Shinsui Kyoraku, knew this day was coming but didn't think it would come so soon! Of course he suspected that Aizen might escape but just ten years after his imprisonment was the farthest thing from his mind!The captain commander heard the alarm in the early morning hours and was horrified to see many of his subordinates attacking him! He suspected they were under some kind of illusion or Insanity as they didn't listen to reason or his commands.
" Troublesome."He sighed, watching many of the goti thirteen captains fill his main chambers for an emergency meeting.
" Any luck locating Aizen, Captain Sui feng?" The captain Commander asked,deciding to break the silence and address many of the concerns the captains had.
" No Captain Commander, I ordered the Onmitsukidō to leave no stone unturned. Unfortunately, so far it's been fruitless." She replied.
Shinsui observed the restless expressions upon the captains faces. It was clear this attack had not only taken them by complete surprise but also left a scar on their psyche. From his latest reports it was revealed that most captains weren't able to defend themselves without killing their subordinates.
" Isane, what about the captains and lieutenants who were injured? What is their condition?"
The young woman silently looked away before answering, she knew their condition was grave and it was a hard pill to swallow.
"Captains Byakuya is in critical condition but he's expected to recover while Lisa and Kensi will be on bed rest for sometime, probably more than a mouth." She revealed to the dismay of Rukia, who did her best to conceal her emotion.
Rukia was mortified at the news of her brother's condition. She was almost upset with him for even attempting to stop Aizen! Byakyua knew he was no match but she knew her brother all too well. His willingness to face opposition no matter the result was unparalleled. Although she desperately wanted to be by his side Rukia had her own duties which included caring for Renji,who was still physically weak from the attack.She wanted to ask Isane more questions but….
Shinsui Kyoraku began to clear his throat before he spoke. All of the captain's eyes fell on him, seeking some type of comfort at a time like this.
"Most, if not all of them are battle-hardened but they never had to kill their own subordinates and or close friends. Perhaps with the exception of kampachi and Rukia. This is going to be quite difficult."Shinsui Kyoraku thought
" As you all know at approximately three a.m Sousuke Aizen was freed from prison by an unknown assailant.We assume that Captain Byakuya was the last person to engage him before his escape, however again It's just an assumption. Also known is that for some strange reason, many of the Shinigami who were attached to your squads experienced some type of Illusion and attempted assassinations on their own captains…"
" What the hell could have done this Captain Kyoraku?" Sui Feng interjected.
" With all due respect that is also my paramount question?"Roujuro Otoribashi added.
" I… agree with the rest of them,had to slaughter my subordinates and as much as I really don't give a damn. I still want to know if this will happen again." Kenpachi Zaraki confessed with blunt honesty that no one was surprised at.
Toshiro Hitsugaya became slightly infuriated with Kenpachi statements but of course he had to remember who he was angry at.
" I actually care about my subordinates! Unlike my comrade who just spoke, but head Captain Shinsui,with all due respect. Could you please get to the point! My heart is already undone with the grief of what I've done!" He shouted.
Tetsuzaemon balled his fist in anger, he was one of the captains who unfortunately had to kill his subordinates. Many of them were fresh out of the academy, they had so much potential and a future! Their lives were taken away because of Aizen, it was infuriating!
" Head Captain…" he spoke but was quickly silenced by Shinsui who held up his head.
" I understand that you're all upset but at the moment we don't have many answers to your questions. Although we did recover Aizen's companion who was defeated in battle by Captain Rukia. He is currently being held for questioning but there are some complications…" Shinsui trailed off.
" What do you mean by complications?" Sui fang questioned, the head captain was always open and honest. However,her experience led her to believe he was hiding something.
" Do the complications involve the Intruder who freed Aizen?" Toshiro questioned.
The head captain released a heavy sigh and nodded his head. " More information will be released later but for now, you're all dismissed. Unfortunately,because of the tragedy that just unfolded I would highly recommend informing the families of your subordinates deaths."
Begrudgingly, the captain's began to make their way towards the door. However as Rukia turned to leave, she was quickly stopped by the head captain.
" Captain kuchiki, I would like to have a word with you before you go, come walk with me." He motioned.
With slight hesitation and confusion Rukia nodded her head in agreement as she walked alongside the head captain. She wondered why he chose this specific time to talk to her? She was questioned on the battle many times and insisted on her own failure to stop the enemy, he simply passed out. However during the meeting, head captain Shinsui was insistent on her victory. Rukia knew this to be a lie but why did he say it?
" I suppose… you're wondering why I asked you to accompany me on this walk?"
Rukia became silent for a few brief moments before confirming his suspicions."Yes, with all due respect head Captain I'm wondering why you asked me to accompany you?"
Shinsui gave her a warm smile." That's good, as a captain your mind has to work like clockwork. Always thinking about different observations and getting your mind to think outside the box."
