Now this is a chapter ive been waiting to have up for a LONG time. The reason is simply because we finally take care of something we've been building up for a while. I'd say more about what this is, but I don't want to spoil it.
I do however very much look forward to hearing what you all have to say about it. I think you'll all love it. I know I did.
Thanks once again to Greatkingrat88 (for writing) and jcampbellohten (for being our Beta)
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.
In a haze, Ichigo stumbled through the house, making his way up the stairs to the upper floor. It was night, almost pitch black, only a small ray of moonlight shining through. Just where it came from, who knew; there were no windows nearby.
Ichigo only barely kept his balance, dragging his feet, wobbling like a drunk. To steady himself he leaned against the wall as he finally climbed up the stairs. He stopped to catch his breath. What in the world was going on? Why... why did he feel so weird? Why was he out of his bed?
The hallway leading up to his parents' room, only a second ago fully dark, appeared perfectly clear now. It was still night now, undoubtedly, but he could see almost as if it were day. The moonlight, though, was gone. Ichigo stared down the hall, and suddenly a sense of dread came over him. The world was still, perfectly still, and he felt sweat building up under his shirt. He took a first clumsy step forward, almost falling over, and started making his way toward the bedroom. Somehow, he knew- and how he knew, he didn't know- that something terrible was happening, something horrible beyond contemplation.
Even this gruesome expectation did nothing to prepare him for the actual scene. As he came to the doorway and turned in to look, he saw it. The room, now bathing in moonlight- where did it come from; hadn't it been gone a second ago?- was covered in blood, sprayed across the walls, the floor, staining the white sheets of his parents' bed.
On the floor lay his father, his ribcage ripped open and his gut emptied of its contents, liver, kidneys, intestines and stomach all spread around him lazily, like somebody had toyed with them before growing bored and moving on. His dead, unfeeling eyes, unblinking and cold, stared right into Ichigo's.
On the bed itself, there it was. Sitting on its knees, straddled over his mother's body, there sat the hollow.
His mother had her throat torn open, although her face was untouched. One of her breasts had been ripped clean off, and one of her arms had been brutally maimed, the other ripped from its socket, lying on the floor beside the bed in a pool of blood.
The hollow casually lowered its clawed, bloodied fingers onto his mother's gut, and sunk its claws in. As it ripped her torso open, she lay there still, unflinching, staring at Ichigo just the same as his father.
Ichigo was paralysed. Panic was overcoming him, horror of a kind he had never felt before, at the horrifying sight of his parents, dead and violated, but just as much at the sight of the hollow.
It was humanoid, and if it had stood face to face with him it would not likely have been much taller than Ichigo himself. Two curved horns extended from just above its eye sockets, its eyes glowing a menacing yellow. Its teeth were not sharp, but stained with blood still. Its body was something to behold, finely muscled and shaped much like a human's. Yes- except for the clawed hands and mask, it looked very much like a person. A stately tail waved above its head, rearing back and forth like an uneasy snake.
Lazily, the monster reached into his mother's body and ripped loose a chunk of flesh. The pull hadn't been very hard, and sinews still held the flesh in place. Seeming undeterred, the hollow bent down, its jaws closing around the meat, pulling it loose. With a snap and a gulp, it ripped the flesh loose, gobbling it down whole.
Ichigo trembled. What was this? What was going on? Why wasn't he-
"What are you looking at, Ichigo?"
The hollow had finally taken notice of him, and fixed its malevolent gaze at the trembling teenager.
"Why are you staring at yourself?"
What?
Then he sat straddled over his mother, his white arms reaching down for another pound of flesh, merrily gulping down her intestines like they were noodles. His tail waved, not with unease but with vigour, with happiness. It tasted so good! It nourished him, made him grow strong... and the night was still young. Just down the hall, there were Yuzu and Karin, too, young, soft, and supple. They would make excellent dessert. With gusto, Ichigo bent down, gorging himself on the woman he had just killed.
Sitting bolt upright in bed, his clothes slick with sweat, Ichigo woke up with enough force to knock him out of bed. His head glanced the bedpost, and thankfully, it woke him up properly. For a moment, he felt panic overtake him, visions of blood and horror still haunting him. His mother, his father- they were dead!
No, no, no- urgently, he reached into his reiatsu reserves, sensing for them both, and a wave of immeasurable relief washed over him as he sensed them both, their reiatsu signatures at rest, perfectly normal and alive.
It rushed back to him. It had been two weeks since he came back. Erza had stayed behind. Orihime was staying with them for the time being. He was a human with shinigami powers, not a hollow.
As the images came back to him, he sat up, and nearly retched as a wave of nausea hit him. The image of his father, dead and half-eaten. The image of his mother, still being eaten. The image of himself, feasting on their cadavers...
It had all felt so real. Ichigo, like most people, had had dreams that felt vividly real before- but nothing like this. Nothing so... horrifying. This was no normal nightmare. It had felt like a vision.
Feeling another wave of nausea, Ichigo wobbled to his feet, hurrying down to the bathroom as quickly as he could. The sheer horror of what he had seen was too much. Somehow making his way into the bathroom on time, he all but collapsed to his knees. Opening the toilet with urgency, he finally vomited, hurling the contents of his stomach into the white porcelain to completion. Finally, when he had nothing left but gall, it stopped. He leaned up against the wall, feeling too weak to even move. Strangely enough, he felt a little better now that he had hurled; the physical discomfort was a welcome distraction from the horrors he remembered.
It was the third time in two weeks that he'd had the same exact dream. The first time, he had dismissed it as a freak occurrence, trauma from his visit in the Soul Society. The second time had left him anxious and fearful. Now, a third time, there was no doubt about it. The hollow inside him had not gone away. And Erza wasn't here...
Finally, after a good ten minutes of just breathing and going through terrified, disorganized thought, he got to his feet. He slid off his clothes, noticing they were all completely soaked with his sweat, and stumbled into the shower. Leaning against the wall, he let the hot water flow over him, madly hoping it would wash this terror away.
It did not, of course, but after he had finished after a good half hour or so, Ichigo felt significantly better. Quietly, he put on a bath robe, dumped his sweaty clothes in the laundry, and then made his way down to the kitchen. Perhaps he'd find something to eat. No- nothing to eat, not right now, but maybe something else, to wash out the taste of gall. He felt better, but the images still haunted him, and there was no way he would get any more sleep that night. After some fidgeting, he made some tea, and sat down by the kitchen table.
Damn it all...
"Ichigo?"
It was Orihime, peeking in through the kitchen doorway.
"Uh," Ichigo mumbled, "I, uh..."
"You don't look so good."
He had to have sounded much worse than he felt, because Orihime stepped inside, a look of concern on her face.
"It's, um, nothing," he said dismissively. "Just, uh, felt a bit... hungry. Late night snack."
He cursed inwardly. Of course he would have woken somebody up. He hadn't been in a state of mind to think about it, but it made sense. Frankly, he wouldn't be surprised to see his mother coming in next.
His mother...
"You're lying," Orihime said firmly, and sat down next to him. "Something happened. I can see it in your face."
"What are you, a mentalist?" Ichigo muttered sullenly.
"Well, there's that, and then there's the fact that there's no snack."
"I, uh... didn't make one yet."
"Ichigo, is there something bothering you?"
He wanted to tell her, but couldn't. Not just out of the normal, stubborn, self-dependent pride he had as a man, but because he couldn't.
"There was... something," he said, forcing the words out like they were gallstones.
Orihime nodded sagely.
"It's just, like... everyone has nightmares, right?"
"Yes."
"But this... it's more than that," he said, sounding pained. He shook his head, and took a deep swig of his tea, the hot liquid almost scalding him as it went down his throat.
"It's like... I'm fifteen. I don't go running scared for a bad dream. It's just, um... oh god..."
He groaned the words out, misery overtaking him. His free hand made a fist, clenching so hard it made his hand tremble, the nails digging into his palm. He felt tears welling up at the corner of his eyes.
