Gwen's head hurt a /lot./ She could hear voices and was struggling towards them, trying to get from her inner world to their owners. she had a mission, she had to accomplish her mission!
"Is she going to be alright?"
"Her regeneration speed is slower than Logan, its almost as if some other force not belonging to her is healing her. I've been trying to get some bead on who she is but its as if she's gone deeply asleep."
Gweeeeeeennnnn... Seiryuu's voice called to her. Come into your inner world and rest, the professor has received the message from himself, but he can come to me if he needs something. I know you hate inactivity, so sleeeeeep...
"when I probed inside of her mind, the girl was blocked off from me, instead I saw something enormous and ancient. But I couldn't see it clearly. All I knew was that this force was powerful, and it could hurt me but it didn't want to." Professor Xavier was explaining. "That ancient force is giving her a lot of power, its pushed her into Class 5 in strength and past it."
They'd held an impromptu meeting in the hospital room, Jubilee had more than a bashed head, she had cracked ribs, and she and Jean were going to be in bed for at least a week, Jubilee for longer.
"Just how strong is the little blue girlie anyway?" Wolverine demanded.
"If it weren't for her Cybernetic arm, she could probably defeat Magneto easily. Beyond that... she could probably have a go at Juggernaut and win, probably take chunks out of Apocalypse before he succeeded in getting her." Professor Charles Xavier knew someone who had fought for protracted periods when he saw them. This girl was a warrior capable of hitting heights frightening when compared to most Mutants.
And then there was the message. "I know you probably don't know this girl, Charles, and that you don't remember making this message." The him on the tape had said. "I am you, but from an alternate universe. The X-men here are younger, but many are the same that you know. We're stuck in the middle of a desperate long term conflict and our enemies have come to you now. Arm yourself and your students. The unknown is knocking at our doors."
"Chunks out of apocalypse? I don't believe it! It usually takes all of us to send that slimeball packing!" Rogue shook her head disbelievingly.
Quite literally chunks, but it wasn't the same Apocalypse that you know. An amused, deep bass Telepathic voice laughed. It was a different form of the same individual, does the term Paralel Universe strike a bell? Ah but my darling host performed well, ripping pieces from him was preferable to letting him go on the rampage.
An enormous apparition of a dragon appeared before Charles Xavier and the X-men. His scales were enormous sapphire, his eyes slitted green and gold, his claws were as sharp as knives. His form was that of a chinese dragon and his voice was a deep commanding bass boom in their minds. I am Seiryuu, one of the four Harmonious Ones. I rule the element of water, and all Mutants who dwell within or use the waters gain both blessings and power from me. That girl is my Oracle, my host. I need her in order to survive and all water element combatants require my existance as well. Even one of your own X-men becomes stronger and more vital in my presence.
"You mean me?" Storm asked in amusement.
Yes, and the other Harmonious ones rule the other elements. Seiryuu replied. Professor, you and I must have a chat, for I know that you are quite curious. It is a trait I applaud, but I cannot have you poking around in my host's mind at the moment. As per our contract with each other, I must act in her best interests in return for using her body.
"What do you need her body for?" Cyclops blinked. This was reminding him all too much of the incident with the phoenix.
In order to provide power to the waters and all who gain their powers from the water, I need a body! She lives her life as a mortal in service to a higher call! My body is long since turned to dust, become the rivers of the earth and given them life and strength! Now come Professor...
Professor Xavier promptly fell asleep in his chair despite having been quite alert a moment before, a faint sapphire sheen of energy covered his skin. Seiryuu's apparition was gone. Do not worry X-men, I will return with your Professor /shortly./
Xavier had left his body for astral projection only once before, when the Phoenix had appeared and Leandra was trying to contact him for help. But here he was, standing amid the sands and eternal darkness of Hueco Mundo, standing atop Los Noches with Seiryuu. This is the dimension of eternal night, Hueco Mundo. Here the only rules are those of power and dominence. Only the strongest are able to survive and every day is a battle to establish a pecking order. The only rule of law here is that which allows its inhabitants to live long enough to fight another day.
It looks incredibly empty...
No, look behind you.
