Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Prize of Victory 2
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
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Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story
Chapter List
- 79
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- 81
Eureka Moments

Szayel stared down at the recipes on the metal table until his eyes swam. He did not need a mirror to know that there were bags under his eyes. In fact, it wouldn�t surprise him in the least if those bags, an indication of how hard he�d pushed himself over the last two weeks, had morphed into an entire set of luggage. He thought it best to give mirrors a wide berth, lest the sight of his undoubtedly haggard appearance add to his dismay, or worse, that he was pursuing a dead end.

The joy he�d felt upon Yachiru�s discovery of the candy box and the encoded recipes hidden within its false bottom had faded with each day that he failed to crack whatever code Urahara Kisuke had used to create them. It was starting to get to the point that he could no longer tell what work he did during the day and what he dreamed during the night. He�d memorized each list of ingredients, trying to find some common denominator, or oft-repeated word that might offer a clue as to what the recipes really meant. The same thing went with the numbers that indicated ingredient portions. Both created potential encryption formulas that floated about in his brain, each begging for his attention as he desperately tried to find the key.

Not even the presence of another hybrid pregnancy, the length of which had forced him re-designate the label of �first successful Shinigami-Arrancar pregnancy� could pull him away from his research for long, though he had taken a few precious hours over the last two weeks to sit in on one of Nel�s exams. He�d been given a copy of her latest report on the nightstand, but priorities were priorities and finding the key to deciphering Kisuke�s recipes came first.

If not for Nemu and Renji, he might have foregone eating and sleeping. He�d only consumed a few full meals since they�d arrived. Instead, he grazed here and there when his mate brought him a tray or Renji showed up with a plate of mochi or sandwiches and an order from Yuzu to �eat something.� He admitted that the latter frightened him for some reason, as Kurosaki�s slender blond sister seemed to have the final say when it came to the welfare of those under her roof.

Nemu, being a conscientious mate, was the one that usually pried him from the laboratory, as Renji was besotted with and all but wrapped around his very pregnant mate. Szayel was familiar with the mentality of an expectant father and could not condemn him for it� or rather, he knew better than to nitpick. One didn�t antagonize the mate of a pregnant Hollow female and expect to live long. Nel was preternaturally even-tempered for a Hollow, but he wasn�t going to take any chances. Grimmjow gave the two lovers plenty of space and Szayel took his cues from the panther. Nel hadn�t confronted him about his part in Nnoitra�s plan to kill her and he did not want to give her any reason to do so at such a critical point. He suspected that if he did, it would involve a great deal of pain.

On one or two occasions, a bottle of sake accompanied the sandwich plate in Renji�s hands and when that happened, the two men shared it while worrying about his children. Yoruichi kept telling them that the twins were both fine and frequently seen in public, which helped ease some of the fear that simmered in his gut. Vindula had shown up at Starrk�s den, escorted by Gin, several times already and Abisara was now a fixture at the 4th Division, under Unohana�s watchful eye. They were, he supposed, as safe as they could be giving the circumstances.

However, the one he truly feared for was Karin, and for good reason.

Szayel had never really paid much attention to Karin�s Claim before, but now that there was a time limit upon it, he swore he could feel it weaken with each passing second. He thought working under the pressure of Aizen�s deadlines was hell on earth, but at least in that situation if he failed he not only knew what to expect, but would recover from it given a bit of time. If he failed to meet this deadline, he would regress and be rendered useless as he degenerated into a drooling toddler. It was �game over� if he didn�t come up with a solution soon and that was a powerful motivator to forge ahead with his work and eschew the bothersome need for rest and refreshments.

The only saving grace he could think of when it came to regressing was that Aizen clearly did not fancy children. Unfortunately, the way he�d looked at Abisara, like one would look at a piece of unripe fruit hanging on the bough of a tree in anticipation of the day it could be plucked, made Szayel question even that assumption.

�Would that stop him?� he couldn�t help wondering, and he shivered at the idea of Aizen raping him while he wore a child�s body. �I am an adult. Only my form would change. Would he be able to squeak by that last taboo we imposed on him on a technicality? I would sooner not find out. Still, someone healed Nel�s mask, so it is possible that I could find a way of healing mine too. I could be freed from the need to remain under Karin�s control.�

He told himself that he�d look into it after there was no longer a need to fear the tyrant. Right now, he had bigger problems and thankfully, a few months before it became an issue. If all went well, he�d have plenty of time to find a solution.

The Seventh was also surprised to realize that he didn�t mind being Karin�s fraccion. As she had told him many times over the years, she took care of what was hers, and she had done more for him and his family than anyone had ever done before. Granted, he had also suffered much to protect her family and secrets, but one could argue that protecting her was somewhat self-serving. Betraying her bloodline to Aizen would have availed him nothing. His superior still would have raped Szayel when he felt like it and he wouldn�t have had the thin protection Karin�s ownership provided.

In retrospect, he regretted nothing. In fact, he felt both ashamed and frustrated that she had stayed behind to save them, to give them but especially him, the necessary time to find a solution to the universe�s �Aizen problem.� In many ways, Szayel�s first-hand knowledge of what it was like to be the center of Aizen�s attention only amplified his guilt. If anyone knew what she was likely enduring while in Aizen�s custody, it was him. His Mistress was counting on him, and he could not fail her.

