Chapter 16: It Begins
AN- Last in the Academy Arc, and probably the last chapter for a good month or so. Alas, exam season is in motion, and as much as I enjoy delivering new chapters, school comes first. Apologies too, but it looks like this'll be a bit fillery. Wasn't exactly satisfied with it, but it was just sitting there on my hard drive, so might as well release it. Sorry about that, neh~
Also, just changed rating to an M. Will have some pretty dark stuff eventually, so now seemed as good a time as any.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Beta: Darth Vulturnus probably hates me by this point.
"Gooooood morning... MARCUS!"
The foot met my stomach, and I was shoved from my bed. With a groan I opened my eyes, wondering where I was and just who the hell had hit me. After all, who'd be waking me up at this god awful time in the morning?
Seconds passed, then when I didn't answer, my assailant pressed on, "Come on Marc! It's eleven in the morning! The exams are over, our time as students is over, and today we get our results!"
Oh, it was Daichi waking me. Shoulda guessed really.
Then the details flickered back to me. A week ago I had left the hospital, four days ago I sat the final examinations with my friends, and now today would be the last one at the Academy.
I didn't know what to feel. I should be happy...all these years or work, and it would finally pay off.
Yet, I wasn't happy, satisfied, or relieved.
"Hey Marc. You're not gonna yell at me for kicking you out of bed?" Daichi asked.
"No," I replied, "I guess I'm just not...feeling it today."
"Why not!?" He complained, "Today we become men! Real Men! We're a gonna get a job, join a Division, and then go out and drink! It'll be grand!"
Why wasn't I feeling happy?
I didn't know. I just had the feeling that something was different today. Something had changed.
"Maybe it's like when you wake up after your birthday and you just feel a bit strange, being a year older?" I suggested, not really believing my own words.
"Meh. I guess that makes sense," Daichi shrugged, then went to leave, "Ya should hurry up. Hayato's cooked pancakes."
That brought a slight smile to my mouth. Hayato was the cook of the apartment, and a good one at that, "Just give me a minute. I'll be ready then."
Probably.
Sitting there on the floor, I sighed. With a shake of my head, I got to my feet and went to get ready for the day.
I might not have known why I felt so...weird, but that didn't give me an excuse to sit around doing nothing. After all, today was the day I would officially join the Gotei 13.
"Kinda exciting, I suppose," I said aloud, though in truth I meant it for my partner. He didn't reply, so I shrugged. "Guess he's still asleep, or taking a lie in." Javan normally watched my life and commentated my every action, but even he must get bored of that. It didn't surprise me that occasionally he cut off contact with me to get more sleep or have some 'me' time.
Either way, I couldn't dwell any longer. Today was a special day, and nothing would ruin it. Not even my crummy mood.
XXXXXXXXXX
With a smirk, I analysed the board. Arranged on it were dozens of names scrolling down, each in a column. At the tops were the subject names, and running vertically down were the class rankings and score each person had gotten.
I'd already looked at all my other scores, now there was the final one: Kido.
There, at the top, was a name. Guess whose?
"Grrrgghhh!" Growled Akimi. "Damn it Marcus! I was sure I'd had you this year! I had been certain that it would be I, Akimi Nishisaka, who would have the fabled number one spot!"
"Sorry Akimi...or should I say, number two," I teased, a definitely not humble smile on my face, "Looks like its four-two to me. I claim the title of 'Kido Badass' as my own, while you get to be my adorable and quirky Tsundere sidekick."
"I am NOT adorable!" She insisted, stomping her foot and scowling. In reality, her scowl was closer to a pout. And yes, she was adorable.
"Didn't deny the other stuff," Muttered Hayato as he scrolled down to find his name squarely at number four in the Kido chart.
"But I'm not!" She reiterated. Nobody pointed out she was throwing a tantrum like a toddler, and nobody was going to. The prodigy had mellowed out over the years.
"Still, not a bad haul," I said. You were marked out of ten for each subject, and you needed an average of four (Which was a pass for a subject) to qualify for an official post on a squad, though some Divisions had different requirements to enter, or made special allowances. Sure, lesser subjects like sensing and stuff were considered and graded too, but they only really cared about the core four. In my opinion, I was pretty set.
Zanjutsu: 7 (Pretty solid)
Hakuda: 4 (Barely passed, I'm pretty weak compared to normal souls, while my examiner hated me. Lucky I got that much)
Hoho: 5 (Better than Hakuda, but my body still can't handle higher speeds)
Kido: 10 (Hell to the YES!)
So yeah, I was set. Despite that bad feeling earlier I was feeling- dare I say it?- happy.
"Well, I'm off to apply now," Akimi said, ending our little meet up, "You peasants should get your forms signed too."
With that, she turned on her heel and paced away, still fuming at her scores. Not that Miss 'double seven, one eight and a nine' can complain.
"I'll see ya later too," Daichi waved, grabbing Hayato by the shoulder to tug him away.
This left me by myself in front of the board. Mika had to do all this earlier as Second Division places were rare and went quickly, and said she'd be gone much of the day due to Captain Soi- Fon's strict entry conditions and personal testing to cull the applicants, while Kasumi was working.
She'd said she would try and pop in and join us for our pub crawl though, which would be fun.
"I guess I'd better get it out the way," I procrastinated for a few minutes, then finally forced myself to action. It was time to go deal with Aizen. Here's hoping Javan gets off his lazy ass to offer me some company and support for this meeting. I'd need it.
"Screw it. More procrastination."
A few more minutes before I was matching wits with the Biggest Bad for this setting wasn't too much to ask for, right?
