Welcome back readers, hope everyone had a good week. My week was a bit busy, yard work, getting final preps done for the upcoming semester, and other crazy stuff. But I guess actual life hasn't been the only thing that's been busy; got 4 reviews this week for the exception of Spades's usual banter. So, I'll go ahead and get started with responces…
Jasss22: You're quite welcome my friend, I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
Carnie-Sama: Of course you were mentioned…what, thought I would forget about my readers? Nope. Anyway, glad you liked the chapter.
ZILLAFAN: I'll admit, it's quite tempting, especially since it would be a challenge to 'me' to get her 'romantic' behavior right, lol. But as it sits at the moment, I can't give you a definitive answer as to whether or not I'll write up a story in that regards.
Zentari2238: I apologize if some parts of the story upset you, but I am a bit confused as to what timeline you are referring to. The story does switch between past and present a few time in the early chapters, but that is necessary for the plot development. But still, I accept your input and thank you for it.
Ok, now on to 'Spades's Corner, that will now be officially renamed to 'Spades's Banter'. I don't know, it just has a better catch to it in my opinion…
Yeah, I kinda forgot the warning that that chapter was focused mainly on side development, rather than key points I try to focus on; I guess you can call it another filler. As I said before, Sajin and the 'home team' still have plenty of work cut out for them in the story, even thought their part in it at the present time is a bit slow. But, with everything you mentioned earlier, I think you'll like this week's chapter, lol.
1: Carrot cake I think…
2: He does enjoy them, it's basically the fact that he never really gets the chance to enjoy them.
3: Honestly, I have no idea what that is. Be sure to let me know in your next review what it is, and I'll re-answer this one.
4: No, as it stands, Timothy is the only soul reaper that possesses a zanpakutō with this unique ability.
5: Basically the same as when he met her in Hueco Mundo in the original storyline. He does not harbor any ill thought's towards her, and basically considers her a friend.
Alright, banter's over, responses taken care of, so on to the show!
(I DO NOT OWN BLEACH; ITS CHARACTORS, NAMES, LOCATIONS, OR STORY! THAT HONOR BELONGS SOLELY TO TITE KUBO AND HIS TEAM! ONLY THE OC, AND RANDOM NAMES NOT MENTIONED IN THE BOOKS OR ANIME ARE MY OWN!)
Chapter 25
(The Pressure Builds)
Orihime's Apartment, That Evening
"I still think that's stupid, Orihime." Rangiku stated with a dismissing wave of her hand.
The two women were sitting down, facing each other, at the teen's living room table; the remains of a small assortment of snacks and desserts sitting on top. Orihime was currently gathering up the now empty bowls they had used for ice cream to take them to the kitchen for washing.
"Algebra's not that bad, Rangiku. I mean, it does get confusing sometimes with the y's and x's moving around, but once you figure out the pattern, it's ok. Do they not use it in the soul society?" Orihime inquired as she stood up and began walking to the kitchen, bowls in hand.
Rangiku grabbed the cold items from the table and followed her to put them back in the fridge. "No, there's really no need. The only things we use math and such for are paperwork and reports. It's simple, two plus two is four, and so on. Why in the world would you need to add stupid letters to numbers? It just makes absolutely no sense, if you ask me." She stated as she opened the fridge and started putting the food away.
Orihime touched a finger to her chin in thought. "It does sound silly, but it somehow all seems to come out in the end. And it is something that's required for college." She pondered aloud.
The larger woman stood straight and turned to her. "Thinking of going to college?" she inquired.
The teen hummed in thought. "I've been thinking about it for a while, and a degree would definitely help when I go to get a good job. But that's still a few years away, so I've got plenty of time to still think it over." She said as she started washing the dishes.
Rangiku closed the fridge door and leaned against it with her side, arms crossed. "Well, the only form of school we have is the Shin'ō Academy."
The younger woman looked at her. "Is that the academy soul reapers go to?" she wondered.
"Yeah, it's normally six years. Although, the Captain supposedly graduated much quicker than that. But they only teach you soul society laws, swordsmanship, kidō, and things like that. They do teach the basic schooling that you would get here, like simple math, English and such, but not that advanced stuff." The Lieutenant answered.
They were interrupted by a knocking on the front door, where Orihime turned to her guest. "Would you mind getting that, Rangiku?" she asked with a smile.
The woman nodded with a smile of her own. "Sure thing, Orihime." She said, then pushed herself from the fridge and started walking towards the door. "Coming!" she announced as she got to the door, opening it to reveal Timothy standing there with a small bag slung over his shoulder.
"Oh, hey Rangiku. Just the person I wanted to see." He stated.
She rose a brow at him. "Tim? What brings you here?" she inquired.
Orihime leaned back away from the sink to look past the woman at him. "Hi Tim! How are you?" she greeted with a smile.
Timothy chuckled a bit. "I'm good, for the most part." He answered, then turned back to the Lieutenant. "I was wondering if you would like to join me and the guys for a few drinks, Rangiku. Plus, I had a few things I wanted to discuss with you…if you don't mind that is." He offered with a bit of a skittish smile.
Rangiku touched a finger to her chin and hummed for a second, then turned over her shoulder to the teen in the kitchen.
"What do you think, Orihime? Should I humor him?" she asked with an amusing voice.
Orihime smiled and nodded. "Yeah. You two should go hang out. In the time that you've been here, I don't think you two have spent any time together…except training." She added.
"There was that day at the mall…" the busty woman reminded.
Timothy's face dropped. "Please don't bring that up…I'm still waiting for the ass chewing I'm bound to get from the Captain for spending so much of the squad mission budget on books and clothes." He moaned.
Rangiku scoffed and waved him off. "Relax, Tim. Captain Komamura might get a little upset, but at least he's not like 'my' Captain. Just the mention of clothes sets him off." She remarked.
The younger man snorted. "I can't really say that I would be surprised by that. So anyway, wanna go? Renji and Rukia said they'd be there."
The woman hummed for a moment, then tossed her hand up. "Sure. Why not." She said with a smile, then dropped her hand to her hip. "Where did you have in mind?"
Timothy waved his hand from side to side. "Ikkaku insisted going to where they're staying. Neither of them want to deal with Kisuke or Yoruichi while drinking. And quite obviously, neither do I. If she's that bad of a damn flirt while sober…" A chill then ran up and down his spine. "I don't even want to 'imagine' what it would be like while she's drunk."
"…Oh god…I think I'm gonna have nightmares now…" Kitsune commented.
"…You and me both…" he returned.
Rangiku threw her hand to the side. "Oh, come on Tim. She can't be that bad." She stated.
Timothy gave her a deadpanned expression. "I am going to pretend you did not just say that…" he mumbled under his breath. "Whatever, you ready to go?" he asked.
"Yeah, go have fun, Rangiku. You've got a spare key for when you come back." Orihime pressured.
The busty Lieutenant sighed. "Alright. Let's go then." She said, then looked over her shoulder. "See you later, Orihime." She finished, waving at the teen.
The girl waved back with a smile. "Don't have too much fun, you two." She said.
The two officers nodded, then left the room with Rangiku closing the door behind her. The duo walked down the open walkway until they came to the stairs to the ground floor and proceeded down them before the woman turned to her companion.
"So, what's in the bag, Tim?" she inquired.
The man took the bag of his shoulder and handed it to the woman. "Our 'entertainment' for the night." He answered with a chuckle.
Rangiku accepted the bag with a raised brow. "Oh?" she said, then looked inside to see over a half dozen bottles of various spirits.
Along with some saucers and shot glasses. Two of the bottles she recognized as a decent brand of sake. She looked back at him with a smirk.
"Planning on having a good time, eh Tim?" she questioned.
He chuckled again. "Maaaayyyybe." He droned out with a smile. "Renji tells me that you can handle your own when it comes to drinking." He stated, getting the woman's full attention.
"Oh? Is that a challenge I sense in that statement?" she twisted.
Timothy glanced back with a grin. "Not really, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't thinking I'm better than you." He mocked.
The woman bust out in a laugh for a moment before answering. "Oh, I doubt that, Tim. But before we get into that, what was it you wanted to talk about?" she asked as they came to the ground floor.
He stopped, causing her to do the same, then sighed. "I wanted to apologize for my remark the other day." He said, then turned to her as he rubbed the back of his head in shame. She rose a brow in slight confusion. "You kinda caught me on a bad morning, and I called you something that was very offensive. It was wrong, and I really didn't mean it. So…I apologize for it." He said in a low voice, then turned away a bit.
She smirked a bit, then scoffed. "Don't worry about it, Tim." she said as she lightly slapped his chest with the back of her hand. "It may have gotten to me at first, but once I thought about it, I realized you're just one of those touchy people. I appreciate the gesture, but you really didn't have to." She insisted.
Timothy turned back to her with a serious face. "No, I do. I don't really like to admit it, but I've been a bit of an ass towards you ever since we met. What's worse, is that you've done nothing to me at all. Even if you don't think it's necessary, I would feel a whole lot better if I at least tell you that I'm sorry about it. So…" he paused and held a hand out to her. "…can we start over as friends?" he asked.
Rangiku snorted lightly and took his hand. "Of course." She responded, shaking his hand once, then releasing it and planting her hands on her hips. "Now, can we get going? I think it's about time I show you who the real drinking champ is." She said with a cunning smirk.
He rolled his eyes with a scoff. "You soul reapers never learn." He commented.
She rose a brow at that. "Oh? And what exactly are you talking about?" she inquired.
Timothy gave her the same smirk back. "That, again, you should never challenge a Texas man to a drinking competition."
Asano Residence, 20 Minutes Later
"Where the hell is he?" Ikkaku growled as he sat on the living room floor with his back against the couch.
