Ayumi took in a deep breath of fresh air as her and Rin sat outside in the small smoking area enjoying their meal together. It had been a little over two hours since her and Mayuri's last encounter and for some strange reason she couldn't shake the ominous feeling that surrounded her. She was worried for Mayuri, even though she knew it was pointless-He was a Captain after all.
"You seem to have a lot on your mind." Rin stated.
Ayumi looked over at him and smiled softly.
"Yeah, I guess I do." She answered.
"You look good though. Without the glasses I mean." Rin complimented her.
Ayumi half-laughed.
"It's going to take some getting used to on my part, I'm afraid, but thank you." She replied.
Rin turned his gaze to the metal door as he heard the automated lock click indicating that someone else was coming outside. Ayumi turned her gaze as well and smiled softly when she saw their Lieutenant step outside, placing a cigarette between his lips.
Ayumi tilted her head as she studied him. He didn't seem like the type that would smoke to her.
"You started smoking again, Akon?" Rin asked with his brow furrowed.
"I steal one every once in a while, you know how it is, old habits die hard." He replied.
Rin nodded before he turned his gaze back to Ayumi, and noticed the way she was looking over at the Lieutenant.
"Did you find something else out about the virus?" Ayumi asked Akon.
The Lieutenant had leaned back against the wall of the building and was pulling deeply from the lit cigarette in his hand.
"You could say that, I know you are going to be helping us on this, but, I think I will wait for Captain Kurotsuchi to explain more." He answered.
The man's tone did nothing to calm Ayumi's restlessness, she couldn't place what it was, but she had the urge to leave the barracks and follow her captain back to her old district. She knew the way around, so maybe if she did go it would be a help to him.
"What did Captain Muguruma find in Kusajishi?" She asked.
She may very well be awkward and a bit clumsy, but she was definitely not dense. She knew that the Squad 9 captain had been the one to give Mayuri the information he spoke of earlier.
Akon sighed before his dark eyes met her gaze.
"I don't think you really want to know the answer to that question, Ayumi." He countered.
She felt her stomach clinch against the food she had just finished eating as a sense of foreboding spread down her spine. Was she just being overly anxious? Was she just jumping to conclusions or was that fear she saw in her Lieutenant's eyes?
"Has Captain Kurotsuchi left already?" She asked as she stood up from the bench.
"He has, about thirty minutes ago." He replied.
She nodded as she lifted her tray from the table and looked down at Rin. He was choosing to stay silent but she could tell by his features that he was more than confused about the situation.
"Thank you for eating with me, Rin. I am getting a bit tired, so I think I will head to bed early tonight." She lied.
"Oh, okay. It was my pleasure." He replied with a nervous smile.
Ayumi lifted the tray and walked away from the table. She was just about to place her palm against the scanner for the door to open when Rin turned and called out to her.
"Wait! Do you know how to get back to your room from here?"
Ayumi paused as she contemplated her options, she could lie again and say she did or she could allow Rin to walk her back to her room and hope she could find her way back to the exit on her own.
She turned to face him and tried her best to look as awkward as she could feign.
"Actually, I don't." She forced herself to laugh halfheartedly.
She knew that if Akon or Rin caught on to her plans she would be prevented from leaving the barracks and she wouldn't be able to follow Mayuri.
'In that case, I will walk with you." Rin offered, like she knew he would.
"Thanks." She replied with a genuine smile.
"Goodnight, Ayumi." She heard Akon's deep voice speak to her and when she looked back at him she caught the glimpse of suspicion in his knowing eyes.
Shit! -Was the man really that observant, or am I really that bad of an actress?
"Goodnight, Lieutenant." She replied before allowing the scanner to read her palm print.
The door clicked open allowing her and Rin reentry into the building. She walked down the small hallway back out into the crowded cafeteria and made her way over to the drop off window where she stacked her dirty dishes and tray. She paused, waiting for Rin to do the same. He turned to her and lifted his dark gaze at her as he pulled a piece of hard candy from his pocket and handed it to her.
She accepted the rock of sugar from him and unwrapped the bright red candy placing it in her mouth. She expected it to have a fruity taste, but was surprised by the sting of cinnamon that coated her tongue.
