BNHA - Arrancar Chronicles: Chapter 16
Huecojima
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez was not known as a calm man. Among all his siblings, only Yammy could rival the blue-haired Arrancar's overwhelming hotheadedness. Grimmjow was the type that didn't hesitate to use violence to solve his problems. There was no need to ask who threw the first punch if that man was involved, and he probably got the last hit in to finish a conflict too. That was the kind of person that was now producing a series of thunderclap-like sounds as he rushed towards Arrancar Tower.
The information given to him by Hakua was the cause of this. The teen had rested through the night after being picked up by his patrol squads. On the drive back to the palace, Hakua told his uncle all about why he'd come back home; Wonderweiss was attacked by a Remnant. His nephew didn't know much else other than the fact that the younger blonde hadn't woken since the incident. The patrol teams dropped Hakua off outside the hospital and headed for the warehouse near the growing fields to finish up the night's work. The Arrancar left the reports to the Fracciones stating that he had business to attend to back home. Grimmjow's fists clenched until his nails bit through the skin of his palms. 'Nobody told me!' Someone in his family had been ambushed, and nobody said anything about it. 'Wonderweiss is a child!' A pale blue light enveloped his body as his home came into view. Grimmjow's spiritual pressure roared about him like a wild jaguar. The assistant sitting at the desk outside Barragan's office, Ggio Vega, didn't even try to stop the fifth son of the Espada. Still in his work uniform, Grimmjow kicked his father's door in with all of his might. "How could you? How could you hide something like this from me? From all of us?"
As if knowing what the man came for, all three adults from the Japan visit were waiting in the room. Sitting in the bleached white throne behind a dark desk was the patriarch of the Arrancar family, Barragan Louisenbairn. Tia Harribel and Yammy Llargo stood on opposite ends of their father in front of the paperwork laden desk. Yammy showed a conflicted look on his face as he scratched the back of his neck. "Well, a lot happened in such a short time."
Grimmjow's sharp blue eyes cut over to his elder brother. "I don't want excuses." He hissed. "Tell me everything so I can crush the bastard that did this."
"That's exactly why I didn't want you to know." Harribel's calm voice interjected. It was hard to read her expression as always. She was still wearing a white face mask that covered everything below her nose and down to the base of her neck. Her heavy bangs and thick eyelashes made checking her eyes just as difficult. "What will more violence bring aside from new sacrifices?" Harribel's lidded eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
Grimmjow bared his sharp teeth at his older sister. "Wonderweiss is innocent! He doesn't deserve to be attacked just for who he is! None of us do." A pained look came over him as his eyes flashed over to the scar on his father's eye.
"While that is true, for now let's calm down and talk things out." Barragan entered the conversation as the voice of reason. The three revealed everything they knew about the situation. The park, the burn, and the child's current condition.
Grimmjow held his head in his hand. The tiny arcs of blood on his palm met his forehead right around the area that was burned on Wonderweiss. "And we don't know who did this?" The family had focused more on pulling out of the area than sweeping for enemies. It made sense with the baby in potentially critical condition, but Grimmjow couldn't help wanting more. He shifted to face his sister directly. "Hakua was in the desert last night." His head tilted with an unasked question.
"I felt his power."
"When?"
She hesitated. "Yesterday afternoon."
The anger started building back up in Grimmjow's eyes. "Why didn't you send someone for him then? Someone could've found him earlier."
Yammy was surprisingly able to read the flow of the conversation and knew his little brother was about to lose himself to the anger. His large mass silently inched bit by bit into the shorter man's blindspot.
"I made sure to pass the message to the patrol squads that Hakua was out there." Barragan rumbled.
An animalistic growl escaped Grimmjow's lips. "Di Roy said he was cornered by two hollows working together."
"Hakua's a natural fighter just like you. He can fight all the way through the night." The mother spoke.
"As if you would know. He was trying to get here without slowing down for a fight." The fifth son of Barragan swung his hand out to the side, scattering a few papers on the desk with the wind produced. "No weapon, no backup, and hollows chasing him nonstop." Grimmjow shook his head. "He could've died! He almost did! He's your son Tia!" He took two steps towards his older sister before he was raised into the air by thick, tanned arms. Yammy locked his hands behind Grimmjow's head and secured the man in a full nelson. Sky blue eyes glared at aqua green. "You chose to keep him. That means you have to be his mother. You can't stick it to that murdering rapist by letting him die out there!"
