Hollow Heart. Chapter one.
The program
Tite Kubo owns bleach
Haruka walked casually through the Zaraki district. It had been her first time there in a long time but, little had changed. The poor still littered the streets. The thugs popped up from time to time just to be glared down by the jaded shinigami. Her sharp hazel blue eyes and over all goth look made her look rather intimidating to people of the opposite sex. But it was all just a front she picked up from her captain to hide her lack of confidence. Not that the man she emulated lacked any.
Haruka was the third seat of squad twelve. She had been with the squad for as long as she could remember. From it's days with Urahara as her captain to his assistant in the R&D department Mayuri Kurotsuchi taking over. After Urahara went into exile and the mad assistant had become the captain, Makoto knew she had to make herself an important asset. That, or have the risk of becoming one of Kurotsuchi's expendable pawns be her new role. She got smart and got it quick. Adopting a new look and altitude long ago. Back then she didn't even know why she was transferred to that squad. She always thought that her expertise would be better suited for the fourth division. She was a MD for crying out loud. But Urahara's laboratory overhaul way back when needed someone of her caliber and she liked it there. Haruka had one more talent that would be an asset in either division if only she wouldn't keep it a secret.
Kurotsuchi had given her all the details on the man she would be shadowing. He happened to be a good friend of the captains. A shinigami turned arrancar. He had helped turn the tables of the winter war but was still treated like a pariah. Haruka flipped through his file as she walked.
"Lets see. Young adult male. Dark blond hair. Blue eyes. Six foot four. Twenty one at age of death. Former fourth seat in squad eleven. Former boyfriend of Lieutenant Kotetsu of squad four." "That means he's single now..." She thought. "Presumed dead after a special mission." she read out loud.
That's what the official report said anyway. What really happened to him was that he became a hollow and fled to Hueco Mundo to attempt to aid Ichigo in saving the human girl Orihime. He was altered by the hogyoku and became an arrancar in Aizen's army. Most of his activities in that dimension were still unknown to most. That's why she was looking for him. She was assigned to him to see what made him tick and what his intentions are. And if he was still a good candidate for the hybrid program.
She wouldn't slip up like the last shinigami assigned to him, Shina Oban of squad two. That crazy bitch had it out for him for some reason and got beaten to a pulp soon after his return to soul society in the process. Haruka couldn't really blame him for doing so. Even though he lost his chance to return to the seireitei. "He fucked up his own welcome home party..." Haruka said as she rolled her eyes.
She looked up from her notes and noticed that she was wondering into a deserted part of town. It was strange for Zaraki to have such a secluded area. "This has to be where he is." she thought as she walked into a shady looking bar and inn. Behind the counter was an older man with a gray scratchy beard, making coffee. "Excuse me. I know this is a strange question but have you seen an arrancar around here?" she asked.
The man looked up and smiled. "You mean Gondra? Yeah, he's here. But, you'll have to wait a bit. He's not awake yet."
"It's three pm." Haruka said as she tilted her head.
"He's a bit of a night owl. Tell ya what. If you bring this to him I'm sure he'll be up and about in no time." the man said as he slid a cup of coffee over to the girl. "A cup of joe delivered by a cute girl would just be the thing to wake his lazy ass up."
Haruka smiled a little. "Have you known Gondra for long?"
"We go way back. I've known him since his first day in the soul society. Me and him have a deal. He keeps the order around here and I give him a place to stay and free food and drink. I remember when he first came in here. Wearing that metal band T shirt and those pants called jeans. He was already covered in blood from some fight. He came back a few months later as a shinigami on a special mission. Even had a Lieutenant girlfriend and some fangirl named Shina following him around like a lost puppy. He may get into some strange adventure from time to time but, he always finds his way back here. I wasn't all that surprised when he came back as an arrancar." the man stopped reminiscing and looked down at Haruka. "You're writing all that down? Quit scribbling and deliver that coffee."
Makoto shoved her notepad back into her shihakusho pocket and grabbed the mug. "What room is he in?
"The Luxury suite. It's at the far end of the hall up the stairs on the left." the man said as he pointed to the old staircase.
Makoto snickered as she walked up the steps. Like anything could be luxury in the Zaraki district. She looked down and noticed that the door wasn't closed all the way so she pushed it open with her free hand. The room was vary dark due to some sort of white cloth hanging over the window. She set the coffee down on a dusty old desk and removed the cloth. Light entered the room through the dirty window reviling the rag for what it was. It looked like a black and white Nazi trench coat with several straps on the back. She set it down over the back of a chair when she heard a groan from the corner of the room. Something was moving under the covers. "Gondra?" she asked. In a flash, she was pinned against the wall by the figure under the blanket.
