Chapter: 22
"Sharif!"
Answering the call, a large figure appeared from the distance and landed in front of Yagi, shaking the earth. Whatever it was, it was massive.
It wasn't massive. It was powerful.
What landed in front of Yagi was slightly larger than the average human. It was a deformed Quincy. His head and torso were human but his arms and legs were reptilian and too large for the rest of his frame. The long arms he held off the ground made him look unbalanced. Each arm looked like it weighed as much as his entire body. What kept him balanced was the tail supporting him from behind like a third leg. The sleeves of his clothing were missing, no doubt too small to accommodate those large limbs. The rest of his body was covered with Quincy clothing, along with the tools on his belt.
"Meet Sharif. New and improved," announced Yagi.
"What do you mean 'new and improved'?" asked Rukia.
Upon closer look, she realized she had seen this man before. He was the sniper fighting Ichigo at the Seireitei. But he didn't look like this before. He looked mutated.
"I had to test Ichigo's capabilities and killer instinct, so I sent Sharif into his cage to test it. Ichigo mangled him good. We all thought he was dead until recently. When Zalya went in to take care of the body, he discovered that Sharif was still breathing. His body was ruined but he was still alive." Yagi gestured proudly to his creation. "So out of the goodness of my heart, I gave him a second chance. Not only did I heal him, I also made him stronger."
Sharif held his oversized arms off the ground and flexed. He was showing off the gifts his leader had given him.
"I rebuilt his body using Hollow parts. He can move and now he is even stronger. He has the powers of a Quincy and Hollow." Yagi smiled. "Not only that, but through the process, I managed to get rid of that annoying other personality he has."
"A what?" Shinji asked.
"Sharif has a disorder that gives him a second personality. Very annoying. This split personality or duel personality or whatever you want to call it has caused me nothing but problems. So I got rid of it." Yagi gestured to Sharif with his hand. "This is Sharif reborn. He has always been one of my strongest men but that personality got in the way. His skills were off the charts then. Now he's even stronger and no alternate personality to get in the way. It's perfect."
Sharif turned his head, smiling at Yagi. "I'm very thankful to you, leader. With this, I am better than ever. I knew that second half got on your nerves but there was nothing I could do about it. Thanks to this, I'll always be myself and no other me will ever get in the way. Not in the way of living my life, or in the way of your orders. Now I'm officially completely competent."
Shinji scoffed. "It's not as perfect as you think," he said.
"And why's that?"
Shinji pointed to Linnette. "You did your research, right? You know about Linnette's ability to control Hollows. If you gave Sharif Hollow powers and rebuilt his body with Hollow parts, then she can control him. You're not as smart as you think. It was a stupid move. You just made a huge mistake, Yagi. You didn't think this through."
Yagi chuckled. "I'm afraid I did. Of course I considered that. I haven't forgotten about that girl at all and I did take precautions. Do you really think I'm that much of a fool?"
Shinji shouldn't have been surprised at his answer. From the beginning, Yagi had taken a number of things into account to make sure he wasn't at a disadvantage. From the first attack on the Seireitei, to poisoning Ichigo, his subordinates' powers and everything else, Yagi had thought of everything to ensure he wasn't on the losing side. No matter the path they chose, something was going to give. Something would be lost. Yagi made sure of that. It was unlikely to think he would mess up on something so incredibly obvious as this. Someone like Yagi wouldn't make an obvious mistake like that.
He must have seen this and made adjustments accordingly. Linnette's powers would not be a problem.
"I've taken her powers into account and I've done my research. I noticed that her powers effect Hollows mentally. Not physically. She is not a puppeteer over their bodies while they are left struggling to resist. They willingly listen to her. Their actions are their own. Which means her voice works on their minds and not their bodies. Knowing this, I was very careful with Sharif's recovery. I made sure he would have Hollow powers but not a Hollow's mind. His mutation is physical. He still has his own mind. It's only his body that's changed. Therefore, her voice will not work on him. He is free of her control. There is no danger."
Shinji cursed under his breath. Yagi had thought this through, just like with everything he did.
Linnette's voice could not effect Sharif. If he did not have a Hollow's mind, he would not bend to her will.
"And now..." Yagi snapped his fingers. "Go test your new body against their strength."
"Yes, sir!" Sharif bent his knees and sprang into the air. His body eclipsed the sun. His frame grew bigger as he descended. Shinji jumped aside and Rukia pulled Linnette out of the way. Sharif's body hit the ground with such force, it caused the earth to quake and split.
Linnette screamed and hid her face behind her arms as rocks pelted them from where Sharif had landed.
Sharif stood in the crater he created. He wasn't injured. He didn't even feel the impact from the landing. He didn't use any energy at all. He was pumped up and ready for more.
"This body is fantastic, leader!" Sharif called from the hole. "It's so strong and easy to maneuver. It doesn't take much to do anything. I could keep this up all day!"
Yagi smiled with pride.