Then he felt Orihime's hand on his own. Something about it, human touch when he felt this exposed, this vulnerable, was a tremendous relief. It wasn't one of Erza's bear hugs; it was better than that. Just... the sense of somebody there to share his pain made things feel better, or at least less horrible.
"You don't have to say anything," Orihime said softly. "We can just sit here for a while."
"I don't wanna keep you up," Ichigo muttered, despite very much wanting her there, despite not wanting to be alone if there was any choice.
"I'm already up, and I'm up because I want to be," Orihime said firmly.
Ichigo nodded weakly. "It's just... I mean, I should tell you..."
"You don't have to do anything," Orihime said, her thumb rubbing over his. "You don't have to say anything you don't want to. You can tell me if it'll make you feel better, or you can keep it to yourself if it's too much. Either one is okay. I'll still be right here."
Ichigo nodded weakly. He didn't much feel like talking, not now. Not yet. Slowly, he opened his fist. He wasn't trembling anymore, not straining. Slowly, Orihime locked her hand in his, and he squeezed it lightly. It felt soft. He looked her in the eye, and she smiled at him.
"Thank you," he managed, his voice weak.
"It's okay," she said happily. "What is family for?"
Yes, what else was family for?
Ichigo didn't sleep more that night, but he was still far more at peace when dawn broke than he had been any of the other times.
"Unacceptable."
"Work with me here, Captain Scarlet," Kyouraku said smoothly, in his most appeasing tone. "You are making more than a few excessive demands, I'm sure you realize."
They sat in Erza's new office- a hastily appropriated one, far from the room Aizen had used; she would be damned if she got close to anywhere he had been- with her leaned over her desk, a scowl on her face.
"I agreed to stay here and here alone for a couple of weeks until things were settled," she said firmly, "but I have a daughter to look after. That is why, starting next week, every day I will make my way back to Karakura Town after seven in the evening at the latest. This state of being will continue for at least three years until she is old enough to attend higher education. Is this clear?"
"You expect us to open and close a senkaimon just for you, every day? Do you know what sort of an energy drain that is?" Kyouraku said, throwing up his hands exasperatedly.
They had negotiated pay, work hours, privileges, and duties without issue. Erza was well acquainted with the role of a captain, after all, having served as a vice-captain in the past, and the vast majority of it had gone off without a hitch. Although she had been in exile for over two decades, command was much like riding a bicycle, especially in an unchanging place like the Gotei. You never forgot. No, a greenhorn needing her hand held, she was not.
However, when it came to her life in the world of the living, and her unwillingness to let go of it, they had run into trouble. Kyouraku, who was acting as the personal agent of the captain-commander- who was too busy and too gruff to settle this himself- had expected her to commit fully to the Gotei, to live her life there every hour of the day as everybody else did. Erza, though, had bull-headedly refused.
"I will not be the kind of parent who walks out on her child, no matter how good the reason," Erza said firmly. "I have a family and a life out there, and I will not leave that behind."
"Nobody is asking you to leave it behind," Kyouraku argued. "There are weekends, after all. As soon as this business is over, war and all, you'll have two days every week to spend a few off hours with them-"
"Every day, at seven," Erza repeated stubbornly. "Humans do it all the time. We call it commuting. Can your network handle frequent traffic or not?"
"Well, yes," said Kyouraku evasively, "but the portal department is going to raise hell-"
"Then they can send their complaints to me."
Kyouraku sighed.
"You know, being a captain means making some sacrifices. It comes with duties, duties none of us are exempt from."
"Tell that to Kenpachi," Erza snorted. "That lazy bastard won't raise a finger to do any duty not involving a sword. Without Yumichika, their division would have collapsed decades ago."
"Be that as it may-"
"No, not 'be that as it may'!" Erza snapped. "If multiple other captains can have special allowances, then so can I. Every day. At seven. And earlier at weekends if possible."
"The old man won't like that. If he decides you're being insubordinate..."
"Before you hit me with those insinuated threats, you would do well to remember just how far I am willing to go on a principle," Erza said, her gaze a thing of steel. "I will be there for my family. If that means walking out and becoming a fugitive, so be it."
She very much hoped it wouldn't have to come to that, but there was no sense in letting him know this.
Kyouraku sighed again. "All right, all right... you win. You drive a hard bargain, captain."
"I'm not one for bargains. I just know what my priorities are."
Kyouraku leaned back in his chair and shot her a smile. "I can't fault you for that. Hell, it's not a bad thing to want. Every day at seven?"
"Every day," said Erza. "I didn't adopt her just to abandon her. Scum do that."
"All right, I'll modify the contract of employment," Kyouraku muttered.
Erza nodded, feeling relieved. The last two weeks had been hectic. Her leadership was only now taking root. Many of her new subordinates felt more than a little uncomfortable with her. To realize that one's beloved captain was an arch-traitor only to have him replaced with somebody long reviled as a traitor herself was not an easy transition, and there were some growing pains. There likely would be for years, Erza figured.
"Very good." She gave Kyouraku a scrutinizing stare. "If I may ask a question?"
"You may."
"You more than anybody seem to have wanted me here. You argued my case to the captain-commander. You were disappointed when I spoke the truth of my beliefs. So, why all this effort? Why is it you, of all people, negotiating this with me?"
"Well," Kyouraku said with a grin, "what man wouldn't-"
"If you throw in some joking reference to my physical attractiveness, I am going to break your wrist," Erza said flatly.
"...Right, right," Kyouraku muttered. "I'll be straight with you, then."
"Please do."
He looked her in the eye.
"You already figured there's more to me than just a charming, handsome, lazy playboy who slacks off."
"I've felt your blades first-hand. Yamamoto does not suffer fools, and he certainly does not promote them to captain."
Kyouraku nodded. "Exactly. Now, to be honest, by and large I am a handsome, lazy playboy, but... well, I look out for the Gotei. Aizen's betrayal came as a surprise to us all, but the Gotei endures. It endures because it's got people like me looking out for it. I have seen dozens of captains come and go, each one dying. Some last a few years, some decades, some a century... but they all die. They come and they go. Of the old guard, only I, Ukitake, Unohana and the old man remain. We're the ones always watching. Now, Ukitake, he's a good man and competent, too, but he's often sick. Our senpai is devoted to her role as chief medic. And the old man... well, he's good at leading, but he's set in his ways. Just think of how old men are, and add a literal millennium to it, and you'll have an idea.
"But he listens to me. Who do you think suggested Abarai and Strauss be promoted?"
Erza's eyes narrowed. "So, you're the power behind the throne, is that it?"
Kyouraku laughed. "If I tried to manipulate the old man, I'd live to regret it, believe you me. But he's no fool, and only fools rule without counsel."
"What's your point?"
"The point, Miss Captain Scarlet, is that if you're a good girl, I'm going to put in an equally good word for you with the old man. It's as good a chance as you'll have of achieving that change you talked so loudly about."
"A 'good girl'. Which is what, exactly?" Erza said skeptically.
Kyouraku threw his hands out to the side, and smiled. "Be a good captain. That's all that I ask. Lead your division and don't make too much trouble. Right now, a lot of people are very uncertain. They need stability."
Erza gave him a long, hard look. Kyouraku Shunsui was convincing, charming, disarming; when he spoke she wanted to believe him. That was exactly why she didn't trust him.
"You still haven't answered my question," she said. "Why go to all that trouble for me?"
"The answer is simpler than you think," he said, and shrugged. "What I do, I do for the Gotei."
He sat up straight and looked her in the eye.
"I believe in what the old man built, captain. I may not have been there when he founded it, but I'm old enough to remember how the world looked before he tamed it. Like I said, he's stubborn and set in his ways, which is why I'm needed. Me, I'm flexible. Reforms? Changes? Doing things differently? I have no issue with that. When I saw you, after the truth had been uncovered, I saw an opportunity- a resource we could not afford to waste. An institution like the Gotei radiates power and stability, but the truth is that it's deceptively fragile. We need captains, we need leaders, because without them all we built will crumble. You are powerful and principled, skilled and dangerous, which is exactly why I recommended you in the first place. Aizen is coming, sooner rather than later, and we need to be at full strength when we face him. What I do, however strange it may seem, I always do for the Gotei. For the old man and what I grew up watching him build."
