Thick droplets of rain pelted down onto the grassy plains of the cemetery, spider-webs of lightning piercing through the black storm clouds. Dark, sea-green eyes squinted up towards the violent storm, the rain trailing down his face in small rivers. The storm matched the internal turmoil that was making his stomach lurch. Running a trembling had through his hair, Kaien slid down the stone wall of the mausoleum he had been leaning against, his boots digging into the muddy ground beneath him.
After leaving the dead mortal on Shirosaki's doorstep, it had been a natural reflex to run. He hadn't wanted to see the look of utter defeat on his brother's face, see that soul crushing pain before everything was swallowed in a vengeful anger. That anger would be the downfall of him, but Kaien knew talking to him was a lost cause. His brother would never want to see his face again.
Dragging a hand over his face, Kaien closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the rain. His mind was cloudy with a past he'd rather forget, wished that he could start fresh with everything, but most of all his brother. How had they gone from loving and caring for each other, to Shirosaki trying to kill him, always angry? Draven, it was all that man's fault, he'd taken everything and poisoned it, corrupted it, and now the bastard's brother was doing the same thing.
The hard thud of footsteps had Kaien's ears prickling as he snapped open his eyes, only to have his head thrown to the side a second later as a muddy boot slammed into the side of his face. Toppling over, wide sea-green eyes stared up at the man looming over him, knife drawn and at the ready. Rising to his feet slowly, damp fingers brushing the splattered mud from the front of his cloak. Rubbing his jaw, he wasn't prepared for the palm that slammed into his chest before a leg was swiped down onto his shoulder, forcing him to his knees.
"Fuck!" Kaien hissed out, fangs bared as he shot a poisonous glare at the dark skinned man twirling the knife between his fingers. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" He snapped, clutching his ribs. He could feel the broken bones healing underneath his fingertips, making him extremely glad that he was a vampire. One of those splinters of bone had punctured a lung, and he could taste the blood trying to rise up his throat.
"You disobeyed a direct order." Tousen growled out low, taking a menacing step forward, "You helped him escape!" The words were spat out with more venom than any snake could hold, making Kaien let out a groan. Of course they would have found out that Ichigo was missing, but it didn't matter.
He was dead anyways.
"Che, he was on his last breath anyways, what does it matter?" The raven haired vampire bit out, slowly rising to his feet. Kaien's hand darted out, snatching Tousen's wrist mid swing, his grip tightening until he heard the distinct snap of bones crushing. That victory was short lived however when a sharp blade imbedded into his side, sending a white hot pain throughout his body. Swiping a clawed hand out, he bared his fangs, catching the other's neck and ripping it open.
"You knew what you were getting into from the very start." Tousen sneered, his hand clasped around the wounds on his neck. Blood trickled through his fingers and down his wrist, making Kaien wrinkle his nose. The pungent odor of tar hung thick in the air, leaving a bad taste in his mouth. His fangs receded as he turned to leave.
"Now I'm choosing to walk away. He's not going to be happy when he finds you, I'd rather be far away when that time comes." He muttered as he dissolved into the fog, only to stiffen moments later as the sound of sharp clapping filled the silence. Turning, sea-green eyes flashed around the cemetery, searching for the origins of that sound.
"Bravo, bravo!" The deep baritone cut through the tense air, followed by a dark chuckle, "What a touching scene." Kaien's eyes narrowed, flashing dangerously at the brunette who had dissolved out of the shadowed doorway to the mausoleum. A thin brow cocked in slight amusement as the sorcerer moved to stand between them, a condescending smirk on his face as he glanced towards his subordinate. "Tousen, you might want to get that bandaged up." He stated, waving towards the man's neck.
"Sir! How can I worry about that after he turned on us!" Tousen snapped back, clenching his free hand into a fist at his side. Kaien couldn't help but laugh at that, dodging the knife that came flying for his face. For a blind man, he had pretty damn good aim.
"Calm yourself, Tousen. Kaien didn't do anything wrong." Aizen stated, his gaze locking with the startled vampire.
Kaien didn't know what to say to that. How could releasing their prisoner be anything but bad? Those cold brown eyes regarded him for a long moment, leaving his skin feeling like pins and needles. Aizen said nothing, just examining him with a critical eye, like he was under a microscope.
