"Gather in the Throne Room for a grand announcement." This was the summon from the Superior that had brought twelve individuals to one room, and they took their places in their respective thrones. A boy, maybe seventeen years old named Roxas, discovered his throne was situated directly across from the Superior's, and he frowned as he sat down.

"So, what's this 'grand announcement?'" a bard by the name of Demyx was saying as he leaned back in his rather plain throne. "Any ideas, Xiggy?"

"Don't call me that," a marksman named Xigbar replied sourly. "Just wait. The Superior will be here momentarily."
"Do they always do this?" Roxas muttered to himself as he looked down at his feet. He'd only been in this room once before when the Superior had him brought in to introduce him to the rest of the Organization a week ago. He didn't know what to do with all his newfound free time now that he wasn't scrounging the streets looking for food or money. Several other members had promised him that he would be sent out on missions soon enough- missions he was far more capable of completing than any of the rest of them.

He sighed as he looked down at the weapon the Superior had given him, saying it was special, just like him. It must have been, he thought, if it was something that strapped to his wrist in such a way. The Superior had said it was a weapon as deadly as they come, a silent, inconspicuous killer, just like he had to be.

I've never killed anyone, Roxas thought to himself as he pondered the weapon. Sure, I've stolen and maybe beaten a few people up, but I've never killed… But he'd also been told that the Organization had powerful enemies that could only be silenced by death. Why do they think I'm the best one for the job? He wondered. Is it because I'm fast? Or that I can get away quickly? The blade hidden on his wrist yielded no answers.

But he figured he was in no place to ask questions. The Organization had taken him in when he had nothing: No family, no home, no food, no money, only a dagger that was in extraordinarily poor shape and some tattered clothes to help keep him warm. For as long as he could remember, he'd been living out on the streets and no matter what he tried, he couldn't get off of them. Not until a man in black robes approached him and told him he was impressed by his skill, then offered him a place in this Organization. He would have food, shelter, and anything else he would possibly need as long as he followed orders. He figured it was better than trying to survive with nothing.

He looked up and sat back straight as the Superior, a man named Xemnas, came in and took his place on his extravagant throne. He placed his hands on the armrests and smiled.

"Good tidings, friends," he greeted, and the other twelve members nodded to him. "Today is a momentous day. Fate has brought us a new ally in our quest to free ourselves and the world from our forsaken adversaries." He raised his hand, and Roxas grunted as a figure dressed in robes similar to his passed his throne and went to stand in the center of the room. "Number XIV, Xion. Truly a gift to our Organization with the skill she has been given. We are most fortunate to have not one, but two of these assets as friends." He looked up from Number XIV to Roxas, who shifted awkwardly.

"I trust you all to introduce yourselves and show her our ways in a timely manner," Xemnas went on. "That is all. Dismissed." He stood and headed out to a door behind his throne, and Number XIV left the same way she had come. Roxas looked over the arm of his throne and watched her leave, frowning.

Somehow, she looked different from the other members of the Organization, like there was an aura about her that the others didn't have. He wasn't quite sure what he was seeing but shook his head and dismissed it as the other members started to get up and leave.

"Hey, Roxas!" He looked up to find a tall red-haired man named Axel approaching him. "Saïx just told me the good news. You're off on your first mission today!"
"I am?" Roxas wondered, tilting his head to the side. "What am I doing?"
"Well, it's not so much a mission as it is a test," Axel said with a shrug. "I'm supposed to take you out and see just how good your acrobatics and speed are. Like if you're really going to be as useful as Xemnas thinks." Roxas blinked, unsure of how to take that, and glanced over his shoulder in the direction Number XIV had left in.

"Can I go introduce myself to the new girl first?" he asked.

"Afraid not," Axel said. "Mission first, pleasantries later. She'll be here when we get back." Roxas looked back up at his tutor and frowned. "Oh, don't give me that doom and gloom look. You can wait a few marks, can't you? Look, the sooner we leave, the sooner we get back. So let's go already." Once again, Roxas again looked over his shoulder before sighing and nodding.

"Okay," he nodded. "Where are we going?"

"The city tunnels," Axel replied with a smirk. "It's smelly, but it's out of the way and no one will bother us even if you're jumping around like a madman." Roxas blinked.

