Oktoberfest '07: "Under New Management"

[numberii.livejournal.com]

Title: Under New Management
Author: Jade (jade_pen)
Beta: Hannah and Rini
Word Count: 2,828
Rating: PG, for mild language.
Characters: Xemnas, Xigbar, Saix, Luxord, Larxene, Argilla, Heat, Ichimaru Gin, and the Head Doctor
Summary: Some people just want to escape from the Institute. For the Organization XIII? That's just not good enough.
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“Love what you've done to the place.” Xigbar, number two of Organization XIII and the second-oldest Nobody in existence, pulled down his black hood as he strolled into the Chapel, muttering under his breath as he did so. In times past, it was as generic as things got; stained glass and altar and pews, but nothing that showed to which deity it belonged. Now? Now there was a golden replica of the Organization's symbol on the altar, the glass windows darkened so the Chapel was always in half-shadow even during the day. Save for a single, large heart-shaped hole in each window; those alone let in the brilliant light.

Standing in front of the altar, his arms held out in respect, was none other than Number One, Xemnas, whose broad back was turned to Xigbar. The Superior's long silver hair cascaded over the dark material of his robes, his voice calm as he spoke. “It is more suitable now. Our monument to Nothing, our due respect to Kingdom Hearts.”

During the short bit, Xigbar had made his way over to one of the pews and plopped down, reclining as he glanced towards his boss. “Don't have to preach to the choir, Number One. Just wanted to let you know I'm taking a break.”

“A break?” Xemnas slowly turned around, his orange eyes focused on Xigbar's own. “In a few weeks, perhaps; you're too integral to our operation here to let it go for now.”

“Come on! You make me drag all the patients back to bed every single bloody night, an' it's not like we don't have other people who can do that! You don't even let me play doctor; how am I supposed to get any fun out of this?” While he spoke, Xigbar hopped to his feet and gestured with his hands, just a bit more excitedly than usual.

“You don't have a heart; you can't enjoy anything. Yet.” Those words, spoken quietly and with a malevolent level of emotionlessness, came from the entrance of the chapel. The speaker, a tall Nobody with long blue hair and two scars in an 'X' shape over his nose, strolled into the Chapel. Flanking him were two others; a blond with a goatee and numerous piercings, and another blonde with longer hair and piercing eyes. All three of them wore the same black robes of the Organization.

The blond man, Luxord, who was idly rolling a pair of dice in his hands, took his seat near the entrance of the Chapel, in the first available pew. “While I share your frustration in being used as little more than a beast of burden from sundown to sunrise, is now really the proper time to take a vacation? Each night, we obtain more hearts from those unfortunate souls who give in to their despair or whatever other dark emotions they might be roiling with. In only a short while, we have rebuilt Kingdom Hearts and are well on our way to creating the world our illustrious Superior has envisioned. Isn't that worth a bit more patience?”

“Ah, why all this coyness?” The other blonde, Larxene, sauntered her way up the long aisle, running her gloved hand through Xigbar's ponytail as she walked past him. “We all know why he wants to go away for awhile. Isn't that right, Number Three?”

Saix, the blue-haired Nobody, didn't bother opening his mouth to speak. Not when Xigbar crossed his arms and glared, daring him to speak. After that moment of silence, the second in the Organization spoke once more. “Yeah, you hit it on the head, Queenie. You're always gonna be Number One-Two to me, no matter what some people might say.” The last part was directed at Xemnas, who blinked but made no answer.

“They're gone, my dear Freeshooter,” Luxord easily stated, fooling around with a hand of the three, four, five, and six of hearts. The dice were nowhere to be seen. After a moment, and one by one, each of those cards disappeared, leaving Luxord's hands empty. “They aren't going to be brought back, and it's only natural for our numbers to be consolidated downwards. We are again Organization Thirteen in truth; the faces only have changed.”

“It's not just the faces.” Xigbar growled as he saw Luxord dealing out the first six spades; from ace to six. “Some people might find it funny to have another group of 'senior members' an' 'new guys,' but not me. So yeah, I'm taking off. Get your new Number Nine to deal with it while I'm gone.”

Without any warning, a swirling portal of utter blackness appeared behind Xigbar, but before the Senior Member could step through it, Xemnas stopped him with a simple gesture. At that motion, Xigbar's face twisted with frustration, but he remained exactly where he was until the Corridor of Darkness disappeared. “Okay, what's the deal? I'm done here, Number One.”

In response to Xigbar's exasperated question, Larxene giggled. “Oh, didn't you know? Our illustrious Superior has decided that he's not going to allow what happened last time. Why, you might even have to... work with them. Won't that be fun?” And to punctuate her question, Larxene placed a single gloved finger to her lips, letting a heartless smile cross her face.

