Chapter 14: Aftermath
AN- Well, this was out quicker than expected. Thanks for all the positive feedback- much appreciated. But before we return to our regularly scheduled chapter, give a large round of applause to the amazing abalisk! *Cue Applause* Really, that guy/gal is a legend! Because UWB has now officially received its first piece of fanart! I'd plop a link to it, but y'know how is. If you want to check it out, look to my profile or just search "abalisk deviantart Ultimate Abolishing Flames". So again, huge cudoes to them!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The plot and my own OC's ARE my own, but ultimately there's nothing original nowadays, so when it comes down to it their very existence is hardly my sole own.
"Marc. Marc!" a voice beckoned urgently, disturbing my restless slumber. "Marc! Marc! Wake up! This is Important!"
"Wha-" I slur, instinctively responding to the voice. I'm oh so tired, and my body feels like its been put through a meat grinder, but I awaken. I'd been sleeping... but someone was interrupting my dreams. Someone familiar.
"Seriously, get up! There is great Danger!"
"Danger!" I shot up like a rocket, my instincts already racing at whatever was about to screw me over. The sudden surge of adrenaline removed all traces of drowsiness still left in me, and my mind snaps to attention.
I look round, looking for the danger my friend warned me off.
Was it a Hollow?
Was it an assassin?
Was it Kenpachi, here for another chance to beat the shit out of me?
No. Its a hospital room. I'm lying on a soft bed, wrapped up in clean sheets and garbed in something thinner than the plot of Twilight. No matter how much I frantically looked round the room, the only danger I appeared to be in was a danger of me pissing myself.
"Danger?" I repeated, more hesitantly.
"You're safe now." Said a voice. I turned to see a man dressed in the typical robes of a Shinigami, marked clearly to show he was a member of the Fourth Squad.
"Fourth Squad? I'm safe?"
"Yeah. You got off fine."
"Got off? What did I-" Oh wait, I tried to out-explode a Hollow capable of firing laser beams. From what I could tell, it went about as well as expected.
"Rest assured, you and your friends are safe." He reassured. "Now, I apologise, but I can't answer any questions. We weren't expecting you to wake so quickly, and I was ordered to go speak to my superior officer first, so I'll be back soon. And with company."
With that he turned around and strode out of the room, leaving me to my thoughts. My very angry thoughts.
"What the hell Javan! When you started screaming at me about Danger and Important things, I thought that, y'know, I was in danger and that you kicking my awake meant there was something important going on!"
"But there IS something important happening." Javan stated darkly. "I, your longest and most loyal ally, am Bored."
My eyebrow twitched unintentionally before I got it back under control. "If you're telling me that you woke me up prematurely after I got sent to hospital, and did it because you were bored, I will legitimately find a way to kill you."
"Well," He laughed nervously. "There was a great danger of me having nothing to do or talk to while your unconscious."
"I hate you." I decided. "I hate you, and my revenge will be merciless and swift."
"Hey! Why don't you try living in somebody else's head! I can hardly play eye-spy with myself, can I? Your amusing life is literally the only source of stimulation I get." He paused, then realised that his last sentence could be mistaken. "The other stimulation, not the one I get from Yow Momma."
My momentary pity at just how hard it would be to have nothing to do 24/7 except watch my crappy life like some kind of reality tv show vanished faster than a Star Wars fan's love of the franchise following the prequels. Instead, it was replaced with a grim desire to stab him.
How dare he bring out the Yow Momma card! By the Bro Code, this means war!
"But seriously, I'm aware of things even when you're not awake." He said. "You've never really been out for very long before, and I normally sleep when you do so I never noticed, but I can hear even when you're dead to the world. I've heard your friends come by, and I figured that you'd rather see them sooner than later. Make 'em worry less, you know."
My righteous fury was again swallowed by empathy. Javan was a good friend. "Yeah, I guess I'd rather be woken up sooner than let them wait."
As if prompted by my words, the door slid open, and in came Captain Unohana, looking about as chill as she normally does.
"Good morning, Marcus. I see you are awake." Unohana noted.
"Yup. Alive and kicking, no doubt thanks to you." I praised.
"The healing process was far easier than last time. Luckily you didn't break too much, though I wouldn't recommend that you cast that Kido spell again any time soon."
I winced. "It WAS a bit too explosive. Perhaps I should stick to the normal version?"