But damn it all to hell�Urahara Kisuke was the most disorganized being to have ever drawn a breath, in this or any other Realm! Szayel never thought he would loathe another scientist as much as he despised the late Kurotsuchi, but Urahara was rapidly approaching that lofty benchmark. Even his notes were in shambles, which made breaking his code all the more difficult. If he could just find the right key, the rest would unravel quickly. Why hadn�t that idiot at least shared that key with his best friend? Even someone as dense as Kurotsuchi had shared his codes with Nemu, a practice Szayel had continued since making her his. Most of his subordinates knew the codes to the less classified projects, but Nemu was the one he trusted over all others to act as his back-up for the most dangerous and/or sensitive of inventions.

�Fucking hell!�

In a fit of pique, he threw the papers into the air, aggravation getting the better of him. He almost reached the point of pulling his beautiful pink hair out by the roots before he took a moment to try to regain his composure. It had finally grown back to the length which looked best on him after Aizen had butchered it some time ago. An additional benefit was that Nemu had taken to occasionally running her fingers through it and he�d caught his mate admiring the strands in the light of the lamp next to their borrowed bed. It obviously pleased her and he�d missed the way her green eyes would light up when she touched it. Tearing it out now would be a waste of energy and deprive his mate of something she enjoyed. Szayel chose, instead, to sit on his hands until the urge passed.

�Yeah, �Fuck-Face� was always good at pissin� people off. It was a talent.�

This came from Hiyori, who leaned back in a chair while balancing a pencil on her nose. �Drove a couple of his researchers bonkers when he handed �em things to include in reports ta� th� Soutaichou. Instead of bein� in charge of the Maggot�s Nest, half th� time I thought he should�a been a resident.�

The Vizard had not been as helpful as they had hoped, though she had confirmed his opinion of Kisuke as someone who desperately needed a leash and a keeper. The foul-mouthed former officer had spent the majority of the last week getting underfoot rather than contributing, though the extra set of hands was welcome. It wasn�t as if she hadn�t done her best, but the inner workings of Urahara�s brain were as much a mystery to her as they were to Yoruichi. Renji had tried to put in his two yen�s worth, digging through his pitiful recollection of the last time he�d swabbed out the lunatic scientist�s laboratory beneath the shoten, but hadn�t been able to provide much insight either.

�Szayel, perhaps it is time for a break,� Nemu gently suggested. She sat at the end of the table going through yet another stack of paper, sorting them into piles labelled �possibly important�, �definitely important� and �useful only for paper airplanes.�

�We don�t have time for a one,� he growled back, putting his elbow on the table and resting his forehead on his palm. �Every second we delay brings Aizen that much closer to complete victory.�

�True,� Nemu agreed. �But a rested mind works far more efficiently, as does one supplied with a proper amount of blood glucose for fuel.�

She set aside her papers and rose to her feet. He sighed, unable to argue with her, especially after one of the household servants poked their head through the door to let them know that lunch was ready. Hiyori was gone without even a �later� tossed their way at the announcement of food.

In the end, his stomach turned traitor to his drive to find answers and protested the lack of attention Szayel had given it of late. Nemu clinched things when those competent, pretty, dangerously strong hands of hers covered his, took the papers from him and placed them on the table. He knew when he was beaten, and stood, though he scooped up at least ten of the �recipes� he�d been working on and tucked them into his jacket. She sighed, but allowed him to do so. The Espada also let her lead him up the stairs and out into the blinding noonday sunlight. A side benefit was the view of his mate�s bare, sleek thighs as she climbed the steps ahead of him. He hadn�t considered how long it had been since he�d noticed them and the brief, unexpected jolt of lust nearly made him stumble when he reached the upper door to the decoy tool shed.

Since it was such a beautiful day, Yuzu had decided they would dine al fresco on the expansive brick patio at the back of the house, surrounded by flower beds. The view of the fruit trees in bloom was gorgeous. Even Szayel�s preoccupied mind could appreciate the surroundings and he thought the not-quite-overwhelming scent of the blossoms in the air was a nice touch. Lunch appeared appetizing, so much so that he briefly forgot about candy formulas and half-witted scientists as his body�s desire for sustenance kicked his intellect to the curb and took over.

They were, for once, not the last to arrive. That honour belonged to a roughed-up Grimmjow and Ichigo. An equally battered Kenpachi dumped the two in their respective chairs, grinning maniacally as he let go of their collars and their butts hit the chair pads. Both men had flung themselves into training, going at each other until they collapsed. They didn�t have a choice in the matter. It all came down to the two of them. If they could not kill Aizen after Szayel figured out how to counteract the Hogyoku and the bastard�s Shikai, it would be all over.

He didn�t like leaving his future in the hands of others, but there was no help for it. Szayel did not have the power to challenge Aizen, and even if he did, he was simply too terrified of the tyrant to challenge him properly. Years of torture and rape had habituated him to cowering in Aizen�s presence. Unfortunately, being aware of the problem didn�t mean Szayel wouldn�t show his throat if menaced. He�d been conditioned to the abuse in the same way a hound might be taught to drool at the sound of a ringing bell. It was now ingrained in him and he hated it. With enough time, he might be able to break his reaction to the triggers Aizen had planted in him, but time was something they simply did not have to spare.