"He's going to be waiting for you at the exit." Rin spoke lowly.
Ayumi's body tensed as she realized Akon had not been the only pair of observant eyes.
"You don't hide your thought process very well. You could have at least tried not to look so anxious when asking if Captain Kurotsuchi had left yet." He criticized.
Ayumi's shoulders slumped as she made a mental note to work on her facial expressions in the future.
"Okay, so you both are more observant than I gave you credit for." She admitted.
Rin smirked at her.
"I can show you another way out, but, you didn't find it from me." Rin stated before walking forward out into the main hallway.
Ayumi followed him closely as she tried to force her body to relax.
"Why would you be willing to help me?" She asked him.
Rin paused and turned to look at her.
"Isn't that what friends do? Help each other?" He asked.
Ayumi smiled fully at his reasoning. He was putting himself at risk to help her because he had already accepted her as a friend, something she still wasn't used to hearing.
"I don't really want to know about what has everyone so worked up. I don't seem to do well in these kind of situations." Rin commented as he continued down the hallway.
"Honestly, I don't know much about what's going on in Kusajishi. I just…have a feeling." Ayumi replied.
Rin's brow furrowed as he glanced over at her as they walked.
"Do you get these feelings a lot?" He asked.
She shook her head.
"No. I've never felt this before. I'm sure I am just overreacting, being dramatic, but, it almost feels like something is coming." She answered.
"Hmm. Well, I won't stop you from going after the Captain, but, at least be careful on your way to him." Rin pleaded as he turned down another hallway.
Ayumi followed his lead all the way down and she thought that the hall looked a little familiar to her, but she couldn't place it.
"Place your hand on the wall right here." Rin instructed as he came to a stop.
The memory of the small tunnel that Mayuri had led her down the night before sprang back as she placed her palm against the wall. The door's lock made a clicking sound and the wall panel swung itself open.
"Remember, I didn't show you this, you found it on your own." Rin reminded her.
"Don't worry, it won't to be too hard to make that sound convincing, Mayuri has brought me through this once already." Ayumi explained as she side stepped in-between the concrete walls.
"Thank you, Rin!" she whispered before she gripped the panel and closed it shut behind her.
"You're welcome." He whispered to the wall, thinking it odd that the woman had just used their captain's first name.
Ayumi hurried down the claustrophobic space not bothering to suck her stomach in this time. She shoved her way out of the small crevice and tentatively looked around the front of the research and development building. The sun had almost finished setting and it looked like she would be traveling back to her old stomping grounds with only the moon to guide her way.
Luckily she didn't have any problems remembering the way. Ayumi leaned back against the cold concrete wall and closed her eyes as she contemplated her options. She could go back the way she came and hope for the best, or she could start running in the direction of the 79th district. Ayumi's eyes shot open as another wave of unease shot down her spine and without another thought she turned her body to the North and took off at a full sprint.
Linake stayed close to Kenpachi's side as he led the group down the dirt path of the 79th district. He seemed to be recognized by many of the souls that they passed. Most of them going as far as to walk back inside their homes upon seeing him. Was it just her husband who gave them that fearful reaction, or was it the four of them?
While she understood that Kenpachi would be known in these high numbered districts having fought his way out of them and into a captaincy, she was also standing in front of one of the Soul Society's most famous traitors in history. She knew to the souls around them that Aizen could very well be considered the equivalent to the modern day boogieman.
Linake sighed as she took in the state of what she would call a neighborhood. All of the buildings looked to be well past their prime, some of them probably even over a hundred years old, doors half falling off of hinges. The glass from many windows busted out, littering the dirt pathway they walked on. She winced at the thought of someone stepping on the glass shards.
"Any idea on where this house is at, Kurotsuchi?" Kenpachi asked him.
"Captain Muguruma reported that it was at the end of the main pathway, and the door would be marked with red paint." Mayuri answered.
"Well. There's your painted door up ahead." Kenpachi replied.
"What about all these souls? Shouldn't we have them evacuate before I start setting things on fire?" Linake asked.
Mayuri glanced over at the woman.
"While that would be something we could consider, I don't see the point when they won't bother listening." Mayuri countered.