" Yes, Nii sama tells me the same thing."
" Of course." He agreed as they walked alongside the path. " I asked you to accompany me because I was told some very interesting findings. Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi was tasked to interrogate him and it has…"
Rukia stopped dead in her footsteps and gasped, " I don't mean to question your leadership abilities head captain, but Mayuri Kurotsuchi is a sick and cruel individual. How can he be trusted to carry out a proper interrogation if he seeks to abuse his subjects body in the name of science?"
" Yes,that was one of my concerns however I warned the mad scientist to do no such thing! But it was actually Kurotsuchi who informed me of a particular problem…"
" What kind of problem and why does it evolve me?" She questioned.
" I think it's best if I let the mad scientist explain himself, I couldn't quite understand what he was trying to tell me with his blabbering. He just told me to come over here quickly and to bring you as well." Shinsui answered.
After a short walk the two captains found themselves in front of the 12th division headquarters and Rukia's blood quickly ran cold. She highly disagreed with Captain Kurotsuchi methods like most captains. But she knew he was only tolerated because of his knowledge. Rukia had always been one to follow the soul society blindly but as she grew older, she began to see their hypocrisy. Kurotsuchi treated his subordinates and his Lieutenant like dirt and she hated it! Nemu Kurotsuchi suffered great abuse at his hand. Rukia was far from a hateful individual but she wanted to harm Kurotsuchi for his misdeeds!
" I know this experience may be uncomfortable for you but please bear with it." Shinsui said aloud,almost reading her mind.
Rukia gritted her teeth before she nodded her head.
As soon as they passed through the front doors of the compound,Rukia and head captain Shinsui were ushered into the office of Kurotsuchi. Rukia fainlty observed the smell of death in his office along with different interventions of torture.
" Sick bastard! Why is he even still alive?" Rukia pondered.
After a few short minutes of waiting, captain Kurotsuchi made himself known as he entered his office alongside Nemu Kurotsuchi, who was dragged along by a leash. Rukia quickly felt the urge to say something but with a side glance of Shinsui she quietly controlled herself.
" I suppose you're here to talk about the Intruder am I right?" Mayuri asked, with a slight hint of annoyance.
Shinsui raised an eyebrow."Yes, you called before the meeting but I noticed you weren't there, why was that?
Captain Mayuri scoffed, " I'm still dissecting some of the bodies from the quincy war. It's a very insurmountable task and I've taken it upon myself to accomplish. Ah yes, I did kill some of my subordinates who turned against me...But if I could be honest,I was done with them anyway! Aizen helped me for once, gave me away to dissect my subordinates without facing your wrath."
A pregnant silence quickly overcame the room and Rukia was astonished and disgusted but the head captain simply smiled and moved the conversation.
" I suppose your answer is justifiable for now.After all,you do provide a very outstanding contribution to the soul Society." Shinsui said with a very obvious tone of sarcasm. " Now unto bigger matters. You've something very intriguing and involves Rukia kuchiki? Is that right?"
Mayuri suddenly lit up, " Oh yes I did! Yes, very intriguing. I've never seen anything like it before! Unless it was conscripted under natural means.."
" What do you mean? Rukia interjected, wondering why the mad scientist suddenly peaked in interest.
"It was magnificent! As soon as I drew the Intruder's blood, to possibly find out what type of person he is, I…."
" Go on?" Shinsui encouraged.
" It… really didn't make any sense at first, I mean how could it be possible unless it was natural! The spiritual power was similar, I ran many test to make sure but It continued to plague my mind... Need to cut him open, to find out!"
" You what!" Rukia gasped,sitting up in her seat.
" Calm yourself, I didn't get to that yet. I was going to do it today but unfortunately you two appeared.Then again, I asked you two to come here! Perhaps that was a mistake on my part! Now back to what I was saying,it was amazing once I found out…"
" What exactly did you find out Captain Mayuri! You try my patience with your ambiguity!" Shinsui said in anger, which was in stark contrast to his normal behavior.
Captain Mayuri began to shake with anticipation,he frankly couldn't believe what he discovered." When I tested his blood his genetic markers were similar to Rukia kuchiki but that was only half, the other side was…"
" Was…?" Shinsui asked, leaning slightly over his chair.
" The other genetic marker was from Ichigo Kurosaki! I still had a piece of his DNA and it was hard for me to locate but I found it! This intruder was the genetic offspring of Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia kuchiki! I frankly couldn't believe it!... At first, I thought it was through natural relations but then I saw the spiritual residual effect of the hogyoku! I don't know how Aizen did it, but he was able to manipulate genetics!" The mad scientist exclaimed.