XXXXXXXXXX
"I've been expecting you," noted Aizen dryly from his seat at the Fifth Divisions official recruitment booth. All across the Academy each Squad had set up a location for new graduates to register and join a Division. Often the Lieutenant or a high ranked Squad member would man the stall, but occasionally Captains would do it to personally meet all their new recruits.
I knew that Hitsugaya, Tousen and Ukitake did it, as well as Aizen.
Yay me.
"Well it's not like I could go apply anywhere else," I reminded him. I was the Fifth Squad's responsibility, and therefore I could only serve with them.
"True," He smiled that deceptively benevolent smile, "Any clue where your friends will end up?"
I raised one eyebrow, figuring he already knew where we were all going months before we actually decided. Still, I humoured him, for appearance's sake, if anything else, "Mika's entering the Second Squad, Akimi's joining the stuck up nobles in the Sixth, and last thing I heard Daichi was still deliberating between the Seventh and Thirteenth."
"A little bird told me that the Eleventh Squad snatched him up."
"Seriously?" I snorted, "They'd chew him up and spit him out like a bad... I dunno, steak?"
So sue me, it's hard to come up with witty retorts.
"Might have been better saying an 'old boot,'" The traitorous Captain chided, "Still, my lieutenant is quite the reliable gossip."
"He only went off to apply, like, half an hour ago," I protested.
"Gossip travels fast when all the women have super speed," He joked, "He was walking to the Thirteenths booth when he was recruited at knife point."
"Knife point?"
"Literally," He nodded seriously, "They weren't getting enough men, so Ikkaku picked him randomly out of the crowd and dragged him to Lieutenant Kusajishi where he shouted at him to join and she pestered him to give in until Daichi caved, cried, and signed his name to get them to leave him alone."
"...Wow," I blinked in surprise, "Sucks to be him."
"Indeed. Still, young Mr. Akamori is far better off than his friend. He actually showed up at my booth not long ago."
I narrowed my eyes. Why the hell had Hayato been snatched up? Oh wait- he killed a Menos, and Aizen just loves stealing all the good recruits so he can put them under his bullshit Zanpakuto's control. Speaking of which, I'd better watch out for that.
"He never told me he was going to join the Fifth Squad," I said pleasantly, though there was an undertone of suspicion I couldn't hide.
"Well he doesn't say much, does he?" Aizen defended, "Still, he must care for you. When I asked why he wanted to join the Fifth, all he said was 'Marcus will need my help more than anyone else will.' You really have been gathering quite the circle of fol-...sorry, friends, haven't you?"
…and that bad feeling was back again.
Fuck it. I'm not in the mood for this. It's supposed to be a happy day. I'm graduating, meeting up with my true friends, and getting blind drunk in one of the Seireitei's many bars as I'll finally be 'trusted' enough to not be shadowed when outside the Academy...well, I might still be covertly followed. Not like I can tell.
"Can I have my paperwork please?" I asked curtly.
"Of course."
That bloody pleasant smile pissed me off, "Something wrong, Marcus? You don't seem quite yourself."
I eventually settled on, "...It's nothing," before I filled out the form as quickly as I could, making sure to leave half of the content blank to reaffirm the Amnesiac quota, and the rest just to piss off Aizen when he had to correct or follow me up to do it properly.
"Well, have a pleasant day, Marcus." Aizen patted my shoulder encouragingly, before gesturing away, "It's a beautiful day outside. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and people are happy. Enjoy the nice weather while you can. In a week's time your break will be over, and it will be off to active service for you. Everything will change then."
"Everything changes, huh?" I muttered to myself. That was true. I felt like I was on the verge of something. Like I should know something. Like those words were meaningful or important in some way... then it was gone.
"That it does. Now off you go! Shoo!" He ushered me away cheerfully, then readjusted his glasses and called for the next student to approach the desk.
I stood there dumbly for a moment, trying to figure out what to do now. The others would still be busy, and I didn't know where they were. So I had a lot of the afternoon to kill soon.
And I didn't even have Javan's amusing commentary to pass the time.
"Screw it," I threw up my hands in defeat, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. With six years of early morning school, I could do with a nap. Besides which, maybe some rest will be enough to get rid of this persistent feeling."
XXXXXXXXXX
In the end, I didn't 'nap' per say. I found a bench and took to people watching, looking at all the other students and teachers as they went about their business. Some were relieved, others happy, some less satisfied, while some just carried on as they always did.
When I ended up in a fictional setting, I'd figured that I'd be brushing elbows with canon all the time. Coincidental meeting, contrived greetings, encounters with everyone from the MC to the sides- that kinda stuff. In reality, apart from Momo and Unohana I'd had little real contact with canon characters. It made sense though.
The world was larger than just what happened in canon, and thousands worked in the Seireitei. Every person I watched, everyone walking through here, were their own people with their own stories. When Rukia and Rangiku are off having adventures, what does every other seated officer get up to? What of the other nameless background characters? Because each Squad has more than a dozen unnamed Seated officers who were no doubt active in canon but never got screen time.
I enjoyed watching the crowd and wondering just what they got up to, and what sort of tales they had.
Hell, I even imagined what they would think looking at me. Watching me, in the common garb of the Academy, I didn't look like a dimensional traveller stuck in another world. I just looked like one more soldier in the endless army of the afterlife.
"Heh. I bet that if nobody could figure out my origin, it's the same for them. For all I know one of those nameless NPC's could be another Self Insert just like me and I'd never even notice it." Beat."Pfff...hahahaha! Nah. That'd be just stupid."
