Chapter 4: Marechiyo
(If you PM me or leave a review with your handles, you will be blocked immediately. I am not interested in a commission so leave me alone.
This chapter will be a little more action-packed than the last one as it will be taking place during a mission. That's pretty much all there is to say as far as a AN is concerned. Please enjoy.)
A week had passed since the awkward yet intimate incident with the girl named Ming and Soifon had done her best to spend it as she spent every week of her life, rigorously training and preparing for the next mission. For the most part, she was successful in this endeavor, sometimes even getting to enjoy a whole hour without thinking of her newly-awakened longing for contact. But it would never last long. Sometimes the longing came and went as Soifon banished it without mercy from her mind the moment it arrived. Other times, especially if she was alone or laying in her futon, she would allow herself to ponder it. There were times she briefly considered asking Ming for another one of her head messages but just the thought of asking a mere Shinigami in her Division for such a thing filled her with shame. This longing in general felt shameful to the Second Division Captain. She would do anything to distract herself from this longing, from accepting that she of all people actually craved physical contact.
Thus, she was almost too excited when she received a report about a Maggot's Nest escapee being spotted in the Rukongai on a early Saturday morning.
The details were scarce but more then enough for the Captain-Commander of the Onmitsukido. The convict's name was Toshio Obuzu. He had been locked up for his destructive habit of destroying places of businesses known to serve Shinigami. Apparently, he considered himself a freedom fighter against the tranny and corruption of the Seireitei. However, considering he had no problem with killing the innocent Rukongai residents who were in these buildings along with the Shinigami at the time they were destroyed, there really wasn't much weight to his words. Somehow, he was able to create one of his personal bombs within the Maggot's Nest and used it to escape by detonating it near the right wall and fleeing through the newly created hole in the confusion. 100 fellow prisoners and 10 guards were killed in the explosion, 50 more of each injured. This was all about a month ago and, despite Soifon and her Division's best efforts, they weren't able to find him. At least, not until this moment as his picture had been sent to Soifon from the uncover operative she had working over in the Southern Rukongai. It would seem Toshio had escaped the Seireitei somehow and was now hiding in the 14th District of this area, no doubt preparing for his next attack.
Soifon was going to enjoy eliminating such a vile man.
Once the Head Captain gave the go ahead, Soifon assembled her team. She also went to the Fourth Division barracks to borrow some of their medics. After a bit of consideration, Soifon decided that Ming had proven herself useful enough on past missions and placed her at the head of the group. She briefly entertained the idea of not bringing her lieutenant but after catching him once again stuffing himself with fish crackers in a closet, Soifon decided he needed the exercise and demanded he come along.
He still needed to pay for ignoring the concerns about the automatic door after all.
It was already evening by the time the group made it to the 14th District of South Rukongai. Once they arrived, Soifon sent her Shinigami to comb every inch of the place for anywhere that might make a good hiding place for criminal scum like Toshio. The Medics from Squad 4 went to go with them in case of trouble. They dispersed at once, leaving Soifon alone with her lieutenant on the top of a building. The sun vanished below the horizon and the moon took its place.
"Uh..." Marechiyo opened his mouth then closed it again. Soifon happened to have her back to him as he made this movement but she could practically see his stupid uncertain face, even beneath her closed eye lids. She sighed and beat him to the punch. "What is it, Omaeda?"
Marechiyo stiffened for a moment before responding. "W-Well, Captain. It's just...doesn't this seem like we're overestimating the guy a bit? I mean, he may be a dangerous scumbag but he's still just a untrained soul, right? D-Do we really need this many men for the mission?"
Soifon didn't even bother to turn to her lieutenant to reply. "You forget, Omaeda, that this untrained soul somehow created a bomb within the confines of the Maggot's Nest and slipped away from the Seireitei right out from under our noses. I'd hate to say it but if anything, we've underestimated the bastard and there's no telling how much damage he's been allowed to do because of that." Her gaze trailed up to the moon and narrowed. "We cannot afford to let him escape this time."
"Y-Yes, Captain!" Marechiyo nodded. He turned around himself so that his captain wouldn't notice his expression change from fretful to scowling. "This is so unfair!" He thought. "Why do I always get stuck with all the most dangerous jobs? I'm from the prestigious Omaeda clan! I don't deserve this!" He fought off a whimper as he looked around the building he was standing on. Every other building, every tree, every sign, they could all be concealing the mad bomber who could strike at any moment. Marechiyo felt himself shaking in fear at the mere prospect. Nonetheless, he forced himself steady and pumped his fist. If that bomb-happy maniac really was around here somewhere, there was no way he was going to intimidate the lieutenant of the Second Division. "Alright, then I guess we better start looking for this guy ourselves, right Captain?...Captain?"
