Would you Love me if you knew what I was?
Chapter Twenty-Two: What's your name? (Didn't know what the hell to title it)
Disclaimer: I don't own bleach nor do I claim to. But I call dibs on Yumi, Archer, and my other OC's! So, ha!
Here, things get tricky, but I'm skipping around so bear with me, ne?
Things get revealed in this chapter, I promise! Hehe, just wait and see for the shocking truth! Man, I should make trailers of this…lol
I just noticed something…
Yumi somewhat resembles Yuuki now (From vampire knight). Before, it was Riku (DNAngel). Oo, completely unknown until I decided makin' banners for WYLM again…
Listening to: Sky Chord (Bleach engine 18), Tsuji Shion
[1] reiryouku- Spiritual power; different from 'reiatsu'. It flows through Shinigami as a source. Hard to explain, but Shinigami have spiritual power that, when released, lets out reiatsu (Apparently spiritual pressure). Before, I didn't really know so I got everything messed up. I'll use these two terms from now on, or try to. Reiryouku is kinda long to spell...
[2] Honestly, I don't know what he was captain of, so I just made him the captain of that division. –sigh-
Seriously, I rushed on this... T-T It's not really as good as I wanted it but I'm pulling all nighters here. Sure, it doesn't look that way but...gah I'm just a bad writer. wah
Ignore my rant and enjoy!
Three captains gathered inside the laboratory that belonged to Captain Kurotsuchi as he casually brought up a hologram of a DNA strain in the middle of the unusually tidy room.
"Now, this is an average sample that belongs to that of mostly captain level Shinigami." He explained, "You can see that our reiryouku [1] flows freely through our systems while still at the same time very stable. However…"
Another hologram appeared beside it from the ground
"Our two specimens—"
"One specimen, Kurotsuchi-Taicho," corrected Hitsugaya with an icy glare at both Soi Fon and the scientist for making such an assumption about his subordinate.
"As I was saying, our specimens," he continued nonchalantly as if never hearing the younger captain, "they have a slightly different flow. Actually, it was an interesting find that this strain had been recorded many years ago, centuries if not thousands of years ago I believe. Does any of this ring a bell? I'll give you a hint; it involves an old wives tale."
Hitsugaya's eyes widened ever so slightly as he continued, "The war of the Demon's fall…"
"Precisely," Mayuri said, "But this wasn't just any tale. It was real. So real in fact…" his lips curved in an almost menacing grin, "I have a few private samples of my own."
Urahara looked up to the darkening sky. This motion would seldom ever bring attention to any passerby. However, whoever knew him well enough could see that it was a very rare moment. The reason?
His hat was off.
"Oi, Urahara," spoke a male voice coming up from behind. The shopkeeper turned around to see the ex-captain of the eleventh division, Kurosaki Isshin [2]. "Has hell frozen over or did I just see you take your hat off?"
He let out an almost broken-hearted chuckle, "Probably. We could never tell, Kurosaki-san."
"It's that time of year again, isn't it," Isshin sighed and pat Urahara on his shoulder, "Man, lighten up! I'm sure she was going to find out somehow or another. Giving that serum now was the safest way—,"
"But was it the right way?" he retorted harshly, mainly to himself. Behind his mask was genuine concern. He had already lost his own friend before and so did the ex-second division captain. Urahara never wanted to see her so heartbroken ever again. Not from what happened before with almost the exact same situation.
Isshin shook his head and pulled out a bottle of sake from his Shihakusho, "You need this more than me man."
The shopkeeper allowed a small smile and turned to the store, "Shall we go inside? I'm sure it'll be more enjoyable talking about a possible war without the coming downpour, don't you agree?"
"Although faint, there were certain cells that were in Miyamoto Yumiko's body. They were almost exactly similar to the other specimen with one exception."
"What was that?" asked Soi Fon, needing the information so that she could relay it to the first division or at least her stealth corp.
"Miyamoto's were triggered forcefully. Yes, the blood in her veins containing this strain was dormant and only recently did they awaken. It's no wonder those renegades wanted her."
Hitsugaya momentarily recalled Renji's wound he got in the human world. There was definitely no way a normal human, extraordinary or not, would be able to attempt such a wound. If harnessed correctly… Damn, that would have been ugly. "Kurotsuchi-Taicho. What exactly…are those cells?"
A manic grin reached his lips but his eyes told a different story. It was the sickening type of look that a mad scientist only gave when he had a new 'toy' to play with.