"Sir, I don't understand. He let the boy go, how is that not bad?" Tousen's confused question had Aizen running a hand through his hair as he turned towards the man. Sighing, he moved towards one of the gravestones, perching on the very top, one leg crossed over the other.
"The funny thing with vampiric rules is that there is no possible way to break them. Not even my magic can alter what has already been done." Aizen began to explain, chin balanced in the open palm of his hand as his fingers tapped thoughtfully against his chin.
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Kaien spat out, groaning softly as bones slid back into place and cuts began to heal. Anger was fueling his blood, and he wanted nothing more than to lunge at the egotistical sorcerer and rip his throat out. He was tired of these games. Aizen's light laughter had him bristling, baring his fangs.
"It has to do with everything! Shirosaki wasn't the first of your kind to use the mark on a human, in my time it was almost a given. Once a vampire found a mortal that suited their tastes, they would mark them, the bond making it so if any other vampire would try turn them, it would kill the mortal, and we all know what dead blood does to a vampire." Aizen explained a little too cheerily, his eyes flashing with dark humor.
Kaien's brow furrowed as he tried to piece together what the brunette was saying. He hated how the man always skirted around the question, giving barely enough information to come up with any sort of answer. Minutes ticked by, those twinkling brown eyes never blinking as they watched him, a wide smirk on the sorcerer's lips. He didn't get it. The only way to turn a mortal was to inject them with vampire venom and blood, neither of which had been given to the orange head. It was then that he remembered the ritual he'd seen in Aizen's book, making his blood run cold. Sea-green eyes widened briefly before narrowing into a hard glare.
"You tried to turn him!" He screeched, his hands shaking as his nails dug into his palms. Kaien's entire body pulsated with anger, making his eyes flash dangerously. "You knew it would kill him, but you did it anyways!"
"Of course I did. He was no good to me as a human, but he'd already been marked, meaning I couldn't touch him. I had to find a way to make it so that Shirosaki would have no choice but to turn him if he wanted to keep him alive. All I needed was someone to make sure he got to your brother in enough time." Aizen answered nonchalantly with a wave of his hand like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Kaien's anger flared. He'd been used for the man's own sick, twisted games.
Glancing off to the side, the raven haired vampire glared at a random tombstone. "Well you failed. The mortal died before I could get to him." He hissed, the tips of his fangs slicing into his lower lip. Guilt wrapped around him in a suffocating hold. It was his fault that Ichigo's life had been so short.
"It's a pity really. He'd have been very powerful, but not necessary. Shirosaki will still fall. His blind rage will cause him to make mistakes." Aizen mused, hopping down from the gravestone.
"Che, Luppi's probably happy as a lark right now. Have you told him you plan to kill my brother yet?" Kaien growled, watching the brunette's every move closely.
"Luppi's dead." Tousen's words had Kaien's gaze darting over towards him to find the man using a rag to wipe up the blood still oozing from the cuts on his neck. They'd closed up some, but the regeneration was slow. The vampire was shocked at that revelation, even though it explained why Luppi had never shown up earlier in the night.
"H-How?" He asked calmly while inside he was jumping with glee. He'd never liked the mortal, and he hoped the man had gotten what he deserved.
"Venom from an Egyptian Asp and a vampire. You brother's not playing around it seems." Aizen muttered, and Kaien let out a slight chuckle.
"Of course he's not. You pissed him off, and he will stop at nothing to see that you pay." He bit back, a feral grin widening on his face. Shirosaki could get extremely violent if his buttons were pushed in the wrong way, and to have Ichigo taken from him must have made something inside his head snap.
"It doesn't matter. He can try all he wants, but he'll still meet his downfall." Aizen stated before stuffing his hands into the pockets of his slacks. Kaien watched as the sorcerer started to head down the pathway, Tousen following silently after him. Was that it? They were just going to let him walk away?
About halfway down the path, Aizen turned to face him, "I'll give Shirosaki your regards, tell him that you had a change of heart at the very end."
Kaien's brow furrowed at that. What did he mean? This wasn't the end for him. Before he could question that though, he noticed the silhouettes just barely visible through the thick fog behind the sorcerer. His eyes widened immeasurably as dozens of those ghastly, possessed humans began to seep out of the fog, beady black eyes gleaming eerily.