Marechiyo turned around and gasped in horror as he realized his captain had already left while he was shaking in fear, leaving him completely by himself on the top of the roof. "What the!? Captain Soifon!? What the heck do you think you're doing!? You can't just leave by by myself!" Marechiyo began to shake again as he once again found himself searching for the bomber behind every house and tree.
Several yards away, nestled within the branches of a tree overlooking a stream, was Soifon. "Omaeda. That idiot." She looked down at her right hand which already had Suzumebachi clasped around her finger. She still wore her Captain's haori as she felt there would be no need to use Shunko, not against someone like Toshio. She drew in a breath and exhaled as she scanned her surroundings. There wasn't much to see aside from some houses and a bridge passing over the stream that flowed before her tree. A gust of night air blew through the tree and chilled the sweat on Soifon's face as it passed through her hair. Soifon placed her fingers through her hair to move it out of her eyes and in doing so, reminded herself of when Ming messaged her scalp.
"Crap."
A line of red appeared on her face.
"Not now, of all times."
Soifon ripped her hand away from her head and crossed her arms, kneeling against the tree.
"This is bullshit!" She thought. "Why am I getting so flustered over a single touch from a subordinate? It's not like she's Yoruichi! And even...wait no...Not even Yoruichi should...Gah! What the hell is wrong with me!?"
Soifon groaned as she clasped her head in her hands. She wanted to scream but wouldn't allow herself to, not while on a mission. She needed to get control over her emotions and get it now.
"What is wrong with me? Have I been bitten or something? Maybe something in the air? What could it be?" She winced. "Dammit! I've no time for this! I'm on a mission here! And a extremely dangerous one at that! I have to get over this now! Swallow it and shove it deep inside-"
And then Soifon heard an explosion.
It wasn't too far off either as Soifon could feel the heat on her cheek around the time she heard the blast. She only had enough time to turn to her right before the shockwave from the blast knocked her out of the tree. She screamed as she fell but was able to recompose herself fast enough to twist in the air and land on her foot. She flipped a few more times backward in order to find a more steady foothold and once she found it, she used the sleeve of her Haori to shield herself from the blast. Once the air had stopped and the orange light behind her sleeve died, Soifon brought her arm down and gasped as she saw the huge cloud of smoke rising up behind the buildings. A few seconds later, Marechiyo flash-stepped to her side, panicking.
"C-Captain Soifon! Captain Soifon! Did you see that!?"
"I-I did, Omaeda." Soifon growled. "It would seem some of our men found Toshio."
"W-What do we do, Captain?"
Soifon sharply turned to her lieutenant. "Go gather as much of the squad as you can and bring them to the explosion's epicenter. Toshio can't be that far off."
"A-And you, Captain?" Omaeda asked. "W-What are you gonna do?"
Soifon turned to the cloud. "I'm going to make sure he doesn't get far." And with this, Soifon flash-stepped toward the cloud, once again leaving her bewildered lieutenant in the dust.
It didn't take long at all for Soifon to get to the area were the explosion had occurred. Strangely enough, there was no wreckage or debris to suggest that a building had once again been blown up. Instead, the smoking crater in the middle of the road suggested that Soifon's men had encountered Toshio by sheer chance and he just so happened to be ready for them. The two lifeless bodies smoldering at either side of the crater seemed to confirm this.
"Dammit." Soifon thought. "Eager fools must have been too excited about being the big heroes to play it safe. That's how we lose most of them."
It was then that Soifon heard a low groan. She looked down from the scorched building she was standing on and saw none other than Ming dragging herself along the ground. Her body was fully intact but there was a smoking wound on her left side.
"Ming!"
Soifon flash-stepped toward the injured girl and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Ming whined as she was lifted up but seemed to calm down as she realized it was her captain who was by her side.
"C-Captain Soifon?"
"Ming! What happened?" Soifon demanded. "Was it Toshio?"
Ming nodded weakly. "W-We found him leaving a tea shop. I-I tried to get the others to stay put so I could call you but they insisted they could knock him out." S-She teared up. "I...I couldn't stop them..."
"Ming, listen to me. Those guys were idiots! They got themselves killed because they weren't careful enough. There's no need to mourn them."
"I...I know...but still..." Ming sniffled as she tried to force herself to cease her crying.
Soifon hated seeing this. Ming was a outstanding member of the Onmitsukido on her own merits but even she had her flaws and one of them was mourning whenever a fellow member was killed. No matter how hard Soifon tried, she just couldn't seem to hammer in the hostility Ming needed to cast them aside. The most she could get her to do was suck up her tears and focus on the mission. No doubt Ming would finish her grieving in her private quarters once the mission was over. Nonetheless, Ming did wipe her tears and brought her focus back to the present.