"Ah, would you really like to know? If you're that interested then I'll gladly tell you," he began slowly and played around with the other two's patience, "it's a virus."
She was always thinking about a lot of things. Like, when will the rain stop, or when those shackles of hers would disappear.
It's been a while. She didn't know how many days, months, or years that have passed in this place. All she knew was the normal routine: a single room with nothing but chair in the middle. There would be a small window at the top that let in what light was available.
Everything she's ever known there was a dark grey sky. The sun no longer shone and its rays never warmed her now pale and cold skin. The chains that bound her were painful at first, but now it was somewhat comforting.
It was proof she existed
The searing pain of those tight shackles that tore at her skin whenever she moved would wake her up to reality. 'I wasn't hallucinating, I know it. I'm here… I'm alive.' She repeated that over and over again.
Memories came and gone. Memories of a carefree breeze were replaced by a chilling wind in the dark empty room she was kept in. Soothing words and lullabies were exchanged with unfamiliar languages and humming machines. Loving smiles were now cruel grins at whatever tortuous experiments were next. They tied her down to an ice cold metal table and had their way with her broken and tormented body. She no longer screamed or thrashed, for who would hear them? She no longer cried, for she had no more tears to show them.
When they were done, they would chain her down once more in that lonely grey room. After each experiment, she would crawl to her corner, one that the pale light of the moon just about touched. Her knees grew close to her chest as she hid her head between the two. Shoulders shook and silent sobs were heard. Tears fell to the cold ground and glistened like diamonds in the moonlight.
All she wished for, all she prayed for…It was gone now… Gone!
Was it so bad to hope? To dream? Is it a sin to be born into such a cruel world?
Shaky hands clasped together in one last prayer to the moon. In a silent and final wish, the girl closed her eyes and welcomed the blissful numbness, far away from the clutches of reality.
"…!" Archer's eyes snapped open and he shot up from his spot on the floor in an empty shed of the Seireitei. His breathing was labored and his eyes dilated. With a shake of his head, he rubbed his back and got up.
Archer grabbed his jacket and made sure the gun on his holster was secure before making his pit stop at a certain tenth division.
"You again?" asked a voice as he turned around to see Unohana once more. "I thought I told you not to stay any longer."
"Ah, sorry 'bout that," Archer scratched the back of his head and grinned, "I just need to take care of something. I promise you that I'll be outta your division in a minute."
She shook her head and let out an uncharacteristic sigh, "Still the same, aren't you?" A chuckle escaped her lips, "I still remember when I first met you."
"Ah, really? I'm impressed, but no less expected of you, yeah?"
"Mm, you were a mess back then," Unohana placed a hand on his shoulder, "Always saying that you'll save someone but you never told me who."
"It's in the past," his voice lost its usual air and gained an almost angry hint, "I failed and I can't save her anymore. I was too late…"
"Did you already forget what I taught you?" she asked with a pout but smiled once more with motherly affection, "History repeats itself on the wheel of fate. Be it good or bad, it does that. We fail once but we will always have a chance to change something…if you're up for it, Sayomi-san (Night-born)."
After some thought, Archer finally smiled in all sincerity, "Thanks, Unohana-Taicho."
"Now, go before Soi Fon senses a black cat. She's pretty good at finding them, seeing as how she has the most abnormal fetish with them."
His eyes widened momentarily in fear in memory of her crazy obsession with her mentor, Yoruichi. Shivering slightly, he took that into account, not to even get a glimpse of the second division and went to the door after cloaking his reiatsu once more, "How many times have I said thank you, now?"
"Hm, I think I lost count at 1,287."
"Add thirteen more," he said and walked out, "I have a rep to keep, y'know?"
"Ne…are you awake yet?" asked a worried voice. Two eyes opened to see a pair of innocent brown eyes and dark hair kept in a bun. The girl smiled when they came to and she moved away from her bed, taking a break from her healing kido.
She rubbed her eyes and sat up, all the while stretching. Her arm was wrapped in bandages and so were her ribs, but the majority of her earlier wounds were almost healed.
"Kid, what are you doing?"
"I'm healing you," she answered simply and gathered up a fresh wet washcloth. "But if you keep moving, I'll have nothing left to heal."
"…Why?" she asked after a moments silence. It wasn't normal for anyone to willingly help her out. When the girl turned around to face the patient with a confused expression she sighed and added, "I'm your enemy, so why?"