"I HATE ALL OF YOU STUPID GATEKEEPERS, ANYONE YOU ALLY YOURSELVES WITH, I'LL KILL THEM ALL!" Lilinette screamed. "STAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRK I NEED YOU! I NEED YOU DAMNIT HOW COULD YOU LET THEM TAKE YOU AWAY FROM ME! I WILL HAVE REVENGE FOR YOU STARRRRRRRKKKK!"
"gaaaaaaoooo..." Wonderweiss sat next to her, bored despite the show of melodrama and angst Lilinette was putting on.
"You two RUNTS are lucky to be alive!" An enormous hand, twice the size of Beast's, reached down and grabbed them. "I'VE TOLD YOU ONCE, TWICE AND A THOUSAND TIMES, STAY AWAY FROM /ANY/ PERSON IN ANY DIMENSION NAMED JEAN GREY!"
Grimmjaw Jaegerjacks. Remember him Professor. He is... special.
"I have marked her as my prey Grimmjaw-sama."
"NO. If I have to challenge you to keep you safe Lilinette I will! Starrk has gone to service a higher power now. He would WANT me to keep you safe as my CUB!"
"I want to prove myself to the other arrancar! I'm stuck in this puny body! How else am I to do it but by challenging a puny powered human to dominence!?"
"you don't understand. The humans are rising into their own as a powered race. Give it a few centuries, if they don't kill themselves in two hundred years they'll be well on their way to becoming stronger than the Seireitei! Do /not/ underestimate a powered human as your opponent. Jean Grey may look like a pretty lady with nothing stronger than Telepathy to guide her. But she is a class 5 mutant and she is CAPABLE of turning you into a blithering idiot lying on the ground with no mind left! We don't just have to survive against our own kind anymore. Do NOT make the mistake I did when I challenged Ichigo Kurosaki. Find another opponent to prove yourself against who is CLOSER to your power level. I will not see you crushed by an X-man, I will NOT!"
Curious, they are protecting each other? Xavier asked Seiryuu.
Powerful hollow have learned the value of forming a pack. These have evolved to the most human like level, the arrancars.
FLASH
They were standing in a home that the Professor quickly recognized as Japanese. As he watched, an enormous monster crashed through the wall of the house, simply phasing through it like a ghost. "ORIHIMEEEEEE!" he attacked an orange haired girl and her friend. The two put up a feeble fight. "Since you have forgotten your own brother, your soul will live inside of me, AS A MEAL! You will NEVER be seperated from me AGAIN!"
"I AM THE ONE THAT YOU'RE REALLY AFTER, LEAVE HER ALONE AND FIGHT ME!" A boy, barely fifteen, with brilliant carrot colored hair, and a sword the length of his body in a black uniform burst in and attacked the beast.
This is the weakest form of hollow, newly spawned, all of its pain and resentment have been unleashed upon the girl the hollow called Acid Wire once called a sister. Not only that, but all of his sisters friends, anyone near her is in danger from him. Acid wire was eventually defeated by the boy. But he is a prime example of the danger these creatures pose to /all/ humans.
These creatures are called The Hollows. They form from the souls of deceased humans who either refused to cross over or couldn't do so in time. Their souls rotted and became warped and monsterous by their anger, their hatred and regret.
Professor Xavier was shown images of battles between powered humans, shinigami, and hollows and arrancar. Even a few of Orihime fighting. This is amazing. These humans, and the ones in the black robes, are they mutants?
After a fashion, their powers come from their souls, not the X-gene. The ones in black robes are shinigami like the one who came to you, Waverunner. Shinigami evolved from humans thousands of years ago and have a unique responsibility to maintain balence within the cycle of life and death.
The images focused again on the battle between the orange haired boy and Acid Wire. Orihime threw her arms around the hollow, crying, apologizing for everything only wanting her brother to move on.
Watch carefully Professor.
The hollow began to thrash, tearing at his face, at his mask. "He's resisting the monster inside of him. Right now for his sister's sake there's a human in there fighting the animal." A black haired woman told the boy.
"What... but Orihime!"
"The chain of fate is still attached, as long as it is, we can put Orihime back in her body."
As the professor watched, the hollow ripped its own mask of, said a tearful goodbye to Orihime, and then killed itself using the boy's sword. He is in a better place now. His soul lives on in the realm of peace, the Soul Society.