Just in time for Soifon's next question.
"Ming, did you see which direction Toshio fled to."
"I...I don't think so." Ming said. "But Captain Soifon! There's something you need to know about him! He's-"
At that moment, both Soifon and Ming felt the presence of an object heading toward them. They turned to see what looked like a little vortex of air, visible only thanks to the weak blue light it emitted. It was almost like a Shin'o Academy's student first attempt at a Kido. As it neared the girls, however, this blue light began to strengthen.
"Shit!" Soifon pulled Ming away with a flash-step a mere second before the vortex exploded. The blast was enormous and the shockwave sent Soifon and Ming flying down the road. The Squad 2 Captain slammed her feet against the road and placed all her weight on them, grunting as they dragged across the dirt. During this time, Ming buried her face into her captain's robes as her arms wrapped around her shoulders. At last, Soifon came to a stop and tried to face her attacker only to be hit with a wall of dust, With both of her hands full, Soifon was forced to turn away with a groan and crouch closer to the ground while the dust blew. Once it was finished, she tried looking ahead again.
"Was that supposed to be a bomb? It was more like a Kido blast. But a Rukongai resident like Toshio shouldn't have access to such power. Unless...
"U-Uh Captain Soifon?"
"What? What is it, Ming?"
At that moment, Soifon happened to look down and upon meeting the eyes of a utterly embarrassed Ming, she realized why both her hands were heavy.
Somehow, Ming had wound up in her arms, bridal style.
Soifon felt herself blush at once and looked away in an attempt to hide it.
"C-Captain Soifon?" Ming asked. "A-Are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine, Ming!" Soifon assured her ninja. "I-I just thought I heard a noise out there."
"Oh...I...I see.."
Wanting to throw herself back to the mission at hand, Soifon turned to Ming. "Can you stand?"
"Uh...I...I can try..."
Slowly, Soifon lowered Ming's legs to the ground. She stood alright for a moment as Soifon tried to back away, one of Ming's hands still on her shoulder. However, Ming whined as the wound on her left side ached and fell back to Soifon who caught her. Ming looked up to her captain with a sad, almost disappointed expression on her face. "I'm sorry, Captain. I-I don't think I'll be of much help anymore. I'm sorry I failed the mission. I-I'll hide somewhere out of the way until help arrives."
Soifon hardly heard her subordinate. She was too busy once again wrestling with her unwanted personal dilemma. "There it is again. That...feeling. That damned feeling. Damnit Ming! Why did you have to get yourself hurt like this! I'm on a mission right now! I don't have time for this nonsense!"
'C-Captain?" Ming asked as she noticed Soifon's scowl. "A-Are you angry with me?"
Soifon forced herself back to reality just in time to hear Ming's fretful question. "N-No. I'm not. W-We just need to get you somewhere safe until help arrives."
"Oh, there is nowhere safe from retribution, dear captain!"
Soifon and Ming turned toward the dust cloud created by the second explosion. From it emerged a gruff short man with messy facial hair and clad in a brown robe and clogs on his feet. He leered at the girls as he approached, his teeth messy and chipped in quite a few places. He howled in a deep guttural laughter that grated on Soifon's ears. "Soon, there won't be any safe place for you or the rest of your wretched kind to hide! Such is the destiny of a wretched tyrant like you!"
Soifon's eyes narrowed as he recognized the man from the report. "Toshio Obuzu. So this is where you've been hiding this entire time."
"Oh, I was not hiding." Toshio replied. "I was simply waiting for you to find me! I knew those old fossils at Central 46 would send you after me eventually and all this time I've been biding my time, fine-tuning my new ability into the ultimate weapon of rebellion against the tranny of the Seireitei!"
"Fine-tuning?" Soifon clinched her teeth as she realized at once what was going on. "Then those balls of air...it really was Kido..."
Toshio wheezed into laughter once more. "Very clever, little girl! Yes, as a matter of fact, it is Kido or at last, a very basic form of it. I happened to meet a former Shinigami in the Nest of Maggots who specialized in the stuff. I convinced him of my vision and he helped me to combine my spiritual energy into a makeshift bomb. That is how I was able to escape!"
"And that's why we couldn't figure out how you had made the bomb!" Soifon realized.
"Again, very clever for a corrupt Shinigami whore like yourself!" Toshio held out his hand, mumbled a few words and caused another vortex of blue light to form over his open palm. "Care for another taste!?" He chucked the vortex toward Soifon and Ming.
"Damn!" Soifon flash-stepped again with Ming in tow right before the vortex exploded. Soifon reappeared in the rooftop of a building overlooking the newest explosion, setting Ming down. "You wait here and stay out of sight until help arrives." Soifon commanded as she pointed Suzumebachi in the sky. "I'll end this bastard myself!"