"Maybe. Its impressive you were even able to cast it, but that doesn't mean you should. There are reasons higher level spells are kept out of the hands of younger Shinigami. Just using it once or twice would be enough to knock a normal Shinigami out, let alone an Academy student. Even with your unusually large Reiryoku levels, you literally drained yourself dry. You could have woken up yesterday, and it was only the exhaustion that prevented you from doing so."
"My friends are going to be pissed with me, aren't they?"
"Firstly- language. Secondly- yes, they will."
I sighed, before I realised that I had something more important to think about. Something I should have asked about immediately. "My friends! Are they..."
"They are fine." This time my sigh was one of relief. That Fourth Squad member had implied it, but hearing it from the Captain made me so much happier.
"And Kasumi? She lost an arm, didn't she?"
"The operation was successful. Her arm has been regenerated, but I doubt it will ever work nearly as well as it originally did. Then again... I think she'll manage."
"I'm glad that she's okay." I said. "I was really scared when that Cero grazed her. I mean, I never knew that Menos Grande were so terribly strong." I'd never underestimate them again, anyway.
"Indeed. There is a reason why only Lieutenants or above are supposed to fight them." Unohana's smile darkened, as if forced. "So then, Marcus, would you care to explain why you ran headlong into a fight with one."
"Ummm... it seemed like a good idea at the time?" I winced.
"Hmmm... well, so long as you understand that it was extremely foolish and that you shouldn't repeat it I think we'll be okay."
"Yes Captain." I agreed passively.
"Good. Now, you'll have some visitors soon."
"My friends?" I asked hopefully, because I really wanted to check them over myself to make sure they were okay, and because who else would visit me?
"No. Although, they have been waiting outside for you to wake up. After your visitors are done, I'll send them in."
"Ah. I'd appreciate that, thank you." I bowed as best I could from my position on a bed.
"No need to thank me. I feel that you have much to discuss... and I am glad that you have made such good friends. Especially with Kasumi." Her smile widened. "Speaking of which, I think of all my Squad as if they are my own. My third seat especially. I expect you to take good care of her, and if I discover you have abused her high opinion of you..."
"No, no, no, no, no!" I objected. "Nope! We're good friends, and I don't think I need to hear what you'd do!"
"Good, good." She inclined her head pleasantly. "And on that note, you will be ready to leave the Fourth Squad soon. Another day of recovery, and then I will allow you to prepare for your exams."
"Groan! Even in the afterlife, why must exams exist also? Are EXAMS some form of purgatory? Along with taxes and paperwork?"
"Why are you complaining, Javan? Its not like YOU have to deal with exams in a week... now less than that."
"Yeah, except that you force ME to revise with you, and then use me as a glorified cheat sheet since my memory is better than yours!"
I smirk. "If you ain't abusing it..."
"True."
"Marcus?"
I snapped to attention. "Oh, sorry Captain. I was distracted."
"I am sure you were." She said thoughtfully, looking me over. "I recommend that you ask to browse the Fifth squads archives once you are made an official part of their division. I heard that they have many interesting tomes."
"I don't know what you're implying." I say.
"I'm sure." Unohana left the room.
"What was that about?"
"She's a Shinigami, and so are you. Kinda. Here talking to yourself isn't the first sign of madness, but instead the first sign of competence. I'm sure she sees people blanking out all the time due to Zanpakuto shenanigans, so I'm sure she's just assuming that I was talking to you, and was recommending books on communicating with your spirit."
"I guess." From Hayato and how rare him gaining Shikai so early was, it made sense that she'd have an interest in getting me properly educated if it looked like I was displaying similar symptoms. Its such a shame that I'm just an anomaly, and no closer to Shikai now than I ever have.
Further discussion was interrupted by a knock at the door. I could sense the presence of the person behind it, it was hard not to. In the Academy we were taught basic sensing, and the amount of Reiatsu the figure had even when subdued was immense. I would bet my two front teeth that it was a Captain, or someone nearly as strong.
"Even I wouldn't take you up on that offer."
"Come in." I called out.
"I am pleased to see you are up." my visitor began. I'm sure that I visibly tensed. I guessed it was a high up, but not that it was Aizen! The last time I'd talked to him had been a while ago. I'd almost hoped he'd lost interest.
"Nope. He hasn't. Looks like it might be time to leap out the window again."
I was almost tempted to follow Javan's advice, if only so I could avoid this conversation.
"Hi, Aizen." I greeted.
"Don't you mean Captain Aizen?"
"Sorry, that's what I meant to say." Darn me for being unable to recognise him as a Captain due to always mentally categorising him as a villain! "So, what are you here for?"
