Title: Bleached feelings
Author: Tuliharja
Summary: A bad day only turns sadder when a mission goes badly. Jealousy plays between T and R, but will this tragedy bring them closer? AU. One-shot. Inspirited by MiB.
Disclaimer: BLEACH belongs to Tite Kubo. And MiB…let's just say I didn't invite it. I'm merely just writing fan fiction.
Dedicated to: Ice Prince Hitsugaya for the honor of his fic's 'Change One Side, Change The Story' 100th chapter. Congratulations dear! You've gone far and hopefully you'll continue your fic so far as you've planned!
Author's note: This was partly inspirited by first MiB movie and the fact I listened its instrumental theme song. There will also be small reference to Bleach movie DDR.
Thanks for Sunny betaing this.
Bleached feelings
The unimpressed, white haired male who looked no older than an elementary student, stared at the man standing before him. Sighing lightly, he closed his eyes briefly, crossing his arms in front of him.
"You've broken the law of Society even though you've already received several warnings…" the short male started, slowly opening his turquoise eyes which held a distinctive light. "…please drop your mask and step-…"
His rote-learnt speech died on his lips as the man before him suddenly turned around and started running away. With a bored sigh he turned to his right to search for his strawberry blond partner, who wasn't anywhere to be seen.
Looks like I'll have to deal with this one, once again, without Ran's help… the white haired male thought before he turned his attention back to the man who was already a good distant from him. Smirking a bit, he took a step forward, moving almost slowly as if there wasn't any need to rush. In fact, there wasn't. Before he had even caught the man's attention he had made sure the man wouldn't get away.
Carefully, the turquoise eyed male had led the man into a dark alley, to avoid human contact and the mess which would most likely still happen when he finally arrested the man. Because he was no doubt, just like those who wouldn't ever just peacefully submit to their arrest, even though resistance was useless. The Society's people always won. Always, because for all the long years it had been working it had learned to survive, despite the fact that other branches of government had tried many times to break it fully. But they had never succeeded and never would, because the work that they did…was to protect normal civilians who weren't yet ready to handle the truth. The ugly truth, which was just starting to reveal itself in front of the unfazed, white haired male.
Still unimpressed he looked at the man who was now against the dirty wall, sneering at him as he suddenly grabbed his jaw. There was a loud snap of bone as the jaw broke and the man pulled it all way to down, before grabbing his nostrils and pulled those over his head, as if the human skin was nothing more than a disguise. Which, it was.
As the skin dropped down to the cement ground, which was covered in papers, vomit and all other things commonplace in a dirty alley,the male now stood humanoid in shape, green colored and white masked. The alien belonged to the Hollow type, the distinguishing feature being their face covering, white mask. This type of alien population had increased ever since the 90's. No one knew why and no one would've cared if it wasn't for the fact that these types of aliens were more or less troublesome.
The seemingly young male sighed as the alien started babbling in its own language, "a chibi like you can't ever beat me!" The agent, using his right hand, took a small, gun shaped apparatus device from his other pocket. His eyebrow twitched slightly as the Hollow burst into fits of laugh when it saw his device.
"Do you really think you can hurt me with such a small weapon, chibi?" The Hollow taunted the male, who allowed a small smirk on his lips, his eyes flashing. The air around them suddenly seemed to turn, almost freezing as the white haired male looked calmly at the Hollow. The alien's small eyes grew slightly from pure shock as the gun-looking, little device suddenly seemed to twist slightly and then transform into a huge futuristic weapon the same size as the small male wielding it. The weapon was silver in color, yet its mouth was golden and shaped to look like a four pointed star, as turquoise eyes looked icily at the Hollow before him.
"I haven't been called 'chibi' in a while…" The male spoke quietly, yet there was an icy edge, it being plainly obvious that he was annoyed by the insulting comment, which meant 'little'. Narrowing his eyes he pointed the huge gun at the alien, who now saw the trigger was attached to the male's hand with ice, which surprised the alien.
"Surrender or-…" the male started as the Hollow suddenly jumped towards him without any warning. But the small male had already guessed this would happen, so without a second thought he blasted. It was short, cold and quick, and soon in front of the male was one frozen alien. The dirty walls around them also had small layer of ice. Sighing for the seemingly hundredth time today, the male rested his gun against his shoulder as he looked briefly at the frozen alien to make sure it wouldn't escape.
