Luxord sat on the couch and waited patiently and rather somberly for Saïx to finish making everyone a drink. He felt like he was stuck in a bizarre dream hoping that he would wake soon but also knew that this was no dream but a nightmarish reality.
"Here." Saïx handed him his drink and sat down next to him then looked over at Vexen. "I think you should tell us everything you know about what Larxene is really up to from the beginning."
Vexen shot back his drink poured another one then sat down in the overstuffed chair by the window. "Alright," he sighed deeply. "here's what I know." He looked over at Luxord. "You are not biologically Ansem's son."
Luxord choked on his drink and stared wide eyed at the doctor.
"What?" Zexion matched Luxord's stare as he clutched Naminé tighter to his chest fearing he might drop her from the shock.
He took another deep breath as he stared at Luxord. "You are a product of a scientific study on childhood development. Ansem found you and Larxene in a homeless shelter and bought you both from an alcoholic woman he assumed to be yours and Larxene's mother."
"Why was he searching homeless shelters?" Saïx question and drew his brows deeply.
"What better place to find children that have no real ties to anyone and no one to notice they're missing." Lexaeus stared at Vexen who nodded at him in return.
"So I can't really say for sure if you and Larxene are related unless I do a blood test to find out." He stared back over at Luxord. "Ansem may know for sure since he was using the two of you as a product of research."
"I don't want to know." He shot back his drink and handed his cup to Saïx who got up to refill it.
"You said he used them as a product of childhood development research; what did he do?" Zexion questioned not really understanding what was going on.
"As a doctor I find his research to be rather interesting but as a human I'm completely disgusted with his methods." He gave a small shake of his head. "He would isolate you both and introduce repetitive negative and positive behavioral images and sounds over and over again for hours to see how you would react afterwards."
"How did they react?" Marluxia questioned then stared at the doctor suspiciously. "And how do you know all of this?"
"You forget Ansem took me on as he protégé when I first began studying medicine. I stumbled across his research when I was going through his files." He shrugged. "I still have them in my lab."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Luxord whispered feeling sicker by the second.
Vexen stared at him plainly. "Tell me how does knowing make you feel?" When Luxord blanched and paled he nodded curtly. "I didn't want you to know at all because what human being wants to know their whole life is nothing but a science experiment by a man he thought was his father?"
"I had a right to know."
Saïx shook his head and placed his hand on his thigh. "Maybe you did but if you had known would you be what you are today?" When he locked stares with the man he shook his head. "You and I both know you wouldn't be here now had you known so you're better off."
"Does Larxene know?"
Vexen sighed deeply and gave a small shake of his head. "She suspects it but doesn't know what happened. Though she's always known Ansem wasn't her father."
"How?" Luxord questioned as he leaned against Saïx trying to find some stability to this insanity.
"She never connected to him the way a daughter and father should." Zexion nodded as he stared at the doctor waiting for confirmation. "Woman's intuition."
"Exactly." Vexen nodded.
Marluxia drew his brows deeply trying to sort this whole mess out and getting nowhere. "So what does any of this have to do with China, the king, the Middle East, and Luxord?"
"Everything." He looked from Luxord to the attorney and back again. "Ansem works for the emperor as his personal scientific advisor." He nodded curtly at the blonde. "Did you never wonder how you had such a close connection to the most powerful family in China and not being of Chinese decent?"
"My twice great grandmother." He nodded then paled further. "She never existed." He answered flatly.
"Yes," Vexen nodded sadly. "your entire family tree is a work of fiction."
"Again what does this have to do with anything?" Marluxia bit out getting quite tired of them jumping the subject.
"Qing wants to build leaders to a specific standard. Ones that won't seek to control and only follow the orders given by him."
"One world rule." Saïx shook his head in disgust.
"I believe and I have yet to find confirmation on this but once Qing overthrows the Middle East and you take down New England he will expand China as a super power. With that kind of power at his disposal he'll be able to bring down the Americas, Russia, and the rest of Africa."
"Then he'll put his custom built leaders into power that will obey him and viola he's the one world ruler." Marluxia waved a disgusted hand through the air.
"As far as I can tell that's his plan." Vexen nodded and looked over at Luxord. "You are his first successful experiment. You're the standard in which they will be molded the only difference is they will constantly be told that Qing is their leader, their father, and that he is the only person in this world they are to listen to and obey. His word is law."