"Grimmjow, that's enough!" Yammy bellowed in his ear.
"Ah…" His blue eyes softened just a bit at the visible regret in Harribel's body language. "I went too far. You can let me down now Yammy." The older brother did so after a nod from Barragan. "I was just trying to make a point, but I guess umm… Sorry Nee-san."
Huecojima General Hospital - About two hours earlier
Hakua L. wasted little time entering the automatic doors of the hospital after being dropped off by his uncle and crew. He was bursting with energy because the patrol team allowed him to sleep to his fullest through the night and on the ride home. The dark Arrancar didn't have much to tell them back then. A couple weeks off from school, tests when he got back (if he chose to go back), a Remnant attack, and a comatose Wonderweiss. Grimmjow was dangerously quiet during the ride after hearing about the events after U.A.'s sports festival. Di Roy had been kind enough to call the hospital ahead of time to alert the staff that a visitor needed to be escorted. The nurse waiting for him was an athletic looking woman with European features. She only confirmed Hakua's identity and the two briskly walked to the intensive care ward where Wonderweiss lay.
"He's in there, right?" Hakua was frozen in front of the door with his hand on the knob. The blonde nurse took note of the short, rapid breaths the older brother struggled with. She reassured the worried boy that he could take his time. Barragan had ordered that an amount of furniture be added to the room as the elder knew Hakua probably wouldn't leave. Hakua opened the door and instantly sagged a bit when he heard the steady sound of the heart rate monitor beeping away.
Wonderweiss was resting in the center of a queen-sized bed with his torso propped up by a deluge of luxurious pillows. Tubes and wires of all kinds led to a couple machines at the side of the bed away from the window. A breathing mask was still attached to his face, and his forehead was wrapped in bandages like Di Roy's. There was no blood. Wonderweiss was clean like fresh snow, but the only part of him that moved was his stomach. It rose and fell with every breath.
Hakua entered the ICU like a devout worshipper would a temple. His left hand reached out for the unresponsive boy sleeping on the bed like he was the Holy Grail. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but nothing more than a "Wha'' sound came out. Each of Hakua's steps were shaky. If the nurse tried touching him or a draft entered the room, it was certain that he'd fall over.
"I'll go retrieve the doctor. He'll answer any questions you might have." The nurse left when she saw Hakua tenderly place his hand on her patient's cheek. 'What a doting older brother.'
"Wonderweiss, my baby. Blessed child. I'm right here beside you." Hakua whispered to the sleeping beauty. "I'm so sorry, but I can't apologize enough." Tears built up in Hakua's eyes and started flowing as his breath hitched. "My baby. I'm so sorry. I love you. Come back to me. I promise I'll play, so just ask me one more time." Hakua moved one hand down to Wonderweiss's chest and felt the heart beating below. His other hand threaded itself with one of his little brother's and he idly let his thumb stroke the fingers caught between.
XXX
Dr. Szayelaporro Grantz, Chief of Medical Staff, walked calmly to the intensive care ward in HJ General Hospital. The nurse on-duty had informed him that his second patient had arrived and was waiting for him with the first. Dr. Grantz was a slim fellow with pink hair and sharp features. The glasses over his amber eyes couldn't hide the way he sped through simulation after simulation on how this was about to go down.
Szayelaporro was born and raised on Huecojima. In a land where so many were powerful, he was quirkless. He didn't need a quirk. Growing up, Szayelaporro put his all into his studies. Everything he could get his hands on. His parents were more than happy to fuel the boy's thirst for knowledge. Huecojima would take care of people with skills and talent, and reward the shining stars the most. Whatever their baby chose to pursue, he'd be the greatest at it. And great he became. Dr. Grantz outshined his peers and earned a doctorate degree in biomedical engineering. His thirst for learning and work ethic brought him favor from the previous director of the hospital, but Barragan struck first. Instead of becoming the new director, Szayelaporro was made the Chief of Medical Staff and allowed to devote more time to research. He didn't even have to put time in at the hospital if he didn't want to. He did act as the primary care physician for most of the Arrancar family though.