No, his goal of deciphering those recipes was much more important. He had to get to Karin and the twins. If they accomplished nothing else, if they could at least rescue the three captives, they�d deal Aizen a serious blow. Without Karin, Aizen�s chances of gaining the heir he wanted were cut in half and without the twins he lost at least some of his leverage to use against her.

Fortunately, there was good news afoot, if Szayel read the emotions on the faces of those who had contacted the Swarm�s leaders this morning. He let his body sink into the chair Nemu pulled out for him while the head maid and one of her subordinates brought out covered trays. The smell of roasted chicken reawakened his salivary glands.

�How did your meeting go?� Hana asked as they sat down to lunch, bringing his attention back to the table and the food he was supposed to be eating to fuel his exhausted and deprived body.

�Terrible,� Ajuga grumbled, resting her chin between her clenched fists. �It sucked.�

�On the contrary, it went perfectly.�

Yoruichi smirked, her eyes on the disgruntled Spirit Queen as she heaped a few mochi on her plate and passed it to Ichigo. Ajuga�s scowl deepened and the child glared hatefully at her empty plate, until Diaemus placed a few slices of chicken on it.

�Talk about mixed messages�� Rukia remarked. Her expression was deliberately bland. Then she aimed a pointed look at the winged boy sitting next to his sour-faced Consort. Diaemus got the message and quickly provided an explanation that bridged the gap between the other two perspectives.

�The Swarm has agreed to assist us in our endeavour, but only if Ajuga and I remain behind, preferably as their Queen�s �guests� at their Central Hive while the assault is in progress,� Diaemus told the petite Shinigami. The rest of those seated at the table had varying reactions at this new development.

�Ouch, sorry brat,� Grimmjow winced, obviously sympathising with his daughter.

�I�m afraid it�s for the best. If Aizen thought you were anywhere near the Soul Society, he would go after the two of you without a second thought,� Hachi pointed out as he quickly polished off his first bowl of rice and chicken and began discreetly searching for seconds.

�Yeah, I know, I had it all explained to me,� Ajuga snapped. �Doesn�t mean I have to like it though.�

She took to aggressively stirring her food, nudging it here and there on her plate until Diaemus rested a hand on her shoulder. The girl stiffened briefly at the remonstration, but she eventually relaxed and sullenly resumed eating.

�What about your research?� Yoruichi asked Szayel. He had to hold up one finger while he chewed and swallowed a mouthful of beautifully seasoned chicken. He did his best to answer her after he�d washed it down with a gulp of hot tea.

�Painstakingly slow. From the evidence, I�d say your old compatriot was extraordinarily inept as far as record-keeping and I never had the �privilege� of meeting him! What sort of scientist refuses to share the keys to his research, his access codes or at the very least, an outline of his methodology with a confident in case of emergency?�

�Someone either too paranoid about his data falling into the wrong hands, or someone who learned the hard way that the best safeguard against betrayal was to trust no one at all. I�m afraid I cannot fault his so-called �lack of logic� in that regard.�

Hachi�s quiet words brought the budding conversation to a standstill. The large man spooned some stir-fried vegetables onto his plate while making the observation. Hiyori nodded vigorously in agreement with her fellow Vizard. Szayel�s mouth thinned at the answer to what he�d intended to be a rhetorical question, but the great green blimp reply had merit.

�Two may keep a secret if one is dead,� or so the saying went. The problem here was that both, if there had ever been two to begin with, were dead and Szayel stuck with the task of trying to figure out the mental workings of the departed.

�You share your codes with others?� Hana inquired of him, her chopsticks poised halfway between her plate and her mouth. One of her eyebrows went up and the scientist made a face.

�Of course I do,� he sniffed. �Nemu has a copy of every bit of the Science Division�s software stored in her internal databases, as well as all of my access codes and passwords. Even that despicable painted clown,� he snorted, meaning Kurotsuchi, �had her keep a backup copy of his important files within her memory banks. It made my initial takeover of his Division much easier. Why he refused to share his codes with you, Yoruichi is a mystery to me. You strike me as someone who would remain impervious to all sorts of interrogation techniques.�

Yoruichi wryly acknowledged the compliment and at the same time, made a face.

�Think about what you just said, Grantz-san. You answered your own question as far as Kisuke�s motives. I�m with Hachi-kun on this one.� She then gestured at him while holding a rice ball stuffed with pickled plums, giving it a couple of shakes for emphasis.

�Even if he had given them to me, or explained how he�d encoded his most sensitive data, I wouldn�t have understood it well enough to reveal it, even under torture,� she confessed and popped the entire morsel into her mouth. When she was finished chewing, the woman picked up another and contemplated it before taking a bite.

�Kisuke was, well, a bit of a child with a need to prove to the world he could do everything himself. He didn�t like to rely on others unless he had no other choice or if he had a bet going with someone. I�m also certain he took away a few lessons as far as security from his time with my old Division. The Onmitsukidō don�t fool around when it comes to encryption.�

Hiyori made another noise of agreement with the noblewoman and Yoruichi sighed, the sound tinged with both fondness and sorrow as she finished her assessment of her old comrade and friend. �The idiot never did know when to ask for help. Maybe he thought it would be safer if he kept everything to himself, or put up enough barriers so that only the most persistent would figure out his methods.�

�I might be fresh out of that virtue at this point,� Szayel considered darkly and took two rolls from the wicker basket Nemu passed him, before Zaraki�s daughter, who sat next to him, had a chance to hog the rest of the bread.

