Kick About, Destroy, Bind
Chapter 18: Blood Dawn
Karakura Town
An uneasy night hung over Karakura Town like a shroud. The men who had toiled on making the fortifications throughout the town either slept or kept watch. Those who kept watch on the mountains to the west could see the campfires in the Garganta Pass. The sounds of the preparations for battle could be heard. Those who kept watch to the east could only see an empty horizon.
The stars and moon looked down on the town with their indifferent gaze. Uryu Ishida looked up at the skies from the porch of one of the general stores. He brought out his pocket watch and saw that the time was 11:57 PM.
Tomorrow, he thought as he rocked in one of the rocking chairs. It'll all be over tomorrow. And in three minutes tomorrow will become today.
He sighed as he sat back. His hand went to the pistol in his lap. He hoped that he would get a chance to use it against Rudobon.
The Garganta Pass
"Get those ceros ready," Rudobon ordered.
The men of the Exequias Army were moving the cero cannons forward. When dawn came the cannons would be lined within firing range of Karakura Town to give covering fire.
"How many ceros are in position?" Baraggan asked.
"So far forty percent are in position," Rudobon said. "At the rate we're moving we'll have nearly all of them in position."
Baraggan nodded.
"I'll have my forces in position at that time. We attack at first light."
"As you wish," Rudobon replied. "I'll have the Exequias Army prepared. Zommari and his men should be making their move soon.
The Shihoin Line, Four Miles Outside of Karakura Town
"Tighter," Sung-Sun snapped.
Apacci tugged at the ends of the cord used to tie the dynamite to the rail. She mumbled under her breath.
"What was that?" Sung-Sun asked.
"I said, 'Why bother?' The damn dynamite's going to blow up either way," Apacci replied.
"That may be, but a destroyed rail will do more damage to the train itself," Sung-Sun replied.
"So what? The train's going to be derailed either way," Apacci said. "You're wasting time making sure that the knots are nice and neat, like always."
"I make sure that the knots are nice and neat to make sure that the dynamite doesn't slip," Sung-Sun snapped. "If the dynamite slips then it won't be as affective. I would have thought that you would have realized that by now, despite your thick skull."
"What was that?" Apacci snarled. "Are you saying that I'm an idiot?"
"Only if the shoe fits," Sung-Sun said and tilted her nose in the air as she usually did when she got exasperated.
"Now girls," Yoruichi said, "play nice. We don't have time for you two to get into another argument."
"She started it," Apacci said.
"You were ruining my concentration," Sung-Sun retorted. "So, you started it."
"Oh that's a load of bull shit," Apacci shouted.
"Would you two stop it?" Jackie shouted. "Do you want all of Aizen's forces to hear you?"
"She started it!" Sung-Sun and Apacci shouted as they pointed at each other.
"I don't care who started it," Jackie said. "If you want to argue then do it quietly and while you're doing your jobs."
"Whatever," Apacci muttered, "I don't need any of this bull shit right now. I'll see if I can find where Giriko is. Maybe he won't be so bitchy."
As Apacci walked away, Jackie turned to Yoruichi.
"Did we really have to bring those two with us? Wouldn't it have been better if one went with the other group?"
"I wanted to do that," Yoruichi replied. "However, Harribel thought it would be better to have those two together."
"Did you really have to listen to her, though?"
"Well, she does know those two better than I do. I figured that she must know something that I don't. Come on, we've still got work to do."
The Tywin Line, Five Miles Outside of Karakura Town
"I'm hungry," Mashiro whined.
"How is that even possible, you just ate five minutes ago?" Kensei demanded.
"It just is," Mashiro said and held out a hand. "Jerky?"
"Fine," Kensei said and dug out a slice of dried meat. He shoved it into her hand. "Would you like a glass of champagne with that?"
"Ooh, that would be nice," Mashiro said.
Kensei rolled his eyes. He turned his attention to where Yukio knelt by the railroad tracks.
"You done yet?" he asked.
Yukio looked up and glared at Kensei.
"What do you think?" he asked before getting back to work.
"Stuck up little brat," Kensei muttered. He looked to where Riruka and Tatsuki were loading the reserve riffles.
Tatsuki placed a newly loaded riffle to one side and stood.
"That's the last riffle," she said. "Riruka, take half to the other side of the tracks and lean them against anything that can be used for shelter: a boulder, a tree, anything. I'll take the other half and do the same on this side."
"What's the point?" Riruka asked. "Wouldn't it be better to have the riffles in one location and just fortify that one?"
"No," Tatsuki said. "When the track blows and the train stops, you can be sure that the enemy will kill anyone nearby. If we were in one location, the enemy could easily count our numbers and pinpoint our location and surround us. Then we would be in deep shit. This way they won't know how many we are or where we are and if things go wrong then at least one of us has the chance to escape."
"One would think that you would know that," Kensei said as he picked up the guns.
"Who asked you to get involved?" Riruka asked.
"Nobody," Kensei said. "I just hate standing around and doing nothing but listen to Mashiro complain about being hungry."
"Fine," Riruka said and sat back down on the ground. She took out her revolver and checked the chambers before loading it. "Let's hope we don't get ourselves killed."
Karakura Town
Aaroniero
Aaroniero took out the blade from his boot and made his way to the guards posted outside of the shed that was made into a makeshift armory. He removed his silver mask and put it in his satchel. His hideously scarred face seemed to possess the snarl of a rabid dog.
The shadows were his allies and he kept as close to them as he could.
His footsteps were soft and made no sound. When he was close enough he would strike like a viper.
The first guard did not feel the blade's edge bite into him, severing his jugular vein. Blood pumped from the gash as the guard fell. The other guard turned and raised his riffle. Before he could fire a shot, Aaroniero thrust the blade of the knife into the guard's eye and twisted the handle. The second guard fell.
Aaroniero put his mask back on and raised a hand and gestured for the small band to approach. Each man was carrying an unlit lamp.
"Shit," one of the men muttered and kicked at one of the corpses.
"Never mind the dead," Aaroniero rasped. "Just get the job done."
"Yes sir," the man said and threw the lamp into the shed. There came the sound of shattering glass as the lamp struck the floor.
"The rest of you," Aaroniero rasped to the others, "get to the next target and be ready."
They nodded and rushed into the night.
"Finish it," he rasped to the only man left with him before following the others.
