Chapter 11

'There's still no response from the Kaibas,' False sighed, as he joined Lus and Arados in the small side room Mai had put aside for them to work in.

'Should we just call Kisara then and keep working till we can get hold of him,' Arados pulled a face.

'No,' the other two's response came in unison as did the glare they gave the other for it.

False knew why he didn't want Kisara there yet and if Lus was right about her suspecting Ni's true plan with him, then it wouldn't take her more than five minutes to… He cut off his unwanted train of thoughts as his eyes continued to study Lus. False knew why he didn't want Kisara there, but what were the other guy's reasons?

'Wow, it's not like you two to agree over anything,' Arados smirked, 'especially when it comes to Kisara.'

'What would you know about it,' Lus shifted his gaze away.

'I know you both like her. And I also don't know which one of you I'm rooting for more.'

'What's that supposed to mean,' False couldn't help but frown.

'Oh come on, you're both my friends and I want both of you to be able to have her, but that's not likely to happen now, is it? So, I have to root for one of you over the other. Only I'm having a hard time deciding which one of you I want to have her more.'

'It can't be that hard,' Lus shook his head, 'I mean, you've known one of us a lot longer, right?'

'That doesn't mean I should automatically back you one hundred percent of the way. I think False would be good for Kisara. And besides, they're the ones with the history together, that has to count for something.'

'So if it wasn't for the fact we've grown up together, you wouldn't back me at all?'

'No, I probably would. But only…'

'Only what?'

'It doesn't matter,' Arados shook his head, before rubbing his side in a strange manner.

For half a horrified second False almost believed he'd managed to figure it out. But then Arados frown and tilted his head strangely.

'I swear that Blue Ice stuff has caused me to become allergic to everything,' he sighed and shook his head.

'Huh,' Lus shot him a look, 'what do you mean?'

'I mean, I keep feeling like something's crawling under my skin,' he shuddered slightly. 'It makes me itch just to think about it.'

'Does it itch anywhere in particular or just all over,' there was something almost too suspicious about Lus's tone.

'It starts in one area, then becomes all over,' Arados shrugged. 'It's probably just my over active imagination though, so I wouldn't worry about it.'

'When it starts, where does it start?'

Arados shrugged and seeing this Lus gave a heavy sigh, before flicking his gaze towards False. There was no denying the look in his eyes, False definitely knew Lus was suspicious of something, but whether or not he'd worked it out…

'So should we try Taylor again,' False tried to sound inconspicuous.

'Yeah, I guess we should,' Arados sighed again, 'although we can probably do without him for now, if we get hold of Kisara.'

'No,' both Lus and False repeated.

Gritting his teeth, he again lifted his eyes to meet Lus's. The other guy appeared just as agitated as he felt. Clearly they were on the same page about something, but whatever that something was eluded both of them.

'You know I'm getting a little sick of you copying me,' Lus's tone was strange.

'Me copying you, how do you figure that,' False folded his arms, 'the way I see it, you're copying me.'

'No,' he shook his head, 'I was born first, therefore…'

'You can't pull this on an age thing.'

'Can't I?'

'Hell no.'

'Shouldn't you be careful about how much you use that word,' Lus narrowed his gaze, 'you wouldn't want people thinking you've changed allegiances.'

'Saying hell every once in a while won't make people think anything.'

'Won't it?'

False could almost sense how dangerous this was getting now. Lus knew something. Or if he didn't know it, then he definitely suspected it and the way he was carrying on…

'Must you two be so persistent in fighting over her,' Arados rolled his eyes, 'only it's getting really boring, really fast.'

'What makes you think this is just about her,' Lus shrugged.

'What else could it be about?'

'Maybe we're fighting over you too.'

'What? But you're not…'

'Not for that,' he shook his head, 'but for something else.'

'What?'

'Your friendship,' again both False and Lus were in harmony.

'My friendship,' Arados shot them both a funny look. 'Why, I can be friends with both of you, can't I?'

'We know that,' False couldn't help but sound tense.

'But that's not what this is about,' Lus added.

'Then enlighten me as to what it is about,' Arados frowned, 'and why you feel the need to fight over my friendship.'

'I guess some of us feel as though others of us don't quite deserve it yet; especially when they're hiding things.'

'And I think others of us shouldn't assume that some of us are hiding things,' False shifted his gaze away, 'you have no evidence that's the case.'

'I have all the evidence I need,' Lus challenged. 'It's written all over your face and in your voice.'

'Is it really written there?'

'In bright red letters,' he nodded slowly, 'and I'm pretty sure it won't take long for someone else besides me to see it.'

'And who would that someone else be?'

'Clearly not me,' Arados sighed in frustration. 'So will you cut the cryptic and the fighting and either try calling Tay again or get Kisara down here. Because, in case you don't remember, we've got work to get on with here. Work that concerns helping various members of my bizarre family; so will you please show a little restraint?'

'I'm sure I can do that,' Lus smirked, 'but can you False?'

'I can, as well as you can,' False shrugged. 'Now, I'll be right back, I'm going to try calling Taylor again.'