Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Hornet and Phantom. Enjoy the 3000-word chapter. I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo and a few others do.
Riku found it funny that the Onmitsukido had supplies to set up a camp. Then again? Even assassins needed someplace to rest their heads at the end of the day, this was no real difference to them.
There was a soft knock on the edge of the tent. Riku hummed to himself with interest and looked around.
"It's open, come in," Riku said as the latch was slowly opened, giving him the privacy, he would have needed. "Hello, Sui," Riku said as the captain entered.
Sui smiled and placed her coat and shoes in a pile at the corner of the cramped, 2-person tent. She looked at Riku who was busy meditating as she had taught him. Riku opened his eyes, looking at the woman with interest.
"Are you ok? I came to talk about our mission in one hour." Sui said, crossing her feet under her as she looked at Riku. "Discuss strategy," Sui added as Riku nodded.
"As good as you seem, yes," Riku said as he turned and sighed. "Some of my men are scared, they are unsure. I am glad they're sharing their concerns with me." Riku said before he cleared his throat to speak.
"The plan has changed?" Riku questioned, raising an eyebrow as Sui nodded. "Please, share it with me. Your initial plan was to have us clear a path, engage the hollows. You would engage their commander and capture them, and we would arrive as guardian units for the enemy leader." Riku said as Sui frowned, nodding as she did so.
"The enemy is an Arrancar. A rouge Arrancar." Sui explained to Riku crossed his arms.
"Those evolved hollow that served Aiden?" Riku questioned to which he got a nod. "Damn… Where do we come in? Those creatures are as dangerous as a reaper. How did one gain control of the hollow? I thought hollow were driven by their ties to the plane of the living." Riku questioned as Sui crossed her arms.
She looked at Riku who was not as caught off guard as she thought. It brought a slight smile to her face to see her training had brought Riku this far.
"Because I need help engaging the Arrancar, they've caught wind of the plan," Sui said to which Riku blinked. "They've moved their guard directly to them… And the other captains have sent a secondary objective." Sui added as Riku frowned, unsure of what to say.
He was quite curious as to what Sui's plan was. It always seemed to be the suicide mission when it came to them. He watched the captain's brows furrow, the lines on her face darken. She was managing their force as well as she could, one could not begin to imagine the pressures one faced as one of the 13.
"We are not likely to survive this task, are we?" Riku questioned as Sui set her lips in a straight line. "Then is clear this mission is important, I'm glad to be fighting alongside you then," Riku said before watching Sui chuckle.
"Yes, it seems we always get the more deadly missions," Sui said as Riku shrugged. "They wish for us to also recover a relic the Arrancar has. I've heard 2 conflicting reports. One is this relic is what allows the Arrancar to control the hollows…. The other is it is important to them and if we do not recover it? We will be at war with the Espada." Sui added to which Riku hummed.
"Could be both, we don't know a lot about the Espada besides their enemies at times," Riku said and gestured around the tent. "I think something tells me you did NOT just come to tell me the bad news and tell me we are fighting together on the battlefield. You would have sent one of the others to do that, however." Riku said, sighing as he looked at the ground.
Sui chuckled to herself. She knew Riku was smart enough to read her, it was something friends could do. She almost frowned at the word.
Friend… It was not something common in their profession. They were assassins, warriors meant to be willing to die at a moment's notice. Friendship meant nothing.
"Why did you feel the need to seek me out in the first place?" Sui questioned; eyebrow raised as she did so. "I remembered you were terrified when you first approached me. Was it to conquer your fear? Because you needed new training?" Sui asked as Riku hummed, leveling a gaze at his friend.
"Because I wanted you to know at least one of your soldiers doesn't think you're a monster," Riku said as he shook his head. "I'm not very special, not to me at least… But you keep comparing yourself to the last captain, acting like you need to be 1000 times the warrior you think she is." Riku said, gaining a frown from the woman.
"Sui, if I didn't want anything to do with you? Would I come to you every night?" Riku questioned which got a small smirk from Sui.
"You are a very strange reaper, Riku," Sui responded to which Riku chuckled, shrugging as he did so.
"Would you like being around me if I wasn't to be fair?" Riku questioned, raising an eyebrow as he did so. "How are you holding up so far? I know what it's like to be a leader and having to make hard choices when it comes down to it." Riku said to which Sui hummed.
"I have my doubts, our enemy is very powerful and vastly experienced from what I've heard," Sui said as Riku hummed. "I feel a need to inform you the chances we will possibly die when it comes down to it," Sui added as she turned to look around the tent.