The man sighed as he took out a small matchbox. He lit one of the matches and smiled as he tossed it onto the oil-soaked floor. He ran and turned a corner just as the fire reached the cases of ammunition.
Chad
Chad leaned back against the makeshift wall. He was tired and wanted to get some sleep before the final battle began. The other men who were stationed at this section were already trying to sleep, but the cold night made it difficult. One man sat up and leaned forward to feed the small fire. No one said anything.
The silence was broken by the sounds of approaching boot-steps. Chad looked up and wasn't surprised to see the crew commander coming towards them.
"Well, I suppose I should 'ave expected this," Yoren said. He took out his tobacco pouch and the rolling paper he kept with him.
Some of the men shook their heads.
"Thought so," he said as he made a cigarette. "I don't think anyone's able to sleep."
Yoren lit his cigarette and looked at them.
"It's gonna be a blood dawn," he said.
"No shit," one of the others said.
"If we're lucky then perhaps we'll be knocked unconscious early on," another said.
"We probably won't be that lucky," Ed said. "We'll most likely get blown to pieces, or at the very least we'll be deprived of a limb or two."
"Shut up, Ed," another said. "The last thing we need is…"
That was when they heard the first explosion. They turned in the direction it was coming from in time to see a ball of fire rise into the sky.
"Oh shit," Yoren said.
Chad's eyes widened. He knew what that explosion meant. Their reserved ammunition was gone.
A few seconds later the second explosion came.
"We're under attack!" Yoren yelled. "Everyone, stay at your post and look sharp. Chad, find a city patrol and make sure that they get the gunpowder and ammunition out of the remaining storehouses."
Chad gave a salute and rushed into the night.
Garganta Pass
Sui-Feng woke at the sound of a distant explosion. The Arrancars were still rushing to get the Ceros and Balas in position before dawn. Some stopped to look in the direction of the explosions.
"What?" she asked.
One of the Arrancars looked down at her.
"Our job just got a lot easier," he said and returned to his work.
Sui-Feng looked at the Arrancars.
They knew that this was coming, she thought.
She tried to look where Baraggan and Rudobon were busy mapping out their strategy for the main assault. However, all that she could see were Arrancars tending the cook-fires. She smelled the slabs of beef roasting over the fire and the grilling onions and peppers with spices. Her mouth began to water.
"I need food," she said.
None of the Arrancars looked at her. She wondered where Ggio was.
He would get me some food, she thought.
She could see that Rudobon and some of the other officers were measuring the distance between the cannons and Karakura Town so that they could make a continuous advance after the initial barrage against the defenses. She knew that some of the Arrancars were laying down painted stones in fifty foot intervals in the field between the Garganta Pass and Karakura Town.
"Excuse me," Sui-Feng said to a passing Arrancar. "Where's Ggio."
"He's out scouting," the Arrancar said. He looked down at the plate in his hand and held it out. "Here, it ain't right for anyone to die without getting' a last meal."
"Thank you." She took the plate and was not surprised when the Arrancar spat on the mixture of onions, beans, and peppers.
"There, now it should taste better," he said, laughing. Some of the Arrancars watching cheered him and one gave him another plate of food for the jest.
They all want me dead. I have a feeling that they won't be disappointed.
She started to eat, not minding the spit.
Karakura Town
Chad
Chad looked at the fiery ruin of the magazine and then to the members of the city patrol he found.
"We're too late for this one," one of them said.
"Yeah," Chad said.
"We need to get to the next one," one of the others said, holding a roughly drawn map of Karakura Town with the sheds and warehouses being used as magazines were marked. "This one's the closest," he said and pointed to an X that marked one of the town's stables.
"Get going then," the patrol's commander said.
"We should split-up," Chad said.
The commander thought about it and nodded.
"Yes, yes, that way we can cover more ground and perhaps catch whoever's destroying our ammunition stores." He turned to two of the patrol members. "You two, go to the magazine near the Central Forty-Six Rotunda." He turned to another two, "You two will go to the magazine in the Pinkerton Agency. You," he turned to the young man with the map, "will come with us. We're going to check the south-east magazine."
"Yes sir," the men replied before rushing off.
Starrk
They kept to the shadows, making sure that none of the defenders would see them. Starrk looked at Ichigo and wondered what he was feeling having to sneak back into the town he defended less than five months before like a thief in the night.
"Starrk, shall I go to my post?" Ulquiorra asked.
"Yeah," Starrk said, knowing that he didn't to bother telling Ulquiorra to not be seen. He looked at Ulquiorra's stomach and cursed the black shirt.
If his wound opens again then we won't know about it unless he collapses, he thought.
"Come on. If we want to get ready then we need to get into position," Ichigo whispered.
"You remember where you need to be?" Starrk asked.
Ichigo nodded. He was about to leave when Starrk grabbed him.
"Remember, if you see Rukia don't try to rescue her. If she was injected with Brujeriá then she can be persuaded to do anything, including killing someone she cares about."
"She won't try to kill me."
"Ichigo, don't underestimate what Brujeriá can do. I've seen what it can do to people and if Zommari has created a stronger version of it then I shudder to think what he can do to someone under its influence."
"I don't care. Rukia's my friend and…"
"Ichigo, when someone is filled with that drug then they are no longer the person they used to be. They are a husk, a puppet without a will. If you see Rukia then, like it or not, you need to remember that."
Aaroniero
"Sir," one of the men said. "What do you want to do?"
Aaroniero watched as the three figures reached the stable. He felt the phantom of a smile on his scarred and mangled face. He raised a hand to his mask, wishing that it would express his emotions. He watched as the large dark-skinned man rush to the door, making sure that it was still locked.
"I know him," Aaroniero rasped.
"What?"
"He came to Las Noches. I remember that Nnoitora was able to wound him quite badly."
"So?" one of the men asked.
Aaroniero raised a revolver and cocked it.
"I'll succeed where Nnoitora failed."
Chad
Chad kept his eyes on the shadows as he moved to the stable's door. He felt uneasy and wished that the sun would rise soon to drive the shadows away. The only light were the torches he and the other two men carried. The other two men split to circle around the stables while Chad went to the main door. He lowered his torch and saw that the padlock was still in place. He pulled at the door and was relieved to find that it was still locked.
