If he wants a fight, well now he's got one

[joinmyreunion]

The Palace felt quiet. A number of the Arrancar were out on a mission with Aizen; only the weak, or the unpredictable, had been made to stay behind, but that number had not, apparently, included Grimmjow. Kadaj and Tayuya had been left to their own devices without him and Yylfordt around.

Three days ago, they'd had a quiet conversation. Kadaj hadn't done much talking, just nodded, and then later in the day had crept into the laboratories down the wing of the Palace that Orochimaru had made his own. Kadaj used to go down there a lot, three years ago. He'd stopped just after the Arrancar arrived. He'd fallen out with Orochimaru once and for all shortly after that.

He emerged from the labs a couple of hours later, showered, and then went into the underground training facility. He didn't come up again for a couple of days, although there weren't really people around to notice, except Tayuya, who went down to check on him a few times.

He'd slept when he came back up, and then went to look for Nnoitra, one of the Arrancar who had been judged too unpredictable to head off to a freshly made Necrohol. He found him in the kitchen.

Kadaj made his way over; an unusual intent certainty in his expression, and spoke quietly. "Want to let off some steam?" His manner was all wrong to be an invitation to spar, but that was what it sounded like, at first.

Comments

[prayingmantis]

Nnoitra was still annoyed at being left behind. The mission itself ... he didn't care. They could do whatever they wanted, good or bad, to any city in the world and he wouldn't ever find it in himself to give even half a toss about it. He just hated being told to hang back. To be told that he wasn't the Arrancar for the job when other, lesser members were taken. It made his blood boil.

He couldn't help but feel like he was missing out on something by being at the palace when almost everyone else of note was out there, doing their job and probably getting some action in the field. Denied the opportunity to go along on the first real mission they'd undertaken, he had taken to lurking around the kitchen more than usual. Nevertheless, he was steadily coming to terms with his current fate, even if he wasn't accepting it.

He looked up when Kadaj entered the room. The whole palace had been quiet since the majority of Aizen's subordinates had left and it was something of note whenever anybody walked in. Kadaj ... wasn't that interesting. The two had little between them. They rarely communicated and, when they did, it was edged with a certain amount of latent antagonism thanks to outside factors.

He did not expect to be addressed.

He fixed Kadaj with his single eye when he spoke, gauging the seriousness of his question. It did sound like an invitation to spar, but there was something off about the question, even aside from the fact that he had never approached him in that capacity before nor shown any interest whatsoever in sparring with him in the past. It was something about the tone and the clandestinely quiet way in which he made the offer that made him suspicious. Nnoitra, contrary to popular belief, was not stupid. He didn't miss the subtle lack of Kadaj's trademark brattish arrogance.

All the same, he was feeling somewhat ... caged. "Yeah," he said abrasively, his half-covered brow creased halfway between a question and a scowl.

[joinmyreunion]

Kadaj was wary of saying too much to anyone. Gods knew if any of the other clan members got wind of what Kadaj was planning they'd put a stop to it, with one possible exception that was not a sure enough thing for Kadaj to want to risk it. Still, Nnoitra was another matter, because where this was concerned, he and Nnoitra had common ground.

"There's gonna be a fight," Kadaj said, and bared his teeth in disgust as he admitted, "but I won't be able to win on my own." That stung to admit. Kadaj's strength had grown considerably in the past few years, but he was still nowhere near the level he needed to be for this.

"It's a fight you won't want to miss," he promised, with a trace of unhinged sadism, "so I'm making an offer."

[prayingmantis]

"So," Nnoitra began, his tone uncharacteristically thoughtful. He wasn't quite able to resist savouring the moment that a full member of the Clan needed him to win a fight. "You need my help."

The smile that resulted from that little revelation displayed a lot of eerily perfect teeth. He tilted his chin up and inclined his head, the movement positively oozing egotism. He didn't take his eye off him, hardly having to look up even though he was sitting and Kadaj was not.

He was right, though. It was a fight he didn't want to miss. He didn't even know who it was against and he didn't want to miss it. That was just who Nnoitra was.

"Who're we fighting?" 'We', not 'you'. He'd already decided his answer, even if he hadn't said it directly. Not that there was ever any doubt as to what it would be.

[joinmyreunion]

The 'we' was reassuring, but Nnoitra wasn't a complicated person, especially where fights were concerned, and it wasn't hard to find the right buttons if you wanted him to fight someone.