The realm of peace?
Its not as peaceful as you would think. Come...
They emerged in a bright world, above a midevil Japanese Fortress. Beyond Xavier could see smaller buildings, out beyond the walls and gates of the fortress. The place was immense in size. As they descended towards a building full of black and white suited figures running about with the kanji for thirteen on it.
A messanger ran by them. "Ryuunami-fukutaichou! Sir Xavier and Sir Magneto have come to speak to you! HURRY!"
"I'll take my own sweet fucking time." Gwen yawned, a cup of tea and a sumi ink brush still in hand.
A pair of figures strode into the courtyard. "Charles, Magnus how nice to see you!" The girl would not touch Magneto and regarded him with guarded caution. Small wonder, her right arm was entirely cybernetic.
Professor Xavier stared in shock at... himself? Wait, there were minor differences in facial structure, and Magneto's hair was too short under his helmet, his height easily a handspan smaller. Their voices were younger. What is going on?
Alternate versions of you and Magneto, the one /she/ knows immediately realized the threat that hollows posed to both humans and mutants and grudgingly agreed to a mutal protection treaty that protects and provides anti hollow training both for his Brotherhood and the alternate versions of your X-men. Pressed by the hollows in their universe they have come to ask a favor, let us follow!
Space warped around them and they were sitting in an office in the building. "So... I was wondering how long it would take you to ask. After that near gutting the last one gave Logan."
"He and Gambit will recover. But they barely won, they're both far older and more experienced than the others in our groups." The other Xavier explained.
"Ulquiorra nearly killed me the last time, and Yammy tried to kill my son, I take that kind of attack personally." Magneto growled. The stapler on Gwen's desk levitated from the surface sparking. Magneto grabbed it and pushed it back down.
"Magneto contain yourself. Kailai and I have worked hard to train the Brotherhood and the Xmen to fight hollows. The standard course of training at the shinigami academy is SIX YEARS. We have far less than that. Aizen's swarm has stayed in your world for a time mainly to try and locate and hollowfy any Mutants that might oppose him. If he can turn the Xmen or the Brotherhood into hollows, he'll have an enormous victory. Your world will be DEFENSELESS."
Both men bowed their heads. "We need to know how Saya's training as an Enchanted Blacksmith is going."
"She's nearly able to enchant what she pleases how she pleases. But her father's and Totosai's (1) swordsmithing knowledge has created an odd side effect. One that could backlash heavily against you Magneto and heavily /favors/ Charles."
"And that is?"
"The swords curse someone who draws them with the intent of revenge, cold blooded murder, or other ill intent. Magneto that /curse/ could injure you badly and impair your ability to combat them. The girl will not let you take them without that warning."
"A CURSE?" Magneto laughed. "you know I'm hardier than THAT Soul Reaper! What damage can a CURSE do to me?"
"you may want to /heed/ this warning of mine /Magnus./" Gwen snarled, both men rocked back, the other Xavier, the one with Seiryuu could see a ripple in the air around Magneto. The man's chair was slowly tipping back, like he'd been pushed. "If I can knock you over with my reiryoku, what do you think Grimmjow is going to do? He's under cover. He has to act like an enemy and live or die for the sake of beating Aizen, when you fight him Magneto you NEED to make it look convincing. Of course, convincing doesn't require you survive, and if you fool around fighting him, he's not the kind of opponent you can risk inflicting damage to yourself over. Curses are not a joke."
Magneto looked at the ground, this expression on his face, it was stress, irritation, frustration. "Peace and vengeance, each has a role in their time and each MUST balance the other. Neither can win for long. The vengeful become tired and burn down to but a cinder without the peaceful to ease their suffering, and the peaceful become too easily overrun if they aren't willing to get up and shed their ploughshares for swords. It is up to the two of you as your world's protectors to cover for the other's weaknesses. You must do as the soul reapers do, and not seek victory, but BALENCE. It is the only goal that can protect your planet from the Hollows as Humanity /must/ soon learn to do."
Balence? Xavier asked.
