Chapter 13: Retreat and Recover
*Everyone doing okay out there? HH-BlueDynamite, if I use any of your cool techniques, I'll be sure to give credit.
Please review. Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, just the OCs.*
Renji had to admit that watching Ichigo fight with his Hollow powers was a sight to behold. It also made him grateful that the teen was on their side. Wonder if I could get him to spar with me using those powers. He shelved the thought for later. Haugen hadn't used any more of his power-boosting fangs yet, but it looked like he was getting close.
The lieutenant stretched out his senses to check on the others. One… two… three… wait.
He counted three, but hadn't there been five at the beginning? So where did they go? He had a sinking feeling he knew.
"Ichigo, we're two short!"
"What?"
"There are only three of these bastards. Where do you think the other two went?"
It took only a second for the realization to click. Ichigo's gold eyes widened, "Oh, no…"
Naoko leaned over to Uryu, "Which one do you want to take?"
Since neither knew their current opponents' abilities, it was a tossup of who each sibling might have a fighting chance against. Naoko could see the gears turn in her brother's head as he silently studied each of them, trying to figure out a plan.
"I'll take Alverio, you can take Seydel," he finally said.
"We free to switch off if we're wrong?"
"Of course."
"Are you kids done chatting?" Seydel unsheathed her sword. "Because we've got a schedule to keep. Our friends won't be able to stall forever without killing your little entourage, and that's not our goal right now."
"Then let's get started." Naoko dove headlong at Seydel, spear raised.
"Taking the initiative this time, eh? Fine with me. Slice, Betrügerische Gnade."
Her sword glowed pink before splitting in two and morphing over her arms. On her left arm was a curved and wickedly sharp hook while her right arm sported a long double-edged blade. Both weapons were tinted a faint pink, and a gauntlet that held them to her arms were silver with beautiful etchings.
"Always so quick to jump into a fight," Rosati muttered. "Pummel, Titano Antico."
After speaking the command, Rosati now held a massive iron mace with bronze spikes jutting out. Uryu fired a few arrows before sprinting off to put distance between Naoko and his fights. No sense in getting caught in each other's crossfire or their enemy's.
Seydel pointed her sword arm at Naoko, "Ready for round two?"
"Bring it."
She did with gusto. Fighting someone who used two weapons at once was unfamiliar territory for Naoko. She ducked the hook that nearly lopped off her head only to barely block the sword that tried to bury itself in her stomach. Naoko twisted her spear and only succeeded in lightly scratching Seydel's face.
"You vile brat! How dare you mar my gorgeous face! I'm going to hook and skewer you until you wish you were dead."
All that for a little scratch? I thought Yumichika was obsessive about his looks. "Like it makes a difference, your face isn't what one would call beautiful anyway," Naoko taunted.
"Shut up, as if you know anything about beauty!" Seydel snapped, followed by a swing of her hook.
Naoko blocked it, but the force of the impact broke the end of her staff, the piece flying off and sticking into a tree. Seydel smirked and cut Naoko down from shoulder to arm. The Quincy hissed and jumped back, feeling hot blood flow down her arm.
Seydel's sword sliced her cheek, followed by a fist to her jaw that sent her flying back. A hard kick to her back slammed Naoko to the ground. The Quincy quickly clambered up to her feet and leaned heavily against a tree.
"Aww, is that the best you can do, little princess?" Seydel mocked.
"Shut… up…"
Naoko held up the pointed end of her broken staff. Come on, pull it together. You've fought people worse than this bitch. She charged forward, but her enemy sidestepped quickly and dug the point of her hook behind Naoko's left shoulder. Seydel swung the now captured Quincy around and buried the point of her sword through the girl's right arm, pinning her to the tree.
Naoko coughed up a mouthful of blood and tried to focus her bleary vision. She struggled to move her right arm and only managed a meager twitch. Seydel smirked at the movement and slowly buried her blade deeper into Naoko's arm. The teen bit back a yowl and glared hatefully at the woman keeping her prisoner.
Shifting her focus, Naoko tried to gather the reishi in the air. Forming a bow wasn't an option, however, if Naoko could create something, she could use it to get Seydel away. She could feel the particles, but they were slow to follow her command. I know you're out there, now come to me. Her powers flickered like a wavering candle flame in her heart. She could visualize it, feel it, yet still not touch it. She grit her teeth. Damn it!
"Now that I have you, my lovely, I just have to wait for that lunkheaded Italian to grab your brother, and we can be on our way," Seydel purred.
"Think again!" A blue bolt of energy struck the Soul Reaper, her weapons were ripped out of Naoko, but at least she was free.