Linake sighed again knowing that he was right, she would just have to do her best to keep the blaze contained.
"I take it I don't have to instruct you on how to collect the samples?" Mayuri turned his attention to Aizen.
Sosuke's lips lifted into what could only be seen as a sarcastic smile.
"You would be correct in that assumption. Hand over the vials and I will get you what you need." Sosuke replied.
"Very well then." Mayuri replied, reaching into the top of his Shihakusho for the three glass vials he had placed inside his pocket.
"Linake, fire, now!" Kenpachi demanded his wife.
"Okay." She replied, stepping away from the group.
Linake closed her eyes and tapped into the connection she shared with the fire element, and almost instantly bright orange flames burst around her creating a shield, she willed the flames to surround her body but not damage her clothing. She hardly even had to think about using her minor abilities anymore, it was almost as simple as flipping on a switch. Once she had learned the name and commands of her Zanpakuto, she had come to understand that her earlier powers had just been the tip of the iceberg. She didn't need her Zanpakuto to call upon the elemental properties that lived within every living being, but when she did use it, the strength and power increased tenfold with some slight differences.
"Are you ready, Linake?" Sosuke asked, stepping next to her side.
Linake met his honey brown gaze and she could see the sadness that lurked within. Amaya was everything to him and now because of this stupid virus Amaya was locked in quarantine.
"Ready as I'll ever be." She answered.
"Don't go inside!" Kenpachi growled at her just as her and Sosuke stepped forward.
"I won't, my love." Linake called out her promise as she followed Aizen and stood directly in front of the house.
Aizen walked up to the threshold and pushed the painted door open. He could just barely make out three bodies slumped down on the dirt covered floor. They hadn't been dead for very long. If he had to guess it hadn't been any longer then twenty-four hours. Aizen carefully stepped inside and made his way to the closest corpse. He bent down and uncapped one of the three vials he held in his hand exposing the head of a needle.
He reached out and grabbed the man's cold arm and inserted the needle's tip. The sun had finished setting and the only light he had to work with was from Linake's flames coming from outside the door. He noticed that the blood that filled the vile looked black in color, but he knew it was just a trick of the shadows. Once the vile was filled he pulled it free and returned the cap. He stood and walked over to the next and quickly, he repeated the process twice more.
Linake waited patiently outside of the house as she watched Aizen stoop down in the darkness. She realized that it would be difficult for him to see while completing his task so she walked a little bit closer to the door.
"Linake!" She heard Kenpachi yell his warning.
She turned and looked over at her husband and nodded, indicating that she understood.
"Alright, Linake. I have what we came for. You can set it now." Sosuke stated as he immerged from the house.
Linake turned her head back to the building and she felt a wave of remorse as her hand grasped the onyx black hilt of her Zanpakuto and pulled it free from its sheath.
Aizen stepped to the side, but didn't walk away. She could make out his movements in her peripheral vision but she didn't think anything of it.
Linake knew that the minute the flames touched the dried out tattered wood it would engulf rather quickly. Without any more hesitation Linake pointed the tip of her blade in the direction of the open doorway. She was thankful that she couldn't see the corpses.
"I'm so sorry." She whispered.
"Ignite! Godai Ka!" Linake commanded.
The darkness around them lit up from the surge of bright electric blue flames that surrounded the blade of her Zanpakuto and with a flick of her wrist the flames twirled forward in the air and landed right in the center of the old house. The blue light lit up the inside and she squeezed her eyes shut as she saw her flames make contact and spread. In a matter of minutes her command was heard and the whole house was taken over by her fire.
Linake knew that if the virus could in fact be killed off by the heat, the flames of her Zanpakuto would be the most effective. While the flames that lived inside her body came out orange, the flame her Zanpakuto used was a million times hotter and was blue. The same color of burning brimstone.
Linake opened her eyes and watched the blaze, intent on making sure it didn't spread to any of the other structures. In an effort to make sure she lifted her Zanpakuto once more.
"Contain! Godai Fu!" Linake commanded.
A blast of white air pulsed and like a cloud of smoke it swirled from the blade's tip, enclosing the burning building, preventing the flames from escaping its enclosure.
"You never cease to amaze me." Aizen commented.
