Hollow King Chapter seven
Hollow Life
"Let's go!" Gondra shouted as he leaped through the air, dodging one of the mecha's massive fists as it smashed the ground where he was standing. Gondra sonidoed in mid air, avoiding another attack as he charged forward. He stabbed the mechanical hollow in the eye, shattering one of the camera lenses. With a brutal backhand, the beast swatted Gondra out of the air, smashing him through several small mountains.
Gondra staggered to his feet, spitting out some blood. As the beast approached for another attack, Gondra focused his spiritual pressure into his blade. The edge glowed black and blue with reiatsu.
"Chew on this!" Gondra roared as he sliced his sword through the air, repeatedly firing off blade after blade of reiatsu with every swing. The mecha staggered back as the blades hit it leaving jagged cuts in its armor. When it regained it balance the mecha opened its mouth. revealing sharp metal teeth and what looked like a gun barrel out of a sci-fi movie in its throat. A red sphere of energy started to charge between its teeth as it locked onto Gondra.
"Oh shit, a cero! Target locked Sunaryu!" Gondra shouted, as a massive cero blast shot out of the dummy hollow's mouth straight at Gondra. Right before the beam reached him Gondra swung his cleaver down while pressing the thruster button. Blue and orange flames shot out of the back of the blade. Gondra held the cero back as the ground around his feet started to crack and crumble. With a roar, Gondra split the beam in half. It hit the opposite sides of the training grounds with large explosions. The mecha fired one of its claws, that was connected to a cable, at Gondra. He blocked the blow but the talon grasped Sunaryu yanking it out of Gondra's hands as the claw and cable retracted.
"Damn it!"
The mecha opened up its chest plate, placing the blade inside then closing it with a locking sound.
"Okay, you want to play? Then let's play!" Gondra exclaimed as he channeled spiritual pressure into his arms and legs, causing the muscles to twitch with reiatsu. With a sonic boom of dust and debris, Gondra sped forward charging at the pseudo hollow. As Gondra approached, raising his fist up to strike, the mecha did the same. The mecha's fist met with Gondra's in an explosion of spiritual pressure that caused the metal to buckle and shred, completely destroying it's right arm. As the mecha tried to calculate what to do next, Gondra placed a palm to it's chest, charging up his own red orb of energy.
"Dear father, bless thy holy hand grenade." Gondra chimed, through a sharp toothed smirk as he fired his own cero blast and destroyed the chest plate. Gondra reached in, retrieving his shikai through the gaping hole. The mecha attempted another strike with its remaining arm but Gondra fired a shot off, severing the arm at its shoulder. Cackling. Gondra spun around with the rockets engaged severing the beasts head.
The mecha crashed to the ground. Gondra sheathed his zanpakuto, deactivating his shikai then dusted himself off. He lit up a cigarette, saying to himself as his mask fragments disintegrated and his eye turned back to normal,
"I am Jack's glorious victory."
"Hey Nemu! I defeated your dad's golem." he called out as he flicked his half-smoked cigarette aside. When he turned back around he saw Nemu lifting up the mecha's severed head effortlessly. She hit a sequence of numbers on the key pad and the head popped open, revealing a clear bullet proof glass suitcase containing a computer disk.
"Excellent job, Gondra. I will go present this to Mayuri-sama. You should go get medical treatment."
XXXXX
Gondra walked through the division four compound, paying no mind to the nervous looks he received from the shinigami he passed by. He was happy to be there. He would get his wounds healed and maybe even have a chance encounter with Isane. Gondra didn't want to have any rumors spread through the Sereitei about them so they both decided to keep their distance. That is, unless they happened to run into each other.
As he turned the corner, he heard a shriek and a loud crash. A small girl with short brown hair, wearing a hospital gown had just tackled an orderly and was running his way screaming,
"I have to find him."
A voice called out to stop her so Gondra grabbed the girl as she ran by. Kicking and screaming, she cried,
"Let go!"
Gondra tried to restrain her as she was attempting to squirm out of his grasp. The hysterical girl proceeded to bite down on Gondra's arm, tearing through the fabric of his sleeve and breaking the skin beneath. Gondra struck her on the back of her neck with the side of his hand, causing her to pass out in his arms. Gondra studied the poor girl. Her arms were all bandaged up and there was a scar on her chest from what looked like a zanpakuto. It was then that Gondra noticed a gnawed through hospital restraint on her arm and a medical bracelet around her wrist that read Hinamori Momo.
