Chapter 3
"Sir, please. I insist you wait to be announced," stated the butler that had allowed him entrance, blocking the way to the stairs.
"This. Can't. Wait." he stated, brushing him off and heading up the stairs to where the council room was held. Upon reaching them, he didn't bother knocking, just barged in unannounced. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, staying in the doorway.
"Ah, Matthew. So glad you could join us," answered a voice from the head of the table in the room. He was of average height but bent over in age, a long white beard adorned his face, flowing over the robes that marked him an elder. "I assume you have seen the papers, then?"
The man, Matthew, growled out, "Yes."
"Good, than you are willing to cooperate, yes?"
"What part of this could I agree to? You've already taken one son from me. I will not let you take my other son too!" shouted Matthew. With that said he turned to leave, not even pausing to hear the murmuring of the other council members.
"What is the meaning of this, Yamamoto? What is he talking about? What papers?" asked a woman, sitting to his right. She was above average height with long black braided hair underneath her chin. Her piercing eyes were glued on their leaders form.
"Ah, Yama-ji. I thought his son, Hiro was it, was dead?" asked a man with a woman's kimono over his shihakusho and haori. The white haired man next to him nodded his head in agreement.
"Hahaha," laughed a man across the table. He face was covered in white make-up; an odd looking hat covered his head.
"Kurotsuchi, do you know anything about this?" asked a man with long black hair who was sitting across from the woman. Everyone's attention slipped from Yamamoto to Kurotsuchi.
"Hmmf. Of course, I was the one who suggested it after all," he announced with a flip of his hand. "You couldn't possibly understand it, Kuchiki."
"That is enough. What matters now is that we take care of Matthew's betrayal," announced Yamamoto.
"We are not through!" growled the youngest of them all. He had short, spiky white hair and turquoise eyes. "What is going on?" he demanded.
"Toshiro-kun's right," answered the man with long white hair, Ukitake. "The council works as a whole, not as separate entities. If something is happening then we all must know the details and come to a decision together."
"I agree with Ukitake," stated Kuckiki. This got murmured agreements from everyone in the room except Kurotsuchi and Yamamoto.
"Kurotsuchi," stated Yamamoto, glancing at the man.
"HAHAHA!" was the last thing they heard before they all fell unconscious.
Resounding groans rang throughout the room as its occupant's regained conscious. "What happened?" muttered Toshiro.
"Kurotsuchi…" growled a man with spiky hair and an eye patch over one eye, Zaraki.
"We must warn Matthew," said Ukitake.
"Yes, before it is too late," agreed Kuchiki.
"What about his other son?" asked a man with messy brown hair and glasses.
"We must find and warn him too, Aizen," answered the woman with the braid.
"Ah, Unohana-san, but how do we find him?" asked a man with silver hair next to Aizen.
"Hello? Yes…Yes…Okay thank you Szayel," finished Aizen. "It seems, Shiki, is in Karakura."
"How…?" asked Ukitake.
Aizen smiled as he answered, "I had a feeling something was going to happen when Matthew arrived out of nowhere, so I called Szayel. He was listening the whole time."
"Good, let's go," muttered Zaraki.
"Yes, after we gather our squads."
2 Hours Later
"God dammit!" shouted Matthew, kicking the wall in rage before he calmed down enough to realize that if he didn't do anything he would lose his other son too. "First Hiro…now Shiki…dammit…"
Knock. Knock.
"Who is it?" asked Matthew after clearing his throat.
"Messengers," came an emotionless reply back. Tensing in anticipation, he got up and opened the door, prepared for anything, except what was on the other side of the door. "Y-you guys are…Aizen? What the hell is going on?" muttered Matthew, ignoring the two men on the other side of the threshold.
"Excuse us, but can you come with us? We have located your son," announced the same man that had answered earlier.
"Shi…ki?"
"Yes," growled the raven haired man's companion.
"Alright."
"You sure this is the place?" asked Abarai for the tenth time since they had arrived at the college dorms.
"Yes," growled Kuchiki, deciding that it would be a good idea to not pound the idiot into the ground, seeing as they were on the fourth floor. "Now knock for crying out loud!"
"Alright, alright…shesh," muttered Abarai. Knock, knock.
"…"
"Hello?" called Abarai. "Huh, maybe he's not ho-"
"What?" came a scratchy voice from the doorway.
"Um…You're Shiki, right?" asked Kuchiki.
"…yeah. Who're you?" Shiki asked, narrowing his eyes at the two.
"Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji," the small raven haired girl replied.
Shiki's expression darkened at hearing their full names, "what do you want?"
"Can you come with us? We have reason to believe your life is in danger," stated Kuchiki.
"Hmmf, I can take care of myself. Now get lost," muttered Shiki before slamming the door in their faces.
"Hello? Brother? He refused to come with us…Yes…Yes, goodbye," muttered Rukia.
"So?"
"We're to watch over him."
"Alright."
After Shiki closed the door on his two "guests" he turned towards his front room where all of his things lay, waiting to be moved. He glanced to his left, "I can't believe you convinced me to do this…" he muttered in half amusement.
"What kind of friend would I be if I hadn't?" chirped Ashley. "C'mon, let's go."
"Right," replied Shiki slinging a bag over his shoulder, grabbing a box just as Ashley did. "Let's get out of here."