Los Niños de Izanami: Contención

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Nobility and Royalty, Planning for the worst
Kukkyōna had prepared his Seireitei Soul Reaper attire for the upcoming meeting with the King, among other politicians of Yurei possibly. As he wrapped his scarf around his neck, he remembered that he got word of additional reinforcements from the Gotei 13, one of which the Head Captain spared no expense at employing. He knew their specialities and found their abilities would come in handy as well as their additional input on the situation with this so-called Pillinial Movement that the Ahijados cult had been moving towards.

It only took him a few hours to reach the gate of the Castle, its reaches higher in altitude 2nd to that of the Police Force just by sheer stature and height of the momumental structure. As he approached the gate closer, he noticed the Royal Guards blocking the way, but immediately recognized him due to his foreign attire and the only one in Yurei Okuko 'sides his son.

"C-Captain Hayate! We were expecting your arrival," one of the guards bowed respectfully while feeling a bit inept at greeting both a Head of a Noble Family as well as a Captain of the Seireitei Gotei 13.

"Its nothing to be concerned of, you're doing a fine job," Kukkyōna said plainly, his form walked past the guards after briefly acknowledging each of them, saying, "I'm expecting more arrivals from the Seireitei to be here. Try not to get intimidated too much."

"Y-Yes sir!" The other one said immediately as they watched him disappear inside the magnanomious castle.

Kukkyōna walked with a casual gait, taking time to admire the enamorings of the castle, the decorations, the fine carpet and pictures lining the walls, he could get the feeling that he truly was in the presence of nobility and royalty.

He wasn't the only one to grace the castle floors with his presence.

As he walked by, he passed by several other people who were either wandering the castle halls or standing idly and chatting. All of them were dressed in rather formal attire, some modern, and some traditional. All of them were of various cultures, as had been the case in their first encounter with police organization. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, laughing at jokes or otherwise. It was indeed a popular place to stay at, not just the King's private home.

Kukkyōna sighed lightly, having seen the light-hearted talk and laughter present in the castle, he wished Daisuke attended to more of these events and opportunities to see how Nobility should act and take advantage of the benefits of titles. He hoped to introduce Daisuke more formally to the King, only been graced with his presence when they were awarded the medals by him, but there wasn't anything more than rehearsed lines of gratitude and honor of being thanked in that manner. In this time, he hoped Daisuke could be given a chance to get to know the Royalty here as well, in the future event of him doing dealings with Yurei Okuko as the next Head of the Noble Family.

He managed to turn around a corner, briefly attracting some guest's eyes and attention, hearing the hushed and quick talk as they noticed his uniform and his handsome features. He's been used to the attraction but felt no need to return the favor, seeing as he truly had no one present of late that he had attraction to, nor desired it. It was then he saw up ahead a turned back of a certain individual that seemed to be waiting for him, outside the large elegant, tall doors leading to the Court Room, where the King would be.

"Excuse me," he said out in a polite, yet crisp tone, asking with a stoic, straightforward manner, "are you the liason for Yurei's Royalty?"

It was as if her senses had been snapped to attention.

She had been looking curiously at a portrait when the voice of a male had sounded behind her. Immediately and with a natural flair, she turned around in order to face him so that she could see him as well as he could see her. She had raven black hair cropped into a bob that hung about her face, violet-colored eyes, and a rather pale complexion. She was wearing a Shinigami uniform, but without any insignia. On her arms, she wore white gloves that extended up slightly past the elbow, the endpoint hidden by her shirt sleeve. Her Zanpakuto was resting at her waist.

Upon taking him in quickly, she closed her eyes and bowed out of recognition for the aura of nobility and rank of the person before her. "Yes, that would be me." She kept her tone respectful, but at a much calmer level than the nervous guard had. "Kuchiki Rukia at your service, Captain...."

Kukkyōna took a keen eye over her, within a moment he saw that she was no ordinary liason. He was aware that there were Soul Reapers in the employ of Yurei Okuko, but with that said, any significant amount of citizens with high Spiritual Energy made it impractical to set up a formal training center, like the Shinō Academy, and then employ them as regular means of military or police force. But, seeing one in front of her made him to believe they kept most of them within the Royal Guard and Parliment Security Force, if not most for the Military.