Growling, Kaien crouched down low, fangs bared as he hissed out a warning. His gaze darted to the two retreating figures for a moment before one of the creatures lunged at him. Catching it by it's throat, he threw it to the ground before stomping on its neck. The bone made a sick crunch that seemed to alert the rest as they swarmed him, ear piercing cries filling the still night.
Leaning heavily against the damp, dirty wall of the tunnels, chest heaving as a pained grimace twisted onto his face, Nnoitra clutched the bloody hole in his side. One of the creatures had managed to get its teeth into him good, tearing off a decent sized chunk of flesh. The wound burned in the open air as it healed, making him snarl.
"Shit, that fuckin' hurt!"
Nnoitra's one good eye lifted to watch Shuuhei kick one of the headless corpses. The man's right arm hung limp at his side completely useless, most likely dislocated when one of those things had latched onto his arm and pulled. A sickening pop echoed in the small space when Shuuhei rolled his shoulders, forcing it back into socket.
Turning to glance around at the carnage that lay at their feet, Nnoitra ran a hand through his blood matted hair, his head thudding against the wall as he leaned back, letting out a heavy breath. His gaze landed on Kensei who was standing over the blonde demon they'd finally managed to kill, his eyes narrowed into a hard glare. The silver haired vampire kicked the blonde's head away from his body, and Nnoitra cringed as those lifeless eyes rolled towards him. It was a fucking creepy sight, the mouth hanging open and skin stained with blood and dirt.
"What do we do now?" Shuuhei questioned, making both men turn towards him. In all honesty, Nnoitra didn't know what else to do. Searching for Tousen would prove useless at this point. The battle had nearly killed them, and this was the small fry. There was no telling what sort of evil the man had surrounding him. They were vastly outnumbered.
"We continue on ahead. There's no use sticking around here, the rats will be coming soon." Kensei murmured, and Nnoitra turned to watch him wipe the trail of blood from the corner of his mouth. It didn't do any good, the vampire's face covered in blood from the multiple gashes on his forehead.
Groaning, Nnoitra hefted himself up onto his feet, coughing. Hunching over, he clutched onto his stomach as blood sprayed his lips and the ground beneath his feet. "Fuck, that tasted horrible." He muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"It didn't look too pleasant from where I'm standing either." A sing-song voice sounded, and the lanky vampire turned his head to catch stormy gray eyes glinting with mirth as a blonde stepped around the bend in the tunnel. A wide grin split onto Nnoitra's face as he spotted the group behind the blonde.
"Shit, I don't think I've ever been so happy to see you before." He chuckled, shaking his head as his grin threatened to split his face in two.
"I get that a lot." Kisuke answered, chuckling softly before turning to face the other two, "Looks like you had your hands full." Gray eyes scanned over the decapitated bodies that lay at their feet, a small smirk curling onto his lips.
"What happened here?" Nel's timid voice spoke up as she moved to stand next to Kisuke, chocolate brown eyes wide as she looked over the destruction. Nnoitra scoffed, spitting on the ground as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Fuckin' things swarmed us, nearly killed us too." He growled, glaring pointedly down at the body closest to him.
"Mmm, I'd imagine so. They're pretty hard to kill if you don't know how to." Kisuke mused, toeing at one of the bodies. Snorting, Nnoitra shook his head in exasperation. Well that would have been good to know a few hours ago.
"What are you doing here?" Kensei's low growl had all eyes turning towards him, his own gaze narrowed and suspicious. The tension rolling off of him was thick with apprehension. There was no telling what was in store for them, leaving him edgy, and he knew Shirosaki wouldn't send everyone down into the tunnels for no apparent reason. Kisuke seemed to pick up on this, gray eyes flashing with an emotion that the silver haired vampire couldn't quite place.
"Shirosaki found where Tousen has been hiding." Kisuke explained, making Nnoitra's head whip around. The lanky vampire's one good eye flashed dangerously as he gripped boney fingers around the hilt of his sword tightly.
