Chapter 25: Pawn

Baiten was still awestruck as he stared at the man in front of him. This shinigami, this warrior, was a Scaramouche member, but he was also Baiten's older brother, Jerik.

"I…I can't believe it," Baiten stammered, throwing caution away and hugging his brother.

Jerik returned the hug, smiling. "Yes, Baiten, it's me. I wouldn't forget you; I wouldn't let you die so easily. You're my little brother; I'm supposed to look out for you."

"Jerik I….there is so much I need to ask you," Baiten said, the words flowing rapidly from his mouth. "Where am I? What happened to my friends? What exactly is Scaramouche? Why did you join it?" Baiten's eyes widened as he looked hopefully at his brother.

Jerik pulled away, unwrapping his arms from around Baiten's back. "Those are all very good questions, and I believe you have a right to know. I was ordered, however, only to prime you for what's coming. I wasn't even supposed to show my face. I am merely here to inform you that you will need to fight, and to give you this," Jerik reached onto his back and removed a sheathed katana hanging from a plain black strap. He tossed the weapon to Baiten as he started to walk out. "I figured you'd need that back if you wanted any hope of winning."

"Thanks," Baiten said, turning Justare over in his hands.

"You're welcome. They will come to get you in a few hours; be ready and do your best. Don't die, my brother," Jerik said, replacing his mask and striding towards the door.

"Wait, who's coming?" Baiten called after him. "Jerik!" His brother appeared not to hear as he exited the room. Damn, I hope I can survive whatever's coming…I can't believe my brother would join a cadre of murderers! There must be some reason, he isn't…he isn't evil!

Baiten stared at his zanpakuto, drawing out the weapon and gazing at his reflection in the blade. "Justare, please lend me all of your strength for the coming fight. I'm not going to die before I get some answers."

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"Why are we always the ones assigned to crap like this," sighed Croxur, itching his nose idly as he strode down the passageway.

"Yeah, bro, it's pretty annoying that we always have to do such grunt work," replied Roxcru, rubbing her eyes wearily. "It's not fun being coolies…"

"…but it's how we have to live if we want to live," Croxur answered glumly. "I guess we've got things better than a lot of people…"

"…but that doesn't mean this kind of thing is fun," Roxcru finished. "I guess this is it," she said, pointing to a door with the number twenty-three emblazoned in bronze on its silvery body.

Baiten looked up as the door to his room slid open, seeing two figures standing in the portal. Both were of roughly the same height, build, and facial structure. Both had wavy auburn hair that extended to halfway down their necks, yet there was a key difference between the twins: one was male, one was female. Baiten had heard of fraternal twins before, but he had never seen them, and was thus momentarily speechless before realizing why the two had come.

"Up and at 'em," the male spoke, gesturing with both thumbs towards the hallways. Baiten rose, slowly edging towards the two.

"Hurry it up, we don't want to keep the others waiting," the female said, taping a watch on her left wrist. "We want to be as efficient as possible."

These two seem awfully cheery for members of a murderous organization, Baiten thought. Maybe there's more to this whole adventure than is immediately obvious. I'd better follow them; maybe they'll help me get to the bottom of things.

"Fine, fine," Baiten muttered, pushing off the ground with both hands and rising to his feet. "Where are we off to?"

"No questions," Roxcru said. "Do as you're told. You weren't ordered to talk…"

"…so just follow us, ok?" Croxur finished for her. Each twin grabbed on of Baiten's arms and led him from his room down a series of long corridors. Each expanse of drab silver wall looked exactly the same to Baiten, and thus he was unsure how his captors knew exactly where to go.

I can't sense any reiatsu, Baiten thought. They must have some masking technique, most likely to avoid discovery by the Gotei 13.

After what seemed like an hour of walking, Baiten and his captors reached a blank doorway. The two Scaramouche members knocked with an elongated series of specific raps and slams that Baiten assumed was some sort of code. After finishing their banging, the two stepped back and the door opened, revealing the interior of a massive chamber.

