"I'm glad you all could have made it here today," the long haired male blonde said.

"I still don't even know why I bothered to come!" the spiky red hair man replied.

"Alex! Show some respect to Even! He is my brother after all!" the golden hair women scolded.

"HA! Are you kidding me, Arlene! He must be sending messages into your head through those antennas of yours!" The women became infuriated.

"Do you even remember why we are here!"

"Do I memorize anything?" He tapped his head and leaned it toward her. A man with long bluish hair and a cross scar on his face stepped in between them. He faced Arlene.

"Is it really necessary for you to get hurt here? After all, we don't want you bruised or damaged for our wedding." He pushed her head up with his hand.

"You really seem to care! Can't even change your tone of voice!" Alex yelled.

"You might want to back down now. I don't care about your safety."

"And you'll do what to me, Asi? Go berserk and kill everyone around? You might have killed tons of heartless in your days of the army, but let me remind ya that killing humans is not highly looked upon! Besides, what do you think Ansem the Wise will do to you if you break all his stuff!"

"Would you like to gamble on that?" A bearded blonde came up.

"Shut up Dulro! Do you always have to back Asi up? It's like YOU'RE about to marry him!" They heard a whimper from another blonde. Alex turned his head. "Be serious for once Dyme!"

"That's enough! Arlene! Dyme! You may be my younger siblings, but if you or your friends act up again, you will all be thrown out!" Even shouted. His outburst put them all into an eerie silence. "Now can we please move on!" Even walked off.

The first room they walk in was filled with four other apprentices. "These are four other individuals chosen to work with the great Ansem the Wise! Over there sitting down is Braig, who is our public talker. Over there talking to him is Dilan, who helps me think around here. The big brute carrying the crates is called Elaeus; he is our muscle that carries all the heavy stuff. Lastly, the one playing chess against the computer is named Ienzo. He basically decides what our next move will be up against the public because of his incredible strategic thinking." The door behind the visiting group opened. Another man walked inside. "…And this is Ansem the Wise's greatest apprentice, Xenohart!"

"I'm flattered!" he replied. He chuckled. Alex smirked.

"You really must have been cooped up in here for way too long if you laugh at something like that!" Alex commented.

"At least I have a job to be cooped up in!" Xenohart laughed again. "Even, Ansem the Wise wanted me to get you. It's regarding our experiments."

"Okay." Even turned to the crowd. "Just hang out until I get back. And don't do anything stupid!" Even and Xenohart scurried out of the room. Arlene and Asi decided to talk and enjoy each other in a corner, by themselves. Dulro went to the bathroom; Dyme went to search for food to eat. Alex was the only one to try to make conversation with the four apprentices. He walked up to Braig and Dilan.

"How's it doing man?" Braig asked.

"You mean in this building or just today?" Axel questioned jokingly.

"Which do you think? You don't need to be a genius to know that." Dilan replied.

"It also doesn't take a genius to also know when to cut your hair and when dreadlocks aren't their style." Dilan stood up

"Keep that mouth up and you will surely have a gruesome fate." Dilan walked off.

"Don't mind him! He's kind of like a pessimist." Braig said.

"What's that?"

"Someone who always sees the thorns of a rose."

"I would hate to see what his happy mood is like!"

"As if! He's never been happy from what I remember."

"What about the others? What are they like? What are you like?"

"Well, Elaeus is a really really quiet man. But he's got strength of a god or something! Lets just say I want what ever that dudes getting! He saves us all the time from escaping or invading heartless! And me…well, I like to shoot things." He laughed. "I don't know if I've just been smoking too much weed or something, but man is it fun! I got this one scar on my cheek though when some dude thought it wasn't cool to jokingly shoot at him!" Alex thought that the weed thing explained why Braig sounded like the way he did. Braig also reminded Alex's short-termed memory that Braig was the one that almost shot him.

"What about Ienzo and Xenohart?"

"Gee…I just don't know. Ienzo and Xenohart are somewhat of mysteries to us. Only Ansem the Wise knows about Ienzo's past. All I know is that is a very sneaky and clever man. No one knows about Xenohart's past or memories."

"Maybe I can find out from Ienzo right now." Alex stood up.

"Okay then. Nice talking with ya dude. Be a good boy now!"

"Just one more question before I walk off. Why do you try to act twenty years younger?" Braig's smile disappeared.

"You really like getting people mad, don't you?"

"It's a habit that's now a hobby." Alex walked off towards Ienzo. "Whatsup?" he said to Ienzo

"Don't talk to me. I'm trying to think. Go away." Ienzo replied.

"Jeez! You could have just said I'm busy! Besides, if you're such the genius that everyone says you are, then why do bother playing chess against something that cant think!"

"Apparently, it can think more than you. That is if you can even think at all. Now leave me alone or I'll call Elaeus over here."

"And what will he do?"

"Elaeus! Get over here!" The giant walked towards the two fragile men.

"Yes? What is it?" the giant questioned.

"This man is pestering me." Ienzo answered.

"No problem!" Elaeus walked over to Alex and picked him up by his collar. He carried him out of the room and threw him out the door. He wiped his hands and walked back to where the others were. Suddenly Xenohart burst into the room. He started to throw their research papers into the floor.

"What's wrong!" Dilan asked.

"Ansem the Wise is telling us to stop our experiments! He told me and Even after he was talking to a stranger with big ears for awhile! Even and I pleaded for us to continue, but he just told us to wait in the hall! I couldn't wait for an answer after what seemed like forever so I walked in! He kept his decision!"

"But…" Ienzo began, "He doesn't have to know we are continuing."