Chad was about to turn around when he heard a gunshot. He immediately ducked behind one of the rain barrels just as another shot rang out. Wood splintered just where his head had been only moments before. More gunshots rang out and he heard someone cry out in pain before another shot silenced the screams. He reached for his revolver as he threw his torch away. The last thing he wanted was to fight in the dark.
He looked around the edge of the barrel and saw a flash of light from the muzzle of a rifle. He ducked behind the barrel as a bullet struck it. Rain water poured out of the barrel.
"No, please don't, please…" someone cried before a shot silenced him.
Chad crouched as low as he could behind his makeshift shelter. He was too open on the flanks. If the attackers got around him then they wouldn't need to do much to take him out.
Like fish in a barrel, he thought.
"Sado," a voice rasped from the shadows. "You're surrounded on all sides. Throw away your gun and come out with your hands up. If you do that then I might let you live. If you don't then I won't let you live."
"You won't let me live either way, Aaroniero," Chad said.
There was a moment of silence, but Chad thought he heard Aaroniero whispering to someone and the sound of footsteps going to his left.
"True, but you'll die regardless what you do. The two who were with you are dead, so don't expect the cavalry any time soon."
Chad didn't dare close his eyes. He looked to either side, waiting to see which side the attackers would emerge from first. He looked at his revolver and knew that he would only have six shots. He had to make them count. Once his chambers were empty then they would spring upon him and shoot him full of holes.
"Do you hear me Sado?"
Chad's eyes widened slightly. The voice sounded closer than before.
I could take him out, he thought. I could do that and…
A head emerged from around the left corner. Chad reacted quickly and missed. Wood splintered just inches from the man's face. He looked startled and ducked behind the corner again. A hand came out from the right and two shots were fired. Chad shot back and saw blood gush from the hand as a bullet struck the webbing between fore and middle fingers. The gun dropped and the man stumbled out, grasping his hand and looking at it as though he hadn't seen it before. Chad shot him in the head.
Three shots, shit, he thought.
"Uh oh, you're half empty, pardner," Aaroniero rasped. "Three shots left."
I can't let myself panic, Chad thought. He looked to either side, hoping to see torches coming to investigate the shooting. So far there was only darkness outside of the light of his dying torch.
I'm going to die here, aren't I?
He fingered the coin medallion that his abuelo gave him and wondered what he would tell him.
He would tell me that if I don't do anything then I will die.
"Abuelo, I won't die tonight," Chad whispered.
He got to his feet, making sure to keep as low as possible. He knew that his broad shoulders and chest would provide an ideal target. If he could keep low then he would increase his chances of survival.
He looked to his flanks, making sure that no one was coming at him. Seeing that his flanks were clear he rushed from behind the barrel. The shots he expected didn't come right away. He got two steps in before the first shot ahead of him rang out. Chad stayed low, moving in a zigzag. Someone yelled from his right and he turned to see a large man with a thick red beard rushing at him. Chad didn't hesitate. He raised his revolver and fired. The bullet struck the man in the belly. Another man rushed out from the left and Chad fired, hitting the man in the right thigh.
One bullet left, he thought before he felt something strike him in the left shoulder. He grunted in pain and surprise. He stumbled and tried to regain his footing as another bullet took him in the left arm. He turned and saw two men rushing from his left.
"We got 'im!" one of them shouted.
Chad raised his revolver and hesitated. He could kill the man, but if he did then he would be out of shots. He had to save it for either the Espada leading these men or himself. He felt something strike his right hand and the pain became unbearable. Chad cried out like a wounded beast. He looked down and saw his revolver lying on the ground. The trigger finger and middle finger of his right hand were a mangled mess of blood, bone, and sinew. His gun hand was useless. He clutched at his hand as another bullet struck him in the left knee.
Chad struck the ground in a heap. He looked up and saw that the remaining men of Aaroniero's crew were surrounding him, aiming their revolvers and rifles at him.
"You should have surrendered while you had the chance," a raspy voice said.
Two of the men moved out of the way to let Aaroniero through. His silver mask shone in the torchlight. His black coat made it seem as though he was bringing the darkness with him. He hunkered down on his haunches in front of Chad and raised the revolver in his left hand.
"Where's the Kurosaki brat?" Aaroniero asked.
Chad didn't say anything. Aaroniero pressed the muzzle into the mangled flesh between the trigger and middle fingers of Chad's right hand. Pain rushed up his arm like a wild fire and Chad screamed.
"I'm going to ask you again and I want an answer," Aaroniero said. "Where's Ichigo?"
Chad didn't say anything, and it wouldn't matter if he knew where Ichigo was at that moment. He would rather die than betray a friend. Aaroniero tilted his head slightly and sighed as he pressed the muzzle deeper into the open wound. Chad screamed in pain, his vision began to blur with pain and tears.
"Don't make this hard on yourself," Aaroniero said. "There's no need for you to be in this much agony. Just tell me where Ichigo is and I'll make the pain stop."
"No," Chad said.
Aaroniero brought the muzzle out of the gaping wound in Chad's hand. The muzzle was red with blood. Aaroniero pressed the muzzle to Chad's forehead.
"I guess it's 'adios' then," he said.
Chad closed his eyes and heard a shot. There came five more shots in quick succession. Chad opened his eyes and saw that Aaroniero had his back to him, firing into the night. Two more of Aaroniero's men were dead while the remaining six were firing into the night. He saw bright muzzle flashes coming from three sides.
"Fuck, retreat," Aaroniero rasped. "Retreat! It's them!"
Chad kept his head down. Two more of Aaroniero's men went down, one with the side of his head blown away, pouring brain and bone onto the ground. One of the remaining harriers dropped his rifle and raised his hands.
"I surrender!" he shouted. "I…" Before he could say another word a bullet took him in the throat. He went down, hands clutching his throat as blood gushed between his fingers. His mouth opened and closed as though he was a `fish in the middle of the desert. Chad looked into his face and saw that the harrier was surely no older than fourteen. His blue eyes looked into Chad's brown eyes and he saw fear in them.
The gunfire continued and Chad searched for his revolver. He saw it lying where it had fallen. He reached for it with his left hand. Aaroniero was still shouting orders, and making his way to a possible escape route, his left arm hung uselessly at his side, but his right still held to the revolver. Two more of the harriers tried to surrender only to be shot down.
