9


"Get those rooms secured, I need a head count on the subjects now!" Ansem shouted to the various soldiers dashing through the halls of Langley. Not even five minutes had passed since the break in and they were in no way making any progress… yet. Ansem grunted as some soldiers brushed passed him rather roughly. He spied an assault team sitting in a waiting area and waved the sergeant of the group over. The sergeant immediately jogged to the older man. "Orders, Sir?"

Ansem nodded and pointed to the stairwell. "I need you and your team to secure Patients 607 to 814. They should be on the fifth floor." The sergeant nodded and turned to his team. "All right, Delta two, we are Oscar Mike! Targets are on the fifth floor, let's go!" The men all stood up and headed for the stairs.

Jack Fredericks was jogging down the hallway, dodging the incoming traffic when he spotted Ansem. He slowed to a brisk walk to keep pace with the older man as he headed for a different wing of the building. "Director, I hate to question your actions, but why are we doing a complete lockdown and checking every floor when we already know that the intruders only took the SOLDIER?"

"Ex-SOLDIER," Ansem clarified, "and it is protocol, my boy. Besides, we have no idea as of yet how those filth got in or where they have been while they were inside. They could have freed the specimens in the entire upper levels and we wouldn't know it." He then sent a chilling glare at the young man, causing him to shiver. "Our security cameras were down during the attack."

Fredericks gulped. "I know, sir, and I know that I was in charge of that, but I can assure you, what happened today with the security here will never happen again."

Ansem stopped. "You'd better live up to that statement, Mr. Fredericks, or being fired will be the least of your worries." With those parting words, Ansem McCarson preceded through two double doors that led to the Scientists' Quarters. Fredericks felt a sudden urge to vomit and headed for the nearest bathroom.


"Well, I can see that you have a handle on things in this area, Miss Martinez," Ansem said, smiling at the middle-aged Hispanic woman. "But before I leave, may I ask one more question?"

Raquel Martinez nodded. "Of course, Director. What is on your mind?"

Ansem leaned forward in the chair that he was sitting in. "How has 648's progress been lately?"

Martinez sighed. "Slow, but better. He has finally come to grips that he is no longer who he once thought he was. The information that we are giving to him seems to be taking root. So far, he has denied that he ever had a family, that his brother and two sisters were killed in a freak accident at an amusement park, and that he dropped out of high school at seventeen." The woman closed the folder and set it back in its rightful place before picking up another. "However, compared to 647's progression rate, we had achieved the same type of results in about eight days. It has taken 648 nearly an entire month."

Ansem stood and placed a hand on the scientist's shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry. At least we are getting somewhere." With that, he left the room, and headed to check on his most prized employees.

The door slid open to reveal a rather extensive laboratory. Just as he had suspected, two of his most promising apprentices were working on an experiment. Xehanort was apparently examining the foreign substance on the table in front of him while Even stood behind a desk, recording the information that Xehanort was relaying to him.

Xehanort ran his fingers over the slimy green substance. He then sprinkled some particles on the end. The tail of the jelly squirmed, turning purple in the process. Xehanort smiled slightly. "Subject appears to react to trace amounts of Americium dioxide."

"Fascinating," Even said quietly, typing in the data that he had just received.

Ansem looked over at two guards flanking a door in the back of the room. He nodded at them. The two guards, Aeleus and Dilan, bowed slightly to the director, their expressions never changing, causing Ansem to smirk.

Suddenly, the strange organism in front of Xehanort started to twitch uncontrollably. Xehanort's smile quickly turned to a frown as the purple end of the slime turned grey. The grey spread all the way down the slime until it reached the front. The organism stopped twitching and was perfectly still. Xehanort looked up at Even, who was still typing away. "Correction. Trace amounts of Americium dioxide-"

"Have devastating effects on the specimen, I'm way ahead of you, Xehanort." Even said. Xehanort just grunted in response.

Ansem took this opportunity to step in. "Failure is not defeat, Xehanort," Xehanort forced a slight smile at his master. "It only narrows the path to the correct answer." Ansem stood beside the younger gray-haired man. He placed a hand on Xehanort's shoulder. His smile faded. "No doubt you all have heard about the break-in."

Even nodded gravely. "Yes, Master. It is a terrible shame that our defenses were compromised so easily." He shook his head.

"Are all the subjects accounted for, Master Ansem?" Xehanort asked.

"Not quite, but almost." Ansem replied. "I just stopped by to see how you all have been progressing as of late. I'm heading to the lower levels after this." A door slid open in the back of the room, and Ienzo, the youngest of the group, entered the room, wiping his hands on a hand towel. Ansem nodded to the bluish-haired man, who returned the gesture. It was then that Ansem noticed a blue light flashing periodically in the room that Ienzo just left.

"What's going on in the back room?" He asked.

Xehanort smiled. "That is our latest discovery. Right this way." He walked back to the room and entered through the door. Ansem followed.

Inside were several pieces of equipment. Four ray emitters were pointed directly at a glass case. Inside the case was something flat and black. Ansem approached the case and peered in at the substance. "Well?" He looked back over his shoulder at Xehanort. "What is it?"

Xehanort continued to smile. "This, Master, is the future of our military power. A new creature that will aid in the capturing and repossessing of experiments." Ansem jumped back slightly as the black mass rose from the ground. It materialized into a small black creature with yellow eyes and two antennae. It's little black claws immediately started scratching the glass in the spot where Ansem stared at it.

"What is that thing?" he whispered to himself.

"Master, allow me to introduce you to this wonderment of science: the Heartless."

Ansem remained silent. "Heartless?" he mumbled. Xehanort nodded. "Yes. It is made of pure darkness. It lacks a heart, which drives it to attack other living organisms that possess a heart. This one is a prototype, and we're working out the kinks right now. With your permission, I would like to continue with the experiments."