Naoko looked to see Uryu there, Rosati stood leaning heavily on his weapon and clutching her bleeding side. Uryu bore a few wounds of his own, though minor. It didn't take long for Seydel to get back on her feet, and from behind their other enemy slowly rose up. Uryu fired arrow after arrow at the woman, unaware of the enemy coming up behind him.
Naoko spotted him and cried a second too late, "Brother!"
She watched it all happen in slow motion.
Rosati swung his mace in a wide arc.
Uryu froze, eyes widening in fear.
The mace contacting his body and knocking Uryu violently into a tree. The teen crumpled to the ground with blood steadily streaming from his lips and wounds on his chest, the weapon inflicted. Naoko fell to her knees, eyes trained on her brother's still form.
"I hope you didn't overdo it," Seydel warned, resting a hand on her hip.
He grunted, "I know my own strength, the boy's alive. Let's grab them and go."
Ichigo's brief moment of distraction nearly cost him his head until someone wielding a gold sword intervened.
"Best to watch yourself there, Ichigo. This guy nearly got your head executioner style," Oliver Twitterson cheerily chirped. "By the way, nice mask. Is it part of your First Release?"
"Uhh… not exactly."
"Oh," Twitterson blinked, and his smile returned. "Still neat though in a dark sort of way."
Haugen spat a glob of blood on the ground, "I was not expecting reinforcements. Are there any other captains planning on making an appearance?"
"Nope, just me."
"Hey, Naoko and Uryu are—!"
"Oh, I already know," the English captain reassured. His tone turned less jovial but remained confident. "And I've already sent help on their way."
The woman reached for Naoko's shirt when a ruby red dagger sailed through the air and gouged Seydel's hand. She hissed out a string of explicatives while clutching her bleeding hand to her chest.
"Don't you dare make another move towards them."
Lieutenant Angelica Rosenberg stood tall with gleaming red throwing knives nestled between her fingers. More of such weapons hung from a silver chain around her waist. Beside her stood James Thorne with his sword in hand.
"Well, if it isn't little Jimmy, haven't seen you in a few decades, you worthless turncoat," Seydel sneered. "And Angelica, still servicing the higher-ups while on your knees?"
Before Thorne could retort Rosenberg stepped forward, knives raised, "Why would I do your job? Now either fight or retreat, I care not which so long as you stop your antagonistic nattering."
Seydel glared, and her magenta eyes studied the newcomers. Rosati laid a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
He looked at the lieutenant and the Third Seat, "You win this battle, but the war is not over yet."
"No," James tightly gripped his sword. "It certainly isn't."
The soft swish of shunpo hailed the arrival of two more people. Naoko's heart lurched when she saw it was more of the enemy, a pale blond and mohawk. Weren't Nemu and Rukia fighting them? A numb, disengaged part of her mind wondered. Did they… lose?
A look of shock crossed Hughes' face before morphing into anger, and before he could lunge, Vergunov gripped his arm in warning. James Thorne didn't appear to fare better though his face was still all the color had drained.
With the two reinforcements, Seydel smirked, "Perhaps the battle isn't over with yet."
"It's over alright lady," Renji and Nemu appeared behind the former knights. "Unless you want to tangle with us."
"Not tonight," Rosati rumbled. "We move out."
"Who the hell put you in—" Hughes snarled.
"Now."
With that simple, sharp command, the four disappeared into the night.
"Damn," Rosenberg cursed. "I'm going to tail them; anyone care to come?"
Renji volunteered, and the pair sped off. Naoko remained kneeling on the frosty ground, her mind unable to get her body to move. Thorne knelt beside her, looking slightly relieved that her injuries were not as extensive as her sibling's. He did spy drying blood staining her hands and wrists.
Gently, he gripped her arm and helped her up, "Come now, princess, let's get you fixed up."
"Any word?" Rukia asked, scrubbing her wet hair with a towel retrieved from the upstairs bathroom.
Tufts of ink black hair stuck up at odd angles and Ichigo had the strange urge to run his hands through her tresses to smooth it out. She had returned from her battle sodden and looking akin to a drowned rat, though Ichigo wisely refrained from voicing that thought. Captain Twitterson went along with his lieutenant and Renji to pursue the enemy and while Ichigo would like to go himself he didn't feel comfortable leaving Uryu and Naoko again.
Rukia and Nemu were capable fighters, but Ichigo did not exactly trust Throne nor did he want to tempt fate. A makeshift clinic had been set up in the parlor. Uryu lay outstretched on a pile of blankets on the floor and Nemu attentively healing the vivid bruises and bleeding wounds. Naoko sat motionless on a chaise lounge while Thorne wrapped her arms.