�What about dealing with the effects of Aizen�s Zanpakuto?� Renji asked, changing the subject. Szayel shook his head at his former �pet,� feeling even more irritated. Nemu answered for him, as he�d just bitten down on a dinner roll. The things were addicting.

�We haven�t made much progress on that front either. I�m certain that if Urahara found anything relevant as far as counteracting his Shikai, it would be among the �recipes� Yachiru-chan discovered.�

�Other than Ichigo, is there anyone else who has never seen Aizen�s release?� Nel inquired, as Renji served her a second portion of vegetables and more rice, before attacking his meal with the gusto of a man who had spent the morning doing manual labour. The blue-haired Espada sitting across from the former Third leaned his cheek on his knuckles, elbow on the table in a display of bad manners, provided her with an answer.

�Karin hasn�t seen it,� Grimmjow told the rest of them, �unless he has made her view his Shikai during the time he�s��

No one at the table wanted to finish that sentence for the brooding Arrancar. Szayel knew better than to finish it. Thankfully, Renji chose to focus on the weapon itself, rather than the fact the Sixth�s mate was a prisoner.

�Are you sure?� the redhead pressed, and then frowned as he considered something. �Aizen always makes sure to gather all the students up and to demonstrate a Zanpakuto�s release, and Karin did attend the Academy.�

�Yes, but Karin doesn�t have a Zanpakuto. She didn�t have to take that class,� Grimmjow reminded the rest of the conspirators. �Good thing too� a sword would have been more of a danger to her than any opponent.�

The Sixth chuckled, tired eyes briefly glazing over as he lost himself in a fond memory. That helped Szayel recall something he wished he�d been able to prevent.

�I�m afraid he made certain my children saw Kyoka Suigetsu�s release.�

Szayel�s admission dragged him back to the day Aizen had walked into his Division and ordered that he bring the twins to a brief �demonstration of Kami�s power.� When Ajuga and Diaemus shared a disturbed look and her father demanded to know the reason for it, the rest of the table learned that Kami had given the two older hybrids a similar �view� of his Shikai. Grimmjow seemed furious about this, until Yuzu interrupted his fuming with a very good question.

�What about Orihime and Tatsuki?�

Everyone at the table exchanged another round of surprised looks.

�They might not have seen it,� Nemu finally conceded, her tone thoughtful. �Neither attended the Academy, and neither of them has spent much time in Aizen�s presence. He would not perceive them as much of a threat. They are, after all, only human, despite the former�s considerable powers of rejecting events and the latter�s martial arts training. Perhaps that�s why he didn�t bother showing Karin his Shikai either.�

�That doesn�t do us much good. They can�t provide the kind of help we�d need. Moreover, Ulquiorra will make sure Orihime stays out of harm�s way,� Grimmjow informed them. He said this while making a small pyramid of the broccoli on his plate. Rukia�s eyes went from the stack of vegetables to Grimmjow�s face and back again before she sought clarification.

�Are you positive about that?�

�Oh yeah. That poor winged rat is as whipped as they come. Sure, their relationship started off on the wrong foot. Ulquiorra didn�t have a lick of common sense in that nihilistic head of his when it came to dealing with women. I beat some understanding into his thick skull a few years ago and his bitch used the crack I made in it to weasel in and finish the job.�

Szayel glanced at Diaemus to see what his reaction would be to the Sixth Espada�s words. The young man didn�t appear to like the way Grimmjow described his father, referred to his mother or summed up his parents� relationship, but chose to say nothing. Ichigo, on the other hand, visibly bristled and clenched his fists. Again, Nemu kept the discussion on track, a skill Szayel was beginning to appreciate.

�In all likelihood, Orihime will be out on the field helping with the wounded along with the rest of the 4th Division,� Nemu assured them. �Tatsuki, for her part, will probably be at home, thanks to her pregnancy. Tesra won�t want to risk letting her get hurt. With Rangiku pregnant too, both women attached to the Fifth�s pack will either be housebound or at the 4th Division assisting with the wounded.�

�Good,� Kenpachi grunted and cleaned the last of the chicken off of its serving tray before asking �D�ya think Rangiku�ll interfere with our playtime when I go fer my rematch with that six-armed freak?�

Szayel, having placated his growling belly with enough food to keep it quiet for at least an hour, rejoined the conversation, allowing Nemu to start in on her meal. He knew she�d keep a record of it and he could replay the footage if he felt anything needed a second glance.