"Is it that unexpected that I would come and visit considering it was I who answered the distress signal and came to relieve third seat Kasumi of the responsibility of protecting you and your friends when a Menos Grande was reported."
Blink. "Wait a second. I can vaguely recall somebody showing up before I was knocked out. That was you."
"I and my Lieutenant were lucky enough to have been free at the time when the call for backup was registered."
"Oh. Aizen was the one to save you."
"Everybody who's taking this as definitive evidence of him planning and setting everything up well in advance purely so he could dash in and be the hero like he did for Momo's class years ago, or do something equally devious, raise your hand and say Aye."
"AYE!" Me and Javan chorused.
"Umm... thanks. I guess." I rubbed the back of my head.
Aizen adjusted his glasses as he took a free seat next to my bed. "You don't sound very impressed."
"Well, to be fair, you didn't really do much... sir." I finished respectfully.
For a minute I thought Aizen would smite me for my disrespect, but instead he laughed. It was just as uncanny, in hindsight. "Well, that is true, isn't it? We didn't really do much except mop up all the left over Hollows. No. The Menos Grande was already dead by the time I arrived, wasn't it?"
I struggled to contain a frown and keep my features as neutral as possible. I'd grown better at lying since I began hiding my entire past behind the 'amnesia' excuse to my friends, but even I wasn't stupid enough to think I could hide things from Aizen. Its just a question of what he'd infer from my slip ups, and whether he'd figure out the less hazardous truth or the really bad truth.
"He's interested in the Menos Grande- of course he is, Marc. Why wouldn't he be? Push responsibility of it to Hayato. Push it like hell."
"I didn't do much really." I let my very real sadness at my own ability to protect my friends out, almost exaggerating my annoyance at being unable to stay in the battle until the end and at needing my friends to guard my body. "Hayato did all of the real work."
"Mr Akamori is quite impressive, isn't he? I cannot name anyone in recent years who has unlocked Shikai as early as he did, and the ability of it is quite promising too."
Despite the situation, I let some of my curiosity motivate me. "What is its power anyway? Hayato never told me."
"Its quite fascinating, really." The mastermind said with what looked like (But was almost certainly faked) scholarly enthusiasm. "I only know what was reported, but Mr Akamori described its power as 'conceptually attuned to piercing', which in lay man's terms means that its main ability is for the blade to pierce through almost anything, regardless of spiritual density. Well, within reason anyway. I foresee a bright future before him, and may even offer him a place in the Fifth Squad."
My hands clenched from under the bedsheets. Aizen wanted Hayato for a pawn. He wanted everyone to be a pawn, for that matter.
"It might be nice to have company when I join the Fifth Squad." I said honestly, because while it might be nice, that didn't make it a good thing.
"He is hardly the only one with a promising career though. In fact, all your group is fascinating. The Nishisaka prodigy, the early Shikai user, an efficient Hoho user who will no doubt be accepted to the Second Squad, one of the strongest close combat fighter in the top class, and then there's you, the one that led them, Marcus D Solus."
"I'm nothing special." I could practically feel Javan flinch at just how bad my lie was.
"Now, now, Marc. As a Captain it is my responsibility to watch the next generation, and false modesty is unnecessary. You are an interesting character. You don't have Shikai. You are no prodigy, and you are barely competent in three of the four main Shinigami arts, and yet the one thing I see in you above all else is potential!" Aizen stressed the final word.
"I don't think so." I deflected. "Apart from Kido, there's little going on for me."
"I told you, Marcus. False modesty truly isn't any kind of modesty at all." He shook his head. "Let me tell you what I see when I look at you. I see somebody with more potential than anybody else in your group."
"Marc, ya know how I said near the beginning 'don't get Aizen's attention. For the love of god, be uninteresting'?"
"Yyyeeesssss?"
"You failed. Miserably."
"You started with nothing, and in many ways you still are. You are weaker than your peers. Your body reacts slower, your punches have less strength behind them, and your speed is low. It is undeniable that you were surpassed in all areas by your peers... and yet, you didn't give up. Even in your one area of pride, Kido, you had no actual special affinity for it; you just tried so hard at it that you surpassed everyone else, to such a degree that you're already working at a higher level than some in the Kido corps. By the Soul King, you and Hayato have the record for the youngest Shinigami to slay a Menos Grande."
Despite myself, I smirked. "Seriously?"
"Indeed. In terms of years of service, nobody has ever beaten a Menos while still in the Academy, while in actual age you are the youngest since most Shinigami are centuries old."
"Take THAT Mr Main Character!"
"Marc- you're like 21 now. Ichigo will do the same at 15."