She felt a pressure on her shoulders, Riku had rested his hands on her shoulders. She turned and blinked, surprised at her friend's action.
"Then we are prepared to fight them," Riku responded, a slight smile tugging at his lips as he did so. "If you're not scared of death? You don't fight your hardest. Why do you think I fight so well against you? You are faster and more experienced at combat than me. I'd be stupid not to have some fear… Plus you don't laugh at my jokes. That's terrifying." Riku asked which gained a punch to the shoulder as hard as possible.
He grunted and smirked through the pain as Sui planted her own hands on his shoulders. She trusted Riku was enough to make it through this war.
"Thank you for being a good student then… You massive idiot." Sui said before pulling Riku forward, planting their heads together nose to nose and forehead to forehead. "Get your team together and follow me. We move in now and I need my best warriors with me." Sui added as she let go of her friend.
"And if we survive?" Riku questioned, raising himself to his feet a moment later. "I won't lie, I have more fun with you trying to stab me. Make it more enjoyable knowing someone cares enough to try it." Riku stated with a smirk as he joked as he chuckled.
"Then I'll continue training you as much of a fool as you are," Sui said, a smirk of her own upon her face. "You're a good friend, I'll kill the hollow who cuts you down if things get to that far," Sui added as she slowly sat up, grabbing her shows as she turned to look around while she was curious how to do this.
There was plenty of work to do when it came down to it… And Riku knew if he didn't break the ice? This would have happened down the road when it came down to it. He was quite curious when it came down to it.
"Are we supposed to take the target alive?" Riku questioned as he crossed his arms, pulling on his boots a moment before and grabbing his sword. "Because if it does? Then we're going to end up handicapped in our job. You know how dangerous Arrancar can be, holding back causes as many issues as it solves." Riku added, pausing as he did so.
"We are required to subdue them, yes," Sui added, making sure her sword was ready on her hip. "And that is one reason I am concerned. They will not offer the same curiosity. We will have to strike hard and fast, which means no planning, no preparation. We simply hit them. Anything else is off the table at the moment. I fear they're ready for us when it comes down to it." Sui stated as Riku nodded.
"I'm sure you've come up with something, you've dealt with worse, captain," Riku said to which Sui sighed. "Do they know about your plot to sneak into the enemy base?" Riku questioned, raising his eyebrow as he did so.
"No, not according to the rest of our scouts at the moment," Sui added to which Riku frowned. "However? Keep your team on high alert, Hollows are nothing if not ruthless and an ambush is not out of the question. If you have to use lethal force rather than subduing them? Do so, I take no pleasure in ending lives, but these creatures are not going to show the same hesitation. Get whatever supplies you need and prepare yourself for a fight with monsters. This fight will be as tough as possible." Sui put in as Riku sighed, curious as to what the moment would do.
"The next move will be the hardest one to make at the end of the day." Riku put in, his grip around the sword tightening when he thought about it. "I'm guessing using your big move is off the table? This isn't exactly a stealth mission and we both know they can survive something like that. They're as powerful as a reaper, I'm curious how we plan on taking one of them alive." Riku added to which Sui rubbed at her temples.
She knew the next fight would be harder than this. Hollows were something she could handle. An Arrancar? That would almost certainly kill her when she thought about it.
"Just don't forget that this will be as tough as possible," Sui added, brushing off her jacket which Riku gave to her as she did so. "Also? There will be problems if I decide to blow the entire area up," Sui added, watching Riku while he considered how this was going.
Sui allowed Riku to retrieve his unit. She watched Riku vanish into the camp. It took 3-5 minutes she believed to gather his squad. He returned a few more minutes as Sui nodded, turning away from them.
"We leave now," Sui said before she started to vanish into the forest, watching as Riku nodded while he fell into stride with the captain.
The screeches of the undead ghost-like spirits could faintly be heard. Riku almost questioned how Captain Zaraki had missed them. He loved battle, but perhaps he didn't consider them a challenge. He believed if this Arrancar was as strong as the 13 believed? Then he believed he would have cut down this warrior.
Then again? That was probably why they were sent here if they were so required to have this warrior come here. He knew more than anything that Sui was aware of this fact.
"How well do you think this will end up going?" Riku questioned to which Sui was silent, unsure of how to answer the question. "I believe this could end up being a turning point in the war against hollows at the end of the day," Riku added to which he was curious.
He knew that Sui was dwelling on this as much as he did. They wanted this war to end, they wanted a turning point in this battle against the hollows. Both were eager to fight through this battle like a knife through hot butter.
