Note:
Single colons and italics are ' Thoughts '
Chapter 1:
Day of Reminiscence
The silver haired prodigy sat calmly in the office of division 10, the special service or otherwise dubbed the intelligence sector of "Soul Society". The intelligence sector, one of the most prestigious divisions within "Soul Society" perceived to be the highest legal syndicate in dissolving crime and upholding balance, investigates and obtains classified information which is indispensable in solving cases requiring infiltration. These cases, sent as missions, are quintessential to the existence of the 10th division whose captain, the white haired genius, sat measly flipping through papers sparingly while engraving the archive of paperwork with his personal seal.
Hitsugaya remained within his desk shrouded with stacks of documentation. His eyes drooped and though pale in complexion dark orbital sacs trailed beneath his eyes hugging his skin in a darker shade. His grip upon his seal screamed in exhaustion yet, the stacks challenged him and taunted him as they never seemed to fade away. As Hitsugaya sipped his rejuvenating tea he sighed at yet another sleepless night. He was exasperatedly tired and cringed at the coming of the new day. The thought of his next pile of paperwork made him tremble inwardly at the unpleasant anticipation soon to occur.
Hitsugaya spent his time verifying mission files, reviewing reports, and dreading the most tedious task of reviewing the stacks hidden around the office by Matsumoto. These duties did not even amount to his stress to accomplish both his and his vice captain's relentless piles of paper awaiting their respective signature. And, Hitsugaya was convinced that Matsumoto's was not a part of his job description. At least not the extra paperwork which made him deserve a pay raise.
The sky began to crawl into the sun rise as the colours dispersed gently against the breeze. The sun poked its head out in happiness as the monitor displayed 6.00am. His teal eyes turned to look out the window with the reflection of the sky's misty shades entwining with his own. The documents of the latest mission remained untouched on the corner of the table top as he stared quietly at the sheer pieces of inked paper. He had not opened them but the red seal engraved on the top right corner of the folder shadowed his thoughts, the feeling of danger reverberating within the walls of the barracks.
The genius, Hitsugaya Toushiro, was at a loss. His eyes shadowed a cold, blank state as his gaze was fixed towards the paper that was scrawled across the desk. As he closed his eyes he could envision the memories, triggering his recollection of the tragedy that had already be fell him; the mission documents sent with an identical seal of red.
Smeared across the envelope read:
Classified. Upon opening the envelope will self destruct within a minute. Proceed with caution.
Hitsugaya scoffed softly at the words of caution knowing them all to well. The letters were curved identical to how he knew them to be. The prodigal figure pondered the contents of the gold envelope, his left hand resting underneath his chin. Within his palm he held the documents gently. He drawled upon the mark of caution gaining a visible smirk upon his tired visage. 'Another mission...ka?'
Hitsugaya's vision hazed, as his eyes narrowed, deep in thought. Placing the documents back down upon his desk he leaned back against his chair as his eyes searched outside the window pane. The darkness of the sky before daybreak always reminded him of that day, the same red graving echoing as if re-doing the dreadful case. He was still, holding the cup of green tea softly to his lips, reminiscing the memory of Central 46.
Central 46...
An algid chill breezed as he pressed himself against the Siberian fortifications of Central 46. Blood smeared across the ground and its trials paved the vicinity in dark red ink. The faces of his acquaintances, twisted with horror and grief, reflected in their morbid elucidation with the appearance of their eyes wide open in alarm .
Without a doubt, beyond the darkness beneath the moon's light, the murderer masked himself in the black.
He could sense it. He could taste it: the scent of blood proliferating through the air. The metallic taste of after death drowned the walls with the same odour.
His heart pounded against his chest as he lifted the gun to the side of his face. A metallic glint pressed against the moon light as the cold handle glowed at his touch. The cold caress of the gun lulled his anxiety slightly as he peered out of the wall which he took refuge behind. With a sudden jolt he moved out quickly and cautiously, pacing about central 46, his eyes carefully scanning as he traced the gun's motion with his own.
The darkness was penetrating. Within the confines of the moon, the sole source of light, he could only feel his own pounding heart harshly like a hurried beat of a drum.
"Looking for something?" The voice cooed gently. A faint deepened chuckle could be heard in the backdrop carried with a hint of malice whistling in the echoing room. Beyond at the exit stood a dark figure clouded by deep shadows shielding him from view. The figure moved slightly as Hitsugaya drew his gun immediately towards the target.
"Don't Move!" Hitsugaya shouted, the gun stead fast pointing towards the intended person. "Show yourself!"
The cloaked figure smiled darkly as he brought himself to view as he held a girl hostage.
Hinamori.
"Shiro-" The girl choked against the hold her capturer. The red bands scarred across her milky skin, the bruises perking out against the side, deep blue and purple.
"Let her go," Hitsugaya hissed, his eyes deepening. The hatred built as the adrenaline rushed across his bloodstream. His fists clenched tightly around the gun, the pull of the trigger-tempting and dangerous.
Hinamori, his childhood friend, seemed helpless in the man's arms in fear. The man smiled sadistically as he ran his knife across her throat grazing her skin with blood. "Why hello Hitsugaya. Nice of you to join the party. I was waiting for your arrival."
