Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

Braig's interest piqued, though he masked it with a look of feigned concern. "Subject X? That's serious business. If she's gone, we'd better figure out who decided to play kidnapper." He paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "How about we check the cameras? Maybe they caught something."

Ansem nodded, though his expression was still troubled. "Good idea. Let's not waste any time."

The two made their way to the castle's control room, where Ansem accessed the surveillance system. Braig, standing just behind him, discreetly used the sub-account access he'd been granted long ago for his other "tasks." Ansem was none the wiser as Braig subtly directed the interface to filter out the secret lab's feeds.

They scrolled through the security footage, but the images of Subject X's room showed nothing—just static where there should have been video. Braig tilted his head, feigning surprise. "Well, that's odd," he said, leaning in slightly. "Looks like someone's gone and deleted the footage."

Ansem's face hardened, anger flashing in his usually composed demeanor. "Deleted?" he repeated, his voice rising. "Who would dare tamper with the security systems? This is unacceptable."

Braig kept his expression neutral, though inwardly he was intrigued. Whoever had taken Subject X had covered their tracks well. He could think of a few suspects, but now wasn't the time to speculate openly. "You want me to call the others, your majesty? Maybe one of them knows something."

"Yes," Ansem said firmly, his voice carrying the authority of a man used to being obeyed. "Call everyone to the control room immediately. I want answers."

Braig nodded, stepping aside to use the castle's communication system. Within minutes, the other apprentices had assembled in the control room. Even, Dilan, Aeleus, Ienzo, and Xehanort all stood in a loose semicircle, their expressions ranging from confusion to mild annoyance at the abrupt summons.

Ansem wasted no time, his sharp gaze sweeping over them. "Subject X is missing, and someone has tampered with the security footage. I demand to know who is responsible."

The apprentices exchanged glances, surprise and unease evident in their expressions. Even was the first to speak, his tone defensive. "Tampered with? None of us have touched the security systems. That kind of action requires direct access to the control room."

Dilan nodded in agreement. "And we'd have no reason to interfere with the cameras, especially in regard to Subject X. Her containment has always been your strictest order."

Ansem's eyes narrowed, his frustration mounting. "Then explain why the footage is missing."

Braig stepped forward, his usual smirk tempered into something more thoughtful. "Maybe it wasn't one of us," he said, his tone measured. "What if it was… the irregular?"

Ansem's gaze snapped to Braig, confusion flickering across his face. "Irregular? What are you talking about?"

Braig shrugged, his demeanor casual as he explained. "There's been some weird stuff happening around town lately. Disturbances, sightings of some shadowy figure causing explosions. We've been calling them 'the irregular.' Could be that they're the ones behind this."

Even frowned, crossing his arms. "That seems highly unlikely. Whoever erased the footage would need the access code to do so. And as far as I know, those codes aren't exactly public knowledge."

Xehanort, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke, his tone calm and authoritative. "That assumes the irregular hasn't already infiltrated the castle."

The room fell silent as his words sank in. Xehanort's golden eyes swept over the group, his expression unreadable. "If this individual is skilled enough to evade our security and erase footage without detection, it's not unreasonable to assume they've been watching us for some time. They could have observed the access codes and used them to cover their tracks."

Ansem's frown deepened, his mind racing as he considered the possibility. "If that's true, then this irregular poses a greater threat than you initially realized. To bypass our defenses so thoroughly…"

"Not to mention," Braig added, "if they've got Subject X, we're dealing with someone who knows what they're after. This wasn't a random break-in."

Even adjusted his coat, his expression pensive. "Assuming this irregular exists, we'll need to reevaluate our security measures. But that still doesn't explain how they managed to extract Subject X without tripping any alarms."

Ienzo, who had been silent until now, spoke up, his voice quiet but firm. "They might have a way to move to different places we haven't considered. I've just looked through the recordings and have noticed that only certain areas had deleted footage. It's possible they accessed the room without physically passing through the castle."

Ienzo, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke, his voice calm but resolute. "I've been reviewing the recordings, and I've noticed something peculiar. The footage is missing only from specific areas—Subject X's room, this chamber, and the master computer room. Other feeds are untouched."

Ansem turned to him, his brow furrowing. "What are you suggesting?"

Ienzo met his gaze steadily. "It's possible they didn't physically pass through the castle. I've also just noticed dark energy readings that suggest they might have used shadows and darkness as a gateway to access the room directly. If that's the case, they could have bypassed much of our security."

Ansem's expression darkened further, his frustration giving way to a grim determination. "This is unacceptable. We're dealing with a powerful and resourceful enemy."

Xehanort stepped forward, his voice steady. "Then we must act quickly. We need to determine the irregular's identity, their objectives, and, most importantly, how to counter them."

Ansem nodded, his resolve hardening. "Dilan, Aeleus, I want increased patrols around the castle and town. Even and Ienzo, focus on analyzing the dark energy readings—find anything that could lead us to this irregular. Braig, I want you to continue investigating. Find out who this irregular is and where they've taken Subject X."

Braig gave a mock salute, his smirk returning. "You got it, your majesty. I'll track 'em down, no problem."

As the apprentices dispersed to carry out their orders, Braig lingered behind for a moment. Whoever this irregular was, they had outmaneuvered the castle's defenses, erased their tracks, and spirited Subject X away—all without leaving a trace. It was impressive. And dangerous.

As he made his way out of the control room, his smirk deepened. "Well, well," he muttered to himself. "Looks like this little game just got a lot more fun."