"Who the hell are you? Another one of Soifon's assassins?" the large man growled.
"A...actually I'm with Captain kurotsuchi." she chocked out, trying to keep her composure.
"I told that freak before. I'm not letting him dissect me!" Gondra growled as he lifted his head and let the blanket fall off.
Makoto looked him over in wonder. His skin was as pale as her makeup. His eyes a violent jade green and slitted. His hair was smog gray and spiky instead of wavy. When he spoke, she saw a glimpse of his teeth which were triangular and fang like. Around his eyes were black pigmentations she looked down to also see that his nails were black. The tight fitting muscle shirt he wore reviled the edges of a hollow hole over his heart. Over his left eye was a sharp chunk of bone that formed an eye socket with a lens and and horn.
"You don't look a thing like it says in your file." she said with a smile.
"You'll find that becoming an arrancar gives you one hell of a makeover." Gondra stated as he let go of her and walked over to his bed.
"I brought you some coffee." Makoto said as she pointed to the desk.
"Thanks." Gondra replied as he grabbed the cup and slugged the contents down in three gulps. "Hand me my coat." he said. Makoto walked over to the chair and passed the jacket to Gondra before sitting on the old piece of furniture. Gondra withdrew a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. With the spark of his zippo, he lit one up and took a long drag.
"Can I have one?" Matoko asked. Gondra held the pack open for her to take one. She placed one of the cancer sticks in her mouth and let Gondra light it for her. She held it delicately between her two fingers as she watched the pseudo arrancar wake up.
"So, what's your job? To tail me like Shina did?" Gondra asked.
"Pretty much. And learn all I can about you." Makoto replied.
"You said your with squad twelve? How come I've never seen you before?" Gondra asked.
"I tend to work in the shadows. Recording things, compiling data, taking notes. I was with Nemu when she was looking for you, that one time."
Gondra thought back to his most recent memory of Nemu and it made him shudder. But, he did remember seeing her goth acquittance. "You friends with Nemu?" Gondra asked.
"I've known her since Captain Kurotsuchi first created her. I was assigned as her aid for a while. Mostly just to keep an eye on her." Haruka said as she took a drag from her cigarette.
"Come on." Gondra stated as he stood up and grabbed his jacket.
"We going somewhere?" Makoto asked.
"There's a place I'd like to show you. By the way, unless you want me to just call you Goth girl, you should tell me your name." Gondra said as he turned to her, his eyes staring into hers.
"It's Haruka Kasumi. Third seat of squad twelve." The dark girl said with a smile. She followed Gondra out the room and down the stairs.
"Hey pops, I'm going out for a while. Don't know when I'll be back." Gondra said to the old man behind the counter.
"You got some acquaintances waiting for you outside. Just thought I should warn ya." the old man said without looking up from the glass he was cleaning.
"Looks like your going to learn a new thing about me, Haruka." Gondra said with a slight grin.
"And what's that?"
"My fighting style." Gondra said as he walked out of the inn.
Outside were several thugs, armed to the teeth to greet him.
"Wheres your sword?" Makoto asked as she noticed the empty straps on Gondra's back.
"I left it at the place I want to show you."
"Die, Gondra!" the head thug shouted as he charged forward with a spear in hand.
Gondra stopped the spear with his bare hand and clasped down to break the blade.
"That must be his herro." Matoko thought.
With his other hand, Gondra delivered a staggering punch that sent the thug hurdling across the road and through a closed door. Gondra then stepped forward, moving into the center of the mob. With a flair of his reatsu, he blasted a large portion of the mob away with a massive shockwave. Several others tried to jump him. Gondra grabbed the largest guy by the neck and spun around, smashing him into the other men. With a chuckle, he dropped the half dead man to the ground. Matoko watched all this in interest until she felt a knife at her neck.
"Hey Gondra! I got you little friend here so, surrender before I slit her throat!" the remaining thug shouted out.
Gondra just grinned and blasted the thug's head off with a super charged balla. "You okay?" he asked as he walked up to the girl. Gondra looked down at the corpse to notice two tonto style blades sticking out of his stomach.
"I could have handled that guy myself ya know." Haruka said as she retrieved her blades and sheathed them in the holsters on her upper arms.
Her shihakusho was sleeveless so Gondra was surprised that he didn't notice them earlyer. "So, those are your Zanpakuto huh?"
