Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or the Dresden Files

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or the Dresden Files. Nor to I own anything else that anybody in the known universe could sue me for. I own nothing.

Trial By Error

Harry Dresden was at a loss. Someone dying and leaving nothing behind? He could rightly say he'd never seen anything like that before, and in all honesty he wasn't too keen on finding out what it was that did the deed. Usually when he found out what said something was it came knocking down his door, or trying to tear him in twain...or starting a war between the governing bodies of Faerie...Generally speaking, it made his day miserable. A part of him didn't want to know what it was.

But something like this, something powerful enough to attack a practitioner so quickly and so cleanly, couldn't be taken lightly. Harry didn't know what it was, and hence didn't know what its motives were. If it was a revenge killing then it could be an isolated incident. But if it was some spiritually mutated monster that was preying on the wizards in the area then a lot of innocent people could die before Harry could stop it. If he could stop it. He could very well be one of the people this thing mows down.

There were too many variables to consider. The deck was filled with far too many wild cards for him to work up a tangible defense against. So he did what he always did when he didn't have a clue what on heaven or earth he was dealing with; he went to Bob.

His apartment was basically a basement. A neat, tidy, homey little hovel he called his own, but a basement nonetheless. The lab existed in a subbasement beneath his basement, which worked for him. Things like sunlight could interfere with delicate or dangerous magic. If dangerous magic was messed around with then he could be royally screwed over. Heat could also be a no-no. He had a long list of very rational reasons why he crammed himself in a dark little hole. None of them included the fact that he'd very much wanted to just disappear into the earth and darkness when he couldn't help Susan...

As a result of his last few months spent frantically going over potions and ingredients, the lab was even more of a mess than it used to be. When a person was hungry or tired out of their mind, little things like putting everything back where it belonged became pointless actions. Of course, when they regained their mental state they realized their mistake. That was when they would want to crawl back into that hole of despair, if only to avoid having to clean up the mess they'd left behind the last time.

There was, however, one shelf that remained uncluttered with anything but a bleached white human skull and some romance novels and magazines that earned Harry strange looks whenever he had to go out and buy them. He felt considerably less manly going to the local bookshop and grabbing a used copy of a book titled something like "Caress of the Highlander". He also felt like a jerk whenever he went to a convenience store to buy a magazine. Getting magazines was the worst. Teenage girls tried to make themselves invisible from the creep in the duster. Soccer moms with little bottle blond photo-copies gave him an 'I am soooo much better than you' look. And when certain small, blond cops coincidently see him while grabbing a Diet Coke they give him a look like they want to punch his lights out.

It was a damn good thing for Bob that he happened to come in handy every now and then, which said something considering he had no hands to speak of. "Hey, Bob. Wakey, wakey!"

Orange lights behind the skull's eyes flickered to life. They were far too chipper for Harry's liking "Morning, Boss!" echoed from inside. "So I guess it's 'Hidey Ho! Off to work we go!'?"

"Right-o. Right-o. Fido."

"Did you just make that up?"

"No. I came up with it a week ago. I've been lying in wait for the opportunity to use it."

"Uh-huh...It was really good, Boss. Top notch rhyming."

Harry paused for a second. Bob didn't usually compliment him. It was more his style to flippantly declare Harry's incompetence with language, before cursing him in Greek, and announcing that as soon as Harry got vivisected in combat with some nasty beastie he was going to find himself a real wizard to advise. "Bob?"

"Yes?"

"I'm joking." When no response came from the skull Harry raised an eyebrow, "What's up?"

Somehow, and Harry could never quite pinpoint how Bob managed it, he looked nervous, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Harry sighed, "Okay. What new volume of what romance series your reading just came out?"

"It's just that the farewell edition of Bed-Rock magazine just came out."

A magazine. A goddamned magazine. "I thought I told you, Bob. I'm not getting you any more magazines."

"But it's the last one-"

"No."

"Double editi-"

"No."

Bob sighed, "You know Harry. I really didn't want to play this card, but I won't tell you what you want to know until you promise to get it for me."