"Um, okay," he nodded again. "Let's go, then." He followed Axel out of the throne room, and they made their way out of the castle and into the streets of the surrounding city.

"Try to stay out of sight," Axel told him. "Our enemies have eyes and ears everywhere. Got it memorized?"

"Who exactly are we fighting?" Roxas asked as he followed his tutor down an alley.

"That's an introduction Xemnas tends to give new recruits," Axel said. "What, he didn't tell you yet?" Roxas shook his head. "Huh. Well, anyway, it doesn't really matter right now." He pointed to a sewer hole ahead of them. "Ready?"
"Sure," Roxas said a bit uneasily. This Organization he'd found himself in certainly liked keeping secrets. But he was the rookie, so maybe he'd find out more as he proved himself and moved up the ranks? He couldn't say for sure, but he had no other courses of action to take. He knelt down and lifted the cover of the sewer hole, shoving it aside, and Axel cringed as it scraped along the ground.

"Good God, man, didn't anyone ever teach you the meaning of stealth?" He shoved Roxas to the side and picked up the cover, tilting it onto its side and rolling it away. "See? A lot less noise." Roxas looked down and shifted awkwardly.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. Axel sighed and shook his head.

"First day out," he said. "Bound to be a few hiccups. Come on, let's get this over with. Try not to breathe through your nose." He gestured to the now open hole, and Roxas nodded before climbing down the ladder. Axel followed behind him and shut the hole the same way he had opened it, though it appeared a lot more difficult with one hand underneath it. They headed down into the hole and Roxas wrinkled his nose at the smell. No wonder it was deserted. He stepped down onto the walkway below and moved out of the way so his tutor could do the same.

"Alright," Axel clapped his hands together. "This is disgusting, so let's get this done and over with as soon as possible." He took a step forward and peered through the dim light. "You see that little platform up there?" Roxas looked up in the direction he was pointing, finding a landing above the main walkway where it looked like some supplies were stored. There was another ladder right in front of it.

"What about it?" he asked.

"Go get up there without getting soaked. Neither of us want that." Roxas frowned and started toward the landing, but Axel grabbed his hood and pulled him back. "Whoa, man! Not so fast. You can't use that ladder." Roxas turned around and stared at him.

"Why not?"

"I told you this was a test of your speed, your strength, and your agility. We want to see if you're everything we think you are." Roxas's dumbfounded look only made Axel scratch the back of his head. "Just do it so we can leave."

"Fine…" Roxas turned around and scanned over the area. There were crumbling stones in the walls and some of them were held together by metal bars. Above were several pipes and he could hear water running through them. They looked sturdy enough, even if they were rusty.

It wouldn't be easy, but neither was it impossible.

He stepped back, then sprinted forward and launched himself across the sewer water to the other walkway, then started up the wall, grabbing at loose stones and the metal bars keeping them in place. He looked up and frowned at the pipes. They were quite close to the ceiling and probably slippery from any water that leaked out of them, so he wouldn't be able to run over them.

He shoved himself away from the wall and stretched out his hands, grabbing onto the pipes, and hand over hand, started moving back across the water. He swung himself from one pipe to the other. Axel let out a grunt as one of his hands slipped, but he quickly regained his grasp on it and started moving across the pipe again. He found himself a slight bit above the platform and the pipe ran perpendicular to it. He readjusted himself to face it and started swinging his body again. Unfortunately, his fingers slipped from the pipe a bit prematurely, and he fell just short of the landing. He grasped onto it, digging his fingers in and bracing his feet at the wall, mindful of not using the ladder- no matter how obnoxious it was that he couldn't when it was right there- and hoisted himself up.

"Not bad, Roxas!" Axel called from below as he clapped. "You've got some nice moves. Impressive."

"Thanks," Roxas nodded. "So, can I come down now?"

"Yep, and you can use the ladder this time. I'm sure Xemnas will be happy to know he picked a winner."

"What do you mean?" Roxas asked as he climbed down the ladder. "What's so special about me?"

"That you can do all that stuff," Axel replied. "Almost flawlessly. All the training in the world probably couldn't help someone reach your potential." Roxas frowned and stared at him. "Look, don't worry about it. Let's just get out of here and back into the fresh air."

"Okay," Roxas agreed. "I want to say hello to Number XIV anyway."

"Yeah, yeah," Axel shrugged. "Let's get going."