TTGL: Brothers to the End.
Chapter 8: Fist to the Face.
Captain Ichigo Kurosaki stood scowling in the great hall. He had a cold pack strapped to his face, one side of his head visibly swollen from Kamina's right hook. It stung but Ichigo's quick healing was working charms on it.
The other captains were present, the air thick between them, the atmosphere almost palpable. Hitsugaya still looked flustered but the turn of events seemed to have focussed him and strangely took a load off of his mind.
"What should we do about Lieutenant Kamina and his turncoats? I can have my men scouring the countryside for them. Those fools aren't cut out for hiding." voiced Soifon, her steely voice slicing the silence.
Hitsugaya shook his head. "No. Leave them. I had a tough decision to make and Kamina made it for me. Our main concern at this moment is Simon."
"So he's been found?" asked Kenpachi, grinning at the prospect that fact presented. He showed no sign of damage from his battle with Kamina.
"Yes. His Spiral signature flared several hours ago and has yet to dip. He is making his way across the Earth at high speed, presumably in some kind of jet. My our estimation he is heading toward Earth's capital, Kamina City." the head captain revealed. There were a few brief murmurs at the mention of Kamina.
"Why the city though?" Hisagi pondered. "Simon hasn't been in a populated area since he went into self exile."
"That isn't the only problem." Hitsugaya continued. "Reports have just come in from the Twelfth Division that a large source of Spiral energy has entered into the Soul Society. This has no connection to Kamina so we cannot guess at its motives or intentions. I want the Second Division to find and track whoever is the source of this power. Since it is a new soul we can hope that they will have no memories of their past life, but we all know that those with high Spiral power often retain their thoughts and memories."
"What about the rest of us?" queried Renji. He didn't look happy with how things were going.
"We're on high alert. I want everyone prepared for battle should things turn sour. Other than that, there is little to be done at this moment." Hitsugaya sighed. He turned to Captain Unohana. "How is Captain Elric doing?"
The woman smiled softly at them. "Captain Elrick is in a stable condition. Her injuries are serious though and she will be unable to attend to her duties for several weeks. She has yet to regain consciousness."
"So the Thirteenth Division is out of action while several other squads are missing key members." observed Ichigo. His squad had been affected heavily as three of his high seated officers were now missing. "Once again we're stuck just sitting around and waiting for things to fall apart."
Hitsugaya sighed deeply. "I'm afraid so. If there was anything that could be done then I'd do it."
000
A new soul had entered into the Soul Society. His body brimmed with spiral energy but his mind was blank, dazed. The sheer amount of power burned him. He knew that he was suppose to do something important, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember what.
Sparks of life awoke from hibernation within his head. One empty mind was suddenly filled with many consciousness'. Voices yammered to be heard.
"Belfay." called the dominant voice. "Listen to us. Can you remember?"
"Remember…what?" asked the man, straining to think. He stumbled through the woods where he had awoken. His brain felt on fire.
"Your purpose. Why it is you're here."
"My…purpose. No…"
"You are one of us. A Meta-Spiral. You were sent to the spirit world to further our goals. We placed our essences within you to remind you of your own memories. To give you more power for your mission."
Memories started to flood back, clicking sharply into place. "We will bring about the Spiral Blessing."
"Exactly!" laughed the voice. "Now do you remember your objective?"
Belfay turned his walk into a determined stride. "Yes."
"Your power has been augmented, its levels adjusted to suit our ends. You carry with you all of our combined strength, use it as you see fit. Accomplish your task by any means possible."
"Understood." nodded Belfay. "I will capture Kamina and complete our plans."
000
Kamina had managed to catch up with the other Team Dai-Gurren members without trouble. They were gathered on the picturesque hilltop where Nia had first entered into the Soul Society. The area was bright with blooming flowers and cherry blossom petals drifted lazily through in the summer's breeze.
Beside the other men were sacks filled with supplies and parts just as Kamina had ordered. They greeted him, their faces showing a mixture of worry and excitement over a return of the old days.
"There's no going back now so you'd better have a plan." stated Kittan bluntly. He looked miffed at having to leave Rangiku after finally starting to get somewhere but he too was a brawler at heart who loved action just like Kamina.