"Orochimaru," Kadaj answered, his voice soft and his pupils thin slits, gauging the reaction.

There were so, so many reasons to have this fight, and a couple of really important ones for having it now instead of waiting. Kadaj wasn't sure how many of those reasons he'd have to explain, if any at all.

[joinmyreunion]

He'd known Orochimaru would come.

Going down into the labs, talking to him, had left Kadaj feeling ill. He covered it well, biting down his discomfort as he made his offer to Orochimaru.

One meeting, one chance, gauge his power, take the readings, analyse his abilities. Kadaj would co-operate this one last time, on the condition that Orochimaru stopped trying to make Tayuya lure him down to the labs.

Orochimaru had consented, and then Kadaj had added, "Not here. I'm not being stuck down here with you for two hours."

Orochimaru had agreed to that, as well, eventually, and Kadaj led him to the training facility, making sure to stay out of touching range. Orochimaru probably knew something was going on, possibly even suspected that Kadaj had some fool notion of fighting him, but Kadaj didn't consider that to be a problem.

The element of surprise didn't lie in the fact that there was going to be a fight; it lay in the methods in the fight.

[snakeface]

Kadaj's appearance in the labs hadn't been much of a surprise, although his offering a deal had been. Orochimaru accepted it, with a slight smirk, and then when Kadaj had made further stipulations had agreed to that as well.

The boy was up to something, and Orochimaru was in the mood to indulge him. He'd become very self assured, lately, over-confident, even, with some of the other members, and Orochimaru was perfectly placed to bring him crashing back to earth.

It would be helpful in the long run, as well as the short run. Breaking that confidence again would make him easier to work.

He didn't make much use of the training facility, personally; he had his own facilities, better suited to the sort of abilities he preferred to encourage, but he had been there before. It was a large, open space, and probably made Kadaj feel better about being in his presence.

"So, Kadaj," he said, saying the name as if caressing it, "why don't we begin?"

[prayingmantis]

Nnoitra, true to his word, hung back. He followed Kadaj's reiatsu as he moved through the palace. He did this by pressing his hand to the floor and using that as a conduit through which to feel his chakra. A unique method, but nevertheless useful. It was accurate, silent, lacked a reiatsu signature of his own and left him alert. Moreso than that, it prevented him crashing that particular party prematurely.

He tracked Kadaj to the training area. He gave it a moment or two and then made his way down there, neither weapon nor mask fragment yet manifested.

He stood in the doorway when he reached the 'room'. It wasn't long before his neutral expression gave way to a smirk.

[joinmyreunion]

Kadaj didn't even lift his eyes when Nnoitra came in, not wanting to give too much away, and releasing his own reiatsu so it flared out, though not quite to full power.

He never did that inside the palace, normally. There were only a few people who lived there who had ever felt it let loose, especially recently. Orochimaru had last felt it just over two years ago, and Kadaj knew there'd been an increase, but he didn't want to reveal how much, yet.

He drew Souba, slowly, not making any sudden movements, wanting to make it seem like things were pretty much as Orochimaru was going to expect; maybe Kadaj would try his luck, but he'd be put down again quickly. That's what he wanted Orochimaru to expect. "I have some new abilities," he said. "I suppose you'll want to see them?"

[snakeface]

Kadaj had grown stronger in the last couple of years, but, unless Orochimaru had misjudged him, he was still holding back. The boy never had been stupid, just impulsive and easily led.

"Naturally," Orochimaru answered, waiting for an incoming attack. It wouldn't be the first time; back when Kadaj had been new in the palace he'd suffered a severe case of violent overconfidence, and had been put down swiftly. Then, with a little grooming, he'd become loyal, and then....

Then other people had got involved and undone a lot of careful work, but it was not unsalvageable.

"But first," he said, silkily, tongue wicking out with a quick flicker that he knew would bring back memories, "why don't you stop holding back?"

[prayingmantis]

Nnoitra moved in on Orochimaru's left, weapon raised. He swung and he swung hard, aiming for Orochimaru's neck. He snarled wordlessly as he made the strike, his cry fair warning for Kadaj to get out of the way.

He was ... fairly confident that Kadaj would move or duck when he attacked. He was fast and Nnoitra didn't doubt that he had taken to sparring with Grimmjow. Sure, Grimmjow was inferior to him, but that was besides the point. If Kadaj could stand up against him in a sparring match, he should have it in him to at least avoid something the size of Santa Teresa's blades coming at him at a fair speed.

