Disclaimer: Yup . . . still not so much with me and the owning or having any part of. Yeah.

Author's Note: How's everyone hanging in there? Good? Wonderful! Well, here's the fifth chapter. I hope it cracks some smiles for you all. Happy Readings!

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'But I'm NOT coming back! NOT coming back . . . coming back . . . not coming back . . .'

The words scampered around Suzuki's mind like mischievous pixies, barring him from any sort of useful progress. He couldn't concentrate on his work with Shishi's statement looming over him. He severely hoped that his lover hadn't been too upset. He loved Shishi more than anything, but sometimes he got on his nerves. He was very particular and a bit high maintenance, but it was these things Suzuki was willing to live with and over look about his dear swordsman. Still, he could be so stubborn sometimes!

He carefully set down the beaker of phosphoric acid he was holding and removed his protective eyewear and rubber gloves. Perhaps he should shut everything down and go to locate Shishi. It was better, he'd found, not to let him stew in his anger. It only brought about a more complicated argument later. Although, he'd also found that the more complicated the argument, the better the making up process.

He grinned secretively to himself. Still, it was better to stop the war before it started. If you could settle out of court, why start the trial?

Sighing in anticipation of the pending altercation, Suzuki left his room to search for his angry lover. He checked all of the rooms upstairs and could only shake his head at how messy Rinku's and Chuu's were. He only felt bad for Touya, as he was a particularly clean individual, and Jin was quite the opposite. Their room personified the proverbial yin and yang of the world.

Of course, he didn't find Shishi in the bathroom or laundry room, and he knew that he wouldn't be in the attic. Shishi hated dusty, dank places because the atmosphere was bad for his hair. They had something of a 'junk room' (as Jin had deemed it) that was full of broken things that could be salvageable one day if he ever got around to working on them. He knew he probably never would. If he didn't work on something immediately after it was broken, then he usually didn't intend to. They ended up purchasing many new appliances. It suited him all right, though. After all, they could sell the broken parts someday.

In any case, Shishi wasn't in the junk room either which meant that he was probably sulking downstairs somewhere.

Suzuki couldn't help but sigh again and had to remind himself that searching for his indignant lover didn't qualify as wasted time, although he had to repeat it to himself many times over.

"The things I do . . ." he murmured as he started down the staircase.

He barely had time to wonder where to start looking when he came upon the living room. His eyes bugged out of their sockets for a few moments as he took in the hurricane that had become the living room.

He recognized the powder all over the room as flour but was more horrified to see egg yokes squished onto the floor and into the rugs. There were wadded up paper towels and tissues littering the floor, furniture, and the tops of what appeared to be tents made of every sheet and blanket they owned.

"My God," he said to no one in particular. "Touya is going to rupture a spleen when he sees this!"

Suzuki carefully stepped off of the stairs and walked toward the mess, cautious of the slippery spots and jagged egg shells. He crossed his arms over his chest and took another moment to gauge the damage. He shook his head.

"Guys, c'mon out," he ordered sternly.

Not a sound was made. He eyed the two tents with contempt, easily seeing the outlines of hunched figures, as well as hearing their incessant "shush's".

"Seriously, you've all got an insane amount of cleaning to do," he continued.

Still, there was no response. He waited a few seconds, hoping that one of his friends would have the sense to come out, but his patience was not rewarded. He knew that Jin, Chuu, and Rinku were probably the cause of it all, but he never expected what happened next.

Suddenly, Shishi popped out from the top of one of the forts.

Suzuki's eyes went wide once more. "Shishi?" He asked incredulously.

Shishi grinned a fang-flashing grin and replied, "Damn right."

Without another moments warning, Suzuki found himself covered in a thick, beige colored substance that oozed down his face and onto his shirt. He grimaced in both surprise at the action and disgust at the feeling that the goop left on his skin.

When he got his bearings enough to command his body to move, the blonde slid his hands across his eyes and licked some of the substance off of his finger. He was nonplussed and mildly intrigued by the fact that he was currently covered in what tasted like cake batter.

He looked from his hand and back to the place where Shishi was standing, grinning deviously from ear to ear. The swordsman held a silver bowl in his hands, a very familiar silver bowl.

'Cake batter,' thought Suzuki. Then it hit him. His gaze hardened and turned to a glare, which he directed wholeheartedly at his partner.

"Damn it, Shishi! That's the cake batter I was going to use for dessert!" He exclaimed.

Shishi's devilish grin didn't falter a bit before he disappeared under the sheets again.

Suzuki glared daggers at the empty space where his attacker had been standing. Oh, he was going to pay dearly for that. He'd worked hard to get the batter recipe just right, and now his beloved creation was running down his arms.

"Psst!"

Suzuki turned around quickly toward the strange summon. He saw two pairs of eyes peering out at him from under a blanket that he recognized as Jin and Touya's comforter.

"Psst! Over here," said one voice.

"What?" Suzuki asked harshly, unable to keep the frustration from his voice.

"You see their evil, now fight for your revenge. Join the resistance," said Chuu.

Suzuki stared at his two companions for a moment and glanced back toward the opposite fort in consideration.

"No time fer all this thinkin'!" Jin quipped. "They'll be attackin' again soon."

The blonde growled deep in his throat. Fine, if Shishi wanted to be childish and play at this game, then he'd match him point for point. With a sly smirk he threw his fisted arm in the air and shouted, "Viva la résistance!" Quickly, he disappeared under the fort.