So, new arc, same Hazumi.

New problems, and the old are incorporated.

More Ichigo in the next one. Promise.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor its character. Just the ones made up in this labyrinth called my mind.

x Fractured Hesitation x

Bleach © Tite Kubo

Fractured Hesitation © Dia de Luz

DOCE:

"New assignments, same Hazumi."

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.

- Seneca

"Man Hazumi, this place is a dump."

"What the hell do you want me to do about it?"

"How about clean it… smells like ass."

"Why don't you shove it up your naggin little bit—"

An uncomfortable cough broke the pointless argument between me and my brother, and with a rather begrudging glare, Hosyu turned to the door, where a short newish-recruit-of-six-months-ago stood. His eyes flicked nervously between the two of us, and he spoke in short, erratic spurts. "Ahh-Sumimasen…! Ano, Naga-Nagasaki-san I-I have a message for you…!"

It was silent in the room for a few moments, and Hosyu decided to take on the task of addressing the poor kid's low IQ. His voice was very close to intolerance, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say Hosyu here was a little annoyed…"Which one…"

A bark of dry laughter escaped my lips as my gaze flicked over to the kid's expression.

Priceless.

"Sumimasen! Nagasaki…" here the newbie looked down at a little 5" by 7" note card gripped in his tiny, tense hands, causing another snort of laughter coming from yours truly.

Man, I loved new recruits…

"Ucgh!" A sudden impact to my larynx had me gasping for breath, bringing my hands up to my sore throat, coughing. I wheezed quite inelegantly as I shot a nasty glare at my beloved brother, who took the liberty of punching me in the throat!

I sent a kick his way, which didn't do much good seeing as I was sitting on the edge of my desk and he was about three feet away. He moved aside effortlessly, rolling his dark emerald eyes at my childish endeavors. I heard a quiet snicker coming from the doorway, and I shot a withering look at the shrimp, who quickly covered his stupid laughs with a cough, continuing, "Nagasaki Hazumi-san…"

And the atmosphere changed faster than you could say 'superluminal.'

It was suddenly cold and strained, and I would have laughed at the kid in the doorway if this sudden pit weren't forming in my stomach.

I felt Hosyu tense beside me, all the fun suddenly evaporated, leaving just that stony man I saw the day we fought, months ago. His voice was low, "Hazumi…"

Yeah, I know, Hosyu.

After a beat of silence, a wry smile touched my lips, "Finally time, huh."

Bring it on, Old man.

Two months.

It seemed like so much longer.

Two months since Sosuke Aizen defected from Soul Society, two months since I learned, or rather relearned, the truth about my brother's disappearance, and two months since I met Ichigo Kurosaki.

Like I said, it felt like so much longer.

I think I actually missed the stupid ginger.

Although, I could have lived without the massive crap he got me into. You see, when things were finally looking up in Seireitei, when we were rebuilding and healing and… drinking, I didn't exactly get off scot-free. Because I used a forbidden kido technique, the one that I so conveniently cast to escape from Byakuya Kuchiki via teleportation at the Shrine of Penitence. One word there: forbidden.

So it was only natural that I had to answer to my delinquency and be a responsible Vice Chief. Maybe it was also the fact that I had gone against everything concrete and stable- the Soul Society- and sided with a rotten, teenage Ryoka. Yeah, that sounded right. So what if it was morally right? It was against the law, and no one is greater than the rule of law. Thank you, Magna Carta. Anyways, that's the reason the little pipsqueak came and got me; it was finally time for justice to be served for my actions. I was wondering when it would come. A little late, in my opinion, but I wasn't complaining. I wasn't really looking forward to staying in a cell for a few good decades. I mean, yeah, Old Man Yamamoto was pretty lenient with Kurosaki and his friends, but I was an officer, the second in command of the Kido Corps. I didn't expect much mercy from the old guy.

And there I stood, in front of Ichibantai doors, palms sweating, my straight teeth chewing on my bottom lip.

Okay, Hazumi. You've known this day was coming since the day you helped Ichigo. Suck it up. Don't be a pansy. Just accept it, you idiot.

With that last thought in mind, I sucked in a breath, pushing the cumbrous doors open with a heavy creak and stepping inside. I raised my black eyes slowly, looking around the empty room, and my footsteps echoed out of the sheer quietness of the hollow room as I made my way to the back.