His strike wasn't like those before. Nnoitra didn't go at him unrestrained, but he actually put an injection of strength behind the swing. Rage had tainted his control so thoroughly that it would be more of a struggle than it was worth to fight as he had been. His false hacks and choreographed slashes were no longer designed simply to wear down his shared opponent. He had far from pulled out all of the stops, but it was a small step forward towards his usual brutality.

[joinmyreunion]

Kadaj did train with Grimmjow on a fairly regular basis, so when Nnoitra moved in to swing, he was aware enough of the risk to back off out of the way. That was the hazard of teaming up with Nnoitra; he didn't play well with others.

Normally, neither did Kadaj.

Nnoitra was holding back less, Kadaj could see it. It was probably for the best, with Orochimaru having drawn Kusanagi. It meant Orochimaru was actually out to hurt them now, which meant they had to rise to the challenge.

He took a moment to breathe, and charge another spark strike, letting Nnoitra have at Orochimaru for a moment.

[snakeface]

Orochimaru noticed the change in Nnoitra's demeanour. Unfortunately for Nnoitra, warning Kadaj also gave warning to Orochimaru, and he avoided the incoming swing gracefully.

He retaliated with a swing of his own, bringing Kusanagi around to slice through whatever lay in its path....

Whether that happened to be Santa Teresa, or Nnoitra himself.

[prayingmantis]

Nnoitra, above almost all else, prided himself on his defensive capability. It wasn't the speed of his block that had given him cause for egotism, but the raw shielding afforded to him by his hierro, or iron skin. It was a trait common to Arrancar and was, in reality, little more than a defensive condensing of their Chakra. Nevertheless, he had honed that to perfection. He was nigh-impossible to cut, even beyond the abilities of other Arrancar. It would take a lot of fighting for an opponent to attune and adapt themselves to his spiritual energy enough to cut through it.

Ordinarily, a sword wouldn't even mark his skin. Ordinarily, Santa Teresa would withstand any blow from a rival sword. Ordinarily, he wouldn't so much as flinch.

This time was ... different.

Kusanagi sliced through the dual tips of Santa Teresa's upper crescent. He felt the slight reduction in weight and an involuntary jerk as the friction of resistance gave out. Shock impaired his reaction speed. Half numb, he pulled himself back and away from Orochimaru and his blade.

He dimly recalled an unpleasant, distant memory as he felt the all-too-familiar sensation of blood running down his face. That hit even before the sting managed to tear through his haze of disbelief. The gash on his face -- a clean cut carved horizontally across the bridge of his nose -- felt hot. The blood, however, quickly turned cold. It dripped from his jaw and chin, staining his clothes. It ran down his lips and between his teeth, teeth that were bared with disbelief and hatred in equal measure.

He touched the new wound with steady fingertips, tracing it to its end on his cheek. He narrowed his eye. Shock gave way to resolve. He began building his reiatsu.

"We won't fucking lose to you!"

It was time to up the game.

[snakeface]

With a seventh head removed, Orochimaru surged forward, appearing out of the snake's mouth. He glowered at Nnoitra, and at Kadaj, annoyed and aggravated to have been pushed this far by such pathetic individuals.

Kadaj had planned everything, he realised. Kadaj and Nnoitra together, perhaps, but Kadaj....

The little rat.

He summoned Kusanagi again, out of his throat, and lunged.

[joinmyreunion]

Kadaj straightened up, taking a couple of steps back as Orochimaru appeared. He raised the sword in his left hand, pointing its tip at Orochimaru, and concentrated.

Chakra surged around him again, flaring upwards, and then dying back.

"Drop that sword," he said, quietly.

[snakeface]

Orochimaru froze, unable to move. It was like every limb, every muscle had frozen solid. He struggled against it, but it was like trying to move an arm that was dead.

Against his will, he found himself removing Kusanagi from his mouth, and letting it clatter to the floor.

Against his will, he dismissed his jutsu, and landed on his feet on the floor, completely defenceless.

"What is this?" He struggled to get even those words out, fighting against a grip on his jaw and tongue that he felt slacken to allow him to talk.

[shoottokill]

As Kadaj and Nnoitra hacked away at their common opponent with no small measure of glee, Gin watched. They were enjoying themselves, it seemed. Perhaps revenge really was as sweet as they said. He smirked as Orochimaru's monstrous form was cut back until he had only one head remaining. He didn't so much as flinch when his normal form emerged from the last snake's mouth or as he summoned that infernal sword of his.

