Chapter 10: A Little B & D
"Now, let me see if I have this straight," said Kisuke, trying to suppress a smile, "You say you grabbed his wrist…and he passed out?"
"Yeah," insisted Renji, staring down at his unconscious taicho, "He woke up and was annoyed at finding himself here…"
"…which, apparently, to him, is worse than being kept as Aizen Sousuke's plaything in Las Noches…" joked Kisuke, "Damned typical of him, I'd say…wouldn't you agree, Yoruichi?"
Yoruichi laughed softly in reply.
"He wanted to leave and I told him he needed to rest…and he wouldn't, so I grabbed his wrist and ordered him to sleep, then he passed out…just like that!"
Kisuke leaned over Byakuya, touching the charms one by one and sending small amounts of reiatsu into them. He tilted his head, frowning.
"You touched this wrist?" he asked, holding up the one that bore the snake charm.
"Yeah, I think so…" Renji answered.
Kisuke leaned forward again and touched the snake charm.
"Byakuya," he said quietly, "Wake up."
The noble remained silent and still, except for the calm passage of his breath.
"Hmmm…" muttered Kisuke, "Maybe it only works one way…no, that wouldn't make sense. He would want to be able to wake him up…"
He stared harder at the charms.
"Yoruichi," he said quietly, "Tell him to wake up."
"What?"
"Like I just did. You try."
"Oh," she said, kneeling next to the unconscious noble and taking his hand, "Byakuya, wake up."
"Surprise, surprise," said Renji sarcastically, "He's still out cold!"
Kisuke looked offended.
"I'm not done…just give me a sec," he said, a sly smile crawling onto his face, "Renji, wake him up."
"What?"
"Touch the snake charm and wake him up."
"Kisuke, it didn't work for you or Yoruichi. Why would it work for me?"
"Would you just try it?" Kisuke sighed.
Renji shook his head and muttered something beneath his breath, but reached out and touched the snake charm.
"Taicho," he said softly, "Wake up."
Byakuya took a deeper breath and his eyes slid open. He blinked and gazed up at them, looking annoyed.
"How did you make that charm work?" he asked, narrowing his eyes, "Only Aizen Sousuke could make me sleep…"
"Knock him out again," said Kisuke.
"Excuse me?" Byakuya said archly.
"Sleep," said Renji, touching the snake charm.
Byakuya's eyes closed and he dropped off to sleep instantly. Kisuke and Yoruichi exchanged glances.
"Uh…wake him up again…" said Kisuke.
"Taicho, wake up."
Byakuya's eyes opened and flared.
"Will you stop doing that?" he said angrily.
"Well, Kisuke was just…"
"I was just figuring out how they work."
"You ridiculous, mad scientist! You could have just…"
"Renji," said Kisuke, smiling devilishly.
"Sleep," said Renji, touching the charm.
Byakuya fell back and closed his eyes. Kisuke and Yoruichi exchanged glances again and burst into laughter.
"All right, all right," said Renji in a flustered voice, "That's very funny…now what?"
Kisuke cleared his throat.
"Well, it seems, my good friend, that you have somehow managed to land yourself a one-of-a-kind, no one-else-has-it, handy dandy remote controlled taicho…complete with good looks, nasty temper and one mean superiority complex! Congratulations!"
"Wh-what?" Renji asked, looking mystified.
"You have every Squad Six member's dream, Renji! Think about it! You don't want to work all hours or be pushed around by him…or hear him rant, just touch that snake charm and he will fall over unconscious!"
"B-but…wha…how?" Renji stammered, "Why me?"
"Huh?" said Kisuke, looking surprised at the question, "Renji, who the hell cares? You have physical control over Kuchiki freaking Byakuya! Is that really a problem for you?"
"Hmmm," said Yoruichi, "it sounded like Byakuya knew something about the charms. Renji, you should wake him and ask him what he knows."
"He'd probably just refuse to tell us," Renji muttered, "He was pretty pissed already."
