Cats Have 9 Lives Chapter 7
Aww, only a couple chapters left! I'll be kinda sad when this story is over… but I've already started another one, so… yeah! In this one, the mystery begins! This one is a little slow, (And only half of it is funny) but I made it that way on purpose for some extra suspense!
Neko was exhausted. She had a long day that day: helping the enemy, faking her death, dealing with mean jerk faces, faking her death again, mouthing off to superiors (again) and faking her death… again.
It was evening in Las Noches, proved only by the arrows on clocks, the soft snores of Arrancars heard throughout the palace, and the eerie lack of servants hurrying through the halls. It was a nighttime created by Lord Aizen himself.
Neko was getting rather tired of all the secrecy that surrounded all the faking of her deaths. Oh well, she thought to herself as she quietly tiptoed to the Las Noches palace kitchen, thirsty for a nice cup of tea. She wouldn't let herself be found out just yet.
Grabbing a mug from the nearest high pantry, and a teabag from a lower one, Neko poured water into a teapot and set it on a burner, turning it on.
She exhaled slowly, forcing her body to relax.
"Hey," a gruff voice called, scaring Neko nearly out of her skin: Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
"Good evening," she spoke, her voice oozing with maturity.
The sixth Espada leaned against the nearest counter with a lazy air, feral eyes fixed on the 99th Arrancar. Neko ignored the obvious staring, her own eyes trained only on the silent teapot.
"Granz is looking for you. He's starting to think you're more powerful than you let on."
"Is that so?" Neko asked quietly, her back still turned to the powerful Arrancar.
"Yep," Grimmjow pushed himself away from the counter. "And I'm starting to believe him." He stalked slowly to the other side of the kitchen where Neko stood, her back still to him, in silence.
"I see," she answered, her eyes still cast downwards. The time for Neko to leave was coming.
"You're hardly the same ditzy kid I blasted with a cero," Grimmjow commented, leaning close. Neko stepped away.
"Believe what you choose to," she answered, still averting her eyes.
"You've been hiding your actual power for a long time, huh?" he asked, taking another step closer.
The 99th Arrancar stayed silent.
"What are you?" he asked.
The teapot whistled, and Neko stepped past the sixth Espada and gently poured the boiling water into her mug, grabbing her tea bag. "Would you like some tea?" she offered.
"Nah, I just wanted a midnight snack," Grimmjow retorted, opening the refrigerator beginning to rummage through it.
"Your loss," Neko muttered, lifting the tea to her lips, blowing softly. "So, master Grimmjow, tell me of this Ichigo Kurosaki boy you despise so much."
"What about him?" the teal haired Espada asked, half his body immersed in the refrigerator, still scavenging for food.
"Why do you hate him so much?" she inquired. The Espada seemed to find what he was looking for and stepped away from the fridge, a box of Chinese takeout in one hand, a pair of chopsticks in the other. He glared down at the smaller girl in front of him.
"It's those damned eyes. I can't stand 'em. It's like he thinks he can beat me even when he's dying on the ground," Grimmjow whispered, his eyes narrowed.
"I think that's just called determination," Neko commented.
"No… he thinks he's better than me. That's why I can't stand him."
"You make it seem as if life is a rank," Neko pointed out, still sipping her tea. Grimmjow snorted, but otherwise stayed silent.
"People are either lower than you or higher than you. That is life," Grimmjow finally answered.
"Think what you will, higher or lower. To me, you are no higher or lower; you're only Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, and I am Neko. That is life."
"I'll keep that in mind," Grimmjow answered, again leaning against a counter, devouring his greasy noodles.
Neko sighed into her now empty mug of tea, before setting it in the dishwasher and exiting the kitchen. "Goodnight, master Jaegerjaquez," she muttered quietly.
And Grimmjow stood alone in the dark kitchen, left to ponder all he had learned that night.
"Goooood morning, Lady Harribel!" saluted a grinning Neko, at the bedside of the third Espada.
"Hello, Neko," the blonde responded quietly. Neko always liked Lady Harribel; she was always so kind and benevolent.
"So, what do we have in store today, my lady?"
"… We will be guarding the southern side terrace. You may fetch us tea and snacks throughout the day."
"And by 'we,' I'm guessing that you mean you and your fracción?" Neko asked.
"Of course," Tia Harribel replied, her eyes smiling.
Soon enough, the third Espada, her fracción consisting of Mila-Rose, Apache, and Sun-Sun, and the 99th Arrancar were "guarding" the southern side terrace.
…In other words, they were enjoying the nice blue skies and warm sunlight.
… sort of.
"Shut the hell up!" Apache screamed at Mila-Rose.
"Oh, honestly, you can't expect to be good at any—" Mila-Rose began.
"Girls!" Sun-Sun shouted with a smirk. "Please, stop acting so weak in front of Lady Harribel; it is oh so embarrassing!" she laughed, covering her mouth.
"Tell me, Ladies!" Neko jumped onto the railing, trying to put a stop to the arguing. "What kind of—"
"Shut up!" Apache snarled, glancing at Neko's lack of balance at such a dangerous height.
"Hey, I may not be that powerful, but at least I'm not a freaking unicorn, I mean really, how can—waah!"
Push.
Number of Lives Left: 2
Yay, only three chapters left! It's going to be awesome! :) Thank you, readers! I'm glad people have actually kept up with this fanfic into the seventh chapter. Once again, thank you!