Yumichika, who was sitting on the couch above him, sighed with slight annoyance at his friend's impatience. "He did say that he was going to ask Rangiku if she wanted to join us. Considering that she is staying at Orihime's place, I'm sure you can imagine it might take a while."
The 3rd seat scoffed at that. "Yeah, but he could have at least brought the drinks here first, then go get her. All we've got is this weak ass stuff that the humans dare to call a 'beer' that he asked us to pick up. What, is he trying to torture us?" he mocked.
"Oh, don't be like that, sweetie. I'm sure he'll be here soon." The woman sitting right behind him…rubbing his bald head, said.
A vein on the man's forehead pulsed as Yumichika snorted from trying not to laugh. "I've told you, don't call me that. Damn woman." He growled.
His friend turned to him with a smirk. "Oh, I don't know, Ikkaku. I think it suits you rather well. Don't you agree, miss Mizuho?" he inquired to the woman.
She looked at him and nodded. "I do. It's just perfect for him." She returned.
Ikkaku growled loudly and slapped her hand away as he stood up and pointed at his friend accusingly. "Don't go siding with her! You're supposed to be helping me with this!" he yelled.
The 5th seat brushed his hair from his face with a smile. "Oh, but I 'am' helping you, Ikkaku. Can't you see that I'm trying to help you out with the lovely lady?" he teased.
The vein pulsed on the bald man's head again. "I don't want no help with her! She's being a damn nuisance!" he said, then turned to point at Mizuho. "And you, stop rubbing my damn head! It's annoying!" he stated.
The woman pressed her hands to her cheeks and blushed. "Oh, but sweetie, how else am I supposed to take care of you?" she asked as she shook her head.
Ikkaku growled yet again as he stomped on the floor and clenched his fists. "I don't 'want' you to take care of me! I want you to leave me the hell alone!"
The conversation was interrupted by a knocking on the front door, where Ikkaku lowly growled and turned to it. "About damn time."
"Coooome iiiinnn." Mizuho said in a singsong voice.
The door opened where Timothy and Rangiku walked in. "Hey, sorry we took so long." He said as he closed the door behind them.
Yumichika looked over his shoulder at him. "Well, you're here now. So, what's say we begin?" he pressed.
Timothy nodded as he walked past him to the table in front of the couch, setting the bag down and pulling out the numerous bottles inside. Mizuho and the two Squad 11 officers all rose their brows.
"Little much, don't you think?" Ikkaku inquired.
The younger man looked at him, then the bottles for a second before returning to him. "Well, considering that it's you, Yumichika, Rangiku, Renji, Rukia, and myself, I wanted to make sure that there's plenty. By the way, where are Renji and Rukia?"
"They had to respond to a hollow attack a little while ago, so they will be a little late." Yumichika answered as he started setting out saucers for everyone.
He was about to set one out for Timothy, but the man stopped him and pulled out one of the shot glasses.
"No sake for me. Only the good stuff tonight." He said with a smirk, then reached over and opened on of the bottles of whiskey.
"How the hell can you drink that stuff?" Ikkaku wondered aloud.
"Pour one for me too, Tim." Rangiku instructed as she sat down on the opposing couch.
Ikkaku turned to her with a skeptical look. "You too?" he asked in disbelief.
Timothy glared at him. "Oh, stop your bitching, Ikkaku. I got your damn sake, so stop complaining. You get the beer?" he asked in a moan.
The man nodded and pointed to a large case next to the couch Rangiku was sitting on. "Yeah. It's over there, but don't count on me drinking any of that crap. That stuff tastes like pond water." He stated.
The young Lieutenant let out a depressing sigh as he filled another shot glass from a different bottle. He then held the glass out to Ikkaku, who looked at it skeptically.
"It's tequila. Completely different from whiskey. Try it." He offered.
Ikkaku took the glass and observed it for a moment before taking a sip. After he did, he rose a brow and looked at it again.
"Huh, not bad. Better than that other stuff you drink." He stated, then finished the drink in one gulp.
Timothy then gave Rangiku her glass, who also chugged hers down before holding the glass out for another.
"So, Tim…" she started as he poured her another. "…when did you want to try outperforming me?" she inquired with a smirk.
The two lower officers looked at him with wide eyes. "You challenged Rangiku to drinking?" Ikkaku asked in surprise.
Timothy scoffed, then nodded.
"I must say that you are quite insane, Tim. You do realize that Rangiku is one of the best drinkers in the soul society…right?" Yumichika inquired.
The Lieutenant grinned, then looked at the woman. "So, how we doing this?" he asked.
She threw her hand away. "You're the one who want's to be foolish, so you set the rules." She offered.
His grin grew even more, now exposing his teeth. "Ok then, how bout this…" he started, then turned to Yumichika. "Grab us a beer each, if you don't mind." He instructed, getting a nod back as he set down ten shot glasses in two rows of five.
Switching between different bottles, he filled each glass from both sides with different liquors. In the first, he poured whiskey, tequila in the second, vodka in the third, 'Bacardi 151' in the fourth, and 'Everclear' in the last.
Yumichika set down the two beers as they heard a knock on the front door. "It's open." Timothy announced.
Renji and Rukia entered the apartment and walked up to the table; both of them staring at the 'loaded' table with wide eyes.
"What the hell is going on here?" Renji asked.
Ikkaku turned to him with a smirk. "Tim thinks he can outdrink Rangiku." He stated.
The two friends turned to the said man with jaws dropped. "Are you insane?!" Rukia yelled.
Timothy scoffed as he opened the two beers and set them at the end of the rows of glasses. "Just be quiet and watch." He moaned.
Once he was done setting up, he sat down across from Rangiku and crossed his arms.
"Okay, rules are simple. Five shots and one beer. All you have to do is slam each one right after the other; then when you get to the end, you chug the beer as fast as you can. It's not a race, but the key is to do it as fast as you possibly can." He said, getting a nod. "Once you're done, you just sit there and stare at each other."
Everyone's brows rose as they turned to him in confusion. "So…you just…stare at each other?" Renji inquired in disbelief.
Timothy nodded while keeping his stare at the woman in front of him. "Yup. That's it. Drink, then stare. The one who can stare the longest without passing out, wins. Simple as that."
Renji crossed his arms. "So, let me get this straight…you think that five shots and a beer is going to be enough to make Rangiku pass out?" he asked skeptically.
The younger Lieutenant chuckled. "What? Too much for you, Rangiku?" he taunted.
The woman then laughed…along with everyone else. "Please Tim, I'm offended that you think this will do me in. But I'll humor you. So, whenever you're ready."
Inside his head, Kitsune was snickering. She knew 'exactly' what he was up to, and couldn't wait to see the result.
"Alright then." Timothy said, then placed his hands on his legs, where Rangiku did the same. "Tell us when, Rukia." He instructed.
The short woman sighed heavily as she shook her head. "He's done for." She mumbled, then looked at them. "Ready?" she asked, getting nods back. "Begin."
Both participants then started downing shot after shot, each one worse than the one before in taste and potency. In just under a few seconds, both of them had finished all of their glasses and were now working on their beers.
Being the experienced drinker she was, Rangiku managed to finish first, but only a brief second before Timothy. They both set the now empty cans down and leaned forward over the table a bit as the staring contest began.
The onlookers watched closely, waiting for whatever it was supposed to be to happen. But the problem was that nothing 'was' happening. The whole room was silent as the two Lieutenants just sat there, with only a couple feet between them, and stared at each other.
Almost a whole minute passed by, until, suddenly, Rangiku's upper body gave out and her head slammed onto the table with a loud thud. Two things happened at that moment; everyone's jaws hit the floor, and Timothy started snickering loudly.
"Gotcha!" he said in a low voice.
Renji slowly turned to him. "W…What the hell?!"
Rukia managed to recover from the shock, so she quickly walked over and nudged the woman in the shoulder. Besides a low, and very long moan, the woman did not respond. The shorter woman quickly turned to the winner.
"How the hell did you do that?! It was only six drinks?!" she demanded in a yell.
Timothy was now laughing loudly, along with Kitsune in his inner world who was rolling on the ground and clutching her sides. It took almost a whole minute before Timothy had calmed down enough to form language again.
He reached over and patted the unconscious woman on her head gently. "Sleep well, my apprentice." He mocked with a grin.
Renji then walked over and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him up to his face. "Alright, enough. What the hell did you just do to her?" he demanded.
Timothy snickered again, then held up his hands calmly. "It's simple. If there's one thing I've learned in my younger days, it's that you don't mix too much alcohol. The first one was whiskey, then it was tequila, and then vodka. The fourth one was 'Bacardi 151', pretty potent stuff. And the last one was 'Everclear'. And that, my friend, is no joke. It's basically straight alcohol. Then finally, there was that beer at the end. All the beer was for, was to mix up the liquor in the stomach more effectively."
Renji loosened his grip on the man's shirt, then he continued. "What happened just now, was that the 'very' sudden intake of all those different liquors caused her to have one hell of a head rush. So bad in fact, that it caused her to pass out. But don't worry, she'll be back up in a minute or two after her head clears up again." He assured.
Ikkaku looked at the downed woman, then the empty glasses. "So how the hell are you not affected?" he inquired.
Timothy looked at him as Renji let him go. "I've gained a tolerance to it. I'll admit that even 'I' got a little light headed near the end, but not bad enough to affect me that badly. You should have seen me the first time I tried it though; only lasted about five seconds." He finished with a chuckle. "A friend of mine from college showed it to me. He called it the 'Five count knock-out'."
A loud moan from below caused everyone to turn to the woman as she slowly raised her head from the table and, just as slowly, looked around. After a few seconds, she pushed herself off the table and looked at everyone with a bit of confusion.
"Wha…what happened…" she asked in a low voice.
Everyone then turned back to Timothy with wide eyes. "Is she going to be ok?" Rukia asked with concern.