As I watched though, I almost went into a trance. I'd meditated enough to recognise the feeling. As I watched them I slowly thought less and less, loosing myself to the sleepy mood I was in. Slowly, sneaking up on me, the mood overtook me. Then I knew nothing, not even perceiving what happened to me. The crowds had just become one giant blur to me, and time became meaningless. Before I knew it, hours had passed and I had barely noticed them go. One minute the sun was high above me, the next thing the sky was starting to bleed red.
Sunset would be here soon.
I blinked, and then I was out of my trance, "How the hell was I out of it for so long?" I asked aloud, but got no reply. And just what 'woke' me up?
"Marcus!" Daichi waved from across the courtyard, along with Hayato who only did so due to Daichi having one arm round his and physically forcing him to. "It's almost time to go!"
"So that's what awoke me. I subconsciously felt his spiritual presence or something."
"Come on slow coach! Stop sitting there like an old man! We're in the spring time of our youth!" He declared with a boisterous shout, pumping his free fist into the air, while his other frantically tried to force his companion to mimic his actions. The bookworm was Not Amused.
I smiled, amused at his antics, My strange feeling wasn't gone, but for now I could ignore it. For them. Tonight would be just about a buncha Academy graduates having a good time.
"Sure, once you get off my lawn, you darned young'un," I drawled, rising from the bench, "Where are the others?"
"Haven't seen Kasumi yet, but she knows the bar we'll be heading to, so hopefully she'll meet us there. As for Akimi, dunno," He shrugged, "As for Mika... haven't seen her at all today, but I think we can all guess where she would be."
Only one place would draw Mika away from our group-her garden. We'd be leaving tomorrow. I was sure she had to find someone to maintain it for her once she'd left.
"How's about you go grab miss smiley, while I find the Tsundere?" Suggested Daichi.
I replied with a smirk, "Heh. Your funeral. Akimi was irritable earlier. Cutely irritable, but still irritable. She might not be first, but she can still set your womanising ass on fire."
He winced, "Don't remind me. Still, I, the mighty Daichi, shall make the noble sacrifice! You and Mika deserve one last gardening session."
I didn't know my smile could get any wider. It could, "Thanks, Daichi. I'd... appreciate that."
I'd had so many memories at that garden. It would be wrong to not say goodbye... no matter how much my stomach was churning at the thought of going.
"No probs. Meet back here in an hour?"
"Sounds good." I nodded. "See you back here, then."
XXXXXXXXXX
I'd taken my time walking to the garden; with an hour, there was no need to rush. Right?
As I got closer to where Mika would be, I couldn't help but feel a sensation in my gut tug at me. That feeling from before...it only got worse as I got closer. I couldn't tell why though. Was I... nervous?
I mean, it could be nerves, I guess? "Last time we were both alone, I'm pretty sure I got a sorta-kinda-maybe confession."
I nodded my head resolutely, "Yeah! I'm sure I'm just feeling anxious! This is just a serious case of nerves!"
I tried to repeat this thought with as much conviction as I had.
Deep down, I didn't know how, but I could tell I was lying to myself.
Something was...something was-
I blinked, and I was at the garden. Twilight was upon me, and the last rays of the sun were dancing upon my cheeks, only barely illuminating the entrance to the garden.
Without meaning to, I stopped, unable to move forwards.
Just as I knew that feeling, I knew that it was all related to this. The garden was the centre.
If I went in there, something was going to change. Was I ready for whatever would await me in there, be it a confession or something else? Or should I just turn back and say I couldn't find her.
Somehow, I knew I would be far better off if I left now.
I ignored this, and pressed on, storming into the garden before I changed my mind.
The first thing that I noticed was the smell. The garden was practically always in bloom, and always had some sort of flower or another growing, so the scent changed. However, there was always a feeling of...growth. Like you could smell the life in the place.
That smell was gone. In its place was something unfamiliar and strange, yet familiar.
Then I saw it, and my heart stopped.
The smell was obvious now. It was rot. Before me was a monument to death. The walls and beds once vibrant with colour and growth was grey and dull, and filled with mush. Not a single plant was alive in the garden. Then as if to be the centrepiece to one great and horrifying art exhibit, something was place in front of the wall to the left, slumped just where it was out of sight from outside the entrance.
It was a body.
(Undertale Missing Pieces Orchestral Remix)
No. It was a corpse. Slumped against the wall, lifeless, feet jutting out, and its face lowered and obscured by its hair.
"Grhk-" I choked, unable to say a thing as the scent of death rushed into my nose.
The corpse. It was dead. Dead. Dead. Dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD
I'd once seen a dead bird on the road. It had been horribly still, flies buzzed around it, and everybody on the street had given it a wide birth. I'd looked at it for a second, then been forced to look away. Because humans don't like to acknowledge death, and prefer to look away and pretend it's something that happens to and effects others.
This was completely different to that. And different to the stuff on the TV too. The media gives the impression that when you first see a body, the first instinct is to get a stick and prop the poor sod.
That was wrong. The first urge was to vomit.
I couldn't help myself. I was already throwing up the contents of my stomach long before I fell to my knees. As vomit continued to leave my mouth, and as the sticky puddle around my clenched fist grew, I continued to stare at the gruesome sight.
The image was burned into my mind, and I was certain it would never leave it for long either.
Because it wasn't a clean death. It was as if its stomach had caved in on itself and torn itself apart. Rupturing and exploding, the gore was everywhere, leaving a massive puddle of crimson all around the body with pecks of flesh and intestine painted across all the nearby surfaces.
Fucking hell, I could see the wall through the massive hole in its torso.