"What do you want?" Hitsugaya snared.
"Don't ask what you don't want to know."The man replied cryptically. "Why don't you focus on saving her Hitsugaya?"
"Put her down," Hitsugaya retorted holding the gun towards him.
"Come and play Hitsugaya," the murderer laughed "Join the game of death..." He licked the blood from the blade and threw it at Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya stood as the knife grazed his face as the red liquid drizzled down his cheek. "Nanda? Don't you want to join the fun?"
"I'm not here to play sick games with you"
"Aww, what a shame. I was looking for some live entertainment." The murderer purred reaching into his pocket. Hitsugaya shot his gun in front of the culprit emotionless as the man drew his hand away.
"Move away from the girl," Hitsugaya spat as he drew closer with his gun.
"Trust your shot?" the murderer smirked, "Shoot and you may kill her."
"I will shoot you." Hitsugaya warned, "Surrender yourself."
"Nooo Shiro run away..." Hinamori cried painfully, "He's dangerous!"
"What?" The murderer smiled as he clicked the red button within his pocket.
The bombs exploded simultaneously as the ceiling began to collapse. Hitsugaya darted across the room avoiding the tiles which were falling above him avoiding the debris that filled his eyes with dirt.
"Want to hear her scream."he laughed viciously, "See the blood dripping down her. She would be soo easy to kill. One bullet is all that it takes to end her life."
"What is your goal?"Hitsugaya screamed.
"You would have known...but its too late-" the man called. "Its the finale. When the murderer gets away and destroys the evidence." His hold on Hinamori's neck tightened drastically. Her face scrunched in agony as he could hear her distant cry as tears fell down her face. Fingertips reached towards the hands that were tightening around her neck in futile attempts to repress his strength. Her pale face drenched with misery.
"I said let her go," Hitsugaya warned. He felt the hold on the trigger tightening softly as his concentration increased. He could feel the blood rushing faster and faster. Stay calm…Hitsugaya breathed deeply to calm his nerves as he zeroed in on a shot at the culprit. His hands fixed naturally against the metallic sheath of the gun into the familiar welcome pads of the gun, his eyes focused.
The man laughed as his smile widened staring towards Hitsugaya in amusement as if knowing his actions thoroughly. "Good. Good."The man drawled."Just like that..." Quickly the man drew his gun as Hitsugaya felt a surge of pain sweep across his body and withdrew his shot. His arm was paralysed and could not press the trigger.
'What is this pain...What is happening?' Hitsugaya clenched his palm to his chest as he leaped towards the side. Multiple gun shots were fired as the man aimed towards Hitsugaya precisely in areas that would paralyse him. The bullet pierced through his arm and his leg as he fell against the cold tiles. His gun deflected against the ground sliding across the floor. The blood gushed out of his open wounds pooling beneath them. Desperately, he reached towards his weapon as he stared towards the bloody-eyed murderer. "Trying to get your gun?" the man smirked. Tightening his grip on Hinamori's wrist he held her face and moved them to see her white haired friend.
"What have you done to me?" Hitsugaya coughed as the metallic substance trickled down.
"Watch closely. Can you see him struggling just to save you?"the man's eye glowed bright red.
"Noo," Hinamori cried, "Stop!"
"Oh..."the man commented dryly seeing Hitsugaya reaching for his gun, "Let me help you..." The figure decisively aimed and shot the gun further away from his reach until it was out of reach.
"Damn..." Hitsugaya cried as his wounds continued to bleed. He pressed his fingers against them to try to control the bleeding by pressing his artery near the opening. He was losing conscious..He was losing blood.. The fight seemed lost although it had only begun.
"Now what to do with you….." The man commented cynically as he gently released Hinamori from his hands. Her body fell against the floor as she immediately placed her hands against her neck as if to soothe the pain. Her eyes widened as she stared towards her attacker in a panic. Her sweat dripped down her neck as her voice staggered.
"No…." she cried. The fear surrounded her being. Her figure was still, frozen in shock and horror. "What have you done?" The man smiled in response as his blood hungry eyes preyed upon her.
"Hinamori!" Hitsugaya cried as he inched his body closer to his gun. His arm oozed with blood as the pain swept in agony.
"Goodbye Hinamori" The man purred, the gun pointed down towards her. And then, the crashing thunder roared-
Cold sweat ran down his neck as he heard the bone-chilling shriek of the girl. She lay unmoving, her hair tied up into a tight bun encompassed by a white hair band as the red dye slowly surrounded her body. The building continued to explode as a fire accumulated within the inside.
Hinamori-
The echoes of footsteps grew louder as the man proceeded past Hitsugaya in ease.
Hitsugaya glared weakly at the man as he strode in the sizzling fire. Hitsugaya glared and saw the masked face in the smouldering smoke by the light of the heat.
And then the smile of the traitor...
"Sayounara boy," the man drawled. "Sayounara..." And his laughed echoed within the crumbling building engulfed in flames.