Timothy snorted, then nodded. "Yeah, just give her a minute to get her senses back." He instructed.
Ikkaku walked over and set a hand on her shoulder, getting her attention. "Hey, you alright?" he asked.
She tilted her head. "I…think so. Did I…win?" she inquired.
His eyes widened. "Uh…no." he informed hesitantly.
Timothy then crossed his arms. "I'm not stupid. I hate to admit it, but I would have to agree that your alcohol tolerance is probably better than mine. So, instead of going for 'stamina', I went for 'endurance'. Rather than trying to beat you by drinking more than you over time, I tried beating you by drinking the most at once."
Ikkaku looked at him. "You do realize that that's not technically 'winning', right?" he informed.
The Lieutenant simply shrugged his shoulder. "Hey, she said 'I' set the rules. So I did, and she agreed to them. You all heard her. So that 'does' count as a win." He corrected.
Rangiku glared at him. "That's cheating!" she accused.
He returned the glare. "No, I made the rules plain and simple to understand. That's how drinking works. You set a rule, and if you lose to the rule, you lose in general. We all know that. Like I said, and everyone here saw it, you agreed to the rules I set, and you lost."
She growled at him. "Fine. I'll let you have this one, but next time you won't be so lucky." She informed.
He grinned at her. "I look forward to it. Now, with that out of the way, how about we all sit down and enjoy some friendly drinks together. And because you were a good sport about it, I won't tell anyone what happened tonight."
She then turned a bit red from embarrassment. "I get you for that." She threatened, then briefly filled a saucer and downed it. "This isn't over, Tim." she finished, then crossed her arms with a small huff.
Timothy grinned at her. "Looking forward to it, Rangiku. But seriously, you feeling alright?" he asked as he dropped the grin.
The woman turned away and waved him off. "Yeah, I'm fine." She answered.
He chuckled at her, then turned to Mizuho when she stood up and stretched her arms above her head.
"Well, that was entertaining. You guys go ahead and have fun, I'm turning in for the night." She stated, then dropped her arms and looked at Ikkaku with a smile. "Don't stay up too late, sweetie." She said with a wink.
The man growled and jerked his head to her. "I told you not to call me that! Damn you, woman!" he yelled.
Timothy rose a brow. "So…is she your girlfriend, Ikkaku?" he inquired.
The 3rd seat quickly turned to him. "No! / Yes." He yelled and everyone else affirmed.
That vein pulsed on the bald man's head yet again. "What the hell?!" He then pointed at Mizuho. "That damn woman is 'not' my damn girlfriend! So, shut up!"
The whole room burst out into a laughing fit while Mizuho walked up behind Ikkaku and grabbed him in a hug from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"Come on, sweetie, there's no need to hide it. I don't mind them knowing about us." She cooed.
Ikkaku flinched and looked over his shoulder at her. "These is no 'us'! You're just letting me and Yumichika stay here!" he insisted.
Timothy grinned at him. "Oh? So, does that mean that your rent consists of a little nighttime action?" he teased.
The man froze and Mizuho blushed as everyone else pretty much ended up on the floor laughing. Rukia however, just stood there shaking her head with a smile.
"W…What the hell?! I'm gonna kill you for that!" he growled, then stopped when the teen let him go. He turned to her to see her with her hands folded over her mouth and staring at the floor; her face beat red. "And what the hell is wrong with you?!" he demanded.
"I think you broke the poor girl, Tim." Rangiku stated through a laugh.
The man shrugged a shoulder. "At least I broke her here and now, and not Ikkaku later." He teased further, causing another ruckus of laughs.
Ikkaku grabbed the top of his head with a loud growl. "For God's sakes! Knock it off!" he again yelled as he threw his hands to his sides.
"I'm….gonna…go to bed now." Mizuho stated skittishly, then swiftly left the room.
As she walked past him, Timothy could that he saw a small smile on the woman's face, causing him to grin. But that grin suddenly dropped and turned into a frown as his eyes widened when something dawned on him.
"Oh shit…" he said, causing everyone to stop laughing and look at him. He turned to them as well and slapped a hand to his face. "…I've been corrupted by Yoruichi." He observed.
Kitsune snickered. "Welcome to the club, Tim. It's a good thing I wasn't out during all that, or the guy would have likely tried to strangle you." She pointed out.
Timothy dropped his hand with a moan. "Somehow…I don't doubt that." He returned in a low voice.
"What's that, Tim?" Rukia asked.
He looked at the short woman and waved her off. "Nothing, Kitsune is just being her usual self again."
The woman nodded. "My sympathies." She returned.
Timothy nodded back, then widened his eyes again as something else came to him. "That reminds me…" he started then turned back to the group with a serious face. "Captain Hitsugaya told me that you all are aware of my…little secret."
Everyone's faces went stern and they all nodded. "Yeah, we found out after your private training session with Urahara." Ikkaku informed and sat down where Mizuho was before.
"Ok, so 'why' did he tell you?" Timothy pressed.
"That's my fault." Kitsune said as she materialized next to him.
He turned to her with a raised brow. "How?"
"It's simple, really." Renji started as he sat down in between Ikkaku and Rangiku. "We walked in while you were still unconscious to see her and Kisuke talking." Timothy sighed and poured himself a drink as he nodded for the red-headed man to continue. The man grabbed himself a drink as well. "Even though it's not that common, a zanpakutō spirit can still materialize without it's owner's permission. However, it's impossible for the spirit to do so while the owner is asleep or unconscious." He paused to take a sip, where Rukia jumped in.
"As you know, when a soul reaper is unconscious, they normally stay inside their inner world until they wake back up. Because of this, the spirit can't leave the inner world. Obviously…" she stopped and looked at Kitsune. "…that was not the case. Kit here was outside of your inner world while you were unconscious. That's what made us suspicious, then Kisuke and her explained your situation to us." She then turned back to him with a face of pity. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Tim. Rest assured, Aizen 'will' pay for his crimes."
Timothy sighed as he closed his eyes, then nodded. "Can you guys at least promise you won't say anything? The last thing I need is people scrutinizing against me and her." He pleaded.
Rangiku waved him off. "Your secret is safe with us, Tim." she assured.
Ikkaku nodded. "Yeah, we won't say nothing. So who else knows about her?"
The Lieutenant glanced at him. "Komamura, Tetsuzaemon, Kyōraku, Ukitake, Unohana, that Squad 12 Captain, and the Head Captain." He named off with his fingers.
Everyone's eyes went wide. "The Head Captain knows?!" Rukia asked in shock.
Timothy sighed again and nodded. "Yeah, he knows. He's also the reason I'm a damn Lieutenant in the first place."
"Wait a minute…" Yumichika spoke up. "The Head Captain 'personally' made you a Lieutenant?"
Another nod. "Yup. Still don't like it, but whatever. From what Captain Komamura told me, he technically has the authority of Central 46 right now, so he can do that."
Renji finished his drink and nodded. "Yeah, with Central 46 gone, the Head Captain is essentially the law of the soul society. Anything he says, goes." He affirmed.
Timothy gave a heavy sigh and finished his drink as well. "Well, can we drop it for now? So how was your hollow hunt, Renji?" he asked as he poured another drink.
"Wasn't much of a hunt, just another weak one." He answered.
"Been a lot of calls since Ichigo went to that special training, or whatever. I wonder how he's doing." Rukia said in a low voice.
"Probably being a nuisance like always." Timothy remarked, getting a snort from Renji.
"You too, huh?" he inquired.
Timothy smirked and nodded. "He ain't that bad, he's kinda like me; someone who hates bullshit." He said, then took a drink.
Renji nodded. "Yeah. But, going back to our earlier discussion, do you really have a Bankai, or is it something else that you and Kit have…if you don't mind me asking?" he questioned.
Kitsune, who had remained quiet for once, spoke up as she reached out for a drink of her own. "Before Tim had put me in his inner world, it was my power that he could use. But now, it is an authentic Bankai. But as it is right now, Tim still has a lot of work and training to do before he can fully control it."
Rukia glanced at the spirit. "Kisuke did say that your Bankai required a lot of spiritual pressure to use."
The spirit downed her drink, then nodded. "Yes, a lot more than your typical Bankai. As you know, with Bankais where the user simply wields the zanpakutō, the power of the Bankai flows through the blade. However, with Bankais that become a part of the user's body, like in Tim's case, the power flows through that person's body. Yours is a perfect example, Renji. Your zanpakutō almost becomes a part of your body, so your spiritual pressure has to be a bit higher than average. And we can all feel it."
The man nodded in understanding as she poured another drink and held it. "Yeah, that's true. To be honest, I'm a little interested in seeing how I would stand against your abilities, Tim." he stated and took a sip.
Kitsune chuckled. "No offense Renji, but the simple fact is that you would stand no chance against my abilities." The spirit stated. "I'm not saying you're not a good fighter, or that your Bankai ain't any good, I'm just saying that with the style your zanpakutō is used, you wouldn't be able to keep up." She concluded and finished her drink.
Renji glared at her. "Hey!"
Rukia glanced at him. "Actually, I would have to agree with her, Renji. Zabimaru just isn't suited to fight a zanpakutō like Tim's." she pointed out, getting the man's attention.
"Traitor." He moaned.
Timothy then held up a hand. "She may be right Renji, but there is a weakness that Kit has." He started, regaining everyone's attention before dropping his hand back down. "While in Shikai, all I can do is move from one spot to another. The ability can't cause any direct damage, meaning that I have to do it myself. That's where the weakness is; I have to expose myself in order to attack. Anyone with decent reflexes can block my attacks, and if they're fast enough, can turn around and nail me before I can vanish. Zaraki proved that one."
