Chapter 7
In the boardroom, Ansem's phone buzzed as the security cameras sent him a series of new alerts. His own children, plus Linda and Saix's kids, had worked out an escape from Enzo's parallel dimension trap at last. He smiled, gratified, before turning to his subordinates and announcing the news.
Everybody applauded politely, but not Alexis Terra, for a simple reason. "Is Marley not out?" he asked.
Ansem consulted his screen before responding. "Sorry, Five. Eleven has not found her way out yet. But then, she was always the least likely to make it, what with her being alone in the house and all. Six, help her out, if you please," he commanded Enzo, who closed his eyes, focused on the Terra-Flowers house's own dimensional rift, then started chanting in Latin as he re-shaped the pocket dimension so Marley could have a little staircase leading to the exit.
Over on the other side, Marley breathed a sigh of relief as she realized she now had a way out of the weird world. She stepped up the stairs, crouched on the very top, then leaped through the hole. Unfortunately, with nothing awaiting her to cushion her on impact, she landed with an ungainly thud on the tile floor, and everyone in Ansem's boardroom could hear a loud, sickening crunch of bone as Marley's arm folded underneath herself and broke.
Sickened by the sight, Alexis stood up and made for the door, but Ansem stopped him with a swift blast of his ethereal blade without even getting up himself. "Can't let you do that yet, Five," said Ansem. "If you think about it, what would Eleven think if she realized you knew she'd broken her arm right as it happened? Forget all that bullshit about personal connections and whatever, she'll still be a little bit suspicious. Wait a few moments before you rush to her."
Alexis sighed, defeated. As usual, Ansem was completely right. He looked around at the other board members, who all avoided his gaze - except Vexen, who sent him a brief look of sympathy. She was always the nicest of the inner circle, Alexis thought to himself. Within moments, Alexis' phone rang, and he took the call from Marley, while the rest of the inner circle regarded him with silence. What an amazing actor he is, Ansem thought, to fool that flighty bitch into thinking he hasn't already seen what has happened. All the while, Alexis could only think of one thing: He can't possibly know. He can't possibly have foreseen this. But he did.
That goddamn bastard. He must have known this would happen. He's trying to break me.
Well, it won't work. It can't work.
For all our sakes.
Ansem then took another look at the security feed from the Claymore house, watching as Rocky and Xion compared each other's keyblades. Perfect, he thought to himself. All according to plan, even though that phrase is a complete and utter cliche.
Then he turned to Enzo and said, "Six, you may break your...um...spell now." Enzo nodded, then started muttering the Latin chants necessary to close the gap to the pocket dimension. However, he kept one of them open, because Ansem had instructed him to.
His orders had been very specific.