"Ohaiyo Taichou!" The sickening sweet voice of Matsumoto echoed throughout the office. The woman smiled cheerfully, her orange curved hair fluttering, almost bouncing, in the air. Her legs swayed as she made her way to her destination.
"What is it Matsumoto?" the young boy drawled heavily. He could now see the stacks of paperwork hidden beneath her desk and the leathered couch that rested in the centre of the office. Typical. His eyes shifted darkly and dimmed at the endless stacks of paperwork awaiting to be fixed. There would be no vacation anytime soon. He could tell from his paperwork insomnia which currently was the foundation of his existence in Soul Society as of the moment.
"Nee taichou~" Matsumoto purred cunningly as she sprawled on the couch. Hitsugaya glared irritated as his eyes drifted under the furniture alluding to the numerous stacks deceptively hidden underneath: tucked and forgotten. The woman lay, oblivious and drunk, wasted from the night with Kira and her so called "friends" in yet again another work less day.
"Matsumoto..." Hitsugaya sighed deeply as he rubbed his wrinkles in visible distesss.
"Taichou? Do you want to drink some sake? It's good! Neee nee taichou~ come drink with me!" she giggled with glee holding yet another bottle of sake. The wasted glasses lay scattered around the floor messily reeking the office in the scent of sake.
Hitsugaya stared towards Matsumoto as his eyes glared towards her wrist. To his fear, she held the remaining sake bottle from the previous night and already opened it. He could only imagine what happened to her victims, Kira and company, in her wrath. Honestly, Matsumoto was a drinking monster, he would not look forward to drinking in her company if he ever needed to do so.
"By the way Matsumoto..." his eyebrows irked with irritation as he read one of his previous reports while sipping his green tea, "where is your report?"
"What report Taichou? You mean sake?" Matsumoto laughed hysterically while shuffling left and right on the couch.
"Your vice-captain report from yesterday's meeting?"
"Taichou," Matsumoto shrieked, "you mean the sake drinking contest yesterday? Or the boring conference beforehand? That was no fun." she pouted gulping down more sake.
"And?"
"Hahaha~ hehehe~, I don't remember any meeting." giggled Matsumoto. His eyebrow arched dangerously as his frustration rose a meter.
"Is that so?" Hitsugaya retorted as he closed his eyes together. A small sadistic half smile began to form upon his face. In response he sipped his tea hoping that his anger would dissolve by the serenity that the tea brought. Yet, he could feel the lines growing on his forehead as he willed them to lessen. 'It's alright' he thought. 'it's just Matsumo-'
CLANG! CRACK!
"Oh whoops!" Matsumoto replied dejectedly. "What a waste of sake." She paused for a moment before she fell off the couch and scratched her head while glaring underneath the couch. "Neee~ Taichou." She replied mockingly, "you haven't been doing your paperwork have you?"
"What?" Hitsugaya felt the anger rising again. 'Restrain yourself...it's just Matsumoto'
"The ones you hid under the couch." She teased flipping her orange hair, "that isn't very smart Taichou~"
"Matsumoto-"
"Ohhh whoops! The sake spilled all over them! I don't think I can read the words they all blurred out but that probably was your mistake for putting them over there..."
"Matsumo-"
"Ahhhhhh~No more sake left." Matsumoto moaned as she shook the bottle upside down verifying there was no liquid within, "Taichou, can you get me some-"
"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya roared, "Go home and sober up! Come back when you're ready to work!"
"Hieeeeeee! Gomenasai!"
"And finish the paperwork under the couch that you hid when your ready to work!"
...
And then, the office still lingered in the comforting silence as Hitsugaya wished.
The paperwork, that was Matsumoto's, he knew would probably end up done primarily by himself and the envelope lay untouched, glistening like a bullet.
Extra:
'She's clueless when she 's drunk but to think she was sober enough to get to the office building for work is pretty impressive...' Hitsugaya contemplated.
'Matsumoto.' he sighed again, '...work work work...'
Author Note: (AN)
Hello Minna-san! Watashi wa Aoi Hibikia desu yoroshiku onegai shimasu!
Hello everyone! Aoi Hibikia here! I hope the fic is okay. Please feel free to give appropriate criticism to wherever you deem necessary. I know I'm still learning and that there are mistakes everywhere although I do pro-read a couple times beforehand just to make sure I have fixed the obvious mistakes...Well I hope?
I hope that the characters are not to OC. When I was writing this I tried to keep them in character as much as possible and I apologize for my terrible grammar. I'm honestly not that great at opening stories but I hope this one turned out okay. I put effort in trying to establish some key events that will be important later on within the story. It's the first time I wrote a fighting scene or shall I call it an action scene...They are pretty difficult to write! I have the story planned but I'm not too certain what I will do regarding some parts but I have mostly everything planned...even though some of it is confusing and might not make sense yet.
I hope that the fic is alright and I will continue to update as soon as I can. I make no promises in updating times but I will try.. But, check the profile page to see when the next tentative one is. If I am busy then the status will be tba. I hope that the new years is going well for everyone!
Jya Mata kondo!
Aoi Hibikia
Glossary:
Taichou: Captain
Sake: Rice wine
Sayounara: Good bye