Before he could say anything, Halibel cut in, "Look, I'd love to stay here and chit-chat, but we have work to do. Shirosaki's on his way and is expecting us." Folding her arms over her chest, she glared defiantly at Kisuke when he turned to glance at her. Sighing, the man complied, turning to walk further down the tunnel.
Glancing over his shoulder, he flashed a coy smirk as he stated, "You're welcome to join in the fun." And with that, the group disappeared around the bend, leaving Kensei, Shuuhei, and Nnoitra to stare after them blankly. After what felt like an eternity, the silver haired vampire cleared his throat, nodding towards the way they'd left when the others turned to look at him.
"You heard the man, let's get a move on it!" He barked, rolling his shoulders as he moved to follow after them. An insane grin split his face when he heard the footsteps as the other two fell in line.
Behind him, Nnoitra was twitching with anticipation, a dark aura permeating the air around him. He was finally going to have his revenge on the bastard who had killed Tesla. This was the moment he had been waiting for, working towards, and no matter how grim the chances were, he was going to make sure they paid for what they had done. A sadistic, piano like grin spread across his face.
This was going to be fun.
Grimmjow and Ulquiorra were at a complete loss as they followed their boss through the winding tunnels, the damp moldy stone blurring as they flitted through. When they'd met up with Shirosaki at the tunnels, the vampire was eerily quiet. Gold on black eyes were lit with a rage they had never seen cross the man's face, his jaw set into a hard line. It was unnerving, not being able to tell what was going through the man's head, but Shirosaki refused to speak, dropping down into the tunnels and immediately taking off into the dark shadows.
Cyan and emerald exchanged a worried glance before eying the stiff form of the pale vampire. They'd seen the blood on his hands, dead blood by the smell of things, and it worried them. Although Shirosaki showed no signs of having ingested the poisoned blood, there was something he wasn't telling them, a secret he wasn't willing to share. Growling softly, Grimmjow ran a calloused hand through his hair when they came to a stop in front of a large, wooden door.
"Sir?" Ulquiorra piped up, raising a curious eyebrow when liquid gold turned towards him. The look in Shirosaki's eyes sent a shiver down his spine, making him take a hesitant step back.
"This is your last chance. You can turn around and walk away now. There's no reason for you to chance your lives for my battles," Shirosaki murmured in a low voice, his tone distorted. Pearly white fangs gleamed in the slivers of moonlight coming in from the grates above, making him look truly demonic as the shadows danced over his face.
"We're not fuckin' goin' anywhere." Grimmjow replied gruffly, thick corded muscle bulging as he folded his arms over his chest. A crazy blood thirsty glint had taken over his eyes as he grinned widely, showing off his fangs. A small amount of light came back to Shirosaki's eyes as a warm, thankful smile split his face, but the moment was soon gone, hidden behind a mask of pure venomous anger as he used all of his strength to push open the door, nearly tearing it off its hinges.
Unsheathing their swords, they entered the room, eyes squinted against the darkness. Their footsteps echoed against the stone floor as they slowly scanned the area, looking for anything out of the ordinary. It was too quiet, making the hairs raise on the back of Shirosaki's neck. A tingle took over his skin, the only warning he had before a large clawed paw swiped at his side.
Spinning out of reach, Shirosaki gripped the hilt of his sword tighter, eyes darting around for any sort of movement. A low, almost demonic growl seemed to come from all angles, and he was more than happy when Grimmjow and Ulquiorra moved to his side, backs facing each other.
"What the fuck is goin' on?" Grimmjow whispered heatedly under his breath, turning his head to glance at Shirosaki briefly.
"Quiet!" Ulquiorra hissed, holding his sword out in front of him. Emerald eyes flickered around wildly, looking for something, anything that could be of use. Another threatening growl sounded close by, making him turn his head to find glowing, amber colored eyes glaring down at him. His body froze at the sight of dripping, saliva coated, razor sharp fangs as the creature opened its jaws wide. A soft gasp of terror fell from his lips as he gripped his sword with both hands, the blade trembling slightly.
At that moment, torches sprang to lift around the room, chasing away the shadows and revealing a sight that had them jumping back in surprise. Crouched down low, amber eyes murderous, and saliva dripping onto the ground, the giant black wolf eyed them as if they were prey. The creature was monstrous, towering a good eight feet in height and packed with hard, defined muscle that rippled and bulged underneath silky fur.