"The hell with this." Shinji took out his Zanpakuto. Before he could release it, Sharif clawed it out of his hand. "Ahh!" Shinji's arms were sliced open. Rather than worry about his own injury, he was hoping that the blood-user wasn't nearby.
Sharif smiled and threw his arm into Shinji's torso, sending him flying. It truly was effortless. No more energy than brushing a strand of hair aside. This body was so strong. Despite his limbs being so large and heavy, the strength they possessed made it hard to notice. He barely felt a difference between these limbs and the ones from his old body.
"Dance!"
Sharif turned around. Rukia was using her sword. He decided to try another ability this body possessed. He opened his mouth and fired a cero at Rukia. She dove out of the way just in time but there was a large trench stretching into the distance where his cero had fired.
He felt so strong. Nothing could beat him.
Shinji searched for his dropped sword. Sharif had tossed it when he attacked. When he found it, Shinji could not pick it up. Each time he tried, his arms would throb. The gashes in his forearms were deep. He had to think of something else.
Sharif was having a blast. This new body made everything so easy. Even firing off a cero came so naturally to him. His body knew what to do. It responded to his desires. It understood his wants. Every once in a while, he would look over at Yagi to see his reaction. He looked pleased and that gave Sharif encouragement.
Meanwhile, Kensei and Rojuro were not doing so well against Ichigo. To refrain from injuring him, they had to dodge everything he threw at them. Ichigo had become very unsteady and his attacks were haphazard. Sometimes he fired straight into the air for no apparent reason.
"Hold on!" Kensei warned Rojuro.
Ichigo was writhing on his feet, roaring. His mask was starting to break. Ichigo's face peered through the gaps in his mask.
Taking a chance, Kensei came closer. "Ichigo, can you hear me?" He stood on Ichigo's shoulder and leaned down. He could feel Ichigo's body trembling.
"Kensei..!" Ichigo said through the cracks in his mask. "Ken... sei... Hide... out..."
Kensei moved closer. Ichigo was trying to tell him something about the Quincy hideout. "Yes? Yes?"
Ichigo struggled to choke out any information he could. A new mask was beginning to form. Kensei tried to keep the mask form forming again by pulling it apart with his hands. It wasn't working. He couldn't stop the mask for reforming.
"Don't... touch... door... frame..." were the last words Ichigo said before the mask reformed and he slashed at Kensei.
Kensei jumped back and landed beside Rojuro. "What did he tell you?" asked Rojuro.
"Something I have to take care of. Can you handle Ichigo on your own?"
"I might be able to."
"Thanks, Rose."
"Heads up!"
Kensei turned right into Ichigo's attack. Ichigo's arm sent Kensei into the air and over Sharif's head. Yagi turned from Sharif to watch Kensei landed somewhere in the distance. He smiled. After a hit like that, he expected Kensei to be crippled or worse. Believing him to be of no threat at this point, turned back to watch Sharif tear into the others.
Unbeknownst to Yagi, Kensei was able to bounce back after a hit like that. Making sure no one could sense him or see him, he ran away from the fighting. Ichigo had given him directions to the hide-out. He so desperately wanted someone to find it that he fought to change back just for a moment to tell them. It wasn't enough. He wasn't able to change back completely but he was trying so hard to find a way to get the message out to them. Kensei wanted to make sure his struggles were not in vain. He heard his words. He was going to that hide-out.
Veneno stopped to gauge how far he had gone. He was in the middle of nowhere. There were rocks everywhere but no one around for miles. He remembered being in this area when Yagi confronted him so their hideout must be close.
Sensing someone, Veneno turned, hoping it wasn't Yagi or another Quincy. It was a Soul Reaper. A Captain, in fact. He looked like a man on a mission. He looked around and took a quick right. Veneno lost sight of him among the tall rocks. Veneno decided to follow him, thinking this Soul Reaper had some valuable information. He seemed to know where he was going.
Kensei tried to remember Ichigo's fragmented instructions. Most of what he said was very confusing and the rest weren't complete sentences. From what he understood, he was supposed to be looking for a large bolder with a small opening. That was the entrance to their hideout. A lot of these stones were very large but none of them were bolders.
At last, he spotted one. He moved closer and stuck his head inside the narrow opening. There was a staircase leading straight down to what looked like a basement. This must have been it. Kensei pulled his head out and took a few steps back. He put his hand on his sword, thinking. He could slash his way in, taking out the bolder to make the opening wider and easier to fit through. That would be careless. If there was anyone inside, they would know he was here. He didn't want to alert anyone so it was best to go in quietly. He would just have to squeeze inside.
Veneno observed him from a rock. Kensei was able to stick his head inside that opening. Was that the entrance?
Sensing him, Kensei turned around. He couldn't identify his Spiritual Pressure which was very odd. The man on that rock was wearing white but he didn't look like a Quincy. When Veneno tilted his head, Kensei saw his mask and knew he was an Arrancar.
Kensei drew his sword and attacked.
Unlike the other Soul Reapers, Kensei wasn't around when they were attacked with Veneno's Hollow virus. Nor was he around when they had a truce and became allies. Kensei had no idea they were on the same side. He thought Veneno, like most other Arrancars, was a threat.