Wonderweiss's case was something of an anomaly. Physically speaking, the only lasting damage was the scar on the boy's forehead. Szayelaporro had sent a picture of the symbol to the college to see if someone could get an idea of the weapon used to brand the child. In an ironic twist, the scar looked a bit like a three pointed tiara. That aside, the lad was fine. Physically, at least. Harribel confirmed that his spiritual pressure hadn't recovered much. A newborn child could give off more energy than Wonderweiss right now. This was a never before seen situation. The last Remnant attack was about thirteen years ago, but it had been purely physical. All of them were. Loss of spiritual pressure was unheard of. Dr. Grantz would have to hunker down in the lab to create a device to monitor, and if need be, stimulate Wonderweiss's very soul.
The Arrancar family physician gently knocked twice on the door of the ICU room. "Hakua-kun, it's Dr. Grantz. I'm coming in ok?" There was a faint sound of rustling clothes, but no denial. Szayelaporro noticed the standing boy make one more pass at his cheeks. Hakua's eyes were red and puffy as expected. "Hello Hakua-kun. I'm sorry that we have to meet like this." The last time he saw the young Arrancar was for a check up with Kimito before the boys left for Japan. Szayelaporro prepared the medical documents their school requested himself, making sure to leave out the details nobody outside needed to be aware of.
Hakua's gaze flicked between Dr. Grantz at the door and Wonderweiss. "Good morning Dr. Grantz." Szayelaporro held in the smile that his young ward hadn't forgotten his manners in his emotional state. The chances that he would have a fit were low.
"You want to know about Wonderweiss-kun right?"
"Ah. Before that, would it be alright if I try to call Kimito? He would want to know too." Hakua held up his phone. Dr. Grantz let him know that it would be no problem, and moved to check Wonderweiss's readings.
U.A. High School
Kimito Llargo forced himself to concentrate harder than ever on the algebra lesson by Ectoplasm. 'So this is what you do here.' He made the notes as detailed as possible. 'I'll have to guide Nii-san when he gets back.' Kimito was sure to catch each step of the breaking down process to make the tutoring sessions he knew were on the horizon easier. The braided teen was so caught up in his note taking that the sudden vibration of his phone made him snap his wooden pencil in half. Kimito slid his phone out of his pocket as discreetly as possible.
Hakua's message read, "I'm at the hospital with Wonderweiss. Dr. Grantz is gonna talk about what's going on. Can you get out of class for a bit?"
Black eyes went wide in the middle of the classroom. "Sensei!" Kimito rose from his chair seconds after the realization hit him. "I need to take a call. Can I step outside for a bit please?" Everyone in the room turned to look at their class president.
Ectoplasm showed an almost unreadable face. "I don't think that's such a good idea Kimito-kun. This material is going to be on your mid-term exams. You don't want to miss it."
The Arrancar clenched and relaxed his hands a couple times. "It's umm, a call from my doctor." Kimito regretted not thinking about how to word this beforehand. There was no way for him to give some kind of secret wink or hand gesture with everyone looking at him.
"Is that true?" The panicky look on the teen made Ectoplasm doubt his words.
"Uhm… Sensei?" Izuku raised his hand from his spot behind Katsuki. "I'll make sure Kimito-san gets the notes, so could you let him off this time?"
"Hmm." Ectoplasm stared at the green hero cadet for a moment in thought. "If it's you, then I can be sure that Kimito won't miss out on anything. Go ahead Kimito-kun, but I won't forgive you if your test score doesn't reach my expectations."
"Thank you very much Ectoplasm-sensei. Midoriya-san." Kimito bowed respectfully and left the room with his phone in hand. "Got permission. Video call me."
"Hey beautiful..."
"Nii-san..." Who started crying first? Well, it doesn't really matter does it? "So, uhh… Where is he?" Hakua turned the camera to the peacefully sleeping Wonderweiss. "Oh. Oh baby no." Kimito whispered. The black-eyed boy sniffled to himself in the empty hallway and placed a hand on his forehead. He had no way of knowing that his palm was now covering the same spot where Wonderweiss's scar was. "Dr. Grantz?" The camera shifted again.