The shinigami are neither good nor evil, they are there to balance the two. Seiryuu growled. Gwen knows that if she gets this wrong, the other Xavier's X-men and the other Magneto's Brotherhood will pay the price not only with their lives but with their souls. She does not fool around with those she has been trusted to train.
"What is this curse? What does it entail?" The other Xavier asked.
Good question.
"Why don't you ask Saya? I sent a hell butterfly for her."
"I have truly earned my nom de guerre this time." A female voice said outside as she entered. "Good day Professor Xavier, sir Magneto, it is a pleasure to finally meet you both. I have watched the battle files of both your X-men and your Brotherhood. I began working on something to help you when it became apparent to me that you were struggling."
"Thank you um..." Magneto hesitated.
"My name is Saya Labeaux Kuchiki, descendent of Voodoo queen Marie Labeaux and a branch member of the Kuchiki clan. You may call me also by "Masamune" and use the title "Loremaster."" Saya bowed to them both. "By the way..."
She blushed furiously and flashed Magneto a huge grin. "I WANT GAMBIT'S AUTOGRAPH, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! I HEARD HE'S ON YOUR TEAM NOW PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!"
"only if I get a full explanation of this curse and a demonstration of what you can do child. Surely as a Gatekeeper you must have some kind of unique power."
"You got it in one, my power is a class called Fullbring. We fullbringers have the ability to alter the matter of objects, especially ones we have a fondness for. As for this curse." She grinned. "You up for a story old man?"
"I will tell him the story. The enchantment system Saya will be using to make the swords was originally designed by one of the Swordsmiths in this story." Gwen told the other Professor and Magneto.
"A long time ago there were two swordsmiths with attitudes much like your own. Masamune was a follower of the way of Zen and sought to make the ultimate blade. But he himself was wise and peace loving, he sought the swordsmith's path as a Way to enlightenment. By contrast, his apprentice Muramasa was very brash. He considered swords killing weapons, and the object always a destructive end. What else was there? A sword had only one use, killing, what did the intent matter? What mattered other than making a powerful blade?"
The two men looked at her expectantly as Gwen cleared her throat and took a sip of her tea. Xavier leaned forward in his chair a little closer while Magneto stayed put. The other Xavier could tell that the alternate version of his rival was extremely stressed by the situation.
"Apprentices of that era were commonly expected to surpass their teachers, and to this end Muramasa challenged his sensei to a contest to see who could forge the greatest blade. They had very different images of what a sword should be. When they met at a waterfall, with a monk to judge their efforts, Masamune tied his blade to a rope, and lowered it into the waters. The current buffeted gently past Masamune's blade, the Tender Hands, and so did leaves. Fish touched the blade with their noses. Sticks bumped off of it. Nothing in the river was harmed by the blade, no matter how directly it touched it. Masamune pulled his blade from the current and Muramasa laughed.
"'OLD MAN!' He exclaimed. 'You call that a sword? It can't even cut leaves! I will show you a real sword!'" With that, Muramasa copied his master, with very different results from his own sword One Thousand Cold Nights. Leaves were cut, fish lost their heads and their blood in the river, sticks were sliced in half. When Muramasa pulled his blade out of the river the Monk promptly pronounced Masamune the winner. 'BUT WHY?' Demanded Muramasa."
"This is what the monk said. 'Your blade was indeed powerful, but it was undiscerning, it was just as happy cutting down butterflies as severing heads. A discerning blade is only a threat to those that truly have wickedness in their hearts, it raises itself in defense of the helpless, the weak, and the betrayed and those who deserve its Master's protection.'"
"Muramasa ran off in disgrace, vowing revenge. To this day, blades created by Muramasa are cursed to a life of blind destruction and vengeance. They attract the wicked, the undiscerning, and they are cursed. They will not go back into their sheathes without tasting blood, even if that blood is of its owner.