Veneno jumped back to avoid his swing. Kensei's blade was pretty short compared to other Zanpakuto. Veneno didn't draw his weapon. Since this Captain was obviously new, he figured this man had no idea who he was.
"Hang on, hang on!"
Kensei swung again and this time, Veneno caught his hand.
"Dude!" he yelled in his face. "I'm on your side. I'm just trying to find the Quincy hideout to help Ichigo."
Kensei relaxed. "You know Ichigo?"
"We're friends. He helped me. Now I'm helping him."
Kensei lowered his weapon and sheathed it. "Really?"
"For real."
Kensei looked him over. "Well... I guess stranger things have happened." He wasn't sure he could trust this Arrancar but he didn't have time to ponder it or ask this man a million questions. He had a mission to see through. "Alright. Well, if you mean that, I found it."
"Through that opening?" Veneno pointed.
"Yeah. We don't know if there's anyone in there so we have to be quiet. We don't want anyone spotting us and attacking. Element of surprise with this one."
"Got it."
Obviously Veneno was coming along. Kensei didn't object. They entered the opening together and went down the stairs quietly and slowly. Kensei was warned there might be traps. When they reached the bottom, he noticed the door frame and remembered what Ichigo had warned him.
"Don't touch the door frame," he whispered to Veneno.
Veneno nodded.
Kensei looked at the floor. A cluster of small stones were gathered in a pile and pushed against the wall. He wandered what that could have been. Veneno smelled something fowl on the wood of the door frame. It looked like it had been cleaned up but the odor still lingered along with the smell of cleaner. Someone had cleaned up this door frame recently.
They entered a large room with a tall ceiling. Further away was a door. They approached cautiously and turned the knob. The door led to a furnished living area complete with fireplace. It was a lot cozier than Kensei pictured. These Quincies liked to live and hide in style. They weren't roughing it at all. A couch, coffee table, bookcase, armchairs and even a dining area with a long wooden table. If it weren't for the stone walls, Kensei would have never believed they were underground.
Veneno observed everything with curious eyes. Even the books on the shelves caught his interest. He tried to make out the titles but most of the books didn't have spine labels. Beyond the bookcase, he spotted another door. That must have led to their laboratory.
That's when he spotted something above the fireplace. He waved Kensei over and they both stared.
Mounted on the wall was Ichigo's Zanpakuto. It was hung on the wall like a trophy.
It wouldn't be allowed to stay there. Kensei stepped closer to take it down. He stood on his toes to reach and removed it from the supports in the wall with both hands.
As he held Ichigo's sword, he felt his stomach twist. Was this how the Quincies thought of Ichigo? A prize to be hunted down and killed like a deer in the woods? They thought they had won and decided to mount Ichigo's sword on the wall as a trophy. It was infuriating. Insulting! Kensei felt sick. Was there no end to their dishonorable actions? Everything about them was awful and shameless. It wasn't enough that they had to do these horrible things but they had to gloat about it as well?
Even worse, mounting Ichigo's sword was like saying he was already dead.
Kensei might not have been as close to Ichigo as he was with other people but he still considered him a friend and hated to see him treated this way. Ichigo deserved more respect. The way these Quincies were treating him, what they thought of him...
Veneno touched Kensei's shoulder. Without saying a word, he told Kensei that Ichigo was going to be alright. That they would save him. The first step was taking back his sword and returning it to him. They weren't expecting to find it here but they were glad they did. Now it was time to finish what they came here to do. They had to find that lab.
"Who are you?"
Veneno and Kensei turned.
A Quincy was standing behind them.
Veneno looked this man over. This wasn't the blood-user and it wasn't Yagi. Kensei knew this wasn't Yagi either. He was still watching the battle above ground, along with another Quincy he called Sharif. He didn't hold a mirror so it couldn't have been the other one Kensei didn't know the name of.
The Quincy glared at them. "I asked you a question."
"It's none of your business unless you tell us your name first," said Veneno.
He glared. "You broke into our home and you demand my name?" His fist began to glow. "Just so you know the name of the man who killed you, it's Mordere!"
He fired a folly of arrows at them. Kensei and Veneno dodged and rushed at Mordere from opposite sides. Veneno attacked from the right and Kensei the left. Mordere jumped straight up to avoid them both and the two nearly collided.
"I see. A Soul Reaper and an Arrancar. What a strange combination."
Veneno and Kensei attacked again. Still holding Ichigo's sword with one hand, Kensei drew his own weapon and tried to stab Mordere. The Quincy fired another folly at Kensei, forcing him to duck behind the couch for cover.
Thinking Mordere could only aim in one place at a time, Veneno attempted to attack him from behind. Either he wouldn't see it coming, or he would have to leave Kensei alone to attack him, giving Kensei a chance to escape.
Veneno tried to put his plan into action but was surprised to learn that Mordere could aim in two places at once. While firing at Kensei with one hand, he turned the other on Veneno and fired.
"You can fire arrows in both directions?"