`The first thing Baiten noticed was that a row of eight chairs was aligned against each wall. These pieces of furniture were fairly elaborate, almost-throne like structures composed of some sort of dark wood. On the wall above each chair was a small bronze plaque with words Baiten could not make out from such a distance. Most of the chairs were vacant, but Baiten could see his brother sitting in one along the right wall. Three figures filled seats on the left wall, though their faces were unrecognizable and partly shrouded in darkness. It seemed to him that the lighting was poor in this room, as only the center was perfectly visible, lit by a large glowing ball that hung in the middle of the ceiling. Baiten continued to survey the room, noting the polished black and white marble floor with its checkered pattern. He did not have long to marvel before a voice echoed from the opposite side of the room.

"Ah, Baiten Seisha, glad you could join us, looks like you made it here first," the voice emanated from a figure shrouded in darkness on the opposite side of the room. As he spoke, this man moved towards one of the seats near Jerik while the twins moved towards seats on the left wall.

"Who are you? What is this place?" Baiten fired his questions in rapid succession. He could see the shadowy man shake his head.

"Wait until the end of the duel and I will answer all your queries," the figure replied.

"Duel? Who exactly am I fighting?" Baiten asked. "And why?"

"I will explain the purpose and rules once your opponent arrives," the man answered. Suddenly, a strange series of bangs echoed across the chamber, amplified by the acoustics of the massive alcove. "That must be him now."

At the opposite side of the room a door slid open and two figures entered through the shadows. One silhouette slid into one of the chairs on the left side of the room, while the other stumbled confusedly into the center of the room. As he came into the light, both he and Baiten let out gasps.

"Tairos!?"

"Baiten!?"

The two friends were in shock upon seeing one another, but before they could speak the shadowy figure who had spoken earlier began yet another speech.

"Ah, Tairos Naix is here, now we have both of our combatants," he declared. "Allow me the formally welcome you both to the headquarters of our little organization, Scaramouche. Now, the reason you two have been brought here is because our association currently has an opening that we need filled…"

"As if we'd join corrupt fuckers like you!" Tairos yelled.

"My my, someone is awfully irritable this morning," the man replied, a disconcerting calm slithering between his words. "I guess manners will have to be the second part of your initiation. Now, you two have been offered a very special opportunity, a pathway to the truth. Our organization represents the future, and we'd love to have yet another talented member in our ranks. Sadly, we have but one place free, and, as we can't have too many people running around who know about us, we decided to host this duel."

The man cleared his throat and continued. "This fight will also be a chance for you to demonstrate your skills and prove that you are truly fit to be a member of Scaramouche. Before either of you consider fleeing or attempting to fight back, know that we will not hesitate to kill both of you now. You have two choices: fight and win a chance to preserve your life and join the future of Seireitei, or fail to comply and be nothing more than a bloody stain on the marble. What are your decisions?"

Baiten grunted slightly. Damn, they've got us. Maybe it's best to fight; maybe I can win without killing Tairos. As a member, maybe I could destroy this group from the inside. Unless this "truth" they speak of is real….no! They are nothing more than fiends, corrupt murderers who slay valiant Shinigami.

"I will fight," Tairos declared, breaking Baiten's thought process. If I can hit Baiten with the correct kidou attack, he will appear dead. Then, I can escape with his body later once I become a member of this group.

What is Tairos doing? Does he really intend to fight me to the death? No, I will not kill my best friend…but perhaps he has a plan? Baiten sighed. "I accept your challenge."

The friends eyed one another, narrowing their gazes and drawing their weapons.

"Let the battle begin!" The hidden figure declared gleefully as the two friends released their shikais.

"Judge, Justare!"

"Balance, Librar!"