"The curse of Muramasa is a passive enchantment into all blades created from the system I use." Saya told the two men. "An object comes from its blacksmith neutral, and takes on the character of its owner much like a shinigami's zanpakuto. But on a far more disorganized and primal level. If Magneto raises the blade I create for him with cold blooded or vengeful intent it will require blood to be returned to the blade. While this curse would not punish his son for his father's ill intent, it may damage you sir, add to the powers of the arrancar, the backfire from a blade such as the ones I can create, and you could end up risking your life. Are you willing to become a martyr to protect Mutants from hollows Magneto? Remember, its not their lives you're fighting for, its their souls FREEDOM. Death is the least damage they can endure. If they die and are not turned, are doomed to oblivion in the hollow's belly, then they are /lucky./" Saya said grimly. "I will not let my work fall into your hands Magneto unless you are willing to acknowledge the Achilles heel they carry within them and /accept/ the consequences. You are both important allies of the Gatekeepers I will not let either of you come to harm from something /I/ created. But I cannot protect either of you from every injury that results from these swords, and if I may say so Professor, I believe a pole arm is better for you than a sword."
"I have no choice but to take this risk." Magneto stood up. "I may not be out for everyone's protection, I only want to protect Mutants, and my son, from harm from these hollows! If we are their prey, then I will be the prey that bites BACK."
"Fighting spirit I would expect from the avenger of Mutant Kind." Saya smiled. "And you Professor. You will warn your x-men of the danger in using my work? The curse stays activated on the blade. If triggered, it will not go away with the killing intent, they will be marked FOREVER by the stain of Muramasa's curse."
"I will inform them of the risks." Xavier replied. "Thank you Gwen, Saya."
"Have your men be trained in the way of Kendo. Your women too. Shit, Kurt will probably screw up the grip." Gwen grunted. "I have paperwork to do you two, I know death being a beurocracy may strike you as bizzare, but thats the way it is."
"you help us both, but you won't join us." Magneto clucked as he moved to leave.
"I'm a shinigami, I'm allowed to bring balance, I am not allowed to join out and out rebellions unless the fate of all souls is at stake by doing so. Not just those of Mutants."
"Charles, I want to see what this strange "Fullbring" ability can do in the girl, are you coming with us?"
"yes." He smiled and waved goodbye to Gwen before he was gone.
Masamune and Muramasa were a lot like you and Magneto. Seiryuu said quietly.
"And wielding the blades of Masamune's design, I pray that each of your sides will find their correct Way." Gwen muttered quietly, looking out the window after the two men. "oooooh Magnus, there is no other Mutant I know who is more likely to become a hollow upon their death than you. But Charles, you may be welcome in the halls of /our/ school upon your death. The Seireitei would be honored to call you one of its Brothers."
The scene faded out to one that the Professor had seen with cerebro's satilite feed. Gwen had Jean and Jubilee slung over each shoulder, dragon parts growing from her body at a rapid rate as she transformed. Wonderweiss was in pursuit. He could hear her thoughts. Wonderweiss's got to be going after Jean, Aizen knows she's a class 5 mutant and if I unleash my reiatsu now, my power will smother poor little Jubilee. No... I have to take this hit. "GO JEAN, GET YOUR FRIEND OUT OF HERE!" Their presence is hindering my ability to protect them. Yet another instance of my power becoming a threat to those I want to keep from harm. Chhhhsttt, how can I be so pessimistic? I've been shot, tortured, blasted, played games with, I mean... Wonderweiss is a halfwit, he's only able to do what his power commands him to do.
Pathetic.
Gwen turned up the music in her mind. A massively loud and joyful guitar. Oreta awai tsubasa kimi wa tsukoshi ao sugiru sora ni tsukareta dakesa, mou dareka no teme ja nakute, jibun no tame ni warette ii yo.
As Gwen transformed and Jean fled with Jubilee, the air around her began to ripple. The wind picked up and she roared as Wonderweiss clung to her, guitars blasting Alones by Aquatimez in her head. I may not have chosen to fight in this war, but I will go to the ends of the earth, endure any pain... "I'LL GO TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH SO THAT INNOCENT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHHHHTTT!" Gwen roared. BOOM!
The cero blast sent her flying as Masamune ascended from the ground to rejoin the battle.
For almost ten thousand years, shinigami have been given the responsibility of caring for the souls of men, fighting an enemy they cannot see so that they may know peace. She could no more allow Jean to die than she could let the Other Magneto be turned into a hollow by the arrancars that attacked him. But a traitor has gathered an army and overwhelmed them. An emissary was sent to teach Mutants how to protect themselves, with the expectation they would teach others of their kind and hope that they would act on behalf of both themselves, and normal human beings who cannot see the unseen threat before them. Her job, and the job of the humans and shinigami sent with her, is to prepare the unarmed and unalerted. Across the world their call reaches, to any Mutant willing to step up, any hero willing to take up a weapon and fight!
