Chapter 5: Prisoners of War
Meanwhile, as the Gotei 13 attempted to stabilise the situation in relative safety, it looked really bleak elsewhere. With Hueco Mundo annexed, the Captains were in a tizzy about this whole war. The majority of Shinigami in the Gotei died, only the most proficient were capable of survival. Everyone needed to face the reality: They were severely outnumbered and right now losing the war.
Outside of their knowledge, it was not only Hueco Mundo that the Vandenreich had annexed…
The sound of water drops echoed on the ground. It was chilling. Very chilling. A low moan sounded, and the individual was unaware. Someone touched him with the palm of a hand. The hand was as chilling as the atmosphere.
"He's unconscious." a sly voice stated, reeking disappointment.
"Shhh, be quiet!" another, much older sounding voice scowled. "If they spot us, it's all over!"
"My apologies, Giriko." whispered the sly one and turned his gaze to the unconscious young man beneath him. He sighed. It took Giriko and him so long to find this person. He died back then. And so did Giriko.
If you had been in my shoes, would the outcome have been different? Tell me, Ichigo…
The unconscious one gritted his teeth as he mumbled "Ichigo" over and over again, catching the two mens' attention. They could only pity their fallen comrade.
"Will he remember?" the man known as Giriko asked, earning a shrug as a response.
"Ginjou, wake up…" said the young man, barely audible. Giriko got up and fetched some water and threw it on the one called Ginjou's face. He wondered just what happened to him ever since he had died against Kurosaki Ichigo. He shook his head and turned away.
Ginjou opened his eyes slowly. His vision was blurry and washed away, but he could recognize the features of the person looming over him. Then, his vision became clearer and clearer.
"Are you awake, Ginjou?" he was greeted by the sly, but worried tone of his comrade.
"Tsukishima…" Ginjou recognized his voice. "Are we…"
"Yes." Tsukishima confirmed. "We are dead." Dead? Ginjou rose abruptly.
"We're in Soul Society…" he gasped, astonished, and looked back to his comrades.
"Rukongai, to be exact." added Giriko. "We're in the Inuzuri district from what I've been told."
"What about the others?"
"The others are alive and well. Otherwise they would have ended up here too." Tsukishima looked down. Giriko did not look at Ginjou. He became nervous.
"Oi, what's with the weird faces?" he asked. They didn't answer him. Slowly, Ginjou got up and wanted to walk around, but he was promptly seated back down by force.
"Hey, what the fuck-"
"Quiet, Ginjou, or they will see us!" gritted Tsukishima while Giriko assisted him with keeping Ginjou in place.
"Why are you making such a fuss about nothin'? Everything's alright-" He looked past the corridor. What Ginjou saw was not pretty. There we people in white uniforms dragging the Rukongai folk around. Ginjou was able to see their reiatsu.
"What the hell…?"
"Their reiatsu is being sucked out." Tsukishima said. "We are the only ones who not yet spotted."
"Who are these types?" Ginjou inquired. He couldn't believe what he had just seen.
"We don't know." Giriko answered. "What we do know, however, is that it is no good. We need to leave Rukongai."
"Why would these types suck out reiatsu from Rukongai people?" Ginjou looked at Tsukishima. "Come to think of it, how were you able to remain undetected up until now?" Tsukishima grinned and touched the hilt of his sword.
"Ah." made Ginjou. "You used Book of the End, didn't you?" Tsukishima nodded.
"So we can still use our Fullbrings?" Nods. "Then why are we waiting like some sissies here? Let's fight our way through!"
"We tried. But Book of the End only worked for a short time interval. It got reiatsu crushed." Tsukishima explained and looked at Giriko. "Giriko was able to alter the soldiers' perception of time and surroundings with Time Tells No Lies. This is how we are able to go undetected." Giriko nodded.
"What Tsukishima is trying to say is this: If you use Cross of Scaffold, it will get absorbed as Fullbring is made out of reiatsu."
Ginjou lowered his head and growled out of frustration. "Then what do we do?" Another growl. "Who would be able to absorb reiatsu at high quantities such as these?"
"We don't know."
Tsukishima suddenly sensed a high-level reiatsu approaching their area. "Come Ginjou, we need to run!" The three Fullbringers arose quickly and ran away.
"Found you." said a grinning voice. They halted. "Where.-"
"Over here."
The Fullbringers looked up in the air and spotted a soldier standing on top of the nearest roof from them.
"You thought you would be able to escape us, eh?" asked the soldier. "How naïve."
