Summary: Codename: Hollow is one of the survivors of Project Ground, orphans who were taken and experimented on for biological warfare. Byakuya Kuchiki is a Special Forces Agent assigned to capture the elusive Hollow, a wanted criminal.
AU ByaRuki fic. Slight ShuRuki, AshiRuki. Side pairing: IchiSen, and more later on if it suits the storyline. Updates might be sporadic depending on the amount of spare time I get.
Warning: Will contain at times; coarse language, sexual and possibly some drug references, implied violence and OOCness. Rated M for suggestive themes, especially later.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its Characters.
~ HOLLOW GROUND ~
A row of Police cars with bulletproof glass and plating parked bumper-to-bumper to create a blockade in the cul-de-sac commercial street. Following suit, more squad cars skidded to a halt on the slick, wet road, guarding all possible exits.
"Go, go, go!"
S.W.A.T units arrived on the scene armed with pistols, shotguns and Semi-automatics and stormed into the modest office building where a highly classified long-sought after target was attempting to escape after being cornered.
A shiny black convertible pulled up just outside of the semi-circle perimeter of police cars and out stepped an Agent in the crispest dark blue suit you could bounce bullets off. Dark tinted shades added to the mysterious factor, and quite frankly made him look like sex on wheels.
Based on an anonymous tip called into the local Police beat, Special Forces were called in when the codename 'Hollow' brought up a red flag. Hollow only had a profile half a sheet long, since they didn't know enough about her, yet the diminutive female, possibly with short black hair, was the Country's most wanted thief. She could break into anything, with a preference for jacking into research facilities, thus so far eluding capture at every turn.
Hence Agent Byakuya Kuchiki was called in, interrupting his dinner date with yet another high-rolling Socialite, not that he minded, watching paint dry was more preferable after the first half hour. Unfortunately time being of the essence meant he was forced to bring her along, that and to avoid the tearful tirade he was likely to get in the posh restaurant.
To him women were good for only one thing, and that wasn't to do laundry. There were housemaids for that.
The female passenger was about to stick her head out of the window and was met with a stern look and a slam of the car door in her face without a word. Shooting an unseen pout through the tinted glass, she slumped back in her seat, sulking that her long-awaited dinner with the Agent Kuchiki had ended in disaster. Although as dates went even icebergs weren't as cold as he was, it was the attraction of his wealth, ambition and reputed rampant sexual appetite that appealed to her, along with others of her peers.
Winding the electric window down, she leaned into her purse and fished out a cigarette, setting it alight with a zippo. She'd barely brought it to her lips when the smoke was whipped out of her withdrawal-shaking fingers.
"I didn't say you could smoke in my car," he said curtly and flicking the lit cigarette away to fizzle out on the ground, he then opened the passenger side car door. "Get out."
"Excuse me? You're kicking me out for lighting a smoke?" she said flabbergasted. Holding the door firmly open, it was clear that was exactly what he intended. Screwing up her artificially dolled up face, she exited the vehicle with as much dignity as she could muster, unaccustomed to this kind of treatment. "Arrogant bastard. You're nowhere as nice as you think you are," she said with a bitter edge to her voice and she clopped away in her five inch heels down the street, hailing the first taxi she could.
"I never said I was nice."
Byakuya strode over to the Senior Officer in charge, his very presence caused the lower-ranked official to squirm in his ill-fitting uniform pants. How he managed to squeeze into them every morning was beyond anyone's guess. "How many men are inside?"
"Thirty of our best." The Senior Officer could feel rather than see the disapproving look on the Agent's face, making him squirm that much more. "It's one little woman... I think we can handle her."
"That's where you're wrong." Sweeping his suit jacket to the side, he pulled out his custom-made Beretta 92FS semi-automatic pistol, clipping on a silencer, then locking and loading. The Senior Officer's ego took a major nosedive, as Agent Kuchiki strode purposefully into the Administration building of a privately-owned Pharmaceutical testing facility.
"One little woman..." came the meek defense. He had lost the passion for his job a long time ago, along with his waistline and times like this made him hate the police force even more. Young showy upstarts like Agent Kuchiki had a reputation that far preceded him. Skilled, yet ruthless.
Thirty pairs of laser sights and neon torches flittered over the dark, dusty and cluttered office floors, checking out each level strategically and climbing the stairwells up to the thirteenth floor.
The blink of a lit up computer screen alerted the squad members of her presence and they zeroed in on the area with readied weapons.
"Freeze!"