“Regardless of whether you enjoy it or not, that is what you must do.” Saix spoke this with his usual emotionless tone, yet his yellow eyes were focused on Xigbar with an almost feral intensity. “To do otherwise would be to betray the Organization.”

Xigbar glanced from one Nobody to another, noting how all of them- even Luxord- were not showing so much as the slightest inclination to aid Xigbar nor to contradict what Saix had said. In response, the sniper shrugged, going over to one of the pews and plopping down in it once more. “Fine, do whatever. Won't be the first time.”

“And neither will this be the last time.” Saix seemed almost triumphant, if such a word could be used for someone as expressionless as himself. He raised his right hand, and the snap of his fingers sounded like a gunshot in the otherwise-silent room.

In answer to that cue, three additional Corridors of Darkness appeared in a triangle formation around Xemnas. The one immediately in front of the Superior was a relatively short man, with silver hair and an unusually thin build. What was far more gripping about him was the wide grin across his face- one that was so wide as to make his eyes mere slits on his face. But unlike who he had been before, Nigx didn't bare a weapon at his side; not openly, anyway.

To the Superior's left was a full-figured woman, with long pink hair and a long scar over her left eye. Her voice was emotionless, her eyes dull and expressionless as she gazed over the assembled group of Nobodies. “You called for us, Superior? I was engaged in a therapy session.”

“I did,” Saix answered, “and your punctuality is noted, Xagarlli. However... where are the other Neophytes? Four are missing.”

On Xemnas's right was the last of the three newcomers, and unlike all of the others, his hood was up to obscure his face. Also unlike all of the others, the front of his black robes was splattered with blood- fresh and still a bright red. His voice, unlike that of his comrade's, was harsh and filled with rage. “Who the hell cares, huh? If they're a problem, just kill them and make a few more to replace them.”

“Hah!” It was Xigbar who laughed, the second-oldest of the entire Organization having decided to float in mid-air and upside-down in the time he had been bored. Now he spoke directly to Xemnas, not acknowledging the newcomers in the least. “Sounds like history's gonna repeat itself, don't it?”

Yet every eye wasn't drawn on Xigbar, but rather to Luxord. The Gambler of Fate was dealing out a full suit of clubs, from ace to king, and each card impossibly balanced on the back of the pew in front of the blond, as he spoke. “Time is a fickle thing, yet in this particular it can be spoken of with certainty, can it not?” His blue eyes focused on each member of the Organization in turn, and each was silent... for various reasons. After each had been confirmed, the seven through ten of clubs were removed so quickly that it was hard to say they had even been in existence. “At the command of our new Number Three, not even half of the new members felt it imperative to show up.”

In full tilt now, Luxord swiped the king and jack of clubs, glancing at Xigbar as he did so. “One of the Old Guard doesn't even show his face, that of our Melodious Nocturne, and it is clearly evident that another cares little for his responsibilities.”

“Now listen here, you cocky little-”

Yet before Xigbar could finish, Larxene giggled... and Xagarlli walked up next to her, so that one was always in the Freeshooter's blind spot. The blond sat down in the pew and crossed her legs, idly gesturing with her left hand towards the assembled group. “No, I think he's right, for once. How many times have the rest of us been forced to work around your mistakes?”

Without missing a beat, Xagarlli confirmed, “None of us trust you to do your job, Number Two. Safeguards have been put into place already.”

“An' that means ya jus' aren't important no more.” It was Nigx who spoke, the short man's grin just a shade wider than normal as he looked at Xigbar. Though his eyes were lidded, his expression hard to read behind that grin... something about the way he looked at the Senior Member made most of the Nobodies uneasy.

Perhaps that was why Xigbar finally shrugged and shot to Xemnas, “All right, I've shown my team spirit, an' now I'm out. Have fun with the kiddies, 'kay?” Before anyone else could move, another Corridor of Darkness appeared around Xigbar, and in a moment he was gone.

Saix was the first to move, offering a slight nod to Xemnas. “I'll track him down.”

“Make sure he's back before night falls.” The Superior nodded in return, and idly motioned Saix out the door.

Yet, even before Number Three had managed to leave, Luxord cleared his throat and once more gathered the attention of the Superior. “Why don't you give him what he wants?”

“An' why should he get th' special treatment?” Nigx shrugged, glanced at Luxord through his slitted eyes. “If'n it's broke, fix it. If y'can't fix it, then toss it away, ne?”

Xemnas said nothing, but inclined his head to Nigx's statement. This prompted Luxord to quickly add, “Our dear Freeshooter is still the second-oldest of all of us, and his powers are integral to our plots and schemes for this place. Yet it's been the same thing, day in and day out- why not give him permission to do something he would be inclined to do of his own accord, and let that diversion re-energize him?”