Harry groaned and ran his hands through his hair. A familiar. One of these days he was going to get a familiar, and it would work for him for free and he wouldn't have to feel like a creep getting porn for something that really didn't have a sex drive. Seriously, Bob was an air spirit. He didn't even really have free will, much less a need to procreate. "Whatever, Bob. I promise I'll get you the magazine. Now, can we get to work? Please?"

Bob, no longer over the top ass-kissing or begging, hopped back to his normal self. "Sure thing. What do you need?"

"We're going for a ride. There's something I need you to take a look at. You have permission to enter Mister until I say otherwise. While in Mister you are to stay with me at all times and inform me as to what you see at the crime scene upon our return, have I made myself clear?"

"Clear as a crystal skull." The skull's orange eyes went dim as a similarly orange and shapeless cloud drifted out from it. It slunk through the air quickly and with purpose before seeping its way up through the floorboards of the trap door. Harry knew that by the time he made his way up, his otherworldly lab assistant would have possessed his cat. He felt bad invading his cat's privacy like that, but there was no other way to really send Bob out by himself to look for information or bring him along during the day. Bob was an air spirit, a denizen of the Nevernever, and a weak one at that. Direct sunlight would cause him to dissipate. The cat's body would protect him from that. So would the skull, to some extent. But Bob couldn't move the skull, cutting back his effectiveness in getting away should they be attacked. Also Harry got sick and tired of odd looks when people happened to see him carrying a human skull in downtown Chicago. So he saved that for occasions where he specifically needed Bob to talk to him as they went along. Today was not one of those days, so into the cat went the air spirit.

Harry slipped his protective leather duster on again. Before leaving he grabbed the sports bag resting at the foot of his bed. Inside it he had all of his more important wizarding equipment. As in the stuff that he would need in hand when it hit the fan, which based off his experience in the last couple of years, it would.

He left his apartment with his sports bag in one hand, his staff in another, and fumbling with the keys as Bob slinked out in Mister's body.

VVVVV

Kisuke was in quite the pickle.

Long ago there had been things he hadn't wanted the Soul Society to find. So he'd developed technology that would keep the Soul Society from tracking the spiritual signature of anything he made. Right about now that plan wasn't working out for the best. Of course he'd planned for the possibility of someone stealing his objects...but the toy he'd been working on was in the beta stage and he hadn't had time to include the extra features. Changing the spiritual signature was one thing; that went into the materials it was made out of. But going back later and including a tracking system that would allow him alone to track it was more difficult. He had to actually make the damn thing first, then he would have to make sure it worked, and if both of those columns had checks in them he would have to install the tracking system in such a way that it didn't interfere with the purpose of the device. This could prove rather frustrating, so he'd procrastinated.

He'd bitten back that paranoid part of him that said 'this is a bad idea Kisuke, it could get stolen, and the Soul Society would have our heads' by reminding himself 'don't be stupid, who would steal it? Who could steal it? It can wait a little while'. Right then he could practically hear the little voice in the cane he carried laughing a musical I-Told-You-So.

While Benihime was technically his "other half" he liked Yoruichi better. Yoruichi would eventually drop things like this. Benihime would only ever use it to her advantage; sometimes years after the event took place.

He fought the urge to tell her to shut up. Benihime was a lady. Granted, she was a lady that manifested herself in the form of a long and lethal piece of steel, but a lady...and a partner. He would always treat her exactly as he did Yoruichi; with respect and courtesy...minus publicly unmentionable physical aspects of his relationship with Yoruichi.

"Kisuke?"

Speaking of which...Kisuke turned to face her. She sat on the counter, her flip-flops tapping delicately against the glass casing, "Yoruichi, I was going to go see Tessai today. He has more connections to the non-soul reaper supernatural community than I do. And I know he gets his shipments of potions from a contact in the White Council. I'm hoping they might know something."

She nodded and hopped off the counter, "Fine. I spent all night going through Internet sources. Your damn computer would lose a race with a one-legged horse, you know that, right?"