Shining their torches and lining their sights on the back of the desk chair. One officer stepped forward and swung the chair around with the point of his rifle. The empty chair swung around weightlessly, a note scrawled in black marker pen on a faded piece of copy paper;
'Sorry...' A caricature of a bunny, her signature mark, was displayed on the bottom left hand corner of the page.
The curtains of a nearby open window flapped in the breeze and perched on the sill was Hollow herself, looking lithesome and dangerous in head to toe skintight purple-tinted black leather. A few squad members turned to see her waiting in taunting silhouette. Adjacent fluorescent signs sparked flickers of light into the thirteenth floor illuminating her pretty oval face, her eyes gleamed like precious amethysts in the street glow.
"Freeze...please...?"
Smiling serenely she raised one slim pale hand in a wave goodbye and dived out of the window. Expecting to hear a crash or thud, three of them rushed to the window to verify the target. There was no one in sight. Hollow had disappeared into thin air.
Behind them the same officer who revealed the note pinned to the chair surveyed the computer again as the chair made another full spin. Out of the corner of his eye a red blinking light caught his attention. A pink plastic figurine of another bunny stuck to the screen, its red reflective nose was the source of the blinking. Listening carefully, a melody became apparent, speedy at first then slowing down with each note. "Bunnies?" Looking at the cute accessory with a mixture of uncertainty and weirded-out expressions, their questions were answered with a final note, or so they thought. Opening its mouth, paper began to appear as if it was printing at the same time. One by one the letters continued to spit out. Stunned beyond words and strangely mesmerized by the seemingly innocent act, they spelled - "B. O. O. M...!"
Comprehension sunk in as the amped-up computer exploded, setting aflame the better part of the thirteenth floor. Thrown backwards from the immense blast, Squad members flew through the air, bits of metal and plastic embedding in pockets of uncovered flesh and hot melting flames spewed out, the wind-whipped curtains catching alight. A low deafening rumble echoed through the cubicles as the fire whooshed through in breakneck speed. Flames spluttered and crackled, devouring all in its wake. In a room filled with paper, cardboard and all manner of flammable things, the fire spread with deathly speed engulfing the whole of the floor in a burning blaze.
The explosion rocked down through the shoddy structure of the lower levels, announcing to the surviving unit members that the situation had taken a turn for the worse. The building's faulty sprinkler system finally kicked in minutes too late drenching the array of the dead and the badly injured, steam rising off the charred flesh and burnt bodies.
On the third level staircase Agent Kuchiki kicked in the shuttered window and jumped out to land back out in the street. The top of the building glowed with orange and red flames and dark grey smoke rising out through the blast-shattered windows. Weapon readied he quickly scanned the area then strode off to the side of the building and into the alleyway.
Hollow clung to the ledge of the window she had escaped out of and shimmied her way around. When the blast hit, her slender body swayed by the force, then she used the swinging momentum gained to propel her to a jutting drainpipe. Launching into the air with her arms fully extended to further her distance, she latched onto the pipe with her legs and hooking them together in the figure of a '4'. Her back thudded against the metal as the backwards somersault angled her upside down. A few moments later swinging her arms to push herself up, she unhooked her legs and pushed off to slide down the pipe, landing nimbly on the street below on hands and feet. Rising up to stand, one purple-black leather boot heel slid on the damp surface making her slide back down as well as causing a microchip to fall out of her partially unzipped pocket.
Rounding the corner of the alleyway fogged up from the rain, Agent Kuchiki spotted the crouching figure of the female perpetrator.
Hollow. The identity of the target before him was clear in his mind.
The millionaire in his mid-twenties was a skilled marksman proficient in Archery and long-range weapons, a modified dragunov sniper rifle a personal favorite in his prized arms collection. Never needing to work a day in his life, it was the thrill of the hunt that fed his craving to break up an otherwise mundane existence. A strict daily regimen of training also provided him with an outlet for his short temper and a perfect excuse to break off his even shorter string of relationships.
He was the best in his field. He knew it. Everyone knew it, and that was why the Director had begged him to take the Hollow case. Mildly curious, he had accepted, and now after seeing her, his interest was even more piqued. Though petite, it was those brilliant, hypnotic eyes that alluded to a natural attractiveness so rare in most women he knew. 'Were they a dark blue? Nearly black?'
Shrugging the thought aside and taking careful precision, he fired a shot aiming between those very eyes he'd admired only moments before.
