CHAPTER SIX
'SUP PEOPLEZ! No, I haven't died or abandoned this fic. I have had a MAJOR writers block, couldn't think of anything to write …It's not a super action-y chapter, either; and it's just Kai figuring out the squeaking curse – the pranks will actually come in the next chapter. But anyway, sorry for the really long wait! And I am, in fact, developing a bit of romance in here, but nothing that really detracts from the main plot :) Tia-Starrk is one of my favorite couples …
And now for the disclaimer. Also, since I can, I'm having Renji say it instead.
Renji: What? Why am I here?
Kiwi: Just because. Here, read the script. *hands Renji paper*
Renji: Um, 'Yo, Kiwi-kiwi-kii does not own Bleach or any of its characters, except for the characters that she creates herself, like Kai.'
Kiwi: Go on…
Renji: 'So … thanks for reading, and thanks to all the people who favorited her story. So now, please review her chapter.'
Kiwi: There! You have to, since Renji said so.
Renji: Ok, well, I'm leaving now.
ONTO THE MAYHEM, THEN!
Oh, and I'm writing "Apacci" as "Apache", regardless of how it's actually supposed to be spelled, because it just makes more sense that way. And I'm calling Coyote Starrk 'Starrk'. 'Cause no one ever calls him Coyote. Right? Yea. Whatever.
"…And I know it's a bother, but Kai and Lilynette are making me, and right now Grimmjow and your fraccion are helping Kai with trying to dispel that squeaking curse thing. So … will you help us?"
Tia stared at Starrk for a minute. Really, she would have preferred to not get involved in something like this. But, well, it was just that … Um, it was because her fraccion were involved, nothing else. It certainly wasn't because spending time on something non-espada related with Starrk seemed like a nice way to pass time or anything.
Tia nodded. "I'll help, I suppose. Before we do anything, we should find out how to rid Kai of that odd spell put on her. How do you suppose –"
"That's where I come in! Yaah!" Suddenly, Lilynette sprang energetically through the door. "Kai said I should go on a spy mission to Sayzel's lab. So, I'll report back with whatever secret information I find!" She left as quickly as she came. Starrk and Tia stared after her for a moment.
"Will … she be all right?" Tia asked.
"Probably," Starrk said. "At least, she has enough sense not to do anything TOO dangerous… I hope," he added under his breath. Tia smiled slightly.
"Well then," she said. "I suppose we'd better go help the others." "Right," Starrk said.
XXX - MEANWHILE
"OWCH, dammit!"
"Ah-ha!"
Apache yanked something from Kai's neck and stumbled backwards. Triumphant, she gave a tomboyish grin and held up some sort of small, silver, square electronic chip.
Sun-Sun and Mila-Rose crowded around Apache (Sun-sun in a more ladylike fashion) to see their discovery unveiled. The flat nanochip had lots of little engravings and miniature wires, buttons, and cogs all along its sides and over its surfaces. An itty-bitty red light flashed in a corner of the shiny device. The side that had been attached to Kai's neck had a small forked prong sticking out that gave off a bright but equally tiny spark.
"My God … did you get it?"
A slightly disheveled and grumpy – but nevertheless interested – Kai pushed her way over to Apache through the two Arrancar blocking her way.
"I sure hope so, after all that fuss," came a call from the corner of the room. Kai glared at her cousin.
Kai was in her room, along with Tai's three fraccion and, of course, the sexta espada. Grimmjow was lounging on her bed and looking thoroughly disinterested. Kai raised her eyebrows and held up the tiny chip for him to see. "So that's what's been giving us all that trouble?" Grimmjow huffed. "Apparently," she replied, under her breath.
"Why don't you test it?" Mila-Rose suggested. Kai nodded and turned to her bedside table. Hesitantly, she stuck out a hand, fingers outstretched. She touched the table.
No squeak!
"All right!" Apache yelled. "Step one, done."
"Now all we have to do is think of a way to get back at Gin," Mila-Rose interrupted. "Any ideas?" "If you stopped butting in every time I was talking, maybe I'd get some," Apache growled. Mila-Rose whipped around and assumed a half-fighting-stance. Sun-Sun huffed, her sleeve covering her mouth.