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"Damn it all," Jaice Gandaime cursed, slamming his shoulder into the wall of his cell yet again. His hands were bound by a short length and chain but that still did not stop the determined man from using any body part he could as an instrument of noise. "Let me the hell out so I can trash you motherfuckers!" After three hours of almost constant yelling, Jaice's voice was raspy and far too hoarse for any to hear. "Where am I? What are you bastards going to do to me? I'm getting really tired of this capturing and experimentation crap!" Jaice pulled back and moved to ram to ram the wall, but suddenly it slid open, causing the Shinigami to rush forward and slip to the floor, his body making the walls echo briefly.

Jaice grunted and looked up, his head now out of the doorway. Above him towered a fairly tall man wearing a standard shinigami kimono. His face, however, was covered by a pure white cowl and his hands bore black leather gloves making it impossible for Jaice to even see the man's skin color.

"Who are you? Another scientist from the 12th squad? I'm done with that shit what do you all still want from me?" Jaice growled, his voice little more than a hoarse whisper.

"You don't even know where you are do you?" The man replied, his voice lacking any feeling or distinguishing qualities. "This is the Scaramouche base."

"So you're one of them?" Jaice pushed himself to his feet and took a fighting stance, his bound hands up to guard his face. He aimed a crescent kick but the man caught his leg without a second thought.

"No, I came to free you. There isn't any time to explain, we need to get out of here."

"And why should I trust you? This could easily be a trap."

"Do you think Scaramouche would leave you alive if they didn't have a plan for you? Either way, you're taking a risk. I'd suggest following me. I can promise you that I'm on your side." Jaice eyed the man cautiously, lowering his hands slightly. With a swift motion the man drew his zanpakuto, cut the chains, caught them with his free hand before they could make a clanging sound on the floor, and resheathed his blade on his right hip. "That's better. Let's go."

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Baiten charged forward but Tairos leapt back, intent on keeping the distance between them. Baiten's better than I am at zanjutsu, but when it comes to kidou I've got him beat hands down. As long as I can blast him from far away, I'll win. I just need to hit him with a good direct hit to knock him out. I can always heal him later.

Damn, he's faster than I remember, Baiten thought. It really has been awhile since we spared. If Tairos is here, that must mean Jaice is too…no, I can't think about that now, I need to focus on winning. If I just stab him through the chest a little to the side of his heart I can make it look fatal; Tairos would be smart enough to play along.

Baiten lunged, Justare pointed ahead of him as he closed the gap between Tairos and himself. The latter narrowly dodged the attack, watching as the cloth on his chest was caught and ripped away by the rapier. Baiten was briefly shocked, wheeling himself out of the way as Tairos aimed a blast of White Lightning from Librar's tip.

"You aren't using your shikai's ability," Tairos stated, firing a blast of Red Fire at Baiten, who narrowly dodged, the blast singeing his left leg.

"Neither are you," Baiten shot back. "Don't go easy on me." The words were cold, and Baiten's eyes narrowed.

Good job, Baiten, playing this out like you really want to kill me, Tairos thought. We need to make this believable if we want to both walk of our here.

"Fine then, you bastard, I won't hold back, just don't whimper like a little bitch when your being burned alive! Balance!" Baiten looked shocked as he felt some reiatsu leaving his body, knowing full well that Tairos was equaling the balance between them.

Good move, you've been firing kidou at me for the past few minutes and I've barely broken a sweat, Baiten considered. Since we have roughly equal stores of kidou, this gives you a decent edge. Sadly for you, I learned long ago that the pathway to victory against you lies solely through my blade. Baiten's mind stopped briefly as he avoided another kidou attack, this one blasting a hole in the marble floor. I can't think that way, it's almost as if my subconscious is telling me to…to kill Tairos. No, he's my friend, we've been through so much. He's never wronged me…no, that's a lie, we've had our disagreements but that's no reason to kill him.

"Quit running around like a cockroach and fight like a man!" Tairos yelled, scowling as Baiten avoided a well aimed Shot of Blue Fire. "I even chanted for that one, had it hit this battle would be over."

