Author's Note: SURPRISE! I'm back guys! Oh my god it's been forever since I've last posted on here. I said that I was going to continue with "You Belong to Me" after Beautiful Lie was completed, but school just became so overwhelming that I just couldn't find the time to work on it, plus, not to mention the fact that I've kinda lost inspiration to continue that story. (Sorry...). It'll most likely just be postponed once again, since it became a year since I last updated in April. It's getting to the end of the school year, and finals are this coming week, and I should be studying, but I had recently gotten inspiration once again, and typed up a brand new story. Please tell me your thoughts on it, and whether or not I should continue it (: I just needed to post something since it's been so long! 3 I've missed you guys, hopefully you'll like this one too.

Btw, sorry if the summary sucks, I'll edit it later once I think of something better.


Shattered Glass

Prologue

Dark, isolated walls surrounded the room in a chilly atmosphere, covered in shelves loaded with books; thick leather-bound backs, coated in layers of dust and age, noticeable on every page. Large tubes full of thick liquid sat atop lab stations, steaming out various gases into the vacant and silent air. Machines hummed in the background, calculating numerous formulas on their glass surfaces before printing the results in the form of a smooth receipt. The thin sheet slithered across the floor in earnest, bundling up as its mass increased with information.

A sickly white hand reached down and halted the paper's advancement, curling long, thin fingers around the edge before lifting it from the ground. The machine coughed in exhaustion before letting out a gust of black smoke, spraying its captor in the face, causing the silhouette to cough vigorously. The paper smoldered with the filthy substance, smudging against the pale skin of the analogist.

Pastel sheets circled the walls of the chamber; aged, wrinkled, and torn, discolored from years of misuse and abandonment. Maps of entire nations, countries, and cities. From the small countryside of Rukongai to the immense army base of Seireitei. Large, red streaks crossed through the land, swirling around populated cities in thick red ink, marking its territory among its expanse. X's crushed through abandoned settlements already thrown into chaos, discarding them from existence in the all too familiar bloody marker.

Notes scattered in the margin, mumbling incoherent words along its rim, providing the maps with a haunting appearance of neglect. Arrows were drawn in certain locations, pointing at the already destroyed cities, hidden behind a wall of crimson. Thumbtacks dotted the country, pinpointing exact locations and dates of combat; fierce battles raged with war cries of vehemence and silenced with the sharp blade of a soldier.

War.

The sole cause of misbalance in the community, the reason for man's pride to overwhelm their better judgment. It's a fight between two different people; Right and Wrong. One side always believing that the other is at fault, thus causing them to clash in a fight for dominance. Causalities stack up and populations diminish from the greed and selfishness that stir from the conflicting countries. Families are broken from the anger, destroyed in attacks or slaughtered from the opposing soldiers, leaving devastated husbands and wives upon returning.

A never-ending cycle of murder.

Fingers clenched tightly, interrupting the peaceful silence that wrapped around the room with the sound of crunching paper. Eyes darted across thin lines of ink, drinking in the information they held. The paper shifted upwards as the reader skimmed further down, memorizing the numbers printed on the sheet. Upon reaching the bottom, the figure stopped, a finger slowly raising to underline with a long stroke, the final words it wrote.

"…Experiment Success…"

A wide, maniacal grin split across the scientist's face before he erupted in a crazed laughter, thrusting his arms into the air and shaking wildly with roars of excitement. The paper, now tattered beyond recognition from the man's sudden wrath, lay forgotten on the solid ground, its content spiraling across the floor. The machines groaned from exhaustion, but began to clatter at their operator's laughter, almost as if joining with him in his achievement.

The air seemed to grow darker as the scientist spun around, walking briskly towards the control panel that was hidden beyond the hunks of technology. Shuffling through the rows of chemicals stored on shelves, the man came upon a supercomputer, connected to a flat screen that stretched across the entire back wall. Large cables attached themselves inside the monstrosity, and upon the push of a button, it roared to life.

Sitting himself in front of the large keyboard, he began to type numerous numbers into the system, watching as they revealed themselves in clear, white pixels along the screen. The sound of the keys clicking against his nails buried him further in concentration, as he typed away the information he had just received. Placid, golden eyes transfixed on the large projector, analyzing each and every detail, memorizing and imprinting it within his intelligent mind.

A large grin spread across his face as the numbers molded together, forcing the correct phrase he was hoping for to surface before his eyes. With a quick flick of his long nail, he pressed an intercom button, leaning down so his lips were barely touching the microphone that was placed at the base of his keyboard.

With a soft hush, soiled by his sickening and disturbing accent, he whispered into the mic.

"The Experiment was a success, Commander."

A sound equivalent to that of labored breathing responded back, crackling the mic with raspy coughs and short intakes of breath. The scientist smirked, amused by the health of his leading officer, but remained silent as he listened to the man's words, narrowing his eyes before revealing another smile, eyes lighting up in excitement. He felt the man's voice die out before he was cut off, releasing his finger from the button before standing up, turning to the side to glance at the right wall.