Then Masamune's voice. My motto Gwen-sempai, is protect the innocent and they live for a day, teach the innocent to protect themselves and they live a long life. For this, I am willing to let anyone who will throw his lot in with mine benefit from a lifetime of training. Fortune favors the well prepared.
And Flash Angel's... My powers took the form they did for a reason, Saint Michael the archangel, defend me in battle, be my protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. Upon this blade forged from love I pray, MAY THE POWER OF MY HEART SEE ME THROUGH!
And the girl Xavier hadn't gotten the name of yet. My shinigami powers came from a twisted heart, but I will turn the evil that created them into a power worthy of the name "Soul Reaper." I will set aside my desire for vengeance to help fight a war I know they can't win alone. But... my desire to be avenged still burns. Itsumade, itsumade, how long must I suffer? (2)
And Gwen herself. I will fight so that others need not suffer. I will jump in the way of ceros and bullets, and bankais and gillians and endure all the pain, so that others need not.
With that, Professor Charles Xavier awoke back in the infirmary. "That was very interesting."
"WELL?" Wolverine leaned in. "Spill it professor, what'd the overpowered girly do?"
"Back there, she held back her power because if unleashed at that close range, there was a good chance it would smother Jubilee." Professor Xavier said quietly. Jubilee grimaced from the hospital bed, clearly not happy with that assessment. "I saw some of the opponents she faced, some she knew. She's capable of taking on some of our most powerful enemies on an even keel. From what I'm given to understand, they've been fighting for years with an army full of those creatures and they are far further from human than any of us can imagine. She calls them hollows, creatures that consume souls. They like eating Mutants because we have more power than normal people."
"chhhht, some logic." Wolverine snorted.
"Fascinating." Beast mused from where he was filling out medical charts for the injured.
"They're ghosts Hank. Its a war between ghosts." Professor Xavier shook his head slightly. "That girl, some of her friends are strong enough to tear buildings down with a slash of their blades. They came here to warn us of the hollows and teach us how to defend ourselves. Thats not all, I was alerted to paralel universes, with alternate versions of ourselves and some with abilities we never could have imagined. The last time we faced something this complicated..."
"... was when Jean got the phoenix." Cyclops finished.
"... oh really, and how were the alternate versions of us?" Gambit was very curious now.
"I only saw alternates of myself and Magneto. From what I saw and could gather the other me and the other Magneto visited Gwen and Masamune asking for special tools. I know Magneto's body language, the other him was stressed more than I'd seen in a /long/ time."
"Something that stresses out Magneto is really bad..." Storm shook her head. "So the other versions of us have fought these things?"
"And nearly been killed, from what I gather the girl was berating the other Magneto for getting hurt in battle against an individual called "Grimmjaw." I also saw the place they come from and what this Grimmjaw fellow looks like. We know about the astral realm that exists paralel to ours, this was similar, but slightly more orderly, desert as far as they eye can see and always night time. The other realm, where our visitor is from is called Soul Society."
"how much else could you tell, what did Seiryuu show you?" Jean grimaced as she sat too far up and aggravated her wounds.
"Just insights into their personalities... Masamune has a decidedly proactive approach, while Gwen..." he inclined his head at the girl. "Dedicated her life to protecting other people, some of whom she cares deeply for, from the horrors of what she's fought. Flash Angel has a deep faith in a higher power and looks to saint michael to be her guide. The final one, I wasn't able to get her name, came by her powers through being experimented on, and has temporarily set aside her desire for revenge on the people who did it to her to help others."
Gwen groaned slightly. "Morrigan... her psudonym... its Morrigan..." She grunted. "God I'm groggy, may fall a... zzzzzzzzz..."
"Came to for a minute. I'll note it on the chart." Beast said with a smile. "For such a young one she's definately stubborn."