"Be careful, Captain!" Ming pleaded as Soifon vanished from her sight. She reappeared behind Toshio and launched herself at him.
"I won't waste anytime! I'll take him out from behind without a moment's hesitation! It's over!"
Right as Soifon was about to thrust Suzumebachi's stinger into the back of Toshio's neck, however, she noticed another vortex of blue light form before it. "Shit!" She slammed her foot down on the ground and backflipped away from the following explosion. It was far more condensed than the last three but would have taken Soifon's arm clean off had she not evaded it. She landed a few feet away from Toshio who continued to bellow in laughter as he turned to her, several vortexes swirling around him now.
"Did you really think I would dare to challenge a Captain-class Shinigami with only a mere parlor trick?" He asked. "Behold! The result of my training! With but the movement of my pinky, I can create several bombs by combining the air around me with my spiritual energy. I don't know what exactly that stinger of yours is supposed to do but I can imagine it needs to actually hit me to take effect, right? Then tell me, how can you possibly expect to get near me without being blown into smithereens!?" Toshio bellowed in laughter once more with his arms spread, a madman at the height of his destructive mania.
"Dammit!" Soifon thought. "This bastard's a lot more clever than we gave him credit for. I'll give him that. Even so, he's still just a ordinary terrorist! I won't let scum like him get the best of the Gotei 13. And backup's coming soon as well. He will not live to see the sunrise!"
At that moment, a idea came to Soifon that made her smirk.
"Hmmm...that could work." Soifon took a deep breath and entered a stance. "Shunpo!"
At once Soifon vanished from Toshio's sight and reappeared on the building next to him...as well as on the road next to him...and behind him just out of reach of his Kido bombs. The smug look on his face quietly replaced itself with a confused scowl as he found himself surrounded on all side by the same Shinigami. "W-What...What is this?" He asked.
"Go ahead. Surround yourself with as many bombs as you like!" Soifon challenged as she continued to create clones after clone after clone. "But I wonder how much good they'll do you when you can't even tell the real threat from a fake!" Once Soifon had finished creating her clones, she and they all charged at Toshio at the same time.
"You bitch!" He cursed. "You think you can psyche me out with such a pathetic parlor trick?" He screamed into the sky. "I'll just blow up everything around me!" He willed the bombs to go off all at once, resulting in a explosion that leveled the entire block. All the clones vanished as the explosion consumed them. Exhausted by such an extensive attack, Toshio fell to his knees panting as the dust cloud shielded him from the rest of the world. "There..." He rasped. "One down...twelve more to go."
"Sorry." Soifon whispered in his ear. "But I'm afraid that number is still thirteen."
Toshio shrieked as he scampered away from the Shinigami. He fell on his ass and crawled away backward, his mind in complete and utter disarray as he tried to understand just how she was still alive. As he crawled, he felt a painful sensation like a bee sting on his right cheek. Unbeknownst to him, the dreaded mark of the Homonka spread from the wound Soifon had just inflicted.
"H-How...How are you still alive!? You went right into the explosion!" Toshio tearfully demanded.
Soifon scoffed. "Correction. My clones went into the explosion. I stayed behind and waited until you let your guard down so I could make the first strike."
"F-Frist strike?" Toshio struggled to keep a brave face. "S-So what? One little prick isn't gonna win you this battle!"
"You're right. One sting isn't enough for Suzumebachi to do the job." Soifon raised her stinger which still dripped with Toshio's blood. "That's why it's called death in two strikes."
Toshio's pupils shrank and his mouth dropped open as Soifon launched herself at him. "No! Wait! Stop!"
"It's over!" Soifon shouted.
Toshio growled. "You bitch!' He slammed his palm on the ground with as much force as he could. Suddenly, it began to glow that same pale shade of blue that his air bombs had. Soifon realized this a second too late as her feet instinctively touched the ground the very ground she was trying to evade as a push off point. Before she could fully realize what was happening, Soifon was engulfed in the blast. She cried out as she felt her clothing and skin tear in several places at once. She was sent flying into the sky by several feet and once gravity reclaimed her, she found herself plummeting toward the ground head first, all while Toshio continued to bellow in laughter.
"Captain!" Ming cried out from the rooftop she was left on.
"So he can infuse his explosive Reiryoku to other objects like dirt." Soifon thought. "Shit! I played right into his hand! I'm such a fool! I can't believe I let myself get hurt by the likes of him." Soifon tried to move her body and found she couldn't. "If I don't die from this fall, I swear I'll make that bastard pay for making a fool out of me!"
