A man with a black coat moodily tapped a cold, metal desk. He shook back his thick, mauve-coloured hair and his dark-blue eyes narrowed when someone else came through the door. The newcomer didn't look any older than twenty, and was wearing the same attire that the other was wearing. He ran a hand through his red hair and looked nervously at the person behind the desk.

"Where have you been?"

The redhead seemed to be expecting this cold question, and hesitated before answering.

"Well you see, Marluxia, Xemnas told me to –"

Marluxia stood up suddenly, upsetting a neat pile of papers of the desk. He knew this excuse very well.

"Xemnas told you to do what, Axel?"

Axel glanced at the papers and tried a cautious grin at Marluxia.

"You will have to tidy those up again, you know that?"

The next thing Marluxia said was said with such iciness that it could have frozen magma.

"I'm not in the mood for this, Axel," he said. "Give me a straight answer, and I won't find Saïx to get a second opinion."

At this mention of 'Saïx', Axel's bright green eyes narrowed.

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would," Marluxia carried on. "In fact, I might even tell Xemnas."

He chuckled without any humour, but Axel couldn't see the joke.

"Why is that so funny?"

"Well, can you see him?" Marluxia asked, indicated to the room around him. "Unless he's hiding behind a bookcase or something, he's not here."

"And?"

"You moron!" Marluxia yelled, leaning forward with both hands on the desk. "Don't you get it? Xemnas is missing!"

"I'm not a moron," Axel said, hurt. But then he realised what the man in front of him had said.

"Missing?!"

"Yes."

Axel seemed uncertain about this, and ran a hand through his hair again.

"What are we going to do about that, then?" he asked, but Marluxia sighed and shook his head.

"We are not going to do anything," he said. "See? If he's gone, then we can rule the Organization!"

"How many others know of this?" Axel asked, excited.

"The whole castle."

"Then how come I didn't know?"

"When I announced this, you weren't there," Marluxia said. "I've been waiting for a while."

Axel looked guilty, shifting from one foot to the other.

"I didn't actually come to hear this," he said, and Marluxia narrowed his eyes.

"Oh?"

"I came because…"

Axel hesitated, and his eyes wandered, looking for a way to explain.

"You came because?"

"I came because Zexion's sick," Axel said, finally saying what was in his mind. "He's not in good shape."

Marluxia wearily rubbed his neck, and looked back at Axel.

"How sick?" he asked. "When did this happen?"

"Well, he can barely walk, and he always looks quite blank," Axel replied. "As for how long; he's been losing test battles for about a week now."

Marluxia raised an eyebrow, not looking pleased.

"Are you sure he's not just putting it on?"

"Very sure," Axel said. "Come see for yourself if you want."

Marluxia walked out from behind Xemnas' desk, not taking any care to walk around the papers on the floor. Axel walked out the door, Marluxia following, and went down a number of floors via the stairs. After they had been walking for about ten minutes, Axel turned into another door, going into a dark room.

"Is that you, Axel?"

Zexion's voice came faintly from somewhere in the room, and Marluxia turned on a light. The teenager was sitting on a chair, his head in his hand, looking genuinely unwell.

"It's me and Marluxia," Axel said, walking over to Zexion. "Xemnas still hasn't turned up, so there's no chance of you being eliminated.

Marluxia knew that it was Xemnas' rule that all sick Nobodies were to be destroyed, as more healthy ones would always come.

"Xemnas won't turn up," Zexion muttered. "His scent has gone."

Marluxia groaned quietly. He would not like telling that to the rest of the Organization, as they still had respect for the Superior.

"Are you sure?"

"He might just have left the castle, but it sort of… faded."

"So he's dead?" Axel finalised, and Zexion nodded.

"I'll have to go," Marluxia said, and turned around to face the door. "I don't want anyone else finding the broken Existence Stone before I've disposed of it first."

Zexion nodded again, and sighed.

"I'm sorry that I can't do any more, but something's taken me," he said. "I don't think it's a normal virus or anything, as we can't catch them. This is the work of long research and genetic modification."

"Vexen," Marluxia spat, and ran out the door.

Axel decided to stay, though keeping his distance from the sick Nobody. All was quiet until something crashed in one of the many cupboards in the room. Silently sneaking up to the door of the one that had made the noise, he yanked it open and took a few steps back.

Out of it came a Dusk, one of the lowest rankings of Nobody. It swayed, but not as a usual Dusk would. It was drooping, and its moving was more trying to keep its balance than real Dusking. It raised its head, and Axel leaped back in horror. It was oozing black gas through its face, and after a few seconds it was just a skin on the floor, nothing more.

At that moment, Marluxia appeared in the middle of the room with Vexen. The scientist was being gripped on the arm by the other man, and was not looking at all pleased.

"What is it?" Vexen demanded, as Marluxia had obviously not told him anything. "Tell me!"

"Look."

Vexen knew all about Zexion's illness, but had no idea what it had to do with him.

"So?"

"You created this, didn't you?" Marluxia asked, and Vexen shook his head vehemently.

"No! I've never even tried to invent something that would do this!"

"Uh… guys…"

Everyone turned to Axel, who was pointing with a shaking finger at the Dusk skin. Zexion's eyes opened wide, as did Marluxia's, but Vexen just nodded.

"Yes, that's something I know of," he said. "But that only affects Dusks, so there's nothing to worry about."

"Oh, really?"

Axel now indicated to Zexion, who was clutching his head.

"This headache…" he muttered.

"Unless…"

Vexen trailed off, something which he rarely did.

"This disease is slow-working, but lethal," he continued. "It takes over a week in Dusks to eventually kill them, so it should be slower in humanoid Nobodies."

"You mean Zexion's caught this thing!?" Marluxia cried.

Vexen nodded slowly.

"This virus is very unstable, so it mutates rapidly. But to start it off would take someone with skill," he said. "Lots of skill."

"But can't you reverse this?" Axel asked, still gazing in horror at the Dusk skin.

"…"

Vexen wouldn't say anything, instead just walked over to Zexion and kneeled down beside the youth.

"Can you breathe properly?"

Zexion shook his head slightly.

"Not really."

He coughed a few times, and sighed.

"Can you find a cure to this, Vexen?" Zexion asked, sounding hopeful. "I don't want to give this to anyone else."

The scientist had suffering written in his face when he answered the question from the sick Nobody.

"I'm not sure."

"Come on, Vexen!" Axel cried out. "You've had over ten years experience with this type of thing, so you have to find a cure!"

"No, it's okay."

Everyone turned to Zexion, who had stood up.

"Just leave me, so you won't catch it," he said, swaying slightly. "I'll just stay here."

This wasn't an act of sympathy; it was an act of truth, and Marluxia knew this. The new leader laid a hand on Zexion's shoulder, and whispered into his ear.

"We will find an antidote, and when we do, we'll come back. I promise."

Zexion nodded slowly, and sat back down again. Marluxia motioned for the rest of the people to exit the room, which they grudgingly did.

They walked in silence for a long time, no one wanting to say anything that would start an argument. Zexion was going to die, and that was the bottom line.