A pedestal of pure gold stood proudly against the barren surface, standing out against the darkness of the room like a sore thumb. It gleamed underneath the single light that hovered above it, sending a blinding beam in every direction. It latched onto the ground with sharp spikes, digging into the floor with desperation. Details sketched across its base, intricate designs and symbols that were unrecognizable even to his intellectual heritage. It reached up to form a circular platform, and upon it laid a single cube; a see-through shape, glistening with the fragileness of glass. Sharp edges, rounded by the finest blacksmiths in the country, connected the squares together, creating a reinforced shelter for what hid inside.

The scientist stepped up to the intricate object, hovering his fingers over the cube before lightly pressing his index figure to a square, watching as it glowed in a bluish hue upon contact. He then began to rapidly press other parts of the cube, his fingers dashing across the puzzle with inhuman speed as the cube began to glow from the attempt at solving it, the blue squares slowly spreading across the entity of its surface. The smell of burning flesh rose in his nostrils but he ignored it, focusing intently on finishing the puzzle as the glow burned brighter and the rotten smell of his skin became overwhelming.

Just as the pain in his hands became unbearable, a clicking noise sounded from the cube, and the heat diminished instantly. He lowered his outstretched palm, watching as the small cubes pulled back from the corners of the shape, folding neatly against one another as they worked their way down. He smirked as he saw the object of his desire finally reveal itself within the heart of the cube, as the last of the squares disappeared within his hands, leaving one remaining. He tossed it back on the pedestal before returning his full attention to the single remote in his hand, and the solitary, ruby-red button that accompanied it.

It was pressed before a breath was ushered.

Screeches of rusty cogs sounded in the air; rotating clockwork and machinery screamed against the walls, heaving out massive amounts of power against their will. Pants and gasps breathed through the air, a gust waving through the room as a gauge beneath the floor begin to open. Steam spewed through the crevice, filling the room with smoke as an object began to emerge from the hole in the ground. The tip of a lid peeked through the opening, rising higher and higher, towering above the scientist as it seemed to grow by each second. The ground rumbled beneath its weight; glass bottles fell from shelves, eerily shattering upon contact with the awakened floor. Books flew from their tucked positions, pages forcefully ripping themselves out due to the suction of air from which the tube emerged. Just as it seemed it would crash through the room, it came to a steady halt, stopping inches from the ceiling. The machines let out one last gasp of air, before all was silent.

Footsteps echoed within the room and the scientist peered over his shoulder to see an old man walking towards him, a cane steadying him as he stepped. A long, grey beard hung from his chin, wrapped in purple silk, and pulled together in a ponytail past his waist. His eyebrows, unkempt for what appeared to be centuries, dragged down to his jawline in the same silvery color as his other impressive facial hair. His face, adorned with wrinkles and crow's-feet, revealed years of battle scars, the most prominent one along his forehead in the shape of a stretched X. His eyes, though small and squinty, stared hard at the scientist, boring into his soul with such intensity that it caused him to inwardly flinch.

Nothing was spoken; only the sound of the remaining cogs turning in agony was overheard above the silence.

The old man licked his lips, fingers clenching tightly around the knob of his staff before they began to drum lightly against the wood, jeering the scientist back to reality upon the sound. Bowing his head respectfully, he lowered himself to the floor in an act of pitiful allegiance, kneeling before the man that radiated absolute power and rule. He held back the sneer that threatened to surface, keeping his head lowered so that the man couldn't see his expression of hatred.

"Commander," he spoke, voice weighed with fake admiration. He looked up and proceeded to place a single hand over his heart, before bowing respectfully again, a small smile dancing along his lips as he resisted the urge to laugh at this absurd act. He remained in that position for a few more minutes before he felt a light tap on his head, and he looked up to seeing the older man glaring down at him.

"Enough with the stupid act, Kurotsuchi, where is the experiment?"

His voice was gravely, and cracked with age, but it didn't undermine the authoritative diction that flowed through his lips. His beady eyes bore into the man named Kurotsuchi, and the scientist merely smiled, yellowed teeth flashing, undeterred by the Commander's threatening aura. He rose to his feet, his hand still firmly placed against his chest, before swinging his other arm around to reveal the room they were in, extending it out in the direction of a singular glass tube. The Commander's eyes narrowed, but began to step in the direction that was indicated, followed closely by Kurotsuchi, who was smiling wickedly.

Passing by generators and overthrown bookshelves, stood the large silhouette of a glass containment cell. It towered nearly twenty feet above the men's heads, inches from the low ceiling. Steam still billowed from the edges of it, as if boiling hot from the travel to the ground floor. Blue liquid sloshed inside the container, filled to the brim with the opalescent fluid that hid whatever mystery lay inside it. Large cords mechanically connected to the lid of the tube, causing a sudden whirring noise as the liquid churned inside, swirling rapidly against the unbreakable glass.

Kurotsuchi walked up next to his leader, revealing the crazy grin he had worn earlier.

