Thanks to NorthernShinigami, Antex- The Legendary Zoroark and StrangerInAStrangeWorld for reviewing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Chapter 20: Meetings
"Why'd you want to see us, Adesto?" Biarce questioned.
The ten of them were once again in their room, Wrok inspecting the damage caused by the earlier explosion, still insisting that he had nothing to do with it.
"There's the fact that we need to get Aizen to let us handle the capture of little Yumi," Adesto said. "I'll make sure that Delgato and Rodulphus handles it. How many Soul Reapers were with him?"
"Let's see," Rodulphus said. "There were six Soul Reapers and about nine Vizards."
"The Soul Reapers wouldn't be a problem," Adesto said. "The Vizards might be."
"What is the extent of their abilities?" Arianna asked.
Rodulphus sighed and withdrew his sword. Everyone placed their own swords on the blade, and all the information gathered within the scavenger was transferred to everyone else.
"I see," Adesto sighed. "In that case, we need to ensure that Lazaria is with us as well. Gweedix and Atrocitus could come as well. I'll be able to handle the ones that prefer to fight head on. Arianna, Fawkes, Biarce and Wrok would definitely be on standby."
"Wouldn't Aizen think it's suspicious that a large group would go?" Wrok asked.
"We should just remind him that there are quite a few people who'd be protecting the target," Adesto said. "We have no idea how far along he is with controlling his Hollow side. We can play it to our advantage."
"I agree," Delgato said, before he turned to Rodulphus. "Tell me, do any of these Arrancars have abilities that would prove useful to me?"
"Well," Recegor said, smirking. "The Espada might. There is one in particular that you would definitely enjoy."
…
Leva sighed. Everyone was asleep at this time. It was the perfect time.
They had arranged it during dusk. It would be too much to discuss through telepathy. There was only one place where they would be able to speak to each other in peace. Who knows how long it would take, though?
Two days. That was the limit set. She had told Urahara of her intentions. And unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to reach her in that time. He would simply relay the message to the others.
She looked towards the sleeping Yumichika one last time before she turned around. Holding out her hand, a door appeared.
The door was finely decorated by many motifs depicting animals living together in harmony. However, one needed to know the Diablos to know the significance.
A swan, a bear, a crocodile, a lizard, a snake, a bat, and a dragon. The seven Diablos, plain and simple. White, silver, green, orange, purple, gold and red.
The doors opened, and she could feel her appearance starting to morph. She stepped through, closing the door behind her.
Only a fool would use the same door for different destinations in the same place.
…
Nnoitra grumbled when he felt something on his chest, and something repeatedly poking him in the face. His eye snapped open, prepared to tell Nagina to leave him alone, but her face stopped him.
She looked serious.
"What?" he snapped.
"I'll be away for a day or two," she said. "We Diablos need to have a meeting. It's extremely important."
"And you couldn't tell me another time?" Nnoitra muttered.
"I had other things to take care of," she sighed. "If you guys need me, I won't be able to respond. So try not to need me." She snapped her fingers and a strange door appeared. Her appearance was starting to change as well. "If you need me, I'll be in Hell."
Nnoitra blinked as she disappeared through the door. No spiritual pressure could be felt coming from the door. In fact, was it even the same door?
Something was going on. He could feel ice start to fill his veins as he remembered the look in Nagina's eyes.
Something was wrong.
…
Leva sighed. She was one of the first to arrive, other than Kivara and Baro, who were already nearby.
While they are in Hell, they assumed different forms. Leva's hair was no longer in a ponytail, but was tied in an intricate series of knots atop her head. Her usual clothes were replaced by a ceremonial kimono designed in every shade of green imaginable. Her feet became reptilian, and she had a long tail that was visible just under the kimono. Her fingernails were long and it was designed to look like a French manicure, with the base black and the tip green.
Kivara, in her Hell form, looked very similar to Leva, with a few differences. Kivara's skin was a tanned bronze, whereas Leva was almost pale, but not nearly as pale as a few of the others. She wore a red medieval style dress with the sleeves hanging well past her fingertips. The dress was in varying shades of red. Her eyes were red in colour, contrasting with Leva's green. In Hell, her pupils were slits. She had a pair of black horns on her head and a pair of black, bat-like wings stretched out behind her.
Baro, in his Hell form, looked like a nobleman. In spite of representing the sin of gluttony, he was quite skinny, and appeared to be malnourished. His metabolism worked too fast for him to be satisfied by anything he ate. His undershirt was black, and he wore an outfit made from dark orange silk. He also had reptilian feet, and a long tail. His brown hair reached his mid back, and he wore it in a ponytail. His eyes were also brown, and he had quite a youthful face. His hands were claws.
Kivara sat in her throne crafted from ruby, and Baro sat on his throne of topaz. Leva moved to her own emerald throne as they waited for the others.
Rith arrived, wearing the armour he usually wore. He then moved to his throne of citrine. A few seconds later, Zeron appeared.