�Nnoitra wouldn�t permit it even if she wanted to,� the scientist replied smoothly, �nor will Tesra intervene if he happens to be in the area. I happen to know that Nnoitra�s put him in charge of Rangiku�s safety. He�ll see to her needs first and leave any serious fights to the Fifth.�

�Is he talking about Piggy-chan? The one that Ken-chan almost cut in half?�

Yachiru�s innocent question made Szayel wince. He�d seen the aftermath of what Kenpachi had done to Nnoitra�s follower, right after Aizen�s takeover of the Seireitei. It hadn�t been pretty. Why the one-eyed brute had left him for dead, Szayel would never know. It was as if Kenpachi had grown too bored to finish the fight once Tesra fell and didn�t get back up. He certainly hadn�t bothered to �purify� Lindocruz, which struck him as a bit strange. Tesra�s form should have been broken down into its individual souls instead.

�His base form is a boar, yes,� he confirmed, pondering that last part. There really was no reason why Tesra Lindocruz ought to have survived his encounter with Kenpachi. There was something �off� about that, but it didn�t matter much at this point. As long as he stayed out of the way and let Kenpachi handle the mantis, Szayel didn�t care.

The mention of Lindocruz led to an interrogation of both himself, and Grimmjow, on the fighting capabilities of the Numeros they might encounter. Szayel, in turn, passed that buck to Nemu, who had files of information compiled on each member of Aizen�s army. While she and Grimmjow debriefed the rest of the assembly on various released states and specialized attacks the might encounter, Szayel reached into his jacket and pulled out the papers he�d brought with him. Shoving his plate to the side, he fanned the sheets out in front of him, grateful that there wasn�t much of a breeze today. Perhaps a change in setting would help him break Kisuke�s code, or get him to see the information on the sheets in a different light.

He absently chewed on a second dinner roll, studying the writing on each of them, trying to find any similarities that would offer up a badly-needed clue. That was until, in a moment of excitement, Yachiru reached for another mochi and ended up accidentally spilling a newly-replenished teapot all over the top of the table. The hot liquid soaked into the sheets before Szayel could snatch them up.

�Damn it!� he cursed as he held up the now-waterlogged pages, desperately trying to pat them dry with a napkin before the ink could bleed into the paper. Nemu rushed to his side to help while the others scrambled for anything absorbent and began to mop the spill from the table.

�Are they ruined?� Yoruichi asked worriedly. Szayel was relieved to see that whatever ink Urahara used to write the documents was waterproof. There was still the risk of disintegration if he handled them incorrectly. Someone passed him a tea towel and he carefully began to blot the papers.

�No, no, I can still read them,� he replied, hoping he could get them dried out before they tore. �They�re just� rather� wait, now� what�s this?�

Szayel gingerly lifted two now-translucent sheets of paper, melded together by the tea, by their upper corners.

He stared at it while the pages dripped green tea into his water glass.

Was he imagining things? Were there now words where none had been before?

�What�s wrong?� Renji asked, coming to stand beside him and peering over his shoulder.

Szayel didn�t answer, and carefully peeled the saturated pages apart, moving half-filled plates around until there was enough of a dry space on the table to lay them out. Then he fished among them until he found the one page he wanted. This particular �recipe� had stood out from the rest and had bothered him from the moment he�d first seen it. The sheet contained a recipe for a chocolate bar, which was unusual. The other recipes were detailed instructions for the creation of various hard candies or for soft candies like nougats, caramels and gumdrops. The Seventh took a deep breath, hoped he was right about what he�d seen embedded in the paper and placed the chocolate bar recipe directly over a recipe for hard ribbon candy.

Then he blinked and leaned in closer, trying to get a good look at the image created by the superimposition of the two pages.

Lo and behold, there it was.

He felt the first of many sparks of excitement race up and down his spine as he read the beginning of what was clearly a report, the letters for each word appearing in the spaces between the words of the candy bar recipe. The paper, while wet, remained firm and a sudden rush of giddiness made him toss his head back and laugh.

�Ah, Yachiru-chan, you�ve done it again! THIS IS IT!!� he shrieked, loudly enough to make the closest person, Renji, draw back in alarm. �Oh genius, pure genius! I wish I could have met this Kisuke!�

�Really? A moment ago you were cursing his name,� Grimmjow complained and dabbed at his tea-stained hakama.

Szayel scowled at his fellow Arrancar, but that didn�t stop most of those at table from crowding around him as they stared at the two sheets of paper. For their part, Yuzu and Ryuuken remained in their chairs, the first smiling happily and sipping her tea while the second seemed oblivious to the entire affair as he continued reading and putting his signature on hospital paperwork.

�I will still need to deduce the order in which the sheets should be read, but that won�t take too long,� he told the rest of the rebels.

He pulled the sheet that held the key from the first recipe and proceeded to place it on top of a recipe for grape-flavoured gummy bears. It showed a report similar in wording to the first page, but one set of kanji stood out, more than once. The symbols formed two very familiar words and Szayel�s legs threatened to give out as he read them. His hands shook as the rest of those present saw them too. A hush fell over the table, until Szayel began to stammer.

�I need��

He licked suddenly dry lips and spoke again, �I need to get to work on this immediately!�

�There are hundreds of recipes though. It will take you too long if you try to do it by yourself,� Hana declared. �However, if we all work on this, we help cut that considerably!�

�I�m afraid that there�s only one �key page�, Hana-chan,� he began, only to have the young Shinigami turn to the Ishidas and clasp her hands together.