Erza leaned back in her chair, a bit surprised. That Kyouraku Shunsui was shrewd and careful wasn't surprising to her, not anymore, but to see his dedication surface, his devotion, was new altogether. But, it made sense. He was the captain-commander's pupil, after all, among the eldest. Why wouldn't he be?
"So, you mean to tell me," she said slowly, "that if I play ball, you'll help me get what I want."
He nodded. "It takes time, of course, but with the right connections, there is some considerable good you could do. Shelters, food, patrols, all things that can buy thousands and thousands of souls' safety, security, and quality of life."
"And if that is not enough?"
"I'd recommend you take it one step at a time," he said smoothly. "Work your way up. First a village or two, then you abolish world hunger and suffering."
She felt an urge to snap at him. Her cause was not laughable, no joke, but she held herself back. She was on thin ice, she knew, and a few wrong moves could end her vision before it could even begin to be realized. So, instead she simply nodded.
"Start slow. A few things here and there," she echoed.
"'Atta girl," he said with a grin. "Now, I'll be sure to bring you a finalized version of the employment contract soon. I trust this time there will be no hiccups."
"Just so long as it is what I asked for."
"I wouldn't dream of anything else," Kyouraku said sardonically, and stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way. Times are hectic, as you well know."
Erza nodded, and watched him leave. She was on thin ice, not just with the captain-commander but with herself. She had just compromised, and if she did that too many times... then she'd end up a failure still.
She shook her head, trying to dispel her ominous suspicions. Right now, there was much to do. She sighed, and went to work on a stack of reports. She had almost forgotten how much paperwork command meant, and that was one thing she had not missed.
Hinamori Momo felt elated as she made her way back to Fifth Division. She had even caught herself skipping, such was her cheer. Although the mood had been heavy since Aizen's treason, even grim, she alone had been filled with joy. In the Gotei Thirteen, not a single soul was happier than Hinamori Momo, however low a bar that was at the moment. Joyfully, she walked down the street, effortlessly carrying a heavy bag slung over her shoulder.
She was happy because in the strangest, most unexpected way, her wildest dreams had come true, and then some. She had always believed Erza would come back to her. She had been overjoyed, but not surprised, when that had happened. She had hoped, but not expected, that Erza would be pardoned and allowed back. But not in her most insane fantasies had she ever thought Erza would not only become a captain, but become her captain. All those years spent studying, working, preparing for the day that fierce, gallant red-head hero would come back had paid off in the grandest way possible, leaving her with an intense sense of joy that could only be compared to a drug-induced high.
Sure, she had been stabbed and nearly killed, betrayed by a man she had trusted and believed in unconditionally, but somehow, it all seemed insignificant. Part of her felt like she should feel a bit more hurt, a bit more conflicted, but each time such thoughts entered her mind, she thought of Erza.
Erza! She had been captain for two weeks now, and although there had been some grumbling, Momo had done her share to make sure her idol was accepted and respected by the division. Erza still wore her haori uncertainly, awkwardly, as if it didn't quite fit, and Momo couldn't understand why. She looked so gallant in it! Strong, bold, inspiring confidence wherever she went. It was her job to lead, and Momo's job to make everyone else realize she was the best of captains for her division's soldiers.
She still remembered the speech Erza had given on her first day, after having been sworn in by the captain-commander. She had rounded up every available member of Fifth in the division's courtyard and addressed them directly.
"All right," she had said, staring down hundreds of soldiers, "I know what you've all heard of me, so I'll put it all to rest here and now: yes, I was once part of Aizen's plan. Yes, I joined him out of my free will, however manipulative he was. Yes, I was cast out and came back to fight him. I was considered a traitor, and now I'm not. I realize a lot of you won't be comfortable with that, and that's fine. I know how Aizen used to run this division, and I'm here to let you know I won't be the same. If any of you wish to criticize me, or disagree with my decisions, then you are free to do so. If any of you have concerns regarding where we're going as a division, then I encourage you to speak up. I want to run an open, honest division focused on hard work and sincerity.
"What I do expect out of each and every one of you is obedience. This is still a division of the Gotei, with duties the same as yesterday, a week before that, a month before that and a year before that. You are free to disagree with me, but when I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed, promptly and without delay. I know many of you will not believe in me, or at least not know what to think of me- so I want to reassure you that I am not here to act like a tyrant, but simply to run this division like it was in the past. Almost everything will be the same as it used to be. Some things will not. Regardless, each one of you will do your best, or you will answer to me."
Momo had practically felt giddy. The soldiers had seemed less than impressed, but there had been no open discontent. She knew some of the troops grumbled about treason, and more than a few of the officers, too, but Momo showed no tolerance of it. Erza was captain now, and anyone who didn't like it could get on or get out.
Finally she walked through the division's gates, and made her way to her captain's office. She paused, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes for a second. Her captain. It was such an intoxicating thought. Aizen, lie although his captaincy had been, had made her feel safe, appreciated, and stable, but this... this was even better.
She took a moment to compose herself outside Erza's- Captain Scarlet's- door. It would be no good to waltz in with a look on her face like an underclassman crushing on her teacher. She was a vice-captain, and she would act like it. After taking a deep breath, calming herself, she knocked on the door.
"Enter," came the voice from inside, and Momo merrily slid the door aside, walking in and standing to attention before her captain's desk.
"At ease," Erza murmured, sounding tired. Momo relaxed her stance.
"So, what brings you here?"
Momo wouldn't normally disturb her when she knew her captain was working, but she figured this was a good enough excuse. Gently, she set down the heavy bag she had been carrying on the floor with a metallic clank.
"I'm sorry to bother you," she said, and smiled brightly, "but I think you'll like this."
"What is it, then?" said Erza in a neutral voice.
Momo opened the bag. Inside was a gleaming set of armour, beautifully crafted and polished to perfection. As soon as she laid eyes on it, Erza abruptly stood up, both hands on her desk as she leaned forward.
"Is that..."
"It was found on the site of your battle with Captain Zaraki," Momo explained happily. "It was damaged and dented, and Second Division impounded it as evidence. Your case being closed now, it was due to be released, so I took the liberty of handing it to an armourer."
It had been quite a bit of expense, too; she had handed it to an expert who usually worked for noblemen, but she was not about to say that. She wasn't going to brag. This was for her captain, not herself.
"This..." said Erza, and walked around her desk, lifting up the chest plate with an expression of awe on her face. "I... I thought it was lost. How did you know it was mine?"
"Well, early reports mentioned you wore armour when you first got back here, so piecing two and two together wasn't hard," Momo beamed. "So... I figured you might want it back."
"I... yes," Erza said, sounding a little stunned. "Thank you, Momo. Thank you so much."
"My pleasure, captain!" Momo said, snapping a smart salute. She meant it from the bottom of her heart; seeing the face of her captain made the personal expense more than worth it.
"I... can't believe it's still here," Erza murmured, caressing the plate. "Here, help me put it on."
She slid out of her haori and started fixing the chest plate's two pieces together. Eagerly, Momo went to help her.
Before long, Erza was fully clad in the suit of armour. Elegant and masterfully crafted as it was, it looked right on her. As the last strap was finished, Momo took a step back and looked at her captain with awe. Erza took a step back and forth, moving her arms a little, testing it out.
"Fits just as well as before," she said, and let out a pleased grunt.
"It looks amazing on you."
"Appreciated," said Erza, and put her haori on again, the garment fitting a little tighter now, "but I wonder what my subordinates will think of me, wearing this..."
"They'll love it," Momo said firmly, and made a note to make sure they all knew that they had better.
"Thank you, Momo," Erza said warmly.
Momo blushed a little. "It was- it was nothing. Um... I just wondered one thing."
"Oh?"
"Won't it be... impractical to have on, all the time?"