Kitsune nodded. "Yes, it's only while he's in Bankai that my flames can be used as a weapon. At that point, any contact with any of the flames will set you ablaze. Tim can also spawn a whole lot more of them; meaning, that if he catches you in an open area, there's nowhere you can go that he can't. Another weakness is the timing. Both my Shikai, and Bankai are heavily reliant on Tim's timing. If it's off by only a little, it'll mess him up badly."
Ikkaku poured another drink and held it to his face. "I got it…so you're saying that if he losses focus, it'll be a bad day for him." He observed.
Timothy and Kitsune both nodded. "Essentially, yes." He affirmed.
The conversation was interrupted by the sudden beeping of a numerous cell phones. Rukia and Yumichika pulled theirs out and flipped them open, each pressing a button and looking at their screens.
"It would seem that we have another hollow alert." The 5th seat advised.
Rukia nodded. "Yeah, it's about a quarter mile from here, near the park." She added.
Timothy held up a hand. "I'll get this one, I'm gonna call it a night anyway. Kisuke had some early morning training for me, so I'll need to get some sleep." He said, then stood up. "We should do this again soon. It was fun." He furthered, earning a nod from Kitsune.
"Yeah, making fun of Ikkaku and his girlfriend is very entertaining." She added with a grin at the said man.
Ikkaku shot to his feet and growled with balled fists. "She's not my damn girlfriend!" he yelled.
Timothy held a finger to his mouth and shushed him. "Be quiet, your girlfriend's sleeping."
Everyone snickered while Ikkaku growled louder. "You're a dead man! Just wait till our next match, Tim!" he said, now shaking his fist at him.
The Lieutenant simply waved him off and started for the door as Kitsune faded back into his inner world.
"See ya'll later." He said with a wave over his shoulder.
"Yeah, see ya Tim." Renji called back as he poured another drink.
Rukia watched as the man left the apartment and closed the door behind him. She continued to watch the door for a moment longer before she crossed her arms and sighed.
"I have to admit…" she started in a low voice, getting Rangiku's attention before looking at the woman. "I'm actually very impressed with the way Tim reacts around Kit…considering that she's his former wife." She stated with a serious face.
The rest of the group turned to her while Rangiku glanced at the door. "Yeah, so am I. I actually feel really bad for him." She admitted.
Yumichika nodded. "Yes, it's quiet distressing thinking about it. But at least she is still around and not lost to him for good."
Ikkaku looked at his friend. "Yeah, you got a point there. Anyway, these drinks aren't gonna finish themselves, so let's get to it." He half demanded, then finished his drink before reaching to refill it.
Rukia then looked at her friend. "Renji, can I talk with you for a minute?" she asked.
The man nodded, then finished his own drink; setting the saucer down before standing up to follow the woman out of the room. The two of them left the apartment where Rukia came to a stop in the hallway while Renji closed the door behind him.
"What's up Ruks?" he asked as he crossed his arms.
She crossed her arms as well with a serious glare. "I didn't want to bring this up in front of Tim, but we need to figure something out about Nel."
He rose a brow. "What about her?" he asked cautiously.
"You know it won't be long before the Captain finds out about her. Afterall, we did find out about Kit by accident, and that's all it takes for the same to happen with her. I want your opinion Renji, what do you think Captain Hitsugaya would do if he found out about her?" she stated firmly.
Renji sighed as he dropped one hand to his hip, and rubbed the back of his head with the other. "I've really got no idea, Rukia. I mean…if Captain Hitsugaya took a moment to let Tim explain the situation to him, he might work with him on it. But that's the thing, I seriously doubt he would take that time."
Rukia shook her head in agreeance. "I don't think he would either…and that's the problem."
"What do you mean?" he inquired.
She sighed heavily. "What I mean, is that if Captain Hitsugaya straight out attacks Nel as an enemy, which he is likely to do, you know that Tim would end up fighting back. Granted, he wouldn't get too serious about it, and would only try to prevent any harm from coming to her, but you know full well how Captain Hitsugaya would react to that."
He let out a deep breath. "Yeah…I do. So, what are you thinking Rukia?"
"I don't know what to think…or do. I'm just trying to solve a problem before it becomes a catastrophe. Nel seems like a nice person, and if we can just get Captain Hitsugaya to see that, it might not be so bad when he finds out." She proposed.
Renji nodded. "I agree. But the problem is, how do we do that?"
She shook her head with closed eyes. "I'm not sure, Renji. I'm hoping you might have something."
He scoffed at her. "I've got nothing. I'll keep an open mind about it, but right now, I've got no idea on what to do about this. Maybe we should talk to Tim and see what he comes up with."
Rukia shook her head again. "I doubt he would agree with it. But you're right, we'll need to keep an open mind on this and try to figure something out."
Renji gave a heavy sigh. "I hate to ask Rukia, but if Tim and Captain Hitsugaya do end up fighting each other, who would you side with?"
She widened her eyes at him. "Renji?!"
"I mean it Rukia. You know damn well that you would have to choose between Tim and following the orders of the soul society. Tim would be viewed as a traitor, and if you sided with him, so would you." He pointed out.
The woman lowered her head a bit. "I know…I really don't know who I would side with. Tim means well, but he's facing serious circumstances. It's like you said; if I side with him, we'll both end up being labeled as traitors. But if I side with Captain Hitsugaya…" she paused.
The man nodded. "Then you'll be abandoning a friend." He finished.
"Yeah." The woman affirmed.
Renji crossed his arms again as he closed his eyes and tilted his head. "I wonder if Kisuke might be able to come up with something."
The woman rolled her eyes at him. "I have no doubt that he would, but I can almost be certain that none of us, especially Tim, will like it. I'll give him credit that he does got the job done, but all of us can agree that his…methods…are very questionable." She pointed.
He then sweat dropped. "Yeah…you got a point. Now that I think about, I don't think I would like what he would come up with." He gave a heavy sigh. "But like you said, he 'does' get the job done. None of us may like the way he gets it done, but until we can come up with something, he's the only option we got." He stated reluctantly.
Rukia started rubbing her temples in annoyance. "So, we're both agreed that we keep Tim out of this?" she inquired.
"I don't wanna keep something like this from him, knowing how he would likely react if he found out; but it's way better than what could happen if we just let it sit as is." He admitted.
She dropped her hand and nodded. "Agreed. Alright, we'll avoid telling Tim about this…at least for now. I think we should talk with Kisuke sometime in the next couple of days. The sooner, the better."
Renji gestured with his thumb to the door behind him. "What about Rangiku and the others? Rangiku's spent some time with her, hasn't she?"
Rukia looked at the door and rose a brow. "That's true…and from what she told me, the two of them did seem to get along." She then glanced at him. "But we both know that she would never go against her own Captain. She would probably plead her case, but in the end, she would still side with Captain Hitsugaya. She's more loyal to him than anyone else in the soul society."
The man nodded. "Yeah, but she would at least be able to help keep him calm long enough for the needed explanation. I say that we get her in on this, maybe even include her in the conversation with Kisuke."
"That's risky. You know she wouldn't keep something like this from the Captain…at least not for long. It's best if we keep this to where we can break the news to him at the right time. As far as Ikkaku and Yumichika, I really have no idea what they would do. I don't think they would outright help us, but I can't really say they would jump to their feet to tell the Captain. I'm thinking they just might remain neutral with this and see where it goes." She stated lowly.
Renji started scratching the top of his head as he nodded. "Yeah, I think I would have to agree with that." He thought the matter over for a second, then sighed. "Alright, how about we hear what Kisuke has to say and what 'brilliant' idea he comes up with, then we can decide whether we include Rangiku or not?" he suggested.
Rukia nodded. "Sounds good to me, Renji. We'll have to catch Kisuke at a time where he's not training Tim, and we're not busy with something else. But I still think we should talk with him sometime within the next few days."
He nodded back. "Agreed. But keep this in mind Rukia…" he paused and held a finger up. "…I don't exactly trust the woman yet. I'm only helping you guys because I trust you and Tim. Don't think I won't I won't go after her myself if she proves wrong. I'll always side with you Rukia, but that doesn't mean I won't do the right thing." He assured.
The woman nodded firmly. "I understand, Renji. You know I wouldn't ask you to do something that was completely unethical. Thanks for your help."
The man rested a hand on her shoulder and grinned. "Happy to help. Now let's get back inside, before Ikkaku and Rangiku drink it all."
Rukia scoffed lightly. "I still can't believe Tim tricked her like that. Him and Kit are both conniving foxes."
Her friend laughed aloud as he opened the door. "I can't argue that one." He stated as the two of them walked back inside the apartment.
But they quickly stopped and widened their eyes when they saw Ikkaku sitting on the couch, just barely, and leaning side to side a bit; his eyelids starting to droop down as Yumichika stared at him with disbelief.
When they turned to Rangiku, they could see that, although nowhere near as bad as Ikkaku, she was also flowing side to side and skillfully managing not to spill the drink in her hand. The woman turned over her shoulder to them and smiled.
"Hey guys, that was a long talk. You missed all the fun." She commented.
Rukia turned to the only sober person in the group. "What happened?" she inquired in surprise.
Yumichika sighed heavily. "Rangiku managed to, once again, goad Ikkaku into a little competition. I must say that it is so unsightly, seeing him fall for her taunts over and over again. I am beginning to wonder if Ikkaku will ever learn his lesson." He answered, then gently ran a hand over his hair to force it back down perfectly.
"But…we were only gone for like…five minutes." Renji stated.
"And yet to seem to forget that five minutes is a long time when it comes to drinking with Rangiku." The 5th seat pointed out.
Rukia rolled her eyes to her friend. "He does have a point, Renji. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me much if this all started only 'two' minutes ago."
Renji sweat dropped at the, correctly placed, comment. "You know what Rukia…I don't think that it would surprise me either."
Underground Training Area, The Next Morning
Nel slowly peeked an eye around the corner of the boulder she was hiding behind, a small grin coming to her face when she saw that Timothy's back was currently to her. From what she could tell, it didn't seem like he had noticed her yet.
