Number XV. Unfitting in a strange way, he thought to himself on several occasions. This thought of his, this time, was broken by a laser nearly hitting him. A Green one, at that. Aw, shit, he thought. Him? Here? Now?

Roman was never one for extended stealth ops, especially when someone nearby has a Kaiba ready for said situations. Today's Kaiba: Allen Walker. Intel said something about some Innocence thing, and I figured that we had our reason why this world's Heartless population took a nosedive. "Fuck the Keyblade," this world says. "We're 'Innocent,' and y'all can't say shit." Roman chuckled to himself with such thoughts even as lasers flew at him.

Only a few months into the job, and I'm already being messed with by someone that can kill me outright? Not my day today, especially since he ain't letting me get to the dark corridor, he thought. It's... right... friggin'... THERE! Roxas got a little too lucky today.

The lasers kept coming. Roman deftly ducked and weaved past them, with only one so much as burning off a lower part of the Organization's robes, which he didn't particularly like anyway. Without a word, he also ducked under a swipe of the claw that was once Allen's left arm, which by default was red and demon-y. It reminded Roman of a similar case in another world, but he couldn't remember it very well. That was a long time ago in his view. Another dodge, this time a beam sword, followed by his own attack, which was a rising uppercut which launched the white-haired boy into the air. Roman followed this up with a straight punch to the gut which sent Allen flying backwards some seven feet on his back. "Got an agenda to follow. Can't have dudes like you messing with me," Roman said to the boy named Allen, and then he stepped into the portal of darkness.

The castle of greys, whites, light-ish blues, meh, Roman thought as he sat on the bed of his room, having forsaken his hood and robes for navy blue workout shorts that reached and covered his knees supported by a green tank top. He only wore said robes on missions, never anytime else. He was surprised that none of the superiors spoke out against his tastes, especially not the man Roman figured was the leader: a dark-skinned, white haired man with a mean look on his face practically all the time.

Roman's thoughts wandered back to his designated number, fifteen. In all honesty, he saw the fourteenth, a short haired girl, so infrequently that he more often than not forgot about the poor girl altogether. Of all of them, the thirteenth, "Elixerhead" Roxas, was the one Roman saw the most. The reason for the nickname was the unusual hairstyle that Roxas had along with the unusual shape of the associated item being similar. He could have sworn that one of the other guys said, "Chocobohead." Maybe it was the sitar dude or the pirate, he couldn't remember.

Either way, he actually rarely worked with anyone else when he did have to work with someone. There was so much to do with "hearts," and such that Roman still didn't really understand a whole lot of it. All he really knew was that everyone else lacked honest-to-God emotions, and that hearts have the key to those. So the 'key' to get their hearts back was the Keyblade, used by Roxas and the younger girl of the two in the Organization. Neither of which Roman particularly liked. One was older AND a bitch, and the other kept her hair short, which was a length Roman could never quite agree with. He always preferred long haired women, even if they kept it in a ponytail, which was cause for the gambler guy to hold him back during one particular mission from glomping a particularly good looking girl with large boobs, which he normally doesn't condone of alongside flat boobs. Kurono, someone said that day.

He really wanted to head back to that world just to see her again, but given the circumstances, Roxas will the lucky little bastard to get it on. "Unlucky number thirteen," Roman's ass.

He sighed and flopped on top on his bed, looking out the window. The sky was nothing but nightime, which meant that almost anytime it were day in a world, Roman would become blind for a moment from light overexposure. A recent addition to the outside spectacle was a large, heart-shaped moon. The leader of the group said this thing to be Kingdom Hearts, formed by Roxas and the younger girl killing things. Xion! He thought. That was her name!

So in Roman's mindset, (Roxas+Xion) Killing Things = Kingdom Hearts. To him, that about sums it up. Everyone else is just security, mentoring, or recon. So which of those three did he fit in? Who knew up until a meeting first indicated by a knock on his door?

"The superior has requested a gathering. Don your robes and be there," said the calm, dark voice Roman associated with "The Werewolf," Saix.