Erza smiled, and shook her head. "I don't think I mentioned it, but I'm used to wearing armour. I did so when I was still alive."
"Really?"
Erza had not often done more than allude to her past, and Momo tried not to sound too eager.
"I got my first suit of armour when I was... I can't have been more than thirteen. When I put it on, when that big, heavy piece of metal went around my chest the first time... it wasn't just a good protection to me. It made me feel safe. Stable. I wore it as often as I could from then until I died."
"Safe?"
"I was... my childhood wasn't great," Erza said evasively. "Suffice to say my guild was the first real family I had. This armour... I got used to walking around without it. Didn't realize how much I missed it until that jerk Urahara made a new suit for me."
Momo blinked. Urahara Kisuke, of all people?
"You still had your bankai, right?"
"It's not the same," Erza said, shaking her head. "It's my zanpakutou I'm wearing. It's much stronger, and I can't call on him unless I really need him. This... I thought it was lost. It's good to have it back."
Momo felt more than a little curious; she wanted to ask more about Erza's past, her guild, but decided not to push it.
"Anyway," Erza said firmly, snapping out of her reveries, "Momo, I need you to do something for me."
"Yes?"
"Gather up a couple dozen of our officers. The most senior ones not on active duty."
"Captain?" Momo said, surprised at this new order.
"It's been two weeks," Erza explained, "and while it was necessary to let things settle down, we have an eyesore to deal with."
"You mean..."
"When I accepted this office, I vowed to stand for a change. For the better. If I let this delay any further, my words will ring hollow. Get the officers, Momo. We're going to Twelfth Division."
Strolling casually through the streets of Karakura town, Urahara Kisuke twirled his cane and whistled. Despite what was at stake, what was to come, he was in a good mood. Vindication left a sweet aftertaste, made all the better by the fact that he now had the Gotei by the figurative balls. He was the one who held the cards, now, the one who had spent nearly a century gathering information on Aizen. He was the one who knew the hougyoku inside and out, Aizen's greatest asset. Catastrophic as its loss was, he had been prepared for the eventuality... and now the society that had spurned him would depend on him in the coming conflict.
Despite his lackadaisical demeanour, though, Kisuke was anything but carefree. Preparations were being made, and he had left his personal laboratory for a specific reason. His steps, slow and easy, took him to a back alley. It wasn't dirty or run down, nor was it dark and gloomy- bright and sunny, actually- but you couldn't have everything. Its lack of dramatic properties aside, it was quiet and private, which was just what he needed.
Waiting leaned against a wall was the man he had come to meet. Wearing a plain shirt and pants, his ordinary attire contrasted with his face. Straight, blond, bowl-cut hair framed a menacing face, with teeth that were just a little too white and a grin that, when present, looked just a little too wide. At the moment he was not smiling, though. He looked fairly sullen. Then again, Kisuke knew that looking sullen was his default expression; for all he knew the man might be cheery on the inside.
"Well, good day," Kisuke said merrily, adjusting his hat a bit and smiling. "It's been too long, Shinji."
"Cut the crap, why don't ya?"
Or not.
"Now, now, no need to be so crass," said Kisuke smoothly, and strolled up face-to-face with Shinji. "We haven't spoken face-to-face in years."
"We mind our business and you mind yours. That's the way we all want it."
Kisuke nodded. "Now-"
"Ya know, you could just have come to see the lot of us. No need to bother with this cloak-and-dagger business. A back alley? What is this, some dime-a-dozen detective novel?"
"Think of it as a... personal meeting. Just man to man," Kisuke said smoothly. "You will of course confer with your associates once we're done, but I'd rather speak one-on-one. Like it or not, you are the de facto leader of your merry little band of rogues."
"Tell that to Hiyori," Shinji scoffed. "Hell, tell that to any one of them. Surefire way t'get a row to last you a whole evening."
"I'll get to the point, then," said Kisuke with a nod. "Two weeks ago, I let you know Aizen finally revealed himself. You've had enough time to process that by now, I hope?"
Shinji shrugged. "What about it?"
"There's a storm coming," Kisuke said, his voice quiet and intense, "and by a storm I mean a reckoning. The kind you'd perhaps look forward to if you had been badly wronged by somebody."
Shinji gave him a long stare. "You want us to join your war, huh?"
"It's not my war. It's Aizen's war, and he brought it on everyone- on the Gotei, on me, and on you, too."
"Speak for yourself. Who's to say we got stake in this?"
Kisuke prided himself on good self-control, and as such resisted the urge to snap at him. Hirako Shinji had never liked being ordered around, not since he had been thrust out of the Gotei alongside his fellow outcasts, and he had never particularly liked Kisuke, either. Not that he disliked him, but Kisuke wasn't sure the man was grateful to live life as a hollow-shinigami hybrid. Even so, this was important.
"You were experimented upon and thrown aside like trash," Kisuke said, his words blunt and matter-of-fact, "and now the time finally comes to get even. I know a hundred years is a long time, but is it really that long? I have no love for the Gotei, you know that, but right now we've got a common enemy."
"And when the Gotei finds out about us, what'll they do? You got framed. You're not an abomination to them. You're clean. Fine and dandy. Us? Not so much."
So, that was the rub, then.
"Let's just say the Gotei has to change, out of options as it is," Kisuke assured him. "Yamamoto is a hard man, but he's not unreasonable."
Shinji snorted. "Watching you play apologist for them is downright funny, Urahara," he said, and that grin crept across his face.
"As needs must," Kisuke said simply, "I'll keep it simple. Either you and your companions hide underground, forever, and hope Aizen never finds out about you and decides to cut his loose ends- or worse yet, capture you for research- or you stand up and get back at him."
Shinji paused, and gave him a look. "I ain't making any promises."
"Good," Urahara said cheerily.
"I mean it!" Shinji said sharply. "I'm not making promises of any kind. It doesn't mean 'maybe I'll do it', like I'm about to sweep in at the last minute like I'm Han Solo. It means maybe we will, and maybe we won't. I'll talk to the others. We'll make a decision. If they say no, we ain't going. 'Leader' or not, I don't tell them what to do with their lives. I ain't the Gotei. If it's one thing we got after being kicked out, it's being able to do what we wanna do."
"That's all I could ask for," Kisuke said, and smiled.
"Whatever..." Shinji muttered.
"Until next time, old friend," Kisuke said, and turned around.
"We ain't friends," Shinji muttered, but without much conviction.
Merrily, Urahara Kisuke began walking back toward his store. This had gone about as well as he could hope. He was treading a fine line here, with everything at stake. Securing Shinji's group would make for a vital asset, but if not... well, he still had other options. Regardless, he would make Aizen pay, or die trying. Preferably without the dying part.
"Scalpel," Mayuri said impassively, holding out a hand for Nemu to place the tool in, his gaze fixed on the specimen before him. It was a small animal not unlike a large rodent. Its species had not yet been designated, which was exactly why Mayuri had killed it. Biology was a fascinating subject as much as any other field, and once he had opened up the little critter, he would learn a wealth of knowledge. It might be useful or it might be useless; you never knew until you tried.
Mayuri's days had been as busy as usual. As irritating as it was to see all those ryoka specimen go free, it wasn't as if he didn't already have a considerable amount of them locked up in his facility. His was an unending labour, which was exactly how he liked it. There had been that hubbub with Aizen, but it didn't concern him much. He knew he would be expected to fight in their foolish little war, and already he'd started making preparations, but he was unafraid. Yamamoto might triumph, or Aizen might triumph. It was all the same to him. Regardless of who won, the science department would be necessary, and Mayuri had no compunctions about changing allegiances. His only loyalty was to the pursuit of knowledge itself. Nothing else really mattered.
He felt the cool sensation of metal in his hand. Nemu had handed him the scalpel. He raised the tool to make the first incision, when he noticed it.
"The short scalpel, you stupid bitch!" he sneered, and turned around quickly, backhanding his vice-captain. She staggered back, but remained silent.
"Do you think this thing will be anything but useless on a specimen that size?" he snarled, and slapped her again.