"I'm right here Kimito-kun. Boys, I ask you to please accept my apology." Szayelaporro explained to the two about their brother's condition when he arrived at the hospital. Head injuries that a nurse's healing quirk had taken care of quickly, a burn on his forehead that wouldn't disappear, and a low spiritual pressure that wasn't recovering.
"His spirit!" Kimito naturally reacted harder to that. Hakua still couldn't sense other people's energy, so he didn't notice the lack of it coming from his little brother. Kimito on the other hand, understood clearly that it was indicative of low life energy. Healthy people have solid spiritual pressure. Fading only occurs the closer one gets to dying. 'If Wonderweiss is hovering down at that level…'
"Show us the scar."
"I don't think that's for the best right now." Dr. Grantz offered up a bit of resistance, but Hakua's stare forced his hand. Hakua pointed the camera at Wonderweiss as the pink-haired man gently unwrapped the bandages. Underneath the blonde's bangs and stretching across most of his forehead was a vicious, black mark in the shape of a three-point, tiara-like thing. "It doesn't fade no matter how many times the nurse uses her quirk. I'm afraid it's permanent." Dr. Grantz delivered the news gravely.
The camera started shaking violently. The doctor was taking the time to wash the area and apply fresh ointment and bandages. "Nii-san!"
"Sorry. I'm calm." Dr. Grantz told the two that he would be looking into inventing a device to detect, and hopefully stimulate, Wonderweiss's powers. Hakua was told that he was free to stay here for as long as he wanted. The larger bed, dresser, and small couch were brought in with him in mind after all. "Thank you Dr. Grantz. Kimito, you get back to class. I love you."
"I love you too, Nii-san. I'll call you tonight. Bye Wonderweiss." The call ended. Kimito stared at his phone without moving for a few minutes. He wasn't sure what haunted him more; How close his little brother was to death, the weak spirit, the nasty burn, or the realization that his family's sworn enemy would never let them forget. 'We're innocent!' "Wonderweiss didn't fight in that war." He hissed aloud unintentionally. "We don't deserve this. Why can't anyone let it go?"
When Kimito Llargo reentered the classroom, the ones who'd been trying to improve his mood recently immediately noticed that he was down again. His fists were clenched tightly and his black eyes were sharpened down to pinpricks. 'Kimito-san/kun/chan.'
Huecojima
Freshly showered and in an exercise shirt with black gym shorts, Hakua called for the on-duty nurse. The same blonde woman returned and asked how she could help.
"Actually, I was wondering what Wonderweiss's daily routine is gonna look like for now. Is there anything I can help with? Something you can teach me?" Hakua offered himself up as an aide to the staff. It wasn't unheard of for the Arrancar family to have preference on who tended to their needs, but the Fraccion nurse could see this was just the desperation of a loving relative.
Without disturbing the patient, she explained how they would clean Wonderweiss, insert his feeding tube, and address his burn. The elder brother got a bit antsy at the mention of the scar, but contained himself. "If his condition doesn't improve soon, we may have to look at physical therapy to keep his muscles from experiencing atrophy." She forewarned.
XXX
Barragan Louisenbairn didn't often need to admit he was wrong. As the leader of Huecojima, people tended to back off on their stance against him in every situation. Nobody stood to gain much from opposing the Arrancar family. They took care of hard workers and contributors. Living on a politically isolated, desert island is hard. People had to work together to make it run as smooth as it did. Finding yourself on the opposite side of the ones in power was a quick way to find yourself without support. Unless you were family. Barragan knew his son was right. Holding the information of the attack was bound to cause more harm than good. With that thought in mind, the elder called a family meeting with all his children that were currently in Las Noches.
The Espada sat at the head of a long, oval shaped table. The high back of the chairs in this room were stiff and uncomfortable compared to his office throne. At his right and left were empty seats where the mothers of his children were supposed to sit. The one on his right was almost always empty considering that woman's need to leave the island in pursuit of rare knowledge. The chair at his left was more honorary in nature. Its occupant, while beloved by most of the family, was not welcome by the right hand of the Espada. Out of respect to the true matriarch, she'd never sat in on a family meeting despite siring two of Barragan's children.