"Thats right. Its called Kago." Makoto said.
"It's good to know you can handle yourself in a fight. I'm getting sick of protecting people. Come on. I'll show you that place." Gondra said as he started to walk with Makoto in tow.
XXXXX
The two arrived at an old structure deep in the woods. Haruka looked it over with amazement in her eyes as they stepped inside. It was the ruins of an old castle, covered in vegitation.
"El!" Gondra called out. To Makoto's amazement, a large hollow dog bounded out of where ever it was resting and stopped when it reached Gondra.
"Is that your pet?" Haruka asked.
"He's more like a comrade. He was given the name 11 in Las Noches. I just call him El for short. He's the only canine arrancar there is." Gondra stated as he scratched the dog's furry head. "El, say hi to Makoto." the beast let out a roaring bark in her direction.
"It's nice to meet you El." Haruka said as she shook the beast's paw. "What is this place?" she asked Gondra.
"From what I can tell, it used to be a castle for a noble family that died out. Only four people know about it, including you. I use it as a sorta a home base."
"Who's the other person?" Makoto asked.
An arrancar that a brought back with me. Sort of a love interest and a relic of my past at the same time. She's hanging out in kusajishi right now.
"So you think! Who are you calling a relic?" an angry feminine voice rang out.
Gondra let out a groan and looked up at the tallest peak of the structure. There she was. "Hey Aya."
"Don't hey Aya me! Where have you been? I've been waiting over an hour!" Aiona grumbled as she leaped down and landed next to Gondra. "Who's this bitch?" she asked.
"Nice to meet you to." Makoto scoffed.
"Makoto, Aiona. Aiona, Makoto." Gondra said as he rolled his eyes. "El, go get Hexagram." Gondra ordered the dog. With a bark, he was off.
"What's a Hexagram?" Makoto asked.
"It's his sword, dumb shit." Aiona answered.
After a few moment of the girls glaring each other down, El was back with a massive buster sword and sheath in his mouth.
"Good boy." Gondra said as he grabbed the blade and strapped it to his back.
"So what's she doing here anyway? She doesn't look like an assassin." Aiona asked.
"She's with squad twelve. That reminds me, what do you plan to get out of tailing me?" Gondra asked.
"A psychiatric evaluation. I'm the seireitei's lead psychiatrist." She explained.
"Mph... kyahahahaha! Well, good luck with that. Gondra's like wallpaper. He can barely remember me when we were both alive. She laughed in anger.
"I'm going out. Need anything?" Aiona asked as she started to walk away.
"There are a few dead thugs I dealt with outside of the inn. They probably have some gold on em. Use that to buy some sake." Gondra said.
"Fine. See ya later then." Aiona said before she sonidoed away.
"She's an interesting one." said Haruka.
"You have no idea." Gondra grumbled with a shake of his head. He then grabbed two cigarettes and tossed her one. Makoto lit it and sat down on a broken pillar. Gondra looked her over as she studied her notes. She was relatively short with small curves. Her hair was raven black with violet streaks. She had many piercings that jetted out of the ridges of her ears like spikes and glistened in the sunlight. Her face was pale white with black eye liner and lipstick. That look only worked on some people, but she pulled it off well. Gondra started to wonder what she looked like under all that makeup. Makoto's eyes darted up from her files suddenly and focused on Gondra's.
"See something you like?" she asked.
Gondra grinned and took a drag of his cigarette. "Just admiring fine art."
"Funny. You used the same pickup line on your zanpakuto when you first met her." Matoko said with a small laugh.
Gondra's eye narrowed and he stepped forward. "How do you know that?"
"She told me. I've done a psych evaluation on her as well. After she received Mayuri's upgrades and enhancements.
"What did that freak do to my zanpakuto?" Gondra roared as he stepped forward and grabbed Matoko by the front of her shihakusho.
"Sorry. It's classified." Matoko said teasingly while thinking of the program.
"It's my zanpakuto!" Gondra roared as he lifted the smaller woman up. Gondra saw the same look he used to give people in her eyes. The look of laid back amusement.
"I can get you back there, back to the Seireitei. You want to see her, right? I bet she's not the only one." Haruka said with a cute wink.
Gondra put her down. "What do you want from me?" he asked as he sat down on the downed pillar next to her.
"I need to learn more about you. I have a kidou for that. Just relax and clear your mind." Makoto stated as she placed her hands on Gondra's head. He closed his eyes and relaxed letting her work. With a flash of light, Haruka's eyes began to shine blue.