Tairos isn't intentionally missing, otherwise I wouldn't have to dodge so well…no, he wants to kill me too. He was always jealous of me, always annoyed when things would turn out well. He hated it whenever I'd defeat him at anything, and so he always tried to make even his small victories over me seem enormous. Baiten's mind raced with these thoughts as he wheeled and pointed his sword at Tairos.

"Judge!" The beams of light slammed into Tairos's eyes before he even could consider what was happening. He cocked his head, attempted to tell where Baiten was through the clicking of his feet on the marble tiles. Tairos took aim several times but fired widely, as Baiten moved closer, Justare at the ready.

"It's time to end this battle, Tairos!"

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"You know the layout of this place well for someone who isn't part of Scaramouche," Jaice noted, following his apparent savior down another drab hallway.

"I got in, so obviously I know how to get out," the man replied neutrally. "Feel free to go your own way. As I've said, you might as well trust me; if I was going to kill you or lead you into a trap I wouldn't have waited this long."

That's true, we have been running for almost an hour by my count, Jaice thought as they rounded a corner. Still, there's something not quite right about this guy. There's something unnervingly familiar about him.

As they passed a door, Tairos stopped. His accomplice, who had been running ahead, stopped and turned around. "Is something wrong?"

"I thought I heard my friend Baiten's voice. I need to see if he's behind this door, it sounds like he's fighting someone."

"No, we don't have time, we need to get out of here," the man answered coldly.

"I'd rather risk my life than leave my friend to die. Also, Baiten can help us look for Tairos. The three of us are a team; if one falls, we all fall." Jaice pushed on the door but it wouldn't budge. He growled, slamming on it again and again. Suddenly, he felt something knock against his leg and turned to see Sangren lying at his feet. He looked at the stranger who nodded.

"I thought I'd pick that up for you. I was going to give it to you later, but I figure now is as good a time as any."

"Thanks," Jaice said picking up. "I wish you'd given it to me sooner, but no matter. Bleed, Sangren!" Acid coated the machete's blade and Jaice swung with all his fury at the portal. The metal hissed and sparked as the corrosive blade bit through it, making a hole large enough for Jaice and his ally to rush through.

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Baiten gripped his blade tightly as he moved within striking distance of Tairos. The shorter shinigami kicked at his friend's legs, sending him plummeting to the ground. Baiten then swung Justare at Tairos's staff, knocking Librar from his hands and sending the zanpakuto sliding across the polished floor. Tairos tried to stand but Baiten placed his right foot squarely atop his opponent's chest, pinning him to the ground. Baiten pulled back his sword and readied himself to inflict the final blow.

"Baiten, what the fuck are you doing?" Jaice's voice roared across the room. Baiten turned to see his friend standing at the top of a stairway that extended from a balcony on the room's left wall.

"Shall I deal with the intruder, master?" Jerik inquired, turning to the man masked by shadows.

"No need. Leave him for the time being; we will slaughter him after this spectacle is complete. However, stand by, we cannot let him interfere."

"Baiten, you can't seriously be thinking of killing Tairos!" Jaice screamed, rushing down the stairs. "What the hell is going on?"

"Ignore him and finish the duel," the master stated, raising his right hand and pointing at Jaice. "Jerik," he snapped his fingers, "detain him!"

"With pleasure, my lord!" Jerik declared, springing from his seat and flipping in the air. Jaice swung his zanpakuto at his assailant but the attack was easily dodged and, as if by magic, Jerik appeared behind Jaice, pinning both the man's arms.

"Baiten, do not hesitate, finish the duel," the lord stated.

"No, Baiten, you can't do this! Tairos is your friend, don't murder him!" Jaice screamed. Jerik clasped his hands over Jaice's mouth removed it swiftly as teeth clamped onto his fingers. "Think about what you're doing!"

"Baiten, do it," Tairos whispered. "Kill me. You know very well one of us has to die. We could try to fake it, but as things are now they would check too thoroughly. Live, live and defeat Scaramouche. As one of its members, you can bring it down from the inside. Kill me now."