"... Damn you Mr Main Character!"
"As I said, Hayato killed it."
"Yes, yes. We all know the story: Hayato was the one to finish off the Menos Grande. But we all know the truth. It was because of you that it died, like it or not. Mr Akamori would have never even tried fighting the Menos if you hadn't led the way, which likewise shows that without you there none of your group would have fought. You're the deciding factor in causing the assault on the Gillian. And without your masterful Kido, Mr Akamori probably wouldn't have been able to pierce the mask, even with his Shikai. Face it- it was your leadership and your own contributions which felled the beast."
"That was awfully poetic." I mused.
"It was, wasn't it? So do you deny it?" A glint of anticipation shone through the Captains glasses.
Finally, I spoke. "No. I guess that from your interpretation, the kill was down to me."
"So now do you see why I feel you have the most potential? In six years of basic teaching you accomplished what many are unable to do is hundreds of years."
"Ummm... yay!?" I pumped my fist in the air half heartedly. I heard the distinct slap of a hand meeting face, and knew that Javan had just given up.
Aizen carried on, getting more and more enthusiastic as he talked. "Don't you see? Even your greatest weakness, your physical defects, are unimportant and will only be corrected with time. In a century your physical abilities will be identical with your peers due to the amount of time your body will have had to be replaced by spiritual matter."
"You think so?"
"I know so. Now put it this way: it took six years for you to modify a Kido to make it strong enough to potentially kill a Menos despite having Academy level power. Can you imagine just what you could make with sixty years."
"A really big explosion?"
He smirked. "A REALLY big one. Lets face it, Marcus. The number one issue with Shinigami is stagnation. If one visits the human world and pick a person out of the crowd, then return in a decade, you will be hard pressed it admit it is the same person. Humans change. They live short lives, yet what they learn and accomplish in less than a century is incredible. And yet, with hundreds of years to work with, how is is that so few Shinigami have attained greatness?"
The question stumped me. "You know, that is pretty strange. How many Shinigami are there? A few thousands, give or take a few? More or less? How come with practical immortality there are so few Captain class fighters? With a hundred years of study in any subject, anybody should be a freakin' grandmaster. Surely if even one in ten people used their time effectively or had the desire to improve themselves, there should be at least a few hundred competent fighters. Not, like, twenty."
"You notice it too." Aizen shook his had sadly. "Shinigami squander their time and their potential. Very few bother or are even capable of change. But you..."
"I'm human." I follow his train of thought.
"Exactly. And change is what you do best."
"So that's specifically why he's interested in Ichigo, and now you. The human element to it."
"I would like to make a bet with you, Marcus."
"A bet?" I ask hesitantly.
"A deal, to be precise."
Thoughts rushed through my mind, in particular sayings like 'deals with the devil' and fictional examples where that went well. I knew, and Javan knew, that Aizen was Bad News, and that any involvement with him was too much involvement. But I would be in his squad anyway, and his interest wouldn't change even if I refused him. Nae- it'd increase, as he'd want to know why I was unwilling to even hear him out.
I had to at least listen to it.
"Alright. I'm listening."
He leaned forwards contemplatively. "I bet that within fifteen years, you will be strong enough to fight a Captain."
The claim floored me. I wouldn't be shocked if a fly flew into my open mouth.
"You're shitting me." I say.
"I am not. At the very least you'll be able to fight a third seat, though that's a large underestimation."
"Where in GODS NAME did you get the idea that me- nerdy, flimsy Marcus- could ever fight the badass supernatural warrior wizards with literal CENTURIES of experience!"
"Because you won't accept anything less." Aizen leaned back, giving me space before rising from the chair. "In defence of your friends, you would pluck the moon from the sky and cut off the hand of any god that defies you. No matter how much pain or how matter much you would loose, you would still accomplish it. If no answer presents itself, you have the creativity and motivation to make your own path and force an answer if the world protests. Because you're the stubborn type of person that won't give up, and that when given sufficient motivation can accomplish anything."
I coughed nervously. "I'm sorry Captain, but I think you're speaking total bullshit, pardon my language."
"None taken." He laughed again. "I suppose that we'll see, won't we? Just how high you pierce the skies... and whether you will grow wings and fly higher or plummet back down the ground." He presented his hand, as if asking for a handshake. "Take my hand, Marcus, and I vow to show you just how high you'll climb, and ensure you meet your true potential."
A sudden silence fell on the room as I processed his words. Finally, it was broken not by us, but by the voice in my head. "Holy shit. Aizen's trying to take you on as an apprentice and turn you to the Dark Side."
