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.

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[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?"

[shoottokill]

Kadaj's sadness wasn't suppressed enough for it to not be noticeable. Gin watched him for a moment, just long enough to see whether his expression changed after asking the question, when an uncomfortable and worrying silence had passed between them, but nodded all the same.

"'Course," he said.

Depending on the course of action Illua took and what Orochimaru had included in his will, sorry might not be enough. He didn't intend to ease Kadaj's mind on that subject -- he liked the kid, but he would have to lie in the bed he'd made for himself -- but he'd do a little meddling behind the scenes if a quiet execution seemed to be on the cards. He'd never really wanted any subordinates, but if there were some going spare ...

[joinmyreunion]

Kadaj nodded, once, and plainly grateful. "Thanks, Gin," he said, quietly.

Tayuya was the one person Kadaj was running away from. He'd face Illua, face Kuja, and if any of the other Sound Five caught up to him, he'd face them too. But he couldn't face Tayuya. It wasn't just the risk he'd put her at, which he knew about, and which was on the agenda for discussing with Illua, it was the betrayal. Tayuya had helped him get his information, had helped him pick his moment against Orochimaru, and she'd had no idea he was going to use it for this.

"Thanks for your help, Nnoitra," he added, the corner of his mouth quirking briefly upwards as he looked at him. "I'll leave you my number, in case you need someone to back you up." Against Aizen, inevitably, but maybe against Grimmjow, or others too, even if Kadaj didn't particularly want to talk to them. It'd be low, after enlisting Nnoitra's help, to leave him to take all the heat in Kadaj's absence.

Tempting as it may be when he thought of all the fall out it would cause.

[prayingmantis]

Nnoitra looked at Kadaj when he addressed him, half surprised that he'd sought to thank him for aiding in a murder. He shrugged and nodded his response, a small measure of awkwardness seeping into the action. He'd expected to be left in the shit for what they'd done, but Kadaj didn't seem to want to brush the responsibility off onto him. He didn't want to face it all himself either, there was no doubt about that, but he didn't intend for him to take the blame.

Huh.

"All right," he said roughly.

So, he was leaving. He rather hoped that Kadaj didn't get himself killed. He had no personal attachment to him and never would, but he'd like, one day, to see how well he did against him. Just a sparring match. Probably. On that subject ...

"Hey," he called. "Your Bankai. You want me to keep my mouth shut?"

It was very possible that he hadn't hidden it from everybody, or that he only wanted it kept from people until Orochimaru was out of the way, but it didn't cost to ask. Kadaj had done him a favour, as much as he didn't really like to admit that he wouldn't have been able to kill Orochimaru without help, so he sought to repay that as quickly as possible. He didn't like to have a tab.

[joinmyreunion]

Kadaj nodded. "Yeah, for now." He hadn't really wanted Gin to find out, and he certainly didn't want the whole clan to find out about Reunion. They'd learn about the appearance of his bankai, in time, but he'd prefer to keep the details quiet, at least until he was ready to let people know.

"I'd appreciate it," he added.

He didn't have much time. People would be starting to notice that Orochimaru's reiatsu was gone. He inclined his head slightly, towards Nnoitra and Gin, and then left, using shunpo.

He didn't normally let on that he was much good at that either.