Soifon closed her eyes and hoped that somehow, someway, she would land in a matter that would not leave her crippled or unable to continue the fight. She seemed to get her wish as instead of the hard ground, she felt herself hit something soft and huge. Instead of landing on her head and breaking her neck, she was moved by this object to a flat position, the middle of her body drooping between what felt like two huge arms.
Huge fat and sweaty arms to be exact.
Soifon opened her eyes to see the troubled, panicking face of her lieutenant above her. "C-Captain! A-Are you alright!? You nearly got blown to smithereens!"
"Omaeda..." Soifon growled. "I'm fine. Put me down now."
Marechiyo only seemed to panic more. "P-Put you down!? Captain, no offense but it's a miracle you're still in one piece! I don't think you'd be able to stand by yourself, much less fight!"
"Omaeda..." Sofion fought through the pain to clench her hand into a fist. "Put me down now or else I'll-"
"Oh, what's this I see?"
Both captain and lieutenant looked down to see Toshio strutting toward the building the latter was standing on, a new set of Kido bombs surrounding him. "Do I detect a lover's spat right here on the battlefield?"
Soifon wanted to vomit at the mere insinuation and turned her head to berate the terrorist. Before she could, however, she felt her lieutenant suddenly squeeze her closer to his flabby chest as he shouted in her stead. "Think you're pretty funny, huh jackass? No one messes with Captain Soifon and gets away with it! I hope you've ready to leave this life without regrets because this is the night you die!"
Had Soifon heard her lieutenant's threat, she would have scolded him for trying to put on a big show when he should have simply started attacking. Or she would have simply drubbed him under the chin with all her might. But at that moment, as her lieutenant held her in his arms like a injured child, she was momentarily taken out of the battle by utterly revolting discovery.
Namely, that the strange, almost addicting sensation that had been making her crave touch was flowing all throughout her body.
"SWEET SOUL KING NO." She thought. "No...this can't be! Not now! Not from...from him! What the actual fuck is wrong with me!?"
Soifon didn't realize it but her lips were starting to tremble and her eyes starting to water. This went unnoticed by the two men as they continued their taunts.
"Ha! Such big words coming from such a fat oaf!" Toshio spat. "Think you can back them up!?"
"I already did!" Marechiyo whistled and at once every Shinigami brought along the mission appeared on either side of him. The were joined by the medics from Squad 4 as well. The sudden appearance of her men pulled Soifon from her horrified stupor and back to reality. She realized with utter shame that she was still in her lieutenant's arms and closed her eyes to feign unconsciousness.
"Men, surround this creep!" Marechiyo shouted. "Don't leave him a single opening to escape through!"
Without a word," the covert Shinigami moved to box Toshio where he stood, forming blockades on either side of the road and on the rooftops of every nearby building. Toshio said nothing as he watched every possible exit vanish before his eyes but the sweat running down the side of his head made it clear he was getting nervous.
"Medics, search for and assist the injured!" Marechiyo commanded.
"Right!" The medics made their move at once. Two of them appeared right next to Ming who had watched the whole thing unfold and went right to working treating her side.
Marechiyo unsheathed his sword and called out "Crush, Gegetsuburi!" At once his sword became a giant spiked ball attached the hilt in his hands by a long chain. Marechiyo flashed a cocky grin at the sweating Toshio as he presented his weapon. "I'm no egghead like Captain Kurotsuichi but I'm willing to bet those blue things surrounding you are bombs, right?" He tossed the spiked ball in the air and swung it toward Toshio. "If that's the case let's get them out of the way!"
Toshio screamed as he threw himself on the ground, barely missing one of Gegetsuburi's spikes. The Kido bombs went off as the spiked ball flew through them, creating a large cloud of smoke that obscured Toshio's view of his enemies. He didn't have to wait long to see them again, however, as Marechiyo soon jumped through the smoke, ready to bring Gegetsuburi down on the terrorist's head. "It's over!"
From the rooftop where he left her, Soifon shouted out to Marechiyo. "Omaeda, you fool! You're falling right into his trap!"
"Huh?" Marechiyo looked back, his bravado already leaving his face.
One the ground, Toshio's troubled expression turned cocky. "She's right!" With a dry laugh, Toshio slammed his palm on the ground before him, causing it to glow blue. By the time Marechiyo noticed this glow and turned around to see it, his Gegetsuburi was already falling toward the man as he rolled out of the way, leaving only the booby-trapped ground.
"Oh! Oh no! Gegetsuburi" Marechiyo screamed.
The resulting explosion sent Gegetsuburi flying right back to Marechiyo, one of the spikes digging in his stomach. Marechiyo was sent right back to the rooftop, smashing through it right next to his captain. Soifon shielded herself from the resulting debris, the wind blowing through her wounds and ripping away even more of her outfit. By the time it was done, both sides of Soifon's haori were frayed and one of her hair rings had snapped off. She coughed out the bit of dust and clay that had entered her lungs and crawled over the hole. "Omaeda...Are you still alive..." She wasn't sure what she was hoping the answer would be.