Kisuke shot her a smile, "Did you find anything?"

"Not much more than a pop-up proclaiming a free laptop upon clicking on a junk site that you might like," She bit the last part out with a smirk, "However nothing that could help our search. There's so much death and murder that it would be impossible to decipher the supernatural attacks from the human ones. I was going to go see Isshin."

Kisuke nodded, he didn't need to tell her to wait until Isshin's kids went to school, or to go in cat form to attract as little attention as possible. They had tried their best to limit their contact with the former soul reaper, for fear of bringing the crap that followed Kisuke around down on him and his kin. "Sounds like a plan. Meet for lunch and compare notes?"

He didn't need to look at her to know she agreed. That happened once people had known each other for centuries. There were times when their bond felt so tight he didn't even have to look at her to know every thought that was running through her head. It was how he knew where she was at all times during a fight. It was why they were in general such an effective team. But this had its downside as well; he could feel her uneasiness. The terrible worry she was trying to hide was radiating off of her.

He stopped at the door. He wouldn't be a good man if he left her alone all troubled like she was. Kisuke delicately set Benihime down against the unbroken door and walked back towards Yoruichi, who was making her way back to the living quarters. More than likely, she was going to make preparations to go wherever they would need to at the drop of a hat (should it come to that) before she went to talk to Isshin. The shop-keep didn't like it when her shoulders were tight like that. It meant she was worried and he was probably the source of that worry. Swooping down, he wrapped his arms around her, inhaling a scent that was hers and hers alone. Automatically she sank into him.

He wasn't hugging her for comfort or for amorous intentions. It was to remind her that they'd been in worse trouble than this. "Why so stressed?" he asked calmly. If he were calm then she would be. "If it wasn't a soul reaper that took it we shouldn't have anything to be afraid of-"

"I'm not afraid of them. I wasn't afraid of them then and I'm not afraid of them now...It's nothing." She finished curtly. Kisuke couldn't shake the feeling that she was lying to him a little. It wasn't a big lie. He was almost certain the words she spoke were rather close to the truth, but not quite there yet. That was all right, he would give her whatever time she needed to come clean to him. She always did.

Playfully he leaned down and nipped at the tip of her ear, "Hey. I promise when we win I'll take you for a victory lap to the winner's circle, what do you say? Eh?"

A considerable amount of the tension released from her shoulders. That was another perk of their bond; he could usually find some way of comforting her, just as she could him.

She brought a hand up to his cheek, brushing up into his plume of blond hair. He could feel the slight change in the muscle of her jaw as she said, "That sounds like the best idea you've had in a while, but we have to make sure we win first. Now, grab Benihime and get going before she gets stolen too."

She tried to hide it, but he was certain that she was smiling as she disappeared into the living quarters.

It was something he wouldn't trade for anything.

Not a damn thing.

VVVVV

Karakura's Chinatown was downtown, at least a train ride away from the shop. A couple of shunpo would have been infinitely faster. He could have easily avoided the heat and smell that humans seemed to generate whenever a bunch of them were packed into a small, metal compartment like sardines. Not to mention the odd stares from native businessmen and women going downtown for work, who were wondering just who that blond stranger in the clogs and dead fashion statements was. Benihime absolutely hated it; her character was far too regal to enjoy being looked at as anything but royalty.

Kisuke didn't mind any of those things. He was perfectly happy to deal with the odd looks, even enjoyed them. The uncomfortable atmosphere of the subway was also enjoyable to him.

When it came down to it, Kisuke just liked people. He loved the bustle and the daily little dramas you could uncover if one eavesdropped in the right places. He loved the way different people would react to different situations. He loved the constant thought and dissection of the universe that went on inside most of their brains. And those that weren't exactly buzzing with thought were amusing.

Not only that but humans in general didn't have a lot of power compared to the other sentient beings that were all around them. They didn't have super strength, magic, zanpaku-to, yet at the same time they had managed to almost wipe out the Black Court vampires in Europe, a race that on their worst day would have given him a run for his money. At the same time they still completely ignored the existence of such creatures. It was...refreshing.