"Anywhere I want," Mordere said smugly. "I learned how to do this a while ago and I've perfected it. My hands are like crossbows. I can take on two people at once with no problem. You don't stand a chance."
Veneno wasn't afraid of his arrows. Losing was not an option. Not with Ichigo's life hanging in the balance. They had to defeat this Quincy and return Ichigo's sword. They had to find a cure and fix the problem. Too much was riding on this.
Veneno charged forward with his sword drawn. As the Quincy took aim, Veneno changed directions. The Quincy followed Veneno with his arm, refusing to let him out of his sight. He open fired, chasing Veneno around the room. Veneno ducked behind the bookcase and Mordere continued to fire. His other arm was still firing on Kensei so neither were able to leave their hiding spots. Mordere shot out the shelves of the bookcase, weakening it. It didn't take much for it to fall. Veneno wedged his arm between the wood and the wall and gave the bookcase a shove. Like a falling tree, it keeled over, aimed at Mordere.
Mordere jumped aside to avoid it. Veneno jumped over the fallen bookcase and swung his weapon. Mordere fired and Veneno blocked with his blade. He kicked Mordere in the chest and swung at him as he went down. Mordere braced himself with both arms and pushed himself back up. He drew a weapon from his belt which looked a lot like a sword only the blade was glowing just like the arrows he fired. He swung at Veneno who swung back. Veneno blocked the horizontal swing with the hilt of his sword and pushed Mordere's arm back. He spun and stepped at the same time. Using the momentum, he swung his forearm into Veneno's flank, sending him sailing sideways into the wall.
No longer on the run from Mordere's arrows, Kensei took over, swinging his short blade at the Quincy's neck. He blocked the sword and pushed the Captain back. They were both muscular and rather large. Veneno's skinny frame could not compare so he was easily sent flying with one hit of Mordere's arm. Kensei wasn't so easily thrown, given that they were roughly the same size. When Mordere tried the same method with him, Kensei only slid a few inches and came back swinging. It would take a lot more than a shove to send him flying. He stood his ground and used his weight against his opponent.
Since Kensei and Mordere were so close together, Veneno couldn't unleash an attack without risking Kensei's life. He didn't want to miss and hit him instead. He stood off to the side to offer backup.
Mordere and Kensei locked hands, each trying to break the other's arm and to prevent another blow from landing. Kensei fired a Kido at close range, nailing Mordere in the stomach. His vest was burnt but he was still able to continue the fight. Still holding Kensei's hand in his, he tried to fire an arrow. Kensei saw this and released his hand. Freed, Modere kneed Kensei in the gut and fired an arrow at his head as he bent over.
Seeing his chance, Veneno kicked Mordere's elbow upward, his arrow launching into the ceiling. Kensei grabbed Mordere's wrist and pulled him down. Bringing his other arm back, he punched Mordere in the face. As he stumbled back, Kensei pulled him back down for another punch. Mordere fired an arrow past his ear and into the wall, severing a rope in its path. A decorative tapestry loosened from the wall and fell on top of them. Kensei cut himself out but Mordere was gone.
"There!" Veneno pointed.
Mordere was on top of the coffee table, getting ready to fire at them again. They dodged his arrows and came at him from different sides. Kensei went low and Veneno went high. Someone was bound to land a hit. If Mordere dodged one, he would be hit by the other.
Mordere saw what they were planning and jumped, bending his body back. Kensei's blade sailed under Mordere's legs and Veneno's sword passed over Modere's neck. He managed to dodge them both. On his decent, Mordere stomped on Kensei's wrist and elbowed Veneno in the jaw.
"Soul Reapers and Arrancars are so foolish. Do you really think you can beat a Quincy? You are both stupid and weak!"
Kensei grabbed Modere with his other hand to drag him off the coffee table. Mordere kicked him in the face when he tried. Veneno slashed at Mordere with his sword but the Quincy was already expecting that. He knocked the sword out of his hand where its blade sank into an armchair.
"You are powerless without your sword, just as a Soul Reaper."
That may have been correct if Veneno hadn't been training among Soul Reapers from Squad 11. When everything else failed, they always had their fists. They had honor and respect, but in an unfair fight, they were trained to do whatever it took to win. Anything goes. Veneno was already willing to do whatever it took to win. Knowing some pretty tough Soul Reapers only encouraged him.
He took a running start at Mordere and jumped. He latched onto Mordere's body and started punching him. Veneno wrapped his legs around Mordere's waist to keep himself steady and punched him with both fists. Like this, there was no getting away. He was so close, he couldn't miss and Mordere was being hit with powerful punches. He shoved Veneno back, but with his legs still wrapped around Mordere, he wasn't going anywhere. He pulled himself back up and continued punching.
"Get the hell off me!" Mordere took aim at Veneno's head. "Filthy vermin!"
Veneno ducked but soon realized he had to get away from Mordere. He was aiming for his stomach next. In this position, he couldn't miss. Veneno got away as fast as he could. Mordere wiped the blood from his lips and stepped off the coffee table, heading right for Veneno.