Linake heard him and the sound of his soft deep voice made her turn her head to him. Her eyes widened and she averted her gaze as she realized the movement she had seen in the corner of her eye had been him stripping down to the buff.
"What the fuck is Aizen doing?" Kenpachi stated.
Mayuri's brow rose as he witnessed the immortal man strip out of his clothes and gather them up into a ball that he used to shield his lower region. He seemed to be waiting for Linake to set the building ablaze.
Kenpachi stepped forward as his brow lifted in agitation.
"Zaraki! Put aside your barbaric brooding for once and look closely at the situation." Mayuri snapped.
'What!?" Zaraki barked, not even bothering to look in Mayuri's direction.
"It would appear that Aizen plans to dispose of the clothing he wore inside by tossing it into the flames." Mayuri explained.
Kenpachi's shoulders relaxed and Mayuri noticed the barbarian drop his hand from the hilt of his own Zanpakuto.
"Uh…Sosuke…what's with the sudden exposure?" Linake asked before turning her head to seek out Kenpachi's reaction.
She was met with one infuriated light green eye and the deepest scowl she had ever seen on his face.
"Will the wind you created keep this from being destroyed?" Aizen asked her.
Linake didn't dare take her gaze away from her husband.
"If you mean your clothing it should be able to pass through." She answered, finally understanding the meaning behind his behavior.
The immortal man walked up to the collapsing heap of wood and gracefully tossed the wadded up pile onto the blue inferno.
"Now, use your flames on me." Sosuke demanded as he turned to face her.
Her eyes widened in shock at his request and she turned her head to meet his gaze.
"Excuse me?" She asked, feeling bewildered.
"It's the only way to insure I don't bring the virus with me." He explained calmly.
"Do you have any idea how much that will hurt?" She blurted.
Aizen's lips lifted into a small smile.
"While I understand there will be pain involved, I will regenerate rather quickly." He explained.
Linake's jaw fell open and her gaze turned back to her husband again. Kenpachi's hand was grasping the hilt of his Zanpakuto and looked as if he had already started taking steps forward.
"It's okay! This crazy bastard just wants me to set him on fire!" Linake yelled out.
"Do it!" Kenpachi barked.
"Frankly speaking, I don't care if the woman cooks him, the vials are fire proof." Mayuri shrugged.
Linake turned her gaze back to Sosuke.
"Are you really sure about this?" She asked.
"Try not to go full blast." Aizen smiled.
Linake groaned with uncertainty as she backed up and pointed her Zanpakuto straight at her best friend's husband.
"Sorry, Amaya." She whispered.
"Ignite! Godai Ka!" She commanded as she turned her head and squeezed her eyes shut.
Linake felt the wave of power rush down her blade and the night erupted with the immortal man's howling scream.
Ayumi skidded to a stop as she heard the sound of a man's blood curdling screams. Her heart began to pound as she stood in the darkness next to a row of trees. Was someone attacking Mayuri and his group? Would anyone be stupid enough to go against a Captain of the Gotei 13? Ayumi walked over to one of the giant trees and leaned her backside against it as she bent forward desperately trying to force her chest to stop heaving-I'm really out of shape!
She wiped the sweat that had started to drip from her forehead due to her exertion and continued to listen to the wailing cries of what sounded like a man being tortured. Just as quickly as the cries had started, they abruptly came to a stop-Is he dead?
Normally when someone stopped screaming so suddenly it was because they had been silenced by someone. She hated to admit it, but these were not the first screams of agony she had heard erupt in the 79th district. She pushed back the memories of her personal time living within the district and forced her trembling body from the trunk of the tree. She still didn't feel any better and she was almost to the main pathway, almost to Mayuri.
"Well, well. What do we have here? A Soul reaper?"
Ayumi turned her wide green eyes and spotted three men standing behind her.
"Hey, you look a little familiar." The man standing in the middle of the group commented.
"I…I…I don't want any trouble." Ayumi replied as she backed away in the direction she hoped Mayuri would be.
"Oh, I know…You're that little squirt that had her face fucked up." The man to the left stated.
Ayumi continued to slowly step backwards from the group as she held her hands up in air. She wasn't very good at it but if they made a move towards her she would have to use Kido.
