I am terribly sorry this took so long, but here it is! Enjoy.
Chapter 9- Making Their Way
'Man, why did I go with him?'
Stoma thought as he and Ryoku bounded across rooftops to the Squad 4 Barracks.
"Because you had no other choice," Ryoku said.
"How'd you guess?" Ryoku shrugged.
"Just a hunch."
That was the answer most of Ryoku's comrades were getting from him. He was being quite vague as of late. It had been 3 days since Ryoku and Stoma had fought, and the Squad 4 Barracks were getting closer and closer.
"How far are we, Stoma?"
"I'd put us at a couple hundred meters away."
"Great," Ryoku said with heavy sarcasm.
"Let's stop and rest."
They found a nearby warehouse and took refuge there.
It just happened to be an emergency ration warehouse, so the boys took it to their advantage. They sat, eating cold food on stone cold floor.
"So what've you been up to?"
Ryoku looked up at his friend.
"What do you mean?"
Ryoku kept his stern face as he spoke and finished the rest of his meal.
"I could ask you the same thing."
Stoma, feeling trumped, lowered his head and kept silent for a minute or two and spoke up again.
"We've been working on a plan to overthrow Ichigo."
Again, Ryoku looked up at Stoma.
"Who exactly is we?"
"My family... Jenna was absolutely torn up about it. Though, not literally torn up, like she is right now."
Ryoku shot him a cold stare.
"What? Too soon?"
"Now I know how you got along so well with Makuso... Anyways, I found this while looking through the rations."
He laid out a map of the Squad 4 barracks on the ground.
"That was quite convenient."
"So. We enter here and creep through this hallway here."
They planned the whole raid through and through, down to the very last detail. They slept for the rest of the day afterwards and the next day so that Stoma had time to heal.
"Owww..." Stoma was moaning in his sleep again.
"SHUT UP!"
Ryoku had to go over to him after about 20 minutes to tend to his wounds.
'Jeez this is a pain...' he thought while changing Stoma's bandages.
"I think there are people in here!" An unknown voice could be heard right outside the warehouse.
"Ah shit... Stoma. Stoma wake up."
"Whuuu... Whuddya want." Stoma was obviously groggy from his nap.
"Somebody found us. We need to leave now."
"What? Well there's no other way out!"
"Just trust me and hide out in this box."
"Fine... You owe me."
"No I don't."
*CRASH*
"WHO'S IN HERE?! COME ON! I KNOW SOMEONE'S IN HERE!"
A random Soul Reaper burst into the warehouse, Zanpakuto drawn and ready.
"Chill man. You're going insane. There's no one in here." Another unfamiliar voice.
'At least that one has some sense...' Ryoku thought from behind his crate.
"I heard somebody in here I swear!"
"Come on. Let's just leave."
"Ok..."
The two Soul Reapers eventually closed the doors and left.
"Is the coast clear?"
"Shut up Stoma."
"I'll take that as a yes."
Stoma climbed out of his crate only to find that somebody was opening the doors again.
"Just a second. I left my sheath behind."
The not-crazy Soul Reaper walked back into the warehouse. He turned his head and saw Stoma. The sword was already in his hands as he rushed at Stoma.
Stoma quickly had his sword drawn too. He made a quick power slash to give him time to release his Shikai.
"Retract and fold out, Yudokuna Suparuta."
Stoma's claws were free and in a split second, the Soul Reaper was dead.
"Hey Dedric are you o-"
The other Soul Reaper came back to look for his friend. His findings were short-lived.
A small stream of white lightning shot from the back of the room.
"Hado #4. Byakurai."
"Wow. Nice shot."
"Thanks. Now let's get these guys out of here..." Ryoku said while dragging away the body of the first one.
"I feel bad for killing them."
"Me too, but Stoma, some things just have to be done."
"I couldn't agree more."
The bodies of the two now deceased Soul Reapers were laid out behind the warehouse to make it look like an accident.
"We need to keep moving. We don't have much time."
"He's right."