"Quick, Giriko, use Time Tells No Lies!" Ginjou growled, turning to the elder man. He nodded and swung his watch in the soldier's direction repeatedly. "You need to alter his perception of-"
"…time?" the soldier breathed, appearing behind the Fullbringers. Ginjou couldn't believe it.
"When did you-"
"Unlike the other soldiers you have fought, Fullbring is nothing new to me." He impaled Giriko with his bare hand, causing him to throw up blood. He fell down like an animal that fell prey to a hunter. Ginjou and Tsukishima were speechless. Blood was oozing from Giriko and his figure became pale. The soldier who laughed like a maniac, Giriko's blood staining his otherwise flawless face, interrupted that horrifying scene.
"Who are you…" Ginjou scowled darkly, holding tightly on his Fullbring ability.
"I am a soldier of the Vandenreich's Totenkopf Armee" the soldier introduced himself, "Oleg Van Linkin." He shot an arrow at the two Fullbringers. They dodged immediately and before they knew it, they were engaged in a cat-and-mouse hunt, getting arrows shot at them.
"Those arrows" Ginjou noted. "I have seen them before." He glared deeply into Oleg's eyes. "You are a Quincy, aren't you?" Oleg smiled.
"My, of course, Fullbringer. And I presume you're Kuugo Ginjou, the former Substitute Shinigami that got killed by Kurosaki Ichigo, hm?" He then pointed at Tsukishima. "And you… you are Tsukishima Shukurou, his partner and comrade. Right?"
"How do you know that?" Ginjou inquired quietly, yet his voice was very threatening. "And what's your business with Ichigo!?" Tsukishima sighed. Whenever the name 'Ichigo' was uttered, Ginjou would get angry. It was Ichigo who killed him after all, and he himself? He died shortly later from his wounds that this pompous noble Captain had inflicted on him.
"It appears you Fullbringers were close to Kurosaki Ichigo." Oleg said. "Kurosaki Ichigo has been captured due being relevant to His Majesty Juha Bach's interests."
"Juha… Bach?" Ginjou repeated.
"You have been a Substitute Shinigami and you don't know who Lord Juha Bach is? How disappointing." scolded Oleg. "You and your comrades are nothing but amateurs."
"Shit…" Ginjou cursed and looked at Tsukishima.
"Ginjou… use it." the sly Fullbringer instructed. "It will cause enough commotion to allow us to escape."
"Cross of Scaffold?" Tsukishima shook his head. "Your other ability." Now Ginjou got it. He grinned. "Ah, I see."
"Cross of Scaffold."
A large claymore formed from Ginjou's armband, in its center being a circle with a bolded 'X' on it.
"Welcome… to our XCution, Quincy." he said darkly.
Hinamori held her breath as her beloved Captain Aizen, slowly but gracefully, entered the chamber; his pace was deliberate. She had no idea that someone could look so graceful and majestic.
Aizen approached the centre of the floor facing a cacophony of hisses, chants and boos from members of the council.
"Insolent!"
"How dare he put his name forward!"
"Has Captain Kyoraku gone insane!?"
Those and many others were the angry chants Aizen had to face, but he held his composure and took all of it in as he reached his destination. Shunsui stepped a few paces back to allow Aizen the space he needed to deliver his speech…
"Distinguished members of the Central 46! I, Aizen Sousuke, stand before you today for one reason, and one reason only!"
The noise died down, partially due to surprise, by the intonation of Aizen's voice, partly because they needed to satiate their curiosity.
"Thank you." he said as he bowed down a little. His voice was full of sarcasm.
"Like I said, I stand before you for one reason only. I stand before you to solve your problems. I find this only appropriate, because I am a problem solver and you have a big problem that needs solving."
"What problem are you talking about!"
"The only problem we have is you!"
The voices started up again. Aizen stared coldly in the direction of the speakers and then continued to speak.
"But I am no longer a problem for Soul Society. The Vandenreich are." Aizen cringed a little as he uttered the name of his arch-enemy's army. "At one time, Soul Society was a place of fear for our enemies. Whether they be Quincy, Hollow or even Bount, they all feared our presence. They would never have dared to infiltrate Soul Society, let alone invade her."
He slowly walked towards the Chairman of the Central 46 whilst continuing his speech. "But now, in the space of a hundred years, we have been invaded numerous times by all of our enemies. The Bount invaded us, and caused chaos within the Seiretei before they were extinguished. Arrancar as well as ordinary Hollows became bolder, and started to challenge us everywhere we can be seen."
The Captains said nothing, as did the Central 46. They all knew Aizen's words were the truth. "However", he issued a quick glance to the Captains standing behind him, "those are not the worst. Recently, as you all know, an enemy we thought eliminated invaded us. The Vandenreich. Quincy. They invade Soul Society undetected not only once but twice, and the casualties they cause are massive. Shinigami dead, Seated Officers and Vice-Captains dead and wounded, and Captains gravely wounded." The Captains struggled to keep composure when thinking about the lost ones from their squads.