"Okay, okay..." Roman replied. Reason number two for these uncomfortable-ass robes: meetings.

The Room of Gathering. All these elevated throne things... what's the point? Ah, the things Roman thought. Why not just have a big-ass table so that height-fearing men like me don't sometimes fall silent when they have something to say?

The superior was the one to speak first. "Brothers... Sisters... Vexen wishes to announce something. From my understanding, this pertains to what may be a new and valuable addition to our ranks. A possible Number XVI."

"Please be a girl, please be a girl, please be a girl-" Roman said inaudibly.

"Attention, all," the girly looking man below and to the left of Roman said. Vexen, he thought it was. "My research and recent missions have turned up a most unusual find. A powerful person has lost their heart recently. I do not know who this is, but I do believe searches are at hand."

"Hold on there, Vexen," the pirate said. "If we just search the universe willy-nilly, we may never find this person before they either run or get themselves returned to the darkness. That's how we missed out on girl #3 and had to take 'Mr. AtatatatatataTA' over here," he added, gesturing to Roman, who chuckled a bit before saying, "Wait, me?"

The superior, Saix and Roxas facepalmed. "Fail," Roman heard. It was a female voice. Arrogant sounding. The lightning bitch, he concluded.

"Yeah, you," the pirate continued. "Anyway, do you have at least a general idea as to where our possible recruit is?"

"Why, of course," Vexen added with a smirk. "Right in the city outside."

It fell audibly silent. A recruit? Within the normally Shadow-infested city? They must have been a survivor until now. A lonely one, at that.

"I realize that this is a shock... but they have been sighted by one of my personal survellance posts. However, she is not a... err, how did you put it, Axel?"

Axel, the red haired man with small green triangles under his eyes replied, "A zombie? I'm kind of surprised that you wouldn't know that, Vexen. You're the science buff of us, and some of the most popular zombies were brought upon pop culture by science."

"I personally think the concept of the undead is preposterous. In any case, I will conduct several lone recon missions to search for the girl. Do not be too surprised if I am absent on some days."

Roman looked up from his shoes at the mention that the new "Nobody," as the others put it, was a girl. Score one for me! He thought.

Saix and Xemnas glared at Vexen. They had good reason to: Vexen performed all sorts of odd experiments on almost anyone and anything. Just last week, he had put the Keybladers into a maze and see how fast they could do it with while Roman chased them down with a bat AND was allowed his own Kaiba to jump the walls. Thirty minutes not counting the Scout parodying.

"I must go about this task alone. Smaller groups hide easier, and what sized group performs in stealth better than only one?" Vexen added.

A frown found itself on Roman's face after that was said. Not just out of jealousy and stir-craziness, but he was calling Vexen a pedophile in his head.

"When can we expect this new recruit to be within our ranks?" Xemnas asked.

"By the end of the month, we will have our number XVI. I guarantee it."

Roman raised his hand to respond, momentarily forgetting how high up his throne was. "If you already have a general idea as to where this new girl is, why would it take so long?"

Vexen frowned, himself. "Why would I tell an imbecile like you?"

A few chuckles rose up from some of the other members. Roman gave an exasperated sigh and slumped back in his throne to ensure that he didn't fall.

[Journal Entry]
The guys here are weird, as I believe I've already said. Vexen, however, seems to be up there on the weird scale. He's found a possible recruit right under our noses, practically, yet he projects a long timeframe for him to find her. Also, he's going alone! That shield thing of his won't be able to hold off those massive swarms of Heartless that pop out sometimes, I know it. Superior's probably gonna see that and force him to take a partner.

Adding to that, since he referred to our mystery recruit as a girl, the word "pedo" instantly comes to mind. That, and the image of a bear. A pedobear? A polar pedobear! Am I the only one scared of such thoughts? I mean, I dunno how old Vexen is supposed to be, but if he's a founding member, he's fairly aged, right? If anything, a younger member might have better relations to the possible new recruit, and not scare her off!