Today, she had come down to the training area about ten minutes earlier than she normally did, meaning that the chances of her getting the drop on him were very high this time. After being 'caught' eight times in a row, which still baffled her on how he did it, it was about time to break her losing streak.
But at the moment, she faced a bit of a problem. The area where Timothy was currently working was wide open, and left her with almost nothing to use to get closer to him. In fact, the boulder she was currently hiding behind was the closest one to him, and even it was still a good fifty to sixty feet away from him.
She could try to use sonído to instantly appear next to him, but the problem with that idea was that the instant she left her gigai, he would know she was there; and with him currently in his Shikai, he would use his flames to vanish before she even arrived at the location. So that one was out of the park.
Her Super Acceleration would get her there quick enough before he could react in time, but a single mistake in using the right amount force to propel her there could cause her to accidentally run into him. That wouldn't be a problem for her, but it would definitely cause him a good amount of damage. So that was a 'no' as well.
This left her with only two options; either wait until his training just happens to bring him closer, or find a way to make him come closer. Either option put her at risk of being discovered, and she had very little time left before he would start expecting her.
Whatever she was going to do, she needed to do it soon.
"Bit early, aren't you?" a voice inquired from behind her.
"Eep!" she yelled as she jumped from her position behind the large rockface. She then quickly turned to the person with her hand clutched to her chest. "Damn it, Tim! That's not fair! I'm stuck in this stupid gigai, while you have your stupid flames! And how did you know I was here?!" she stated with her face now red from embarrassment and anger.
Timothy laughed loudly and sealed his zanpakutō. "I didn't, Kit did. I'll admit that I didn't see you come down the ladder, but she did, and she told me." He informed.
Nel stomped her foot on the ground. "Damn you, Kit! Stop helping him! I would have had him this time if it wasn't for you!" she accused.
Said spirit then materialized next to her partner with a wide grin on her face. "And where would the fun in that be? Come on Nel, do you really expect me to let my own partner down?" she inquired as she crossed her arms.
The teal-haired woman growled at the pair. "I hate you." She hissed at the spirit.
Kitsune shrugged a shoulder. "That's fine, you'll like me again one day. But, better luck next time, Nel. You know you could always just leave the gigai and try to catch him." She pointed out.
Nel growled again. "No, I can't. Kisuke stated, adamantly I might add, that I should never leave my gigai; unless it's an emergency." She then folded her arms loosely. "And I hate it. I feel so weak and pathetic in this stupid body. And it's getting tiring wearing it all the time. It feels so…restricting."
Timothy sighed and nodded before sitting down on the side of the boulder. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I get to get out of mine everyday when I'm training, but I don't think you come out of yours once since those Espada attacked."
The woman shook her head. "No, I've been in this thing ever since then. It wouldn't be so bad if it felt…a guess a little roomier." She returned, then sat down next to him while Kitsune simply sat down on the ground in front of them with her legs crossed.
"With your chest as big as it is Nel, I can't even begin to imagine what you would look like if Kisuke made you a gigai that was more 'roomier'." The spirit teased with a grin, making both Timothy and Nel turn a bright red.
Timothy quickly turned to her and grabbed her by her long ear, the spirit wincing in pain. "Don't you 'dare' start with your stupid games this morning, vixen!" he hissed.
"Ow! Alright! Now let go of my ear, idiot!" she yelled back.
The Lieutenant gave it one last tug to emphasize his point, then let her go. Kitsune started rubbing and massaging it to relieve the pain as she glared at her partner. After a moment of silence, Kitsune sighed and turned back to Nel.
"Anyway, I feel for you Nel, I really do." The spirit said, then leaned back and propped herself up with her hands behind her. "Besides that, you been doing alright?"
Nel leaned her back against the boulder with a heavy sigh, her redness fading slowly. "I guess so." She half answered.
Timothy turned to her with a raised brow. "Why don't I believe that, Nel? Has something been bugging you?" he asked with concern.
The woman closed her eyes and sighed again. "Yeah…but don't worry about it. It's just something personal." She assured.
Kitsune gave her a worried look. "Nel…you know that you can talk to me and Tim, right? I might tease you here and there, but I'll never judge you. And neither would Tim. Why don't you tell us what's wrong?" she pressed.
Nel leaned forward, resting her elbows on her thighs and bracing her head up with her hands on the sides. She then took a deep breath before letting it out slowly.
"It's…It has to do…with Tim." she admitted.
The man rose a brow. "Me? What did I do?" he asked in surprise.
She quickly lifted her head and waved him off with both hands. "Oh no, it's not something 'you' did Tim! It's…" she stopped, then dropped her hands and turned her head a bit. "…something 'I' did." She corrected in a low voice.
Kitsune looked at Tim in confusion, who returned the look, then back to her with a tilted head. "Ok…then what did 'you' do then?"
Nel dropped her head lower, not answering the question; so Timothy reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder gently. The action made her glance back at him to see a small smile on his face.
"Hey…Kit already told you that we wouldn't judge you, Nel. We want to hear what's wrong, but we don't wanna pressure you either. If it's something that personal, then you don't have to tell us." He soothed.
She balled her fists, gripping the fabric of her pant legs in them tightly. "It's not that, Tim. You and Kit have each other, but now I don't have anyone."
He cocked his head in confusion. "What do you mean you don't have anyone? You've got me and Kit right here." He pointed out.
Nel shook her head. "That's not what I mean. What I mean is…" she stopped and lowered her head again. "I've lost Gamuza." She said at last.
Timothy and Kitsune's eyes widened. "What the hell do you mean you've lost Gamuza?! I thought you managed to get her back!" Kitsune said firmly.
The woman nodded slightly. "I did…and she's still there…inside my inner world. But…" She sniffed and turned to the spirit. "I gave her up." She said with tears in her eyes, shocking the pair.
The Lieutenant removed his hand from her shoulder. "Wait a minute…you 'gave her up'? What exactly are you talking about?" he inquired; then something hit him, and his face went stern. "Hold on…I'm gonna take a wild guess here and say that you and her had another argument about me, right?" he asked seriously.
Nel shied away a bit, but nodded. "Yes. She's still very adamant about killing you, and that I couldn't possibly…have feelings for you."
He stared at her for a moment, then sighed heavily and began rubbing his face in annoyance. Kitsune kept switching her glances between him and Nel, until she sighed.
"What exactly does this mean for you, Nel? What exactly did you do?" she pressed.
The Arrancar looked at her in sadness. "I…I told Gamuza…that we were done."
Timothy stopped his rubbing and side glanced her with wide eyes. "Wait…you 'purposely' left her? As in…you abandoned your own hollow spirit?" he questioned in worry.
The woman dropped her head again and nodded slowly. "Yes. I told her that…as long as she wants to kill you…that while she has hatred towards you…that I wanted nothing to do with her. I told her…that we were done with each other."
The three of them sat there in silence, with Timothy and Kitsune staring at Nel in complete shock and worry. Neither of them could believe that the woman, who was so distressed when she thought she lost Gamuza and had fought so hard to get her back, would just willing give her up again because of him.
Timothy turned back forward and lowered his head. "Why Nel…" he asked in a low voice, getting her attention. "…why would you do that for me? Gamuza is not just some random person, or an object to possess…she is a part of you…your soul. So, tell me…" He paused and turned his eyes to her sternly. "Why would you do that for me? I know you have feelings for me and all, and in all honesty, I'm glad; but to completely abandon something…someone who is 'literally' a part of your own soul, do you really think your feelings for me are more important than that?"
Nel turned her head away with her lips twitching. She remained there for a moment, until she felt a hand rest on hers on her leg. She turned back to the owner of the hand to see Timothy with a tear in his eye.
"Nel, answer me. Do you really see me as more important than you own hollow spirit?" he pressed harder.
Kitsune leaned forward off her arms. "Nel, this is important, so please tell us." She pleaded in a kind, yet still very concerned voice.
The woman lowered her head, then nodded. "You are important to me Tim…Gamuza is never going to give up. I can tell that she is always going to hate you, and I'm afraid that, one day, she'll find a way to kill you." She said, then looked at him with tears in her eyes. "And I don't want that to happen. I don't know what it is…but I feel that I just can't lose you, Tim. I know that my feelings for you are a part of it, I'm fully aware of that. But…I just…" Her voice then gave out, so she dropped her head again.
Her shoulders then started twitching as she began to break down. Timothy noticed this, so he did the best thing he could think of that would help; he reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her head to his chest as he began stroking her hair.
She returned the gesture, wrapping her own arms around him in return as her last bit of willpower broke away. She started crying lightly into his chest as he kept on with his gesture on the top of her head.
"It's ok, Nel. I'm sorry that you're going through that." He soothed, then rested his cheek on the top of her head with a sigh.
Kitsune however, was watching the whole ordeal with shock and remembrance. She could remember, from when they were alive, every single time that 'she' had been in that exact position that the Arrancar was now in.
She honestly couldn't count the number of times that she had been there in his arms, being soothed by him after something had happened, or she had done something wrong. But even though she couldn't count them, she very clearly remembered how it felt; and deep down inside, she honestly missed the feeling it gave her.
She then looked at her partner with pained, yet knowing eyes, a small and kind smile creeping on her face. He turned his eyes to her as well, giving her an inaudible stare that told her that it would be wise not to say anything regarding him and Nel's current situation.
The spirt gave him a slight nod, then stood up and swiftly stepped away; leaving the two of them alone. Timothy watched as she did before sighing and carefully pushing Nel back from him by her shoulders.