"Okay guys." Ichigo sighed, in a wooded grove not far from the mansion, handing out lists to the others in his party. "I got a list of people we need to contact and warn. Rukia since your zanpakuto has an advantage in the snow, I'm giving you Alpha Flight. Go to Canada, they're part of the military there so be careful. Morgan, you're going down to warn the Morelocks about Aizen. I'm counting on your navigational ability and your better senses. Not to mention you're a vizard, to us your people used to be as reviled as they. I'm hoping that will help them be more sympathetic to us. Renji, I need you to track down the Avengers, they've been inactive for awhile so be prepared not to find anything got it?"
"hai."
"What about you?"
"I need to track down one Spider Man." Ichigo got a huge grin on his face. "And I'm wondering if it would be rude to ask for an autograph."
Saya burst out laughing. "Saya, you and Alex go to see Professor Xavier. Offer to heal their wounded team members and help them get organized. Saya you have the equipment to set up Masamune's enchanted forge right?"
"haiiiiiii." Saya said cheerfully. "But I think its better we put out a reiatsu trail and see if they can find us. oooooh, a smithing I will go, a smithing I will go..." she said in a sing song voice and kicking up her heals.
"And Alex, see if you can teach any of them reiatsu healing, its a technique anyone can use if they have the right personality, so there should be at least one of their number able to do it."
"Any word from Kailai?" Renji asked worriedly. "She's got a bunch of Rookie shinigami with her..."
"Seiji and Mika are far from rookies." Ichigo grinned. "They're rookies to us, but not to battle."
Ulquiorra was not pleased with the reception he'd gotten, and that was how Kailai liked it. The group had formed a defensive line outside of Magneto's latest base of operations. She and Lance blasted boulders up at the espada, which he'd had to dodge while being harassed by Seiji and Mika. Kailai had transformed fully into Genbu's form, a turtle made of stone with a tree on its back.
"hahahahaha! What was it Offspring said?" Mika asked as she rattled energy bullets from Judah's gatling form at Ulquiorra. "WITH A THOUSAND LIES AND A GOOD DISGUISE, HIT 'EM RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES!"
"Dance fucker dance!" Judah agreed. "POE'S HORROR!" He shot massive amounts of crows from the barrel of his gun form at Ulquiorra.
The Espada thought he'd dodged them, but one knicked his foot. Instantly the world around him turned to fire and blood and he could hear a heart pounding in his ears, loud enough to deafen him. He yelled, falling from the sky as the hallucinatory effects of the attack forced him to live first hand through several works of Edgar Allen Poe.
CRUNCH!
He hit the ground. "heheheheheheh." Mika grinned. "SHUNKO ANIMATION!"
Mika was covered in bandages from her nose down to her hips, almost like a mummy, and they sealed in her power. Over the bandages, she wore a red native american style version of the second division's backless shihakusho. On her back was a butterfly obi bow tied from the bandages. The bow glowed white, grew, expanded and extended to grab Ulquiorra. On her right arm, a gatling gun, from which occasionally a voice could be heard. On her left arm a large energy blade made from shunko formed. The back blasted off of her bandages with the release of her power and the pieces of cloth stiffened with white energy, sharpening into razor sharp projectiles.
Instantly everything jacked up, including her flash step. "HEH! I was holding back you bastard!"
"I will join in too." Seiji sighed. "SHUNKO!"
Seiji and Mika were distant relatives of Yoruichi and Soifon, and it showed in their personalities. Seiji had the signature Shihouin dark skin, purple hair and golden eyes. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a back end rigged to come off when shunko was activated and be attached later. A tophat adorned his head and he carried a matching wooden walking stick and a half skullmask. A long black cape completed his outfit.
The back burst off, and the shunko formed into two ragged bat like wing outlines made from energy. Seiji grinned, sheathing his Katana and balling up his fists before punching Ulquiorra with all his might. "KAGE KUKKEN RYUU!" The burst of energy and blunt force damage hammered on Ulquiorra's liver and kidneys, and fatal damage was only prevented by the Espada's hierro.
Ulquiorra began to power up an oscuras cero, at the same time his form began to shift. Kailai looked back briefly towards the citadel. Please Magneto-san, sense the battle and come to investigate! Hurry before you're pulling our corpses off the ground!