Veneno pulled his sword free and kicked the armchair into Mordere's legs. He kept the chair from moving by placing his foot on the backrest and pressed it into Mordere's knees. Mordere couldn't get any closer to Veneno with this chair in the way. He tried attacking over it, but it was too much of a hassle. He open fired on the chair, his arrows shredding it to pieces. He stomped over what was left and came at Veneno, one fist poised with an arrow, the other clutching the sword-like weapon.
Taking a step back, Veneno tried to fight him off but once again, the sword was pried from his hands and went sailing overhead.
"Here!" Kensei threw Ichigo's sword to him. Veneno caught it and slashed at Mordere. He managed to land a hit. Blood sprayed from Mordere's chest. Ichigo's longer sword gave Veneno a longer reach.
Veneno felt strange holding his sword. It wasn't the same as the one he owned. He preferred his own sword. It just didn't feel right using Ichigo's. At the same time, as strange as it felt, it was also comforting. It was almost as if Ichigo were still fighting alongside him.
"I'm going to mangle you good!" Mordere came at him swinging. Veneno blocked every attack but he was being boxed into a corner. Each blow sent him back a step and he was getting closer to the wall. "Take this!"
"The hell you will!" Kensei jumped on Mordere from behind.
At the same time Mordere slashed at Veneno with a powerful swing. The sword as knocked back into Veneno's chest. Not even a second later, Mordere was thrown into him thanks to Kensei who had plowed into him from behind. The pileup was too much for the door to handle and all three fell into the next room.
Veneno landed on his back, Mordere on top of him and Kensei on top of both of them. Kensei stood up and before Mordere could pull himself up, Veneno used his legs to throw him over his head. Veneno rolled to his feet and stood, preparing another attack.
He smelled chemicals. He looked around and realized they were in a laboratory. They were standing on a metal platform suspended over the lab itself. Below them were tables and machines and containers of all sizes. This is what they were looking for. At the end of the platform was a metal staircase. They had to get to it quickly.
Kensei grabbed Veneno's arm and pulled him out of the way of another arrow. The arrow split one of the cables holding up the platform which caused the metal to shake. There were many other cables so losing one wouldn't make that much of a difference. The platform was in no danger of falling unless a few more were cut.
"You are gonna die here!" said Mordere.
"Like hell." Kensei took up his Zanpakuto and got ready. Veneno was still clutching Ichigo's sword with both hands like a valuable treasure.
Taking his sword-like weapon, Mordere cut another cable. The platform began to creak and wobble. He cut another and the metal under Kensei and Veneno dropped. Kensei was able to grab onto the metal still holding up Mordere but with Veneno still holding Ichigo's sword, he wasn't able to grab onto anything. Kensei made a grab for him with his other hand. As soon as he tried, Mordere stomped on his fingers. The two fell below.
Kensei crashed into some sort of metal cabinet on his way down, knocking him sideways so his fall wasn't straight down. Veneno followed him, tangled together. Veneno lost his grip on Ichigo's sword as he collided with Kensei's chest. Their fall came to an abrupt and painful stop. Veneno tried to move away from Kensei but something blocked his path. He put his hand out and touched glass.
"What the hell?" Kensei became aware of it, too. He put his hand out and touched the glass.
Veneno looked around. The glass was all around him. It was a large tube, like an incubation tank. It looked exactly like a large test tube. It was tall and narrow. Kensei and Veneno were pressed together inside the tube with barely two inches between them.
To Kensei this was a minor pain and easy to get out of. He was thinking about breaking the glass. As thick as it was, he was confident he could do it with one punch. The problem was breaking the glass without hitting Veneno. "If you duck down, I can throw a punch at this glass and..."
Veneno was hyperventilating.
"You ok?"
Veneno was having a panic-attack. Already claustrophobia was kicking in, but that was just the beginning. He put his hands out to keep the glass from closing in on him, but touching it brought back the horrific memories of his tortured past. Flashes of needles appeared before his eyes and he felt pain. He wasn't physically hurt but he was reliving those painful memories so he believed he was being stabbed. His body was heating up. He felt sick. He couldn't breathe.
"Let me out..!" he gasped. He couldn't stand being in this tube for another second. "Let me out!"
Kensei had no idea why Veneno was so panicked but he was very concerned. Veneno was trembling and his breathing was erratic. "Hey, hey... It's ok... Calm down. It's easy to get out. Just let me-"
"Let me out!" Veneno needed to get out now. He started pounding the glass with his fists. "Let me out of here! Let me out! Let me out!"
Every time he brought his arms back to throw another punch, he would end up hitting Kensei. "Ow! Take it easy! We're gonna be fine. Just-"
"Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!" he kept screaming. There was nothing rational about his actions. He just needed to get out of there now. "Let me out! Let me out!"
Kensei looked overhead and saw the opening they had fallen through. "If you stop thrashing, we can just jump-"
"Out! Out! I want out! Let me out!" Backing into Kensei, Veneno threw himself forward and the glass started to crack. He took aim at the web-like pattern and threw himself into the glass again. It shattered and both were free.