"Nagasaki, Hazumi. Fuku Kidōchō of the Kido Corps, former Fukutaicho of the Yobantai and former seated officer of both the Gobantai and Jūbantai." The gravelly voice startled me, causing my coal-like orbs to dart forward, landing directly on Yamamoto Soutaicho, who was sitting in the shadows. I swallowed thickly, feeling that nervous sensation creep up my spine like every time I stepped before the old man. I'd never get over my rational fear of the old guy. His strength was always tangible to me, and it was like sometimes he didn't even bother to conceal parts of it. If I didn't know any better, I would say the old fart was showing off.

My train of thought broke there, though, as my eyes landed on two other figures.

Standing to the side were two also very high-ranking officers to my knowledge: Hilo Boggnamo, Kidōshū Sōshi and my direct commanding officer, and Toshiro Hitsugaya, Jūbantai Taicho.

Well, well, well, what a pleasant surprise.

There were witnesses.

Yamamoto couldn't accidently kill me now.

How quaint.

I cleared my throat, casting my gaze back to the very imposing commander. "Hai." And I bowed. Because I actually had manners; I just chose not to use them most of the time. My background was just a convenient cover.

Straightening, my eyes set on Yamamoto, and I forced back a yawn as he just sat there in silence.

This is good…

"You were brought here today to face the charges of manipulating a forbidden Kido spell, attacking a seated officer of the Onmitsukidō, and committing terrorist actions against Soul Society in the aide of the Ryoka two months ago."

I moistened my lips, compressing them and lacing my fingers behind my back. Well. That pretty much said it all.

Fuck.

Yamamoto continued, his old scratchy voice like sandpaper, "Under normal circumstances, this is where I would ask how would you plead, however, these are not normal circumstances."

Huh?

My black eyes narrowed as he spoke, "Soul Society has just undergone a sizeable change, Nagasaki. Three valuable captains have committed treachery in the worst possible degree, and now there are holes, along with Seireitei picking itself back up. Your… charges are insignificant in the light of things."

Huh!?

Is he…? Is he letting me off?!

Apparently the shock was evident on my expression, because I heard a chuckle from the side coming from Boggnamo, "Don't look so surprised, Nagasaki. It seems you were expecting so much more…"

I blinked a few times, convincing myself this was real. It was real quiet in the hall, and I just stood there, getting over my initial shock. I wasn't… I wasn't going to prison!

No Maggots Nest or cells for me!

I exhaled loudly, letting my shoulders slump in relief.

Oh thank God.

Then suddenly the old Soutaicho cleared his throat, "However, we are not finished…"

The sun was hot on my face, and as I brought my arm to shield my eyes from the hazardous star, I gave a heavy sigh. My other hand, which was lying on the flat grass, gripped a small 4" by 6" black photo frame.

Today was a beautiful day, and I took advantage of the warm sunshine and escaped from my confining office, finding my favorite spot on the grassy hill not too far out of Seireitei.

Today was probably the last time I would enjoy it in awhile.

And today I wasn't even really enjoying it. There were too many things to think about. I let out another deep breath, inhaling slowly as countless thoughts ran through my head. Fragments, really. Memories, my duties and responsibilities, things I had to do in the very near foreseeable future…

"There you are. You're probably the laziest Senpai I've ever had, Nagasaki."

I didn't open my eyes as I heard the annoyed voice, nor when I felt the grass just beside my head flatten. When the wind shifted, I held out my hand, stopping the foot that was aimed straight at my temple. The picture frame now lay in the grass beside me.

I cracked a lid, staring up into soft baby blues. Messy black hair. A cheeky expression on an adorable face.

Well, whadya' know.

"Seriously, you're one tough chick to find." Hikaru Tottori stood at my side, leaning over me with that stupid smirk on his cute face.

I blew out a breath, "What do you want, Tottori?"

I heard an unsatisfied grunt from above, and then a dull thud as he plopped down beside me, yawning.

"So, Yamamoto Soutaicho let you off the hook, huh?"

"There are more pressing matters at hand."

"Seems kind of unfair."

"Life's unfair, kid."

I heard him snort, looking the other way, "And here I thought you were sounding diplomatic."

I scoffed, blowing a piece of hair out of my eye and returning to my relaxation. Except it wasn't really relaxation. It was laziness. I couldn't relax with so much about to go down. Maybe I should back up. The reason Hikaru and I were speaking, getting along actually. You see, after our little encounter at the base of Soukyoku Hill, whereas I punched the living daylights out of the cheeky brat, he realized (begrudgingly, might I add) that I was actually formidable, that I actually had skill. And maybe, just maybe, I was named Fuku Kidōchō for a reason. So with a bitter twist to his expression one day after the incidents, he approached me with a chip on his shoulder, asking for my wisdom. Okay, so he didn't really ask for my wisdom, because the kid thinks he knows it all, he just 'needed a sparring partner.' So I agreed, under the circumstances that he wouldn't be a horrible child and I wouldn't be an insufferable bitch (heh, yeah). Maybe he had to buy me some sake every few nights too, but hey, a bargain's a bargain.