"The worst that comes of it" Aizen continued while Shunsui, Unohana and Ukitake lowered their heads, sensing what is about to come, "is that our Captain-Commander, Shigekuni Genryuusai Yamamoto-dono, is killed by the leader of the Vandenreich, Juha Bach." Shunsui gritted his teeth and clenched his fists since he held Yama-jii the dearest of them all. Unohana subtly placed her hand on his shoulder for comfort.
"We lost an important part of Soul Society, of our history. Then, they are allowed to leave unpunished, and even leave a garrison behind to keep, watch and harass as they see fit. Answer me this, why has this been allowed to happen…?" Aizen paused, giving the council as well as the Captains time to respond if they wanted. His gestures were met with silence.
"….I'll tell you why! We have become weak. The hard shell that Soul Society once was has become a soft underbelly. An underbelly that can be kicked at any time. You are all weak. You depend on too many external factors. Tell me, where is Kurosaki Ichigo? Where is Urahara Kisuke? Where are the much vaunted Royal Guard? These people are supposed to be the most exceptional former Captains of our previous generations, having blessed Soul Society with their greatest of inventions and discoveries. Yet they only care what's going on within the Royal Realm." His powerful words were met with silence. No one, neither from the Captains nor the council, stepped forward to rebuke Aizen's arguments. They simply couldn't.
"Councilmen of the Central 46, Captains of the Gotei 13: It is time we defend ourselves. It is time we stand up and retaliate to those that did us a grave wrong. Outside of Seiretei's very walls lies a garrison of Vandenreich soldiers. They sit in Rukongai, terrorising and farming the reiatsu of those who live there, whilst they mock us, sitting here passive. I will take those loyal to me, and my squad, and we will cleanse Soul Society from their presence before we launch an invasion of Hueco Mundo…"
Aizen's audience gasped. The Captains and Vice-Captains could not believe what they just heard.
"An invasion of Hueco Mundo, are you mad!?"
Shunsui quickly rushed to him. "Aizen, we have no means to carry out such a big invasion! The risk is too big for our side!" Shunsui's concerns were met with a knowing grin.
"Captain Kyoraku, in times like these we need a mad man. Risks need to be taken in war. There is no use sitting here and doing nothing. Their power base is located in Hueco Mundo and we will destroy them." He looked over to the councilmen. "Grant me the authority over the forces of the Seiretei, the Gotei 13. I will utterly eliminate the Vandenreich, no matter who may be within their ranks. And if you don't then I will lead my forces into battle, and save our home."
Aizen looked over to a certain purple-haired young woman who wore the badge of the fifth division. "Hinamori-kun." Aizen spoke. She shrugged a little, followed by a nod. "Come over here." And she obeyed. She walked and stood beside her Captain Aizen.
"You should thank this brave young woman, Captains of the Gotei 13 and councilmen of the Central 46" his voice intonated once more. "Hinamori Momo of the fifth division has made your salvation possible." He looked over to Shunsui. "I also want to thank Captain Kyoraku Shunsui for his efforts to make my nomination possible."
The other Captains barked. Why in the world would Shunsui throw away his nomination for a condemned traitor? Why? Why would he betray Yamamoto like that? Only Unohana and Ukitake remained calm and neutral.
"Why would a traitor and someone who wanted to destroy Soul Society and the fabric of our existence go this far!?"
Aizen smiled, insidiously, then he laughed. He laughed for a long time, until there was again, complete silence. Then he looked directly at the councilman who addressed him with this question.
"Why, it is very simple, Councilman Shiron…"
Beads of sweat formed across the forehead of Shiron, and pulled his head back. Although Aizen could not see his eyes and face, he felt like he was being stared right through.
"…An enemy of your enemy is your friend."
Aizen stopped for a second, and then he turned away from the council, and proceeded to leave the dumbfounded room.
"Do you see them?"
"Yes, Nee-san."
"What do we do?"
A laugh. The person, clearly a female, looked at her companion.
"Attack them, Ganju."
to be continued
sangokitty: The difficulties for poor Momo and Sousuke are just beginning! Stay tuned to learn how she will master the new role that she will soon get.
kamji: Big chance that Aizen will succeed Yamamoto as Head-Captain :D
HubrisP: I have a few OCs planned out and will introduce them soon :D
Sorry for the late chapter.. Exams were killing me and I needed rest. I hope you liked the chapter and stay tuned for more!