A brief tear slid down Baiten's right cheek as he thrust his sword into Tairos's heart. "Goodbye, my friend." Baiten turned and pulled his sword out of the corpse, ripped a piece from Tairos's kimono and cleaned the blade before whisking away the miniscule tear that had appeared on his face. "It is done," he declared strongly. "I've won."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Jaice screeched, his voice piercing the room. "You fucking bastard! I…can't accept this! You aren't Baiten! He wouldn't do this, he's too pure! He loved justice!"

"Jaice, who are you to judge what is pure and what is just, you who have always lived with a deep murderous intent," Baiten declared, sheathing his blade. "This is the path to justice. I live on so that I may pursue a way to bring light to the world."

"What kind of shit is this? You're a fucking monster! Scaramouche is full of murderers and you're just going to join up like it's some club? Look at yourself. You can't make such quick judgments!"

"Jaice, you and I know almost nothing of Scaramouche. My brother, the man gripping you now, is the purest person I ever knew. If he would willing serve such an organization, then there must be a higher cause behind it. I will find that cause and serve it."

"Such a rapid, malicious change of heart…what happened to you?" Jaice cried, tears of hate rolling down his cheeks. "I'll kill you all!"

"You act as if you're in a position to say that," Jerik said, moving one hand to grip Jaice's throat. "The master had a plan for you, but it seems now that I might as well kill you so you don't cause trouble."

"B…Baiten," Jaice rasped. "You're not even going to try and save me? To think I was the friend of some low down bastard all these years! Traitor! Even if I die, my spirit will live on and haunt you! Yes, Tairos and I will track you down and make your life a nightmare!" Jaice gasped as Jerik's grip tightened, watching helplessly as Baiten turned away and walked toward his new master, kneeling as if before royalty.

Jaice's eyes rolled back and he was ready to accept death until he heard a familiar cry.

"Shingai, Denkou-deki!" Jerik screamed in pain and let go of Jaice; his body convulsed momentarily before he pulled away, noting the wound in his arm where the blade had entered.

"Damn, I missed," the masked man said holding the familiar zanpakuto. "Come on, Jaice, we can't afford to fight here or we'll die. We can take our revenge later."

"Even I know when fighting's no good," Jaice muttered, rushing beside his ally.

"Shindou? It isn't possible! Tyshi killed him!" Croxur yelled, jumping out of his seat.

"We'll make sure to finish him this time!" Roxcru declared as she followed her twin, drawing her sword as her brother followed suit. The two headed to block the only open exit while Jerik rose and rushed at the invaders.

"Damn it," the masked man said. "There isn't a way out now…"

"I've got an idea," Jaice muttered. "Listen the fuck up everyone. My name's Jaice Gandaime and I'm about to give you all a little surprise that going to rip you all to pieces! I was saving it for a rainy day, and now's the time to use it!" He held Sangren in front of him. "BANKAI!" Smoke filled the area and Jerik leapt back, drawing his sword and preparing for whatever Jaice's final release might entail. As the smoke cleared, the assembled members were in shock to see their foes had vanished and a massive hole in the far wall, a hole created by acid.

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"Quick thinking," the masked man said as he and Jaice raced forth.

"Thanks, I've been saving that smoke bomb trick for quite awhile now," Jaice said and then paused. "Shindou, I really owe you. But, answer me this, how did you survive?"

The masked figure laughed. "You can kill a warrior's body but his spirit will always live on. Now, I'm going to need your help with something. I've been working on assembling a group that can help us achieve our objective."

"And that is?" Jaice asked facetiously.

"Destroying Scaramouche."