�Yuzu-chan, do you have a pack of plain typing or copier paper anywhere on the Estate? We can duplicate the �key� page once it�s dry and divide up into teams of two. If one person holds their key page and a recipe page against a light source, like a window, we can do this without having to wet the pages. The other person can transcribe the revealed report to a new, clean sheet of paper.�

�The ink needs to be in the precise spot,� Szayel warned her, while reluctantly handing over the paper to his hostess, who rang for the maid. Tsukishima Riruka appeared by her employer�s side a few minutes later.

�Can you please take this upstairs to my husband�s office and photocopy it?� Yuzu asked with a smile.

�Of course, Ishida-sama,� the woman replied, and then surveyed the mess Yachiru had caused with a hint of annoyance in her eyes. The physician cleared his throat and her attention immediately shifted back to Yuzu�s husband.

�If you could, please bring down some extra paper and pens as well,� Ryuuken added. The head housemaid bowed before hurrying into the house. Then the physician pulled his phone from one of the pockets that lined his jacket and touched the screen, frowning at what he saw when it lit up. �I�d best phone the hospital and tell them I�ll be out for the rest of the day. Fortunately, I have no appointments this afternoon and I can move this evening�s scheduled meeting to tomorrow morning.�

Szayel immediately turned to his left, to ask Nemu to retrieve the rest of the recipes he�d left in the subterranean laboratory, only to discover she was already gone. Five minutes later, his mate returned, carrying all of the recipes they�d discovered, not only in the candy box but stashed among the rest of the absent-minded genius�s papers. She�d even fetched the one recipe they�d discovered for beef teriyaki on the off-chance it was important.

Then again, he sighed to himself, sometimes a recipe for beef teriyaki was just that, a recipe and nothing more. In fact, in light of this discovery, he wouldn�t put it past Urahara to have scattered key pages in with the rest of the mess they�d already sorted, leaving them out of the candy box, in a further effort to thwart a hostile researcher. If there were any �holes� in the resulting reports, he�d have to start digging anew for them. Still, there was no time like the present to start.

Szayel sorted out the pages Nemu handed him into two piles, one for hard candies and one for soft and one for �miscellaneous� pages that might prove to be helpful. He divided each of those stacks among almost everyone at the table, leaving out Yachiru, Grimmjow and Kenpachi. In the case of the first, he decided that they didn�t need the pages covered in candy and he had no idea if the other two knew how to read. He could also imagine the sort of atrocious handwriting those probable illiterates might possess. Kenpachi in particular had the look of a man that ate crayons. To his surprise, Ichigo solved the problem of what to do with them. The substitute Shinigami picked up the remaining dinner rolls and tucked them into a dry napkin. Then he loudly announced he was up for another round of sparring in the training room. It was the last he would see of the man for at least a full day, as Kenpachi and Grimmjow hauled him away, with Yachiru following them to �cheer them on.�

Those who weren�t content with beating each other to death downstairs accepted the photocopies of the chocolate bar recipe from the returning Riruka and set to work breaking the code. They spent the day painstakingly copying out the hidden reports. One set of recipes revealed everything Kisuke knew about the Hogyoku. The other set was a sort of summary that listed what Kisuke had discovered regarding Aizen�s Zanpakuto. To Szayel�s everlasting joy, it included the deceased former Taichou�s theories on how to counter its effects.

Since those theories dovetailed nicely with his own, very limited research, he felt confident the solution that Kisuke had come up with, the one he�d labelled �the best of the bunch� would work. Now it was just a matter of turning theories into something tangible, with a practical application.

Hana, Nemu and Hachi stayed up well into the night with him, huddled in the dining room as they sorted through the translated pages, trying to get them into the right order, something easier said than done. Thankfully, the large Vizard was able to help provide context and references when Szayel was unsure of Shinigami-specific terminology and Hana provided indispensable aid in writing out the revealed formulas, including one for an injectable serum to counter Aizen�s Zanpakuto.

�This is not going to be easy to make. Some of these ingredients are incredibly rare,� Szayel moaned as he looked at what he was going to need to make the concoction.

�I will have to make three doses,� he finally determined. �We can use Ajuga as a guinea pig of sorts. If she can finally spot her mother after a quick injection, we will know it works, and we will know where Karin is when we break in. Aizen probably has her somewhere in his private wing, rather than his �playroom,� but I am not going to take a chance on it, nor would I dare risk my children�s safety by asking Yoruichi to try and contact them beforehand.�

When Hachi finally rose and indicated that he thought it best that his star pupil get some sleep, Szayel took the opportunity to stare reverently down at the two stacks of paper.

Kisuke had managed to decode the workings of Aizen�s Zanpkauto. He�d figured out several solutions, but hadn�t been able to test them before the Winter War had ended his sleuthing and unfortunately, his life. Szayel was positive he could finish what the other scientist had started, especially if he could sweet talk his �favourite specimen� into helping him. From her dejected bearing after being told she had to sit out the rebellion, he didn�t think he�d have to work too hard at convincing her to give the serum a try.

The Espada waved Hana and Hachi off to bed, thanking the bright young girl and her teacher profusely for their assistance. Then he climbed the stairs, pulled a ballpoint pen from his sleeve and sat down at the small table that came with the guest room, to continue working on the pages, making notes in the margins about the quantity of each needed ingredient for the serum.