"T!" Someone suddenly shouted from behind the male, T, who was about to turn and face the incomer when his face met by the huge cleavage of a woman.
"RAN!" T shouted, annoyed at the female who stepped away before the white haired male could manage to hit her with his gun. The female was tall and absolutely gorgeous: she looked like some model from Vogue as she flipped her strawberry blonde hair and tapped her chin with a beauty mark on it.
"Awww, T! You already handled it!" she whined as the male sighed, pushing a small button on his gun and turning it back into the small, four pointed star which he placed in his pocket.
"Where have you been R?" the other one asked, giving the female a hard look. Even though the female looked gorgeous against the light which was coming from the alley's opening, the shorter male was indifferent to her looks. T was different case and that was probably the only reason why he and R were paired. R's small tricks such as batting eyelashes or whining didn't do anything to him, just slightly annoyed him.
"Well…" The female started, scratching the back of her neck when suddenly behind her appeared a few guys who had obviously followed her. But the group of men stopped, shocked, when they saw behind T the frozen alien. Frowning and giving a small glare of disapprove; T looked from R to the group of men.
"Use the memory loss device on them," he just said as he turned his back and took another device from his pocket to collect the Hollow alien.
In the meantime R or usually referred to as Ran by most of people, except T who liked to call her by her code name, turned to the group of men. Placing her hands to her hips, she pursed her lips as she walked up to them.
"Didn't I tell you I wasn't interested?" she asked now, sighing lightly as she took from her all too revealing shirt black sunglasses and placed them on her face. Then, from her suit's pocket she took out a pen-looking device.
"Now look into this pen…just like that~!" she said in sing-song tone, before pushing the button on top of the pen as a bright light of red flashed. "Now…hmm, you turned from wrong corner while going to the gothic Lolita sho-..."
"R, stop messing around and make a believable story for them," her partner advised as he walked up next to her, their height difference huge with the male barely reaching the woman's shoulder height. The male had collected the alien and was too, wearing a set of black sunglasses on his face as he glanced back to the group of blankly looking men, who were about to get new memories.
"But taichou~! It won't be fun," the female whined as T's white eyebrow twitched slightly from the ridiculous nickname Ran had given him.
"Just finish this so we can go," he muttered as the female sighed, turning her attention back to the group of men.
"Fine. You met a beautiful woman at the mall and followed her, but then got lost in an alley and never saw her again. Happy?" she asked sharply yet still slightly pouting. T was already leaving. "T-T! Wait for me~!"
She shouted after her partner, quickly rushing after him as they stepped out of the alley and took their dark sunglasses off before disappearing into the mass of people. But even though they tried their best to hide in the mass from curious eyes, they still caught attention with their black dress, the height difference and the fact the other one looked like a kid who was harassed by the older female, when in reality the short male was really in his twenties.
The pair walked in silence and from time to time they stopped when R spotted something in a shop's window, making her squeal. This continued as they kept walking, the female pouting and whining that she didn't get enough paid even though they're doing an important job. The white haired T merely listened halfheartedly to the female's babbling, keeping his senses open because the alien which they had caught wasn't the only one they should arrest. Suddenly, T stopped when he felt a small vibration from his front pocket, taking his blackberry phone and pushing the button before he placed it against his ear.
"Urahara. What is it?" he asked from the caller, continuing to walk down the street's side as R looked into shop windows. "Yes, I'm with R. Yes, we're near…very well. Meet you soon."
Shutting his phone he looked up to the humming woman next to him, slightly narrowing his eyes.
"Where were you?" he suddenly asked as the female gave him a surprised look. For a passing moment they both were silent, yet the Karakura town's noisy people, cars and barking dogs continued.
Turquoise eyes gazed into blue ones silently, unreadable while the latter's reflected regret and apology.
Turning now, the white haired male suddenly started once again walk along the street, the female quickly following.
"Sorry, T," she apologized quietly, yet loudly enough for her partner to hear over the cacophony of voices. "I got wrapped up in a conversation."
Closing his eyes for a brief moment T continued his walking as he crossed his arms before him, giving a look to the woman who obviously held a question.