"No."

Xehanort was shocked. "What?"

"I said no!" Ansem slammed a fist on a table in the room. He walked up to Xehanort and looked him square in the eye. "If one of those things got loose, do you realize the impact it would have on society? It would go on a rampage, slaughtering every person it came across! Hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent lives would be at stake! It's simply too dangerous."

Xehanort didn't back down. "I don't think you're in a position to tell me no, Master."

Ansem's eyes widened. "Are you defying my authority, Xehanort?"

"You're smart, figure it out yourself, "Master"."

Ansem's face grew red. "Very well. You've left me no choice. If you will not obey me, then I will have to put you in solitary confinement." Ansem looked past Xehanort's shoulder and saw Xigbar talking to Dilan and Aeleus. "Xigbar!" The one-eyed soldier looked at him and walked up to Ansem. "What's up, Boss?"

"Arrest Xehanort and take him to solitary confinement." Xigbar stayed by Ansem's side. He drew his sidearm and held it at his side. Ansem turned to him, fire in his eyes. "That is an order, Xigbar! Arrest him at once!" He returned his gaze to Xehanort, who stared defiantly back at him. Suddenly, he felt cold metal pressed against his head. He slowly turned his head to see Xigbar holding his pistol to Ansem's head. He smirked. "No can do, Boss."

Anger flaired in Ansem's eyes. "What is the meaning of this treachery? Xigbar, stand down!"

Xehanort placed a hand on Ansem's shoulder and leaned toward his right ear. "You aren't in charge anymore, Ansem." He stood in front of Ansem and spread his arms. "I thought you would have realized it by now. "

"The others won't stand for this!" Ansem shouted. Xehanort laughed

"On the contrary, the "others" are behind me. They've been behind me since the very beginning." Xigbar kicked Ansem in the back of his knee joints, causing him to fall to his knees. Xehanort kneeled in front of him, locked his gaze with Ansem's. "We've been planning this day for a long time, in case you ever decided to go against our wishes. Up until now, you've cooperated splendidly." He stood to his feet.

"You may think that the others will follow you, but you're a fool! They know that you will lead them down a path that will only end in destruction! Bring them in and let them speak for themselves!"

Xehanort nodded to Xigbar. Suddenly, Xigbar disappeared, only to reappear on the other side of the room. At the same time, vines shot out of the floor, trapping Ansem where he sat. The vines also wrapped around his wrists, preventing him from moving his hands. Ansem looked up at Xehanort, and his heart stopped.

Xehanort's yellow eyes were glowing.

Xigbar hit the button that activated the lab door, and the five other members of Xehanorts coup filtered into the room. Ansem's fear returned to its previous state of rage. "What type of sorcery is this, Xehanort?"

Xehanort smiled darkly. "Not sorcery, old man." He walked over to a desk in the corner of the room. "While we were creating and experimenting with the Heartless, we came across some interesting data. A behind-the-scenes project, discontinued two years ago." He held up a file. Ansem's eyes widened.

PROJECT APEX.

"You didn't…" Ansem whispered.

"Ah, but we did." He walked across the room to stand by his peers. "We all partook of this wonder of science. Each of us received a special ability, and so, to coincide with our new lives, most of us have taken on new names." He nodded to the other ten people who stood in the room.

"Xigbar: space"

"Xaldin: wind."

"Vexen: ice."

"Lexaeus: earth."

"Zexion: illusions."

"Saix: rage."

"Demyx: water."

"Luxord: time."

"Marluxia: plants."

"Larxene: lightning."

"And I am Xehanort, commander of nothing."

"Nothing?" Ansem asked. "You have no power."

Xehanort chuckled. He stretched out his hand. The air in front of Ansem rippled, then split open, revealing nothing but a swirling dark abyss.

"Nothing: the area between the plane of existence and the plane of nonexistence. An endless sea of darkness." His eyes glowed brighter for a brief second, and his smile grew. "An endless supply of heartless." Xehanort stood in front of his companions. "Our numbers are not complete. We still are in need of two vital members."

"Who?"

"Two former APEX experiments, given the names Axel and Roxas. With their addition, we will become The Thirteenth Order." Xehanort kneeled in front of Ansem, the glow in his eyes never wavering. "And here is where I make you an offer. You will either be forced to work under us and stay in confinement, or you will become a test subject. It isn't a hard choice." He stood up. "Ease, or pain? Human, or not?" He looked over his shoulder at the older man chained to the floor by vines. "Life, or death?" He paced in front of the ex-director. "If I were you, I'd take what remainder of a life you would have and serve us. But it's still your choice. What will it be, old man?"

Ansem remained silent before lowering his head and sighing in defeat. "Life," he mumbled.

"What was that?" Xehanort mocked.

"I said life!" Ansem shouted. Xehanort smiled.

"Smart move." He motioned to Lexaeus and Xaldin. "Take him to solitary confinement. We'll get him when we need him." The two burly men nodded. Marluxia dismissed the vines while Xaldin and Lexaeus each grabbed Ansem's arms. As Ansem was dragged out of the laboratory, he looked back at the greatest minds at Langley who were watching him. He caught Xehanort's eye, saw the smirk of triumph, the look of victory written on his face.

He always was arrogant, Ansem thought to himself.

The door slid shut behind him, symbolizing the end of his career, and the end of life as he knew it.


I haven't updated in forever, and I don't really have an excuse. My apologies. As always, reviews are awesome, but not required. Let me know if there's anything I can improve on, if I need to change my writing style, if the story is inching closer to the toilet, et cetera. Happy belated Thanksgiving, everybody!