Xagarlli quietly spoke up in her turn, sitting down in the spot that Xigbar had once been reclined in. “He should obey his leader; to do otherwise is treason.”

Once more Luxord waved his hands, and somehow, a joker was floating in mid-air next to his palms. “Not so, if it's a mission that would be of import. Superior, why not ask him to hunt down this 'Jack' that, despite our efforts, still remains a wild card? If he succeeds, then the only threat to our position is nullified. If he does not, then he'll be too busy thinking as a huntsman to recall his frustration to mind. In either case, it is a victory for the Organization.”

“...indeed. Your idea has merit.” Xemnas inclined his head once more, which made Nigx roll his eyes and walk back to one of the corners of the chapel.

“Then, back to the matter of the Organization.” Luxord spoke on as though he hadn't gone on a digression in the first place, “Of those who remain here, fully half care little for what the purpose of this Organization might be. While I am hardly one to name names... I don't believe I'm out of turn in saying that most of the present company has contributed barely a scant fraction to our new Kingdom Hearts?”

His eyes drifted from Larxene, who shrugged; Xagarlli, who met his gaze openly; Nigx, who merely grinned at him... and finally to Exath, who licked his lips from beneath the dark hood. From there Luxord weakly chuckled and pocketed his cards, his eyes glancing to the Superior of the Organization. “Considering all of this, I think that you shouldn't have too much faith in this new Organization XIII. Even considering our new position of strength.”

“Everyone will play their roles, for the sake of Kingdom Hearts and our new world of Nobodies.” Xemnas once more turned to the altar, regarding the golden symbol of the Organization placed thereon. “All of the staff has been turned into Heartless, and each night more of the patients give up hope and their hearts to us.  Throughout the endless seas of the universe, an infinite amount of hearts can be obtained with little effort. Now, what is the progress of the patients during the day hours?”

Exath spoke up instantly. “We're missing three after my therapy sessions.”

Almost immediately thereafter, Xagarlli added, “And three after mine.”

All eyes turned to the two of them, and the silence thereafter was deafening. Luxord didn't deal out more cards, Larxene was silent... even Nigx's smile faltered for a fraction of a second. After a bit of shuffling, Larxene finally spoke up. “Well... I think that our illustrious Superior will need to have a bit of a private chat, wouldn't you say? Especially you, Number Eight; isn't it a bit selfish to keep their hearts all to yourself?”

“Shut the hell up, you stupid bitch!” Exath growled once more, and around his fingers flames began to gather. “Or I'll clear up another space in the Organization right here!”

“Ah, was that what you said to Larxond before you ate him?” Larxene put her finger to her chin, a coy expression on her face as she walked right up to Exath. “Of course, I really should thank you; having someone else in the Organization who could use lightning was such a pain. And just think! Once you've outlived your usefulness, we can already say that you're a trai-”

The new Number Six had placed her fingers right next to Exath's mouth, and in the instant when the other Nobody tried to bite her, she'd slipped away as quickly as the lightning she commanded, not stopping until she was standing next to the door. “See? Slow and useless; just like the previous Number Eight. But we all know how he ended up~!”

And with those words Larxene left, carelessly waving over her shoulder as she did so. Once more the Organization was silent, their eyes focused on Exath for awhile... but then, finally, Luxord spoke once more. “I believe it would be best to call this meeting to a close, Superior. In less than a minute, lunch will be concluded.”

“Of course. Xagarlli, Exath... I will be expecting you to complete your missions as I give them to you. We can not afford to lose more precious hearts in this situation. Do both of you understand?”

Xagarlli sighed, yet nodded to the Superior's question; whereas Exath simply snorted and turned his head away. Both of those responses drew a regretful expression to Xemnas's face. “I understand how both of you feel, empty and lacking the fire you once felt- regressed to who you had once been. But soon, with the help of our new Number Thirteen, we shall have our hearts back and regain-”

“Ara, but it's you tha' took our hearts in th' firs' place,” Nigx mused, grinning as usual and shrugging his shoulders. “Jus' sayin' it.”

Yet Xemnas spoke on as though he hadn't heard. “-our hearts, and create a new world for us. Kingdom Hearts continues to grow with every new sacrifice of hearts, and in only a short while we will be successful. Now go, and prepare even more hearts to be offered.”

Every last Nobody, save for the Superior himself, withdrew into their Corridors of Darkness and were gone. At the same moment, with a pleasant tone unlike what it had ever sounded like before the Organization had taken over, the Intercom turned on. “Good afternoon, patients,” Marxnit pleasantly called from the heart of the Organization's headquarters, “and I hope that you enjoyed your lunch. Now, what a surprise we have in store for you for the next shift...!”