Cupping her chin, he lifted her head to force her to look at him. "Listen Nel…I appreciate going through something that severe for me, but the fact of the matter is that Gamuza is still a part of you. I understand you want to protect me from her, but you can't just cut off a part of yourself to do so. Instead, you and her need to find some way to come to an understanding. If I could help you, I would; but this is something that only you can do. So, talk to her, and try to find someway that you two can still work together without her having to kill me."
Nel pulled her head away. "I can't…It doesn't matter what I do or say Tim…she will never accept you." She then looked back at him with a half serious face. "And I'll tell you the same thing I told her, that I don't regret my decision, Tim. I don't want to be without Gamuza, because, like you said, she is a part of me. But you are more important to me than she is. So, if she can't accept you, then I can't accept her. That's just how it is, Tim." she stated firmly.
Timothy dropped his hand and sighed. "You're sure that there's absolutely no way that she could even consider a compromise?" he pressed.
She lowered her head a bit, then shook it lightly. "I seriously doubt it, Tim. Unlike me, who is pretty much half human and half hollow, with human feelings and thoughts, she is nothing but pure hollow. She is basically my instincts with a physical form. So, it is in her to hate you, to basically hate everything. As I said, I don't like having to discard Gamuza, but I do not regret it. I've made my decision Tim, and I'm only asking that you will please accept it, and not hate me for it."
He sat there calmly, staring at her for a moment, before finally grabbing the sides of her head gently and pulling her to him to lightly kiss her on the forehead. The action surprised her, but only for a second until he pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her.
"I don't think I could hate you, Nel. I definitely don't like the idea of you discarding Gamuza, but I don't hate you for it. It's your soul, your being. If you honestly believe that this is the only option, then I'll accept it. But please don't think that I would hate you for it." He said in a low voice.
She then wrapped her arms around him as well, and nodded into his chest. "Thank you, Tim." she returned.
"Hey, lovebirds." A voice called out from behind him. He turned around to see Kitsune standing there with a hand on her hip and gesturing to the ladder with the other. "Sorry to jump in, but the 'kid' and the others are here. They just walked in." she informed.
He rose a brow at her as he suddenly felt their spiritual pressures as well. "They're a little early today. We haven't even had breakfast yet." He stated, releasing Nel.
Kitsune nodded. "I know. So how about we go get something to eat before he decides breakfast's not important?" she offered.
Nel held up a hand. "I'm actually not hungry this morning. You two go ahead, I'll stay down here for a little while."
Timothy nodded, then stood up as the spirit turned to him. "I'll stay down here too, Tim. Nel and I need to catch up on some things." She stated.
His face dropped. "Why don't I trust you?" he moaned.
She then walked up and lightly smacked him against the head. "I'm not gonna do anything, stupid. Besides, we already 'agreed' that I wouldn't tease her anymore."
The Lieutenant's eyes widened a bit. "I'm surprised you willingly remembered that. Alright…but you better be nice. And Nel…" He paused and glanced at her. "…make sure to let me know if she acts…like her normal self." He instructed.
Nel chuckled lightly. "Don't be so harsh on her, Tim. She said she wouldn't do anything, and I trust her. So, should you, seeing as she's 'your' partner."
He rose a disbelieving brow at her. "You try spending twelve years with that vixen in your head, then say that you trust her. I doubt that would be possible." He mocked.
Kitsune smacked him again, but harder. "Stop being an ass, Tim! Now shut up and go eat!" she demanded as she pointed towards the ladder.
"Yes mommy." He moaned, then started walking away.
She then crossed her arms with a grin. "That's right, do as your 'mommy' says. That's a good boy." She teased.
He stopped, then turned his head to her in anger. "I hate you." He hissed.
The spirit shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "But you love me as well. Now shoo, and let us girls have our talk." She said with a dismissing wave of her hand.
Timothy growled, but finally turned back around and continued walking away. The spirit watched and waited for a few moments until she was sure that he was gone and not simply hiding to listen in on their conversation.
Once she was content that he was gone, she finally turned to the other woman. "So Nel…" she started, getting her attention. "…just between us, so that you don't worry Tim, what does this mean for you? I mean…discarding your own hollow spirit?" she inquired with a serious look.
Nel's face dropped. "It's simple Kit, it means that I can no longer use my hollow abilities; for the exception of Cero, sonído, and the like. I can still use Cero Doble, but besides that, nothing else. It also means that I can't use my Resurrección. Essentially…I'm useless." She admitted as she lowered her head.
Kitsune looked at her for a second before sighing and walking over to sit next to her on the boulder. She then returned to looking at the woman to see a sorrowful look on her face, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"What Tim said was completely true, Nel." She said, causing her to glance at the spirit. "Tim could never hate you. He might get mad if things don't go right, and to be blunt, he may even get mad at you sometimes. Hell, he gets mad at me on a daily basis." She stated with a grin, then morphed it into a kind smile. "He may get mad at you, but he will never outright hate you. It's just not in his nature. In fact, in the almost thirty years that I've known him, I've only ever seen him hate one person…and I'm sure you know who that is, Nel."
Nel nodded firmly. "Aizen." She answered, getting a confirming nod from Kitsune.
"That…monster…is the only being I have ever seen him hate. But even now, although he very strongly detests him, Tim doesn't outright hate Aizen anymore. So, it goes back to what he told you, to never think that he would hate you for something, Nel." She then patted the woman's shoulder twice before resting her hand in her lap. "Actually, his feelings for you are a bit deeper than you think." She added.
The Arrancar looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean, Kit?" she inquired.
Kitsune rolled her eyes to her with a small smile. "It's simple. But before I tell you anything, I just want to put it out there that the conversation we're about to have is a serious one, and not one of my 'games', if you want to call em that." She stated firmly.
Nel then sat straight and sighed before nodding. "I'm listening." Said affirmed in a low voice, a bit hesitant to hear what the spirit had to say.
The spirit turned here stare to the rocky ceiling with a sigh of her own. "I'm not gonna lead you around in circles Nel, so I'll just simply say it as it is." She started, then looked back at the woman. "Although he isn't ready to admit it yet, and is even having a hard time believing it, Tim's in love with you." She said flatly.
The other woman's eyes went wide as her cheeks turned pink. "W…What?" she stuttered.
"He's in love with you." Kitsune said again flatly, causing the woman to lean back a bit in surprise. "Like I said, he hasn't fully accepted that he does yet, and it will probably be a while before he admits it to you, but deep down he does love you."
Nel started scratching her cheek in thought, eyes still a bit wide. "Um…I don't really know that much about 'love' and that stuff…but…isn't that…a little fast? I mean…" She then turned away, cheeks now red, and moaned lightly. "I can't…exactly say that…I mind, it actually…sort of makes me happy…to hear that. But…" She stopped, then glanced at the spirit. "…we've only known each other for…three weeks? At best? So…I don't know, but…it somehow feels like, whatever this is, is moving a bit too quickly." She pointed out.
Kitsune nodded. "Maybe a bit, but we've already had this conversation once. Each couple moves at their own pace, Nel. Besides, Tim already told you, and I agree, that the two of you would move at 'your' pace. I know Tim, and he's not going to do anything, or say anything until he knows that you're ready to proceed. I don't remember, but did I tell you how long it took for him to build up the courage to kiss me?" she asked, getting a head shake in return. She then held up four fingers. "Four months. It took him four months to finally kiss me, and I had to instigate it. Tim's too much of a damn gentleman to make any moves, or whatever."
She then snickered and placed a hand on her shoulder. "In fact, 'you're' the one who would probably have to start everything. I mean shit, I nearly dropped dead from shock when he kissed you in the store. I can normally read what Tim's about to do, or what he's thinking; but I honestly 'never' expected that one."
Nel looked towards the ladder and sighed heavily. "What do I do, Kit? You say that Tim will wait for me, but I don't know how to go on. I want to return his feelings…at least, I think I do…but I don't want to do the wrong thing and hurt him. To be honest…before I came here from Hueco Mundo, not once has 'love', or romantic feelings ever crossed my mind."
"Nel." Kitsune interrupted, getting the woman to look at her. "Can I ask you something? No joking, teasing, or anything like that…it's a genuine question that I really want to know the answer to." She asked with a perfectly straight face.
The woman nodded. "Yes."
The spirit stared at her for a second before starting. "Answer truthfully Nel…or at least the best way that you can. And I promise that whatever you say 'will' stay between us. So, tell me…what exactly do you feel towards Tim? And I mean on a personal level." She inquired.
Nel lowered her head to the floor and sighed. "I don't really know how to explain it, Kit. You already know that I have feelings for him, and I know it too. But…"
The woman paused, causing Kitsune to nod in understanding. "But they feel really deep?" she offered, getting a nod back. "You feel like you…'need' him?" The woman clasped her hands together tightly, and nodded again.
"Yes. I feel like I can't stand being away from him. I know I've already said this, but it's really the only way I can think of to explain it." She admitted.
Kitsune placed a hand on the woman's back and started rubbing gently. "It's fine, Nel. I think I know what you're trying to say. I'm being dead serious when I say this, but I think it's possible that you might have the exact same feelings for Tim as he does for you." She observed.
Nel's head swiftly turned to her in surprise. "Wait…are you saying that…I might 'love' him?!" she pressed.
The spirit sighed, but nodded gently. "It's very difficult to tell with you Nel, simply because of your…lack of knowledge in things regarding romance and such. But…from what little I can see, I would have to say that it's possible." She affirmed.
The Arrancar returned her head to the front and down as she clutched the sides with her hands, tightly grabbing her hair between her fingers. She then sniffed as tears began forming in her eyes, causing the spirit next to her to continue rubbing her back.
"Why did I have to be a hollow? Why did everything have to be taken from me? I know I used to be human at one time, long ago…but why did I have to become the monster I am? The others…they can't see what we are, because being a hollow is all we know. But…now that I know that there's so much missing from our souls, I hate being what I am. I hate knowing that I should be feeling something, but don't know what it is. I just want this emptiness to go away." She admitted in a breaking voice.
