Act 2.2

"I'm sorry but you have to."

The greasy haired clerk cowered at the very angry female in front of him; a blood vessel almost bulging at her temple. He had obviously given her bad news but he didn't understand why. To be offered a vice captaincy straight after being a student was a rare honour.

"What do you mean 'I have to'? I thought I had a choice?"

"You do! Did! The rules have temporarily changed," he nervously turned his attention to his paperwork trying to avoid looking into her disapproving eyes.

"Why?" she demanded

"Commander General Yamamoto-Genyrūsai has demanded the captains to have a second in command. So now if a captain has chosen a student straight from the academy as their vice captain and said student is qualified, they have no choice but to join the ranks."

"No choice at all?"

"Not unless they have been offered a position by another captain which they want to take. I'm sorry." The clerk cringed as the female final stormed out of the office.

The incredibly strong reiatsu charging the air around her with static sparks and making those in her path scatter. She was furious. How dare he? How dare he after the other night. It was a slap in the face; a slap in his face when she saw him again.

"I hate him!" she shouted as she threw open the screen door to the room she occupied with her friend.

"Who?" Rangiku as she tried to roll over with difficulty as her breasts created a barrier. She had been lying on her futon stuffing her face with another box of chocolates. "What's wrong, Nao?"

"That bloody lunatic has made me his vice captain." She paced up and down the room feeling queasy at the thought of working for a drunk.

"That's great!" her friend exclaimed finally rolling over a jumping up to give her a hug. "Which lunatic?"

"What's his name from 8th? I nearly blew him up the other night." That was one of the other many reasons she didn't want to be in his division. She suspected he maybe out to get his own back on her.

"O! Shunsui Kyōraku. He's a great guy."

"Any guy that can keep up with your drinking is great."

"So why don't you say 'no'?"

"I can't," she felt her shoulder which wear stiff as her back slump, "new rules. The initiation ceremony is tomorrow at noon. So now I have to pack," she pulled away from her friend and began pulling out the boxes under bed. She began the mournful task of packing. She felt guilty that she couldn't make herself happy. The problem of the pact between her friend was solved; she had become a vice captain and now her friend could take up one of the three offers of the same position in one of the other squads.

"She did what?"

"She blasted me with her kidō. Had a powerful kick to it. It'll heal though but it may leave a scar," rubbing the patch of bandage which covered the wound he had received the other night.

"Why did she do it? What did you do to her?" Jūshirō asked shocked that a student especially a female student had the guts to attack a captain.

"I admit, what I said was below the belt. I probably deserved it." He knew he shouldn't have said it to her but those were the first words which came to mind… he couldn't resist.

"And you're still making her your vice captain?"

"Yep," he replied airily trying to imagine how she would react to the news that the person she had attacked was employing into a highly respectable and responible position in the Gotei 13. A captain who she had obviously shown dislike towards.

"You're crazy. She'll refuse. Especially as she nearly blew a hole in you."

"She can't, new rules, thanks to Yamaji. She has to be my vice captain until I find someone better… which I won't," he said amusedly at the clause which the General had used in order to make sure his captains had seconds. In a sad way he really felt sorry for her.

"She's going to go crazy."

"She just needs to love my little quirks."

"So when is the initiation ceremony?"

"Tomorrow," he stated plainly

"That doesn't give her or you much time to prepare."

"Yare, yare, Jūshirō. Don't worry about such details," his friend was wrong it gave him plenty of time to prepare all the important details.

"So why did you employ her? Was it still to 'help your fellow captains'?"

"Yes. And because she is a rare unappreciated beauty. Who else is more qualified for such a task as I?"

"I'm worried that you will appreciate her too much," he gave a meaningful look to his friend.

"Jūshirō! What are you trying to imply?" he looked at his friend with a mixture of shock and hurt but he knew full well what his friend was trying to imply.

"Nothing. What time tomorrow?"

"Noon. Will you be coming?"

"Yes." There was no need to for him to be at another divisions initiation ceremony but he had a feeling he would be need for damage control. It was intuition and a greater knowledge of the 8th division captain than anyone else would.

: This chapter was short but it was more of a transition scene. More fun happens in the next 2 chapters. Thanks for the reviews. Next chapter will be posted tomorrow.