Chad grabbed his revolver with his left hand. He only had one shot left. He aimed at Aaroniero and hesitated. He looked to the young boy, still clutching at his throat. Blood bubbled from between his lips. He was slow in dying. Chad pressed the muzzle of his revolver against the boy's head.
"'ease," the boy gurgled.
"I'm sorry," Chad said and fired his last bullet.
Aaroniero
This can't be happening, Aaroniero thought as he fired another shot into the darkness. He looked at his left arm and cursed the bullet that managed to find its way into his shoulder. He hated having to retreat. It was too much like the day when his face was burned away.
He had been on one of his raids in the Borderlands. Everything had gone according to plan until he reached the town of Nejibana. He hadn't counted on a group of cadets from Fort Seireitei to be there for field training. His band came under heavy fire that day and he took cover behind a group of crates, one of which had been filled with explosives. A young cadet named Kaien Shiba got a lucky strike and the last thing that Aaroniero Arruruerie truly saw with his full vision was a flash of light. He thought that he had died and wondered if it would have been better if he had.
His men found him screaming in pain, his face charred from the explosion. They dragged him away and he had lived. The surgeons had to take away much of the skin from his face and he became completely blind in his right eye. When he was able to look in a mirror he hated the sight that greeted him and so decided to hide it behind a mask. He had a number of masks before he got the silver one that he now wore and he kept none of those that came before, save one.
The only mask he kept, one that was still in his private quarters in the Las Noches, was designed and painted to resemble his original face. It was the mask he wore when he met up with Kaien Shiba again only five years ago. He could still hear Kaien's screams and those screams always made him want to smile. A face for a face was a fair enough price after all.
"Stop," someone said from behind him.
Aaroniero turned and saw one of the Gotei officers standing before him. He raised his revolver, finger steady on the trigger.
"Don't move, Gotei dog," Aaroniero rasped. "If you do then I'll make sure to open a third eye between the two you've got."
The officer didn't say anything, but broke out into a coughing fit. Aaroniero allowed his eyes to look around, weighing his options for an escape route. He was about to make a run for it when he heard the clicking of a revolver being cocked. He returned his attention to the officer who was pointing his revolver at him while putting a handkerchief into his coat pocket.
"Sorry about that," he said. "You were saying."
"I said I'll shoot if you don't stop, but I see that you're as good as a dead man walking."
"What makes you say that?"
"I saw red on your handkerchief…a lot of red."
"What if I told you that it was dyed red?"
"I would say that you're a liar. I know what blood looks like."
"I suppose you would," Captain Ukitake said as he took another step closer, holstering his revolver.
Aaroniero's trigger finger tightened. If he applied any more pressure on the trigger then a bullet would travel from the revolver and into the Captain's head. Aaroniero's left eye went down to the holsters around Ukitake's waist and then to his hands before returning to his opponent's face. Ukitake raised his hands, palms out.
"There's no need for further bloodshed. We can…"
"Oh, blood will be shed, you idiot," Aaroniero rasped. "There's nothing that you can do to stop it."
Ukitake put his hands down and shook his head.
"I suppose not, but I can make sure that you won't spill any more blood, Aaroniero Arruruerie."
Ukitake ducked just as Aaroniero fired and un-holstered one of his revolvers. He raised the revolver and shot at Aaroniero. Aaroniero felt the impact as the bullet struck him in the side. He cried out in pain and tried to aim his revolver only to feel another bullet strike his shoulder. The revolver fell out of his hand and he staggered to regain his footing. He clutched at the wound in his side, trying to staunch the bleeding. Ukitake straightened and approached.
"It's a little late for a gunfight at high noon, don't you think?" Aaroniero rasped.
Ukitake glanced up at the night sky and shook his head.
"There's no such thing as a good time for a gunfight. A protégé of mine was killed on a night like this and another was taken."
"Ah…so, Rukia Kuchiki was one of yours. I hate to say it, but she might as well be dead right now, just like the other one. What was his name again? Oh yes, Kaien Shiba."
Ukitake's pose tightened.
"How do you…?"
"Let's see," Aaroniero said. He raised his good hand up to his mask and raised it. The face beneath was a mass of scars. The left cheek appeared to have been completely blown away, revealing his jaw. Two gaping dark red holes were in the place where a nose should have been. His right eye was pale and dead while his left was brown and cold. "I remember shooting him in the throat and watching him gasp for breath. His mouth opened and closed like a beast dying of thirst. I made sure that he was still alive when I took his face away from him, leaving his eyes for whatever lucky vulture came along."
"You…killed…"
"Do you know what I did to his face?" He held up the silver mask so that Ukitake could get a good look at it. "I turned it into a mask."
"Where's Rukia?" Ukitake asked, as though Aaroniero's words had no impact.
Aaroniero's face twisted into the closest thing it could come to a smile.
"Fuck you, Gotei dog!" Aaroniero cried out and reached for his revolver.
Ukitake did not hesitate. He pulled the trigger. The force of the bullet blew the top of Aaroniero's head off in a spray of blood, bone, and brain. Aaroniero's staggered back a couple of steps before collapsing to the ground. Ukitake looked down at the corpse and turned to walk away.
"Is it done?" Byakuya asked as he stepped from the shadows.
"Yes," Ukitake said. "It looks like you weren't needed here after all."
Byakuya looked down at Aaroniero's corpse. They had one less Espada to worry about. He turned to walk into the shadows.
"Where are you going?" Ukitake asked.
Byakuya didn't say anything.
Zommari
"Aaroneriero's dead?" Zommari asked. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," the man said. "We had three of the watcher's in our sights, but then those Gotei dogs came. They killed the others and the white-haired one killed Aaroniero."
"How do we know that you ain't lyin'?" Dorian asked.
"I saw him. He blew Aaroniero's brains out before I could do anything."
Zommari turned to the girl sitting in the corner. Her eyes were unfocused and staring at a corner of the ceiling. Drool ran out of the corner of her gaping mouth. Her black hair was unkempt and her clothes disheveled.
"Don't you think that it's a shame that we've lost an Espada the night before the final battle?" Zommari asked Rukia.
Rukia didn't respond. Zommari returned his attention to the man who swallowed.