He got off the train as close as he could get to Chinatown and made his way through the crowded streets. Again, at the expense of comfort, he walked for the sake of watching the people. The little drama that unfolded before him between an overdramatic teenage girl and her boyfriend made the seven-block walk in clogs worth it.

The section of Chinatown he was looking for was probably the quietest part in the whole downtown area. After he got away from the bustling main street and subsequent marketplace, he worked his way down a set of dark alleys, mostly dingy apartments with the occasional shop. He found his way through the place by memory, slowly finding the part of the city where the paranormal was slightly more active. This was most apparent when he passed a shop with a couple of women in school-girl outfits that dropped just a hair short of being inappropriate. Faeries. They were strong enough to use their glamour to hide from humans, but he easily saw through the milky white skin to the slight shading of scales over their bodies, and the narrowly slit green eyes.

Tessai's own shop actually wasn't that far beyond the faeries'. It looked like the newest place in the area. Tessai liked to take care of his things.

There was the gentle sound of bells ringing as Kisuke entered the shop and looked around. Unlike his own shop, Tessai's catered almost exclusively to the supernatural and the occasional clued in human. It was so incredibly cluttered with everything from love potions and exotic ingredients to bronze summoning circles. Kisuke hadn't dared to be so open about his own supernatural dealings. So far, everything from that area of his business was underground. However, a great deal of his earnings had gone into opening his shop, and now even more of his earnings would go into fixing it up. His earlier assessment of his not eating for a while was looking more and more likely. But, first things first.

"Tessai! Hey, Tessai! You around?" he called into the dark shop. It was devoid of electrical light for obvious reasons.

From the back, a man who looked easily like a professional wrestler with glasses emerged. He was taller than Kisuke...and much wider. His face was contorted into a permanently serious look. "Captain Urahara," He greeted formally, "How are you?"

Kisuke visibly flinched at the usage of his former title. He wasn't a captain anymore, he was a scientist, a smuggler and an outlaw that was basically begging for scraps on the outskirts of soul reaper society. He had no illusions on his position in life compared to his former glory.

He liked this so much better.

"Tessai, we're old buddies, no need to be so formal...or inaccurate." He reached up to a jar that contained something indistinguishable and tapped on it.

"Once someone is a true captain they always are. Whether it is official or not."

Kisuke flashed a broad smile, "'Once a king in Narnia, Always a king in Narnia', huh?"

"I merely meant that there are certain characteristics that a true captain will always have."

Kisuke thought about that for a second, "Yeah. You're right. Now that I think about it my hair hasn't changed at all since my days as a boss-man. Neither has my outfit. Y'know, except for this great hat I got from a garage sale a while ago. Now I have a spare in every room."

Tessai was annoyed, though it would be hard to tell for anyone who didn't know him. "No, I was referring to your way of dodging around personal conversation, even in the occasion of compliments. However few you receive."

"Aww, you're breakin' my heart," Kisuke's smile widened. However serious and stoic Tessai seemed, the man had character. He could hide insults, jokes or compliments in almost any statement.

"So, sir, what brings you here?" Tessai said, dropping the previous subject.

Kisuke sighed. Now Tessai was just using a formal speech to annoy him. "Yeah, about that. I was wondering if you were still on good terms with those contacts from the White Council."

"I'm not you, Kisuke."

"Right...so you're on good terms with them?" As Kisuke spoke a snake in a cage hissed at him, causing him to jump away reflexively. He didn't like snakes.

Tessai sighed, "Yes. Do you care to elaborate on 'why'?"

Kisuke cringed. He didn't want to admit his carelessness to another person. At the very least it was embarrassing, at worst it might be considered blatantly suicidal. Despite his cavalier attitude, he was angered that he had been arrogant enough to assume that one swiss-army-knife of a ward would do it. From now on when he was working on something, he was going to put up double...no, triple wards. With the idea that he was not going to have a repeat of the incident, he admitted the situation to Tessai, explaining it in detail.