The next closest, which was reserved for his oldest, was also empty. Coyote Starrk was still in Russia with his daughter Lilynette. Tia sat in her seat with her arms folded beneath her breasts. The empty spot for Ulquiorra didn't bother her much. Nnoitra Gilga swung his leg impatiently as he waited for the only person missing that was inside Las Noches. Grimmjow's twin sister, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, was the only member not yet in attendance. Yammy yawned in the silence. He knew what this was all about, but couldn't get serious until they started proper.
"Geez. Where is that girl?" Nnoitra switched to drumming his fingers on the table, his annoyance plain to see.
Harribel leveled an empty stare at her little brother, "Probably looking for someone to watch young NJ. We don't meet often, and this was quite sudden." Tia reasoned that the likely cause for her half-sister's lateness was the need for a babysitter. Even at five years old, Nel Jr. was too curious to be left alone for more than an hour. Five more minutes passed with the family sitting in relative silence. Nnoitra's rhythmic pacing as his agitation grew couldn't be stopped, so it became the background noise. "Here she comes." Harribel sensed the woman rushing towards the door.
"Finally!"
"Shut up!" Grimmjow defended his sister with bared teeth. Nnoitra was only a few years older than him, but the taller man lorded it and anything else he could over the twins every chance he got. They were the half siblings after all.
"Sorry I'm late everyone. Kagura-chan was busy, so I had to find someone else to watch NJ." Nelliel entered the room while scratching the back of her head. She took her place next to her fraternal twin. "Hey Grimm-nii. How was work last night?"
The blue-haired man looked away from her over towards the ceiling. "Tch. We found Hakua out in the desert and brought him back."
"I see. I see. Hakua-kun huh." She nodded her head sagely. "Eh?" It took a moment for that to process. "Uh, did summer come early?" Even though she was a mother, Nelliel was still prone to moments of airheadedness like she had been growing up. Only time would tell if her daughter would develop the same nature.
"No Nelliel."
"Tou-sama?"
Barragan rose and everyone quieted to hear what he would say. "Hakua's return is a part of what I called all of you to talk about." Just as Grimmjow wanted, Barragan told his children about the Japan trip. He spared no detail when it came to how they handled the situation. Nnoitra's heated glare at Harribel was a bit worrying, but the father said nothing. "That's why Hakua came back. Grimmjow, did he tell you anything?"
"He's got a bit less than three weeks to decide whether he's going back or not. He'll have to be ready for tests if he does."
Nelliel looked a bit worried. "You don't think he'll go back?"
"Don't be stupid!" Nnoitra growled. Grimmjow rose with the aggression. "Hakua's always been fond of Wonderweiss since the day the kid showed up. There's no way he'll forgive whoever did this." He pushed the thick bang hanging over his left eye to the side. The empty socket was a constant reminder of the evil of the Remnants. They had a tendency to aim for the head, and he was the last victim before the young blonde.
"Dr. Grantz called to say that Hakua was holding himself together quite well." Harribel chimed in. She was sure that her siblings lost a lot of faith in her regarding her decisions around Hakua, but the mother was looking out for his spirit in her own way. It just happened to be the wrong way this time.
Grimmjow clicked his tongue. "If he plans on going back to school, then you'd better see to it that he doesn't fall behind while he's over here."
"I'll call the school and see about getting a tutor." The path to redemption would be a long one in his eyes.
A.N. - Family roster time. I'll be leaving specials out for when they show up (if they have a place in the story)
Barragan Louisenbairn - Father of the Arrancar, patriarch, Espada, parents deceased (Arrancar War), 80 years old
Coyote Starrk - Barragan's firstborn, father of Lilynette Starrk, lives on rotation between Huecojima and Russia, 40 years old
Tia Harribel - Barragan's first daughter, mother of Hakua L., 37 years old
Ulquiorra Cifer - Third child, doesn't stay in Las Noches often, 33 years old
Nnoitra Gilga - Fifth child, 30 years old
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez - Sixth child, Nelliel's twin brother, 28 years old, different mother from the others
Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck - Seventh child, Grimmjow's twin sister, 28 years old, mother of Nel Jr., different mother from the others
Yammy Llargo - *Edit* I made a 24 year old the father of a 14 year old. Yammy is now 32, and the fourth child