Time seemed to stop for the two captains who heard the mad scientist's revelation.Shinsui was astonished but not surprised, he knew the hogyoku could bend the natural laws of logic and reasoning. Also, he knew that Rukia was a key factor in Aizen's creation of the hogyoku. However, he obviously had different intentions in mind.
" Are you sure of this?" Shinsui asked skeptically.
" Of course I'm sure my findings are one hundred percent true! The genetic markers can't be falsified, my only question is how can Aizen blend the genetic code of a soul and a human? It should be impossible!"
" Where is the boy now? I would like to ask him some questions, is he conscious?" Shinsui asked, deciding they needed answers immediately.
Captain Mayuri hesitated for a few brief moments before he agreed. " Yes, he is awake but he is very dangerous. I would actually discourage you from seeing him at the moment but if you persist then…."
The head captain feigned a smile."It's not a problem, lead the way captain Mayuri."
The mad scientist grunted in annoyance before he finally agreed to the terms. With a begrudging nod of his head he headed towards the door. Although both captains noticed the absence of one particular woman, who sat motionless.
Ruika couldn't hide the expression of astonishment, confusion and anger. Her normally relaxed eyes became wide, while her small but firm hands began to fidget in her lap. Rukia's normal calm demeanor was replaced with anxiety.
Thoughts began to race through her head, while her heart thumped against her chest.
"Shared the same dna…how is this possible!Ichigo, he has to know,he must come here at once!"
Shinsui sat his hand upon her shoulder.
" Captain Kuchiki, I understand this revelation may be hard to take in but the soul society needs your help. Perhaps the young man may feel a kinship towards you even if it's…"
" I' ll do it…" She interjected, immediately gathering herself to the slight shock of the head captain.
" Her last name isn't kuchiki for nothing, even if they do show emotion. It's quickly hidden away behind a mask and they deal with the problem at hand, very admirable." He thought.
After some time Rukia, along with the other two captains found themselves in the underground facility of the division.She couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as they maneuvered through and around many pieces of laboratory equipment, along with several destroyed inventions. Rukia noticed the atmosphere of fear that overtook his subordinates, every time captain Mayuri came near them. It appeared as though his very presence was suffocating them.
" What else has he done to them?" Rukia wondered as her two senior captains halted in their steps.
" And...Here we are." Mayuri announced.
The sight that met her eyes suddenly filled her with anger and disgust. She was always taught to hold in her emotions, a kuchiki was above such things! But what she saw was unspeakable, why did the goatee thirteen allow such an evil man free reign without any restraint?
" Captain Mayuri… This is unacceptable!Why does the intruder have several cuts like this? What purpose does it serve to inflict such pain on him?" She asked with a slight hint of anger but made sure to show restraint.
Mayuri looked at the woman with contempt and snorted."With all due respect captain kuchiki, I was given authority over him by the head captain. Interrogation techniques,I'm very specialized in that area but…"
" But what, Captain Mayuri? I'm very intrigued to hear your answers. Perhaps I am too ignorant to understand!" She asserted.
Mayuri sighed in response and walked over to the prisoner and roughly grabbed him by his black hair.
" I'm also interested in hearing your response! I don't remember giving you permission the torture the prisoner, Mayuri!"Shinsui interjected.
" You all just don't understand!"Mayuri argued,pulling the young man's hair tighter.
'He just won't talk! Would barely even let out a grunt of pain…. It's just not exciting to me! I would have to confess,before you two arrived I planned to kill him! He's become such a bore."
" And that would've certainly been an idiotic decision considering Aizen is on the loose!" Shinsui replied, feeling his patience slowly slipping away. " The Prisoner will be released from your hands at once!"
Rukia could cut the tension with her zanpakuto, they weren't sure whether Mayuri was actually sane! But his demeanor told Rukia everything she needed to know. His palms were sweaty, breath hitched in his throat. His fingers fidgeting about everywhere!Something had frightened the mad scientist, certainly enough for him to try something reckless...
" I ran test,after test,after test! But something still bothered me! I believe he was the cause of the delusions that plagued the soul society! I wanted to experiment on him but then I was suddenly overcome with a feeling. Kurotsuchi Mayuri must end his life, surely Aizen would take me as his apprentice? He would teach me the secrets of the hogyoku!" He screamed.
Shinsui unsheathed his zanpakuto as Ruka did the same." Mayuri what are you doing!"
" You will see." He grinned, quickly locking the doors and barricading himself inside the cell.
" We have to stop him!" Rukia shouted, using Sode no Shirayuki to freeze the cell doors.Hoping it would be enough to shatter the metal
Inside of the cell Captain Mayuri licked his lips in anticipation, " Aizen will gladly take me as an apprentice, I will learn the secrets of the hogyoku and form another one. I will make a flawless creation and become a god!"
The mad scientist hoped the young man would beg for his life. Perhaps show any sort of emotion but he simply gave Mayuri a blank expression.