"You should have shot him in the back," Zommari said. "You could have taken out one of their own in exchange for our martyred Espada. Instead, you did nothing. You ran to tell me about this while making no effort to avenge your fallen comrades." Zommari laid his hands on the man's shoulders. The man shook, his eyes wide in terror. "You could have helped to end the cycle of vengeance, but chose to let others do it. That is…" Zommari put his hands on either side of the man's head and twisted fast and hard. There was a loud cracking sound as the man's neck broke. "…unacceptable," Zommari finished as he let the lifeless corpse fall.
The other men in the room didn't look at the corpse, but kept their focus on Zommari. Zommari Rureaux rubbed the side of his temples in thought, wondering what his next move should be. They had taken out the majority of the armories around Karakura Town, thus dealing a great blow against Aizen's enemies before the final battle even began.
"Dorian," he said.
Dorian Semental stepped towards Zommari, making sure to keep out of his reach.
"What do you want me to do?"
"If remaining Gotei Captains are here then it stands to reason that the traitor Arrancars will be as well. I want you to make sure that they don't interfere."
Precipice Mountains
"This isn't good," Szayel Aporro said as he looked through the spyglass towards Karakura Town.
"Give me that, Pinky," Kukaku said, grabbing the spyglass from Szayel Aporro's hands. "You're supposed to be working on your little toy, not looking at ladies undressing."
"For your information," Szayel Aporro said. "I was looking at the enemy."
Kukaku struck Szayel Aporro on the top of the head with the spyglass.
"Stop talking and get back to work. Ganju, Jidanbo, are you getting those lovelies ready or are you taking a coffee break?"
"Uh…we're…we're working on them sis," Ganju said.
"We'll be ready by dawn," Jidanbo said.
Kukaku nodded in approval and looked at Szayel Aporro.
"How about you, Pinky? Will you be ready?"
Szayel Aporro sighed and looked at the metal pieces he took out of the crates. He began to calculate his odds of survival and wondered if he could delay long enough to not have to even bother rushing into the jaws of death.
"Don't think about delaying, Pinky," Kukaku said. "If you don't have that damn thing ready by morning then I'll tie you to Bonny and have her carry you into battle."
Szayel Aporro moaned.
Along the Shihoin Line
Arturo
Arturo looked out of the railcar's windows as he walked down the aisle. The Borderlanders and Gotei traitors sat on the wooden benches. Some were sleeping while others were preparing their weapons or playing card games. But Arturo could feel their tension.
"Why are we goin' westward?" one of the Borderlanders whispered. "I thought we were headin' east."
"Orders," another soldier replied as he set down a card. "Aces high, show me gold."
"I'll show you bronze," the Borderlander said and set down a Borderland penny.
Arturo sighed and reached into his pocket for his tobacco pouch and wrapping paper. When he brought his tobacco pouch out he noticed that his hands were shaking too much. He put his pouch back into his pocket, not wanting to waste any good tobacco.
He made his way to the back of the railcar and sat in his seat. He looked out the window into the dark night beyond. He could see the hint of indigo and violet along the horizon line.
"Do you need me to get you anything, sir?"
Arturo looked to his right and saw the bugler standing in the aisle.
No more than a boy, he thought.
"No, but thank you," Arturo replied. The bugler saluted and was about to walk back to his seat when Arturo asked, "How old are you son?"
"I'm old enough, sir," the bugler said.
"Old enough to shoot a gun?"
"Sure. I done shootin' back home. Killed a couple of deer and a few squirrels."
Arturo smiled.
"A deer isn't the same as a man, son. A deer doesn't shoot back."
"I know, sir. I just want to do something useful."
"If you want to be useful to us then just blow your bugle. It will…"
That was when the explosion came.
Apacci
Apacci moaned as she fell back on the dry grass.
"All of this waiting is so boring," she moaned.
Giriko poured another helping of whiskey in a coffee mug that he handed to Yoruichi.
"Thanks," Yoruichi said.
"If you need more then let me know," he said as he poured himself a cup of the cold coffee and added some whiskey into it.
"Hey, Sung-Sun, are you sure it's alright to leave the dynamite hooked up like that? If it explodes and we all get blown apart then I will make sure to hunt you down in whatever passes for an after-life just to kick your ass."
"Your worries are always pointless," Sung-Sun said. "The dynamite won't detonate until a spark travels from the box through the wire into the dynamite."
"Are you saying that I'm an idiot or something?"
"If the shoe fits," Sung-Sun said.
"That's it. Even if we don't die, I'm still gonna kick your ass."
"That is if you can catch me. Honestly, Apacci, you're getting slow as you get old."
"I'M NOT OLD! I'M ABOUT THE SAME AGE AS YOU!"
"Would you two please shut up?" Yoruichi said. "You're giving me a headache."
"Are you sure it's not the alcohol?" Giriko whispered.
"I heard that," Yoruichi said, glaring at Giriko.
Giriko sighed, knowing that it wouldn't do any good to argue. He turned his attention to the east and stood as Yoruichi turned her head in the same direction.
"What is it?" Apacci asked, even as her hand drifted to her revolver. She could hear the train's engine.
"They're coming," Yoruichi said. "Everyone, get to your hiding places. Sung-Sun, get ready to blow the rail."
Sung-Sun grabbed the detonation box and ran the wire out slowly as she backed away to one of the large boulders. Apacci drew her revolvers before pressing herself flat on the dirt. She couldn't see where Yoruichi or Giriko were hiding, but knew that they were nearby. She turned her head to look at the tracks and she saw the lights from the train coming close.
Don't fuck this up, Sung-Sun. Let's take out as many as we can.
She could feel her heart beating faster as adrenaline pumped through her body. She tightened her grip on the revolvers. Time seemed to slow as the train came closer.
It was fast. As the engine came close to the dynamite, there was a massive explosion. She heard the scream of the wheels gripping twisting metal. The engine seemed to rise from the force of the explosion. The wheels lost all grip on the tracks. She saw the engineer trying to pull the brakes in desperation. The weight of the engine and gravity did the rest of the work. The cars immediately after the engine did not have a chance. The scream of horses and men came from the cars.
One soldier was quick to detach one of the rear cars while others got out to push the cars back far enough to keep from being taken with the other cars. Apacci didn't think. She stood and began to fire.
The Tywin Line
Riruka
"This sucks," Riruka muttered.
"Would you stop complaining?" Yukio said as he tied another knot to hold the dynamite to the track. "I can't concentrate with you yapping in my ear."
"Sorry."
"Are you ready?" Tatsuki asked.
