Chapter 5: Hydration

"Experiment 627, one of the latest projects in Dr. Jumba Jookiba's long line of genetics research, and the first to be created on the Planet Earth. The experiment has been shown to have numerous abilities, excessive duribility, extreme strength, and other assets. His own known weakness is his loud, uncontrollable laughter, and the fact that when dehydrated, 627 will be returned to a pod format." Vexen paused in his reading, glancing over at where Zexion and Lexaeus sat.

Lexaeus, the Silent Hero and number Five of the Organization was staring stoically at Vexen. He was silent for a few minutes more, before he gruffly began to speak. "The creature will pose a problem. Is that why you had me bring it?"

Vexen nodded, tapping what looked like a caulking gun. "I'll dehydrate him with this, and incapacitate him for this round. Someone else can rehydrate the experiment for the next round." The Dehydrator had been made several years earlier, when Vexen had been sent on a mission to the Water Temple in Hyrule. The temple itself had proved annoying, and Vexen had gotten tired of all the water, being unable to freeze a good ninety percent of it due to the fact it would block the path forward. With the Dehydrator, the Temple had become much easier to negotiate.

"How are you going to distract him?" Zexion's quiet voice interrupted the older man's statement. "It is dubious to assume that the experiment will simply allow you to walk up and dehydrate him."

There was a moment of silence, before Vexen admitted that that was the hard part.

--Battle Tournament--

Vexen, Zexion, and Lexaeus stared down at the sight below from a obscure balcony on the second floor. They could barely see 627, who was apparently staking out the café where Vexen had arranged to meet the experiment in the previous. The experiment seemed to be under the impression that the scientist would be there.

"The message has been sent to the neophyte, correct?" Vexen inquired of his two companions, his gaze lifting from the experiment below.

Lexaeus nodded in silent affirmation.

"Do you think this will work?" Zexion asked quietly, before moving on to voice his opinion. "I find it dubious that the experiment will fall for this ploy for very long. The report did say that the experiment was very intelligent."

"He doesn't need to fall for it for a very long time, he just needs to fall for it long enough for…" Vexen's gaze snapped back to the café when he heard the tell-tale sign of a dark portal opening. "And here he is…"

A slight black robed figure stepped out of the portal, gazing around in an attempt to identify his surroundings.

Experiment 627 attacked the figure before the portal finished closing. The figure yelped, barely dodging the attack and propelled himself backwards. "Stop, stop!! I didn't do anything yet!" the figure protested. 627 ignored the man's words and moved to attack again. The figure dodged once more. "Wait, wait!!" the figure pleaded.

"Evil!" 627 roared.

The figure tilted his head to the side. "Now that's just plain rude…" he admonished, wagging a finger at the experiment. "Attacking people out of the blue like that…"

627 growled as the figure rambled on, before deciding to get this annoying pest out of the way. This obviously wasn't Vexen, and the experiment didn't want to waste any more time than he had to.

"Hey, are you paying attention? That's really rude too you know…" the figure whined, pulling out a card from a pocket. "The orders say I'm supposed to…" His eyes narrowed, squinting at the card in his hand. "Use aggression to liberate his true disposition?? What? Why did they even send me on this mission?? I told them I was the wrong guy for this…" He sighed, before extending an arm into the air… "Suppose I'll just have just have to do this…" A ball of water coalesced above his hand, before quickly expanding into a sitar. "Dance water, Dance!"

As he began to play, water pooled and merged into clones of the figure. The clones circled around 627, but were cut down as quickly as they were formed. The figure retreated towards the café as he saw the Experiment advance through the ranks, easily cutting a swathe through the water clones. "Uh-oh…" he managed to get out, before tripping backwards over a café chair. The figure took the chair with him, and managed to pull the table down with him as well, the ornaments on top hitting him square in the head.

627 stopped, before letting out a barking laugh. The laugh soon escalated as the figure tried to stand up, but only succeeded in tripping over the downed table and onto his face. Experiment 627 was soon rolling on the floor laughing, and missed the black portal that opened nearby. The creature stopped laughing when he felt something poke into him and begin to suck something out of him.

Vexen knelt down and grasped the pod with his free hand. He glanced at it cooly for a moment, before turning his attention to the figure. "Number nine, your incompetence has proved to be of some assistance. That is all that was needed. You may return to the castle."

Number nine, or Demyx, stared up at the scientist, biting back the 'what?' that rose to his lips. He knew it would serve no purpose to ask the man about it. Vexen was notorious for disliking the neophytes, and a part of Demyx wondered why the man had even sent for him for this mission. Demyx rose to his feet, brushing off what had fallen on him. A store across the way caught his eye. "I have to go do something first… see ya later Vexie!!"

A dark look spread across Vexen's face as the Nocturne ran past him. "It's Number Four to you!" He twitched violently, tamping down the urge to use the Dehydrator on Demyx. "No respect for their elders…"

"Relax. He did his job," Zexion stepped out of another portal, followed by Lexaeus.

"Don't remind me… he behaved as he usually did. I don't understand why the Superior let that incompetent into the Organization…"

"It is not our place to question the Superior," Lexaeus stated. "This round is over. It would be best to begin preparations for the next."

Vexen forced the scowl off his face and walked away from the café. "Indeed."

Disclaimer: I own nothing, nothing I say!!

Author's Note: Hee hee, I love Demyx. Not as much as my Vexie or Marly, but he's up there. So anyways… writing against a former partner… yep, it feels weird. So, good luck kinger810!! Woot!! Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, just feel free to leave them in a review.