A tactful decision, this King certainly likes to keep his Soul Reapers at arm's length, Kukkyōna thought with reserve, before his eyes furrowed at the name and appearance of the woman in front of him, as well as her name.

"Captain Hayate of the 6th Division," he said before asking with a curious look in his eyes, "tell me. Did you happen to be formally of the Noble Kuchiki Family?"

"Formerly?" That brought Rukia to raise herself up, eyes furrowing slightly at his statement. She shook her head. "I am, and still am, sir. Why do you ask?" She had a few ideas of her own, but the primary one that stuck in her head was desired confirmation of her identity. It was something she didn't really mind.... after all, what possible reason would she have to hide who she was?

"I see," Kukkyōna said, his eyes narrowed before he continued, "so this is where the adopted sister of the late Byakuya Kuchiki ended up. Honestly, this is the last place I thought to see you here, Miss Kuchiki. I wouldn't have condoned your retirement of your duties as a Soul Reaper due to what happened with the Quincy."

....maybe there could have been a reason that could be possible.

She winced slightly at the rather condemning statement made by Kukkyona, but kept her composure. "I beg your pardon....but I didn't come here because of retirement...." She explained, keeping her arms at her sides. "I was transferred here, due to my own understanding of modernization as well as the need for the Seireitei to concentrate on internal affairs. It was honestly something unexpected to me as well, but it was nothing that I couldn't adjust to...."

"No need to apologize, Miss Kuchiki," he said bowing his head lightly, before saying apologetically, "I never expected you to be here is all. Its been centuries since I've seen anyone of the Kuchiki Family outside the Seireitei, so this is quite a surprise on my part."

Rukia nodded. "So I've seen...." She commented, smiling a little. "I take it you're here for the meeting, right? The others will be here soon...."

Kukkyōna nodded back, with a soft smile and tone he voiced his thoughts, "So I see that his Majesty likes to keep his Soul Reapers within arm's reach. A good tact, for a land with so few with high enough Spirit Energy to attain mastery to a potent degree, and I can see why he would keep someone like you, even closer."

This made Rukia's smile a bit shy, and she looked away for a brief moment under the indirect compliment that was given to her. Of course, she allowed it to cross her face for just a brief moment before returning to her cool and calm demeanor. "For the ones that come from the Seireitei, it would be a necessity to keep them as close as possible, as we serve a great link between the two societies. So yes.... it is a tactful decision...."

"That, and for security reasons. Had there been any attempt on the King's life, or any members of Parliment, they'd definitely be in for a surprise they'd never forget," Kukkyōna said thoughtfully, before relaxing his stance slightly, his shoulders let down, looking from side to side down each of the halls, still hearing the distant chattering and laughter still present within the castle.

"It seems Yurei Okuko has recovered nicely since the battle with the Ahijados. Its a shame people have to prepare for war after a battle like that. I'd almost think people would be less hearty at this time," he said aloud in a casual, practical manner.

That was when Rukia directed her gaze over his shoulder, looking down the alley in which he had came down. "One would easily think that...." She commented lightly. "The city's sustained quite a lot of damage and made its way through the two civil wars. Few, but too quick to follow after one another. Because of the ability to rebuild itself time and time again, the people here have found it easier and easier to put faith within its existence. Many of them were the very same ones who even helped in times where half of the civilization had been destroyed."

Her smile had returned, and if one looked closely, they could see a bit of pride as she spoke the words. "It's quite amazing how far devotion and loyalty can go, isn't it?"

Kukkyōna nodded in approval, saying with a smile on his own face, "These are the foundations that make up a sustaining and worthwhile society. I'm glad that Yurei Okuko is no exception."

"Quite...." Admittedly, Rukia was running out of things in order to keep the topic going. So she simply switched with another. "Do you know who else will be coming to the meeting other than you?"

Kukkyōna retracted his smile, knitting his brows saying in a unknowing tone, "I'm not entirely sure. I'm certain that they're sending in the 4th Division Captain, our Head Captain knowing this battle will probably have higher casualties than the previous battle. I'm pretty sure the last battle was just to test our defenses...how they broke through your advanced security and border patrol is still under speculation.

But to thoroughly answer your question, I am certain he will send two or three additional Captains with their Lieutenants accompanying them to protect the defenses of Yurei Okuko. Beyond that, I think the Head Captain wanted to not bother with the details."