He noticed, at that moment, that the actions of the two fighting him diverged somewhat. Nnoitra stood ready, each blade pointed at Orochimaru, while Kadaj stood confidently to face him, sword raised. He wasn't doing that simply to retaliate or attack, as Nnoitra was. It was clear from Nnoitra's manner that he was merely readying himself for the next wave of attacks.

Kadaj, however, obviously had other ideas. His reiatsu pulsed and he issued Orochimaru with a command -- a command that, although grudgingly and with no small amount of struggle, was actually followed. It wasn't merely suggestion that made Orochimaru remove Kusanagi from his mouth and cast it aside, that much was obvious. The way Orochimaru seemed to be battling with himself made it clear to Gin that he was no longer in control his actions -- Kadaj was.

Gin's eyes went wide.

Oh, he knew that the true power of Kadaj's Zanpakutō wasn't purely physical -- he was aware that he had access to at least one magic-based ability in Shikai. Kadaj had told him so himself. He just wasn't privy to the nature of it. Due to this, since being made aware of Kadaj even having achieved Bankai, Gin had harboured some doubt that Souba's new abilities were entirely of the melee-type. That it gave him the ability to actually control an enemy was rather ... extraordinary.

He canted his head as he watched Orochimaru put an end his own jutsu.

Not having been present for the entire battle, Gin had not played witness to Orochimaru's infection. The black ichor that he was trailing with every step had not escaped his notice, however. It was some kind of Status Affliction, that much was clear. Perhaps that was the type of magic that Souba could perform. Many Zanpakutō were Elemental if they were magical at all. Poison-types were rare. Was the unpleasant fluid that Orochimaru was leaking the result of that being put to use? Did it have any relation to what Kadaj was doing now? Did it simply weaken the enemy so much that they couldn't defend against him or was that the form that the marionette strings took..? He couldn't be sure, but not knowing the reason didn't change the effect.

So, the boy that had been brought into the midst of one of the most dangerous Clans in the world to act as a puppet was now the puppeteer.

How beautifully ... poetic.

[prayingmantis]

Nnoitra leapt back as Orochimaru burst from the snake's mouth. He gritted his teeth as he watched him manifest that fucking sword again. He doubled his grip on his scythes and steeled himself for the next wave of unblockable attacks from that damned blade.

Then Kadaj's reiatsu flared.

In the silence that followed, Kadaj's quiet voice sounded unsettlingly calm. Nnoitra turned his head sharply in his direction when his words registered. He wondered, briefly, if the kid had lost his mind, but then ...

Then Orochimaru did as he was told. He pulled out the sword and dropped it and then, inexplicably, ended the jutsu he'd been using.

Nnoitra lowered his scythes slightly as he stared at his uncle. Surely he wasn't giving up. He'd never give up. Orochimaru must know that if he let his guard down the two of them would kill him.

Then he spoke.

Nnoitra's eye widened. He looked back at Kadaj as Orochimaru voiced the question that he couldn't spit out.

[joinmyreunion]

Kadaj was quiet for a moment. Leaving the news to filter down to Kuja held a certain appeal; the coward's way out, he wouldn't have to face him, wouldn't have to explain why and look whatever anger, or hurt, or worse there might be at the news directly in the eyes. He was already doing that to Tayuya. The thought put a lump in his throat.

He made his way to the exit, pausing when he was near Gin, and saying, quietly, "I'm going to tell Kuja. I want to see his reaction."

He wanted to know if Kuja had known what Orochimaru was planning. It might not affect the way Kadaj felt about Kuja, and Kadaj wondered if anything would, but he still wanted to know.

[shoottokill]

Kadaj was going to take responsibility. He was actually going to look the man he looked up to in the eyes and inform him that he'd killed his associate. His friend. He'd have to see first hand how Kuja would respond to that. That, in a way, took more nerve than taking on a member of Clan Khamja did itself.

"That's brave," he said cheerfully.

He didn't presume to know what sort of reaction that might be. Kuja was ... tricky, that was for certain. It really could go either way. A state of tranquil fury or an all out temper tantrum. Shame he wouldn't be there to see it.

"I suppose," he began, his tone lilting. "I'll see y'when you get back."

[prayingmantis]

Nnoitra, only half paying attention, turned to them as Gin said that. Kadaj was planning on leaving? How did Gin know that? Kadaj had been as shocked as he had when he'd found out that he'd been a witness to their committing murder.