Hollow heard the gun depress and whipping her head around to face the figure of a man enshrouded in darkness, she arched her head back in the nick of time. The pistol bullet careened past, missing her chin by a few mere inches. A wave of uncertainty washed over her and a feeling akin to fright gripped her. No one had ever gotten this close to her before nor had they anticipated her movements. Nevertheless psyching herself onwards she shook the abnormal sensations away, briefly registering the classically smart attire that told her the man wasn't a regular Police Officer. Nanoseconds later Hollow flipped up and broke into a blinding sprint having landed just clear of the car blockade.
Agent Kuchiki watched her go, then paced towards the glint of carbon steel he had noticed fall and picked up the first traceable clue the elusive criminal had ever left behind. Slipping the chip into the inner pocket of his jacket, he stood straight and expertly marked the fleeing figure. 'Nice ass,' he mused, then fired his gun from the distance he was standing. Cocking his gun again, he strode forward and fired a second shot.
Geysers of rainwater caused by the velocity of Hollow's amplified speed burst up around her as she spurred ahead, the bullets homed in, intent with deathly purpose.
Barreling down the T-intersection a wholly Black spray-painted van screeched to a stop and the side door flung open. The first slug hit her in the right arm, her sprint faltering slightly and her body flinched with the sudden burst of flesh tearing, bone splintering and blood pouring out of the wound. Her breath whooshed out of her as she fixed on the waiting vehicle ahead, her friends urgently beckoning her towards them.
She was the best in her field. She knew it. Her inner circle knew it, and that was why the Leader had given her this task. Determined to do her part in uncovering the hushed up secret of the existence of Biological weaponry, she had accepted, and now after tonight, she was even more determined.
Oddly nicknamed; Project Ground.
With another burst of speed, she did a forward half-flip and dove into the open door of the van as it roared to life again, charging onwards and into strong, outstretched arms poised to catch her. Another male hurriedly slammed the door shut as the second bullet lodged into the metal door. Propelled forward, Hollow crashed into the other side of the van, cushioned by her close friend and colleague Reaper, or more intimately known as Shuhei Hisagi.
"Eh punch it. My one hundred year old grandmother can drive faster than you! Getaway driver my ass." The party present thrown into turmoil at the unexpected turn of events.
"You don't have a grandmother! None of us do!" The getaway driver, Blade called from the front, his foot pushed down on the accelerator, gripping the steering wheel tightly so as to stay on course.
The other company in their misfit band of merry men was Brand aka Renji Abarai who was the brawn of the outfit and Blade the sword master, otherwise known as Ichigo Kurosaki and his girlfriend Senna, codename; Nirvana.
Hollow hissed low and gritted her teeth against the pain as her wounded arm brushed up Shuhei's shirt. "She's bleeding! Rukia got hit!" Shuhei's hand came away with blood as he helped her into a sitting position, also apparent by her lax form slouched in his lap.
"Shit you're bleeding like a stuck pig!"
"Shut up Brand!" Ichigo growled.
"Fuck you Blade boy and drive to the Hospital!"
Rukia mumbled weakly, "No, no Hospitals. Just take me to Healer."
Tearing off the sleeve of his shirt Shuhei bandaged Rukia's arm as best as he could, stifling a grunt when a rise bounced his head up against the van roof.
With the seats ripped out and rickety suspension the three passengers rattled around like sardines in a tin can, moods dampened further by the sensation of hitting every dip and pothole on the old gravel road as the van turned off the exit and bumped along the road to their hideout.
"Eh have it your way. How the fuck did you get hit anyway?" Renji wore a stroppy expression on his face to mask his concern. Enhanced with insane speed and agility there was no way Rukia should've gotten shot.
"Seriously SHUT UP! Don't make me come back there and smack you up!"
"Oh, shut up, both of you," Senna snapped at the argumentative duo, as a pang of jealousy at Ichigo's reaction hit her.
"Idiots." Rukia closed her eyes to enter into a state of calm and steadied her breathing. By focusing her mind it would lessen the damage threatening to override her.
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Shuhei said in a barely audible whisper. Reaper and Hollow were two of the second generation subjects in Project Ground and having known each other the longest they formed a tightly close-knit bond. Also their abilities were fairly similar compared to the other survivors.
"They've brought in a new guy. An Agent by the looks of it, but don't worry it was a lucky shot." 'Tall, long black hair, dark shades...' That told her nothing much really and her brow creased in a mental self-reprimanding fashion.
"Did you get the microchip?"
"Yes, it's in my pocket... They knew I was going to be there... How did they know...?"
