Alpha: Ichigo
Co-Alpha: Zangetsu, Shiroken
1: Toshiro(Taicho), Rangiku(Fukutaicho), Rukia, Renji, Gin, Kaname, Momo, Hanataro
2: Isshin(Taicho), Tatsuki(Fukutaicho), Karin, Yuzu, Keigo, Chizuru, Mizuiro
3: Yoruichi(Taicho), Kisuke(Fukutaicho), Jinta, Ururu, Tessai, Orihime, Chad
4: Shinji(Taicho), Grimmjow(Fukutaicho), Love, Mashiro, Kensei, Rose, Hiyori, Hachigen, Lisa, Nelliel, Dondochakka, Pesche
The patrol group was hiding in the shadows as a Shinigami Shunpoed by. She paused, thinking she'd sensed another presence, before moving on towards the Hollow. Another group was already heading towards it for the kill, but she didn't know that.
"Alright, they passed." Toshiro barked quietly, stepping out of cover. Behind him came Kaname, Momo and Lisa, the Visored having decided to accompany them to assist, as she hadn't been able to do much lately.
"That was close." Momo sighed, sitting on her haunches. "Good thing I figured out how to hide the fire, she would have spotted it easily."
Said fire sprouted back around her feet as she let her reiatsu flow a little again. The more she released her power the bigger the fire, Lisa had figured that out as such and had taught Momo and her zanpaktou how to control it.
"The Shinigami have been patrolling the area as much as we have." Toshiro growled. "The Head Captain is getting impatient."
"I wonder what happens to a pack without an Alpha." Kaname mused.
"You mean if they catch Kurosaki?" The Taicho asked and the black Egyptian nodded. "Hm…I'm not sure. Aberon explained about Alpha's Law but he didn't say what would happen if the Alpha was taken away."
"I'd assume the strongest would fight for the position." Lisa shrugged. "Or Aberon picks them."
"He did pick Ichigo." Momo agreed. "But…what if Aberon gets killed?"
They decided not to dwell on that. With their Alpha so attached to the pup, they couldn't help but be attached as well. He was the one to start the pack, to bring this whole group together. He accepted everyone no matter what; even Grimmjow enjoyed having him around. The Arrancar had showed a playful, caring side to the pup that no one had seen before. Whether it was the pup's powers that pulled them in or just their need to protect something so frail, every wolf was willing to fight tooth and claw to keep him safe.
And if that was suddenly taken from them… Toshiro suppressed a shudder; they'd probably turn themselves into the Soul Society due to feeling like failures and would most likely be executed for their actions.
"Enough of this, we have to make sure there aren't any demons in our territory." Toshiro began to head off and the three wolves followed him obediently.
They'd been spotting shadows for a week now, but nothing more. However, they were finding a lot of Shinigami in the area attempting to track them down. Jinta had come running back to the den one time saying he'd spotted a Captain, though he'd bolted before seeing which one it was, and made them all jumpy. Ichigo went out to scout the area more often than most, leaving those in the den under the care of his zanpaktou and Hollow, or if not those two Yoruichi and his father, the first Taichos in the pack.
Whatever was going on the pack was getting restless. They trained hard for their White Wolf ability, those with Bankai attempting to learn how to do that in wolf form as well. After having learned Bankai in three days while human, Ichigo was getting annoyed that he couldn't do the same in wolf form. Zangetsu seemed amused by this and Shiroken was merciless about teasing his host for it. Ichigo would counter by saying the Hollow still didn't know how to use his mask power as a wolf.
Toshiro paused and lifted his nose to the air, catching wind of something. It wasn't a Shinigami so he felt no need to take cover yet, but it didn't seem to be a Hollow either.
"It's near the park." Kaname reported, his superior sense of smell due to being blind paying off for their hunt.
"Hinamori, Yadomaru, head to the right." Toshiro ordered. "Tosen and I will go left to try and trap it in. If it's a demon…be cautious."
The wolves nodded their heads and went their separate directions, approaching the strange scent in the park.
Both groups were absolutely silent as they surrounded the being standing in the clearing. Keeping to the shadows, Toshiro got a good look at the mysterious creature.
It wasn't a creature at all but a man, a man with black hair past his shoulders that faded to silver. His ears were pointed, eyes sky blue yet venomous. He wore white pants tucked into tall black boots, a black shirt with sleeves that reached the elbow a little loose on him. He wore a hooded cape, hood obviously down, that was dark red in color.
"Definitely not a Soul Reaper." Kaname barked quietly to the Taicho. His ears were perked forward.
"Most definitely." Toshiro agreed. "But he's not a human either…and not an Arrancar…"
"Could he be one of the demons?"
"I really hope not. I'll have Hyorinmaru approach him."
"Wait." Kaname began to step forward, Toshiro turning to him in surprise. "Allow me."
"Tosen, I'd rather you not."
"My zanpaktou will be better for trapping him if he attempts to run."
The black wolf stepped out of cover and into the clearing, the man's sky blue eyes latching onto him quickly.
"Who are you?" Kaname questioned, keeping his distance.
The man narrowed his eyes at the black wolf, which was as tall as he was. As he opened his mouth to answer, the others saw fangs.
"A blind wolf…" The man said in a bored tone. "Not much of a challenge…But, Firiat-sama's orders are absolute."
"What are you talking about?" Kaname growled, on guard.
"I don't have time to play with cripples." The man lifted his hand and shadows shot up from the ground.