"Is that a fuckin' werewolf?" Grimmjow's voice held a hysteric edge as he took a few hesitant steps back, making the wolf growl, jaws snapping as it arched, ready to spring. All eyes remained on the vicious animal as it began to circle them slowly as if measuring how much of a threat they posed.
A large paw swiped out towards them, talon like claws nearly catching skin. They couldn't afford to be caught by those claws or bitten. Werewolf venom was lethal in even the smallest of doses, those claws and fangs laced with the poison. It had been the reason that the animals had been hunted to near extinction by their kind. They were few and far between now, usually keeping to heavily forested areas. The question was, why was one stalking the tunnels underneath Karakura?
"Ah, it looks like you've already become acquainted with my pet."
All eyes darted to the deep baritone that boomed over the low growls coming from the wolf. Dark brown eyes flashed with mirth as the sorcerer tucked his hands into the sleeves of his black and violet robes, a devious smirk tilting at his lips. Next to him, Tousen stood as still as a statue as if waiting for the order to strike, his hand tight around the blade resting against his side.
Whatever terror had ensnared them from the sight of the werewolf was replaced by a burning, festering anger as they eyed the man standing just out of reach behind the monster he called a pet. Snarling, Grimmjow bared his fangs as he demanded, "Where's Ichigo?" Cyan eyes flared at the sorcerer when he chuckled, dark brown eyes fixed on Shirosaki who had stiffened.
"I think you already know what happened to him. Isn't that right, Shirosaki?" Aizen questioned, tilting his head to the side innocently as that smirk took on an evil feel, "It's a shame really. He was a fine specimen." Tsking, the sorcerer reached out to pet the wolf, his gaze never leaving wide gold on black eyes.
"It was you," Shirosaki growled out, baring his fangs in a snarl, "All along it was you!" The pale vampire's blood pulsed angrily in his veins at that revelation. From the very beginning he had trusted the mayor, kept him informed of all that they knew. He'd been handing the information to the enemy on a fucking silver platter! Gritting his teeth, he glared at the brunette as he hissed, "Why?"
"Revenge."
It was a simple statement, but confusing, making Shirosaki's brow furrow. What the hell did he mean by that? What could he have done to warrant the man to take Ichigo and torture him to the point of death? Aizen seemed to understand his inward dilemma, his eyes narrowing darkly, "My brother was cast out and exiled because of you. And now, I'm going to avenge him by destroying everything you hold dear before ripping you to shreds. The orange haired brat was only the beginning. Tell me, did you at least get to say goodbye before he died or did Kaien not get him to you in enough time?"
Shirosaki froze as those words came tumbling out of the brunette's mouth. Kaien was the one who brought Ichigo to him? Why would he do such a thing? Wasn't he on their side? He'd been the one to kidnap Ichigo in the first place!
Nothing made sense anymore.
"Ichigo's d-dead?" Grimmjow whispered disbelievingly, hanging his head as his sword fell limp in his hand, dragging across the ground slightly. Next to him Ulquiorra remained quiet, his gaze unblinking as he stared pointedly at the wall. They were dumbfounded. Why hadn't Shirosaki told them about this? It just couldn't be possible. The mortal couldn't be dead!
"You won't get away with this." Shirosaki's low growl echoed around the room, his fingers curling dangerously tight around his sword. Lifting his gaze, molten gold eyes narrowed furiously as he raised his sword, ready to attack.
"Tsk, tsk. You just don't know when to give up do you?" Aizen muttered, shaking his head slightly as he chuckled, "This is the end Shirosaki, you won't be getting out of here alive."
Shirosaki's upper lip curled into a snarl as he took a menacing step forward, alerting the werewolf who crouched down onto its haunches, fangs bared as a warning growl rumbled in its chest. Without hesitation, the wolf lunged, jaws opened wide ready to take a chunk out of the pale vampire. Flitting to the sides, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra circled the creature while it was distracted with Shirosaki. Sharp metal sliced the wolf's hind legs, making it come to a crashing halt just in front of Shirosaki. Gold on black eyes stared down into angry amber as the wolf tried to stand, only to let out a whimper as it collapsed, breathing deeply as it waited for the wounds to heal.