He could have been clearer, he knew that. The creature's size made tool choices ambiguous. Even so, hitting her had become a natural habit. She needed to be reminded of her place, and frequently. He raised his hand to strike her a third time, when suddenly the door to his laboratory opened and a short female officer burst in.
"What?" he said menacingly. He was not in the mood to be interrupted.
"Captain, sir!" the woman burst out. "You're gonna need to hear this!"
"Well, spit it out, then, you cretin!" he snapped.
"It's Captain Scarlet, sir! She's here, with a contingent of officers!"
Erza had strolled into Twelfth's grounds like she owned the place. She had marched past the military facilities of the division along with Momo and twenty-seven more officers, most of them veterans drawn from Fifth Division's terminator squads, and headed directly for the science facilities. They were mostly located underground, she knew, in an extensive complex housing hundreds of rooms for data storage, experimentation, analysis, and whatever else efficient science required.
She had ignored the protests of the receptionist, and with a ferocious kick she had broken down the doors leading into the complex, officers in tow.
"So, uh, what are we going to do, exactly?" Momo asked nervously. Erza hadn't explained it to her fully, and even less so to the troops following her. She wasn't entirely sure what she'd do, herself.
"We're going to clean house," Erza said firmly, balling her fists.
As they came into the main hallway of the complex, leading into the bulk of the science division, she turned to face her troops.
"Listen carefully and listen well!" she barked, putting a hand on her sword. "Today, we rid ourselves of a blight on the Gotei itself. This is a facility meant for science, but it's run without conscience. I have seen with my own eyes what has gone on here, and it's sickening and monstrous. Experiments on captives, mutilation, torture, all under the direction of Kurotsuchi himself. It ends today."
"What do we do, sir?" said one of the veterans, an officer Erza remembered as Kasui, the seventh seat of the division. "Are you asking us to go in butchering the scientist, or what?"
"I authorize the use of lethal force, but only if it is absolutely necessary. Self-defense only," she declared loudly. "We're not here to commit murder. We're here to stop it. We're here to set free anyone held here against their will."
"How do you know, sir?" said another officer.
"Oh, believe me," Erza said darkly, "I know."
She would have continued, but she sensed him coming. She turned around, and saw Kurotsuchi Mayuri striding down the hall in great, long steps, fuming. Nemu followed him, and Erza noticed fresh marks on her face. Her own face went into a resentful scowl.
"What is the meaning of this?" Kurotsuchi demanded angrily. "Explain yourself now, Scarlet!"
Erza took a step forward, and with one smooth, swift motion she slammed her hand into his solar plexus. She heard the air pushed out of his lungs, and felt a great sense of satisfaction. Still, this was not about satisfaction. This was not about revenge. It was about necessity.
Before he could recover, she grabbed him by the wrist of his sword arm and slammed her free arm down across his humerus, her arm stiff as a rod of iron. She felt the arm break, and let go of it. Mayuri shrieked with surprise, but his cry was cut short as Erza grabbed him by the throat and pushed him against the wall.
"I didn't forget about you," she said, staring at him intensely.
"What are you talking about, you insane bitch?!" he croaked.
Erza's grip tightened, and she raised him higher, lifting his feet off the ground.
"I've seen the inside of this place, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, and it is a blight on any kind of decency."
His hand twitched, reaching into a pocket. Erza didn't miss it.
"Go ahead. Pull out whatever little gadget you have. Maybe it's a poison strong enough to kill me. Hell, you can even reach for your sword if you want. Either way, it'll give me all the reason I need to snap your neck. So, go ahead and make my day."
Mayuri's arm slackened.
"Boss!" Kasui burst out. The troops seemed uneasy, made nervous by their captain's violent behaviour. Erza ignored it for now. With a fierce, powerful motion, she threw the monstrous scientist to the ground, and swiftly put her foot on his throat.
"It is only the chain of morality that stops me from pushing until the bones in your neck are ground to pulp," said Erza coldly, "and thank the heavens that I have what you do not."
She turned to his vice-captain, who had stood unmoving until now.
"Nemu. What is behind that door?" she said, and pointed to the closest door in the hallway.
"Oh." Nemu blinked. "That would be data storage regarding our research into spirit particle plasma."
"Excellent," Erza said, and nodded to Momo. "Open the door and set up a controlled fire. Use your kido to reduce everything inside to cinders."
"Yes, captain!" Momo said firmly. She opened the door and began to chant quickly.
"Wait!" Mayuri cried. His one good arm flailed about, clawing at Erza's leg, but she brought her other foot down, pinning down the arm by the wrist.
"I don't imagine threats of torture would phase you," she said matter-of-factly, "mostly because you would probably guess I wouldn't do it. You'd be right. I'm not that kind of person. But luckily, I can do better than that."
Momo's spell began to build up, and within seconds, fire would begin to ravage the data room.
"You imbecile!" Mayuri shouted, in between outraged and desperate. "That represents decades' worth of research!"
"Good," said Erza. "Momo, do it."
"Executing!" Momo said, and from her hands, a stream of red fire burst out in long, serpentine shapes, setting fire to every file, every computer, and every machine inside. It burned intensely, and within seconds everything had burned down.
"I hope you can see," said Erza, "that I mean business. If you resist, I will kill you. If I have to, I'll burn down this entire place."
"Boss," Kasui said nervously, "how... how do you even know about this stuff?"
"I told you before," Erza said darkly, "I used to be with Aizen. He showed me a thing or two."
If the mood had been uneasy before, it got no better at the mention of the traitor's name.
"You bitch!" Mayuri snarled. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you for this, you insolent-"
Erza raised the heel of the foot over his throat, and brought it down on his face with gratifying force. Mayuri's skull smashed against the floor, and he went still.
"Is he... dead...?" Kasui said.
Erza shook her head.
"No. It takes more than that."
She stepped off Mayuri and turned to face her soldiers.
"I know you're uneasy. I know you don't like this. I'm sorry to say you won't like what's to come, either. We're going to comb through this entire damn place if it takes us all day, and we're going to burn down anything that's the least bit shifty. The Gotei's science division has been built on suffering and cruelty, and it ends today."
There was an uneasy murmur among the officers, but Momo stepped up.
"You heard your captain! She gave you an order- so execute!"
Erza nodded at her appreciatively.
"Wait!"
Having come from the same way as Mayuri, a dark-haired, pale twelfth division member walked up, looking shocked. He quickly composed himself. Erza recognized him as Akon, the third seat. As a warning, she put her hand on her blade.
"Hey, hey, take it easy," he said, cautiously raising his hands. "Look, I heard what you just said. It looks pretty clear nothing I can say will stop you, and the only one who could, you just knocked out. I'm not here to start a fight."
"Then, what?" Erza demanded.
"I... I don't know just what you think about the science division-"
"Poorly."
"Poorly, right, but... we do important things here. Not everything is... whatever you think we do."
"I'm running out of patience," Erza said, her voice cold as steel.
"Who do you think provides the tech for senkaimon, or hell butterflies, or a million other things the Gotei needs to function?" Akon said urgently.
"Your point? Do you think that justifies it?"
"It's got nothing to do with being justified," Akon said hastily. "Do you want to tell Yamamoto that we can't use senkaimon anymore? Or hell butterflies? Because you burned down all of the necessary parts?"
"Aren't they kido-based?"
"Kido-based technology!" Akon stressed. "Technology that we maintain. Whatever you're going to do I can't stop, but I need you to show some restraint."
"What do you propose, then?"
"Let us accompany you. We'll get people to follow you. Let you know what to... not destroy." He sounded beaten, cringing at the idea of scientific works being ruined, but Akon was, unlike Mayuri, quite able to adapt to a bad situation.
"So that you can misguide us?" Erza said suspiciously.
"Look," Akon said, his voice very clearly restrained, "you can't destroy everything in here. The last time that happened, it was disastrous."
Erza gave him a long look. "Get Kujou Nozomi. If she runs this, I'll accept."
Relieved, Akon nodded. "Nozomi. Got it. I'll get her right away." He hurried away, back into the labs.