But over the last month and a half, we had actually come to a thin, sort-of-agreement. Not a spoken one, oh no. Because I don't really have a way with words. But we found some common ground, and now there was a companionship between us. Not set in stone, but not some flimsy friendship that wouldn't last. We were by no means friends. But… acquaintances would be a nice way to describe what we had.

"Your brothers." I opened my eyes slowly, seeing that Hikaru was now holding the frame in his hands, studying the picture.

"Uh huh."

"Why do you keep it if…" He didn't finish, just trailed off, breaking whatever tactless snide thing he was about to spit out. But it was already too late for me not to know what he was saying. He was going to ask why I still keep Reizo in the picture.

Reizo… his name still brought a shuddering amount of pain throughout me. It hurt.

It hurt a lot. That's all I could really say about it. His name brought on anger, rage. Not the kind of anger that wills you to make a move, but the anger that drains you. The anger that reminds you that you failed. Somehow in my lifetime, I failed.

And it haunts me.

But it was over, and I couldn't do a thing about it. I didn't know if he was dead or alive. I just knew he was gone. I had to swallow the lump in my throat, "He was a good brother to me for a couple hundred of years. I'll give him some credit."

It was quiet for a few moments, and Hikaru spoke again, "I don't understand."

Of course you don't.

I didn't think anyone could comprehend the love I had felt for him, still feel for him, even though he went as far as stabbing me in the gut and leaving me there, clearing my memory. He raised Hosyu and me from scratch in the slums of Kusajishi, and he defended us with his life. He fed us, loved us, provided shelter and warmth.

And that's why we never saw it coming. He was a good fucking brother.

"I don't expect you to."

But one thing had bugged me from the time that I suddenly remembered. When Aizen had made me remember my brother's true face.

If Reizo really attempted to kill me, really wanted me dead, why did he still take the precaution of erasing my memory…?

"Ichi, ni, san, yon, go…"

"You can leave mine out tonight, Rangiku-san."

"Hazumi-channnn~!"

"Uhg!" I hated the feeling of suffocation. And if each time I saw Matsumoto this happened, sooner or later I would die from asphyxiation. "Can't- breathe!"

"Oh! Ha-ha! Sorry, Hazumi-chan!" She backed away, and I gasped for air.

Sweet, sweet, oxygen.

I rubbed my throat, raising my black eyes to meet her soft blues, "Someday that'll be the end of me, Rangiku-san."

She laughed again, waving her hand, "Oh stop it. Now what's this about not drinking with me tonight?"

That's right. I had walked into the Jūbantai barracks to deliver a special report to Hitsugaya Taicho when I so elegantly ran into Matsumoto counting our usual weeknight, hell every night, sake glasses. But tonight I wasn't drinking. I was too focused on a few things.

"Ahh, I've got too much to do, Matsumoto. Gomenasai."

"Iiieeeeee~!"

Dear lord it sounded as if she had already started. "Aa."

"One drink then!" My lips twisted, and I looked to the side.

With a sigh, "Just a drink, I've got a few things going on."

The bosomy ginger cheered, grabbing the bottle and pouring me a cup, dragging me over to the couch in the center of the room. I leaned against the cushions, taking a sip of the alcoholic beverage and sighing, closing my eyes. It was uncharacteristically silent, and then, "Daijoubu desu ka?"

I cracked a lid, meeting an equally uncharacteristically serious face. "Genki desu, Rangiku-san. I've just got some crap to deal with…"

Like my next assignment, and the fact that my brother was a psycho and I murdered three innocent academy students. God, I needed to sort my life out. Intervention, please.

"Kampaiii~!"

As I leaned back against the comfortable couch, I thought for once in my life, I was grateful that Matsumoto was completely wasted.

She didn't see how close I was to breaking.

How close I was to losing it.

"I'll drink to that."

And I downed it.

My office was still, clean, and quiet. It was raining today. It was dark as the thunder clouds rolled in; completely engulfing the beautiful Seireitei sky. I didn't like it. I didn't like anything right now. I just wanted to go to sleep.

"You're goin' to the human world, huh?"

Well damn.

I grunted, not lifting my gaze as I glanced around my office once more before turning to my visitor.

"You know why?"

