Episode 1: Pawn forward

"Oh yes, that! Thing of beauty really, an amalgam of art and science unheard of before I developed it. There's a song playing constantly throughout Karakura town, a rhythm composed by our queen herself. Plus souls who hear the melody have their chains of fate devoured in less than one-one hundredth the time it would normally take, resulting in an increased rate of hollowfication amongst the recently dead human population." Alexi prattled on in such a way as to indicate that he'd rehearsed this speech many times.

"I don't think the majority of shinigami are capable of sensing it at all, without equipment, but I thought maybe prolonged exposure to the song would have a similar effect with them, hence my coming into town unannounced."

Phoenix nearly spit out her gum, properly horrified. "You know, you seemed less evil before you said that." She slumped a little, the seriousness of the situation hitting her full force. So far none of her companions seemed to be turning into hollows, but the longer they were there, the better the chance was that they would, if she was understanding correctly. A thought began to form in her head. "What if someone volunteered to be your guinea pig? Would you let the others go?"

"hmm..." Pondered Alexi, scratching his chin in thought. "I suppose my observation could be done with a smaller control group... say two or three people... but whether my little friend over there would be as charitable is another matter entirely." He motioned toward Hion.

"I don't like where that thought of yours is going Phoenix," Aspin whispered, her anger dying down just now, trying to connect the dots between the conversations. But, just to be safe, she'd tag along Phoenix's little plot.

"I think he'd appreciate a smaller group, doncha think?"

What in the world is she up to?

arina narrowed her eyes watching as alexi easily deflected her attack. she was not surprised at all - he was an arrancar after all. she was thrown into a panic, however, at alexi's speech. a melody that could turn new souls into hollows? and potentially turn shinigami into hollows as well?

"What if someone volunteered to be your guinea pig? Would you let the others go?"

arina watched silently as one of the shinigami made an offer, and wondered if that was at all wise. if the arrancar got what he wanted, then this melody could be upgraded for a larger scale and much more immediate attack. and what if he does not keep to his side of the bargain, and they all end up getting captured? once again, she decided that their only option was escape.

after some preparations, arina began a second attack. flash stepping at an incredible speed, she flung more kunai from every direction all targetting the two arrancar. each kunai was enveloped by a small 'cloud' of reiatsu, so as to amplify and speeden her attack, and mask her exact location as she flash stepped. while everybody was distracted by the wave of reiatsu, she quickly grabbed phoenix and flash stepped to a new hiding place. holding a hand over her mouth and an arm around her squirming torso, she whispered:

"dont make a sound. i need you to deliver a message for me."

Phoenix stopped struggling and nodded reluctantly, although she was fuming that her plan had been foiled. She thought it would be better to sacrifice herself to save everyone else, but everyone else seemed intent on trying to fight, even though it was futile at the moment. Maybe it was for the better, though. She hadn't really thought out her plan very well, and maybe they were thinking of something she hadn't thought of.

"Dear, oh dear." muttured Alexi beneath his breath, watching the entire spectacle play out without doing anything to interfere with it. He deflected the kunai aimed at his front, simply allowing those at his back to make contact and bounce off his hierro, although this took the smile from his lips again, as he realized his suit would need further tailoring.

"Children are always in such a hurry... it's all the same to me, though. As long as they remain within the limits of this city, they're being exposed to the melody. I wonder if ninja-girl or honest-girl can hear it..." His eyes turned to Aspin, Jin, and to the still-pinned to the ground Higgins. "I wonder if any of you can hear it, as well."

Higgins was in major pain, but he needed to do something. He calls out to Alexia "Hey fatty, You suck, Jackass!" Higgins continues on. "That's right assface, I'm sick of all the shit coming out of your mouth."

Phoenix rather suddenly thought it was probably a good thing that someone was covering her mouth. Otherwise, she wasn't sure what her reaction would have been to Higgin's taunting of Alexi. Part of her wanted to burst into laughter, while the other half wanted to scold him.

Arina didnt plan on releasing her captive just yet, having guessed that phoenix probably isnt the sort to sit patiently and hear her out.

"dont be so hasty about losing your life for others. it would do us no good if we lose one more soldier." she lectured, nodding in alexi's general direction. "if what he says about this melody is true, our only option is escape. at our current level, there is no way we could defeat him. and trying would just prolong our exposure to this melody."

"i need you to go back to vice-captain nano and deliver a message--"

she was interrupted when someone began yelling insults, and sighed when she felt phoenix quiver either from mirth or anger.