He also mentally filled in the few blanks in Kisuke�s research with what he had managed to learn over the years about Kyoka Suigetsu. There were quite a few similarities between their conclusions, but also some differences and he was curious to know if those were due to differing methodologies or from actual experience with the blade.

Szayel was forced to amend his mental image of Urahara Kisuke. The late Shinigami was one smart son of a bitch. He hadn�t been lying when he said he regretted not getting to know Aizen�s nemesis while he was still alive. His idealistic side fancied that they could have collaborated on a number of fascinating projects. The pragmatic part of him thought it was more likely that they would have driven one another up a tree.

�Szayel,� Nemu murmured sleepily, shifting in the sheets next to him.

�Yes?� he asked, turning towards his mate as she sat up in bed, clutching the coverlet to her chest.

�Go to sleep,� she ordered. Szayel thought she almost sounded cross with him and a quick check on the Claim between them revealed that she was indeed miffed that he was still up.

�I will,� he promised her. �I�m almost finished. We made tremendous headw...�

The Espada never saw her move. One moment he was in the process of jotting down a comparison between Urahara�s observations and his own. The next, Nemu snatched the pen from his fingers, wrenched the papers out of his grasp and put them in a neat stack on the night table on her side of the bed. If he wanted them, he�d have to reach over her to get them and the look in her eyes promised repercussions if he tried it. She then shut off the light, dragged him down to lie on his side and spooned up against his back. The Espada felt her fingertips brush his hair away from his temples in a repetitive, soothing motion that helped relax his tense shoulders and neck�

�at least until he realized she had forced him to give up working for the night, all without wearing a stitch of clothing. How, exactly, had he missed that? Sadly, he was too tired to take advantage of that fact.

�Sleep Szayel-sama,� she whispered to him, her breath rushing across his exposed ear. �You need to rest and you�re not leaving this bed until you do.�

Taking a long view of the situation, Szayel knew she was right and with his body in a prone position, it was only a matter of time before he gave in to the inevitable. Reaching behind him, he caught one of her hands and dragged her arm around him, settling comfortably into the bedding with her.

�Goodnight, Nemu-chan�� he began and ended with a massive yawn. If she replied at all, he didn�t hear it. His last thoughts before dropping off involved an internal debate about the ease with which slumber had shanghaied him, whether it was because of his prolonged fatigue or because he�d finally, blessedly found the means to destroy the psychopath who had dared try to enslave and abuse a genius of his calibre. It was as if a terrible weight had been lifted from his weary shoulders, letting him float off into the ether, buoyed by the idea of killing Aizen Sousuke�

Killing Aizen�

Must� kill� Aizen�zzen� zzz�

That night Szayel dreamed of freedom, of spitting on Aizen�s decaying corpse, of pouring a particularly flammable accelerant that his 7th Seat had created a few years ago over the contents of the dungeon beneath the Palace and tossing a lit match into the room. His dream-self watched the resulting fire consume everything, down to the last link of chain and the last pair of manacles. His children stood on either side of him while it burned. Vindula fanned the fire by beating the air with her wings and waving that silly white handkerchief she�d picked up on one of her excursions with the tattooed oaf, while his son diligently took notes on the rate at which the solution melted metal and burned the wood of the tables and benches. Then the Palace itself began to burn and he�d run, along with the twins, the servants and the guards, away from the conflagration, cheering heartily all the way back to his Division.

For some reason, his staff of odds-and-ends Shinigami had met both him and his children in the lobby, pushing a pink and purple sheet cake before them on one of the wheeled metal tables from Laboratory Six. He saw the kanji for �Perfection� written elegantly in icing on the top of the confection. Someone pressed a knife into his dream-self�s hand and the chanting of �cut it� cut it�� began. Rin Tsubokura had whisked Vindula and Abisara away to go �hunting in the park,� which was just as well, since the dream took a decidedly naughty turn. When he sliced into the cake, the pastry began to change shape, until it morphed into the form of his mate, spread-eagled on the table and wearing nothing but a come-hither smile and a strategic slathering of pink frosting.

In his dream of a triumphal return, he let the knife clatter to the tiled floor and instead, bent over and began to lick�

Szayel had never thought much of dream analysis as a psychological tool; it was far too subjective for his tastes, and the results too variable to be of much practical use. This viewpoint was sorely tested, as the pinnacle of his reverie involved a very naked, very willing Nemu riding him, her head tossed back in abandon, exclaiming to the world at large how she felt about him, much as she�d once done on the day he�d ordered her to tell him the truth about what she thought of him. He fucked her again and again in the course of the dream, in whatever position he wished, without worrying that a sudden panic attack would ruin the evening by forcing him to stop in the middle of the act to fight back the urge to scream and curl up into a ball. He�d even gone so far as to re-cast his Claim on the dream-Nemu a few times, biting down on the scar on her shoulder, pumping her full of his seed and smearing both of their bodies with spreadable sugar the same tint as his hair. It was glorious, taking her in the way she deserved, chipping away at the placid mask she usually wore to expose the siren he knew lurked beneath her �unemotional� exterior.