Truly, it sickened me. But not nearly as much as who it was, which was far more horrifying.
Finally, as I trembled on the floor, covered in my own breakfast, I was able to splutter out a few words.
"M-M... Mika..." I identified, desperately hoping against hopes that I was wrong and it was some other busty, black haired girl that was undoubtedly dead (dead dead dead DEAD DEAD she's DEAD and why the hell was she DEAD).
Maybe it was a dream? A nightmare that I would soon wake up from? Because I couldn't accept a world where the girl I had made a promise to was dead.
Already my word was broken. She asked me not to leave her, and to not forget her. Yet, I'd forgotten all about checking in on her earlier. If I'd came here sooner, maybe this horror that I could never forget would have never happened.
And so she had died. Died alone.
"Mika... ," I repeated, with every ounce of my loss and disbelief in that single word.
Gone. Finished. Stopped heart. Lifeless. A thing now. Dead.
"J-Javan...I'm scared," I whispered, calling out to the one person who was always there with me. Yet... nobody answered. Nobody was there. I was as alone as Mika had been.
I couldn't even find it within myself to cry. All I felt was shame, and loss, and fear, and emptiness, and that terrible feeling in my gut. Me screaming at the heavens could not occur, as when Mika's breath had left her, so too had my voice.
Then as my eyes drunk in every speck of the dark image in front of me, my other senses kicked in. Namely, my hearing.
All through this ordeal there had been a single repeating sound in the background- one that I hadn't recognised since it was so quiet, and since all my attention had been on my vision.
So I stopped. I forced my panic down, and I listened.
Drip... drip... drip... drip drip... .
Like a tap had been left on, but only the smallest of trickles was leaving. Just one drop at a time.
Drip... drip... drip... drip... .
It was coming from behind me, to the right. One of the corners of the garden.
I almost didn't dare look, but I had to know. I needed to know.
Slowly, I pushed myself off the slick ground, and turned around.
I jumped in shock, though not a gasp left my mouth.
Before, I said that Mika had died alone. That was wrong- a lie. If Mika was dead, then that had to mean that somebody killed her, so she wasn't alone. Meaning I wasn't alone. And that said killer had been silently watching her corpse all this time- had been watching me- and I hadn't even noticed.
"So you finally noticed me. It took you long enough." the murderer said casually, as if he was only asking the time.
I began to tremble, "What...did you...just say?" I forced out, spitting the words like acid. By now my hands were clenched so hard my fingernails were drawing blood.
"I said that it took you long enough," He repeated, again no more caring of his tone than before. I knew then, that I wanted to do nothing more than tear him apart, limb from FUCKING limb!
"I don't CARE about that!" I snarled. Just looking at him pissed me off (Because he killed her he killed her he killed her!), and with rage I never knew I had, I charged. I didn't even have a weapon- I just wanted to shove my fist through his torso, like he had done to Mika, and crush his heart.
But he moved so fast. In the blink of an eye, his fist slammed into my chest like a train. My body spasmed, and despite my training, it was too much to me. My breath left me, and I slammed into the wall and slid down it. As my head rung from the impact, I couldn't help but note that I had almost struck the thing that had once been my closest friend, and that her blood was now literally on my hands.
"Now none of that," He chided. Then he stepped forwards, finally letting me see his form in the dying light of the sun.
He loomed over my fallen form, looking down at me clinically. Yet, I couldn't even be sure he was a he. This was because he was not dressed in robes, or a cloak, and any sort of normal outfit. No. He was garbed in armour.
It was a bizarre mockery of those tales of a knight of old. Thick plates covered his torso and his limbs, each one a golden bronze shade with an intricate pattern carved into the rim. Meanwhile, dull silver chain mail was visible beneath the plates, protecting the killer's body even more so. Not a shred of skin was shown, in fact, as clunky gauntlets shielded his hands, while his face was hidden by a spherical helmet of unknown material. I didn't even have the pleasure of looking Mika's murderer in the eyes, as there were no eyeholes that I could see on the smooth, bronze surface.
"What... what are you!?" I asked, rising to my feet "Who the HELL are you!?"
He tilted his head slightly, as if comprehending my words. Then he did something most unusual. He laughed.
"Ohohohoho!" The mocking laugh came out distorted and echoed, bringing attention to the fact that his entire voice was masked too, "Who am I? You honestly have no clue, do you? Well... that's a shame, isn't it?"
"Scratch that. I don't need a name to engrave onto your TOMB STONE!" I directly my attention inwards, and a tap began to drip, drip, drip. My Zanpakuto appeared in my hands, and I sent off a message to my silent ally, "Javan! Turn on the juice. I am going to kill him, so I need all the Mana I can!"
I waited for the extra flow of power that would tell me that my request had been noted, but nothing came. I could only feel my standard reserves- those put aside in the Mana Pool for me to use whenever I wanted. "Javan... this isn't funny. I need more Mana!"
…but nobody answered. I was alone, and for this fight there would be no mana regeneration. Only what I currently had.
"I'm sorry, having trouble making that call? Perhaps you should ring the operator," While his words were boisterous and joking, all I heard were daggers going into my chest, berating my every futile gesture.
What did he mean by that, unless... .
"And so the light flickers on up stairs!" Praised the Masked Murderer mockingly, "Ding ding ding! "We have a winner. Mr. Forgetful finally figures out the answer, perhaps a bit too late."
"What did you do to Javan?" I quietly asked. I hadn't heard from him all day, but I hadn't thought anything of it. Yet now something was terribly wrong, Mika was dead, and Javan had abandoned me in the moment I needed his support and help the most.