"C-Captain...I'm...all...right..." Marechiyo's voice droned in a pained tone from the darkness of the building.
"Crap." Soifon thought as she felt another familiar Reiatsu appear on the rooftop. She turned to see Ming running toward her, her left side bandaged up.
"Captain Soifon! Are you alright?" She asked
"I-I'm fine." Soifon lied. In truth, she was aching all over. Every wound on her body was bleeding and her throat felt raw. Although she never took her lieutenant's words seriously, she couldn't help but wonder whether or not she would even be able to stand if she tried. With her uniform as torn as it was, the night air was allowed free reign to flow through the tears and agitate the wounds even further. Of course, none of this agony held a candle to the internal shame Soifon felt as, even now, she was still hung up over the sensation she felt when she lay in Marechiyo's arms.
"It...has to be some sort of sick joke. It just has to be! Yoruichi, I understand! Byakuya, I can sorta get and Ming...well...she's a subordinate so she's still understandable but Marechiyo!? He's the last person on this planet I would ever want touching me for any reason at all! He's fat, sweaty and always stuffing his face! I can barely stand to look at him for more than ten seconds at a time, let alone touch him! So why...why..."
Ming noticed Soifon's emotional turmoil and approached to help, only to get spooked by Marechiyo's hand suddenly bursting from the hole and grabbing the edge of the hole. "Someone help me up!" He begged.
"Is...that it?" Soifon asked. "Is this longing...just for touch in general? Will I just have this feeling regardless of who touches me? What if I were to touch Marenoshin Omaeda? Or Aizen? Or even...Kisuke?"
Soifon's entire body trembled with gooseflesh at the mere prosect.
"H-How long is this going to last? H-Has this need always been here? Was it triggered by something? Dammit! Dammit all!"
As Soifon was going through her existential crisis, Ming was struggling to pull Marechiyo up from the hole. She strained as she gripped his forearm, fingers digging into his flabby skin. After a few tries, however, Ming was able to pull Marechiyo up next to her, gasping for air as he landed with a thud.
"L-Lieutenant, a-are you alright?" Ming wheezed.
"Y-Yeah. I-I think so," Marechiyo groaned. "I just need a minute to catch my breath." He pressed his hand against the bleeding wound in his stomach as he said this. It wasn't deep but it would need to be looked at soon.
Ming took a moment to catch her own and turned to her captain. She seemed to be in a daze and for a moment, Ming was seized with fear. "Captain Soifon!?" She flash-stepped to her side at once. "C-Captain Soifon!" She gripped her shoulders. "Please answer me! Captain! Captain!"
At last, Soifon snapped out of her inner turmoil and blinked a few times. "Ming."
"Oh Captain!" In her excitement in her captain responding, Ming forgot herself and wrapped Soifon in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried when I saw that blast hit you! O-Of course, I knew that you would be because there's no way such a puny blast could kill someone like you and...eep!" Ming pulled herself away from her captain at once. "S-Sorry! I-I didn't mean to squeeze you like that!" Her face aflame, Ming awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "I-I guess I just kinda got carried away." She laughed nervously.
"N-No...it's alright..." Soifon droned. She was blushing as well but with her matted hair and the blood all over her, it went somewhat unnoticed. Soifon shivered as she felt that sensation again. "Again...and after Ming hugged me...Yep, there's no doubt about it. Whatever this longing is, it's not picky. Just about anyone's touch will do." Her lips quivered again. "Even Omaeda's." She looked down at her hands. "But still, it begs the question, why? Why am I wanting to be touched all of a sudden? What's happening to me?"
Soifon was once again pulled away from her thoughts by another explosion. Looking down, she, Marechiyo and Ming all watched as the rest of the squad tried to move in for the kill. For now, it seemed the strategy as to destroy all of Toshio's bombs with Kido and then move in through the resulting smoke. Unfortunately, Toshio had plenty of more ground to detonate and thus managed to push them back, thus leaving the Onmitsukido right back to square one.
"Dammit!" Marechiyo cursed. "This is humiliating! We're getting our asses handed to us by a bomb-happy psycho!"
"Stay calm, Lieutenant!" Ming said. "I'm sure Captain Soifon will come up with a plan to deal with the terrorist! Just have faith!"
Ming intended for her words to come out positively and to reassure the lieutenant. Thus, she was caught off-guard when he turned to her with an annoyed expression on his face.
