SailorStar9: After getting the prologue out, this is Chapter 1 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.
Pairings: Ishida/Hasu, minor pairing Hitsugaya/Karin
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.
Chapter 1: The Despicable Shinigami
Later that night...
"Hey, you two!" a drunken Aramaki Makizō stumbled out of a cross-section and stopping Ishida and Orihime. "Wait just a minute. What're you two doing in a place like this? What Squad are you?
"11th Squad." Ishida replied.
"That's weird." Aramaki noted. "I'm in 11th Squad too, but this is the first I've heard that there're boneheads who walk around without Zanpakutō, in combat-specialist 11th Squad. This is a 12th Squad patch, not one of ours." he grabbed Orihime's Shihakushō to reveal the cartoonish skull-shaped pattern patch sewn within it. "Of course you wouldn't know that. Who the hell are you two?"
"That was close, you two." one of the Squad 12th Shinigami remarked, his partner having knocked Aramaki out with a wooden stick. "Are you hurt? Of all things, to suspect a comrade... what a jerk."
"This guy is drunk." another member prodded Aramaki.
"Thank you very much." Orihime bowed.
"It's nothing." the third member assured. "It's a matter of course for 12th Squad comrades to help each other."
"These guys just look for any excuse to come next door and mess with us." the first Squad 12 Shinigami snorted. "When you're in a hurry, it's no surprise to forget your sword once or twice. Come on. We'll escort you to the squad building."
"Inoue, get away!" Ishida realized it had been a trap and barely managed to get Orihime away from the explosion.
"Bad boy." Kurotsuchi Mayuri chided, having detonated the human bombs he had used his own squad members for. "A released bomb mustn't come back. A shield?" he frowned, the smoke clearing to reveal Orihime had activated her 'Santen Kesshun' barrier. "That's an interesting technique." he admitted after the triangle shield shattered. "The shield is the technique of the woman behind you?"
"We have no need to respond." Ishida replied.
"Really, it's interesting." Mayuri insisted. "That's the first time I've seen such a technique. How about it, woman? Wouldn't you like to work under me as a research subject?"
"Don't be absurd." Ishida growled. "I said we're not going to respond."
He's fast. Mayuri mused, Ishida had his 'Kojaku' bow activated with a Spirit Arrow pulled taut. "A Quincy?" he recognized. "What a rare breed. I wonder how long it's been since I've seen a live specimen. However, I regret I've already finished my research on your kind. I have no interest in you anymore."
"Finished your research?" Ishida echoed. "What does that mean? Who are you?"
"What?" Mayuri mocked. "You ryoka just rush into your enemy's headquarters without promptly investigating first? What a careless bunch. I should think you would at least memorize the thirteen people at the top. 12th Squad Captain, as well as Second Technological Development Bureau Chief." he expanded his reiatsu. "Kurotsuchi Mayuri. You don't have to remember that. You won't know anything shortly, anyway."
"Inoue, run away!" Ishida barked. "You, 11th Squad guy." he gave the sneaking away Aramaki a side look. "Take Inoue and run away. If you don't hurry, you'll get caught in the crossfire. Take her even if you have to force her."
"Come on, girlie." Aramaki heaved Orihime over his shoulder and fled the pending battlefield.
"Did I say you could run?" Mayuri extended his mechanical arm, only to have Ishida destroy the appendage, along with the nearby wall, with a Spirit Arrow
"Did I say you could follow?" Ishida fired back.
"I'm not interested in you." Mayuri remarked. "Attaching this actually take quite a bit of time and effort." pulling out the useless arm, he detached the entire body part. "That sure does hurt." he muttered, injecting a serum into his upper arm and regrowing the limb. "It seems the woman has gotten away. That's fine. If there's a hair or two of hers lying around, that's more than enough to track her. That bastard." he hissed, dodging the powerful arrow that was fired at him. "Not bad." he praised, using Shunpo to avoid getting hit by a second arrow, both adversaries meeting on the roof. "You move quite well. The previous move and the one just now... Hirenkyaku, right? It's a high-level Quincy technique of rapid movement, whereby one rides a flow of Reishi created under the feet. I would never expect a young man like you to be trained in it. Good for you, it seems you're quite gifted in talent. But I can't let you run around evading me like that. I'm a busy man. So now, I'll use the method requiring the least effort to kill you." he unsheathed his Zanpakutō. "Rip, Ashisogi Jizō!" before he could launch an attack on the archer, Nemu jumped up, grabbing Ishida and tackled him back to the ground. Following closely behind, Mayuri slashed them both simultaneously. "You fool." he slapped Nemu. "I thought I taught you not to let go even if your arm is severed."