"Relax, Marc," He soothed, saying my name in such a way that I couldn't help but hate him more for, "Javan still breathes... for now."
"What. Did. You. Do?" I snarled, bringing my blade into a two handed position, "If you've done something to him, I will destroy you."
"Such loyalty for a partner. No, I have done nothing wrong to him. He is merely...asleep. However, it is an undeniable fact that there is no possible way he can help you right now," He took one menacing step, and I couldn't help taking a step back myself- his fist was still covered in the blood of my friend.
"I don't NEED his help!"
(Regicide Orchestral Medley)
Righteous anger lent me strength, and I flowed into a shunpo faster than I ever had before. If I didn't have mana to spare, then I'd just have to kill him while using the least amount possible, wouldn't I? A blade through the throat was too good for him!
With a yell, I cleared the distance between us in a heartbeat and swung my blade in a well practised arc-aiming right for where the jugular would be.
I expected the sound of metal breaking under my superior steel. I anticipated a squelch as my blade carved through bone and flesh. Instead a loud CLANG rung through the air. I had hit his neck, but failed to break through the metal. Hell, I wasn't even sure I had scratched that armour!
"That wasn't very nice, was it?" Almost casually, the masked murderer reached out and grabbed the blade of my Zanpakuto before I could pull back. I tried to tug it out of his hands, but his one hands grasp of my weapon was too strong, "I would say that you just tried to murder me, didn't you?"
"How dare you!" I hissed, shifting my weight to push forwards instead of pulling. I applied all my strength and more, willing my blade to press on and cut through metal and into hand instead.
"Perhaps I should break another thing of yours in retaliation," He mused, not even reacting to the sudden shift in my force, "Yes, that seems to be the right course of action."
Before I could demand what he meant, his grip of my weapon increased. Then the oddest thing happened. My blade began to vibrate slightly in my hands, and an almighty screech came from my weapon. Right before my eyes, my Zanpakuto, a facet of my very soul, began to crack.
In an instant, I had dispelled my sword and was already moving to dodge. Mask didn't care for the fact that he no longer had a focus for his attack, and instead pursued me. However, there was nowhere to flee. The garden was an enclosed area, and I was already close to the wall.
Reiryoku gathered in my fist, and I prepared to fling a Shakkaho at the murderer-if only to buy time.
"Kido, eh? Let's see what you've learnt... ."
"Hado No 33: Shakkaho!" I declared, firing off the attack, then dashing left to try and circle round him. With the ease of experience, one bronze palm lashed out and swatted the spell aside like it was nothing.
"What a monster. He just ignored it!" At my will, my Zanpakuto returned to my hands. Luckily, the hairline fracture running through it had vanished.
"So... weak!" If I'd thought he was fast before, I was mistaken. I didn't even see the next fist slam into my chest.
"Gah!" I exclaimed, tumbling backwards and skidding across the soil. Only one person had hit me harder than that, and that had been Kenpachi Zaraki. This guy was tough-but I HAD to beat him!
"Ooof!" a foot encased in a silver boot slammed on top of me, pinning me to the floor and driving the rest of the air from my lungs. I tried to fight back, to put up some resistance, but... my body wasn't obeying my commands.
"Move! Move! Why aren't you moving!" I grit my teeth, and forced my muscles to move, but it was futile. It was like all my coordination had gone out the window, and all of my bodily functions had gone on strike. Even my tongue had abandoned me, leaving me unable to even voice my bitter hate. All I could do was spasm helplessly, at his mercy.
I hated it. I hated this. I hated him.
"Hear that...that, is the sound of golden silence," Murderer announced happily, "Even so, I truly regret having to do this. Unfortunately, you can hardly be taught a lesson if you won't listen."
A lesson...a LESSON!
"You should have known better than to get anywhere near me. You should have realised that physical contact with me is the worst idea possible. Even if you didn't know, you should have at least figured it out after I cracked your blade," He knelt down, to look me dead in the eye. His face was only a foot or so away from mine, and I could hear every unnatural breath he took, "I'm disappointed in you. I really am."
"Ffu... ckya... oo... ," I spat out, trying to wrestle some semblance of control from this body of mine.
"Now this is just getting pathetic," He shook his head, then rose. The boot on me was released, and I gave a sigh of relief despite myself as my body regained control, but this relief was short lived as he kicked me instead.
"I should just put you out of your misery... ."
"N-never!" I announced, "I won't die to you!"
"You misunderstand. I don't want your life," He explained, sounding outraged at the idea, "No, no, no, no, no! Not your life. Not that. There is so much more to do first. And too many other things of yours to break."
I paled, "No..."
"Indeed!" He happily exclaimed. "You and me will be getting to know one another quite well, though in truth I already know tonnes about you. Today is only the start-the first point on a circle, as it were. I killed the smiley one today, but there are still others that I can kill."
"I won't... let you!" Panic and terror fueled my movements this time. He had killed Mika, subdued Javan, put me at his mercy and was now suggesting that he was going to do this again. No. I couldn't accept that. I didn't know who he was, why he had done this, or why he was here and targeting me. There was only thing that mattered- I was too stubborn to let him kill again. I didn't know who he was (I couldn't possibly have), but I was still going to kill him.
I forced my body into another Shunpo, using the speed it gave me to push off the ground and leap high instead. From above, I cast quickly, knowing that I couldn't possibly say a single incantation in this fight- there would be no time to do so. "Hado No 54: Haien!"
This was not the OP version I used against the Menos Grande. It wasn't a full powered one either, as without the chant I could manage only half strength at best. But it was the best I had.