"Hey, what do you take me for, a rookie?" He challenged. "I'm the Lieutenant of this Division, not you! Where does a lowly little grunt like you get off giving me orders!?"
"KYAAAA!" Ming screamed. "I-I'm sorry, Lieutenant! I-I didn't mean it like that! I was just trying to-"
"Don't forget your place, runt!" Omaeda shouted in her face, causing Ming to shield herself. "It'll be a thousand years before you could ever hope to get on my level so why don't you-"
"Omaeda, shut up." Soifon quietly demanded.
At that moment, the lieutenant froze. "C-Captain!"
Soifon took a deep breath and forced herself back up. She stumbled a little and had to wave Ming off when she tried to go help but after a minute, she was finally on her feet. Her wounds ached and she stumbled as she walked toward the edge of the roof overlooking the battle. "Marechiyo is right, as much as I'd hate to admit it. This battle's becoming one big embarrassment for the Onmitsukido. Yoruichi would never let such a thing happen under her command and I cannot allow the same!" She looked down at her hands as the wind continued to howl. "I think I know how to finish this fight. It's not the most stealthy method and in the condition that I'm in, I only have enough strength to try it once." Soifon's eyes rose to Toshio, drank in his overconfident face and mocking laughter and narrowed into slits of hate. "I better make this count."
"Omaeda, command our men to fall back at once." She ordered.
"W-What!?" Marechiyo shouted. "C-Captain, have you lost your mind!?"
"Now, Omaeda!" Soifon repeated herself.
Marechiyo gulped as cold sweat coated his head. He turned to Ming who could only shrug her shoulders for she was just as confused about her captain's order as her lieutenant was although she trusted Soifon knew what she was doing. Marechiyo decided to do the same and turned to the battlefield. "Alright men, fall back! I repeat, this is a order from the Captain herself! Fall back!"
There was only but a moment's hesitation before the Onmitsukido ceased their fruitless attacks on Toshio and retreated back to the shadows, taking their injured and dead with them. Toshio was dumbstruck to see his enemies leaving but as soon as he realized they were retreating, he erupted into fit of hysterical laughter. "Bhahahaha! Retreating, I see! What happened to all that big talk you spouted earlier? I suppose it was all for show, just like everything else about you wretched Shinigami! At last, at last all will know the true might of the flames of rebellion!"
"You talk too much" Soifon muttered as she looked down at her ruined captain's haori. "Ugh. Might as well." With a single pull, she ripped what remained of the white garment off her body, revealing the backless uniform beneath. Soifon held the haori up in the air and released it to the wind.
Both Marechiyo and Ming gasped at this display, the latter's face turning as red as a tomato. "C-Captain! D-Don't tell me..."
"I was hoping to train with this a little longer, until I was certain to have surpassed Lady Yoruichi." Soifon muttered as she held her right hand up, watching as her Reiryoku began to swirling around it in her own little vortex of wind. "But I can't stand to let this bastard make a fool of us any longer." She smirked. "Besides, I could use the practice. Shunko!"
At once the energy around Soifon's arm ballooned in size as it increased in power. The sudden surge of energy was enough to catch Toshio's attention and wipe the grin from his face. He wasn't the only one awestruck by the display either as both Marechiyo and Ming found themselves spellbound by their captain's technique.
"I don't believe it," Marechiyo thought. "I thought Captain Soifon said she wasn't going to use her Shunko again until she could complete it! Guess she's tired of messing around with this jackass." The lieutenant smiled as he turned to the frightened bomber. "You're in for it now, punk! You've pissed off our captain and now nothing can save you!"
"Amazing," Ming thought. "So this is the true power of the Captain-Commander of the Stealth Force." She looked down at Soifon's body. "And that must be the special keisen uniform worn when punishment is carried out." She found herself blushing again. "I...never thought it would be so...revealing. I don't think I could bring myself to wear something like that in battle. I'd die of embarrassment!" Ming looked back up at Soifon's face, to her stern and focused expression. "But Captain's Soifon different. She's confident, beautiful and deadly. She's the perfect person to wear that uniform, to lead the Onmitsukido. No doubt about it."
"W-What is this?" Toshio asked. "You think a stripshow and some fancy wind is going to scare me!?" With an angry growl, he willed all the Kido bombs to float toward Soifon. "Take this, you Shinigami bitch!"
"Captain!" Marechiyo shouted, only to gasp in surprise to find she was gone from the rooftop.
"What!?" Toshio shouted as he noticed this as well, not realizing his target was right besides him until he heard her speak.
"Too slow!" Soifon launched the energy of her Shunko toward Toshio, sending him and his Kido bombs flying. The destructive rebel screamed as he was launched through the road, his bombs exploding all around him. It wasn't long before he was consumed by the blast and a final grand explosion threw him into a small shop. The resulting dust cloud towered over every building in the District and took several minutes to dissipate completely. As it continued to climb into the sky, the dust settled around the store Toshio was launched into just as the mad bomber was waking up.