While Rith resembled a knight and Baro a nobleman, Zeron looked princely, with his shoulder-length silver hair and his calm demeanour. He also had a crown of silver. His clothes were of the finest silver materials. His fingernails were replaced by claws, and out of all of them, he looked more human. Silver chains were wrapped around him, but they did not bind him. He bound the chains.
He sat on his throne of moonstone as they waited for the final two members to arrive.
It was Nagina who came first. She wore a simple purple dress, but the corset was dark pink and purple. Her normally wavy hair was sleek, making it look longer. She wore an Uraeus crown atop her head, with the snake resembling a cobra. Her acid green eyes also had slitted pupils, and her fingernails were an actual French manicure. Leva knew that, should the younger woman open her mouth, her forked tongue would become visible. The dress she wore had no sleeves, and the snake marking was gone. But she wore a gold band on her upper left arm.
Nagina sat down on her throne of amethyst. Eventually, Zaya came.
Her face no longer appeared so youthful. It was still pale and heart-shaped. Her long black hair flowed down, past her hips. She wore a black toga, reminiscent of the ancient Greeks, or even the Romans. Her feet were normal, but there were intricate designs of vines spreading from her toes and up her legs. The same design could be seen on her arms and the vines varied between gold and silver. She wore a wreath made from silver atop her head, and her fingernails were black with white tips. The vine pattern also spread across her face. Her eyes were a rainbow of colours. In Hell, it was hard to predict Zaya's mood. She also had a pair of wings spread out behind her back, as pure as fresh snow.
She sat on her throne carved from opal, next to Leva. The room was circular, with the thrones arranged evenly. To Leva's right sat Zaya, next to her was Zeron, next to him was Nagina, next to her was Rith, next to him was Kivara, next to her was Baro, who was on Leva's right.
"Was it really necessary to summon us all here?" Baro asked, looking bored.
"Things will occur that would make the previous Armageddon look tame," Zaya said.
"It's not going to be happening early, is it?" Zeron asked.
"No," Zaya sighed. "But, if something is not done, then past and present will collide. The severity would be similar to what would happen if an unstoppable force came into contact with an immovable object."
"I hate that saying," Kivara groaned.
"I agree, Mini Me," Leva said. She ignored the glare shot her way by the youngest Diablos. "It's rather contradictory, since both refer to us."
"How's Yumichika's training going?" Zaya interrupted.
"He has difficulty trying to summon a cero," Leva replied, instantly serious. "The mask remains on for twenty four hours."
"So, phase one is complete. Nagina, how long until phase two begins?"
"Very soon," Nagina said. "The Sinners will be trying to handle his capture personally."
"If that happens," Baro said, "then we're going to have to adjust."
"But that's what we do best, isn't it?" Rith asked.
"There will soon be a twist in the plot," Nagina said, smirking.
"The Soul Society and Las Noches," Leva said. "Everyone there is our marionette."
"And the events are merely the plot points in our puppet show," Zeron said.
"And we alone write the script," Zaya said. "Everything is going according to plan."
…
"Yumichika!"
He paused. The voice was quiet and weak, but no matter what, he would always be able to hear it. He would always be able to recognise it.
The twelve year old abandoned the food he was making. If she was calling, then it had to be serious.
He entered the room, and he could instantly see what was going on. The woman with the black hair was lying on the bed, her hair fanning around her white face drenched in sweat. Her dull blue eyes opened to regard the boy in the doorway.
"Michi," she croaked. A droplet of blood escaped her mouth. She held out her arms, and the boy understood.
He went over towards her and allowed her to wrap her arms around him and pull him closer. The touch was hot and stifling. But he daren't pull away.
"Yumichika," she muttered. "I love you, my little Michi."
"I love you too, Momma."
…
Yumichika awoke with a start, tears streaming down his face. He barely registered a shuffle in the room.
'Why'd you show me that?' Yumichika thought.
'I'm sorry, but that is something you had to see. Unfortunately, that was how your childhood went.'
'What about my father?'
'No one knows.'
"Yumichika!" Izuru's voice broke through Yumichika's thoughts. "What's wrong?"
"It's… it's nothing," Yumichika gasped. "It was just a memory."
"About what?" Shuuhei asked.
"It… it was about my mother," Yumichika said, a fresh wave of tears flowing down his cheeks. "She was always sick. She would call me, to get her something, or just to… just to hug me."
The others didn't say anything, but they turned to watch Rangiku and Rukia, who had arrived at the doorway.
It was only later that Yumichika would find out that the reason the rest of them were awoken was because of a particularly powerful burst of spiritual pressure that came from Yumichika.
…
Szayelapporro huffed in annoyance. Sleep eluded him, and the only project he had that he could work on was the cockroach plague. And he could only look at bugs for so long.
He decided to take a stroll through the corridors of Las Noches. It was best to clear his mind. All things considered, he needed to clear his mind. He could not afford to have anything to distract him. He needed to think rationally.