His dream-self wondered if Nemu would carry twins again, or if doing so had been a fluke. From there, the images that wandered through his brain took a decidedly different, more surreal direction. When the real Nemu woke him up at around half-past nine in the morning, he�d dreamed that he�d watched his mate spin a silken web between two of the trees near the Science and Research Division�s warehouses, laying eight eggs and binding them to the netting as they exited her body. Meanwhile, Karin laboured in a bird�s nest nearby, delivering her fourth panther cub as a worried Grimmjow, in his Adjuchas state, paced back and forth on the next tree branch over.

�I hear kittens,� was the first thing that ran through his head as his eyes fluttered open, only to find a lack of cats of any sort in the bedroom. Then a groan escaped him and he considered burying his head underneath a pillow, at least until the he could obtain a cup of tea.

�That is the last time I go to sleep thinking about sex,� he muttered as he ran his hands though his dishevelled hair and sat up.

�Pardon?�

Nemu, already dressed, gave him a thoroughly confused look and he blanched, remembering exactly how many times he�d made her wail his name, minus the �sama,� in the dream. Szayel shook himself until he felt awake enough to separate his reality from his lurid nocturnal fantasies. He had no explanation for what had occurred between his ears the night before and wasn�t entirely certain he ought to seek one. The first part was easily understandable, but the second�

�No� no� I can�t afford to spend any time on such things. We�re too close to achieving what we once thought impossible. I have to stay focused, for all our sakes.�

�Nothing. Can you see about acquiring the materials required for that formula I worked out last night? I�m going to get started on devising the simplest, fastest method to destroy the Hogyoku, based on that loon�s scribblings. You and Hiyori can put together a list of the ingredients and equipment we�ll need for the anti-Kyoka Suigetsu serum. That should keep us both busy until mid-afternoon.�

�Very well,� Nemu responded and took a few steps towards the room�s table. She motioned towards a covered plate and a teapot with wisps of steam escaping from its spout that rested on a tray next to his precious papers. �However, I want you to eat something first.�

From the tantalizing smell, he guessed Yuzu had cooked rolled omelettes with fresh dill and mochi for breakfast. Nemu�s insistent request belied the resolve he could see in her pretty green eyes.

He also noticed, perhaps for the first time in many months, his mate�s short skirt. The hem barely skimmed the middle of her thighs. For some idiotic reason he found he couldn�t tear his eyes away from her legs as she moved around the room, making the bed and putting a fresh stack of towels in the adjoining bath. When she bent over to pull out one of the dresser drawers to retrieve a second blanket, Szayel almost dropped a piece of omelet in his lap, catching it with his chopsticks before it could stain the sleeping yukata he�d thrown on upon getting out of bed. While Nemu went about the business of tidying up, the Espada gave his resurrected libido a stern lecture about not getting derailed in the middle of an important task.

Therefore, he dutifully inhaled his meal while picking up the first of the translated sheets. He would need to organize them, but after dealing with the other set of notes, he understood the numbering system and by the time he swallowed the last stuffed rice ball, he had them in what he thought was the right order. Nemu pulled a sticky kiss out of him and then whisked up all of the material about Kyoka Suigetsu up. She left their room to see if she could find the pig-tailed Vizard and put together a shopping, and in the case of one or two of the items on the list, a stealing excursion.

The idea of theft didn�t bother him nearly as much as the idea of spending the rest of his life in Aizen�s playroom. He might still be bound by the strictures of Unohana�s guidebook on medical ethics, thanks to Karin�s Claim, but Nemu and Hiyori could indulge in larceny if the situation required.

They were finally moving forward, and if all went well, Aizen Sousuke would be dead by the end of the week. That left Szayel with only one more mystery. He presumed that Nemu had eaten the same sort of breakfast as he, since Yuzu tended to cook in large batches. Why then, he thought, did her lips taste of frosted cupcakes this early in the day?

Szayel stared at the remainder of the papers, unable to come up with an answer that didn�t involve having either a mental breakdown or an oral fixation. Then he got to work.

�No more dreams about the future. Not until we�ve actually secured it for ourselves.�

Another chapter down, and full of plot development, le gasp. Huge hugs and kisses for the reviews.

Kain: Part of it is the piss off about those fucking puppets they forced into the Anime from the filler arc. God I hate them so much. He was pretty tough too, unlike the others he fought multiple opponents and we really know nothing about the little girl Kisuke is raising. I like his attitude too, it seemed interesting from what we saw. He was also the least annoying of Grimmjow�s fraccion, although Shaolong was interesting, there is just not much there to work with.

Caroline23: Rukia will gain royal blood if/when she gives birth to Ichigo�s child. It was the birth of Ajuga that brought Grimmjow into the succession, which is why Aizen needs a child from someone of Royal Blood to gain it himself.

Hardlyfatal: honestly never noticed we did that. We tend to pick a few features to substitute in place of names as it gets tedious reading �Yoruichi said� etc over and over. I am sure we have done other descriptors, such as feline, shape shifter, woman in cat�s clothing etc. It flushes the text out a bit. We can�t use her hair or eyes because she shared that with others in the group.

Next Chapter: Ggio gets to meet his daughter and Yoruichi pays a visit to Soul Society.

This Weeks Question: If you had to make a cryptic system for Kisuke to use to hide his research, how would you have gone about it?
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Prize of Victory 2	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > General Views: 56255 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story

Prize of Victory 2