"Boss," Kasui said, "the hell will the captain-commander say?"
"I'll take full responsibility," Erza assured him. "Now, listen up, all of you! Once Nozomi gets here, we'll perform a full sweep. Anyone held here against their will, will be liberated. Any experiment clearly performed on unethical grounds, like suffering or cruelty- if you find that, destroy everything in the room. This is a purge, and make no mistake. Momo, place the captain under the strongest restraints you can, and then take charge. I'll stay here and keep Kurotsuchi company."
"You can count on me!" Momo said, and saluted. Quickly, she went about placing a high-level bakudou spell on Mayuri, glowing chains encasing his chest.
Before too long, Nozomi arrived. After dividing the troops into teams, each accompanied by a researcher picked by Nozomi, the purge began. It took hours, and Erza was glad not to have to see it personally.
This was a radical move. Technically, it was very much criminal. She was pushing the boundaries of what she could get away with, and then some.
But, this was non-negotiable. Kurotsuchi Mayuri was a monster, and his work was monstrous, and to turn a blind eye when she knew what went on in his labs was the same as condoning it, and she refused to do that, completely and utterly.
As she stood there watching over Kurotsuchi, Kasui's team came back to report. They were five in total, a timid scientist in their tow, and all of her soldiers- hardened veterans and all- looked pale.
"Reporting, sir," Kasui said, forcing the words out.
"Then, report," Erza said.
"We found... by the Soul King, it was..."
Erza nodded. "I know."
"Boss, the first few rooms... it was all normal, boring stuff I didn't understand. Labs. Textbooks. Those weird glass flasks they got. Science-y things. I thought you'd gone mad. No offense."
"None taken."
"There was this room..." Kasui hesitated, taking a deep breath. "There was a boy strapped to a table. His legs had been removed, hell if I know why. Tubes and such going into him all over the place. When we took him out... he just died."
"It's the captain's experiment on motor capacity," said the science officer quietly. "We... we got used to the screams. I wish... I wish..."
"This shit's been going on under our noses this whole time?" said Kasui, shaking his head. "And that wasn't all, boss. I... I don't even want to talk about it."
"I know," said Erza.
One by one, each squad came back to report, each one looking as shaken- or worse- as Kasui's had. It was the same every time: most rooms seemed normal, but the ones that didn't... were a scene of nightmares. Momo had put her skills to use dozens of times by now, scorching rooms into oblivion. The research complex was surprisingly deep, and it was clear this might take all night.
More shocking were the subjects they actually managed to rescue. Normal souls, many of them maimed, some in a prolonged state of dying, some not yet experimented on. Well, as far as legality went, Kurotsuchi would have a hell of a time explaining how he had detained all these people without their consent. But the legal excuses were far from what was on Erza's mind. Seeing the haunted looks of these people, some tearfully offering their thanks as they were ushered to Fourth Division, others looking hollow and dead inside, made her feel sick. This was a cancer, and she had been right to cut it out. Some were even living humans. Many victims had been in such a terrible state that her officers had been forced to give them the ultimate mercy. Erza would normally have found that very difficult, but here, now, with what they had been through, she couldn't blame them. It was well past midnight when the sweeps were finally complete. By then, of course, word was bound to have reached First Division, but no reprisal had yet come, no Soifon to arrest her.
Mayuri had stared at her with cold hatred ever since he woke up, launching into furious tirades as one specimen after another was liberated. He was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, seeming to have given up on breaking free.
"Do you have any idea," he snarled as the last captive was walked out, "just what you've done, you bitch? Each lost specimen represents indescribable amounts of knowledge, lost because of your vile, destructive, narrow-minded actions!"
Erza turned and looked at him, sorely tempted to take his head off his shoulders. It would not go over well with Yamamoto at a time like this, but that wasn't what stopped her. She didn't believe in killing, not unless it was absolutely necessary to defend oneself or one's own, but if there ever was anyone who challenged that belief, it was Kurotsuchi Mayuri. The man was a monster, an amoral psychopath who thought nothing of the suffering of others.
"You philistine!" he continued, and if his face hadn't been painted black and white, she was sure it would be going red. "You plebeian ignoramus! You're going to rue the day you did this, do you understand?"
He thrashed under the chains Momo had put around him, struggled and strained, but they held firm.
"I know ways to cause pain you can only imagine, you brute scum, and I'll show you all of it! I'll-"
Erza, having had enough, slammed her fist into his face, and felt more than a little satisfaction to see him spit out several teeth.
"Shut up," she said firmly, forcing her voice to remain passive.
"Purge completed, captain."
It was Momo, standing to attention. Behind her, the soldiers had lined up. Erza turned to face them, and nodded.
"Well done."
The officers she had brought no longer looked uncertain or doubtful. Instead, they looked... haunted. Good. Let them know what the Gotei had condoned.
"All right," she said, "good work. What you did today was necessary, and long overdue."
"I'll kill you," Mayuri snarled, blood trailing down his mouth. "I'll kill you if it's the last thing I-"
"I said shut up," Erza said, and in one swift movement, she backhanded him again. She grabbed him by the hair, and pulled him to his feet.
"Let me explain one thing to you," said Erza coldly. "I understand that you do not understand that what you do is wrong. I understand that you can't understand. But, this ends today. I won't kill you, but I'll be back, and if I find anything suspect, anything at all, I'll burn down everything you've built, consequences be damned."
"You think the commander will let you get away with this?" Kurotsuchi sneered. "My research is vital. Science is what keeps this damned place moving forward!"
"We'll see about Yamamoto. If he doesn't throw me in jail over this, I'll petition him. You're going to be looking at an ethics committee, Kurotsuchi. Every piece of science going on in this institution will be known to them, and if they do not approve of it, it will not happen. I will do everything in my power to make this happen. Failing that..."
She leaned in, her free hand going to her sword, and in a low, furious voice she said, "Sometimes, you just have to put a wild animal down. Do you understand me?"
Mayuri stared back at her, and if he was intimidated, he didn't show it.
"Right, then," said Erza, and she let go. He staggered back, but remained on his feet.
"Oh, and one more thing," she said thoughtfully. "Nemu."
"Yes?" said Nemu, having watched all along without so much as raising a finger to come to her father's aid. He hadn't yet made the order, and Erza had made sure to keep her out of her father's sight during the purge.
"Come here."
Obediently, she walked up to Erza.
"You won't be his punching bag anymore. Pack whatever affections you've got. You're leaving Twelfth with me."
Nemu blinked. If she had been about to say anything, however, she was interrupted before she could speak.
"She is mine!" Mayuri snarled. "She has no will of her own, you stupid bitch! I built her to serve me! Nemu, get over here right now, you useless tool!"
She took a step forward, toward her father, but Erza put a hand on Nemu's shoulder, and shook her head.
"You have something else to live for, don't you?"
Nemu opened her mouth, but she didn't speak. Briefly, an emotional look passed her face, and Erza knew it- artificial as she was, Nemu was real, a person with her own wants and needs. She just needed to be taken away from here.
"Nemu!" Mayuri snarled, "I said-"
In one swift motion, Erza drew her blade, and let the edge of it rest by his neck.
"This is not a discussion," she said, "and I told you to shut up." She turned her eyes back to Nemu. "Well?"
"I... have nothing to pack," Nemu said quietly.
Erza nodded. "Good."
"So, um..."
The voice was Nozomi's, standing there in her uniform, looking haggard.
"Can I come, too?"
Erza nodded. "I'll keep you safe. We'll find an opening in Fifth."
She turned her eyes back to Mayuri, and slowly sheathed her sword.
"This is over, do you understand? From this day forward, you will conduct your science without forcing anybody, without making anyone suffer, or the next time I'll make you watch as I burn it all down. Do you understand?"
Mayuri just stared at her, gritting his teeth.
"I said, do you understand?" Erza said, balling a fist.
"I... understand," he said, acid dripping from his voice with every syllable.
"Good. Everyone, let's go!"
