Chapter 9: Caught in the Rain
*Thank you to baerbelhaddrell and Izou no Kaizoku for the comments.
To the rest of you please review, as usual.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, just a few OCs.*
Setsuna Ishida was one of those individuals who could look utterly calm on the outside no matter what the situation. But that didn't mean that she was also calm on the inside. Instead, she was a torrent of dark emotions. Worry, anxiety, fear, and anger all twisted and churned inside her yet her calm façade wasn't altered in the slightest.
She sighed and set her brush down. Sumi-e painting had always soothed her. The feel of the soft brush moving in a fluid manner across the smooth paper had calmed her ever since she was a child. She could still remember her father first teaching her by gently guiding her tiny hand. It always amazed her how a few lines can make such a detailed and beautiful picture.
This picture was turning into one of a wolf and a dragon. The wolf stood on a cliff and was looking up at the dragon that was slithering out of the sky. It didn't take much thought to figure out who the wolf and dragon were supposed to represent.
But she couldn't seem to find any calming relief in her painting. She looked out the small window in her study. The rain outside fell in a gentle rhythmic pitter-patter. The weather wasn't really helping her mood. Her granddaughter was out there with her grandson, but those monsters were out there too.
It was raining before it happened. I remember because there was a mist that appeared after the rain had stopped. She tightly clenched her wrinkled hands in her lap. Please, oh please don't let history repeat itself.
"Ichigo, what do we do?" Rukia whispered.
The teen eyed the creatures, the boys, and then made his decision.
"The only thing we can do…" He turned around on his heel, "Run away!"
The others quickly followed his example.
"You coward!" Naoko barked.
"We can't fight with two injured people on our hands, nor can we in a place full of injured and sick people. We have to get out of this hospital," Ichigo argued.
Naoko grudgingly admitted that he had a point. She needed to think of this as more of a tactical retreat than actually running away. It took some of the shameful sting away.
The water creatures were gaining on them. Even without legs those things were impressively fast. Rukia then spun around and aimed her hand at the creatures, "Running is getting us nowhere. Hado 31, Shakaho!"
A sizable ball of red fire energy formed in her hand and shot out. The creature was rendered into mist.
"Way to go Rukia," Renji cheered.
"Do you think I got it for good?" she asked.
The mist dissipated to reveal an even larger version of the water being.
"I guess not," Naoko muttered.
"Damn it, we need something with more firepower to it," Ichigo growled as he looked around for something that could help.
His eyes spotted a lighter and then a few tanks of oxygen. His eyes widened as he was struck with an idea. He seized the lighter and the tank and stepped in front of the monster, each item in one hand.
Uryu suddenly realized what Ichigo was thinking, "Kurosaki, you're not seriously going to—!"
He was cut off when Ichigo lit the lighter and the flame touched the stream of oxygen. The resulting explosion broke all the windows and almost floored them all. But it did succeed in destroying the beast and leaving them in a thick haze of hot steam.
"Are you crazy? !" Naoko screeched. "You could've killed us, you idiot!"
Ichigo coughed, "Well, it worked, didn't it!"
The twin Bounts reappeared as the mist began to disappear.
"It looks like we've reduced them to using crude methods of fighting."
"It doesn't matter, though, since we're far from done."
All around them they heard rushing water as all the faucets were turned on. Water pooled out from underneath the doors and coalesced in the hall.
"Shit, it looks like we're back to running," Ichigo grumbled as he and the others turned to run.
They ran up to the elevators and the teen pushed the button. "You guys take the elevator and we'll try to hold them off and meet you on the ground floor."
"A-Are you sure that's a good idea? Wh-What if they stop the elevator and we get stuck? Can't we take the stairs or something?" Naoko asked. Renji lowered her out of his arms and Rukia helped support Naoko.
"We don't really have much of a choice. Don't worry, It'll be fine Naoko," the small Soul Reaper reassured her.
Naoko bit back a whimper of apprehension. She did not like elevators in the slightest. In fact, she didn't like any small enclosed space.
Claustrophobia could be a real bitch sometimes.
The doors opened and the five of them piled in while Ichigo and Renji braced themselves to fight the Bount boys and their water-made minions. The doors closed and Naoko felt her anxiety close in around her. Her heart began to beat harder, skin became clammy, and fear simmered in her stomach.
Is it me or are the walls closing in? Why is it getting harder to breathe? I feel hot, but I'm shaking… She closed her eyes and tried to take deep even breaths.
Rukia noticed Naoko's sudden change, "Naoko, are you alright?"
The Quincy kept her eyes screwed shut, "I do not do well in small spaces. At all."
The Soul Reaper squeezed her shoulder, "It'll be alright, we'll be out in a few seconds."
Those few seconds felt like agonizing hours to Naoko. She really didn't do well in small spaces. Thankfully for her the elevator bell dinged and the doors slid open. She breathed a sigh of relief. But that relief was short lived when they stepped outside the hospital.
"You have got to be kidding me…" Naoko murmured.