"…So…you want it all to go away, do you?" a familiar and slightly demonic voice said inside her head.
Nel gasped as she raised her head with wide eyes, surprising Kitsune. "Nel…you ok?" she cautiously asked.
"…What do you want…Gamuza?" she responded inwardly.
The hollow spirit scoffed. "Simple…to give you 'just' what you asked for." She returned.
Before the woman could ask, or even think about what the spirit said, her whole body pulsed with intense pain and pressure, causing her to fall forward onto her hands and knees. Kitsune was on her own knees and next to the woman in an instant with concerned eyes as she rested her hands on the woman's shoulders.
"Nel! What's wrong?!" she asked in a bit of panic.
Nel pulled her fingers in, scooping up dirt as she gritted her teeth to withstand the immense pressure on her body. But she was brought down to her elbows as another harsh wave of pressure was forced upon her.
Kitsune was now very worried about her friend. Something was apparently causing her a great deal of pain, but she honestly couldn't think of what it could be. The woman was perfectly fine not five seconds ago, and now, here she is, down on the ground and barely able to stay up on her hands and knees.
"Nel! Talk to me! What's going on?!" she yelled as she gently shook the woman's shoulders, tears beginning to form in her own eyes.
The woman flinched in pain as she balled her fists tightly. "Gamuza…what…what are you…doing?!" she yelled to the spirit.
"Just giving you a hand with giving you what you asked for." She replied. "You want it all to end? Well fine, I'll end it for you. I'll pull you in here, take over your mind and body, then bury you deep within your own soul. That way, you'll never have to worry about being a hollow, or not knowing what those…feelings…are ever again. I'll kill you, and become the hollow you should have been. But before I do, I'm going to make you watch, as I kill that spirit next to you, and her damn partner." She hissed, then pulled on the woman's mind harder.
Nel's eyes widened in horror, then in agony as she felt her own consciousness being pulled away and deep inside her. She dropped her head to the ground and clutched it with both hands as a small whine of pain escaped her throat.
"K…Kit…" she tried to choke out. "G…Get a…away from…from me!" she managed to get out.
The spirit tilted her head in confusion as tears ran down her cheeks. "What?" she asked in surprise.
Nel then threw her arm out, hitting the spirit in the chest and forcing her back a few feet and onto the ground. She then very slowly, and painfully, got back up to her feet and took a step away from the spirit, still holding the sides of her head tightly.
The situation then got worse when she suddenly felt the pressure starting to force her spiritual body out of the gigai. And with how hard Gamuza was pulling on her mind, she knew that as soon as she left the faux body, she wouldn't be able to hold the spirit back any longer.
"Kit! G…Go g…get Tim!" she yelled.
But before the spirit could move to get up, Nel's spiritual body was suddenly forced from her gigai; her Arrancar form now fully present in front of the zanpakutō spirit. The instant it did, the whole room was flooded with an immense, and unstable spiritual pressure that the people upstairs could not have possibly missed.
It wasn't but two seconds later when Timothy flashed into existence right next to Kitsune, who was still on the ground in complete shock. He looked at Nel with wide eyes, then to her in fury.
"What the hell did you do?!" he yelled, his fists balled.
Kitsune didn't even bother to look at him. "I…I didn't do anything! She just…she just dropped to the ground in pain, and now she's like this! This wasn't me! I swear to God it wasn't me!" she almost yelled back.
Timothy quickly turned back to Nel and began to walk towards her. But he just as quickly stopped when she threw a hand out to force him back.
"S…Stay away…Tim! It's…Gam…Gamuza! She's…" She was unable to finish, as she suddenly drew her zanpakutō and charged at him; the blade held high to cut down across his chest.
Thanks to his reflexes, that had vastly improved over the past two weeks of intense training with Urahara, he had managed, albeit barely, to draw his own zanpakutō and block her attack; a mere inch from his chest.
His eyes widened even further when he saw that her eyes, that were normally a hazel color, were now a deep, golden yellow. But while the sudden change in eye color surprised him, the look of sheer hatred and killing intent within them nearly shocked him into fear.
"Nel! What are you doing?!" he yelled at her as he tried to hold her back.
She gritted her teeth as a lone tear ran down her cheek. "Tim…run…" she just barely managed to get out, then her eyes narrowed.
"Yes…run." She said further, but this time, in a very malicious manner. "Run away…fucking soul reaper!" she hissed further, causing his eyes to turn to saucers.
"G…Gamuza?!" he guessed in complete shock, causing Kitsune's eyes to go wider as well.
'Gamuza' grinned madly. "We finally meet…you damn brat!" she greeted as she pushed into him harder. "You've cause me a whole lot of fucking pain, and grief ever since that damned night! Nelliel should have just let that pathetic Adjuchas kill you, then she wouldn't have started following you like a lost kitten. She wouldn't have developed these 'feelings' for you, and I wouldn't have to resort to this!" she yelled as she gave him a swift kick to the side, sending him into the boulder they were sitting at earlier.
"Nel! Stop! This isn't you! Don't let her do this!" Kitsune, now on her feet, yelled."
'Gamuza' turned and quickly charged at the spirit.
Although she could still surround herself with her fox fire, it did nothing to protect her against direct attacks. And she couldn't use any of her abilities while she was materialized like she was; and frankly, neither could Timothy.
Kitsune managed at the last second to duck and roll out of the way before Gamuza was able to cut her down. The blade simply passed through the now empty air and struck the ground with enough force to cut into the rocky ground a few inches.
The possessed woman turned to her prey. "Run while you can, spirit! Your death will come quickly, either way! Yours, and that pathetic excuse of a soul reaper you call a partner!" She growled, then lifted her blade and prepared another charge. "Both of you will die here, and I'm going to make sure that damn Nelliel sees it all!" she yelled, then charged again at the now recovering spirit.
But before the blade could make contact with her, it was stopped with the loud clanging sound of another blade. Gamuza turned a bit to see Timothy, who had jumped in front of the attack and parried with his own zanpakutō.
"Stop this, Gamuza! We are 'not' your enemies! What have we ever done to you?!" he growled as he struggled to hold back his attacker's blade.
Gamuza rose a brow. "What have you done to me? Absolutely nothing! You are a soul reaper, an enemy of the hollows! Nelliel might be a blind, naïve, and foolish woman, but I am 'none' of those things! I am a hollow! And I will kill you here and now!" she threatened, then released her off-hand to hold two fingers towards his chest.
Timothy's eyes widened as Gamuza began to charge a Cero at the tips of her fingers, only a foot from his chest.
"Cero." She called.
But the brief instant before she released the attack, Timothy quickly leaned back and swung his foot up, catching the woman's outstretched hand, and tossing it towards the ceiling. The Cero shot out from her fingers, and sailed through the air until it collided with the rocky ceiling high above their heads.
Timothy quickly grabbed Kitsune by the scruff of her neck and flashed away several feet with her in tow. As soon as he came to a stop, he released her, where she quickly vanished back into his inner world.
He then turned back to Nel/Gamuza and got into a ready stance. "You ok?" he asked the spirit.
"Yeah…I'm fine. Tim…what's wrong with her? How did Gamuza take over her body? I didn't think that was possible." She inquired with worry.
The man gritted his teeth as Gamuza turned towards him and got ready for another charge.
"I don't know…but I'm more concerned about where Nel is now. If Gamuza has taken over her body, it could mean that Nel's been forced into her own inner world…" He clenched his teeth harder. "…or worse."
"I don't think she's killed her, Tim. At least, not yet. But I'm willing to bet everything that it won't be long before she does. That hollow spirit is beyond mad." She pointed out.
Before Timothy could respond, he was assaulted by another charge from Gamuza, followed by a flurry of rapid slashing attacks. He did his best to hold the crazed spirit off, but she was absolutely relentless.
What made the whole situation worse, was that even though he was fighting Gamuza, it was 'Nel's' body that she was using. While the spirit was dead set and determined to actually kill him and had no restrictions, he had absolutely no intention to cause Nel's body any physical harm; meaning that the only thing he could do was defend himself.
"Gamuza…you need to stop this bullshit! Regardless of what you might think, I am 'really' not your enemy!" he insisted.
The spirit kept up with her assault. "I could care less what a pathetic brat like you thinks. Why don't you just give up and die? There's nothing you can do to me without directly affecting Nelliel as well, and you know it." She stated, then delivered a kick towards his head.
Bracing his hand against the side of his blade, he held it up to block the kick. But the spirit had obviously placed a great deal of power into it, and Timothy was unable to hold the block; his hand and blade being forced into his head and pushing him off his feet.
His body flew to the side a few yards before he landed again, performing a quick roll to the side to recover into a crouch. He looked up at the spirit to see her yet again charging at him, and now less than ten feet away.
Before he could react, he was again set off his feet by another swift kick; this time to his chest. Due to the angle where the kick had contacted him, he was sent up into the air several feet and over a boulder.
Gamuza stood straight and watched as the man's body disappeared from view before dropping her head and shaking it slowly.
"Un-fucking-believable. To think that you could have possibly had any feelings towards such a weak and pathetic creature. You are a disgrace, Nelliel. I should have done this a long time ago." She said in a low voice.
"You…leave him…alone!" Nel responded in her own mind.
Gamuza rose a brow in surprise. "So…you're awake are you? That's good." She said, then looked to where Timothy's body had gone. "That means you can watch as your plaything dies. And don't you worry, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, your time is coming as well. Once I'm done with him, I'll come in there and deal with you next. You had your damn chance to just walk away. If you had done so, he would have likely lived. But because you were so damn insistent to stay beside him, now you can watch him die." She finished, then vanished with a burst of sonído.