The Commander narrowed his eyes in annoyance, whipping around to face the scientist beside him.

"Where is the experiment, Kurotsuchi?" he growled.

Kurotsuchi ignored the menacing tone of the man's voice, staring proudly up at the cylindrical base. He raised his arms, almost as if worshipping the tube in all its glory, nearly bowing to one knee as excitement coursed through his veins and his eyes snapped open, blood-shot veins shooting across their surfaces. He turned to the bearded man, eyes crazed with sleep deprive and exhaustion before breaking out in another grin.

"The experiment rests here, sleeping within the contours of this prison."

The scientist motioned towards the cylinder, fingers tracing the outline of the tube in neat strokes. "Trapped in impenetrable glass, hidden for years in an underground facility kept at subzero temperatures. Even I could not journey down to where it was kept, relying mainly on computer data to keep me updated on its progress of regeneration." He stopped, smiling widely up at his Commander. "It's finally completed."

The sound of gears screeching to a halt brought their attention back to the tube, watching as the liquid inside calmed, and the suction slowly shut down. The fog began to clear almost spontaneously, disappearing into the suction and revealing a blurry image, disheveled from the running water. The thick liquid brightened, changing into a teal green before finally revealing what lied within it.

The Commander's eyes widened in shock.

Taunt muscles and naked skin exposed themselves against the see-through glass, floating midair by some unseen force. Wires stuck out of the body in numerous places, creating bubbles in the area around them; muscles, ligaments, veins, organs, every part of the body had one of the thin chains piercing them. Limbs stuck out in four places, arms and legs, both dangling uselessly against the side, identical to that of a human.

Striking white hair spiked out at the top of its head, spreading across the back of its neck and extending into the water, drifting aimlessly around its face. Dark, full lashes accompanied the sealed lids of the experiment, twitching from unregistered eye movement. Its mouth was pressed in a firm line, revealing no hints of emotion or signs of activity, affirming Kurotsuchi's assumption that it was dormant.

The old man stared at the experiment, his eyes trying to adjust to the fact that it was in the same shape as a human man, organs and all. Yet the abnormal colored hair it possessed betrayed its appearance, and the Commander wondered just how different this creation was from an actual soldier. Just staring up at it caused a slight chill to run down his back, and his senses began to kick into overdrive after just a few seconds. He forced himself to look away, feeling unnerved for staring at a naked man.

"A Human?" the Commander spoke after a few seconds to recollect himself, casting a side glance at the scientist that was marveling at his work. Kurotsuchi broke his trance and stared back at the grey-haired man, smiling widely before shaking his head.

"No, no. It is anything but human." He looked up and down at the figure floating in the tube before continuing. "A merciless killer, a tracker, a monstrosity that hunts down enemy soldiers by a single command." He sneered at the thought. "Accompanied by inhuman strength and power, he has the ability to alter his body into whatever form that suits him. However, I don't have the full logistics of this power, so I don't know the full extent of what he can do." He sneaked a peek at his leading officer, a laugh escaping his lips at the horrified glance his experiment was receiving. He took a step toward the old man, pointing his elongated nail inches from the Commander's eye, widening his own in excitement.

"A War weapon."

His body contorted within itself in pain, wrapping useless limbs around his torso to try and numb the flaring agony, but it only increased, and he screamed, shaking his head vigorously back and forth. The pain suffocated him, pierced him from all parts of his body. He screamed again, scratching at his skin to attempt to dig out whatever was causing this pain.

The figure within the glass tube shifted, eyebrows twitching unknowingly to the two men on the outside. Wires ripped out of his back, leaving tiny punctured holes imbedded in his skin.

"He will be used to help us gain even more territories that were taken from us!"

Blood, there was so much blood. He was soaked in it, bathed in it, that's all there was around him. He desperately searched for someone, anyone, to pull him out of the thick pit of crimson, but he was all alone. He had always been alone.

His fingers trembled, swarmed by the pressure of the liquid. Again, his eyes swam under heavy lids.

"A cold-blooded murderer, born from calculations and algorithms, created from science and mankind. Made with no emotion, no empathy, no restriction against slaughter. He only knows to kill, and will do so without hesitance, following order's like the loyal canine he is."

He was so lonely. He squeezed his eyes shut and cried out, burying his hands in his irregular hair, wishing to disappear from the world. Why couldn't he be normal? Why couldn't he be like everyone else? Why? Why… Why was he avoided? Why were people terrified of him? He just didn't want to be alone anymore… he wanted…

…He wanted revenge…

"Experiment H.T. X., Hitsugaya Toushiro, the first ever created human soldier!"

His eyes snapped open, blaring vivid cerulean orbs, before the glass cracked and shattered.


Author's Note: I feel like I went too fast with this, but what the heck, at least I typed one. Tell me your guy's opinions on this story, I'm still trying to figure out where this is going to go, and that it's a different plot line than the others I've written (although the sadistic Toshiro is back~, I just love him) Please review and tell me how I did (: Thanks~