Rukia allowed herself to close her eyes and nod in acknowledgement. She pressed a hand on the door that led to the Court Room, looking over her shoulder at Kukkyona. "If you want, I could allow you to introduce yourself to His Majesty prior to the meeting. I do warn you if you do...." She chuckled a little, her next words taking on somewhat of an amused tone. "He may have the status of nobility, but he's more familiar with civilian populace than traditional followings."

Kukkyōna chuckled slightly, before saying in understanding, "I have plenty of time to have dealt with people of high authority, but are lax when it comes to being formal with other poloticians and nobility. Its a shame I didn't bring my son along today...he'd be able to really relate with him, its seems."

"Then, if you will...."

She pushed open the door, motioning for him to follow her.

Inside was the "office" of the King, surprisingly small compared to the rest of the castle's interior. However, it was still massive enough to be considered beyond the size of the common room. At the desk, they could see a woman with black-hair tied up in a ponytail and gray eyes sitting in a chair beside a man in former attire. By position, one could tell that the girl was an assistant and the man at the desk was the King. By such, one would think that they would've held a stern and strict aura around them just like the common noble. However....

"I....am soooooooooo bored."

THUNK!

Such a theory was disproven when the King slammed his head on his desk, causing the woman to slap her own face out of embarrassment. "Jushin.... please get your head off of the desk. It's unprofessional!" She chided him, her tone exasperated.

"I think I just gave myself a concussion....." was the muffled response.

The woman rolled her eyes, but chuckled a little. "Wouldn't surprise me. Now get up, one of the Captains are coming this way!"

"Huh?" Jushin raised his head as well as an eyebrow as the two approached them. "Ah, I guess some people wanted to come a bit earlier than normal....." Relaxing himself, he folded his hands at level with his face, elbows propped on the table. "Captain Kukkyona of the 6th Division, I presume?"

Shiro sweatdropped as he walked over to Chidori's side, saying with a warm smile and half-lidded eyes, "That's our king for you, Chidori-chan. Always willing to let down his hair in front of anyone and everyone."

Kukkyōna could only sigh inwardly, thinking that his own son has a bit more maturity than the King has, albeit according to his first impression of Jūshin, though the way he held himself would be almost like a act for a deceivingly capable individual beneath his casual act. He knew this because even at this distance, he could feel the subtle thrum of his Spiritual Pressure in the air...

"A pleasure, your Majesty," Kukkyōna said with a noble, professional tone, hoping to make a good impression himself, knowing despite the King's casual attitude he had to keep himself in the position as a Head of a Noble Family, as well as the current representative of the Gotei 13 as Captain of the 6th Division.

"Likewise, son." Juushin lowered his folded hands onto the table, ignoring the chuckle from Chidori. "How can I help you?" His tone was professional, yet it still held that casual and somewhat informal manner that he always carried about his person.

Kukkyōna stepped forward to the table, still maintaining his straight posture while keeping his eyes locked onto Jūshin's, saying in a somber tone, "I'm here to talk about strategy on how the best defend the city districts of Yurei Okuko. It would be best to begin evacuations of all the major populace zones again, and move them to the shelters, as well as move any remaining citizens within the underworks of your castle. From what I've gathered on the Ahijdaos is that they use chaotic, wide-spread panic and damage. We will need to be prepared for this attack moreso than the last one."

Shiro looked onward at Kukkyōna with interest, taking in his initial reasons for being here as well as talks of strategy. He looked over to Jūshin for further input and his thoughts on the plans of evacuating the citizens.

During this exchange, Rukia took the time to silently exit out of the room, closing it behind her in order to let them talk in privacy.

As Chidori gained more of a listening look, Juushin allowed himself to speak, making small hand gestures in order to go with his words. "Normally, that would be the case.... if it were the Ahijados alone." He said, his voice taking on a more serious edge to it. "However, based on information I got from Commander Setsuko, the Ahijados seem to be backed by a Hueco Mundan government known as the Espada Afilado. It won't just be guerrilla war being played out on the homeland, but also a dangerous game of who can outmaneuver and outsmart the other. If this new group is truly helping the cult, then yes, it's pretty obvious that the first breach was nothing but a warning compared to what is to come. That's why I ordered the evacuation-in-masse to be executed as soon as possible. As we speak, hundreds of civilians are being moved out to safer locations and my military troops are setting up security perimeters within the abandoned areas. The only ones who will be on the surface will also be the ones who are going to stand against the assault."