A flick of my wrist and I was sending the deadly projectile straight at the centre of his mass, then following through by projecting a yellow energy whip with my other hand. I didn't even need the name to use Bakudo No 4: Hainawa (Crawling Rope).
The whip shot forwards like a snake, and latched round the fist currently moving to intersect the fireball. A sharp tug, and the arm was pulled aside letting the powerful Kido spell carry on unmolested.
"With this, I'll blast through the armour, then follow through with the finisher."
At my will, I sped up my descent and summoned my Zanpakuto to the hand that had fired the Haien, while the other maintained the rope.
The fireball struck the masked murderer, releasing a massive burst of smoke which obscured my vision. Trusting in my casting power, I roared, and aimed to plunge my Zanpakuto straight through his heart.
Crash!
It seemed to happen in slow motion for me. The murderer did nothing more than touch the rope with one finger, and it shattered. Certainly the fireball had struck him, doing its job, but it failed to burn through. I had overcommitted to running the bastard through, and my body was in motion, so I couldn't turn away now, as gravity was acting on me too.
My blade struck the unbroken plate, and failed to pierce. Then, as I finished my descent a hand lashed out and grasped my throat.
"Gurgh!" I spluttered, as he held me there. Again, I felt my body give up under his touch.
"This is so unfair! And bullshit! How is he just ignoring EVERYTHING, and stopping me with just a touch?"
"I told you that getting into contact with me was bad. Full stop," He reminded helpfully, "I said I would put you out of your misery, and I shall. It's no fun if you don't even know how I'm wrecking you, after all!"
I merely flailed in response.
"Just make sure you remember this time, eh?" an exaggerated gesture and I was thrown aside, crashing into the adjacent wall. This time I didn't get up.
It shamed me to say it, but... he was stronger than me. I had just thrown my strongest spell at him, and he'd ignored it. And as much as I hated to say it, as much as I hated letting the BASTARD live a moment longer... I just couldn't do it.
"I'm too weak to kill him."
And if he was going to explain his powers like a fucking moron, I was going to listen before I got back to my feet and tried to murder him again.
"Finally a willing student, Marc? Very well then," He clasped his hands together, "Sensei shall teach you then. Watch carefully," He carefully placed a single hand on the wall, and then under his attention the wall seemed to ripple, before the point on the wall he touched seemed to just fall apart, "Do you see?"
"No. I damn well don't."
"Ahh! Stupid Marc-kun!"
…I hate his tone so much, and the way he addressed the friend of the girl he just murdered even more so.
"My power is very simple. It's to Disrupt," The way he said it was important, it was like the very existence of what he said had weight. I could hear the capitalisation, "Do you know what disruption is?"
"Interrupting someone or something?" I dutifully answered.
"Yeah, but its more than that. Another definition is this: to break apart or alter so as to prevent normal or expected functions."
I processed his words, and then it clicked. His power was to disrupt anything.
"Ten points to Ravenclaw!" Announced the man happily after he saw my expression of understanding, "It doesn't matter what it is, whether it be conceptual or literal, I can disrupt it. I can make it stop working, impede its ability to function, cause it to stop- all that and more. Today I disrupted the connection between yourself and your little tenant, effectively severing the bond for awhile. Then I shoved my hand into your girlfriend's body and disrupted the chemical bonds in the atoms that made her chest, breaking her body down into its base elements. A painful way to die, might I add."
"You disrupted my Kido spell," I accused, "You broke it apart prematurely before it hit me."
"Exactamondo!" Mask exclaimed, "You seem to be getting it now. While I can disrupt at range, I do tend to do my best and most complicated or powerful work through direct physical connection to my Conduit. Hell, as long as it comes to Disruption, there's nothing I can't do. With a single touch, I can disrupt your entire nervous system. You don't even want to know the bullshit I can do when I start messing around with Space, boundaries and connections between-"
Mask's monologue was suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice. "-wait at the far heavens. Hado No 73: Sore Sokatsui (Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down)."
Then, Mask promptly shut up as a wall of blue energy wider and thicker than he was tall crashed through the wall and slammed into the bloody knight like a freight runner.
"A-Aizen?" I asked, almost in disbelief.
"Hello, Marcus. There will be time for talk later." The turncoat Captain said as he walked through the hole in the wall he had made. He looked...dare I say it? He looked angry.
"Oh my, the wonderful Captain Aizen graces me with his presence," Across from Aizen, a hole had been made where Mask had been sent through, but now he clambered through the wall irritably, brushing dust off his shoulders as if he hadn't just been hit with a level 73 Kido head on.
"I don't know who you are. I don't care. I heard enough to know what's important. You came to this school and murdered a student, then psychologically tortured one of my Division members." Aizen coolly drew his Zanpakuto, "Please surrender, or I will cut you down."
…is it a bad thing that I was actually kinda happy that Aizen was here now?
"M-Marc!" Another voice exclaimed. I drew my attention away from the two powerful figures facing each other down, and forced myself to look beyond Aizen. Standing there, in total shock, were people I really wish hadn't come.
"Kasumi?" What the hell was SHE doing here? And... shit. She brought the others.
"Marcus!" Exclaimed Akimi as she strolled forwards. "I demand to know what is going-"
She stopped suddenly, as she had just seen the corpse. "Oh my."
She kept her composure and avoided throwing up, but barely. Daichi wasn't so lucky.
"You shouldn't have come," I told them sadly, "She...she's dead."
"It appears the peanut gallery is here too!" Mask said happily, "I must admit, I didn't see this coming. How glorious! Aizen's appearance was a shock, but having you lot here is just too good!"