He swore the creepy bastard could read minds.

[joinmyreunion]

"Yeah," Kadaj said, trying not to think too much about facing Kuja. Illua came first; it would give Kadaj time to think things through, and steel himself for what was to come.

He'd have to be quick, he knew. It wouldn't take long for people to notice, now. For the Sound Five to notice, and for Tayuya to come looking for him.

"Hey," he said, pausing on his way out and looking back to Gin with awkward and suppressed sadness, "can you do something for me?" He frowned, looking away and not wanting to look either Gin or Nnoitra in the face. "Can you tell Tayuya I'm sorry?"

[immoralmelody]

The Desert Palace had been so empty of late, like a stage during the interval.

Usually so vibrant and full of life, it had been left deserted when many of its usual players had departed on their own little missions. Few of the songs that usually filled the halls were being sung. In one way it was a mercy -- many of those that sang them were loud at best and positively obnoxious at worst -- though in another it felt unnaturally quiet. It had been some time since the number of people in the production had fallen below twenty and yet, here they were, barely managing to number fifteen.

The usually diverse cast of this particular play had been temporarily reduced by more than half.

Oh, but Kuja knew how many were still around. Each player stood out like a splash of colour on the canvas of his mind's eye, bright and flickering like fire of varying hues and intensities. Even those that dampened their presence were seldom lost to him completely. It was a certain talent for detection that he possessed, something that came with a great magical ability of his own.

He did not miss the moment when three of those flames flared up and blazed with a ferocity seldom seen within the Palace. Scuffles happened and yes, sometimes arguments got out of hand, but this ... this was serious. He had expected the impromptu little battle song to die off, for the victor to put the losers in their place and leave them to limp away and lick their wounds. That was how the scene usually played out.

But everything had been turned on its head when a fourth voice, an unknown guest in an oh-so-familiar song, joined the chorus. The script he was used to had not accounted for that. The intensity increased and then, when it reached a crescendo, somebody rudely re-wrote the ending and abruptly silenced one of the voices.

With such a familiar flame extinguished, Kuja shivered as a feeling of cold unease settled over him in its wake.

[joinmyreunion]

Illua hadn't been too bad. Kadaj had kept calm, explained himself, and stuck with the story; what had started as a spat had got out of hand, Nnoitra had stepped in when Kadaj was nearly killed, but Orochimaru hadn't backed off, hadn't backed down, and the only way the fight was going to end was with someone dead.

He wasn't sure how much Illua had believed, or how much she really cared. The loss of a member was a blow to the clan, of course. Orochimaru was a respected member, and had been for some time. His death would be noticed. Kadaj had stood, and listened to the firm admonishments and quiet displeasure, but he had held his tongue, kept to the story, and been permitted to leave.

Now there was Kuja, and Kadaj's stomach knotted unpleasantly as he approached Kuja's quarters. Kuja would have questions, and Kuja would already know, by now, that Orochimaru was dead, and he'd have had the time to dwell on his thoughts and feelings regarding that, and that scared Kadaj.

Kadaj had questions, too, and the answers to those scared him. He loved Kuja, he really did, but the thought that he may have to break away from him for his own sake scared Kadaj. He didn't want to; he wasn't sure he could bring himself to openly defy Kuja, let alone hate him.

He hesitated at the door, still carrying Kusanagi, though the weight felt anything but reassuring. It weighed of guilt, not victory, but also not regret. Never regret, not for Orochimaru. After a long moment to draw himself together, he knocked.

No turning back now.

[immoralmelody]

Kuja was jogged from his thoughts by the hollow knocking at his door. Were it anybody else, he wouldn't have entertained the idea of guests. Grieving for a fallen friend and ally was something that he would have preferred to do alone -- as far as he was concerned, grief was a private affair.

It wasn't just anyone, though. It was Kadaj. One of those responsible for writing Orochimaru out of the Palace's script once and for all. The intensity of his power had diminished somewhat following the fight, but he was still a strong presence in the Palace. With him so close, he overshadowed everyone else, even his violent accomplice in this crime. The fourth reiatsu, that strange and unfamiliar flame of raw power, had disappeared following the battle's conclusion. The insect's Hollow, he gussed.

"Come in," he said, his voice unusually flat.

He found himself in an unusual position. Usually he would have been able to guess exactly what Kadaj was going to say, especially in such a straightforward situation, but he couldn't imagine what he was going to tell him now.