Kukkyōna then crossed his arms, his sleeves covering them, and his eyes narrowed as he spoke plainly, "Speaking of which, there might be a clash with authorities on who's commanding who, when merging both the Police Force and the Military for the defense. Morale will be...questionable due to this. Do you have any plans on how you can change that?"

Shiro slightly winced, remembering how hostile the Police and Military are with each other, and for good reasons as well, even if they sounded foolish to anyone else. He looked over and leaned himself over to Jūshin's ear, whispering, "Do you suppose you should leave the majority of the internal security to the Police Force and leave the perimiter and defense of the castle to the Military? Having hostilities between our forces will be problematic while defending the city."

Jūshin's ears perked up at Shiro's suggestion, eyes widening curiously. Then, he closed his eyes and nodded, focusing his attention back onto Kukkyōna. "Ah, yes! The old competition between soldier and local trooper...." Surprisingly, his tone actually perked up at the mention of it. "That's actually nothing to be worried about. In contrast to popular belief, it's proven to actually boost morale via the competition between the two groups. Furthermore, they have enough sense to know not to kill each other, especially in times of emergency situations. It's really nothing to be worried about."

Chidori put on a weak, but amused smile. "You're not saying that out of you being a former military soldier as well, are you?" She commented, her smile growing wider at his comically widened and narrowed eyes.

"Wha-- no!" He said defensively, closing his eyes and turning away in a scoff. "I'm too much of a free voice to discriminate against the police just because I was a part of their opposition's ranks before. That would be far too narrow-minded...."

"Oh?" A curious tone came from Kukkyōna's mouth, turning over to look at Jūshin, asking, "was I mistaken? From what I've gathered from the Captain Setsuko, it seems that the rivalry was more a bitter atmoshpere than helpful. Is that just her opinion?"

Shino sweatdropped, saying aloud in a pan-smile face, "Oh Avaron-san...you're so blunt and abrupt in your mannerism, you might've as well been a drill sergeant."

"ACHOO!!!" Avaron suddenly covered her mouth with her hands as she let out a sneeze, which was considerably loud. A fellow worker cocked her eyebrow at her superior.

"Uh.... catching a cold, ma'am?"

"No.... but I do think someone's talking about me right about now....."

"Well...." That was when Jūshin's and Chidori's expression turned somewhat sheepish, and they glanced towards each other and then at Shino as if any one of them had a proper answer to it. Then, the two looked back towards Kukkyōna, with Chidori finishing up what she was about to saying. "That really depends.... actually, if you do ever see them interact, you'll know for certain if what Setsuko said was true or not, considering the way they act around each other is pretty much left ambiguous...."

Kukkyōna sighed lightly before nodding to Jūshin and his two aides, saying, "That's good. As for the Seireitei's reinforcements, I'm certain they might bring at least 2 or 3 dozen men from each Division, so it will be helpful to say the least to have Soul Reapers on the troops' side."

Shino nodded, crossing his arms, "Seireitei Soul Reapers are no push-offs from what I've heard. It will be good to have two different Societies fighting this battle, showing how much our two cultures have forged a strong Alliance."

Kukkyōna looked over at Jūshin, asking him, "I know its a little too soon to tell, but is there a specific way you would like the Seireitei Soul Reapers organized in defense of the city?"

"Hmm...." This caused the ruler to look thoughtful for a moment, looking up towards the ceiling in his brief state of thought. "The merge of forces who are normally capable of working alone would be a rather difficult maneuver to work with despite the obvious benefits. It would be best to position the troops under your banner where they should be. The Shinigami can take up positions within the city where the troops are unable to reach, as well as provide assistance and escort when it comes to more dangerous missions that would prove to be an extreme threat to my soldiers. Considering the lethality and power of the Zanpakuto I've seen thus far, I have reason to believe it would benefit both sides, no?"

Kukkyōna nodded, saying aloud while unconsciously placing his right and left hands on the pommels of his Zanpakuto, "Indeed they are. I would be anxious to see just excactly what a Yurei Okuko Soul Reaper can do, outside of this conflict if I am given the chance."