"Almost. I just need to get this tight to the track and…"
"Well hurry up, the enemy should be here pretty soon," Tatsuki said. "Kensei, did you and Mashiro load the guns?"
"Yeah," Kensei said. "Mashiro's waiting with them."
"Good. Yukio, once you get the dynamite tied to the track I need for you to get behind that bolder and stay low. When the engine gets to the dynamite, blow it up."
"I know, I know," Yukio said.
Patros
Patros looked at his pocket watch and closed it. He looked to one of the young men with spiked burgundy hair wearing a vest decorated with hedgehogs and tight black pants tucked into a pair of boots. Two revolvers hung at the main's waist.
"Menis, go to the back and make sure that no one is following us."
"Yes sir," Menis said and made his way to the last train car.
Patros stood and the other Borderlanders looked at him.
"Alright men, I need you to be ready for anything. Karakura Town knows that Fort Seireitei has fallen by now and they'll try to stop us. The closer we get, the more likely there will be gaps in the track. If we hit those then the train will lose control. I need for everyone to be prepared in that event."
He looked at another Borderlander with shortly-cropped grey hair. He was broad-shouldered and muscular wearing a long dark tan dustcoat over a sweat-stained shirt and dark grey trousers. Two boar tusks hung from a leather strap around his neck and his revolvers were ornate with charging boars.
"Aldegor, go to the engine and tell the engineer to stop the train."
"Yes sir," Aldegor said and made his way forward.
"The rest of you, when the train slows get onto the roofs. Keep your guns ready and make sure that nothing happens to the nitroglycerine. The last thing we need is for it to blow. You two," he said gesturing to two women Borderlanders, "pass the word to the other cars."
"Right," they said and split up to inform the other Borderlanders.
Patros sat down and looked at his watch.
Tatsuki
Tatsuki looked at the tracks to the east and she could make out a dim light.
"Get ready. They're coming."
She rushed to her hiding spot, glad to see two rifles ready for firing. She looked east and frowned.
The train was closer but it wasn't as far as she thought it should be.
Shit, they're slowing down.
"Yukio, don't detonate yet. They're slowing down."
She kept her eye on the train, wishing for it not to stop. If it came to a stop then that meant that whoever was in command was suspicious and if he was suspicious then...
Please don't send out riders, she thought.
She heard movement and turned to see Kensei.
"What are they doing?"
"They're stopping."
"That means they'll likely scout out the tracks ahead."
Tatsuki saw that Kensei had his grip on his knife.
"If they see the dynamite then…"
"They won't see anything," Kensei said. "Mashiro and I can deal with any riders they send if we need to."
"What if they send more than two?"
"They won't. At least, they won't send out more than two our direction."
Tatsuki nodded. She kept her gaze on the train and saw it stop. She saw a figure jump down from the engine and walk to one of the box cars. She saw four more figures come out from one of the passenger cars.
"Four riders," Tatsuki whispered. "Pass the word."
Kensei nodded and moved away to pass the message to the others. She narrowed her eyes and saw four horses being led off of one of the box cars. The figure who jumped from the engine gave instructions. Two of the riders rode east while the other two began to ride in her direction.
Two riders coming our way. We can take them out and…
And then what? If they took out the two riders and if they were expected to give a signal then the passengers in the cars would know that something was wrong and they would fall upon them. She took one of the rifles and cocked it, ready to fire.
She could see the two riders, lit by the lanterns that they held. One was tall and thin with long black hair that hung below his shoulders. His long chin beard was braided through silver rings and his long grey coat was lined with scalps. The other was shorter, his face covered in scars and his bare chest covered in tattoos. They stopped their horses and dismounted.
Tatsuki felt every muscle in her body tighten. She knew that they wouldn't be able to duplicate their appearances, but perhaps from a distance…
The two riders walked down on either side of the track, leading their horses. They kicked at the rails to make sure that none were loose. They stopped just two rails short of the dynamite and raised their lanterns. The figure standing next to the engine got back on and the train started up again. Tatsuki could see figures standing on top of the car roofs.
Clever bastards, she thought. She looked over at Yukio and crept her way towards him. Yukio looked at her, his eyes wide.
"Blow it after the first two box cars after the engine passed over the dynamite. I'm sure that's where they have the explosives."
Yukio nodded and prepared the detonator. Tatsuki looked at the two front riders who didn't move from their spot. She knew that they could take them out, but thought better of it. The train was coming too close now and if they attacked the two riders then the men in the engine would see.
Wait until the engine passes.
Tatsuki looked to where the dynamite lay and hoped that the lamp at the front of the train didn't cause it to gleam. Yukio readied the detonator.
The engine was getting close to the dynamite and then…
The rider with the scarred face and tattoos looked at the ground and saw the wire. His eyes went to the dynamite and he saw them.
"DYNAMITE!" he shouted.
"Fuck," Tatsuki said and pulled the trigger on the rifle. The top of the man's head disappeared in a spray of bone, blood, and brain. "BLOW IT! BLOW IT! BLOW IT!"
Yukio detonated the dynamite just as the engine reached the dynamite. The explosion that came told her that they had also blown the engine itself. She saw the engineer back away from the flames while another man clad in a long dark tan dustcoat leapt out of the engine.
"What the fuck?" Kensei shouted.
"AIM FOR THE MEN ON THE ROOFS!" Tatsuki shouted as she fired her rifle. The men on the roofs saw what happened and were jumping from the slowing cars. Many ran forward, rifles and revolvers ready.
I guess this is it, Tatsuki thought as she brought out her own revolver.
The Shihoin Line
Apacci's shot struck one of the men trying to push the cars back. Other soldiers began to jump out of the passenger cars, rushing forward. The box cars in the front continued to fall off the tracks. She could hear the screams of horses over the roar of the falling cars.
The explosion caught her off guard. As one car tilted, it suddenly exploded in a shower of wood and fire. The soldiers who were close were engulfed in flames. The fiery splinters fell on fallen boxcars that began to catch fire. Panic spread among the soldiers as another car also vanished in an explosion of fire and wood.
Nitro, she thought. The fuckers brought nitro and they were dumb enough to store it near the front?
"Get ready!" Yoruichi shouted as she stood.
Box cars near the back were opened and men came pouring out of the passenger cars. Apacci saw one giving orders while a young boy began to sound his bugle. Yoruichi fired, shooting down a man in flames who came at her with a knife. Apacci fired, striking a man aiming at Yoruichi.
