Sitting in the dining hall was much better than wandering around the woods, Zexion thought as he watched those around him.

Though it was obvious they did not trust him, the room was dim enough for him to summon a portal with minimal effort.

The food in front of him was untouched and he leaned back in his seat. His hood was firmly in place and he had no intention of letting them see his face- it unnerved some of them, he noted dully. Those would be no problem if it came to a fight.

However, the man with the beard was another story. Power radiated from his every pore and it rubbed in an opposite direction from anything he'd encountered within the Organization. He seemed completely at ease, and that was the only reason Zexion stayed still.

It was a strange phenomenon when a person didn't shy away from a Nobody. Very strange indeed.

Ignoring the looks the people gave him, he brushed the plate away from him and summoned his Lexicon.

The action went almost unnoticed, but the greasy haired man narrowed his eyes and turned to address the others.

Shrugging to himself, he began to write his report.

oooooo

"Headmaster, are you sure?"

"Quite, Minerva. Fawkes is never wrong."

The two turned to watch the phoenix as it tried to catch the black cloaked person's attention. Almost absentmindedly the man raised a hand and stroked the bird's plumage. His head never rose from the page he was writing on.

With a small smile, Dumbledore turned back to his conversation, "I wish to speak to him. I hope you and Serverus will join me."

oooooooo

With a sigh, Zexion dismissed his Lexicon. He still had no idea what was expected of him here and if there was something he hated more than not knowing something, he hadn't found in yet.

Exhaustion was creeping into his limbs, and he mentally cursed himself.

"I am sure you have many questions, come and we will do our best to explain them."

Startled at the proximity of the bearded man, he shrugged. Internally, however, he was deeply disturbed. The man had come that close without him realizing it. If he didn't keep vigilant, he'd end up with a knife in his gut.

Following the three people out of the room, he did his best to hide his surprise.

Every inch of the corridor they walked through was saturated in magic. With each step a cloud of magic billowed into the air. Its touch shook the exhaustion from his limbs and the dullness from his mind.

Hmm, he thought, this place is overflowing with magic. It's almost too much for this world.

His thoughts were yanked out of his mussing when they paused at a gargoyle. It eyed them with a dark intelligence, but sprang away when the bearded man spouted out some nonsense word at it.

As Zexion passed it, the stone beak clicked at his back.

The moving staircase jarred his sore muscles, but he kept a stoic face.

The office (Zexion was sure it could be nothing else) was a strange. Gadgets puffed out opaque clouds of smoke that he recognized as magical footprints. They were invisible to everyone else though Demyx claimed he was the one making things up.

With a mental shrug he took the offered seat and let his consciousness leak out into his surroundings.

Images came rushing into his mind and he smirked to himself. All humans had weaknesses he could exploit.

Amid the onslaught of images he could have sworn he saw the bearded man smile. It must have been a trick of the light as there was no emotion on his face as he peered over his spectacles.

They all sat in silence for a second the Zexion let out a dry laugh, "It's not going to work."

Dumbledore sighed, "We have no other choice, I'm sure you realize this; the threat will not only affect this world, but all the worlds."

"Their existence does not concern us."

"No?" Dumbledore leaned forward, "What then will you do when they set their teeth to your planet? They will have grown fat on the destruction they have wrought and their power will far exceed your own."

He was about to say something when a thought lodged in his mind.

Summoning his Lexicon, he dug out his mission orders.

In ugly black letters stood the simple statement:

Do not return until the threat is neutralized.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Me: Yes I enjoy making you wonder.

Seth: Well that's just mean. Not even I know what's going to happen next!

Me: Well that's a surprise, isn't it?

Seth: Read, review, and respect the author!