Shiro caught a deadly twinkle in Kukkyōna's eyes that caused him to both tremble in excitement, but also sweat in trepidation as he saw the look of a man who could kill so easily and without hesitation that it made him feel like a child holding onto a weapon he's too young for. He looked over as the gaze was carried over intentionally to the King, knowing that it was a friendly, if not direct challenge towards the King himself.

I hope that the King doesn't plan to take that invitation literally, Shiro thought worriedly with a aghast smile, knowing his King, he probably would to escape the work and boredom he was in just minutes ago.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, a group of robed and cloaked individuals walked the halls of the Castle, holding the gaze of the Castle's residents, drawing some with looks of fear and awe, others with blushes and giggles. The cloaked individuals bore the garments of Soul Reapers of the Seireitei, as some of them were cloaked obviously in the Haori and standard Shihakushō uniforms customary of any Soul Reaper within the Seireitei's forces. Some of them talking to each other, others held stoic looks and keen eyes, moving around, observing and analyzing the environment around them.

Soon, the head of the group lead them towards the doors leading to the meeting room, running into the Liason of Yurei Okuko to the Seireitei Soul Society, Rukia Kuchiki, he himself smiled warmly at her before bowing his head, followed by a few of the other's heads, mostly the seniors, before introducing himself,

"Hello, Kuchiki-san. Its been a long time since I last seen you. My name is Ryouken Aizen, Captain of the 5th Division, and these are my associates coming here on behalf of the Seireitei's Soul Society to aide in the upcoming defense of Yurei Okuko."

Naturally, Rukia allowed herself to bow as well, recognizing the Captain right away due to the gear and the way he carried himself. "Of course." She stated, giving a nod. "His Majesty and Captain Hayate are already inside." She moved to the door and pressed her hand on it, slowly opening it up to reveal the moderately sized meeting room in which the two men were.

Ryouken smiled, saying aloud before entering the room, "Couldn't help but take the initiative, could he?" His Lieutenant, Senshi Fiaresu, cast his eyes uncaringly upon Rukia's before staring ahead, taking in step with his Captain silently, stylized kimono fluttered around him with the feel of pride and honor.

The one to come next was the 4th Division Captain, Taiyō Ikidōri, her Haori held fastened over her black uniform and generous endowment as she briefly paused to smile at Rukia, before walking behind Ryouken, passing by his Lieutenant to join his left side. Her Lieutenant, Tōshi Yūhi, came within step of her smiling politely back at Rukia before joining her Captain.

The last of the Captains to come after that was a flamboyantly dressed, but if not slightly intimidating by the way he carried himself, was none other than the Kidō Captain, Gyakushū Zen'nō Hando. He looked at her with a warming smile of reassurance, almost knowingly his presence to set some people a little nervous or intimidated, but kept walking in step to join Ryouken's right side.

The last one, curiously did not immediately join them. A handsome, if not slightly bored looking young man, wearing the Lieutenant badge of the 12th Division on his left arm, also wearing a different Kimono of his own, not bothering to put his arms through the sleeves like his compatriot, his eyes looking at Rukia's curiously while holding a long unlit pipe between his lips.

He then chuckled, asking, "What's a capable, attractive Soul Reaper such as yourself playing guard dog outside the meeting room? You not priviledged enough to enter?" His words held a sense of increduality along with his sarcasm, meaning to be more of a curious social query than a insult. If anything, he was insulting her superiors.

As the others gathered before Kukkyōna and the King, Ryouken bowed his head, the others gave a polite bow in turn, as he said aloud, "Sorry we're late. I didn't know the meeting was being started earlier."

"It wasn't," Kukkyōna said briskly, a slight smirk endowed onto his features, before turning his head away from Ryouken back to the King's, "I decided to make sure the King had plans of how to defend the city. With our foreignly trained and skilled forces combining with his, I wanted to make sure we were prepared to make any necessary changes to the plan."

Ryouken chuckled, placing a gloved hand up to his beard, scratching it as he smiled warmly, "I didn't realize you had it all figured out, Kukkyōna-san. I guess I'll just stand here and parade you of your good looks and see to it I get you a comb to brush out that ego of yours."

Kukkyōna arched a brow, before asking aloud without actually looking at Ryouken, saying, "Is that a challenge, Captain Aizen?"