Kensei covered his head with his arms as glass rained down around him. He watched in confusion as Veneno half staggered, half ran to the other side of the room and leaned against a metal table. The metal table was harmless, but as soon as he touched it, Veneno pulled away as if he had been burned. He stumbled and fell to the ground and took irregular breaths, still shaking. After a minute, Veneno started to stand but he was still shaking. Kensei had no idea what sort of episode Veneno was having but it was very bizarre.
He didn't know whether to shake him or beat him. Kensei offered comfort in his own way and most people found it to be the exact opposite. He wasn't the type to give someone a hug. He approached Veneno and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey."
Veneno bolted upright and spun around.
Kensei pulled back. Veneno looked sick. His face was pale and had dark blue lips and rings under his eyes. He was sweating and still shaking. He took fast, deep breaths. Kensei wanted to keep his distance just in case Veneno did vomit, which looked like a possibility.
Veneno wiped the sweat from his face and tried to collect himself. "I- I'm fine. It's nothing." He cleared his throat. "I, uh... I just don't do well with being inside glass like that..."
"I can tell."
Veneno wasn't ashamed of his reaction being watched by someone who didn't know. It was uncomfortable, but being behind that glass was a far worse feeling. Being inside that glass tube made him feel like he was being experimented on all over again.
Veneno looked down at the sword he dropped and thought of its owner.
He didn't want Ichigo to suffer as he did. As he was. He was still dealing with what happened. It had an effect on him. An effect he didn't want Ichigo to suffer himself. That was no way to live. Where even being behind glass in a narrow space could cause a panic-attack and make him relive every painful, horror-filled moment of his experimentation. Veneno didn't want that for Ichigo. He didn't want him to suffer.
Veneno shook it from his mind. "Where's that Quincy guy?"
"He has to be above us." Kensei wanted to take Mordere on alone. He would be expecting both of them to be attacking, so taking him on one-on-one seemed like a better way to go. Kensei believed having Veneno out of sight would have the Quincy looking over his shoulder during their fight and a distracted opponent was easy to take on. Also having Veneno elsewhere seemed like a good idea. He could help look for anything useful while Kensei took on the enemy. "You stay below and I'll attack from above."
"You want him on even ground, huh?"
"I also want you to look around for anything useful. There has to be something in this lab that can help Ichigo. We also need to destroy it so the enemy takes some damage. Without a lab, what can they do?"
Veneno nodded. "You go high, I go low."
They went their separate ways. Kensei jumped back onto the metal platform to take on Mordere. He was already waiting for him with a few arrows. Kensei grabbed one of the support cables and swung his body sideways, avoiding the arrows and kicking Mordere in the process.
Mordere stumbled back from the blow but was unshaken. He fired several arrows at Kensei from both fists, one aimed slightly higher in case Kensei tried to dodge. Kensei avoided all but one. An arrow found its way into his Captain's jacket and pinned him to the stone wall. He ripped his jacket free and came at the Quincy with punches.
It became a fist-fight. A boxing match between Soul Reaper and Quincy ensued. Both took damage but they were too evenly matched to declare a winner. Mordere fired an arrow from his fist which grazed Kensei's right ear. Kensei flashed away. Out of his sight, Mordere had no target. He looked around for his opponent.
Kensei came flying down from the ceiling, blade first, above Mordere's head. Thinking Kensei couldn't avoid an attack while falling, Mordere fired more arrows. Kensei disappeared and reappeared behind Mordere, cutting into his vest with his Zanpakuto. Mordere spun and drove his elbow into Kensei's jaw, sending him into the wall. As soon as he hit the stone, Kensei felt Mordere's hands on his back, shoving him into the wall again. He wasn't going to let him get up. Kensei pushed away from the wall with both arms but Mordere kept forcing him back into it. If only he could weaken Mordere's hold. He kicked out at Mordere and finally his foot hit his knee. The blow forced his leg back, weakening his stance and gave Kensei the opportunity to turn around and shove Mordere over the railing.
Mordere fell but never hit the ground. He grabbed onto the platform and swung himself back up. Kensei grabbed Mordere's skull with his hand and slammed him into the wall as soon as he landed beside him. Mordere twisted out of his grip and punched the Captain under the arm. Pain shot through Kensei's chest and shoulder. His arm weakened, Mordere was able to land another blow before Kensei got enough strength back to return the punch. As he threw a punch at his head, Mordere grabbed Kensei's arm and twisted it back, trying to break it. Kensei moved with Mordere and pushed into his body. Then he brought his leg up and kicked Mordere in the rib with his knee.
Then Kensei felt a sharp pain in his forearm. Mordere had taken his Zanpakuto from his weakened grip and stabbed him with the blade. He shoved Kensei away and moved back to gain some ground. Kensei pulled the blade from his arm and returned it to his hand. Being stabbed with his own weapon gave Kensei more of a reason to beat this Quincy into the ground. He was going to have Mordere feel just how sharp his Zanpakuto could be.