The teen captain shook his head, "No. Damn it, Uryu was right splitting up was a bad idea. We should've stuck together."
"With all due respect Captain Kurosaki," Thorne paused in his ministrations. "You couldn't have known what they were planning and did the best you could."
"Yeah, I guess." If the best he could do almost got his friends captured or killed then he needed to do more than his best.
"What do you know about these people?" Rukia asked.
Thorne went back to carefully wrapping, "I know these lot are treacherous, power-hungry, and angry."
"Angry at who? The Quincies?"
Thorne shrugged, not taking his eyes off his task, "Perhaps, or the world or themselves. Who can say?"
Before he could be asked more, Twitterson's head popped around the doorway. "Ah, here they are."
He entered followed by Rosenberg and Renji, the latter two looking dismayed. Rosenberg primly seated herself farthest from the fire while Twitterson and Renji stood near it for warmth.
"You didn't find them, did you?" Ichigo asked, though he could tell they hadn't it never hurt to ask.
"No," Renji sighed. "It was like the vanished into thin air and—"
"Oh my gosh!" Rukia cried.
"What? What is it?"
"Is that the limited edition Queen Victoria and Prince Albert wedding Chappy rabbits? !" Rukia nearly squealed.
Hanging from the short sword at Rosenberg's hip were a pair of rabbits dressed for a wedding, holding hands. Rosenberg blinked and a faint smile spread across her face, "Indeed they are. These two are my favorite and my good luck charms. I also have a Queen Elizabeth I Chappy in full coronation regalia, that's my most prized one."
Rukia became starry-eyed while behind her Renji face-palmed, Ichigo and Twitterson traded looks, and Thorne appeared confused.
Twitterson gave a long suffering sigh and looked at Ichigo, "Your lieutenant likes that rabbit too, eh?"
Ichigo rolled his eyes, "You have no idea."
Uryu's senses were slowly roused from their unexpected stint of unconsciousness. He felt soft material beneath his hands and the warmth of a fire to his left. A steady ache permeated his body from head to toe, with it being worse at his chest and abdomen. Soft voices floated just past his ears; his mind too foggy to focus on what was being said.
Still, he had to try and get his bearings. With more effort than should've been required, he pried his eyes open. Everything was blurry, and he belatedly realized his glasses were missing. Through his hazy vision, he could make out familiar blurs such as Ichigo's orange hair.
"Uryu."
He weakly turned his gaze over to see Nemu sitting beside him, a faint glow emitting from her hands that hovered over his chest. She paused in healing him and slipped his glasses in place, returning clarity to his vision. A soft, relieved smile graced her face, and he couldn't help feeling relieved as well.
"You're alright," she said gently. Carefully she brushed a stray lock of hair from his face. "I'm still trying to heal your injuries, so please try not to move."
He understood but had to ask, had to make sure. His voice is hoarse when he asks, "Is everyone… alright? Is Naoko…?"
"Everyone's fine."
Uryu looks up to see Ichigo observing him with a scowl on his face softened with concern. "Quit worrying about us and worry about yourself, you got beaten up pretty bad."
The Quincy weakly scoffed, "And you… never do?"
"Tch, yeah, yeah, you have a point." Ichigo crossed his arms over chest, "The bastards got away when um… um."
"Captain Twitterson, Lieutenant Rosenberg, and Third Seat Thorne, Captain Kurosaki," Nemu quietly supplied.
"Yeah, them, when they showed up the rest of them ran. We went after them, but… ended up getting away."
"It can't be helped, Ichigo. Besides, they still want Naoko and I, this isn't the last we've seen of them."
Uryu settled deeper into the soft pallet while Nemu resumed her healing. The kidō slowly washing away his pain and lulling him back to unconsciousness. Ichigo let out a muted sigh, he hated seeing his friends hurt and hated even more that he couldn't make those responsible pay. He and the others had scoured the area, though to no avail.
He glanced over his shoulder to check on Naoko. The girl silently sat on a chaise lounge while James finished tending to her wounds. Her eyes held a vacant look that Ichigo hadn't seen since her grandmother's death. She didn't move unless prompted and docilly accepted treatment. A far cry from the girl Ichigo knew.
*The bit with Rukia and Angelica gushing over Chappy was going to be an omake because I wasn't sure how to work it into the chapter, but I found a way. I hope it didn't feel out of place. That's it for the external conflict for now, next chapter will deal with internal conflicts. We might also see what's going on in Karakura too or in the chapter after that.
Betrügerische Gnade means decietful grace in German and Titano Antico means ancient titan in Italian.
Please review and I'll update again July 31st.*