Rain. Sheets of it poured from the sky.
The doors behind them opened, letting Renji and Ichigo run out.
"What are guys doing standing here? We need to get going," Ichigo said.
"Ichigo… look," Rukia whispered.
He did and his eyes widened.
"Oh, that is so not fair," Grumbled Renji.
"You can't run from the water," a pair of voices said.
The twin boys appeared in front of them out of nowhere. Two of those odd serpentine water creatures emerged behind the boys.
"Don't you think it's time we got them Ban? The others are waiting for us," said one twin.
"I think so, Hou. You know how impatient some of them can be," replied the other.
Four more water creatures appeared, surrounding the group. A dozen thick water tentacles lashed out and many of them were able to seize Ichigo and the others. A pair of tendrils wrapped around Naoko and Uryu, lifting them up and bringing them to Hou and Ban.
"Good work, see, that wasn't so hard now, was it?" Said Ban.
"You little bastards!" Ichigo roared as he struggled in vain.
"Call us what you will but you're not getting your friends back," retorted Hou.
The twins disappeared with the Quincies in tow.
Standing in the rain that was tapering off were two seemingly normal people. A young woman with long dark teal hair and a muscular man sporting an orange Mohawk.
"Where are those little brats?" The woman growled.
"Calm yourself Yoshi, I'm sure they'll be here soon. Master Kariya trusted them to retrieve the Quincy and they will," the large man reassured.
"You know it doesn't matter how old they really are, they're still a pair of kids Gō," she replied.
"We may be kids, but we're still more mature then you'll even be," a pair of voices teased in unison.
Yoshi snarled, "Get out here you brats. Did you get the Quincy?"
The two boys and their bounty appeared before them. Hou smirked, "We did better than that."
Ban gave an identical smirk, "We found not just one, but two Quincies."
Uryu was limp, having passed out due to the pain from his head wound, but Naoko was still struggling. "Let us go!"
"Kariya asked for one Quincy not two," Yoshi pointed out.
"He could use the other if the first proves useless to his plans," Gō reasoned.
"Here, you can have them," said Hou.
The water creatures tossed the Quincies into Yoshi and Gō's arms. Yoshi clamped her arms around Naoko who was still struggling.
"Stop struggling you little bitch!"
"Well then let me go!" Naoko barked.
Gō watched impassively as the two females struggled before turning to the boys. "Will you be accompanying us back to the mansion?"
"No, we'll stay behind and keep the others busy," started Hou
"It's been a long time since Ghoul and Günter have had a chance to play," Ban finished.
He nodded, "Very well. We'll—"
The large man was cut off by the sudden appearance of a large fireball. He and the other jumped back before it could hit. But the impact did create a cloud of dust and dirt that made it difficult to see.
"Yoshino," he growled.
"Where is that blasted woman?" Cried Hou.
The dust settled and Yoshino stood with her flaming Doll beside her.
"What the hell do you think you're doing Yoshino? Kariya can only tolerate so many of your acts of rebellion," Gō warned.
Yoshino narrowed her gray eyes, "Do you really think I care what that man does to me? As for what I'm doing…"
Her Doll, Goethe, darted forward and sucker-punched Gō causing him to nearly drop Uryu. Yoshino caught him and slung him over her shoulder. She swiftly spun on her foot and kicked Yoshi, causing her to lose her grip on Naoko. Yoshino grabbed the girl's hand and sprinted away.
Naoko grit her teeth as she was led away. Her ankle was still broken and running on it freaking hurt.
"Can't you move a little faster?" Yoshino asked as they continued to run.
"It's a little hard with a broken ankle!" Naoko snapped.
Yoshino stopped, "Oh, sorry I didn't know. Here."
She bent down and scooped Naoko up. The Bount had tucked her arm under Naoko's bottom while the teen wrapped her arms around the other woman's neck.
"Better?"
"Yeah, you're surprisingly strong."
Her red lips quirked up in a smile, "Thank you, now let's get moving."
"That meddlesome bitch," Yoshi snarled. Yoshino's Doll vanished not long after its mistress did. "Why the hell does Kariya put up with her?"
"I think he finds her amusing," Gō answered.
"No matter. We'll handle their friends…" Said Ban.
"While you two go find her and the Quincies," finished Hou.
"Right, and if Kariya asks about this just tell him we've hit a slight snag," Yoshi instructed.
It went unspoken between them what would happen if those Quincies really did get away. They failed once and the result made them vow never to fail again. Yoshi and Gō ran to track down their runaway prey. But just as they left Ichigo and his friends appeared.
The twins grinned maliciously, "Look at that you found us."
Ichigo snarled, "Where are Uryu and Naoko?"
They tilted their heads in a mocking manner, "Who now?"
That pissed off Ichigo and his friends. He lifted up his sword, "Getsuga Tensho!"
*I'm cutting it off here. This chapter was hard to write and if it shows I apologize. I just wanted to get it done and over with. I'll post again Oct. 30th.
Please review.*