I rolled my coal-black eyes, too grumpy for this. "No, Hosyu. I'm just going to get some fresh air."

Hosyu sighed, probably because of what he called my trademark bite or something. "I don't like it."

My lips twisted as I stared at my brother, "It's my job, don't be a dick about it," after a beat, I added more grudgingly, "I don't like it too much either."

Hosyu was silent for a few moments, and then as if he came to a crucial decision, he held up his hands in surrender, "Okay, you're leaving soon, right? Let's try to get along for the rest of your time here."

Hah. He sucked at playing peacemaker. With a quirk of my heart-shaped lips, I walked by my taller sibling, "We'll get along fine as soon as you realize I'm God."

Eat that, nii-san.

Stopping at the window, I watched the rain pour with my clouded eyes, lacing my fingers behind my back. The big droplets hit the window in scattered splats, morphing the view I had of the street outside.

"Why are you going to the living world? Of all people, what business would the Fuku Kidōchō have there?"

Why me, huh?

"However, we are not finished…"

I twisted my fingers sharply behind my back, swallowing.

Well damn. Was I being punished or not?!

Yamamoto cleared his throat, soundin' like some old goat. God. "You have a new assignment, Nagasaki." I shifted my footing, leaning on my left leg. I tried to keep my face blank, but this was odd. Yamamoto never assigned me. I wasn't under his direct jurisdiction.

Then, as if sensing my confusion, Hilo Boggnamo stepped forward, his cane echoing throughout the soundless room. His beady brown eyes stared at me silently, and his beard was as fluffy and white as ever. I sometimes liked to refer to my captain as Ojii-san. I think he knew that…

"Nagasaki." His low voice snapped my attention to him, my sole concentration on this man. My commanding officer. I'd never tell him, but he had earned my respect over the years with his wisdom and grace. He knew what to do when things surfaced. I trusted his judgment wholeheartedly.

"A new Hollow's Nest has surfaced near Karakura Town. On the radar, it had read relatively weak in comparison to some of your former assignments. Regardless, you are to report to the human world under Hitsugaya Taicho and eradicate this Nest. Afterwards, you will wait for further instructions."

Hollow's Nests. Something you would run into solely in Hueco Mundo. However, it seems hollows have become more advanced over the years, smarter, deadlier. In highly concentrated areas of condensed spirit particles of the living world, we were seeing a massive amount of hollows moving in.

Many different locations.

That's where the Kido Corps came in. We went in, exterminated the hollows and detonated the Nests, blowing it to kingdom come.

So why the Kido Corps?

Why not just hand the job to the Gotei 13?

Well, the detonation process requires complete control of one's own reiatsu and highly skilled Kido techniques. Something the Corps is famous for. So, the jobs were handed to us. The Nests are spotted by the Research and Development department, and the reports are sent to us, where we are assigned and sent out. Something the Gotei 13 helps splendidly with.

Sounds simple enough, save for the fact that you're going into a nest of hollows!

Did I mention that it's literally a nest? Like a bird's nest or something.

Or maybe like a cave. It depends. But it's like you're actually going into something.

And you might not come back out.

But yeah, I got over the initial shock of the situation years ago. The fact was, and still remained, that hollows were not supposed to be residing in the living world, and they were obvious danger to the inhabitants of said world.

"A Hollow's Nest…"

The rain was coming down harder now.

"Yep."

I could hear it on the roof, dousing everything.

"I don't like it."

I sighed, closing my eyes. Of course he didn't.

"Then you'll be pleased to hear I've got you on call. Standby, if you will."

Hosyu blinked, "What?"

I yawned, turning back to my befuddled brother. "'Take whom you please,' was what Boggnamo said. You've got your duties here, so I'm not dragging you out to the living world on a whole lot of nothing. I may not need you. But I've got you on call just in case."

My brother smiled slightly, "You've sure got some connections, pulling me from the Onmitsukidō on Corps business. I know Soifon Taicho isn't liking this."

"Soifon can shove it up her ass."

Hosyu's smile morphed into a full blown grin, his emerald eyes sparkling, "You know… if we were to kill everybody who hates you, it wouldn't be murder; it would be genocide."

"Hadō 1: Shō."

There was a loud crash, and a few low groans, followed by some very noisome curses as my brother so elegantly hit the wall, conveniently causing my full bookcase to wobble, towering down on him.

"Oops."

So, just to get things moving. Information mostly.

Had to give her some reason to get in the human world.

Since there's not really information on the Kido Corps, I've taken the liberty of making something up for them. How fun.

As always, your thoughts are nice.