" Still nothing! Even in the face of death? No matter, it means nothing!"
Mayuri raised his zanpakuto in the air, intent on ending the young man's life until he locked eyes with him. The 12th division captain's body became like a statue and with a quick flicker of the young man's irises. Mayuri gently placed his zanpakuto under his chin and suddenly slit his own throat.
On the outside of the cell, both Rukia and Shinsui were left speechless. The now deceased Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi fell to the floor with a loud thud. Blood was splattered on the concrete walls of the cell and his once white captain's rob was soaked with his crimson.
"I thought we had been too late when I saw Mayuri move to strike. But...he stopped and slit his own throat." Rukia gasped, moving into the cell but felt a hand on the shoulder.
" You need to be careful, where still not sure what happened." Shinsui warned.
Rukia hesitated for a few brief moments before continuing. " He had the chance to kill me before and he didn't do it. I'm not in any danger."
She quickly released the harness and caught the prisoner as he fell to the floor. Rukia observed many wounds on his body but none of them were life-threatening like they originally thought. She heard the young man suddenly whisper something under his breath but she couldn't quite catch it.
" Come again." She asked, leaning in closer and seeing a confused and bewildered look on his face.
" Where am I?" He mumbled, feeling soft hands around his shoulders.
Rukia didn't know how to answer the question, choosing to simply look towards her head captain for a suggestion. However Shinsui shrugged his shoulders and motioned to tell the young man the truth.
" You're the Soul Society." She answered.
" What's the soul Society?" He asked in an almost childlike way.
Rukia quirked a brow." Well… it's a place where,wait you have no idea where you are..do you?" She asked to which he shook his head.
" I don't remember...where am I?"
The young man's behavior concerned both captains, they were experienced enough to know when a person was lying and they knew he was telling the truth. He asked the previous question the same way as before, it was obvious, he didn't even remember asking it the first time. His memories were discarded and his brain was trying to piece them together like a puzzle. It was clear that something was very wrong.
" I doubt he remembers what he did last night much less a few minutes ago! Rukia thought.
" I think it's better if we get him to Isane, Captain kuchiki, young man do you mind coming with us?We won't hurt you like he did." Shinsui assured him
The young man released a heavy sigh and nodded his head, " Okay." He agreed before Rukia helped him to his feet.
It was in this moment that she took in his appearance, unlike the first time they met she actually had the time to view his features. Although, Rukia became puzzled in her thoughts.
" Besides his unruly long black hair,he's the spitting image of Ichigo, perhaps a bit taller but what's with his…"
" You've got quite the unique eyes." Shinsui mentioned, seeing that his two irises were completely different colors. The left was amber while the right was violet.
The young man became slightly confused but nodded his head. " Thank you.. I apologize if I seem lethargic, it's just that its.."
" Hard to recall things?" Rukia asked.
" Yes." He agreed, " I just have a really bad migraine is all, that purple man kept giving me some type of substance to keep me sleep."
Shinsui shook his head, " Don't worry about that, we're taking you to a better doctor. Her name is Isane Kotetsu, trust me she's actually very nice and wonderful."
" Really?" He asked, slightly suspicious of their motives.
Rukia took a forward and smiled. " You have my word and I know it doesn't mean much but I've made it my goal to find out what happened to you."
The young man begrudgingly nodded his head in agreement. How could he trust these people when he couldn't even remember how he got to the sole society? He didn't have very many options but for some strange reason, he felt as though he could trust this woman.
Hours later, Rukia and Shinsui stood in front of Captain Isane Kotetsu. The 4th division captain was slightly taken aback when head Captain Shinsui gave her the task to care for the intruder. But regardless of how she felt personally, Isane quickly accepted her responsibilities and gave the young man a routine check-up and a place to stay in the 4th division compound. However,doing her medical assessment she found something very disturbing…
" There's no easy way to say this but he has clear signs of being influenced by Kyōka Suigets.His memories were torn away from him but I don't know when. The best example that I can give is like your hands cupping water,you can get most of it but some of it is still going to slip out." She explained.
" Does he remember anything about his past life." Rukia asked.
In response,Isane picked up a piece of paper on her desk and handed it to Rukia.
" What does it say." Shinsui asked, vaguely being able to make out the writing.
" It's his name." Isane answered, " or at least he told me it's his name."
" This can't be possible… Aizen is a sick bastard!" She spat, quickly tearing the paper and walking out of the room.
" Easy Captain! What was all that about?" Shinsui asked in slight surprise. " I need to get her, why did she just…"
" The name written on the paper is Kaien.." Isane sighed, " Aizen is playing chess, he planned for Rukia to meet him."
Shinsui cursed and inhaled a puff of his cigarette, " Well we just have to find a way to get ahead of him."