He suddenly felt even more sick than he already was and felt like he was going to hurl.
"Fine," Zexion bit out. "let him build his perfect little obedient slave that doesn't mean he'll be able to take over the world." He pointed out then looked over at Lexaeus who looked to be on the verge of tears or something. "Are you okay?"
"No." The large man shook his head. "I need my son." He set his cup down and left the room without another word.
"What?" He drew his brows as he stared at the door Lexaeus exited through.
"He thinks Ansem might have run his tests on Demyx." Marluxia placed his hand on Zexion's shoulder. "A father's worry."
"Oh." He sighed sadly and stared down at Naminé. "You don't think..." He looked from Naminé to Marluxia then to Vexen. "He didn't did he?"
"I can't say." Vexen shook his head. "I haven't had access to Ansem's records for many years so I don't know what research he has done over the last four years."
"Alright," Saïx sighed and stared at the doctor. "we need to get back to the very beginning here since we keep getting off line." He nodded curtly. "First I want to know and I'm sure Marluxia wants an answer to this as well; who is his son? Secondly..." He trailed off when Luxord slumped even further against him as he took long slow deep breaths. "Stop being such a baby!" He growled then looked back at Vexen. "Secondly why is Larxene so determined to gain control of Luxord's assets?"
"Well," Vexen started with a deep sigh as he looked over at Marluxia then moved his stare to Zexion. "Marluxia's biological son is Roxas."
"What?!" Marluxia hissed. "You have to be joking!"
"I wish I was." Vexen sighed deeply.
"So what are you going to do about him?" Zexion looked over at Marluxia.
"Nothing, he's an adult now and he's lived his whole life just fine as his adoptive parent's kid and that is where he will stay."
"I think you should tell him." Zexion nodded.
"Oh?" Marluxia arched a brow at him. "And do tell when Naminé gets older what are you going to tell her?"
"The truth." He nodded determinedly. "She has the right to know even if I don't like who her mother is." He looked over at Luxord. "And I'm sure Luxord would make the best uncle to her ever even if he is a bastard most of the time." He narrowed his eyes upon the man. "Right?" He threatened.
Luxord waved a dismissive hand through the air. "At the moment I don't care about her and her future. In comparison she has it bloody easy."
He couldn't argue with that considering Luxord was nothing but a science project to a man he thought was his father all these years.
"Okay I wish I could say I was shocked." Saïx snorted. "But at this rate I think it will take nothing short of God himself to appear before me to even surprise me let alone shock me." He again nudged Luxord off his shoulder when he nearly knocked them both over to the side from the force of his weight against him. "Would you stop it! Worse things have happened to people in their lives and they lived through it so suck it up and be a man! Why don't you go beat Sephiroth or something and find your spine I think you left it down there with him!"
Luxord scowled at him but didn't move. The shock of all this was getting to be too much to handle and he was sure it was only going to get worse the more Vexen revealed the truth about his life.
"Anyway," Saïx glared at Luxord one more time then looked back at the physician. "why does Larxene want to dethrone Luxord so to speak?"
"Security." Vexen nodded. "Qing takes control of the world the second most powerful person," he nodded at Luxord. "in the world will have some power in his new world and won't have to worry too much about Qing taking everything from them. Especially if he manages to seduce you," he stared pointedly at Luxord. "to his side to obey him as you currently do."
Luxord couldn't take it anymore this was all too much in one sitting. However there was one thing eating at him and only the doctor could answer it. "How do you know all this?" He stared suspiciously at the man.
Vexen sighed deeply. "I will tell you under one condition."
He narrowed his eyes deeply finally finding himself in the haze of shock. "You will tell me or face the consequences." He threatened. "And there will be no..."
"Shut up!" Saïx hissed interrupting him with a deadly glare. "Now is NOT the time to threaten people. It's the easiest and quickest way to shut them up." He huffed in annoyance. "I swear for the life of me I can't figure out WHY people are so loyal to you when I think they should dump your sorry ass in a gutter somewhere and be done with it!" He narrowed his ambers even further when Luxord opened his mouth to respond to that. "No not one single word." He growled threateningly. "I'm completely sick of you right now so just shut the hell up!"
He didn't know if he was liking this dominate side of Saïx at the moment and if this was any other time he would put Saïx in his rightful place and ponder on the boy's actions. However this was not the time nor the place and it was hard enough keeping his blood pressure down let alone keeping Saïx in line.