"So if he won't cooperate, just knock him out again," laughed Kisuke, "Damn, why does he get to have all of the fun?"
Renji shook his head, still not sure whether or not to believe…
"Taicho, wake up," he said softly.
Byakuya's eyes opened and met his angrily, but this time, he said nothing. Renji felt a hard chill move down his spine at the hateful expression. Kisuke laughed.
"Renji," he said, smirking, "I think your taicho is willing to answer our questions now."
Byakuya's reiatsu burned so hotly against Renji's skin that he had to move back slightly.
"Go ahead," said Kisuke, the joviality going out of his features, "Ask him, Renji. Ask him why the most wicked shinigami known to us called him into Las Noches, like one of his own. Have him explain how he knew that Aizen would want him to go there."
His eyes gleamed aggressively.
"Ask him what is between Aizen and him. And then we'll know…whether he is in need of our help…or if all he needs is a one way ticket to the Sokyoku…"
Renji stared into Byakuya's hate-filled expression, feeling the burn of the noble's fury against his skin. It was painful to hold the dark gray, gleaming eyes like that, but he bore it for several long moments, then, still gazing into them, said with conviction…
"My Taicho is no traitor. He has his reasons for going to Las Noches…and he will tell them to me privately. Kisuke, Yoruichi, I need some time alone with him."
Urahara smiled more congenially.
"Of course, Renji. Now that Byakuya knows who is master and who is slave, he should tell you whatever you want to know. Just…have him talk fast. You know, the secret mobile corps sensed the opening of that garganta…and they will likely sense that he has returned to the living world. I suggest that if you two want to talk, you had best conceal your spirit energy and disappear for a while."
Renji nodded, then watched as Yoruichi and Kisuke stepped out of the room. Byakuya continued to stare at Renji with a deadly expression. Renji gazed back at him for a moment, then went to the closet and grabbed one of the shihakushos he kept there for when he was on assignment in Karakura Town.
"Get dressed," he said quietly, "and you'll have to conceal our spirit energy since I can't do it for shit."
"Where are we going?" Byakuya asked in a low voice.
Renji looked him squarely in the eyes.
"Somewhere we can talk without being found. We're not going to just wait here to be picked up by the secret mobile corps."
"Did you consider Rikichi?" Byakuya asked solemnly.
Renji blinked.
"Yeah, he should come too. We need to get our stories straight…before we go back."
"Are you placing me under arrest?" Byakuya asked quietly.
"I am taking you into custody," Renji said, turning away, "Dress. Just remember, Taicho, what I hear from you when I ask you my questions will decide whether or not I make the arrest official. Think about that…while we are on our way."
The two fell silent and Byakuya slipped into the shihakusho. They left the bedroom and joined Kisuke and Yoruichi in the kitchen, where the two were having tea. Kisuke and Byakuya exchanged silent, aggressive glances.
"Well," the shopkeeper said, smiling at Renji, "Did you get things worked out?"
"Sort of," Renji said, "We're going to go somewhere to talk for a while. Do you know where Rikichi is? We need him to come along so that the secret mobile corps isn't able to get their hands on him before we can talk about this."
"Actually," said Kisuke, "I am going to hang on to Rikichi."
"What?" said Renji.
Byakuya's eyes narrowed.
"You think I went to him to join him?" the noble asked sarcastically, "Then you are as stupid as I've always thought you were…"
"I think you went to kill him," Kisuke said, staring into the noble's guarded eyes, "but I'm also thinking that there's a hell of a lot more to the story than just his use of your sister in his plans. I know better than to trust a damned word you say while you're cornered like this and I know better than to trust you to be left alone with Renji and Rikichi right now. If Rikichi stays here, there's still a living witness to your exit from the Seireitei. That way, if we're wrong and you damage Abarai Renji, in any way…we can call the secret mobile corps and set them on your trail personally."
He smiled.
"But hey, good luck with your conversation. I'm sure you and Renji will have lots to say to each other."
Renji stared as the two locked glances again.