The female looked away ashamed, her eyes suddenly taking on a faraway look which made turquoise eyes narrow almost dangerously. Ran has just opened her mouth to tell T before he suddenly said: "We're here." Cutting their conversation short they stopped front of a small shop whose sign read 'Urahara Shop'. Wrinkling her nose the strawberry blonde was this time the one whose eyes narrowed almost dangerously as she had a feeling inside her stomach that certain brown skinned female would be there. But she didn't have time to mull over this as T had already gone inside the shop.
"Ah! T~!" she wailed after her partner as she rushed quickly to the shop, almost bringing T into the floor when she opened the shop's door and her chest met the back of the shorter male's head, making him stumble few steps front of him. Turning, slightly annoyed, he gave the female a look to which Ran answered with a 'sorry'.
Rubbing his temple he turned back to face the seemingly empty shop. It was somewhat old-looking and had this creepy feeling to it, like its owner sold too much candy to innocent children (which was sort of true) as the owner of the shop appeared. The male smirked widely, tilting his striped, dark green and white bucket hat as a greeting.
"T…R," he said, smirking slightly as his eyes were shadowed because of his hat. He then lifted his gaze to look at the duo who walked closer to him standing at the end of a narrow hallway.
"You told me you had information, Urahara" T half stated and half asked as he walked in front of the shop owner who went by the name Urahara. The blond male nodded his head slightly and was just about to answer when past him hurled something black and furry. More precisely, a black cat, which landed gracefully on top of T's shoulder, wrapping its tail around his neck and leaning its head against his cheek.
"Long time no see…" the cat purred with a male's voice to T, who flushed slightly while carefully pulling the cat away from his shoulder and placing it top of the wooden desk nearby.
"Yoruichi," T said, the cat actually being female, even it had male's voice.
"What? No even a petting after suuuuch a long tiiime~?" Yoruichi purred, her tail wiggling behind her as her golden eyes laughed in delight at seeing her friend.
Coughing, T looked quickly away to hide his increasing blush, muttering something incoherent. But it only deepened as he was suddenly pressed against the well-developed chest of his partner who gave a stern look at the cat.
"T has been busy with work, Yoruichi," she snapped at the cat who let out an almost smug smile, as if knowing something which she could use against R. But before the two females' conversation turned into argument, Urahara coughed softly, fanning himself lightly. His pale grey eyes settled on T's turquoise ones which had once again turned serious.
"I'll show you the backroom," Urahara merely said, beckoning all of them to follow him as he walked up to a curtain by the wall which looked like a decoration, when in reality, behind it was a door. Urahara merely pushed the curtain away and with a click of his fan, its end hit the door's only visible spot. The door then went slightly back, before opening as Urahara shrugged slightly.
"Don't want to lose parts of me," he said, smirking slightly. Urahara had made the door so that it only opened with his fan's end, which was especially designed just for this purpose.
The hat wearing man then walked into a narrower hallway whose walls were made of wooden shoji screens, giving a Japanese feel as the two guests, plus cat, followed behind him. They all walked in silence, sensing the seriousness of the situation as they stopped when Urahara once again opened a door with his fan, and stepped into a huge laboratory.
The laboratory was lit with only a blue light, giving all items inside of the room a somewhat creepy look as the shadows it made where highlighted against the walls. In front of the hologram table was tall, brown skinned man pushing up glasses that kept sliding down his nose. The male nodded slightly to the newcomers before settling they too came to stand around the hologram table.
"Tessai, if you would…?" Urahara asked as the brown man nodded silently at the request and touched the white light before him.
Suddenly, the hologram which had been moments ago blank of anything but a grid of random letters, turned into a ball where it reflected a picture of giant hamster-like Hollow with bird-like hands and feet. A tentacle-like limb was hanging from its forehead, similar to the lure of an anglerfish, and having some kind of figure hanging from it. Narrowing his eyes T looked up at Urahara.
"Grand Fisher," the white haired muttered softy and the blond man nodded in agreement.
"Yes and apparently it has come to Tellus to cause chaos," Urahara told in a low yet serious tone.
T narrowed his eyes while Ran merely blinked, slightly curious because she didn't know this alien's horrible background story.
"More precisely it has come here to Karakura town," Yoruichi continued from Urahara as the imagine in the hologram changed to a map of the town.
