Prologue
The streetlights abruptly began flickering, erratic and faded, as Halibel walked down the broken asphalt road.
The dark-skinned woman glanced at them, her cold eyes analytical. Despite the poor conditions of this part of town, she had never seen the lights misbehave all together like this. This was something other then badly maintained equipment. This was something more... sinister.
Just as the thought crossed her mind, the lights around her for an entire block flickered one last time, then the street plunged into darkness.
Halibel went for her gun, a silenced pistol she never parted with. Even with the very limited spiritual energy she had access to, she recognized the feeling pressing down on her. A Hollow. Her human gun wouldn't provide much protection... but she felt better with it in hand, regardless.
A soft wind blew down the street, and she turned slightly to face the approaching presence.
Curse this body, she thought to herself, tightening her finger against the trigger. Her hands were trembling rebelliously – she was well aware of her own vulnerability.
"Please, lower your weapon," came an unexpected voice from the deepest of the shadows. It was a male voice, calm and light without a hint of malice. She could almost hear the smile in his tone. "I have no desire to hurt you."
Halibel's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" she asked sharply. "Come out where I can see you."
"A difficult request. These electronic lights do not seem to like me." Nonetheless, a shadowy figure detached itself from the darkness across the street and stepped closer.
"You still haven't said who you are," Halibel snapped, raising her gun higher to find this new target.
"My name," came the friendly reply, "is not important. You wouldn't recognize it even if I told you. But this meeting is not about me - it's about you."
"What about me?" Her distrustful tone didn't seem to phase the stranger in the slightest.
"You are Tia Halibel, yes? The third strongest Arrancar that ever lived, as I hear it. That kind of power is not to be thrown aside as lightly as your former master thought." There was a moment's pause. "I have heard good things about your strength, Halibel, but even more about the loyalty you inspire in those that followed you. And when I learned what Aizen and the Shinigami had done to you..."
Halibel was surprised by the venom that had crept into this stranger's voice. "Do I know you?" she asked, suspicious.
"No." The smiling tone was gone, replaced by one of grim remorse. "I was shadow when you were in power, and life has been hard in Hueco Mundo since Aizen fell and took our strongest with him. I hope to correct this, now, if you would let me."
He seemed so earnest, Halibel almost wanted to believe him. But Hollows did not trust easily, even one trapped as long as she had been in the human world.
"How do I know you don't just want to eat me?" she asked. "I can feel your presence, I know you're as Hollow as any of us."
"That does not mean I am utterly heartless, as you well know," came the response. The man stepped forward again, and a flickering light fell across his face, gleamed in his eyes. Halibel's fingers loosened around the grip of her gun. "I have come here for one reason, Halibel. Your sense of loyalty... I want it."
.
[Author's introduction.
I have three things to say in regards to my... very long hiatus.
Firstly: Huge thank yous to anyone who has read the original Backup Plan, and anyone who is now here to read the sequel. BP1 was... a slow burn, and I really appreciate those of you who read it as it was coming out, those who read it after I vanished, and anyone brave enough to go back and read it now. (Though... I may end up including a summary of the story-so-far here just so no one interested in BP2 has to refresh/introduce themselves to the plot by rereading BP1.)
Secondly: I know the sequel is too late. To be perfectly honest, BP2 has been mostly finished for years – I really was writing it while submitting the final chapters of BP1 – but after a bitter falling out with Bleach, manga, and anime in general, I just had no heart to write the grand finale. By the time I got over that falling out, four years had passed. But I did make a promise to my Backup Plan readers, so I sat down, finished the thing, and now I'm going to submit it whether there is anyone to read it or not.
I'm so very sorry it took so long, guys...
Lastly: Due to a four-year gap between writing the majority of this book and writing the ending, the finale may read very, very differently from BP1 or most of BP2. I did remember how most of the story was supposed to end, but there were one or two more minor storylines I just couldn't figure out how I intended on concluding. Hopefully these will not be too distracting.
The book is fully completed, so I will be able to submit regularly. The chapters tend to be shorter then in the first, so I plan on maintaining a twice-a-week schedule (probably Mondays and Thursdays after the prologue.)
Thank you for reading.]