"Uhhhh...grrhh..." He groaned as he opened his remaining eye, the other one reduced to red paste inside his socket. His vision was blurry and his ears were ringing. "I...have to get out of here..." He thought. "I have to flee before-"
He cried out in fear as Soifon suddenly appeared before him, bloodied, panting and pissed. "You."
Toshio surrendered to fear for but a moment before forcing himself out of it. He would not be a coward. He would not be afraid. If he was going to die, he was going to die fighting. Summoning every ounce of strength he had, he opened his palm and created one final Kido bomb. "You bitc-Gh!"
Toshio choked up as he felt a horrible pain spread throughout his body. The vortex vanished from his palm as his spiritual energy began to fade away.
Soifon smirked as she held up Suzumebachi whose tip was dripping with fresh blood. "Death in two strikes. That is the power of Suzumebachi's Nigeki Kessatsu. Farewell, Toshio Obuzu."
"No...please...noooooo!" Toshio screamed as the two Homonka marks on his right cheek merged. His body began to glow a bright red as he desperately scratched at his cheek in a attempt to remove them. It was for naught and before long, the screaming man was consumed by a giant Homonka and vanished completely, the destruction he left behind the only remaining proof he had ever existed in the first place.
"Assassination...co-completed." Soifon said right as she collapsed to her knees. With the mission completed, she allowed herself this time to catch her breath, her chest heaving in and out as her hands pressed against the floor of the shop. Sweat peppered her bare back and shoulders, stinging her wounds as it intermingled with her blood. Before long, she felt Marechiyo and Ming appear besides her, the former to the left and the latter to her right.
"Captain Soifon, are you alright!?" They asked in unison.
"I'm...fine." Soifon breathed. "The mission...is over..."
"Oh Captain!" Ming kneeled down next to Soifon. "You're so badly hurt! Let me help you to the medics!"
"Huh!?" Marechiyo squatted down so that he was at eye level with Ming. "How many times are you gonna butt into my job!? I'm the lieutenant so I should help the captain to the medics!"
"I-I didn't mean to offend you, Lieutenant!" Ming defended. "I was just trying to help!"
"You idiots." Soifon thought as Ming and Marechiyo continued to bicker over her. "I'm not some old lady or scared child. I can still move just fine!" And she could. The elation of finally defeating Toshio gave Soifon a boost of strength. There was no doubt in her mind that she could take herself to the medics for treatment.
And yet, she didn't do that.
She wanted to. She wanted to get up and flash-step out of the store. But she didn't. She didn't because at that moment, an idea came to her, one that embarrassed her to no end but at the same time appealed to her far too much to ignore.
"Then again...I am hurt...a lot...and I might make recovery harder for myself if I move around as I am...oh Soul King, am I really considering this?"
She looked down at her hands again.
"I...I still don't fully understand what's going on with me. I've never been the touchy-feely type before and it wouldn't serve me well to start now. Then again...if this feeling is created through anyone...even Omaeda...can it really be that special? Probably not. It's nothing special and nothing to worry about. So maybe...just this once..."
"G-Guys," Soifon said, Her word, as quiet as it was, arrested Ming and Marchiyo's attention right away.
"Yes, Captain!?"
"I...A-Actually, I think I might need some help...getting to the medics..." Soifon's face burned with a fury that rivaled Ryujin Jakka but nonetheless, she persisted as she lifted both her arms up. "Just...just be careful...okay?"
Both Ming and Marechiyo looked at each other, nodded and lowered their shoulders beneath Soifon's arms, allowing her to lower them over the backs of their necks. Soifon felt herself rise to her feet, her left arm a little higher than her right due to the height difference between Marechiyo and Ming.
"Don't worry, Captain!" Marechiyo assured her. "We'll get you help real soon."
"That's right!" Ming agreed. "So just hang on tight!"
With this, the duo began to flash-step back to town with Soifon in tow, The wind rushed against her wounds again but she paid it no mind as she was too busy enjoying the warmth and softness from the two bodies carrying her.
"If this sensation can be caused by everyone then it must be nothing special." She rationalized. "Which means it's nothing to be afraid of. Of course, I'll still need to deal with it eventually but for now, just this once, I can just enjoy it."
She smiled as she was carried over to the medics.
(Whew! That chapter was longer than expected! Guess that's just how it goes with fighting scenes. In any case, now that Soifon has come to understand her touch-starvation a little better, one must wonder how she'll go about dealing with it. Please review and follow if you enjoyed the story and see ya in the next chapter!)