Luckily, it was at that time that Starrk and Tia decided to come in.
"Yo," Starrk said, sounding tired. He joined Grimmjow on Kai's bed, far away from the crazy plotting Arrancar.
Tia's fraccion snapped to attention. Sort of.
"Ah-right," Kai drawled. "I suppose you've decided to help us?" she asked Tia, trying to sound hopeful and not exhausted. Tai merely nodded and went to sit with Starrk and Grimmjow. Kai looked around, pretty satisfied with their group.
The septima nodded. "Okay, then. Here's the plan…"
Not so luckily, it was at that time that Lilynette decided to come in.
And that's not all. Toting behind her, she had a little red wagon (yes, a wagon) that was overflowing with: at least three dozen glass beakers in different wooden racks (some containing various liquids that sloshed dangerously when the wagon titled), several large and oddly shaped bottles, some measuring cups, a couple cardboard boxes, two metal containers with large locks, a … something that was emitting a rather large amount of blue smoke, a bird cage with some odd-looking creature inside of it, a handful of sealed test tubes with powder in them, and a featureless black cube that had long trail of long, thin, differently-colored wires trailing out from one end.
For a few seconds, no one said anything. The blue smoke from the something in the wagon was starting to fill the room, and the creature in the cage was making some weird strangled noises and quietly shuffling about.
Apache broke the silence with a blunt What the heck is all that stuff?
"Samples," Lilynette said, rummaging through the pile of scientific-looking stuff and pulling out one of the beakers. It had a smooth, milky pink liquid inside of it. "I got all this stuff from Sayzel's lab," she declared proudly. "I couldn't hack his computer, so I just decided to get some of this stuff, to see if any of it helps Kai."
Kai cleared her throat. "Um, thanks, but we already stopped the squeaking." She tossed the chip at Lilynette, who fumbled and dropped it, spilling the contents of the glass vile she was holding.
Some liquid landed on the floor, where it sat harmlessly; some landed on the squeaking-curse-chip, which immediately sparked and gave a popping sound, and then emitted a small curl of black smoke. The pink solution was hissing and bubbling around the little device. "Oops," Lilynette muttered. Starrk shook his head, exasperated. Or at least as exasperated as he ever got.
"Well, that's the end of that," Grimmjow said with an air of finality.
"Maybe," Kai said, with a small smile. "But I think it just gave me an idea."
XXX – TWO HOURS LATER
Starrk walked down the halls of Las Noches. It wasn't exactly an uncommon sight to see, but what was odd was that Lilynette wasn't with him. She was still with Kai, plotting their next 'devious move'. Starrk closed his eyes, wishing he hadn't gotten dragged into what was sure to end with a big mess.
Eyes still closed, he yawned, and turned a corner.
Which is why he ran directly into Tia Hallibel. Literally.
They both stumbled back a bit, but did not fall down. "Whoops. Sorry there, Tia," Starrk muttered. "It's alright," the quiet Espada replied, straightening up.
Starrk nodded. "Sorry to get you dragged into the whole 'Kai-Gin-Pranks' thing," he said. "No, it's alright. I don't really mind," Tia assured him. He nodded. "Yea … I don't really get what's the whole big deal here, but Lilynette would give me a hard time, you know … and your fraccion are already involved." He sighed, scratching the back of his head.
"No, really." Tia said. She started walking down the halls, and Starrk followed. He thought he heard a faint smile in her voice.
She continued. "Anyway, it's not really like me to get involved in this sort of thing, but … well, I suppose it's good to take a break from Espada duties and just relax now and then. – Relaxing in other ways than just napping in your room all day, that is." She was defiantly smiling now. Starrk found himself smiling along.
"Well, I guess you're right," he admitted. "Though personally, I don't think having hyperactive people plotting pranks all day is really relaxing."
"Good point," Tia said. She glanced at him sideways. "Perhaps, then, you and I can take some time away from both our jobs as Espada and our … prank-plotting, and do some real relaxing sometime."
"Just you and me. No crazy fraccion. Sounds nice," Starrk said.
"Yes, I think so too … well, goodnight, Starrk."
"Night, Tia. See you around."
"Indeed."