Mordere charged and threw a punch at Kensei. Kensei lifted his left arm to block. He grabbed Mordere's fist with his left and held him there while he readied his blade to strike. He was going to stab Mordere in the face or slice his hand off. He hadn't decided yet. Mordere twisted Kensei's arm around and held it above his head faster than Kensei could react. He ended up stabbing himself since Mordere had used Kensei's arm as a shield.
"You're going to regret that," Kensei hissed and kicked Mordere in the stomach.
Neither of them were going to let go. Mordere still hand a hold of Kensei's arm and Kensei still hand a hold of Mordere's fist. Both shoved and kicked, trying to force the other to yield. They were locked together, turning in a circle and stepping forward and back. It looked more like they were dancing than fighting.
Kensei felt the railing in his lower back and knew he was near the edge of the platform again. He spun his body around and threw Mordere over the railing. He grabbed onto the support wire to keep himself from falling and kicked Kensei in the jaw. He landed back on the platform and took another fighting stance. Kensei held up both fists, ready to box. This Quincy was just as strong as he was. He was gong to be a problem.
Down below, the Arrancar was still running around the laboratory with Ichigo's sword in hand. It seemed the only way out was back the way they came. That broken door was their only escape route.
This place made Veneno sick. The smell of chemicals was overwhelming. So many jars and tubes and beakers and tools that reflected and distorted his image. So many sharp objects and contraptions he had never seen before and knew nothing about. There were even body parts floating in jars on shelves and small animals frozen in silicone and left on display, their bodies contorted in pain like something out of a horror film. All the tables and machines were like a maze. Everything about this place made him feel so small and trapped.
Veneno stopped to take it all in. This laboratory brought back bad memories. It was very different from Mayuri's in terms of emotions. His gave Veneno conflicting feelings. It was a place of pain and a place of renewal. He suffered in that lab but he also made friends. He both hated and liked it there. This lab was very different. It had the same supplies but the feelings he had about this lab was very different from Mayuri's in that he only had negative emotions about this place. He felt nothing but anger, resentment, fear and sorrow. This lab wasn't a place for second chances or friends. It was a place of pain and destruction.
This was the lab that had hurt Ichigo. The lab that created evil serums that were injected into unwilling creatures. A place that was killing Ichigo. Taking away friends. Causing pain. Nothing good came from this lab. Anything good that went in, came out evil. It was used for evil. The owner and the lab itself were both corrupted and evil. Pure and simple.
Veneno clenched his fists. This place made him sick. It wasn't the episode he suffered that made him associate this place with evil. It was evil. That was what it was used for. He couldn't let that continue.
His grip tightened on Ichigo's sword. Veneno could feel Ichigo's presence even without him being there. Clutching his sword was like having him here at his side.
Ichigo was suffering because of this place. This is where the serum was created. This place had caused so much suffering to so many. Not just Ichigo, but many innocent lives.
Never again. That would not be allowed to continue. It was going to end. Right now.
Veneno spun around and kicked a glass tube the same size as the one that he was trapped in with Kensei. Powered up by his fury, the kick caused the glass to shatter with one hit. Veneno spun again and kicked over a table. The tools and papers were sent flying and scattered on the floor.
It wasn't enough. There was so much left to destroy. He had to eliminate it all. He had to make sure none of it would be used to hurt Ichigo ever again. No one else would have to suffer.
He flipped over another table with his hands and sent more tools flying. He ran down the aisle and used Ichigo's sword to extend his reach, cutting stacks of paper and beakers. Veneno took a running start and kicked a table, splitting it in half. He grabbed bottles off the shelves and smashed them all. He smashed containers, freeing the creatures trapped inside.
All this destruction felt good. He was unleashing all his rage against this laboratory equipment. Everything that caused pain. These tools, these chemicals, these charts and figures, everything. These were the cause of his suffering. Left alone they were harmless, but in the hands of a madman, they were painful. They were tools of evil. Instruments of pain. It made him suffer. It made Ichigo suffer. It all had to go. Every tools, every paper, every beaker, every screen, every ounce of data had to be destroyed.
"Never again..!"
He threw another glass jar at the wall.
"Never again..!"
He broke another table.
"Will you hurt me!"
If these tools weren't used on him directly, they were used to attack his heart. Hurting Ichigo with these tools was still causing him pain. He wasn't going to stand for it. He wasn't going to watch Ichigo suffer and die because of these wicked things. These awful experiments were still hurting him, even if he wasn't the one getting the needles. They were causing someone he cared about to die a slow and painful death. That was very painful. It caused him suffering.
If Ichigo died, what would he do? If he died because of these experiments, what would he do?
Screaming, he took Ichigo's sword and slashed more papers. Using it like a bat, he shattered glass jars and cups and beakers and tubes. In a way, it was like having Ichigo help him destroy the lab. Together, they were getting rid of everything that made them suffer. Everything that caused them pain.