"My deepest apologies..." Nemu muttered.
"Just as well." Mayuri snorted. "I never expected anything from you in the first place. Now that we've come this far," he turned to Ishida. "It seems I can finish this with no more effort than strangling an infant. You're sweating quite a bit." he strolled in front of the injured archer. "It must hurt. I'm amazed you can bear it without screaming. Impressive mental fortitude. I suppose this isn't your first time being cut by a katana. Noisy whore." he spat, turning when he heard Nemu collapse on the ground.
"My deepest apologies." Nemu apologized again. "Mayuri-sama, may I please also have some regenerating medicine? It seems my wound extend to my lungs. At this rate, I will not be able to maintain life func..." she started coughing.
"Are you trying to make a fool of me?" Mayuri fumed, stomping on Nemu. "Are you trying to say your body will become useless from that tiny wound?"
"What are you doing?" Ishida demanded. "That woman is seriously going to die."
"Are you making a fool of me, too?" Mayuri questioned. "She's going to die just from this? The body I built, is going to stop functioning from such a light wound, is that it? You ought to be careful of who you make a fool of. Why don't I tell you her name? Kurotsuchi Nemu; I made her by concentrating my essence of my Gigai technology and Gikon technology. She is my daughter. Don't' wave your creepy sense of justice here. No matter how I treat this thing, a stranger like you has no right to say anything. You just now noticed?" he mocked, seeing Ishida had realized his arm was unresponsive. "You're rather slow-witted, aren't you? 'To strip movement from the four limbs of whatever it cuts'." he recited his Zanpakutō's ability. "That is the power of my Ashisogi Jizō."
"Paralyzing poison?" Ishida gasped.
"Don't be ridiculous." Mayuri chided. "It's nothing so commonplace. Out of the innumerable signals sent from your brain, it selects only the signals saying 'move the limbs' and severs their pathways." he explained. It produces that advanced drug on its own. It's not paralysis. It strips only the movement of the limbs. In other words," he stabbed Ishida with the forked Zanpakutō. "Not the slightest bit of pain is lost. Nemu, get up. You give the death blow. I forgot." he corrected when Nemu was unresponsive. "I cut you with this, too, so you can't move either."
"I told you to stop it." Ishida hissed, before Mayuri could stab Nemu.
"You're annoying me." Mayuri retorted. "Is being merciful to wounded females, even if they're enemies, part of that 'Quincy Pride' you people are so fond of? You are fond of it, aren't you? I mean, you all keep saying that line until the moment you die. 'On the pride of the Quincy, I cannot do that'. It's damn annoying! Every one of you! With just one stab of this, any words of resistance become meaningless anyway. Hold on. Now I'll tell you the story of my pains. When I became Technological Development Bureau chief, the Quincys were already a rare breed. There was surveillance on the survivors. Intentionally delaying the rescue of those protected and obtaining their soul was such a arduous task. Even with all that effort, there were no good research specimens. And the last one was this filthy old geezer; he just kept on calling out the name or either his student or grandchild. Do you want to see a photo? It's a post-research photo though, so the original physiology isn't preserved." he tossed a black-and-white picture to Ishida. "What was that student's name again? What is that?" he was stunned by the sudden explosion of reiatsu.
"Want me to tell you the name of the student?" the enraged Ishida glared, his Reiatsu skyrocketing as he activated Ransōtengai. "His student's name is Ishida Uryū. This man is Ishida Sōken, my teacher and my blood grandfather. On the pride of the Quincy, I will kill you."
Omake: Kon-sama's Ultimate Shinigami Illustrated Guide
Kon: 7th Squad Lieutenant, Iba Tetsuzaemon. Aniki!
SailorStar9: In the next chapter, Uryū uses the Quincy technique Ransōtengai to overcome the paralysis of Mayuri's Zanpakutō. However, he is outclassed by Mayuri, and is forced to take off his Sanrei Glove, an act that releases the limits on his powers. Uryū proceeds to completely overwhelm Mayuri, even after Mayuri releases his Bankai, but Mayuri escapes by transforming into a liquid. Nemu gives Uryū the antidote to the poison of Mayuri's Bankai, and Uryū continues on towards Rukia's cell, severely weakened, until he is confronted by another Soul Reaper captain, Kaname Tōsen.