"N-no. You're Wrong. I can tell. You're just Wrong," Kasumi muttered, as she looked at the masked man.
"That I am," He nodded, seemingly agreeing with her assessment.
"Are you ignoring me?" Asked Aizen harshly, swinging his sword so fast I could barely see him move. This time when the knight blocked with his forearms, the material cracked.
"No. I'll get to you soon," Then, he leapt back to clear space for himself.
"Get back here!" I spat, getting to my feet and preparing to chase after him. There were reinforcements now, and I knew now more than ever how powerful my enemy was, but I didn't care. He had killed Mika, and even if he could survive Aizen, I was going to make him suffer even if it killed me!
"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon)."
I shut my eyes, expecting an illusion, but instead heard a surprised "What?"
"Oh, weren't you listening to my speech?" Asked Mask nonchalantly, "I thought I'd been disrupting the sense of sound and spiritual pressure in the area, but you still figured out something was wrong. So let me ask YOU why your release didn't work."
"I assume its to do with your Disruption based ability. You...you disrupted my Zanpakuto's spirits connection to me, didn't you?" Concluded Aizen. At hearing this, I opened my eyes. He was lightly frowning, "That is a dangerous ability to have."
"Pretty much," He shrugged.
"You won't get away with this," Warned Aizen. "The alert has been given. All the other Captains left the Academy hours ago, but at my call others will soon arrive. And when they do... ."
"Death, containment, capture! Whatever. Do your worst," Mask didn't seem to care that much. He gave the 'come at me bro' hand gesture, but Aizen didn't fall for the taunt.
"Still, it's a shame you arrived when you did, Aizen. I'd almost gotten to the good bit," The knight sighed sadly, "I suppose that I have to skip to the cliff-notes," His head rotated slightly, and I could tell that he was looking at me, "Marcus, I have a message for you. A warning. I recommend you remember this. It begins at the end, yet it ends when it begins. A circle has no end or beginning, but still you must break-"
"You said a warning. Not a riddle," I interrupted, unwilling to hear any more of his cryptic bullshit.
I could somehow tell he was frowning from inside that spherical mask, "How rude. You want a warning? Fine. I'll give you one. I'm going to kill them," A casual gesture to my friends, still watching the scene unfold in shock, "They're going to die. One by one. And there's nothing you can do to stop me. My riddle had all sorts of cryptic clues to lead you to me, but since you don't want it, too bad for you. Maybe next time. Instead dwell on the fact that I murdered Mika and there is nothing you can do about it, and when I so choose to do so I will kill again."
"No you won't. I won't let you," I narrowed my eyes, "I'm gonna kill you. I don't care how, or what it takes to do so, but I will. No matter how long it takes. At the moment I'm too weak, but I'll grow stronger. When you try to kill one of MY friends again, I'll be ready and waiting to watch you bleed to death."
"Your friends," he spat, "What a foolish reason to fight. Friends. Let me give you another warning, Marc. Those people you put your faith are nothing but liars; you can't trust anybody. Not your allies, your mentors, your partner, or even yourself. Because you know nothing. What I say now is the truth, so believe me when I say that one among your friends is lying to you, and holds a secret that can and will change everything. Meanwhile, a second person you call comrade holds the key to unravelling every mystery, but that person will never reveal the truth."
"I don't believe you," I told him simply.
"Think what you will. Someday you'll know better, and when you do, I hope you remember that I told you all this," He inclined his head and gave a gentlemanly bow, "Now, I do believe I have outstayed my welcome. Got things to do, plots to make, bloodstains to clean off."
"You won't be going anywhere," Announced Aizen.
Mask snorted, as if Aizen's words were amusing.
"Wait!" Called out Akimi. While I hadn't been paying attention to her, she had clearly begun crying at some point, as tears now dripped down her face, "Who are you!? And why did you kill Mika!?"
"Who am I?" He pointed to himself, "If you do not recall, then I shall tell you," I could feel that he was addressing me at this point, "I am the crimson knight. I am the one who will kill all your friends with a smile on his face. I am he who knows the truth, and holds all the answers. I'm an unknown- not supposed to exist. I am the guy that will be there at the end. I'm the finale, the conclusion and the curtain-call all rolled up into one."
He widened his, stance opening his arms wide as if a preacher in a church, "Hell, I am the end. Your end. So if you want to surpass me, then remember this name and etch onto your very soul! I am the inevitable, the resolution, the ending, the last, the Z! I. Am. Omega!"
His form relaxed, and he pulled is arms back to his side, "And I killed her just because I could."
Then, before anyone could respond, he stomped his foot. As he did so, the world itself seemed to ripple.
I recalled something he said earlier- 'You don't even want to know the bullshit I can do when I start messing around with Space, boundaries and connections'.
"Aizen! Quick!" I shouted. The Captain was already in motion, having Shunpoed behind Omega and cleaved his blade in a swift downwards stroke.
It was too late though. Omega had already done what I had suspected he was going to, and had done something. Disrupting the space around him, perhaps? Either way, the space he had occupied was now empty, and the masked murderer was gone.
"Omega," I said the name, rolling it around on the tip of my tongue. So that was who I was going to have to surpass. Who I was going to brutally kill for murdering-
"Mika," I collapsed to my knees. And again I felt the bile rise, but I pushed it down. I looked to the side, to see Mika's form. She'd been thrown around in the fight, but she was still intact, and still dead. I'd suppressed my sadness in favour of anger to try and avenge her, but I'd failed.
Only now that the killer was beyond my reach, and that my friends were here, could I allow the sorrow to return.
I shut my eyes, clenched my firsts, and finally allowed the tears to flow.