"Of course I do! Just who the hell do you think I am? I am the mighty Kamina! When have I ever not had a plan?" Kamina boasted proudly.
"Yeah! Punching people in the face works in every situation, right boss?" commented Kidd sarcastically.
Kamina punched him in the face. "Yep. Works like a charm and don't you bozos forget it."
"What is our next move then? We can't stay here for much longer." asked Kittan.
"We're gonna set up base and re-evaluate things. The current situation is to complicated to go in all guns blazing. I hate to say it but one reckless move from us could damn the universe."
This statement sobered up the other Dai-Gurren members. Kamina let it hang in the air for a few seconds to let it fully sink in before continuing. "Over by Moon-Peak Falls there are a series of cliffs. There is a cave in one which I used a few years back to learn to control my hollow powers. It should keep us hidden while we plan."
The others nodded and followed Kamina's lead. It wasn't far but it still involved an hour's walk through dense woods. As they walked, the twins lugging the heavy sacks over their backs, Iraak tried to make conversation.
"I thought you said that your inner hollow had merged with your soul. Why did you need to train to control it then?"
Kamina chose to keep the recent incidents involving the inner hollow to himself. "It did merge with my soul. That didn't mean that I fully understood the powers though. After the battle with Aizen I found it hard to control my powers. I trained to master my own body, not some inner demon."
"Why train so far away then?" added Zorthy.
"Same reason we're going away now. Look at it this way, if there was someone as strong as me who couldn't control his own actions, would you feel safe around them. every time I got angry I subconsciously started firing off cero. By getting away from others, I hid the problem until it was gone." Kamina informed them. He internally shivered at the thought of his hollow gaining control while he was inside the Seireitei. If his last encounter with the beast was anything to go by, not even the combined captain's would be any match for him.
This thought led him to dwell upon that fateful mission. He had defeated one of the four generals of the Spiral King, had travelled through both Hell and Hueco Mundo, beaten Aizen in a fist fight and had destroyed the Anti-Spiral. With all of that in mind, how the hell had a snivelling scientist caused him so much trouble? It made no sense. Captain Elric, an elite squad of shinigami and the hero of epicness all taken out of action by an old Russian man with a gadget fetish. Kamina wasn't willing to believe that he could be conquered so easily…
He was snapped out of his thoughts when Makken stepped up to his side. He would have placed a hand upon Kamina's shoulder if the short man could have reached. "Don't let doubt cloud your thoughts, Kamina." he said in a low voice. "We need to sort all of this out soon. Remember, it won't be long now until Leite and Yoko will be coming here. I couldn't be with her in life, I'll be damned if I cant be with her in death."
The passion of the words coming from the usually passive Makken struck a cord with Kamina. He too knew that feeling all to well. At least Makken had been able to spend time with his girl, to have had kids…
"Don't you worry. When have I ever let you all down? I'll have this mess cleaned up and a party ready and waiting for when the others pass over."
"You really think we can sort this? We're renegade now. No new info, no support and enemies in all directions. For all we know, the other shinigami could be hunting us down as we speak." Kidd voiced his concern.
"Is that any different than when we set off to fight the beastmen? Did that change when you took the fight to the Anti-Spiral? This is just how we roll." Kamina answered with a fiery grin. "We are Team Dai-Gurren: the undefeatable underdogs!"
As always, Kamina's speech was enough to improve moral. Doubts were but to the side and battle lust grew by the second as they looked on to the battles to come. Any problems they faced could be overcome with a fist to the face, Kamina was sure of it.
Shortly after this, the forest suddenly ended, giving way to a system of cliffs that led down to a huge basin. Water tumbled over the edges creating a series of waterfalls that fed the bond that had formed in the bottom of the basin. Trees, vines and an assortment of rare flowers grew from the rocky cliff sides and the water spray made everything sparkle. They had arrived at Moon-Peak Falls.
Kamina led the group down a hidden pathway that snaked its way down the cliffs. It was a big squeeze for Jorgun and Balinbow but they made it to a small entrance behind the biggest of the waterfalls without incident.