"those idiots. you guys are just begging to get killed, huh?", she thought to herself, before releasing phoenix. "Looks like the plan's changed. if that idiot keeps it up, we're all getting killed. i now need you to go back in there and calm the arrancar down. all the while, get as much out of him as possible. such as where and how this melody is generated."

she was just about to let phoenix go when a thought popped into her head. "oh, and tell that child there that she's got something that belongs to me and that she'd better survive this to return it." she said, nodding her head at jin.

"'Calm the Arrancar down'?" Phoenix repeated. "That's what I've been trying to do this whole time, but no one else is with the program!" she hissed, keeping her voice down so that the Arrancar wouldn't hear. "Since you're so fast, why don't you grab the one you're calling an idiot and keep him from getting killed?" She sighed. "I can only do so much." She shunpoed back to where she'd been. "Back to what I was getting at before I was so rudely interrupted," she started, addressing Alexi. "That one there, he's the one calling the shots?" she nodded in Hion's direction.

Jin had been listening to the entire exchange as she struggled to regain her bearings and fought against the reiatsu pressing against her. In her slightly muddled head, already beginning to clear thanks to the prolonged conversation, she took in the details... a melody heard by some and not others... accelerated hollowification... a queen that these powerful arrancars answered to.

'Soul Society, it looks like you're in for another ride... When is it ever going to end?"

While she still thought that escaping was the best idea and was sore that her initial plan for escape had not succeeded, she could see the benefit of being here to receive all of this information. She had hoped that Arina would at least get farther than she did in that plan, but the barrage of kunai was a clear indication that Arina had other ideas.

'Well, at least she's hidden for now, and not so obviously under the mercy of arrancars that want her as a toy.' She shook her head.

Jin was unconsciously palming the necklace she had been handed when Higgins went began his barrage of insults. She raised an incredulous brow, snerking a bit at the ludicrous situation. Would the arrancar get angry? Would he take it in stride? She couldn't really bring herself to do anything but watch things play out. They were dealing with powerful beings, and since they hadn't initiated any fighting up to this point, she was willing to back down. Of course, if Higgins' antics triggered a fight, she would do her best to be prepared, so she wore Arina's necklace over her own, freeing up her hands. As she brought her hand down, she briefly clutched at her own golden pendant and closed her eyes in thought.

As she opened her eyes, she saw Phoenix somehow return by her side.

"I assure you I can't hear no melody. If I did, I'd be dancing," Aspin replied.

Hearing Higgin's words, Alexi blinked... then he blinked again. After a moment's silence, he burst into a fit of uproarious laughter.

"Did you hear that Hion? I've been getting fat! One would think the work of chasing you around creation would make it easier to stay in shape..."

He performed a sonido, standing before the still-pinned higgins. "You, my friend, have a masochistic streak... it's not really in my nature, but I guess I can indulge you..."

"Wait! Please don't!" Phoenix protested. She tried to shunpo in front of Higgins in order to take any blows for him.

"True... I don't engage in strenuous physical activity nearly as often as I used to... perhaps our masochistic friend can help me kill two birds with one stone?" He made his sonido over to Higgin's prostrate body, and began to reach down to him when Phoenix jumped in front of him, making her plea.

"Please...don't?" Alexi asked, his mischievous smile returning. "I think stopping would do the young man a great disservice... why would he run his mouth in this situation, if not to elicit a violent reaction from me?"

Phoenix tried to think quickly. She could feel sweat forming on her brow in nervousness as both her and Higgin's lives swung in the balance. "It's probably a reaction from being scared for his life," she finally ventured. "Or he was trying to draw your attention away from everyone else so they could escape," she admitted. "Not that it worked."

"Indeed you were correct Phoenix, unfortunately you, nor Aspin ran." Higgins states

"Two very real possibilities, I suppose." Alexi shrugged. "I was never any good at reading people. Still, with regard to your request... I propose a compromise." At these words he gestured to the small boy perched on his shoulders.

"Hion here is feeling a little bit of ennui. Play with him a while, and I'll forgive your tactless friend down there."

Phoenix faltered a bit. "Play? What are we talking about here? He doesn't seem like the type to play Monopoly."

"Of course not. That's the point," Phoenix replied. "Coming from you, 'play' is not something childish, so I am just asking so I know what I am getting into." She sighed. "I don't have much choice, really, but I would at least prefer not to die doing whatever it is that you would like to do. You can draw blood but that's where I draw the line."

"You see... that's the thing. Appearances aside, Hion's idea of playing is... rather more adult than is typical of children his age." Alexi said with an almost apologetic tone, sighing heavily.

Phoenix looked even more uncertain. "Do you mean like...sex?" she asked.