As he entered the Fraccion's hall, he suddenly felt hesitant. His brother's room was in this hallway. And he was worried about what might happen, should he and his brother meet each other so soon.
As he drew closer to his brother's room, he noticed that he was not the only one in the hall. There was another there.
It was one of the Arrancars from Hell. One with slicked back black hair.
He was standing in front of Ylfordt's room. And once his eyes landed on the pink-haired scientist, his face lit up in a smirk. And Szayelapporro instantly knew who the man in front of him was.
"Haven't you done enough to him already?" Szayelapporro growled.
"Nice to see you too, Antonio," Delgato said. "And I am far from finished."
He used Sonido to stand in front of Szayelapporro, but the scientist didn't back down. In fact, he seemed to strengthen his resolve.
"You seem to have a backbone," the Sinner said. "Impressive."
"I'm not Ylfordt," Szayelapporro said. "You don't scare me."
"Perhaps. But I can still scare Ylfordt. Torture him, scar him. Fear is an effective weapon. Tell me, does he still hate you? All you did was watch as I destroy him. Body, mind and spirit. Tell me, can you still hear his beautiful screams? Because I can."
Szayelapporro clenched his fists, trembling with rage. All it would take was a cero. But it would only be a temporary solution. He would return, and he would probably be angry and take it out on the Granz brothers.
He then remembered something that Nagina told him.
"Tell me something," Szayelapporro said. "Is it true that you were killed by a little girl?"
Szayelapporro gasped as a hand was suddenly wrapped around his throat and he was slammed against the wall. Hard. His feet were dangling in the air.
He looked down at the man whose hand was cutting off his airway. The look of amusement was gone. Now, the face was twisted in rage, the eyes looking murderous. And the grip was continuously tightening.
"How do you know that?" Delgato demanded.
Szayelapporro gasped, air not going through at all. The grip tightened, the Sinner demanding an answer.
"NO!"
The grip loosened slightly as both of their attentions were drawn to the owner of the voice. Szayelapporro paled when he saw who it was.
Ylfordt.
"Hello," Delgato said, his voice sounding cheerful, but with an underlying tone of rage. "We were just discussing you."
The grip tightened and Szayelapporro winced. He remembered what Nagina told him.
If he kills Ylfordt, then that would be a mercy. He'll torture Ylfordt, physically, emotionally and mentally, until he is begging for death. But, he still won't grant that favour. I've seen what happens when they are reunited with the ones they target. It's not pretty.
"Put him down," Ylfordt whispered. "Please. Just, let him go."
Delgato's eyes narrowed as the small smirk he had widened. The grip on Szayelapporro's throat tightened, and he winced in pain.
"Not until he answers my question," Delgato said, turning his attention back to the Espada.
A cero at the back caught their attentions. They turned to face the guilty party.
It was Tesla, and he was not alone.
Apparently, the Fraccion could clearly hear what was going on, and they could also sense the fluctuating spiritual pressure.
Delgato looked at all of the Fraccion and calmly released the Espada. He looked down calmly.
"We're not finished here," Delgato said before he used Sonido to leave.
None of the Fraccion knew what to do. They merely watched as Szayelapporro tried to regain his breath, as well as his pride. When all was done, he stood up and fixed his uniform.
"None of you are to mention this to anyone," Szayelapporro said. "Otherwise, I get a few more lab rats. Am I clear?"
He looked around at the Fraccion, each of them nodding their heads in fear. He looked over towards his brother one last time before turning on his heel, deciding to return to his bedroom, where he would be safe from any further threats.
…
When Delgato returned to their room, he was furious. How could he have known something like this? No one, other than his fellow Sinners, knew how he died. And they would not tell anyone outside of their group. Especially not the brother of one of his victims.
Yes, he would not only find out how Szayelapporro knew this, but he would take pleasure in making Ylfordt, Szayelapporro and whoever told him pay.
The others were also awake. They needn't sleep as often as others. Adesto was the first to notice Delgato's foul mood.
"What's wrong with you?" Adesto asked.
He glared slightly before he planted himself on his bed.
"What is going on with you?" Rodulphus demanded.
"I ran into Szayelapporro," Delgato said.
"I thought you would enjoy playing with him for a while," Lazaria said.
Lazaria, Gweedix and Atrocitus were playing a game with cards. Delgato didn't particularly care what they were playing.
"Normally, yes," Delgato said. "But, he said something that really got under my skin."
"Seriously?" Wrok asked. "I thought you'd have a thicker skin than that."
"He knew who killed me," Delgato said.
That got their attentions.
"What do you mean?" Adesto asked.
"No one other than us should know that," Delgato said. "Neither of them was anywhere near there. So now it begs the question: How did he know that? Who told him?"
"I doubt it was one of us," Fawkes said. "So that means…"
"Someone else knows about us," Adesto said, face twisted in rage. "When we find out who it is, that person will pay. We will show them what Hell is like. And they will feel sorry that they ever messed with us."