There was still so much left to get rid of. So many large cabinets filled with who-knows-what and technology filled with so much data. Destroying a few beakers meant nothing compared to that. This broken glass around his feet would only set them back a little. As long as they had the data, they could do it all again.
"It's all going," Veneno seethed. "Not a trace left. It's all going. Every bit. There will be nothing left to hurt us anymore. Nothing they can use to hurt others. Nothing!"
Veneno fired a cero into one of the machines. It exploded in a burst of flame and smoke. Veneno turned to a screen and fired again.
The room began to shake. Kensei and Mordere stopped their fight to look at the ceiling. Rocks were being shaken loose. They smelled smoke and looked in the far corner of the lab. Veneno was open firing on all the machines and tables. Every explosion caused the ceiling to shift a little further and more rocks started to come loose and fall.
"That idiot!" Kensei snapped. This was the reason Veneno hadn't used a cero before while fighting Mordere. Using a cero underground was extremely dangerous. It could cause the entire ceiling to collapse and cave in on them.
Veneno kept it up. He destroyed bottles filled with different color liquids which ignited as soon as he fired. A lot of the chemicals in this lab were very flammable. Many others were highly unstable. Him firing carelessly around the lab was bound to get someone killed.
"That enough!" Kensei shouted down to him. "Stop it!"
Veneno ignored him and kept shooting cero after cero.
"I said stop!"
"Not until it's all gone!" Veneno shouted without turning his head. He fired again and there was another powerful explosion.
The ceiling was starting to collapse. Large fragments of stone fell from above and crushed the broken tables Veneno had already taken his rage out on. The cables supporting the metal platform lost their hold and fell away from the ceiling. The platform started to rock and dip sideways. Kensei grabbed onto the handrail to support himself. The floor under him was starting to fall away as the nails were shaken loose and the cables were ripped out.
The floor under Mordere fell out from under him and he grabbed the handrail to keep from falling with it. The platform swayed. Mordere looked up in horror to see them swinging away from the wall. Below them was a terrible fire, quickly spreading around the laboratory.
This was becoming too dangerous. If he fell, he would be roasted alive. Or the Arrancar would blast him away with a cero. He also had to worry about the Soul Reaper balancing on the same platform. The ceiling was also in the process of caving in on them. These were not good odds. If he hesitated, he might not make it out. Staying here any longer would result in his death.
Mordere looked around at all the destruction. This lab was lost. Nothing would remain.
It was a good thing Yagi had already used the serum on Ichigo, so they really didn't need this lab anymore. Any future projects could be done with a new lab. The pressing matter was already taken care of. Besides, Yagi was brilliant. He might have already planned for something like this. They probably didn't need a lab anymore.
As the platform swung, Mordere jumped to the wall and grabbed onto a stone jetting out. He then jumped to the open door and made his escape.
Kensei watched him do this and cursed under his breath. Mordere left them for dead. Kensei looked at the collapsing ceiling. They were deep underground. Who knew how many tons of earth was going to pile on top of them. Even a Soul Reaper could be crushed to death. He had to get out of here.
Veneno wasn't going to stop. He was on a rampage of his own. He wanted everything done away with. Everything. He grabbed fistfuls of wires and ripped them out of the broken machines. He used a cero every few seconds on whatever he could find at this point, large or small.
Kensei no longer bothered to call out to him. He would just drag him away kicking and screaming if he had to. He wasn't going to leave Veneno here to die after they fought together. He was also Ichigo's friend so that alone was reason to help him.
He jumped down among the flames to grab Veneno and haul him out of here. He braved the flames and marched closer, past all the broken glass and tables. Then something caught his eye wedged between the keys of a console. It was a vial with some strange-looking goop inside.
Kensei's eyes changed color as his Hollow took over. He steered Kensei's body over to the vial and snatched it up just before the ceiling fell. His Hollow had no ties to Veneno so he didn't bother to save him. Vial in hand, he bent his knees and jumped up to the open door.
Something told him that this vial was important. He didn't know what it was, but they were looking for anything useful that might help Ichigo. This was the only thing left. Veneno believed that nothing good could come from this lab which was why it had to be destroyed. He was fortunate to have grabbed this vial when he had the chance.
Kensei ran through the living area, ground shaking under his feet. He was thrown off balance many times but kept going. He didn't look back to see the ceiling collapse and didn't care. He made a break for the staircase and sprinted to the surface. He forced his way through the tiny opening and looked over his shoulder just once. The ground had started to cave in where the ceiling had collapsed. It left a deep impression in the ground, like someone pressing a ball of dough with their fist.
Kensei turned away and ran. His Hollow was taking him back to the Seireitei. He wasn't going to let Kensei have control again until they made it back. This vial was important and he had promised Linnette to do everything in his power to help Ichigo. This was all that was left of that lab so it would have to suffice.
That was why he had taken control when he did. He knew Kensei would not do it so he was left little choice. The owner of this body was so short-tempered anyway, there was a good chance he wouldn't listen so this was the easiest way to see to it that he completed his mission. Even if that meant leaving Veneno behind and letting that Quincy get away.
What will happen next?
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