As she walked out alongside her soldiers, Nozomi and Nemu in tow, Momo came up alongside her.
"This won't be the end of it, you know."
"I know," said Erza wearily.
"And what will you do about the people we rescued? He'll come back for them. And Nemu, and Nozomi..."
"They are in Fourth," Erza said confidently, "and I doubt even Kurotsuchi Mayuri is mad enough to try and steal from Captain Unohana. As for Nemu, she'll have somebody to stay with. Nozomi... well, a science advisor doesn't sound like a bad idea, right?"
"I'll have to look over our budget."
"I know you'll do your best," Erza said with a smile.
She wasn't happy, not genuinely. This was more like having taken surgery- necessary, if not pleasant. Still, she had righted the worst of the Gotei's wrongs- and she would see to it that it remained right, or else, so help her, she would have to kill Kurotsuchi.
Freedom was a strange thing. Aizen had spent literal centuries preparing for the day when he would finally break free of the despicable Gotei establishment- and god knows, he had to break free- but now that it finally had come, it felt... underwhelming.
He had planned for so long. He had prepared and rehearsed just the right speeches in his mind, and then he had made his statement, ascended, and it all felt so... ordinary.
Strolling through the halls of Las Noches, his new home, he reflected that this had to be the price of his superiority. When you stood so far above everybody else, that which was extraordinary to you had to be rare. Certainly, from an objective stance, it was remarkable to execute the things he had prepared. To bring the strongest hollows of Hueco Mundo into his fold, through a mixture of violence, charisma, and promises; to unite this world of eternal night under his banner, to prepare the downfall of the Gotei, all the while remaining hidden and performing his duties as a captain not just to adequacy, but to exception...
Yes, objectively, he was nothing short of remarkable. But from his point of view, used as he was to excellence, brilliance being his norm, everything seemed almost boring. Everything had gone exactly as planned. He had his hands on the hougyoku, and no amount of meddling from his feeble adversaries had been able to stop him from obtaining it. He had an army of his own, more than able to match the Gotei's. The entire realm of Hueco Mundo was his to command. The Gotei had been fooled and embarrassed. He had planned, he had acted, and everything had fallen into place without complication. It was so... easy.
Well, he thought to himself, at least I am finally given the respect I am due.
Dressed in his new regalia, an all-white elegant coat, shirt, and pants in a design far smoother than the rough kimono of a shinigami, he was a thing to behold. Everywhere he went, the hollows would bow deeply, few even daring to look him in the eye. He had power, power that was being recognized as well as it should. A bit of boredom was little compared to such sweet nectar.
His casual stroll ended as he came upon a door leading to his destination. A meager, spider-like hollow scrambled to open it for him, and Aizen stepped inside, a confident smirk on his face.
"Good evening, my espada," he said.
His presence noted, they all bowed immediately. It was an imposing room, spacious, wide, and supported by large pillars. He let his eyes wander for a second, drinking it all in.
Many of his subordinates had already been transformed. After a few basic experimental transformations, just to make sure Urahara Kisuke had not left some surprises behind, he had started changing his subordinates, just like he had promised. The first, of course, had been Szayel Aporro Granz. Aizen had a mind well suited to scientific pursuits, but it was only fitting the menial duties of it be passed on to one of the few able and willing to do it.
So far, he had transformed most of his more powerful subordinates, given them a form more human. Kneeling before him now were Neliel, Halibel, Ulquiorra, and Starrk. Barragan too had been changed, but the old man, once king of this place, was too bitter to attend these familial meetings unless commanded to. It suited Aizen just fine. After the war, the old man would be obsolete.
It was interesting, the effect the curious little orb could have. Neliel looked very much like a human being, green, long hair and horned half-skull on her head aside, whereas Ulquiorra had come out with chalk-white skin, only contrasted by his green eyes and black hair. Halibel had come out with dark skin and blond hair, whereas Starrk- unsurprisingly- looked almost entirely like a human being, only the jaw fragment by his neck hinting at his hollow origins. Perhaps it was a random process, perhaps the orb intentionally assigned them appearances by default or to suit their personalities, or perhaps it reflected their own wishes; he would find out in due time.
"Lord Aizen," said Halibel, still bowed, "we are gladdened by your return."
"Rise, tercera espada," Aizen said calmly, "and the rest of you, too."
As one, the four of them stood up. In the far corners of the room, other creatures stirred, some being the fracciones of his newly-made espada, some others still hollows awaiting transformation.
"Why were we summoned?" Starrk said bluntly. He had no hostility toward his new master, despite his considerable power- he was the primero, after all- but he lacked the dog-like servility most others displayed when they saw the lord of Las Noches. It amused him.
"You will speak respectfully," Ulquiorra interjected, his voice dispassionate, but clear. The quinto espada, of course, could never have dreamed of taking on the primero, but the sentiment was touching all the same.
"Ulquiorra, please," Aizen said warmly, "I take no offence. You are all brothers and sisters now. Forget the hostilities of old."
"Yes, lord," said Ulquiorra, and bowed again. Ulquiorra was, so far, his favourite; utterly loyal and dedicated, dependent on him for purpose, and more powerful than most captains could hope to match in single combat.
"I have brought you here," he said, raising his voice and stepping toward the centre of the room, "to raise up another one of you into the ranks of espada."
All eyes were on him, and just like that, all thoughts of boredom were banished. There was a small hollowing in the middle of the room, neatly carved out and deep enough to need a single stair-step down, and in the middle of it was a plinth. From out his pocket, Aizen took the hougyoku. Following the direction of the kido spell Aizen had placed on the plinth, it rose up into the air, hovering above it.
"Last time, I elevated Nnoitra Gilga to the hallowed ranks of the espada. Today, another will join us as the septima espada: Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."
After a second, a hollow, a powerful adjuchas, urgently trotted out from the edge of the room, having hungrily stared toward the center since he entered. Aizen had kept an eye on him all along. He was a brute, a simpleton with delusions of grandeur and more pride than was healthy for a hollow, but he was also powerful. A born survivor with a vicious savagery, he was exactly the kind of soldier Aizen would have use of.
He took the shape of a big cat, a tiger or a leopard, and his size was comparatively small- not much bigger than a real life panther. This was, of course, a good sign. The more advanced the development of a hollow, the more compact its form tended to be; as they gained better control over their own power, they tended to shed excess size. He was a powerful little beast, well worth inducting as espada.
"I don't think I need to tell you what to do?" said Aizen.
"No worries, lord," said the hollow. He stood opposite of Aizen, with the plinth- and the hougyoku- between them. He had to have watched many times; Aizen had so far changed well over a dozen hollows, some espada and some mere fracciones. He had to have watched, each time hungry to be called forward, each time eager to take his place.
"Good."
Aizen reached out with one finger, and at his touch the hougyoku hummed into action. Nothing seemed to change at first, except for a small surge of energy, unnoticeable except for the tingle that ran down the spine of everyone in the room. The device had activated, and following Aizen's will, its energies was reaching out, encircling the mass of reiatsu that was Grimmjow.
It was a marvelous thing, the hougyoku. To the feeble-minded or ignorant, it would seem like some magical artefact with the power to make wishes come true, and he knew most of his subordinates believed this to be true. Let them; it only served to fortify his reputation as supreme overlord of the realm of the dead.
The truth, of course, was far more complex. The orb, itself, was nothing, a mere casing for an almost immeasurably complex data matrix capable of rewriting and warping spiritual energy. It could not create matter; that was a power in the realm of a god, but it could change it at will. As the tendrils of energy became visible, wrapping around the adjuchas, Aizen was aware that he could mould and turn his energies into anything he wanted. He could reduce Grimmjow to ash. He could dissolve him into the basest spirit particles and scatter all the contents of his body before the winds. He could make him a pathetic and mewling creature drained of all his power. Or, he could amplify, warp, and boost his energies to an optimum, transforming him into the most powerful, most fully evolved version of himself imaginable, an arrancar.