Ah. Good point. He IS the villain after all. And for a minute there his mindless flattery and talk of stagnancy and greatness had almost made me think that he did want to see me reach my true potential, no matter how silly. He'd almost got me, the charismatic sonnuva bitch! Still, a Deal with the Devil is still with said devil, and its almost destined to result in me coming out worse for it.
"Sorry Aizen. Its a nice offer, but I'm not ready to do something as drastic as becoming your apprentice, or anything like that. I still don't know what I want, or for what reasons I would fly." to take the metaphor further. "I think that for now I'll stick to my present rate of progress. No need to escalate things, right? I'll be like any other Shinigami soon, and I'm sure than if measuring a life in centuries losing a decade of potential progress by not taking your teaching is a small price to pay for the freedom to spend time with friends and find out why I fight."
Yes. That sounded like a sufficiently bullshit explanation.
"Are you sure?" He asked, frown in place on his face and his arm still outstretched towards me.
"I am." I nodded resolutely. I intended to fight Aizen with the good guys when the time came (Probably, if I hadn't found a way home). Letting myself be taught by the Big Bad would be needlessly complicating for me, and really not worth it.
"Very well then." The hand fell, and an opportunity was lost. I was glad. "If you ever change your mind, you know how to contact me." He offered me a final, false smile before he reached into his robes. He pulled out a tome that was obviously well read, with frayed corners and a worn spine that spoke only of frequent usage. He placed said book on the seat he had vacated.
"If you will not accept my offer of apprenticeship, then at least allow me to present you with this book on intermediary Kido. If you're going to continue your study of the Demonic arts, then I'm sure that my lieutenant would approve of this gift. It served me well when I was learning, and now it will serve you well. Suffice to say, you have earned it."
I picked up the book and took a quick look through it. Even with just a brief look I knew that it was valuable and well read. Instructions, analysis and discussion on all the mid tier Kido spells. It wasn't the truly OP stuff, but this would do wonders for my studies.
Because bloody hell. This was the personal textbook of THE Sosuke Aizen. Probably. Admittedly he could have picked up any old textbook and pretended it was his, but this book just seemed to scream Aizen. There were little notes written into the corners and corrections written over scribbled over sections- little touches like this couldn't help but make me think that this actually was his book. And if it was, this was a literal goldmine of information.
Aizen had done this deliberately for specific purpose. I knew that he was playing me, evoking a reaction and prodding me until he found my secrets. I knew this. Yet... I was still grateful. "Thank you. Honestly."
The Captain turned to leave, waving off my thanks. "You're very welcome. Now, just as a word of warning, I wasn't the only visitor waiting for you."
From the doorway, Momo stood menacingly. I wasn't sure how long she'd been there, but she looked pissed. It appeared that she was using a Kido spell of some sort that I had yet to learn, because the surroundings were darkening, her eyes burned with fire and an ominous rumbling of thunder could be heard in the distance.
"Maarrcccus~" She smiled cutely, tilting her head. It did little to alleviate my worry, and in fact escalated my fear.
"Good luck, Marcus." Aizen practically ran out the room.
"He's evil, not stupid."
"Now then, I think we need to have a little chat." The lightning struck again. "A conversation about Kido modification, and its dangers. A talk about promises... and breaking them."
"Javan, if I don't live through this lecture, tell my friends that I'm being buried with that Kido book and that they can have it over my dead body."
The door slammed shut and the lecture began...
AN- Well, that was a fun chapter to write. Marcus wakes up in a hospital, an event that will no doubt be a recurring thing for him, and got some really cool interaction with Aizen. Seriously, I just love writing the two. Marc's always suspicious and on edge, trying to spot what the Big Bad wants, while he acts utterly innocent and practically friendly- drawing Marc to the point of madness. Its like one giant game of 'I know that he knows, but does he know that I know that he knows?', and one that Marc is obviously loosing. Practically any observation our unreliable narrator makes is going to be wrong in the long run, and until he figures it out you have no way of knowing what Aizen actually knows. Hell, he's doing all sorts of villainy things in the background. Stuff you won't ever find out- mwahahahaha!
Yeah. Aizen is so much fun to write.
Now then, I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter shouldn't take long, but I'd still like to know what you think. Drop a review, check out the fanart, give yourselves a pat on your back if you're a regular, and if you're new click that shiny 'follow' button. Or, y'know, just review anyway, THEN pat yourself on the back. 'cos your awesome. Undying Soul out.