"Answer him." Saïx nodded at the doctor. "And don't worry he's NOT," he glowered at the blonde next to him. "going to do anything to you or the person you got your information from. Isn't that right?!" He continued to stare hard at Luxord.
"You're walking a thin line boy." He threatened.
"And you are being completely stupid, unreasonable, overbearing, demanding..." He smirked at him when he narrowed his eyes even further cutting him off. "I see everything is a one-way street with you isn't it." He stood up. "So be it you want to threaten people and lose allies because they fear what you'll do then you're one your own." With that he left the room without another word on the subject.
"I agree." Zexion bit out with a glare at Luxord, stood up, and followed Saïx out the door.
"I would storm out on you too but I'm too injured so I'll suffer your ego." Marluxia snorted.
"Tell me what you know!" Luxord growled deciding that first he would deal with Vexen then follow that up with putting his foot down on Saïx's ass and reminding him who was really in charge of this household.
Vexen gave a small curt shake of his head. "I'll tell you providing that you don't harm my source. Saïx is right you do tend to act out first then think about it later in some circumstances and putting your iron fist down on his head will cost you needed information that only he can get."
"Demyx." Marluxia nodded.
"Demyx," Vexen repeated with a nod at that attorney. "there is another mess twisted up there as well that could cost you deeply." He stared at Luxord.
Luxord sighed deeply once again feeling the first stirrings of nausea twisting his stomach. "How deep?"
"Deep enough that what he knows and how you play your cards you could bring down Qing's empire." Vexen nodded curtly at him.
Marluxia stared wide eye at the physician. "Just how deep does this run?"
"Honestly I don't know." He slumped back into his chair. "The boy only tells me bits and pieces. Its difficult to get a full story out of him due to his extremely short attention span. The second he gets bored he clams up and no amount of pleading or threats will get him to talk about it further until he's ready to do so."
"He will talk to me." Luxord growled darkly.
"No he won't." Marluxia threatened. "Even I will fight you on that one. That boy is a mere child."
Luxord knew he was right he wouldn't actually beat the boy but the mere threat that he might would most likely open his mouth or he could take the boy down and let him see what happens to people that cross him.
"I know what you're thinking." Vexen glowered at his employer. "I can assure you that no one will let that happen either."
"This my house and all under its roof will follow my rules!" He growled.
"Yes until they all walk out and tell you to kiss it." Marluxia nodded curtly at him. "Does the saying 'you can attract more flies with honey' mean anything to you?"
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying let Saïx and Zexion have the boy. Between the two of them I'm sure they can get anything and everything you've ever wanted out of him." Marluxia nodded. "Let their natural motherly so to speak instincts do the job. You'll get what you want and no one will get hurt in the process."
"Saïx isn't motherly." He grumbled to himself and slumped back into the couch. The thought that Saïx was like Zexion kind of made him sick to his stomach. "So be it then. Saïx and Zexion can work the boy and I'll deal with Larxene."
"Good." Marluxia nodded and looked over at Vexen. "You should talk to them and tell them what you know so they can get up to speed on things and they aren't prying information we already have wasting time."
Vexen stood up and nodded. "I'll talk to Lexaeus first. He'll probably be rather reluctant to let us talk to Demyx if he thinks Ansem used him as a guinea pig."
Marluxia nodded back at him then stared at Luxord waiting for Vexen to leave the room. "So what is the real plan then?" He questioned once Vexen was gone.
Luxord shook his head tiredly. "I do not know. I don't have the power to take control of the world."
"You don't have to. I think once we get the full story of what is going on we send word to the Americas and let them know of Qing's plans."
"It could trigger another world war." Luxord stared pointedly at him.
"So be it." He waved a dismissive hand through the air. "It could be just what the world needs to break the many iron fists that wish to control it."
"Yes but there's always more hiding in the shadows to take up where their predecessors left off." Luxord pointed out. "Maybe I should border lock Greece send word to Russia, Africa, and the Americas about Qing's plans and for good measure let Stewart know and let the cards fall where they will."
"Actually that's not a bad idea." Marluxia agreed. "Once we get the information Demyx has we'll go from there."
Luxord sighed tiredly and nodded at his long time friend. Actually all he really wanted to do was to crawl back into bed, go to sleep, and wake up to find this was nothing but a bad bad dream.