'What is it with all these people showing up?' Ryoku thought to himself.
The boys swung their heads around to see the face of a famous captain. Toshiro Hitsugaya was looking right into their very beings.
"Are...you..?"
"Yes. I am Toshiro Hitsugaya, Squad 10's Captain and Commander of the frontline forces of the Seireitei. All Captains are on full alert for you and your other comrade. Wherever he or she may be, we will find you and bring you to justice. Now, draw your swords and face me."
"That was a nice speech. Now I say, let's get this party under way already."
Ryoku made his remark and unclipped his sword from the double sword holder on his back.
"I'm game." Stoma had his claws out already, so he was set.
Ryoku looked at Stoma. He gave his 'I'm ready when you are' look.
"We humbly accept your challenge, Captain Hitsugaya."
WITH MAKUSO
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A scream of terror rang out across the Soul Society.
"COME BACK HERE YOU!"
Makuso ran away as fast as he could, blades in hand. Somebody was chasing him. Her name is Rangiku Matsumoto.
"I AM THE LIEUTENANT OF SQUAD 10! YOU LISTEN TO ME!"
"NO WAY IN HELL AM I LISTENING TO YOU, CRAZY LADY!"
"WHY YYYYOOOOUUU!"
The chase went on for a good hour. Then, something changed. "STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"
Makuso skidded to a stop on the roof he was just about to hop. Something about her air of motherly anger made him obey.
"Now you will turn around and fight me. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"
"AH! YES MA'AM!"
Makuso immediately straightened up in fear.
"Oh great!"
'Rangiku switched from 'Death Witch' to 'Sweetheart' in a split second... She really is something else...' Makuso thought.
"Now you can turn around..." Makuso turned around slowly.
"And look into my eyes." He obeyed.
'Wow... Her eyes... They're actually really nice looking...PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER MAN! YOU'RE LOSING THE BATTLE!' Makuso looked down.
"Aww sweetie what's wrong?"
Rangiku was doing her best to soften him up.
"Don't talk to me like that..."
"Come on, you can tell little old me can't you?"
Rangiku put on her best innocence smile.
"Old isn't much of a stretch..."
" *GASP* HOW DARE YOU!"
"SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIIIIIIT!"
Makuso broke off in another mad dash to save his life.
"YOU ARE NOT GETTING AWAY THIS TIME! GROWL! HAINEKO!"
Rangiku's sword turned to dust and chased Makuso.
"Ok. We're gonna play like that are we..."
Makuso turned around sharply and stopped running. His head hanging low, he spoke the words that helped him survive for these past few days.
"Send the universe flying in the wind, Eien no Kaze."
A semi-large tornado whipped up and sent the dust back to Rangiku.
"What the..."
That was all the time Rangiku had to say something before 2 large blades were pressed forcibly into her own.
She was terrified by the look on Makuso's face. The once scared little boy she had been chasing had turned into a battle-ready young man in that instant. He was pushing her back with ease.
Rangiku finally shoved him off and tried to go on the offensive, with no success. She was trying her hardest to push Makuso back, as he did her, but she just couldn't faze him. Makuso blocked all of her attacks, blow after blow, strike after strike.
"I think we're done here."
Makuso suddenly struck Rangiku's blade, sending her flying back into a wall.
"Howw..."
"NOW TO FINISH THIS!"
Makuso was already in the air, both blades high.
'I'm done for. This is it...'
Rangiku thought what would be her final words...
If a good friend of hers didn't show up.
"Reap. Kazeshini."
One long, black chain came from behind Makuso and wrapped around his blades.
"Ok." Makuso was on the ground again. "Who was the guy that thought he could just go around and interrupt a fight like that?" Swords snared, he turned around to see a quite angry looking man.
"And who might you be?"
"I could ask you the same thing, but I already know who you are. My name is Captain Shuhei Hisagi, of Squad 9."
"Oh yea I know who you are now. My brother talks about you all the time."
Captain Hisagi raised an eyebrow in question.
"Your brother? Would his name happen to be Ryoku?"
