concern with only sending one member to investigate the mysterious man, suggested that he assist the Schemer with the mission. Luxord was also quick to offer his services to help track the "Tool of Darkness". Well, well, it appeared that almost everyone was interesting in that particular topic. Except of course Demyx. He would lounge around in the Grey Room doing absolutely nothing all day, were he was allowed to. Although the subject he had brought up had certainly caught some of the other members interests.

The Whirlwind, deeming the silver-haired men worth looking into, suggested that Vexen be the one look into them, seeing as he was unquestionably the most qualified. More than happy to accept the job, he nodded slightly. "I have no objection to such a task." Sure, he had already been interested in the trio, but it also didn't hurt that Xaldin had complimented the Academic's reconnaissance skills. A rather obvious observation, yes, but one that everyone didn't seem entirely capable of making on their own. Anyway, the assignment would not only serve the Organizations interests, by looking into Maleficent's current plans and allowing them determine if the men could be of any use to them. It would also serve to satisfy the Academics curiosity.

All eyes were immediately brought to Xemnas, as he began talking. When he spoke, everyone always gave him their full attention. And what he said, Vexen found rather pleasing. Quite simply, the point of his message was giving the members the ability to approach things however they saw best. In other words, the was giving everyone a fairly long leash. Something that would be very helpful for him when it came to conducting his research and experiments. Perhaps even better, was the command for members to follow the orders of their superiors. For Vexen, who already did so and enjoyed giving orders the those bellow him, having the Superior put things in such stone was extremely nice.

With that, Xemnas was gone. Wasting no time, Xaldin immediately took up the Superior's offer to tell those below him what to do. He declared that he and Luxord would also be looking into the "tool", and also that Vexen and Demyx would both be investigating Maleficent's little pawns. This news came across as less than thrilling to the scientist, but he didn't protest. Not that there was any time to, as the Lancer disappeared into a Corridor of Darkness directly after, without waiting for any response. Luxord was the next to leave, throwing in a bit of his signature rambling before disappearing as well. Demyx, looking over at his new partner his uncertainly, gave him a less than respectful goodbye, before also making his leave. Xigbar was the last to go, his peculiar actions as he left not even something Vexen wanted to ask about.

Vexen looked from Zexion to Lexaeus. They were the only two left in the large white room. "Well, I'm afraid I must be going now. I'm sure you two have plenty to talk about." What exactly this was referring to, would be quite clear, at least to Zexion. The Schemer had already told all of his suspicions to the Academic, in the Silent Hero's absence. And now that he was back, he would definitely be the next to hear about the whole affair. If there was anyone that Number Six trusted, it was Number Five. Anyone with half a brain could see that. Having said all he had to say, Vexen vanished into a cloud of darkness. He had much research to attend to.

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[Fate]

In Good Graces

Again, Zexion found himself staying completely silent, his eyes mainly focusing on the Superior and occasionally glancing to whomever was speaking. Demyx summarized the entire meeting, which was slightly surprising since the Schemer never felt he paid full attention in the first place. Though, he merely listened as Demyx spoke, the words going in and out of his ears as he focused on Lexaeus' point. Indeed, Maleficent had to be planning as well and she would surely see the power this new force had; it was in her nature to grab things of power and use them for her own motives, which could pose a threat to the Organization or do good for them. Either way, she currently had three pawns hiding in Radiant Garden. Zexion could track them down, track her down, and go from there.

His gaze then narrowed on Xemnas for the last time, keeping a critical stare as he spoke. If this group did not consist of Nobodies but those with hearts, it would certainly sound almost like praise that was spewing from the Superior's lips. He truly trusted Zexion that much, did he? That was certainly intriguing. He left after he gave his final word, leaving the other members to discuss what else should be done amongst themselves. The Schemer still found himself focused on Xemnas' chair even after he left; he would need to lay his suspicions to rest for the time being if anything was going to get done and make sure to give Superior more than what he wanted to get further into his good graces. Who knew what could become of that, after all?

Xaldin was quick to hand out orders after Xemnas left, not hesitating. Zexion did not pay the orders too much heed, only registering them; Vexen and Demyx would be looking into Maleficent's pawns while Luxord and himself would also be investigating the tool of darkness. He left shortly after his orders were given and telling the Schemer not to get himself killed, Luxord leaving shortly behind him with interesting words. They lingered in Zexion's mind as he watched Demyx leave as well; he was going to have an interesting time working with Vexen, that much was certain.

Xigbar was next to leave, though he naturally got the Schemer's attention more by doing a bit of that victory pose he had shown him in Halloween Town. His eyes widened in slight shock as he watched Xigbar make his exit, leaving only Vexen, Lexaeus and Zexion; the three that had once worked together in Castle Oblivion. He was not sure he liked the way Vexen said his parting words, giving him a critical look as he left. The Academic was going to clearly be suspicious of him for a while ever since he let on to him what he was thinking; he needed to tread carefully.

He was the only one left with Lexaeus, the Nobody across the room from him. Now was not the time to tell him everything he was suspicious about; that would be saved for a later time when his suspicions were more confirmed. Though, perhaps he could hint at it; Lexaeus was the one he trusted in the Organization the most, more so than the Superior often enough.

"Nice to see you again Lexaeus," he said, greeting him politely as he had always chose to before. "I believe I will not only be tracking down this tool of darkness but Maleficent's pawns as well. She is undoubtedly doing planning of her own to perhaps acquire this force, though her doing so makes me uneasy." He paused, his hand going to his chin as he looked thoughtful once more. He glanced to the chair next to Lexaeus now; it had remained empty during the entire meeting, a sure sign to Zexion that Number Seven could not be trusted either.

He could expound into further details at the moment, though the Schemer did not feel comfortable doing so. He chose to wait, seeing what the Silent Hero had to offer. Zexion felt it best to follow his advice, explaining his current intentions to go after the pawns as well; Lexaeus might just have more to add to that.

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[Prythian]

Lexaeus noticed the glance, following it with his own, very temporary, one at the chair. The absence of this loyal member was suspect, it was true, but Zexion would have more reasons than that.

He looked back at Zexion, his thoughts moving rapidly. It was obvious what now needed to be said. "Remember why I lost to Riku." He nodded at that in memory. He had woken up a force far more powerful than he was. "Remember the pawn, if it lasts long enough, may become a queen." An analogy far more suiting Luxord's style, but an oblique warning to Zexion that any of these four pawns... Maleficent's, or the 'tool of darkness', could easily grow to be much more.

"We will talk." And Lexaeus vanished into his own Dark Corridor as well, going where, Zexion would know not.