Nearby, 3 Minutes Earlier
Captain Hitsugaya, along with the rest of the team, flashed into place a short distance away from where they had felt the immense spiritual pressure only seconds ago. All of them, for the exception of Renji and Rukia who only had their hands resting on their hilts, had their zanpakutōs drawn and stood ready to engage the unknown target.
They had come to the shop early that day, so that Toshiro could discuss a few things with Urahara, and to possibly catch some breakfast. Everything was going fine, until the entire room pulsed with that intense spiritual pressure.
Before anyone could react, Timothy was already gone in a flash, followed closely by Renji and Rukia. Once they had gotten over the initial shock of realizing where the pressure was coming from, the short Captain and the rest of the group were right behind them.
But what they saw when they arrived at the location of the pressure, shocked and baffled them. For a short distance away, Timothy was being heavily assaulted by a teal-haired woman. If that wasn't enough, the woman looked strangely familiar to all of them.
"What is going on here?" Toshiro wondered aloud as he held his zanpakutō to his side.
Rangiku walked up next to him and tilted her head. "I don't know Captain, but…that woman looks a lot like…" she paused.
Ikkaku rose a brow. "Yeah…that looks like Urahara's assistant. Nel, wasn't it?" he inquired.
Yumichika nodded. "Yes, I believe it was."
It was at that time that the woman gave Timothy a kick to his head and sent him to the side, causing the woman to turn as well; giving the entire group a clear view of her face, along with a white, boney object on the top of her head.
The Captain's eyes went wide. "She's an Arrancar!" he stated in shock, causing everyone else to gasp.
"An Arrancar?! That can't be!" Rangiku said in disbelief.
"It can." A voice said from behind.
The group turned around to see Renji and Rukia with sorrowful looks on their faces. Toshiro's eyes widened further for an instant, then narrowed in anger.
"You knew?!" he accused.
Renji folded his arms as he dropped his head and nodded. "Yes sir. We were planning on telling you, but we were waiting for the right time." He informed.
Rukia nodded as well. "Captain Hitsugaya, Nel's not what you think she is. She may be an Arrancar, but she is not the enemy." She insisted.
Toshiro growled at the pair. "I'll deal with you two later. For now, let's get rid of her." He ordered.
He turned to leap forward towards the woman, but was stopped when the long end of a cane was held out in front of him and against his chest.
"I'm afraid I can't allow that, Captain Hitsugaya." An all too familiar voice stated calmly, yet sternly.
The white-haired man looked at the form of Kisuke standing next to him, holding his cane out to the side and stopping him. He narrowed his eyes at the man in annoyance and disbelief.
"Urahara…Why am I not surprised you knew about this as well? Perhaps you can explain to me why there is an Arrancar in your basement, and why you thought it necessary to even hide her in the first place." He hissed in a low and commanding voice.
Kisuke placed a hand on top of his hat and tilted it down to shield his eyes a bit. "My apologies for keeping something like this from you, Captain Hitsugaya. But Tim had firmly instructed that miss Nel was to be kept hidden and safe. Rest assured, I'm sure he'd be happy to explain everything once this is over. But I will tell you this, you should listen to miss Kuchiki when she says that miss Nel is not who you think she is." He advised.
The short woman looked at him with a bit of worry. "What is going on with her, Kisuke? Why is she out of her gigai? Or more importantly, why is she going after Tim like that?" she inquired with a serious face.
The man turned his head to her as he pulled out his fan and started waving it at himself. "I cannot say for certain, miss Rukia. All I have is a hypothesis."
Renji scoffed at him. "Why am I not surprised?" he moaned.
"Enough of this!" Toshiro almost yelled, then gave the shop owner a firm stare. "None of your games, Urahara! Now tell us just what the hell is going on here! If you and Kuchiki say that she is not a bad person, then why is she attacking Lieutenant Durn?!" he demanded.
Kisuke stopped his fan and glanced at the short Captain. "As I said, this is only a hypothesis; but I believe it's possible that her hollow spirit, Gamuza, has somehow managed to assume control of her mind and body." He informed, causing everyone's eyes to widen.
"Wait a minute…are you saying that Arrancars have their own spirits as well?!" Rangiku asked in shock, getting a nod from him.
"And you're saying that…spirit…has taken over her body?" Ikkaku asked further with a raised brow.
Kisuke nodded again. "Yes, it would seem that that's the case here. To make a long story short, miss Nel and the spirit of her hollow powers, called Gamuza, have been in…severe disagreements lately. The two main reasons behind these disagreements, are miss Nel's defection from Aizen, and Gamuza's adamant intention to kill Tim. I believe that what you are seeing here, is the result of Gamuza attempting to take over miss Nel's soul."
Rukia held up a hand. "Wait a minute…are you telling us that she's just like Ichigo, where his inner hollow keeps trying to take over?" she asked.
The man moved his fan to the side a bit. "I don't think that's the case here, miss Kuchiki. Unlike Ichigo, who is a living human with soul reaper powers and an inner hollow, miss Nel is an 'actual' hollow, with authentic hollow powers of her own. This is only a theory, as I don't have the information necessary to research it, but when Aizen had used the Hōgyoku to turn miss Nel into an Arrancar, it actually didn't 'turn' her into anything."
He paused to snap his fan shut and point it at her. "The primary difference between a soul reaper and upper-class hollows, such as Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde, is that while a soul reaper's powers are split into the soul reaper himself and his zanpakutō, an Adjuchas or Vasto Lorde's powers are 'not' split into separate entities. Their hollow powers are literally a part of them. With me so far?" he asked, getting nods from everyone.
He then held his fan next to his face. "Now, when Aizen used the Hōgyoku on these Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde, we all believed that he had created a new, and far more powerful class of hollows. However, I believe that this is not entirely true. I believe that, while exposure to the Hōgyoku 'did' vastly improve the Arrancar's powers, it also split them." He then pointed to where 'Nel' was, simply standing there and looking in the direction of where see had kicked Timothy only a few seconds ago.
"The person you see there, is only a half of the original hollow before Aizen used the Hōgyoku. When he used it on miss Nel, it had effectively split her into two separate entities; Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, and Gamuza. Miss Nel is the original, and dominant personality with a body, while Gamuza is the entity known as her hollow powers. Basically, you could say that Gamuza is all hollow, while miss Nel is only 'half' hollow, her other half being human." He informed.
Toshiro rose a brow. "Hold on, are you telling me that she is half hollow and half human?" he questioned in disbelief.
Kisuke nodded. "Again, all of this is only a theory, but a very strong one. But yes, I believe that miss Nel, although she, as well as Tim, are unaware of it, is indeed half human; with a human's personality, thoughts, and feelings."
The Captain sighed heavily in annoyance and lowered his head. "So, let me get this straight…Lieutenant Durn has been protecting and hiding an Arrancar, in 'your' basement, and you believe that she is half human? And you said that she had 'defected' from Aizen; so, what proof do you have that this isn't some ploy of his so that she can hit us later?"
The shop owner turned to the busty Lieutenant next to him. "Lieutenant Matsumoto, you and miss Inoue spent some time with her not too long ago. You even took her shopping that day, if I'm not mistaken." He reminded, getting a nod from her. "Well, care to tell us what your thoughts about her are, considering you actually started getting close to her?" he pressed.
Toshiro looked at her with shock. "You have got to be kidding me! You took that Arrancar out shopping?!" he yelled.
The woman held her hands up in surrender. "Well, I didn't know what she was at the time. And besides, she's really not a bad person, from what I saw. I actually think that she might not be our enemy, Captain." She returned.
The man narrowed his gaze at her for a moment, then turned to Renji and Rukia. "And what about you two? How long have you two known about who she really is?" he demanded.
Renji dropped his hands to his sides. "Tim told us about her a few days ago, Captain. He begged us not to say anything, and we told him we wouldn't. If you want my opinion, I don't think she's an enemy either. And neither does Rukia." He stated, the woman nodding in confirmation.
Toshiro finally turned to Ikkaku and Yumichika, who simply shrugged their shoulders. "Don't look at us, Captain. We don't know her enough to say one thing or the other." The 3rd seat pointed out.
The Captain then looked back at Kisuke. "How long has she been here, Urahara?"
The man unfolded his fan and continued to wave it. "Tim found her the day he fought those two Adjuchas you sent him here for. In fact, she actually saved his life. That Adjuchas would have killed him if not for miss Nel. But, I'll leave those details to Tim. For now, we need to stay out of the way and let him deal with this situation. Gamuza has easily noticed us by now, and is fully aware that if we intervene, she will be defeated."
He snapped his fan shut again. "She's intentionally disregarding us right now because she is focused on killing Tim. She is in a mindset right now that she does not care if she lives or dies, as long as she kills Tim."
Rukia stepped forward in concern. "But, if she dies, Nel dies too, right?"
Kisuke nodded. "Yes. In fact, I believe that is her intention as well; to kill miss Nel in her own mind and completely take over as a hollow with a new personality. Right now, Tim will try to do everything he can to avoid causing her harm, and try to talk Gamuza down. Considering the unique situation between the two of them, this is something that Tim needs to do on his own; so we cannot interfere. Doing so would only cause Gamuza to become desperate, and would likely do whatever it took to ensure that she kills Tim before she dies. As long as it's only her and Tim involved, I doubt she'll make any drastic moves." He advised, then looked back to see Gamuza vanish using sonído.
"Whatever happens, Tim must be the one to see this through." He concluded as he resumed fanning himself.
"Uh oh, Gamuza is on the loose, and 'clearly' has it out for Timothy. Now the question of the week…how the hell is Timothy going to handle this fight, seeing that he can't really fight back?
And now that Nel's secret is out, what now? Well, I can all most promise you that you'll enjoy the answer in next week's chapter, lol.
Thanks for reading everyone, and stay cool over the week. It's supposed to be an average heat index of around 105 where I'm at, joy…
Laters.
