Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Hornet and Phantom. Enjoy the 1200-word chapter. I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo and a few others do.

Riku groaned before he shook his head. The cuts that burned like fire upon his body were simple. There was a great pain cast onto him.

"Don't forget to keep up-to-date records of any reaper. I cannot, nor WILL I accept it." Riku heard as he chuckled to himself.

'I prefer fighting that monster to facing the captain's wrath.' Riku stated before he cracked his neck, an echo of pain dancing around.

Riku knew that Sui was worried as to what came next. There was plenty of work to be done to lick their wounds. Still? They were busy dancing around the fires that the last battle had lit.

Riku cursed, feeling nothing but agony and pain rushing through his body. Argimenus had done nothing but bring pain and agony through his body. If things were so clear-cut and simple? Sui would have done something about it, as is. They were put upon the back foot.

"Damn, it hurts to breathe," Riku added before there was a knock on the door. "Doctor?" Riku questioned before he started to let out a deep breath.

There was a very audible sigh that caused him to chuckle inwardly. Sui sounded less like a dignified captain… And more like a child who was vastly annoyed by the fact she had to take care of her subordinates.

Sui slowly opened the door, almost tearing it from its hinges as she did so. Riku mentally bit back a laugh from his throat.

"I question why I do not simply kill you when it is convenient to me," Sui said as she placed a hand on her bandaged hip. "But I suppose your skewering of yourself had… Advantages, such as allowing me to wound Argimenus. That wound will not fade." Sui added before she rubbed at her temples, unsure of what to say or do at the moment.

It wasn't like she could afford to sugarcoat it. Riku's foolish move had allowed her to wound the monster. She knew that she owed it to Riku to have given her somewhat of an opening, currently. There were plenty of things that she owed her division for fighting an army of these creatures.

Riku looked at the soldier with the most of interest. There was a look of amusement and mirth in the eyes of the soldier. He knew she tried to hide her fear, her wounds, her doubts. Everything that a normal grunt could express endlessly. It was almost overwhelming to her, but that was probably because Riku knew that she didn't constantly vent it all until now.

'People wonder why I don't want to be a damn captain when this is what they have to do. How the hell do you deal with getting scared and hurt like this every… Bah, I believe I answered that myself, great job, moron.' Riku thought before he leaned back in the bed.

"Is everything ok?" Riku questioned before he raised an eyebrow at his friend. "You look better than me when it comes down to it. I don't know why you'd come to see a random grunt." Riku added before he shook his head.

Sui sat down next to her friend, looking her friend and subordinate in the eye. She was quite hopeful that he would have time to heal. She was quite interested in his medical history.

"I should ask you that question more than me," Sui added to which Riku shrugged. "Damn you, I don't want you to die. I cannot believe that I made you a friend, you have caused me more distress than I thought possible." Sui stated to which she hummed to herself.

Riku could only question what the stealth force captain was thinking. She looked at him with all the anger of an enraged hornet… And yet the concern of a bumblebee when he looked at her more closely. It was almost concerning what happened next.

'This woman was quite interesting even if people thought she was a dull blade. She was quite a hopeful woman what happened next.' Riku thought about it when he considered it.

"Do you want to point out what happens next?" Riku questioned before he hummed to himself. "It hurts a lot; I did something more stupid than I dreamed," Riku added as Sui hummed.

"Because I am nursing wounds of my own currently?" Sui asked while she sat down. "I believe there were plenty of stupid actions done at the moment. I became cocky, too sure he had fallen for our trap." Sui added to which Riku was silent.

"I shouldn't have barged into your fight and interrupted your battle," Riku stated to herself before he hummed to herself. "I cannot deal with him. I couldn't battle him; I don't know if he was defeated." Riku added to Sui as he nodded to her.

"I'm guessing that you weren't briefed on the mission's outcome as of this moment?" Sui questioned to which Riku shook his head. "How are things progressing? I have yet to talk to the staff." Sui added before she rubbed at her temples.

"Do you mean 'how long are you going to be in the hospital'?" Riku asked as her friend nodded to him. "I am not sure at the moment. I don't know how long I'll be healing, none of the doctors had spoken to me. I suppose they want me to heal. I don't think it's as bad as what little I've heard." Riku stated as Sui hummed to herself.

The captain sighed. She had still been adapting to the fact that they had new changes around the realm. Riku slowly hummed to himself while he slowly considered his options.

"I suppose there will be a short stay here," Sui said, crossing her legs under herself. "The wounds you retrieved aren't fatal enough to put you down. They will probably last only a few weeks or such. If they were as severe as they seemed? You would not be conversing at the moment" Sui added to which her friend was silent.

He watched as she smiled to herself, a small gesture that reminded her of a snake. It never stopped making him chuckle inwardly knowing that there was some form of the issue to be done when it came down to it. Still? She felt like adding to this new amount of pain as it came down to it.

"I am going to speak to the doctors at the moment," Sui added before she slowly stood up. "I will be sparring with you when you can stand." Sui put in as Riku hummed to himself.

Author Notes

Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be delayed. I will be thanking the reviewer at the moment. The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show both Sui and Riku dueling more and such. The next chapter will be 900-6500 words and such when it came down to it. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!

P.S: Next chapter will be longer and such.