"Let's go!" Giriko roared and Sung-Sun followed to another boulder. Jackie clambered to the top of the bolder staying as low as possible, her breech loading rifle ready. Shots rang out from the Borderlanders and Arrancars.
"Spread out!" their leader called out. "Spread out! Don't let them group us together!"
Apacci tried to aim for him, but he was too far away. Instead, she aimed to one of the few who was trying to flank them. She knew that her bullet found its mark when she saw his throat open in a spray of blood. Yet three more were outflanking them.
"They're flanking us!" Yoruichi shouted. "Oh shit!"
Apacci saw horses being led off the boxcars in the rear. They were already saddled and some were even being ridden on. The leader gestured directions. Some of the horsemen went left and others right, well out of their range.
"Retreat! Retreat before they outflank us!" Yoruichi shouted.
"You don't need to tell me twice," Apacci muttered.
The Tywin Line
Tatsuki
"They're trying to outflank us," Riruka said.
Tatsuki knew it to be true. They had retreated to a cluster of boulders and were now on the defensive. It was a situation that she didn't want to be in.
"Where's Mashiro?" Tatsuki asked.
"I'm here," Mashiro said, rising long enough to take a shot.
Kensei shot another Borderlander who was able to reach the top of one of the boulders.
"We need to get to the horses and get the hell out of here," he said.
"No shit," Tatsuki said. The only light that they had was the burning engine and she checked the chambers of her revolver to see how much ammunition she had left. "We won't make it out of this. Not unless something happens."
From below the rock outcropping, Tatsuki could hear voices heading away from them.
"What are they doing?" Riruka asked.
Tatsuki's brow furrowed and she crept her way up the back of the boulder. She made sure not to make herself a visible target and peered over the top. Her gaze went to the trains where men were removing crates from one of the cars. An idea struck her, but she knew that it would come at a cost.
She made her way back to where the others waited.
"They're unloading the nitro," she whispered. "I was wrong, it was in the sixth boxcar after the engine."
"So what do you have in mind?"
"We need to blow it up, but…"
"But it will require one of us to do it," Riruka said.
"A one way trip then," Yukio said, blood ran down the side of his head, staining his blonde hair.
"Yeah," Tatsuki said. "I suppose we could draw lots for it or…"
"There's no need," Kensei said.
"What? No…no…it doesn't have to be…"
"Yeah…yeah it does," Kensei said and gestured to his stomach. It was the first time that Tatsuki noticed that while they fled to the boulders, Kensei had been shot in the gut. "I'm as good as dead anyways. At least it will be quicker."
"How could you still be standing?" Tatsuki asked.
Kensei shrugged and leaned against a boulder.
"It needs to be me. The rest of you can get to the horses and…"
"No, we're not leaving you here to die," Mashiro said.
"Why not?" Yukio asked. "You saw him. He's shot in the gut. He's as good as dead."
"Not unless we get him help," Mashiro said.
"And where do you suppose we can get help?" Kensei asked. "Do you think you can walk up to them and say, 'We're almost out of ammo and one of us was gut-shot. Can you help us?' They'll kill us all."
"But…"
"No 'buts' about this, Mashiro." Kensei said and put a hand on her cheek. "I have to do this. I don't want to die doing nothing."
"Fine," Tatsuki said. "Then it's decided. Yukio, do you have any more dynamite left?"
"Yeah," Yukio said and reached into his coat pocket. He brought out two sticks of dynamite and handed them to Tatsuki who smiled as she accepted them.
"That's all that we need."
Patros
Patros heard the explosion. His men stopped and he turned to the men he left standing guard at the rock outcropping.
They're trying to make a run for it, he thought.
"Sir," Aldegor said.
"They're trying to make a run for it. Aldegor, you and Menis head the opposite direction of the explosion. They'll run that way."
"Yes sir," Menis said.
Aldegor and Menis ran away from the other Arrancars. Patros bit his lower lip and made his way to the men unloading the boxcars. Horses whinnied as they were saddled. Five of the horses were mounted. Patros saw that the tall man with the braided chin beard was one of those mounted.
"Ride ahead to Karakura Town. If you find Zommari or Aaroniero, tell them what happened. Tell them that Tsukishima laid an ambush for us. If they find him they are to kill him immediately."
The riders nodded before riding westward. Patros looked to the boulders and whistled. Three men approached him and he pointed to the boulders.
"Make sure that they didn't move. If they're still there then gun them down. They'll want to stay low for the time being and won't be on their guard."
The three men nodded and made their way to the boulders. Patros looked at the burning engine.
"It could have been a lot worse. They could have succeeded in derailing us completely," he muttered.
Kensei
Kensei crawled his way to one of the boxcars. The burning engine made him nervous, but none of the Borderlanders noticed him. They all had other things on their mind. He saw two riders going away from the explosion and smiled. So far none of the enemy was going south, where their horses were hidden and the diversion was working. He crawled under the sixth car and stopped to catch his breath. He looked at his shirt and saw the blood stain spreading.
Black blossoms began to bloom at his periphery.
No, I can't die now. I won't die now.
The Shihoin Line
Arturo
Arturo smiled when he saw that the attackers were retreating. Five riders approached him and he gestured to the fleeing figures.
"Run them down," he said.
The riders charged forward.
Apacci
Apacci heard the hooves of rushing horses and didn't turn around. Instead she went left with Sung-Sun close behind. Jackie and Yoruichi turned right while Giriko stopped.
"Giriko! What…?"
Giriko raised his revolvers and fired. One bullet struck one of the horses in the eye and the other struck a rider in the chest. Two riders were down and yet the remaining three unholstered their own weapons. Before Giriko had a chance to fire another shot, three shots rang in the night.
"NO!" Jackie yelled. "GIRIKO!" she shouted and she fired her revolver at the three riders. Two struck a horse in the neck, causing it to go down. Two more struck a rider in the shoulder and upper thigh. The last remaining rider raised his revolver to shoot Jackie only to be shot in the head by Yoruichi.
Giriko fell to his knees.
"We need to help him," Jackie said.
"No…no…he's as good as dead," Yoruichi said. "He'll slow us down."
"Like hell he will."