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"That was exciting, wasn't it?" The leader stated as he addressed the room. "Don't bother pursuing them, they're long gone by now. Roxcru, Croxur, remove Tairos's body and check it to ensure he's dead; then, if you don't mind, start preparing for repairing this room, I can't allow it to stay in this state for too long." The twins nodded and grabbed Tairos's body, checking his pulse and listening to his heart before giving a thumbs up to confirm his demise. The two edged out of the room as the leader continued to speak. "Anyway, we have a more important matter now, welcoming our newest member, Baiten Seisha. Baiten, I hereby promote you to Pawn of Scaramouche."

"Thank you, my lord," Baiten said, bowing. "Now, I've killed my best friend and caused the other to desire my skull as a trophy, I think I've paid for those answers I seek."

"Of course," the leader replied. "You may refer to me by any honorary title you see fit, but know that my rank is King. I founded Scaramouche, an Organization established to bring justice and truth to a long corrupt Soul Society.

"The format of our group is modeled on a chess board. As there are sixteen pieces in chess, so there are sixteen members here, a number that I try to keep constant as often as possible. When one member dies, we work quickly to replace him or her. I found out long ago that fifteen confidants is the most I can manage and have all be fairly trustworthy.

"The organization is divided into two main halves: the First Row consists of Pawns while the Second Row consists of two Rooks, two Knights, two Bishops, a Queen, and myself, the King. Each row is further divided into a Queen's half and a King's half. You are a Pawn of the Queen's First Row; to be precise, you are the Queen's Knight's Pawn; your brother has the position of Queen's Knight and so he is your direct overseer from the Second Row. Do you follow so far?"

"Yes, go on," Baiten said.

"Scaramouche's mission is to eliminate the corruption within Soul Society, so the time has come now to tell you the truth. As you know, Soul Society is divided into many sectors each with a number while Seireitei is in the middle. These outer sectors, called Rukongai, contain uncorrupted souls called Pluses. Each district is numbered with the higher numbers, such as Area 70, having a worse reputation. These areas are often seen as a breeding ground for criminals, and thus are strictly monitored by Seireitei.

"But why are some men and women in outer Rukongai evil, or at least considered so by the Gotei 13? Elitism. The so called "pure" souls that reside within Seireitei consider themselves above those in outer Rukongai. Yes, some people from the higher numbered regions become Shinigami, but they are usually monitored and rarely promoted to high ranks. Thus, the people in these areas despise Seireitei and seek to move against it in order to gain respect.

"And that is what they deserve: our respect. They have done nothing to deserve their place in this world; it could easily be you or I who lives in such poor conditions. Thus, I propose that we restructure Soul Society and make Rukongai a place where souls can live joyfully. Seireitei does nothing to improve the conditions in these areas, and so it is Seireitei that breeds their own adversaries. We of Scaramouche will work from the shadows to take control of the Gotei 13 and eventually be able to bring freedom to the people of Rukongai."

"That's…a beautiful sentiment," Baiten stated. "But how can we, a group of only sixteen, ever hope to achieve such a goal?"

The King smiled, his teeth visible as they gleamed from within the shadows. "The next stage of our plan involves taking power directly. Sadly, it is taking longer to prepare for than we first anticipated. I cannot give you details now as it would take far too long, but you will be informed within the next few days. It seems we will have to wait thirty years to implement it; in that time, we will stay concealed and continue training, preparing for the day when we will strike. Are you up to the challenge?"

"Yes, my King," Baiten declared.

"Good. Jerik, show Baiten to his chambers and inform him of where he can find his necessities. It is good to have another Seisha aboard."

"Thank you, my lord," Baiten said as he followed Jerik out of the room. A new chapter had dawned in his life. The truth Baiten sought seemed so near. Justice for the weak, a beautiful sentiment. Tairos, you died for a noble cause.

HES: Wow, an intense chapter, eh? Tairos is dead and Baiten's joined Scaramouche! Sorry for the really late update, but I've been very busy lately (what else is new?). Anyway, I hope you all like the story, it's changed a lot from my original plans, but I still really like it. A new arc is starting up in a few chapters and then the story is going to enter its final act; I hope you're all excited, I know I am!