T questioned neither Urahara nor Yoruichi about how they knew this, because they always knew things. It was widely known fact even though they were labeled as outlaws by Society. T knew once you left the Society, you aren't to interfere into its business, yet he knew that working in a small shop was not suitable for the outlaws. But as long as they weren't caught red-handed talking about classified information as this, it was fine. After all, Urahara was a 'humble shop owner' as he liked to say.
"I've done some counting and it should attack by today's evening," Urahara continued as the hologram showed a very realistic looking night view of a park, the blond merely waving his hand so the imagine changed to various places within the huge park.
Nodding slightly the turquoise eyed male then looked at the strawberry blonde who blinked her eyes before looking down at him. Noticing his serious look her own instantly changed.
"Is it really that dangerous?" she muttered as soft laugh was heard.
"No. It's quite weak but nasty toward humans," a voice purred next to Ran as she turned to look at Yoruichi, just to narrow her eyes.
Then, a light mist fanned out to cover a naked, gorgeous, dark skinned woman who smirked widely, it being Yoruichi who had just turned into her humanoid form. Her eyes were still the surprisingly golden colour and she now had long, purple hair.
"I see," Ran only said as T had closed his eyes to block out this imagine as he rubbed his nose. Silently, Urahara merely chuckled as he took his dark green coat and placed it around Yoruichi's bare shoulders.
"Still shy, eh?" he merely asked as thick, annoyed mark appeared on T's forehead.
"And you're still a pervert," he muttered under his breath as Urahara tilted his hat.
"I'm a mere honest, handsome, perverted businessman," he stated when Yoruichi nudged him.
"Handsome?" she questioned while Ran questioned at the same time: "Honest?"
"I don't think so," the two females said in unison, before they let out a shared smirk to each other, as if for a moment they were best friends.
"Anyway…" T started, turning his back and finally opening his eyes, "…the Society has listed Grand Fisher to be arrested. We'll go to the park and keep eye out for it…"
"Not another night job! Those are boooring~!" Ran moaned when she grabbed T's shoulders and turned him around, just to pull him against her cleavage. "I wanted a free night! I'd already planned girls' night!"
"Oi, Ran~…I want a piece of T too," Yoruichi claimed as she walked straight through the hologram picture, and behind T who was front of R. She leaned against Ran, her look somewhat sharp, before it turned into a mischievous smirk when her naked form touched T's back.
"You two-…!" T hissed annoyed from his position being squeezed between two ladies who let out angelic smiles. It being more and less obvious that they were enjoying the situation way too much.
"Being between two women…Sigh, I'm envious," Urahara whined as he clicked his fan open.
"Sir, if they don't soon go…" Tessai spoke for the first time, adjusting his glasses as he proceeded to ignore the situation as he looked at one screen which held a multitude of diagrams. Nodding his head slightly Urahara clicked his fan closed only to point it at Yoruichi.
"Will you join them too, Yoruichi-san?" he asked, even though the answer was more than obvious when the female rolled her eyes. "Well then, we better get ready!"
"Huh?" Ran questioned, stepping away and finally freeing T from his suffering as he gave both women quick looks and nodded his head at Urahara.
The white haired male then walked up to the room's wall and pushed one panel in it, frowning as it didn't open like he had thought it would. Giving a look to the blond who merely smirked, fanning once again himself, T touched the other panel which was the correct one. The panel opened to reveal a gorgeous weapon which pretty much left Ran speechless as she marveled its beauty. She hesitantly stepped closer to take look at it.
"It reminds me…" she whispered, T merely nodded as he looked on.
"That's because it's a prototype but that wasn't what I came looking for," he answered, turning to the weapon which was exactly like his own, except it had a slightly duller silver color to it.
"But I thought yours was custom-made!" R breathed, looking curiously at her partner whose eyes hardened.
Silently, he pushed the panel close and just touched another, ignoring his partner's curious and somewhat surprised look. The third panel then revealed a smaller weapon which had an old design on it and didn't look that powerful. Lifting her elegant brow, Ran gave a suspicious look at T. The white haired male merely took the small weapon, which vaguely reminded them of a revolver, yet its mouth was shut and looked like a needle. Silently, T turned around and looked at a now fully dressed Yoruichi, who handled Urahara his coat back. The dark skinned female had dressed in a skin-tight black outfit and bright orange sweater. She smirked when she took the small gun from T, fondness seeping into her eyes.