Then slipping into a semi-unconscious state, Rukia missed the exchange of worried looks as they all mulled over the latest revelation.
"You let her go!" the Senior Officer thundered at Byakuya as he walked back to his car. Blobs of spittle sprayed the front of the Agent's neatly starched shirt, to his great annoyance.
"No, you did as soon as your men blundered in there like a pack of animals. Clean your mess up, and yourself. Officers like you give the force a bad name." Byakuya left the flabbergasted Officer gaping in the street and hopped back into his flashy vehicle, swiping a cloth napkin out of the glove compartment to clean the drips of saliva from his front.
Then winding the driver side window down, he turned the car to drive. The light plume of exhaust blew into the shorter, portly man's face as the convertible sped off fast enough to leave tread marks scorched along the road.
Driving with one hand on the steering wheel, Byakuya reached into his jacket pocket and held the microchip with his other hand. Rolling it back and forth over his long slender fingers, he smiled triumphantly. In a few short minutes he'd achieved more than anyone else had - He knew what the infamous Hollow looked like and survived to pursue her further. With a stroke of good fortune, he possessed the very thing she meant to steal, and the probability of her attempting to retrieve the chip was high.
Lastly there was no doubt in his mind that he'd shot her, and he was almost positive that would factor to his advantage. She was fast, faster than he expected, validating one common hearsay of the thief, yet he was fast too. Armed with all these facts, it was only a matter of time before Byakuya had Hollow incarcerated.
Clocking twice the legal speed limit there was only one thought on his mind. 'Who are you really?'
Sitting on the examiner's table, Rukia hissed as Healer cut away her leather catsuit with a pair of fabric shears as delicately as she could. Peeling away the pieces of cloth, she stripped out of the remainder of her outfit down to a thin white cotton singlet and panties.
Healer aka Isane Kotetsu was their group's resident medic and the only set of siblings to survive Project Ground. Quiet and soft-spoken it was her photographic memory and her love for helping others that helped her to complete her studies as a Doctor within several weeks. A more suitable codename would've been 'Miracle hands'.
Isane's sister Kiyone went by the name of Mecha because she could virtually fix any contemporary gadget or device.
Rukia looked dismissively at the blood-soaked makeshift bandage and turned her head away, taking her mind to a faraway place as Isane carefully removed the bullet from her arm. "You were rather lucky this time. A bit more deeper inside and the bullet could've shattered the axillary nerve. Thankfully there won't be any lasting damage and should heal up in no time. I'll get you some serum and I'll also send the bullet shell to Prodigy for examination."
"Thanks Healer," Rukia expressed her gratitude and admired the medic's fine work.
"You're welcome. There shouldn't be a scar..." Isane finished dressing the wound site properly, and looked thoughtful. "Are you experiencing any other ailments? It isn't like you to get shot."
"No, I'm fine, just an 'off' moment I guess." Rukia frowned. How was it that she got shot? Everyone said it wasn't like her, and it wasn't.
That man. The unknown Agent obviously had some expertise. She was going to have tread a little more carefully in the future, and she had an inkling that she hadn't seen the last of him yet.
"Alright-"
"-Hollow, where is the microchip?" Interrupting their conversation, Leader appeared in the medical bay to press Rukia for the coveted item. Gaining access to the valuable information downloaded on the chip took first priority.
Rukia gestured to her cut-up catsuit. "In the pocket."
Leader went over and rifled through the lone pocket, scowling slightly when he came up empty. "It's not here. Are you sure this is where you kept it?"
"Yes!" came her startled reply. It had to be there? That's where she definitely put it- So why?
"I repeat, it's not here," looking none too pleased, he shook his silvery-white hair. "I don't have to tell you how important it is that we have that microchip. It's unfortunate you got shot, but you need to fix this. Find it."
"Yes Leader, I'll get it back."
"Good. I know that I can count on you." Leader left the room as quietly as he had entered.
'Shit!' Rukia bit her lip, now feeling disgruntled. She didn't know how, or why, or even what had happened, but this was a bad outcome and she would have to do everything in her power to change that fact. Spotting the syringe filled with a reactive cell stimulant that Isane had prepared to speed up the healing process and numb the pain, Rukia grabbed it off the trolley and injected herself. Falling back onto the table she laid down and let the trance-inducing drug wash through her, taking her far, far away.
Tomorrow. She would deal with it tomorrow. A thought rippled in her mind before it shut down. 'Who are you?'
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading, and please R&R. Any feedback, suggestions or criticism is welcome, especially on the finer details that I may have gotten wrong.