"Uh…Taicho," he said, breaking the tension, "Come on. We should go."
Byakuya turned and silently followed Renji out of the shop.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Aren't you curious at all where we're going, Taicho?" Renji asked as the two passed through the senkaimon and back into Soul Society.
"I have no control over that," said Byakuya calmly, "You wanted control, Renji, and now you have it. What purpose would it serve to ask? If you intended for me to know, then you would have told me."
Renji frowned.
"Look, I don't mean for it to be like that, Taicho. I just couldn't think of any other way to get you to talk to me."
"And what good do you imagine that talking is going to do, Renji?" Byakuya asked, "I can handle this on my own."
"Sure," Renji muttered, "You were doing a great job of handling things in Las Noches. I'm convinced that if we hadn't busted in and saved you when we did, you would have escaped all by yourself! Come on…don't kid yourself. You need someone on your side, right now."
"And you think you are up to tackling Aizen Sousuke head on?" Byakuya said sarcastically, "Don't make me laugh. The man almost cut you in half the last time you confronted him."
"Yeah," said Renji, "but it doesn't seem like you're doing much better. He might not have cut you in half, but it sure looked like he was using you for something, Taicho…and I don't think he was consulting with you about gardening techniques!"
"Actually…" Byakuya began.
Renji turned and grabbed him by the shoulders angrily.
"Look, I'm not kidding around here, Taicho! That guy welcomed you into Las Noches…and you went to Sokyoku Hill like you knew he would be waiting for you. And then we come to bust you out of there and where are you? In that atrium, dressed in nothing but that yukata…and you were with him in that state. You want to tell me what in the hell I'm supposed to think of that?"
Byakuya sighed and closed his eyes. He thought for a moment, then opened his eyes and met Renji's more calmly.
"Renji, I know what it looked like…and I wasn't attempting levity a moment ago. We were discussing the gardens in the atrium…because he forced me to use my gift to create that garden while I was there."
Renji stared at him in disbelief.
"Taicho, I hope you don't think for a second that I'm stupid enough to believe that Aizen Sousuke invited you to Las Noches for his housewarming and as a gift, you made him that garden! Tell me that you really don't think I'm that dumb!" the redhead snapped.
"I never questioned your intelligence, Renji," Byakuya answered, following as he turned toward the Rukongai, "And I hope that you were telling me the truth when you said that you did not question my loyalty to the Gotei 13 and my king."
Renji sighed.
"I know you didn't betray us," he admitted in a low voice, "but I really need you to tell me what the fuck did happen. I was just beginning to think that I understood some things about you…and I don't want to be made a fool of by you. We've done enough of that."
"I have no wish to make a fool of you, Renji," the noble said in a softer voice, "I do appreciate your willingness to afford me the benefit of the doubt, despite the fact that you have been given plenty of reasons to believe the worst about me. I wanted to believe that I didn't care about being left to my own devices in this…but…it is a comfort to not feel so isolated."
They walked on for several minutes in silence.
"So," Renji said finally, "Do you want to know where we are going?"
Byakuya sighed.
"If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that we are headed toward Inuzuri," he said matter-of-factly.
"Good guess, Taicho," Renji said, smiling, "I figure that even if the secret mobile corps senses us, they'll be stymied trying to find us there. Just, don't run away from me, okay?"
"Abarai, in case you were not aware of the fact…or the genius Urahara wasn't able to figure it out, the bands and charms I wear have decided that you are my master. That is why when I strayed from your side in the desert that the hollows attempted to attack me. I have to stay within a certain radius of you, or it will happen again."
Renji stared at him in wonder.
"Shit, I'm glad you told me before I left you to go scout ahead or something!" he mused, "Okay, note to self. We stick close together from now on. Check."
Renji shook his head in amazement.
"As soon as we get where we are going, you have got to help me figure out how these things work!" he exclaimed.
"Why, so you can use them to control me?" said Byakuya, looking offended.
"No," said Renji, "so we don't do something that gets one of us killed by mistake!"