:Chapter 2- Taking the plunge:
It took Nanano a while to regain her common sense, which was soon replaced by anger. She raced up to her room, tripping on the stairs as she tried to shunpo up them. Using language that she normally wouldn't be caught dead using, she picked herself up, straightened her glasses, and continued down the wooden hallway.
She arrived at the plain wooden door marked with the Vice-Captain symbol: the same symbol as the one on her arm. Pushing open the door, she glanced around the small room. It was small and plain, a reflection of its owner. Books were stacked against the wall, all alphabetized by author. The desk in the corner contained only the basic essentials: a few writing utensils, some paper, a comb, a small light. What else did she need?
She crossed the room quickly and found her small Zanpakuto lying on her bed. Now she realized what a mistake it was that she hadn't brought it to work. Shinigami were supposed to carry their Zanpakuto everywhere, but it seemed like fate had chosen the one day she decided to leave it at home to make something like this happen. It's almost like he plans it so I make myself look like an idiot.
She shoved the small sword up her sleeve, and pushed the ever persistent piece of hair that had mysteriously fallen out again back into place. Grabbing her large book of kidou spells from the oak dresser, she raced out the door.
:-:
She arrived at the West Gate out of breath, and found the rest of the division was already waiting for her. Not a good impression. She stopped herself and walked in the most dignified manner she could muster toward the source of her troubles, Kyouraku Shunsui.
"Ahh good, Nanao-chan is finally here!" Shunsui exclaimed loudly enough for the majority of the assembly to hear. A few people snickered, but the captain of the 8th Division went on without hearing them. "Now that she's here, my lovely Vice-Captain will tell you the plan for today." All eyes turned to her.
She cleared her throat loudly and pulled on her usual emotionless mask. Luckily, she had already devised her plan on the way here.
"Today we will be going into the real world for training. For many of you, this will be your first time." The newly appointed Shinigami whispered excitedly. "There is no need to be worried; your reiatsu should only attract a few of the lesser Hollows. Stay in groups of two or more." She paused, waiting for them to quiet down. "Dismissed!"
"HAI ISE-FUKUTAICHO!" They all yelled in unison.
:-:
Wrong. This was all wrong.
Definitely not good, thought Nanao as new Hollows burst into the large clearing. The trees cracked threateningly as more and more appeared. The other Shinigami were fighting bravely, but were slowly falling under the vast numbers of the white-masked creatures.
"Nanao-chan, I think this might be a few too many for the new recruits." Shunsui joked with a fake laugh, arching his dual blades through the air like a pair of giant scissors to cleave a nearby Hollow cleanly in half. It gave one last ear-splitting roar before disintegrating into the humid air. Even in a tight situation, he would never drop her pet name, which annoyed her to no end.
"Hai." She pressed one of the many buttons on her headset. "This is 8th Division's Ise-fukutaicho requesting backup." She yelled into her headset over the clash of steel. Her only reply was the scratchy sound of static. More Hollows appeared, bigger than the ones that had been slain.
"Kyouraku-taicho, there's no response." Nanao's left arm had gone numb and blood was dripping into the soft grass from a claw-shaped gash in her left leg. Ignoring the searing pain she shot balls of kidou flame at the oncoming opponents. Her deadly precision hit the Hollows in the center of their mask.
"Keep trying!" He shouted back at her, slicing through the air and keeping the monsters at bay.
"Sending… z z z… backup… z z z… now…" A faint voice from the other end of the earpiece came through the noise and screams. Relief surged through Nanao. They were going to be okay!
"Taicho! They're on the way!" She cried.
He turned toward her to answer, but a look of panic crossed his face. It was a look she had never seen before. It was look that belonged on the face of heroes who had just realized their struggle had been for naught; a look he should never have to wear. At first she thought he was looking at her, but realized too late that he was staring directly over her shoulder.
She whipped around to come face-to-face with one of the biggest Hollows she had ever seen. She was almost certain this was a Menos Grande. No. She looked closer. It's not a Menos, it's just huge.
"Shot of red fire!" She screamed, aiming her hand at the insanely large mask. It merely glanced off of the strong white armor, a pebble against a tank. The shot had left her exhausted, and her head pounded louder than her heart. She watched, unable to move, as a jagged claw sliced through the air.
:.:
He watched, unable to help, as the claw collided with her side as she brought her sword up, a few seconds before the white spike hit. The sword let out a resounding BONG as the shockwave of power raced up its side, shaking Nanao from head to foot.
"Nanao!" Shunsui let out a ferocious growl and launched himself across the clearing.
Meanwhile, Nanao was struggling to stay conscious. She struggled to form the words that would send yet another shot of fire, but the pain in her side along with the low levels of reiatsu told her she wouldn't be able to. Damn. What a horrible way to die. And then she was falling, falling, spiraling deeper into the darkness that waited so eagerly to engulf her. I'm sorry, Kyouraku-taicho. I wasn't there to protect you…
"Noo!" Shunsui finally broke free of his attackers and watched as his Vice-Captain fell, as if in slow motion, toward the blood-stained ground.
: End Chapter 2 :