At that moment she missed the flash of magenta colored material and armor up above her. The form circled, scrutinizing the battle carefully and trying to stay out of Kailai's and the others' line of sight.
Then the cero oscuras was let loose. Kailai raised a massive wall of earth up higher and higher. Lance rushed forwards, boosting the power of the attack. The Cero Oscuras was so hot it burned the earth they were manipulating to glass, and then suddenly earth and molten glass rose up over Ulquiorra in a wave and crashed down on him. Black cero energy burst out from either side of the attack sparking wildfires and then...
A garganta opened under the wall of earth, sucking it and the molten glass into oblivion. The garganta closed, and Ulquiorra was standing there in his segunda etapa form. "Lance... this may turn out badly. That is segunda etapa, Ulquiorra's most powerful transformation. The last time he used this, he nearly killed Ichigo Kurosaki."
"Uh ooooooh."
Magneto was descending cautiously closer. He could see a faint figure, flashes of dark hair and pale skin and two glowing green eyes, but it wasn't clear. What was clear was that whomever these strange people were, they were working hard to fight against it.
The two green eyes looked up at him, narrowing into inhuman slits. Then the creature launched itself at Magneto. A burst of EM energy failed to repel the attacker. And when the full force of Ulquiorra's spiritual pressure hit... it was all Magneto could do to keep himself from being crushed let alone attack.
"LANCE START FIGHTING THOSE FOREST FIRES!" Kailai yelled. She sprouted massive wooden spikes from the ground, branches that began to rip and tear at Ulquiorra, trying to catch him, to slow him down.
Multiple pulses of EM were failing to shake off his attacker, and that for once in his life struck fear into Magneto's heart, except... he was being dragged away. "FUCKIN A!" Mika growled.
CRASH Ulquiorra thrust Magneto through his own building. "Stay out of my way human. This is beyond your power to combat."
/NOW/ Magneto could see Ulquiorra clearly. Huge spears of iron rose from the floor, sharpened to a point, put throughout the place as hidden armaments to help amplify his power. Ulquiorra powered up brilliant green spears of energy. "tcctt, Mutant trash. ALL YOU HUMANS ARE TRASH!" Ulquiorra snarled. "TRASH TRASH ALL I SEE EVERYWHERE IS TRASH!" He roared.
Green energy and huge wrought iron and steel bands danced and clashed midair as Ulquiorra and Magneto did battle. Magneto knew it wasn't enough, and that just made him angrier. Ulquiorra grabbed Magneto by the throat using his tail and growled at him. "listen well human, if you know whats good for you, you WON'T defend Charles Xavier from my master. You'll sit back and let him die, or I will shove a new hole in your BODY!" He snarled.
"You and what army?" Magneto sneered. He was rewarded by Ulquiorra bashing his body repeatedly against the wall.
"I am an arrancar, while one of us is capable of devastating an entire human city, many are capable of bringing the world to their knees. I am part of the Espada, the ten most dangerous arrancars in existance. We are not only generals, but cold trained killers. ALL humans, mutant and normal must bow before our Master, Aizen, or suffer his wrath." Ulquiorra kept shoving Magneto repeatedly into a wall with his tail. "I am arrancar number four, Ulquiorra Cifer, to me, all of human kind is trash. A few clicks one way or the other in the genetic code does not elevate you above the garbage, it only makes you slightly more visible in the crap heap of planet earth! My aspect of death is nothingness... and it is nothingness to which I will throw any who resist Aizen-sama." One last good hard CRACK and Ulquiorra let Magneto go.
Ulquiorra as he went, used cero to blast the whole top five floors off of Magneto's citidel. "Ah, the sky, my favorite emptiness." Then he took off, flying away from the spot.
Magneto was barely on the edge of consciousness. "Hurry! Get Unohan-taichou! HURRY!" Four pairs of costumed feet were running towards him. "you're going to be alright, we're calling a healer to tend your wounds... just hang on..."
And darkness.
1. See Inu-Yasha
2. From the Japanese version of the fury, the Itsumaden, which is born from the souls of dead plague victims who were improperly buried. They attack the village they lived in in life shouting "Itsumade itsumade!" which means "how long? how long?" implying that burying them will ease their desire for vengeance.