Before Shirosaki could make the finishing blow, a hard punch to his cheek had his head wiping to the side, his eyes wide in surprise. Rubbing his jaw, he barely twisted out of the way of the foot aimed for his side. Silver darted past his face as Tousen lunged forward with his knife bared. Catching the dark skinned man's wrist, Shirosaki spun, slamming an elbow down onto the man's extended arm. The sickening crunch of bone and howl of pain had him grinning sinisterly as the knife clattered to the ground.
"Son of a bitch!"
Grimmjow's yell had him turning to find his subordinates trying to fight off a horde of sickly gray skinned humanoid creatures. The bluenet had just managed to knock one of the things down, only to have another latch onto his back, clawing at his neck. A large hand reached behind to grab matted, stringy hair, pulling the thing forward and onto the ground. Reaching a hand up to the bloody gash on his neck, cyan eyes glared down at the blood stained digits for a brief second before an insane grin curled onto his lips, and he lunged forward, plunging his blade into the creature's open mouth as it screeched and squirmed. It gave off a low gurgling sound as blood began to pool out of its mouth as it clawed at the blade, slicing gashes into its palms.
Pulling his blade from the the creature's mouth, Grimmjow swiped his blade around, slicing straight through another's neck that had been just about to rip a hole in Ulquiorra's stomach. Emerald eyes flashed towards him briefly before turning to glare at the thing lunging for him, driving his blade in and under its ribs.
Shirosaki breathed a sigh of relief, only to have it catch in his throat as more of those creatures began to spill out of the woodwork, coming through the doors that lined the circular room. Grabbing his sword, he made to move forward to help, only to be rammed by the wolf who'd apparently healed. Sent tumbling to the ground, he scrambled backwards, trying to dodge the claws trying to slice him open. Wide gold on black eyes stared up at the wolf when his back hit the the wall. With nowhere to run, his heart hammered against his ribs, chest heaving as he panted for breath. He could hear the sorcerer's triumphant laughter pulsing against his eardrums as the wolf towered over him, saliva dripping down onto his shirt.
"This is the end Shirosaki!" Aizen yelled, and Shirosaki could just make out the sorcerer's form and that of his subordinates that were fighting a loosing battle. They were vastly outnumbered. Where the fuck was everyone?
An animalistic growl had him turning back towards the wolf in time to watch large jaws open wide, ready to tear him into little pieces. Turning his head to the side and screwing his eyes shut tight, he braced himself for the blow and the burning pain that would come with werewolf venom as it lunged forward. A high pitched whine stung his ears after a moment, and he cracked one eye open to find the wolf staggering backwards, blood gushing from a gaping wound in its side.
Wide, liquid gold eyes followed the black blade embedded into the wolf's side, up a tan arm and blood soaked, ratted clothes to land on glowing, honey brown eyes, bright orange bangs swaying slightly as the sword was pulled away. The wolf landed with a thud, one of its large legs falling onto his lap, but that was lost on him, his heart leaping into his throat as he stared at the man standing in front of him.
"Sorry I'm late. Had to stop for a snack cuz someone left me to go avenge me or somethin'." That voice was like sweet honey to his ears, and he couldn't quite remember how to breath properly. Pale, black nailed fingers dug into the cracks in the stone beneath him as he struggled to stand up, to touch his savior and make sure he was real.
"I-Ichi...?" His voice cracked harshly as he spoke, but he couldn't find it in him to care at the moment. He was alive, standing there in front of him with a large grin on his lips, revealing a set of new, sharply pointed fangs. It had worked, but how? When he'd left, unable to wait any longer, Ichigo had shown no signs of coming back, looking extremely pale against the dark sheets of his bed.
"Ya didn't think I was going to miss this." The orange head stated, cocking a brow as those brown eyes devoured him.
"My, my isn't this an interesting sight."
It felt like time had frozen as he turned to find Kisuke and the others standing in the open doorway, gazes locked on the orange head. Ichigo said nothing as he reached a hand down to grab Shirosaki's and heft him up from underneath the wolf. Shirosaki wanted nothing more than to wrap the orange head in his arms and never let him go again, but there were things they had to take care of first.
There was a battle that needed won.