Warmth. Comfort. Sympathy. A pair of arms wrapped around me, as the form of someone crouched down behind me and embraced me.
"I'm sorry." Whispered Kasumi, her own voice dripping with emotion.
I merely sniffed pitifully, but didn't open my eyes or respond otherwise. I didn't want to know what my friends looked like right now, nor did I want to see or consider what Aizen thought of the scene.
No. For now I wanted to mourn. Because everything has changed. A turning point had been reached. A point of no return.
XXXXXXXXXX
It was wrong. It was all Wrong.
The Error... it was impossible!
Fate had faced many threats, big and small. Errors both vast and insignificant had fallen to her hands, yet patterns always existed. Patterns that were followed. She could predict the strength of an Error, yet clearly she had miscalculated because something had gone horribly wrong.
One day the Error was perfectly normal, then the next it was Wrong!
First the New Error appeared out of nowhere, and with its appearance came all these bugs. It was far greater and more damaging than almost any she had come across in a long, long time. Its real problem, though, was the Divergence it inspired in others.
For the insignificant Error was no longer insignificant. It had been a stubborn one, yet easily manageable. Yet, now this was not the case. Because something had changed, been broken, shattered, altered and unleashed.
It was as if the Errors potential had infinitely multiplied. An Error atop an Error atop an Error atop an Error atop an Error atop an Error atop an Error atop an Error atop an Error atop an Error atop an Error atop an Error atop an Error atop an Error atop an Error atop an Error atop an Error on top of another Error, its own weight indefinitely reinforcing itself.
Over and over and over, overlapping again and again and again, adding upon itself and increasing and increasing and increasing- there was...no way that Error could have become this Wrong seemingly overnight.
It was all the New Error's fault! Before it appeared, this had been only an average world. Now, the potential for Errors had increased, and that Error was slowly spreading. Even the original Error here had been edited, and eventually Fate would have no control over anything.
And then the chosen path would be lost.
Fate could not allow this, for such was the nature of an entity like her- stubborn.
She had found a new target to focus her attention on- the New Error would die. Then the no-longer insignificant Error, and then the Original, for no allowances could be made, no matter her desire to see it live. For a threat this large, no mercy could exist.
It was time to pull out the big guns. It was time to get serious. It was time to send in her Agents.
AN- Well, sorry about that chapter guys. A bit fillery, but sometimes that happens, neh? Here's hoping next chapter we can get the plot train moving. Until then, Undying Soul out.
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Okay, I lied. It wasn't filler, and this AN isn't over. Though I WAS tempted to end on that last mini AN. Would have been HILARIOUS to read the reviews to an ending like that. Then again, I'm a Troll, but not that bad. I wouldn't leave you hanging with no answers.
Though seriously, this chapter. For one thing, I offed Mika. Love or hate OC's, she was definitely one of the ones I had written to ave the most development... and then I RUTHLESSLY KILLED HER OFF! Because I'm evil like that. Also, plot. I didn't just decide to kill her as a misplaced way to add tension to the scene or build my villain up- from Mika's very conception she was destined for the chopping block. If it makes you feel any better, my friendly and hard working beta reader MIGHT also be a little... upset... with me killing off Mika and shoving in Omega (*looks round shadily* he's just upset 'cause his OTP was utterly destroyed). While we're on that topic of her death, lets discuss the real issue I'm sure most of you readers have: Omega.
Hoo boy. What a guy. Yes, I shoved in another OC, and he appears out of literally nowhere and wrecks shit. And yeah, he's OP, but will not be nerfed. Every complaint you will no doubt have about him I have pre-emptively considered and am perfectly aware of. Readers of a New Reaper likely noticed who Omega was based on, and what sort of role he played. Suffice to say, he is a very different kettle of fish, though parallels exist. Newer readers, I must also ask you to hold your reservations. I've said from the start that you readers don't read a fanfic to see new original characters, but instead to see canon characters in new situations, so I get why this development pisses people off. The SI genre is different though- it's more of a story of the advancement and development of the SI.
UWB is no different. I know that my focus on OC's is unpopular, but that is why I spent so much time developing them. This arc was only so big to allow that basic characterisation- I wanted you to care for them as their own characters. So no, this won't be a pure original story, but it does have a lot of original content. Canon is very much in play and Marc WILL be jumping in and out of events and changing stuff, but for the most part that's Ichigo's story- this is MARCUS'. So the OC element will still play a large role, and Omega and other stuff will factor in a lot to Marcus' growth, but there will also be just as much glorious canon content I will explore.
So just address this, there IS a good reason Omega exists, and the lack of information I've given is deliberate. He's part of the Myth Arc- 'who is Omega' will be a very important question, one I will hint at and that can be figured out, but that I won't directly reveal for many chapters to come. And NO, before anybody says it, he is not a Gary Stu. Every complaint you will have for him I have considered before hand and am aware of, so for now, trust in the author. I KNOW you won't be satisfied with Omega, and might feel that he appeared out of nowhere, but that was kinda the point. Even FATE has no clue what Omega is doing in this fic. As you read though... eventually when the pieces starting to come together, it will all make sense, and it will (Hopefully) be GLORIOUS.
Either way, next chapter we'll start the next Arc- the Transition Arc, where Marc settles into being a proper Shinigami, and starts taking those vital lessons in Badass. Now I'm off to sleep, eat, and revise- maybe not in that order. Because, y'know, I'm literally in the middle of exam season. Leave a review if you want- it'd be helpful, and might alleviate the axe-crazy George R.R. Martin disciple within me. Undying Soul out.