"Is it a crime to do this on my own?" she asked innocently and wiped some dried blood that was caked on her arm. "Besides, I don't think it's that bad to help. We're the same anyway."
The patient scoffed but let her clean her old wounds. "Same…huh."
"I don't see a difference. See?" The girl put her hand on hers and it felt warm, "We're both warm, right? Plus, if I pinch you it'll hurt."
"Heh, I doubt it—Ouch!" she winced at the sharp pain on her wrist, "Damn, you pinch hard!"
The girl laughed and put the cold cloth on the area she pinched, "Sorry sorry,"
"By the way…what's your name, kid?"
"Hinamori Momo. I'm from the fifth division, vice-captain. How about you?"
"…I'm," she began, purple orbs wavering slightly. It's been a long time since she's felt this kind of feeling before. What was it?
Excitement for the kind of gullible idiot that took her own life on the line to heal the very enemy of Soul Society? (Then again, Momo probably doesn't know)
Maybe it was giddiness at the possible ways she could kill her and escape. It could be a swift and silent overkill…or maybe a nice slow one to show that she was not to be trifled with.
No, it was...
Neither!
She was sure that it was the feeling of happiness. The warm tingle in her soul that made her feel like she belonged…
"Reisha…" she said and smiled a little. It wasn't sadistic or even strained. It was a genuine one that she hadn't given in a long while, not even to her beloved boss. "Adachi 'Kurai' Reisha."
"Man, this job is hell annoying," Growled Daichi as he pressed his back to the wall for cover. His destination was the underground library with all the information ever recorded in the Seireitei. There was a certain document or two that he needed desperately.
"I hope you don't forget your place, Kitazawa-San," spoke a stern and demanding voice, "Or else I'll see personally to our little prisoner…"
"Tch, you don't need to tell me twice bastard…" he hissed under his breath at the memory and continued down towards the next wall. Feeling around, his hand finally found a smooth area. He let out a concentrated amount of reiatsu in the exact place and a door opened up. Daichi went inside and locked the door behind him, masking his reiatsu once more.
It was a dusty place going deeper in. Much of the records were about hollow, renegades, and even executions.
"Where the hell is it?" he complained to himself.
Finally, he saw an emblem, very much similar to the kind on the Soul gloves and badges. Only there were one or two differences…
"Here we go…" Daichi grinned and took out two things: a dagger and a black jewel. It was shaped like a round sphere that fit his hand.
Taking the dagger, he cut along-side the edges of the emblem. The rock went loose and popped out from the wall. Not entirely, but enough for him to grasp. Putting the knife away, he took the emblem and turned it to the right three times, left once, and then pushed it back in. Something made a loud shudder and a secret door opened.
Further down there were some stairs. Seeing an unlit torch, he took it in his hand and used kido to light it. It took probably twenty minutes at least to get to the bottom.
There was a vast room with a large black tiled floor and wall. The same went for the ceiling with the exception of dim lights using light vines that had grown. In the front of the room was a large screen, taking up the whole wall.
Then, in the center of the room was a pedestal. Daichi walked up to it and placed the jewel on top. As expected, the gem sank down into the stone and a light rippled through the floor of the room.
The screen came on with a beep and blue panels surrounded where he stood, almost like a computer.
USER: * * * *
PASSWORD PROTECTED
Daichi put his left hand on the center panel. The tattoo on that hand burned slightly but he held strong.
USER: DC1330-79
ACCESS ACCEPTED
A tidal wave of information began to flow onto the larger screen. When a particular picture came up his grin widened.
"Jackpot… I found you, Amaya-Chan." Another picture popped up next to hers as his face turned serious, "Now, let's see where your allegiance lies."
Omake Theatre
Yumi: There's more OC's!?
Mana: Hey, don't blame me for not liking how this is going
Hitsu: …but you're writing this
Mana: God, you're mean…
Daichi: She got a point you know. You've been putting in people that confuse even me.
Mana: T-T cut me some slack
Archer: -whine- So, when do I get to fight
Akatsu: Can it, Cat-boy
Everyone: Oo
Akatsu: I'm not going to ask…
Reisha: So, am I a wimp now?
Momo: Now now, calm down
Mana: There we go, calm down Rei.
Archer: -grin- someone mellowed out
Reisha: Shuddap you stupid cat!
Daichi: -sigh- that's our Reisha