Ryouken waved his hands, emphasizing innocence, saying lightheartedly, "I wouldn't challenge you in front of his Majesty, Kukkyōna-san. It wouldn't be proper conduct, and would shame our Clans to do so. Not that I wouldn't mind it-"

"Ahem!" Taiyō interrupted, scowling at the two Captains, crossing her arms while saying frustratedly, "You're in front of the sovereign ruler of Yurei Okuko. Mind your places and act better for your subordinates!"

Ryouken sighed, shrugging while sheepishly saying, "I meant no offense, Taiyō-chan..."

Shiro sweatdropped, whispering loud enough for Chidori to hear, "These are...Captains?!"

"Apparently...." Chidori muttered back, folding her arms across her chest and shaking her head sagely. "At the very least, I'm glad they aren't as stuck-up as I thought they would've been....." Right beside her, Jūshin simply looked on and listened with somewhat of a calm yet deadpan expression, occasionally glancing from the table to his assistants.

Outside, Rukia had taken to leaning against the wall with her arms folded across her chest. The door was still open, so she could still hear the chatter. At the rather non-subtle flirting, she couldn't help but smirk a little. "I've grown to be more of a listener than anything else...." She answered simply, nodding in the direction of the room. "And that room is going to be filled with debate. I just wouldn't belong."

Meikurai made a sigh, before crossing his arms, looking towards the open door, saying plainly, "So, you're a woman of intuition and action, rather than of intelligence and debate. Despite the calm posture you hold yourself for all to see, your aura cries out for action," he raised a eyebrow, sideglancing her as he continued, "you must have incredible self-control when on duty, Kuchiki."

Kukkyōna then looked onto Jūshin, continuing as if nothing happened, his stoic professional expression never wavering, "So, your Majetsy. Would you care to hear any input from the Captains? They seem to have an alternative approach of defending the city than I do..."

"Well, surely you can't expect me to want to suppress the opinions of others when they're obviously within the most beneficial of boundaries...." The king had once again turned his attention to the group in general. "Ladies and gentlemen, feel free to give your input."

"Well, they always say that action does speak louder than words....." Rukia commented, lightly shrugging. "But I see you're not very eager to jump in yourself. ..."

Kukkyōna nodded towards Jūshin before looking onwards to Ryouken, waiting for him to introduce their strategies.

"Right," Ryouken said before settling into a serious expression, walking towards the meeting room's table showing a detailed map of Yurei Okuko's city, the castle, and even a good couple kilometers of land within the society's control, showing lush forests and meadows, even some mountains beyond that showed at the eedge of the map. He put his palms onto the map, leaning on it before locking his eyes on Jūshin.

"We're expecting a fierce fight in this upcoming battle, I'm not going to lie, but if we make one miscalculation in our planning, we could end losing many lives, even the city. That's why the Head Captain has sent both the 4th Division's Captain along with a good many relief teams to help deal with the wounded. The main battle plan however, rests in why he sent in our Kidō Corps, Kidō Captain," he emphasized, waving a hand in his direction, beckoning him to come forth, his colorful attire flowed around him and a mysterious medallion jingled with every step, Ryouken finished up by moving to the side, explaning, "he will explain the strategy.

"Thank you, Captain Aizen," Kidō Captain Hando said, nodding towards him before splaying his gloved hands over the area of Yurei Okuko, saying, "from what I understand from the debriefing, you have an airforce, composed of magnificent bird. While forming as a good means of transportation and retaliation, these birds would not be suited to halt any form of aerial bombardment, or crossfire that will strike the city's surface below. So, with your permission, Jūshin-sama, I will demonstrate something to you so you can have a better grasp of what we will try to accomplish in the upcoming battle."

Shiro looked onward with interest, looking back and forth from the Captains, even giving a approving look to Chidori before looking equally with approval to Jūshin, nodding at him with a serious look of confidence within whatever the Captain had planned.

Conspiracies and Plots, Moles within Yurei?!
Meikurai chuckled, giving her a thin smile with a narrowed hawk-eye look, asking in a almost rhetorical manner, "What are you talking about, Kuchiki?" he then turned his gaze momentarily over to the meeting room, saying mysteriously, "I am in the meeting room. I've never left the side of my compatriots and superiors. I'm not even having this conversation with you," he crossed his arms, a creepy casting of shadows came over his face, his eyes locked onto hers, "I'm aware of everything that is happening, Kuchiki, be mindful of that in the future. Also," his aura suddenly appeared nonchalant, and he cast a wink towards her, saying, "I happen to like women of action and not meddling in debate. I could use your help with something as a matter of fact."