Makuso seemed a little surprised that he knew.
'Well, I guess we are criminals after all.'
"I don't believe that's important right now, Captain."
Another breeze kicked up and gave space for Makuso to free his swords from Kazeshini's chain.
"What is important..." He charged at the captain, who put up a block before he got there.
"...is our little fight here. See, I believe there's a certain etiquette when entering battle. Single combat to me, is strictly single combat. No more people, no less. Unless of course, your opponent is defeated."
"Haha..."
"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!"
Shuhei quickly forced Makuso away.
"You are his twin alright."
"How did you that we're twins?"
"Just a hunch kid. Now like you said, that's not important."
A smile crossed Makuso's face.
"NOW you're talkin my language!"
"Umm hellooo! Forgetting someone?"
"Don't worry Rangiku. I have Squad 4 on the way here already." "Oh. Thanks Shuhei!"
"No problem. Now that that's out of the way, shall we begin?"
"I've never been so quick to agree in my life, Captain."
"Then come at me."
Makuso eagerly ran at Shuhei. He was all ready to block when Makuso suddenly disappeared from his field of vision.
'Not only that... His spiritual pressure is gone too...'
"LOOKING FOR ME?!"
Makuso was soon seen flying towards Shuhei from a nearby building at the speed of the wind itself. Shuhei instinctively threw up his scythes to block. The next thing he saw, Makuso was in front of him, blades crossed with his.
"Not bad kid. BUT I CAN DO BETTER!"
A quick slice and Makuso was thrown off balance by the sheer force of Shuhei's attack.
Then, he vanished, just as Makuso did a few seconds before.
'Wow. He CAN do better. Now where is he...'
As if he read Makuso's mind, Shuhei materialized out of the air like it was magic.
"RIGHT HERE!"
He knew it was going to happen eventually, so naturally, he threw up a cross-block.
'Haha he totally fell for it!'
"GETSUGA TENSHO!"
Makuso countered with his right hand blade, just like he did in class the week before all of this chaos happened. A bright green light was at Shuhei's side. He looked down a second too late. As he looked down, Makuso brought up his other blade across Shuhei's chest.
He was jetted into the wall behind and went through 3 buildings on his way. Bloody and tattered, Shuhei could think of nothing else to do but wait for his death.
Then, the strangest of coincidences happened.
"I'm disappointed in you, Shuhei."
From the corner of the hole that Shuhei left in a warehouse, one of the 7 Sages appeared. By far, Shuhei's favorite and he knew him well.
"K-...Kensei? What are you doing here?"
"It's not just me."
Also turning the corner, came Kenpachi Zaraki, 'Rose' Otoribashi and Shinji Hirako.
"But why the four of you?" "Apparently three Captain-class Shinigami weren't enough, so, they sent the four of us. One for each of the known intruders."
"But sir..." Shuhei struggled to say.
"What is it?"
"There are four of you..."
"I heard two of them are particularly strong." said an excited Kenpachi Zaraki.
"That's why he came along." Kensei said filled with resentment.
"I came because I had to." Shinji Hirako said with great despair in his eyes.
"With all due respect sir, you sound like you have something better to do."
"Well, Captain Hisagi, my naps aren't going to take themselves you know."
"I... I see sir..." Shuhei was obviously not impressed by Shinji's lack of responsibility.
"Ah no matter. I might actually like this."
"So who are you clowns?"
Makuso was walking up to where he thought Shuhei was. What he found took him totally by surprise. Makuso had to be ready for the fight of his life if he wanted to survive.
Well? Was it good? Leave a review. Tell me. I just got out of school recently. High school here we come... Yay. Aaanyways, I've been really busy and haven't had much time to write lately, but I'm here in Florida, where I finally got it done. Thank you so much for your patience, and I really do hope you guys/girls stick around for the next chapter. There might be something you wanna see in there. Remember R&R and keep on reading!
Hado #4, Byakurai- Way of Destruction #4, Pale Lightning
Haineko- Ash Cat
Kazeshini- Wind Death