"Tosen!" Momo barked out in worry but Lisa kept her back.
"I am Shadow Black." The man introduced. "I am a Youkai."
"A Youkai!?" Toshiro's eyes widened and he jumped out of cover and stood next to Tosen, fangs bared. At his movement, Lisa and Momo both appeared as well, snarling at the Youkai.
"Wolves are such troublesome animals." Shadow sighed. "I have to leave, play with my pets instead."
He became darkness and vanished from the area altogether. But he left behind something else, four of them to be exact. They were grotesque figures, faintly reptilian, and giving off a foul aura. They were practically skeletons; dead skin tight over bones and their eyes nothing but black holes with a red light deep inside. When they called out, it was a horrid screech that made the wolves snap their ears back.
"I don't know what would happen if these things got away, so make sure they're good and dead before heading out." Toshiro ordered, staring down one of the raptors. It stared right back, or he thought it was, and he moved to the side. It followed.
"Got it." Momo barked back, calling Tobiume to her side. The other three zanpaktous were quick to follow.
"Guess this is a good time to try out White Wolf." Lisa said as she growled at her chosen raptor. "Smash, Haguro Tonbo Wolf!"
Silver blades appeared on the back of her forelegs along with armor over her head with sharp saber fangs and down her spine. The fanged head armor seemed to be common for all wolf Shikais. There was also a mace on each of her three tails and her fire was gone.
"Snap, Tobiume Wolf!" Momo barked out and her zanpaktou quickly answered. Momo now had the bell collar along with silver head armor, her fangs not as large as Lisa's. She had bladed claws and her fire was larger and more intense. Leaping at a raptor she swung a claw down and a fireball shot towards her opponent, just like with her normal zanpaktou.
"The Lieutenants are showing us up, it seems." Kaname stated with a small grin.
"They're not Lieutenants in the pack…but you have a point." Toshiro glanced at Hyorinmaru. "Alright then. Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru Wolf!"
His fur started to harden as his body temperature dropped; his head armor looked to be made of ice with silver fangs. He also had bladed claws, though his were coated in ice, and the chain-blade that usually hung from the end of his blade in Shikai curled around his right foreleg, the crescent blade hidden at the moment until he willed it to appear, able to control the chain with thought. It had taken time to master that.
"Cry, Suzumushi Wolf." Kaname barked calmly and the black Spitz beside him vanished. Since his Shikai remained relatively normal, his wolf formed one was simply dark silver head armor with fangs and bladed claws, the difference being he also had a metal collar with a small ring on each side.
"Considering your zanpaktou's ability you should probably draw yours away." Toshiro said before leaping at the demon in front of him, fangs bared.
Kaname nodded in agreement and began to back away, the demon he was fighting following after with an annoyed screech. The girls also spread themselves out, the raptors not seeming to like being separated.
'Alright, Tobiume, let's do this.' Momo said to her zanpaktou, snarling at the raptor in front of her.
'No demons allowed in our territory!' Tobiume replied.
The raptor darted forward and Momo skirted around its claws before biting onto an arm, the saber fangs cutting through the whole arm. With a burst of reiatsu, fire flowed through the fangs, lighting them up with a red glow, and the creature screeched in agony as its arm was literally melted off just below the shoulder. She spat out the arm, feeling a little disgusted, before leaping onto the creature's back and digging her bladed claws in, sinking her teeth into its neck.
It surprised her by rolling over, crushing her underneath it and knocking the wind out of her before it got up and turned to grab at her neck. She whimpered as she tried to stand, realizing her right foreleg was a little twisted.
"H-Hado Number Four, Byakurai!" She chanted quickly, carefully lifting her sprained leg and aiming it at the raptor as it charged her. Blue lightning shot from the tip of her paw and speared the beast. It quickly disintegrated into shadows with dying embers floating in that darkness before it all flashed white and disappeared.
Turning, she saw Lisa give her raptor a finishing blow across the neck with the blades on the backs of her legs and a vicious bite on its snout with which to hold it down. It, too, turned to ashes before vanishing in a white light. Ice exploded and they saw Toshiro had finished his off without breaking a sweat, having used the chain-blade to catch it and freeze it over before pulling the chain with his teeth and breaking it to pieces. It seems he'd been calculating his enemy first before attacking, memorizing their reiryoku and appearance for future reference.
"Hinamori!" Toshiro exclaimed upon noticing Momo limp over to him. He was at her side in seconds with a paw on her leg to apply Healing Kido.
"Just a sprain, Shiro-chan, nothing to worry about." Momo assured him, sitting quietly while he worked.
"That's Hitsugaya-Taicho." Toshiro sighed. "I'm even your commanding officer this time around, not just one of the Taichos."
"I'd think you'd let your nee-chan at least call you that." Lisa said calmly, a slight tease to her tone.
"He lets Karin-chan call him that." Momo huffed.
"I do not!"
They turned as Kaname joined them, not a single scratch on him, nor did he look worn out.
"Seems we all made it out relatively unscathed." He barked, sniffing out a little blood on Lisa from a scratch on her leg and noticing how Toshiro was using Healing Kido on Hinamori.
"We need to warn the Alpha about this." Hitsugaya stopped his treatment and instead offered his support as Momo stood; they needed to get back to the den soon.
"I'll go on ahead to let him know so Yamada is prepared." Lisa offered. Once the Taicho nodded his agreement she darted off with Shunpo back to the den.
The Youkai had arrived and the Soul Society was still after them…
Pack life was definitely going to be harder.