Jackie rushed to help Giriko and cried out in pain as a bullet struck her in her left knee. She put all of her weight on her right leg and fired, killing the woman who shot her. Apacci and Sung-Sun rushed towards Jackie, in time to catch her before she fell to the ground.
"Do you have her?" Yoruichi asked.
"Yeah," Sung-Sun said.
"Then let's get out of here."
Giriko
Giriko smiled when he saw the four women get away into the darkness and hoped that Jackie wouldn't slow them down too much.
You shouldn't have tried to help me, Jackie, he thought.
He heard footsteps coming towards him and heard the sound of a revolver's hammer being cocked back.
I suppose my time's up.
He closed his eyes just as Arturo fired the revolver.
Aizen
Aizen saw the blaze in the distance. Steam escaped from the stopped engine and he turned to face the others behind him.
"Ready the horses. We ride from here," he said.
The Tywin Line
Patros
Patros saw the other train coming to a stop. Soldiers got out of the slowing cars and made their way to the boxcars. He saw Mordred in the engine raise his hand in greeting. Patros raised his hand in return and turned to check on the crates. He stopped when he saw two of his men dragging someone between them.
"What do you have there?" he asked.
"This was one of those who ambushed us," one of the men said.
Patros grabbed the man's silvery hair and yanked his head up so that he could get a look at the face.
"Well, well, well," he said and smiled. "This is Kensei Muguruma of the Visored Squad. So…it wasn't Tsukishima who ambushed us after all."
"I suppose not," Kensei said.
Patros looked at the blood stain spreading across Kensei's shirt and balled his free hand into a fist. He pressed the balled fist into Kensei's stomach. Kensei groaned in pain.
"That looks very bad. We have a trained doctor with us and I can have someone fetch him if you tell us where your fellow conspirators are."
"They're at the boulders."
"No they're not," Patros said. "I had men look there and they reported that they're not there. I assume that they went back to wherever they hid their horses. That's what I would do in such a dire situation. Now, which way did they go?"
"Fuck you," Kensei said.
Patros opened his fist and pushed two of his fingers into the bullet hole. Kensei screamed in pain and Patros smiled.
"Tell me now, and I'll make the pain stop."
Kensei smiled and looked Patros in the eye.
"I'll tell you where they went if you tell me how many crates of nitroglycerine are left in the sixth boxcar."
Patros frowned and looked to the sixth boxcar and then back at Kensei. His eyes widened in terror as he understood.
"Oh fuck," he whispered.
The boxcar exploded as the stick of dynamite that Kensei hid under the car before lighting exploded. Inside were twelve crates of nitroglycerine. Burning debris struck the boxes that had been removed. Patros watched in horror as the flames came rushing at him. The last thing he heard before the flames engulfed him was the screams of burning horses and men.
The Shihoin Line
Arturo Plateado looked at the burning remains of the train. Those who remained stood, preparing the remaining horses for the final push to Karakura Town. He looked at Giriko's corpse and spat on it.
"It'll take more than that to kill me," he said. He heard the sounds of horses approaching.
"Sir, Aizen's here," one of the survivors said. Arturo was pleased to see that his horse had been saddled and was ready.
"Are we all prepared to move forward?" Arturo asked.
"Yes sir."
"Then we ride with Aizen's forces." Arturo mounted his horse and raised a hand. "Ride through fire! Ride through blood!"
"Ride through fire! Ride through blood!" the men shouted.
"Forward!"
The soldiers roared and the reddening sky was filled with the thunder of horses' hooves racing to war.
The Arrancar Army
Baraggan Luisenbarn rode to where Rudobon stood in front of the Exequias. He was not surprised to see that Rudobon had his skull helmet tucked under one arm. Alejo and Skullak sat on their horses on either side of their commander. Soon, they would head to their regiments to fulfill their parts of the attack. The artillery were lined in front of the assembled army, positioned close enough to deliver a devastating blow against the defenders.
Rudobon looked at the lightening sky.
"It won't be long," he said.
"No," Baraggan agreed. "Today, the Arrancars will have their vengeance and these lands will belong to us again."
"Aizen probably expects us to die today," Rudobon said.
"Then let's disappoint him," Skullak said.
"Agreed," Rudobon said and turned to Baraggan. "What's the order? Are there to be any prisoners?"
Baraggan thought about it before saying anything.
"If they lay down their arms then they may live. However, if they fire at us then they are to die. If there are any women or children hiding in this town then they are to be taken alive. We will not become like them."
"What about the Espada who betrayed us?" Skullak asked.
"What do we do with traitors, Skullak?" Alejo asked.
Skullak nodded his head in understanding.
Rudobon looked in the sky and saw that the carrion eaters were starting to circle the sky above.
"They know that a feast is about to be spread before them," he said. The sound of a bugle sounded somewhere down the line and was joined by the beating of drums. "Men, to your positions," Rudobon said and donned his skull helmet.
Skullak and Alejo saluted before riding to their regiments. Rudobon looked at Baraggan.
"We shall lead the center lines," he said.
Baraggan drew his revolver and stared at the city before him.
"Men!" he roared. "Make them tremble in fear!"
The Arrancars and Exequias and Mercenaries began to let lose a cacophony of cries. Many raised their rifles or swords in the air. The horses added their neighing in the din. The men on the carts with mounted Balas raised their fists while those at the Ceros began to load the artillery with a variety of missiles, from traditional round shots to the devastating grapeshots. All were aimed at the Karakura Town defenses.
"Ceros!" Baraggan roared.
Karakura Town
Starrk looked out the window at a sky painted red with the rising sun. In the distance he heard the sounds of the drums and bugles from the Arrancar Army. The Arrancars began to let out a variety of war cries that became a cacophony of sound and fury.
"Starrk, are you ready?" Harribel asked.
"Yeah," he whispered and drew his revolver. "Bel, it would be best if we drop to the floor."
Harribel didn't argue. She laid flat on the ground, making sure to cover her head with her hands. Starrk crouched over her.
Outside, the roars of Ceros filled the dawn like thunder that would only become louder with the charge yet to come.
The final battle had begun.
End of Chapter 18
A.N.: Three chapters remain and hopefully they won't take as such a long time in being released as this one was. The body count is considerably higher in this one than I initially thought (originally I only had two characters die and even then one of them survived). The next chapter will be the majority of the final battle and, naturally, the body count will be considerably higher.
Thank you for reading and please review.