"This sure brings back memories…" she whispered, winking at Ran's surprised look. "Yup. It's mine."
"Don't let the size fool. I've seen her blast some big holes through wall…" T told Ran who merely nodded as the trio then turned to walk out the door, without any ceremony, as they walked back down narrow hallway.
It was now darker than before due to the fact that the little light which had come from small windows were dark, enlightening the trio to the fact that evening had already settled on the town. They all walked in silence to shop's side as they passed two small children, a redheaded boy and dark haired girl who looked as they walked by the street. As the door behind them clicked shut, T looked at Yoruichi.
"Yes. I wasn't there and you don't know if we'll get caught," she replied to T's unspoken question before she quickly disappeared into the shadows, leaving T and R alone.
The strawberry blonde gave her partner a questionable look as they started heading down the street.
"It's dangerous if we get caught with Shihoin on a mission," she whispered as T nodded his head in acknowledgment before sending a message to Society to confirm that they would go hunt down the Grand Fisher. "But~! It's funnier when there is more, ne?"
"Just like you and him," T suddenly breathed, not looking Ran as he texted.
Ran's eyes widened slightly as she stopped, trembling slightly from shock and hurt as she placed her hands on her hips. Her blue eyes darkened as she glared back at T, who had taken a few steps before stopping to lift his gaze up, slipping his phone inside his pocket.
"We're just friends with G! Besides, that morning I was with Hina-chan!" she lashed out, obviously hurt by T's accusation.
T's turquoise eyes widened minutely, shock crossing his features as he opened his mouth to apologize when Ran suddenly started walking once again, passing his stationary form within a finger's breadth. The short male stood still for a brief moment, before he reached out an arm, his hand grabbing hers.
"R…I-…" he started when suddenly lightning made the whole world turn almost blindingly white, both R's and T's heads snapping to the direction. Their expressions turned serious as they grabbed their black sunglasses before rushing to the location of the lightning's origin as adrenaline kicked in. They hurriedly made their way to the scene, making Ran gasp from shock and T narrow his eyes behind his sunglasses as they arrived.
At a swollen river's side lay a dead body and next to it, Grand Fisher, who was trying to jump to the river's other side when a flexible foot hit it. With eyes narrowed and a frown on her face, Yoruichi jumped back, holding her small gun.
"Yoruichi! Duck!" T shouted, his gun already in his hands and he blasted the alien, no, the monster as it suddenly hit Yoruichi.
The purple haired woman let out a groan of pain as she crashed into a nearby tree and Ran rushing up to her before T fired. The blast made the ground around Grand Fisher freeze as the creature barely managed to avoid the attack.
Gritting his teeth, T jumped from the road to the side of the river, landing on the small rocks breaching the waters near the bank. Without mercy, he fired his weapon again as the Grand Fisher, as before, jumped away from his attack.
"Tch!" he said as he blasted once again, lifting his gun up to rest on his shoulder as he stopped and just looked at the alien.
The male knew he should wait for a moment so his gun could recharge, especially with it only being able to shoot five times before it needed some time, and he had already used it five times today. The alien before him seemed to smirk, but it eyes quickly widened when ash colored bullets bit into its side, before letting out a feral scream of pain.
"T, let me handle it," Ran stated as she walked slowly up next to him, her own weapon ready. Ran's weapon had taken a shape of a handgun, pink colored yet deadly because she could shoot almost limitlessly.
Nodding slightly his head, T quickly looked over his shoulder just to see Yoruichi on her feet looking seriously at their opponent. But before anyone could react or Ran could fire once again, Grand Fisher threw something at them all before jumping into the river. The thing hit both Ran and T, who stumbled backwards, falling into a slightly surprised Yoruichi. The three tumbled onto the hard ground, just to see the thing which had been thrown against them to be child-shaped bait.
Gritting his teeth once again T had already thrown the bait away and was about to follow the alien when a shaky voice stopped him dead on his tracks.
"Mo-mom? Mom? Wake up! Mom!" a child's voice pleaded from behind them all as they turned and realized, to their mild shock, that underneath the dead body had been a child who was now shaking his dead mother's body. The boy looked around eight or nine and he had bright orange hair as he kept shaking his mother.
"Mom, please wake up…Mom…" the boy wailed as the trio continued to stare.