As Gondra scooped the girl up and turned around, he came face to face with Captain Unohana and Isane.
"Hello, Gondra. Thank you for restraining her." the kind faced captain stated in her soft spoken tone. "I'll take her from you now."
Gondra nodded as he placed Momo in the captain's arms. As Unohana walked away, Gondra heard the small girl softly cried out,
"Captain Aizen!"
Gondra blinked recalling the name of the traitor.
XXXXX
As Gondra sat on the examining bed, with his kimono off and Isane treating his wounds he had to ask,
"So how does that girl know Aizen?"
Isane paused momentarily, as if trying to think how to answer his question.
"She was his lieutenant, back when he was the captain of fifth company. As you can tell, she is still suffering through the mental scars of his betrayal." Isane told him everything, about the ryoka, about the false incarceration of Rukia, about how he Gin and Tosen had manipulated the entire Sereitei, and how herself and Unohana had tried to stop him.
Gondra was about to say something when he heard a haunting jingle as a hell butterfly entered the room.
"Fourth seat Durden and Lieutenant Kotetsu are to assemble in the squad one meeting room." With that the hell butterfly flew away. Gondra and Isane looked at each other both wondering what the captain general would want.
XXXXX
Isane and Gondra stood outside the giant stone doors gazing up at the kanji for one painted on them. As the doors opened, Captains Unohana and Zaraki stepped out and faced their subordinates.
"Go on in you two, Old Man Yama's waiting for ya." Kenpachi stated with his usual toothy grin. Gondra glanced over at Isane and noticed that she was nervous. He took her hand in his, making her look at him in surprise as she blushed.
"Let's go." he stated as they both walked into the large meeting hall. There, Yamamoto stood, leaning on his staff with his lieutenant at his side. Gondra swallowed hard as he spoke up.
"You wanted to see us sir?"
"Yes, I am assigning the two of you on a mission in the living world." Yamamoto spoke in his old yet intimidating voice. "You two are to give backup and medical assistance to Captain Hitsugaya's group. You'll aid in the arrancar threat and to deal with the ever growing hollow outbreak. Both of your captains have recommended you for this task. You will depart through the senkaimon at noon tomorrow after you receive your gigais from Captain Kurotsuchi. That is all, dismissed!"
Gondra felt like jumping for joy, this was the first real mission he was assigned on, and it was with the girl he likes no less.
XXXXX
Gondra stretched and cracked his neck trying to get used to his new gigai. It felt like he was wearing an extra layer of flesh over his body. Kurotsuchi approached him, handing him a strange claw like device.
"Attach this to a television monitor. It will set up a link back here."
"Sounds good, thanks Professor." Gondra chimed with a grin that made Mayuri roll his eyes.
"Also, take this. I believe this scroll will provide useful information about your condition." Mayuri stated as he placed a small black scroll into Gondra's duffle bag. Gondra slung the bag over his shoulder and left the complex with Isane in tow. From the look of relief evident on her face, Gondra had a hunch that Kurotsuchi's lab had creeped the hell out of her. As the two reached the senkaimon gate, they were greeted by a group of familiar faces. There stood Kenpachi with Yachiru on his shoulder, Unohana, and Kiyone to see them off.
"You be sure to give those arrancar bastards hell." Kenpachi said while giving Gondra a friendly punch on the shoulder.
"Hey Blacky, bring me back a souvenir!" Yachiru called down from the giant's shoulder.
"No problem, squirt." Gondra stated giving a thumbs up sign. After all, he did think of the brat as his little sister.
"You two be careful now." Commented Unohana said with a nod. Kiyone pulled Gondra to the side before whispering in his ear,
"Take care of my sister."
"Don't worry, I will." Gondra stated giving her a determined nod. After they all said their goodbyes, Gondra and Isane stepped through the gate accompanied by two hell butterflies. Gondra stared at the piece of paper with the address of their temporary base written on it, in shock and disbelief. It was the address of his old apartment.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to leave a review. They have inspired me to write and post this chapter ahead of schedule. I look forward to getting many more. Thank you again.
-Sandragon out………..