Tessai stood there and listened. Unlike Yoruichi he didn't let the worry, or the irritation at stupidity show, for this, Kisuke was grateful. At the end of the story the larger man thought it over before speaking, "They could kill you for this if they find out."

"I'm aware of that, and I really wish people would stop focusing on that point."

"Of course. And you're sure it's a wizard that took it? Not a soul reaper? And don't touch that."

Kisuke had been about to tap on an interesting looking jar with what he thought was a preserved rodent. Upon closer inspection he found it living. Tessai catered to a strange crowd. "Yes. I'm sure. So do you have any contacts that you trust not to sell me out?"

Tessai remained quiet for a moment. Kisuke didn't pressure him. From past experience he'd learned it was better to just let the other man think.

"Yes, there's a woman that I get most of the love and escape potions from. She is highly skilled in delicate magic, and she has an intelligent presence about her. She's also connected. I'm certain she knows enough people in the council to get information from all corners of the world. But..." He paused towards the end, suddenly uneasy.

"But?" Kisuke asked.

Tessai moved his glasses farther up his nose, "She's a-"

Kisuke didn't get the last of that. A sudden rush of magic washed over them both. It was extremely gentle. Kisuke may not have noticed it if he hadn't been slightly on edge as it was. He didn't panic, but he knew a skilled practitioner when he felt one. It had been a skilled practitioner that robbed him. He also knew well enough how quickly a skilled practitioner could kill before someone even knew they were in the same room. So there was a little fear involved as his hand slipped to Benihime. Automatically he turned to face the threat.

And a threat she was...She was all delicate features, pale skin with lip-stick reddened lips, silky black hair, and a veil he hadn't even noticed until she dropped it. Admittedly the femme fatale look was overused, but damned if she didn't work it for all it was worth. Most men would have considered her drop-dead gorgeous, but he wasn't overly impressed. So far, the veil she had used to sneak up on him was the most interesting part of her. Then again, he was sure the look worked on the majority of the male population. The men who hadn't had centuries to completely master the lower part of their spinal column. All Kisuke gathered from the ensemble was that she was a manipulator. A good one, not a great one. He had seen right though it, after all.

"Tessai," she greeted, all smiles. "Did that shipment I ordered come in yet?"

Tessai blinked behind his glasses. "No, I'm afraid it hasn't. I apologize for the inconvenience. But I could have sworn I told you it would be a week at least."

"I'm sorry to rush so soon, but I do need it quickly..." she turned her attention away from Tessai. "Hello, Mr. Urahara." She used a voice that was just as silky as her hair, though he noticed the slight tightening of magic when she spoke. It was even more delicate than the full veil. He barely noticed it at all, seeing as how it was purely for cosmetic purposes. An imperfection that she needed to hide? Interesting. He hadn't noticed it when she spoke to Tessai.

"Ahh," Kisuke said calmly, "Tessai, am I correct in assuming this is a 'speak of the devil' moment?"

Tessai nodded. "Yes. This would be her."

"Well, it's going to take more than knowing my name to impress me," He turned his attention to the woman, "What else you got?"

She smiled, "What makes you think I'm prepared to give up any information to you?"

Kisuke smiled, "Oh, I don't know. Because I'm cute and my eyes change color depending on light?"

"You're going to have to do better than that." There was a slight lilt to it, an obvious hint that his good humor and attractive packaging wasn't going to cut it.

She wanted money; it would have been obvious even to a man that wasn't Kisuke Urahara. So that's what she was so skilled at manipulating out of people. He didn't let his anxiety show. Paying off a manipulative witch wasn't the way he wanted to spend his day. However, his options weren't looking too good. He needed an informant, and he needed one immediately. The longer he spent haggling a price with said informant the longer whoever stole his experiment could use it to wreak havoc. People could die while he was busy prying that rusty clamp off his wallet. Besides, if there was one thing he knew about money it was that it was a big motivator. She was obviously good at the game she played, and based off the expensive suit she was wearing Kisuke imagined that the product she delivered was a quality one.