Inside was a large chamber that was formed from the rough rock. It was completely bare and had no remarkable features. The light within was hazy, the sun rays having to reflect through the water to illuminate the space. At the back was a large boulder that looked out of place, its colour different from the stone around it.
"Not much to look at, is it?" Zorthy commented as he filled the chamber with a lungful of smoke. "How did you manage to live and train in here?"
Kamina walked across the cave and pushed the boulder, sliding it across the floor as though it was made from foam. The twins attempted to move it together but the rock didn't budge. Kamina now stood beside a steep tunnel that had been covered. He motioned the others to follow. This pathway led to an even larger area that was pitch black until Kamina lit torches on the walls with pinpointed cero blasts.
The place was a wreck. Craters and deep gashes scared every surface while rubble littered the floor in a chaotic jumble. It looked as though the place had contained a full scale war within its walls.
Kidd looked stunned. "Man, what the hell did you do to this place." he breathed.
Kamina shrugged. "You know that I don't try anything without giving it 200%." he answered dismissively.
"Help me clear up some of this mess so we can set up camp." Kamina ordered. A space was cleared and the equipment that had been brought with them was set up. Makken had done a good job choosing the parts while the food supplies took up a massive amount of room. A full corner was dedicated to the sake that they had pilfered.
They settled down to sleep but Kamina could find no peace. He wandered out to lay atop the cliffs and gazed up at the stars in the sky. The sight flooded his mind with memories. Under the watchful eyes of the heavens, sleep finally took hold.
The Dai-Gurren members woke early and set straight to work planning their next move. Their intel was near non-existent but Kamina felt that they were missing key links that could point them in the right direction.
"We need to focus on our last missions. Something about them wasn't right." Kamina told them agitatedly.
"What do you mean?" snorted Kidd. "Some guys got too strong, we were sent in to stop them. Simple."
Kamina shook his head. "No. That strategy makes no sense. All of the targets were isolated souls who weren't particularly powerful when compared with the force we used against them. My target was weak but was researching the artificial production of spiral energy. He knew we were coming though. He had had years to prepare. Vast amounts of money and materials were needed for what he had installed. He was smart but he wasn't rich or well connected."
Kittan frowned. "Now that you mention it, the guy we faced was armed with a spiral weapon but didn't have the level of power to manifest it himself. In all the chaos we never really thought about it. Spiral weapon or not, he was brought down too quickly for us to analyse his techniques and powers."
Kidd, Iraak and Zorthy looked at each other. Their minds worked furiously. Irrak finally spoke. "Only Ichigo fought our target. The guy was super powerful but he couldn't control it. It was like when we first came here and were given a power boost to use bankai before we'd even learned about zanpakuto. The strength was new to him. We just assumed he had pushed himself to new limits to fight against the captain."
"Yeah." added Kidd. "He was tough but he wasn't a fighter. It was kinda weird."
"Makken, Jorgun, Balinbow, you guys notice anything?" questioned Kamina, his energy building with this new information
Makken shook his head. The twins grunted. Kenpachi had taken all of the action for himself.
"That doesn't matter." announced Kamina. "Its still a start. There is something that isn't what it seems going on. We just need to find that connection and then everything else will fall into place."
"Great!" grinned Kidd. "How the hell do we do that?"
Kamina grabbed his shoulders, his passion blaring through his eyes. "We play it smart!" he smirked. He motioned for the others to cluster closer. "We're gonna become detectives. To find the link, we have to check out the scenes of the crimes."
"So we go back to the mission locations to find clues. Then what?" asked Kidd.
"We use the clues to track down the bad guys and punch them in the face!" declared Kamina enthusiastically.
"Smooth." commented Kidd dryly.
Kittan nodded determinedly. "Let's do this then! We'll need extra supplies. Some horses too if we want to get this sorted quickly."
"Now you're talking, buddy!" cheered Kamina. The others were beginning to get pumped too.
"I've got a contact in a nearby village who can get us some mounts." Iraak said to the delight of the group. "I can have us some by this time tomorrow if I set off now." Kamina nodded his assent and the long haired man left the cave.