"Oh wow. That's you? You grew up pretty nice, didn't you?" She heard the man to the right comment with a sickening sneer.
Ayumi felt another rumble of restless energy run down her spine but she couldn't place the reason. She knew she was in a fearful situation with the three men in front of her, but, it didn't make sense for her to become even more fearful-What is coming?
"I…I…I think you three should leave. H…Hollows might be coming." Ayumi forced herself to speak.
"Hah! Nice try. What would hollows want with low spirit energy like ours?" The middleman spat at her as he started to walk closer in her direction.
She silently cursed herself for getting herself in this situation. Mayuri had warned her over and over to pay attention to her surroundings, and what had she done? She'd run off in the dark with absolutely no weapon into one of the most deadly districts of the Soul Society.
Ayumi turned her body to the side and tensed to try and make a run for it, but she knew her stamina was almost at its limit and the men would catch up to her in no time.
"W…What do you want?" Ayumi forced herself to ask.
Maybe if she kept them talking she could buy herself enough time for someone to come to her aide.
She heard two of the men laugh out loud as the middleman glared at her.
"You soul reapers think you're hot shit, don't you? Not so hot now, are you?" He spat as he reached his hand out for her arm.
Ayumi tried to run backwards out of his reach but only ended up tripping herself and falling onto her back-Fuck! Not good, you just helped them!
The two other men broke out with another wave of mocking laughter.
"Some soul reaper she is…look at her!" The man to the right laughed at her.
Ayumi braced her weight on her elbows and started to drag herself away from the men. Just as the middleman bent down to grab at her the air around them started to grow thick. The three men turned and looked behind them with confusion on their faces. Ayumi felt a strong wave of energy as she realized whatever had been on its way was about to arrive.
Ayumi scrambled to her feet while the men were sidetracked and backed up. She knew she should just run while she had the chance, but she had to know who this energy belonged to.
The air grew even denser around them as a giant black mass began to form in front of them, small at first, but then it grew as if it was literally ripping a hole into their dimension, a giant jagged black mass. Ayumi felt her heart rise in the back of her throat as she put two and two together. It wasn't just a hollow that was coming through…this black mass was a…Garganta.
Ayumi's knees buckled and she had to force herself to keep standing upright as the rift into their dimension extended wide enough for someone to step out from. Her jaw fell when she saw what looked to be a man step out. He was dressed in all black clothing, she couldn't place them, and they didn't look like anything from her world. When the man turned and faced her she was met with intense piercing blue eyes. Her stomach clinched as he stepped forward.
The three men who had though it funny to mock and torture her, were all backing away like the cowards they were, now that a male stronger than them had shown up.
"What part of the Soul Society am I in?" The blue eyed creature asked her as he turned his head to the side.
The white bone that covered the side of his jaw seemed to gleam in the moonlight, his hair was also blue but brighter than his eyes. Ayumi knew what this man was…he…was an Espada.
Ayumi turned and unlike before, her flight response took over sending her into a full blown sprint down the dirt pathway. She heard the Espada's heavy footsteps as he took off after her. Ayumi whimpered as she tried to force her legs to move faster, but this man's reflexes were unheard of and before she knew it she was snagged around the waist by arms of steel.
"What the hell are you running for? I just asked you a question. Will ya quit squirming?" The Espada rambled as Ayumi kept up her struggle against the beast.
"Claw out! Ashisogi Jizo!"
Ayumi's body went limp at the sound of Mayuri's voice. She turned her head and when she saw him she wasn't sure if he was going to be very understanding, he looked like she had really managed to upset him this time.
"That just happens to be one of my subordinates you have your arms around, Espada. If you would like to keep the use of your limbs, I would suggest removing them."
(Author's note: Just in case anyone was wondering Linake's Shikai commands translate to: Five Elements-Fire, and Five Elements-Air. Literally the only thing I could find in Japanese close enough to represent what I wanted. Also, I normally stick to the Manga's plot line pretty steadily, but with the RenRuki novel giving us some insight on Kisuke and Yoruichi being alive, I like to think that Grimmjow made it too, at least he did in this universe. Hope you guys enjoyed, next one will be up sometime soon. –L.J.)