"So," he said impatiently. "Are you going to give me an amount or am I just gonna have to wing it and hope it's the right one?"

She gave another little smile, and told him.

A minute later Kisuke had finished prying open his wallet and had a check written out. He gave his own smile, "Now. Tell me what you know."

"Chicago. There have been two hollow attacks on wizards signed on with the White Council in the last 24 hours. Whoever he is, he is moving quickly and with a vengeance. My sources from the area believe that he is somebody with a vendetta against the council, he somehow heard about your device, and he is using it as the murder weapon to throw off the wardens."

Kisuke let his smile widen; now they were getting somewhere, "You have someone in mind?"

Another smile, "Yes. His name is Harry Dresden, he's a warlock."

Kisuke raised an eyebrow, "A warlock? I thought you lopped off their heads?"

"A bleeding heart helped him escape breaking the first law. Three years ago he aided another warlock in, again, breaking the first law. The warden in charge didn't have enough evidence the second time, so the Doom did not fall on his head. And you have heard about the White Council's war with the vampires?"

"That was him, huh? What'd he do, sleep with a noble?"

"No," Her smile widened in emphasis, "He murdered her."

"Let me guess, it's considered an act of revenge against the council?"

She plucked the check from his fingers, "I'm sorry. That's all the information I'm paid for. Have a nice day, Mr. Urahara." She made her way back to the door, adding a slight tilt to her hip as she went.

"Ma'am," Kisuke called, "I'm afraid I didn't catch your name."

She turned. "I didn't give it." Again that hint of needing something in exchange for information flittered into her tone.

He reached into what was left of his wallet, a couple of bills and some change later she was on speaking terms again.

"Tsuki Takanaka," She said warmly, "Thank you for your business. Please contact me if you need anything else."

Then she was gone. He watched her walk out the door...with about half his savings.

After a while, "So Tessai, should I consider it strange that she just happened to walk in, grab me by the ankles and shake the money out of me while giving me just the information I needed?"

Tessai opened up his register to take out a handful of checks. "No, I'm afraid. Ms. Takanaka has a knack for...walking in at opportune times when money is to be made."

"How did she know what I needed?" Kisuke asked, increasingly suspicious. "Think about it. The only way she could have had information so quickly is if she knew I would be looking for something relating to Hollow attacks. How could she know that unless she knew that's what the device caused? How did she even know about it!?" It didn't look like he'd need to go to Chicago, anyway. The woman he needed was right there in Karakura.

"You aren't considering the other possibility," Tessai said darkly.

Kisuke had to think about it for a second, clicking his tongue lightly as he did so...until it came to him. "Oh...that."

The other option, instead of her being his little thief, was that she had been to a recent White Council meeting. Perhaps at that meeting, they had had a strange visitor. Perhaps that visitor was there in response to a complaint of the Council. The Council, knowing that the Soul Society had a history of members using Hollows as weapons, would blame the Soul Society of not being able to control its reapers. The visitor would mention that they already had a reaper in mind...

This Tsuki woman was a likely suspect. There was no denying that. But he had pegged her as an opportunist, and obviously someone in danger of losing their life was a good money-making opportunity. If she had heard of him and the Soul Society's suspicions she may have been able to fill in the rest, especially if she stopped by the shop.

Damnit. Kisuke didn't like the thought that he was walking into a trap. But if someone, this Dresden, had taken his device and was using it to kill people, the Council would track him down. The device would be found on him. Thus the Soul Society's hound would have enough evidence against Kisuke, and he'd be on the fast track to the Sougyokou...A terribly unpleasant thought. He couldn't afford to not take the lead. He would ask Tessai to keep an eye on Tsuki before leaving for Chicago.

Kisuke sighed and tried to smother the rising headache. This was not his best day ever.

VVVVV Chapter end

AN: WHOOT!! HUZZAH! Chapter two finished!