The screeches of beasts warred with the monsters around them. He was quite perturbed when it came down to it. Sui frowned, looking around and scanning every leaf, every plant, every stone step as they flash stepped into the temple. It was as Sui had said, a building which seemed like one of those buildings' ritual sacrifices were in.
Every elaborate carving seemed to team with dragons or tigers or some warrior animal. A perfect lair for a warrior who seemed to think the world of themselves, all stone grey surrounded them, pillars with ancient markings. Either this place was used for combat, or they killed people here for more power. It didn't surprise Riku that this Arrancar favored power gained from killing their own, it suited him well enough when he thought about it.
A shriek brought them out of it. they turned to see a hollow emerging, its gnarled body looked more like a spider than any humanoid shape, its talon-tipped fingers cutting groves into the floor as he walked towards them. It let out an inhuman screech upon spotting them, its body rising to confront them as they gazed upon it with sheer awe.
"There are plenty of hollows, spread out and await my signal," Sui questioned, drawing her sword to which Riku nodded, looking at his men who were busy drawing their swords.
He turned to Sui, gaining a nod as they looked around the stone maze around them. He watched as hollows began to watch from every corridor, every nook and cranny around teamed with the monsters. 3 more emerged from around the building, 1 looking like an inhuman wolf, its face nuzzled inside of its skull and its body ripping through the area like it didn't exist.
Another looked like a bird, its body contorted into some weird cockatiel-like monster. It let out a screech as its torn wings pulsed with energy. The third looked like an oversized lizard, pus and bile dripping from its undead wounds.
'How could one Arrancar have this much power over these creatures?' Riku mentally thought as he drew his sword.
"Sergeant, do you think you can stop them from following me?" Sui questioned to which Riku nodded, his sword held in his hands at the creatures. "Hold them off for 10 minutes, if I do not return? Then retreat to the camp, we will not throw away lives for no real tactical advantage at the end of the day." Sui stated as Riku shrugged.
"We will hold them as long as we can, captain," Riku added as he sighed. "Just don't do anything too insane, we still need our captain," Riku said before Sui nodded as she stepped down the hallway.
Sui turned to look over her shoulder as Riku held up her blade towards her. She could feel the weight of a captain's duty. She could easily turn and cut down the hollow, but that would give the target time to escape or prepare for her.
She heard the sound of screeches and sword slashes. The spider-like hollow rushed towards him, its spindly legs skittering. It let out an inhuman roar.
"Hmm." Sui heard as she traveled deeper into the temple. "I'm surprised to see a captain so easily throw away their pawns. No, wait… I'm NOT, because it's what a smart person would do." The voice hissed as Sui looked around the room.
The room was cloaked in shadow. She could not see 5 feet in front of her. It was something that the rest of her division had done. However? She was quite unnerved by this when it came down to it.
Then came the source of the voice. The disgusting Arrancar. Not because of his position, but his appearance. What Sui Feng was greeted by? A being clad in bone-like armor which extended as mandibles. 2 glowing eyes greeted her… And 8 blood-soaked arms sprouted from his chest, twisted unnaturally in a way that if Sui didn't know they were not human? Would surely have killed him from the shock of the appendages. Bits of a noble robe hung from his hulking body as venom spewed from his jaws.
"There's a little hornet in my web. One who doesn't belong." The figure hissed as Sui turned towards the sound of the voice. "Bah, peace with the reapers! She is a fool, one who doesn't even begin to think about the concept of leadership." The Arrancar said, narrowing as he looked at Sui.
"You are the rouge Arrancar?" Sui questioned, her hand resting on her blade as she did so. "Surrender, we've outmatched your forces, you will be retrieving no backup," Sui added, pausing to watch the monster scuttle down the wall.
"That's why I hate you Soul Reapers, you have no respect for your betters." Sui heard as the Arrancar descended towards her. "You don't understand what happens when your master arrives. Does that worthless mutt think she can tell us what to do? Why? Because it's stupid to fight? I'd rather DIE than treat one of your worthless mortals like my equal." The figure heard as they leaped towards her once more.
She growled, angry as to who this was. they were disgusting, they annoyed her to no end.
She took a few steps backward as the Arrancar towered over her. Sui was hopeful Riku did better.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be longer. The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show the fight between the Arrancar and Sui and Riku and the Hollows and such. The next chapter will be 900-3500 or such words. I also want to point out Sui and Riku will be battling more together and such. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!