Shaking her head, Yoruichi looked to T who had taken his sunglasses from his face, closing his eyes in deep thought while Ran had covered her mouth with her hand.
"We'll wipe his memories," T finally stated, as they listened the child's pleas.
Turning in shock, Ran shook her head as T gave her sharp look. She took her sunglasses away, her look furious and something else what T couldn't define. But it was Yoruichi who changed her mind.
"You're Society's secret agents. It's your job. You knew it wouldn't be an easy task when you joined, Rangiku," she whispered, using her sometimes-friend's full name for once as Rangiku looked down. Biting her lower lip, she eventually nodded as Yoruichi then shifted her gaze to T.
"And don't be so harsh Toshiro…" she said, speaking T's name as suddenly lightning sharply split the sky in half, promising a heavy thunderstorm and rain.
Toshiro merely nodded, placing his sunglasses atop of his face and Rangiku following his lead as Yoruichi went to the small child who still didn't move away from his mother.
"Hey…" she whispered softly, gaining the child's attention right to way. Chocolate brown eyes full of tears gazed at the golden ones; panicked.
"It went away. You're now safe," Yoruichi continued, giving the boy an encouraging smile as the child looked again at his dead mother. It seemed the child didn't care for that, only his mother as both Toshiro and Rangiku walked closer.
"Hey…" Rangiku spoke softly which drew the child's attention as she lifted her pen and pushed the button top of it, red lightning flashing. After this, she merely nodded to Yoruichi. She placed her old, black sunglasses from her face to atop her head as she spoke once again to the child, telling him how the edge of the road had been slippery and he, with his mother had fallen as they walked.
Because of that, she had hit her head on the rock and died. After that, a nice lady had come and called his father to pick him up and be informed about the sad incident. The whole time both Rangiku and Toshiro stayed quiet as Toshiro merely picked up the bait and waited for Yoruichi finish her lie. After that, the purple haired woman went to the boy and took him into her arms, hugging him silently before she gave him to Rangiku, who too hugged the boy to bring him even a little bit comfort.
The white haired male noticed how Yoruichi took few steps away and fished out her cellphone, dialing an unknown number. Toshiro didn't question it, because he somehow knew she was calling the child's father.
The trio and the child then waited for Yoruichi to finish her call, in silence –it only being broken by the rain which fell on them, quickly soaking through their clothes. However, none of them moved until the child's father came and embraced his child.
Yoruichi looked to the two secrets agents, silently telling them to leave. In silence, the duo stood and walked away as the rain poured. But the child's sadness and the tragedy made them colder than the rain ever could.
Eventually, the two entered into one of the Society's hideouts, where Toshiro finally spoke to Rangiku.
"R…I'm sorry," he said as the female blinked her eyes, slightly moist. "I shouldn't have…"
"Nah, it's fine taichou! I'm fine…" she replied cheerily, but still pulled the shorter one into a hug within the shelter a corridor provided. And for once, Toshiro didn't push her away as they just stayed like that for a while before one of their fellow agents came. They separated almost right away when she came.
"T, R, how was the mission?" the petite female asked, her Chinese features and short hair exaggerating her small frame as she looked between the two.
"Failed," Toshiro told the female who blinked and was about to question him when he lifted his hand and just shook his head. He then passed her, Rangiku following him closely as the Chinese looking woman looked after them in confusion. But her expression soon changed into slight annoyance when she felt a tickling vibration from her pant's pocket.
Reaching for her cellphone, she was about to snap into it when all too familiar voice spoke to her: "Soi, can you cover up for Toshi and Ran? I'll be in your favor."
With that said the line cut out, leaving Soi to stare at her phone before lifting her slightly stunned look to the hallway, out to where the duo had walked and stopped to wait for the elevator. But she soon looked away, feeling as if intruding on a moment and not wanting to disturb them. And she was correct as Toshiro stared blankly at the elevator's number while Rangiku gazed the roof.
"Ne…taichou…Let's go for a drink," she said, her voice soft as she gazed out of the corner of her eye at partner who didn't meet her gaze. "I forgive you."
Slightly surprised, the white haired male turned to look up quickly at strawberry blond female, before he smirked a soft smile.
"Not before the paperwork," came his only reply as the elevator came to a shuddering stop and they stepped inside of it, Rangiku whining they worked too much while Toshiro merely pushed the button and the elevator's doors cut them from view.