Hollows were nothing if not potential itself. Hueco Mundo had always fascinated him because of it. It was a world where only the strongest, luckiest and most ferocious could rise to the top, leaving only the best of the best remaining at the top, and the rest cowering in submission, always eager to stab their betters in the back. The life of a hollow was constant struggle, and to all but the vasto lordes, it was a constant path of evolution and self-improvement. A handful had naturally transformed themselves into arrancar over time, but the process had been flawed, weak and imperfect. What Grimmjow would be, would leave even the strongest of natural arrancar behind in the dust.
Aizen focused the energy matrix, bending it to his will, as it enveloped Grimmjow. The hollow rose slowly from the floor level, levitating well into the air, high above all their heads.
"Shit... this feels... real fuckin' weird, lord!" growled the adjuchas, and Aizen smirked. Having one's entire spiritual structure rewritten, of course, was bound to feel strange.
Grimmjow's bone-white skin, thick as armour, began to dissolve. Rapidly, his very form began to unravel, his arms and legs evaporating.
"Fuckin' hell!" he snarled, thrashing like a trapped animal- to no avail, as his limbs were all but vanished.
The power he wielded at this moment was deeply intoxicating to Aizen. In his hands was the power over life and death, to do and undo at will, a power as close to godhood as any soul had ever grasped. A not insignificant part of him felt resentful, even offended, that such a device had been beyond even him to create. Aizen had himself experimented with such technology in the past, but nothing had ever compared to, he had to admit, the genius of Urahara Kisuke. Even now, its exact design was a mystery to him. To think that such a coward could exceed him in such a manner...
No matter. Aizen was still, all things considered, all things factored in, superior by far. Urahara might be genial, but Aizen had all the things he lacked- vision, competence, leadership. He would stand atop all creation, not Urahara.
"This is some fuckin'-" Grimmjow cried, his voice cut short as his voice box disintegrated, and within seconds, his entire body had dissolved. The assembled arrancar and hollows stared in awe, even his espada looking fascinated. Before them, hovering in the air, contained by the hougyoku, was a white mass of reiatsu, an adjuchas reduced to nothing but energy under Aizen's direction.
And so began the process Aizen couldn't yet understand, so magnificently complex it was. Before their very eyes, the device began rewriting, changing, shaping the spiritual matter. Aizen closed his eyes, and envisioned the form he wanted- strong, athletic, powerful- and he felt the hougyoku respond. Its programming had bonded with him, accepting him as its master, but in the process itself it seemed to act with a mind of its own.
Slowly, the ball of white energy lowered, and as it did, the shape of a man came about. First the torso, going from a rough, tubular lump to the clearly defined chest of a man in his physical prime. Next came the arms, strong, lean and muscular, and then the legs, no different. Above his waist there was a hole, marking him as a hollow still, and then finally came the head. A roguish, wicked face, the lines of its eyes marked with blue, and with short, ruffled hair coloured a bright, light blue, almost teal. On his right cheek, a bone fragment remained, a pair of jaws with ruthless, sharp teeth.
The process completed, and the tendrils pulled back. The hougyoku sealed itself, awaiting its master's next call, and Grimmjow collapsed onto the floor. There was steam around him, and his body was slick with fluid, something that had happened every time so far.
Disoriented and imbalanced, he lay there quite naked, flailing about as he tried to make sense of his new humanoid form. After a minute or so, he finally caught his bearings, standing up unsteadily on his hind legs.
"Tell me, Grimmjow," said Aizen, "how do you feel?"
"Uhhh..." Grimmjow murmured, and shook his head, "fuckin'... fucking weird."
He flexed his arms, tried out his new muscles, and there was a surge of power.
"Scratch that, lord. I feel fuckin' great."
In a typical show of juvenile exuberance, he let the raw force of his power pulse across the room as he let it blaze, reach its peak. Aizen felt some satisfaction. The transformation had been almost perfect; Grimmjow's strength had increased more than tenfold. He would easily be the equal of most captains in terms of fighting ability, if nowhere near the power of his best espada.
Aizen snapped his fingers, and two attendants hurried down to them, carrying a mirror tall enough to catch the visage of a man. They set it down in front of Grimmjow, and hurried away.
Grimmjow simply stared at it, his mouth a round 'o' as he saw his face for the first time. He looked up and down his body, toned, muscular, and fit, and his lips curled into a wide, malicious grin. He made a fist, then opened his hand, then made a fist again.
"Does it please you?" said Aizen.
"Shit, yeah," Grimmjow said, sounding deeply satisfied.
"You are an arrancar now," Aizen explained. "You are changed, and you will never be the same. Within a day or so, a zanpakutou should manifest itself. You will know its name, and it will be what triggers the use of your hollow powers. See to it that you practice and master your abilities in my service... as the septimo espada."
"Yes, sir!" Grimmjow said, and laughed.
Aizen just smiled.
"You two," he said to the attendants, "lead my new espada to his quarters. See to it he is bathed and clothed."
"Who the fuck needs clothes?" Grimmjow said dismissively. "Er, lord." He added the last part after a bit of a pause.
"That was an order, I'm afraid. You are my soldier now, and you will have to look the part."
Grimmjow shrugged. "Whatever, I guess. Sir."
Ulquiorra shot the new espada a glare, but he seemed not to notice.
"My subjects," said Aizen, addressing the whole room, "know that all of you I deem worthy, less powerful or more powerful, will find yourselves where your new comrade now stands. Reborn and remade, powerful, proud and remarkable. You will all become as he, and you will all be part of the army that overruns the hated Gotei Thirteen's shinigami. You will all taste their blood, and although many of you will die, those who live will be stronger- and victorious."
It would not have been a very inspiring sentiment among shinigami, but among the hollows, accustomed to the idea of dying at a moment's notice, it was just right. The room erupted in cheers and shouts, only his espada remaining quiet. Aizen smiled, genuinely. Yes... things were indeed going just as planned. With a force like this, with Kyouka Suigetsu at his side, victory would be his without a doubt.
That was a quite the exciting chapter, wouldn't you all agree? Erza seems to have taken well to her new positon as captain, despite having a few issues at first. As I said before, I have no plans on her abandoning Orihime, and by now, I think she has the trust of a good chunk of 5th division after that stunt with Mayuri.
Ever since I finished the soul society arc for the first time, I was always bothered by how, despite his defeat and one sided beating at the end of his fight with Uryu, Mayuri never faced justice for his horrible deeds. I didn't let it get to me too badly however. I figured the sins of his past would catch up to him and be addressed eventually, and the character would be killed off, or at the very least, sent to the maggots nest again...Yeah that never happened.
Now look, if anyone who is reading this chapter likes Mayuri's character (which is totally fine), and thinks this whole chapter is just us trying to bash him...It really isn't. I wont deny that I dislike his character, but this is more because of his first introduction than anything else. We know from that alone, that he not only committed hundreds of horrible experiments, but that he also used his own men as disposable fodder, and even abused his own daughter. (I don't want to even think what he would have done if he got Orihime.)
If Mayuri was just the way he was in the arrancar arc, a goofy scientist who plays the part of comedy relief, I'd probably like the guy just fine. His speech about perfection to the 8th Espada is easily my favorite scene of his and one I do genuinely enjoy. But the fact remains that he DID those horrible experiments, he DID abuse his daughter, and it is NEVER addressed after his first appearance. Its just...glossed over and we're supposed to treat him like it never happened.
I cant just ignore that, especially in this story. It NEEDS to be addressed, and it NEEDS to be dealt with. If you like him for what he was like in the arrancar arc and beyond, that's fine...but I NEED to address how he was in the beginning. Its part of who he is. Its cannon. He did those horrible things and he was never punished for it. I can not allow that to be the case here.
This isn't just pointless bashing. This is important to the narrative about how flawed the gotie 13 really is, and something that would make Erza VERY out of character if she never delt with it.
I also hope you all enjoyed Grimmjow's scene. Rest assured that he will still play a big role in the upcoming arc.
Well, that's all I have to say regarding this chapter. I very much look forward to seeing what you all think of the chapter itself so please leave your thought's in a review. It means a lot to us.