"What, does she think she can read my mind?" Gondra thought. Haruka just chuckled.
All of a sudden, a wave of twisted spiritual pressure from the depths of Gondra's psyche hit Haruka, giving her jolts of information, images and feelings all related to the arrancar.
Haruka deactivated the kidou and stepped back, taking a deep breth. "So, you like to be called Tyler now."
"That's right. How did you know that?" Gondra asked as he looked up.
"Trade secret among higher ranked healing kidou experts." Haruka said with a smile.
"Now what?" gondra asked.
"Now I take my leave." Haruka said with a bow. "We'll pick up at the same time tomorrow."
"That was it? What did you learn?" Gondra asked as he stood up.
"Enough for now. See you tomorrow." Haruka said as she moved from where she was standing to a large pillar then out a large hole in the roof. Her dash sounded like white noise.
"Was that a fucking sonido?" Gondra asked El.
"Rough!" El replied.
Gondra let out a deep sigh and walked over to a heavy set of doors. He swung them open and stepped into a large room with no cealing. Inside were The two things he was able to bring back from Las Noches. a large hydroponics lab gondra had built from parts of Aiona's late brother's lab. "Good thing I learned a thing from Sziel's aspect of death. Right boy?" Gondra said to El as he sat on the other Item, Aizen's throne. The look on mayuri's face was pricless when he loaded it on to the back of his cart.
He pulled a pipe out of his trench coat, packed and hit it. As he breathed out the smoke he thought of Haruka.
XXXXX
Haruka had finished bathing and had changed into her black fishnet night gown. She sat on her bed in the lotus position and started to meditate. She was trying to acess the data she had absorbed from gondra. In short, his memories. She visioned herself as a un noticable omni present force watching what was unfolding like a movie.
"Lets start with the incedent that happened a year ago." she thought.
She saw Gondra taking a shortcut through the woods to the nearest gate leading to the seireitei. In his hand was an invitation to show the guard in his other was a bottle of some nasty looking liqur. Haruka's spirit floated beside him. She looked up expecting gondra to have a big smile on his face but, instead, he looked dead tired and most of all alone. The weaght of the world was on his shoulders and he was suffering from a broken heart.
"I found you!" a voice shouted out as a familliar looking figure jumped down from the tree tops and landed in front of gondra.
"Fan girl?" gondra asked as he turned his head to the side.
"My name is Shinna!" the girl with blue hair and a tribal lightning bolt tattoo on her left cheek shouted as she drew her thin blade.
"Well, if that's the way you want it." gondra said as he slid into a fighting stance.
"Draw your blade!" shinna screamed in anger.
"What's gotten into you?"
"I became the laughingstock of my squad when the trouth leaked about what happened that day." Shina explained as she moved closer.
"About me becoming-"
"A stinking hollow!" Shinna cut him off.
"Does it look like I give a fuck?" Gondra asked. "It turns out that this stinking hollow is going to be a captain." he said as he held out a letter from yamamoto himself.
"I don't care!" Shinna continued to scream.
"Well then. Lets see what you got. You useless bitch." gondra said as he drew his blade.
"That jagged slab of metal wont even be able to touch me. You obiusly didn't no that I'm a third seat now. One rank above you when you left." Shinna mocked.
"Do you know what this blade is called?" gondra asked.
"What?"
"It's full name is Lord Hexagram Espada special." gondra said with an evil grin, showing his teeth.
"So your an espada then. It seems that I don't have to hold back." Shinna said as she raised her sword in the air. Tick! Toki Tataru! She screamed as her blade began to change shape. A small yet intracate clock formed at the base of the blade and the katana itself turned into a large claymore.
"That shikai's taller than you are, girl." Gondra laughed as he slashed hexagram through the air, aiming for Shina's new blade. "I'll shatter that damn thing! Gondra roared. His sword stopped a millameter frome the claymore's edge. "What the hell?"
"Decay!" Shina shouted. Her blade let out a large amount of blue electricity, shocking Gondra and his blade.
"You bitch!" gondra roared as he leaped back. All of a sudden, the hilt of his blade cracked and broke off.
"Gyaaa!" hexagram shreaked.
In a fit of rage, gondra sonidoed forward and decked Shina in the face. A spray of blood filled the air as the girl went hurdling back. She hit the ground and looked up at gondra shocked.
"What's wrong? Did I break that pretty face?" gondra asked as he cocked his head to the side and smiled.
Shina cracked her broken nose and stood up. Pointing the clock on her blade at gondra. "Decay!" she creamed causing a ray of light to hit gondra.