Kamina motioned for the others to get moving. "Come on you bozos. Get your asses in gear. We've got a lot to get ready."
000
Iraak passed through the lush trees as he made his way toward Odikai Village, where his contact had moved after growing tired of the Seireitei. He'd have all of the things that the group needed for sure, although Iraak was just glad to be active. Sitting around and thinking didn't suit any of them.
He refocused on his path, not wanting to trip on the clustered terrain. Looking ahead he stopped. Ahead of him was a man with a darkest black afro and deathly white skin. His clothes were the simple robes worn by all new souls upon entry of the Soul Society. Black flames seemed to coat his entire body.
Iraak eyed him wearily. He showed no sign of hostility but something about the man wasn't right.
The man held out his hand and Iraak braced himself. Nothing happened. The man remained still for a moment then began to speak. "Spiral resonance does not match. Target traces present. Where is Kamina?" his voice sounded distant, echoed within itself.
"Who are you?" Iraak asked, hand on hilt.
"Answer my question first." persisted them man.
"Like hell I'd tell you!" snapped Iraak angrily. He drew his zanpakuto. Its long, sleek blade glistened in the light. It was the longest Zanpakuto out of the Dai-Gurren group, much to Kamina's annoyance.
"That works for me too." sneered the man. The black flames flared brighter around his hand, forming a pickaxe with a drill pick section. "Are you prepared to dance with death?"
The man swung with lightning fast speed and Iraak blocked. The drill-pick smashed into his blade with the force of a hammer, knocking the brawler into a tree. He quickly recovered and lashed out but the man sidestepped the attack with ease. Iraak released a kido bolt to force his foe backwards but the man destroyed it with his own attack as though the power had been made of glass.
"Damn." Iraak mumbled. "Time to step this up." He released his shikai, the lengthy blade growing even longer, forming into a rapier with a dinosaur head hilt. Small streaks of electricity sparked across the blade.
He drove the blade into the ground causing spires of lightning to crash down around him. With a flick of his wrist he directed them straight at the man. The stranger held up his hand, deflecting the lightning with nothing but his blazing skin. Iraak was right behind the lightning, lunging his blade straight past the man's defences. He bended over backwards matrix style, the blade passing over him harmlessly before he delivered a counter punch to Iraak's gut.
"Your power is just like Lordgenome's. He had energy flames across his body too. Are you some kind of spiral knight too?" wheezed Iraak. Everything seemed to be piecing together.
"You could say that." replied the man. "I am a Meta-Spiral. This is irrelevant at this time though. Now where is Kamina?"
Something clicked. "You had something to do with Simon's disappearance didn't you? Nothing except another spiral warrior could make Simon do anything against his will, and he wouldn't just leave without warning."
The Meta looked impressed. "You're smart. That makes you dangerous." He smashed his pick into a tree. The wood exploded, the splinters ripping into Iraak. He tried to defend himself against the shards, leaving himself open. The Meta pounded Iraak's chest with the top of his weapon. Ribs cracked and he coughed up blood.
Iraak wished he had bankai at this moment. Ever since the Spiral King's power had faded in him he had never been able to re-attain those powers. He was close, they all were, but none had managed yet.
The Meta stepped up to him. "You will prove to be a useful pawn. With you I will take Kamina and create a new universe!"
"Bastard!" spat Iraak. The Meta stomped on his face, reducing the world to black.
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A/N: Sorry about the long delay guys, hope you're all still with me.
Things are gonna step up at this point. I have the second half of this story planned out unlike the first. Its gonna be pretty action packed here on out. The story has been set, now its time for the ass kicking.
I'm also going to change the omake system. I will keep it at once a week but I want everybody to flood me with suggestions so I am never low on ideas. Anything pops into your head at any time, tell me. Allow me to create all of your Bleach and Gurren Lagann dreams!
Hopefully back to normal update times so I'll see you all on Wednesday (England time). Thanks for reading - Please review! Seriously people, it improves my productivity. I write when I'm happy and reviews make me happy. Kamina commands it!
(P.S. Hell yeah dudes! Anyone else seen the new artwork for Assassin's Creed 3? If not, check it out my friends. I'm super psyched.)