It was enough to convert Rukia's cool expression into surprise once again, eyes widening slightly as she looked into the room.

There was another one of the Lieutenant standing in the room, standing as rigidly as any bodyguard would have done. The others seemed to talk, and the King seemed to listen, but no one seemed to notice that very fact. Whatever ability of illusion the man was displaying, he was certainly performing it to an expert level. Rukia took this all in before turning her gaze back to the Lieutenant in front of her.

"The least you could do before that is tell me your name, Lieutenant...." She said amiably.

"Shiomaneki," he said with a smug grin, his teeth displaying perfectly white teeth that held his pipe in between them, before finishing, "Meikurai Shiomaneki, Lieutenant of the 12th Division and Deputy Director of the Department of Research & Development. Now," he then crossed his arms, cocking his head slightly to the right, raising his left brow, inquiring, "will you help me?"

Captain Hando stepped forward, bowing his head before speaking in a deep tone, "Your majesty, as powerful as your security force and military is, it cannot be omniscent. Even with additional troops, casualties and infrastructure damage is inevitable from the battle. Therefore, I am proposing a plan," he pointed to key high points along the city, the pinnacle being the castle,

"I will be here, while the rest of my Kidō officers will maintain what I will call, a 'City-Wide-Barrier'. Using the technology provided by the 12th Division to augment the barrier's power, we will enact this barrier during times of high concentrated fire or presumedly artillery bombing runs. We can also trap any number of enemy forces within the city, while seperating them into the sky, leaving them easy prey for your air force and leaving the rest for your gun emplacements, armor units, and infantry. Emergency response units will be directed by a joint effort of your Medical Specialists along with the 4th Division's forces underneath the authority of Taiyō Ikidōri, its Captain. Myself and and Kukkyōna," he emphasized with a wave of his hand towards Kukkyōna before gesturing to himself and looking back at the King,

"will be adding the real bulk of the military power, spreading out our forces where needed, 12th Division will provide additional security around this castle to protect the barrier, Captain Hando, and yourself."

Kukkyōna nodded, hearing the entire conversation, really wishing he had his Lieutenant's opinion as well as him learning something from this. However, he didn't want to force Daisuke to grow up too fast...he only had a few strands of his young life left with him. Once he assumes nobility, he won't be able to enjoy himself the way he used to.

Shiro nodded, also liking the sound of the plan, voicing aloud, "Sounds solid, but the real problem is the way your network is spread out. We will need to add additional forces to secure and protect them, with the aid of the Commanders of each Sector. Anything you see amiss or do you approve of this plan, your Majesty?" Shiro asked Jūshin curiously.

"Well...." Jūshin furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "If you have the manpower for such an expansive movement, then I see no issues with it. Just make sure that everything is in proper order and nothing is left out of place, and we shall do the same." In an idle gesture, he balled up a fist, stuck out his pinkie finger and scratched the side of his nose. After setting his hand down, he turned his eyes over to his two assistants and put on a humored smile. He placed a hand on his chest in a somewhat dramatic manner, his tone changing to a Mid-Atlantic dialect. "Thou approveth of thee idea." He earned a short set of giggling from Chidori as a reward.

Rukia made sure to keep an ear listening to the dialogue taking place while keeping her eyes focused on the man in front of her. "You still haven't told me what you need help with, either...." She added, a bit of a laughing tone within her own voice.

Shiro sweatdropped, saying with a sheepish smile of semi-amusement, "If that was all we needed, I'd simply make you sign papers, your Majesty."

Kukkyōna spoke up, reenetering his voice to the conversation again, "Alright then, its settled. Captain Aizen and I will lead the half of our forces to protect and control the districts under the most dangerous of threats, the Plaza District, the Market District, and the Royal District just outside of your Castle. Our Lieutenants will lead the rest of the remaining forces to reinforce the perimter Sectors where needed, mostly the Residential Sectors and Yurei Okuko's Historical Sector. Captain Ikidōri will respond to the heaviest casualty areas, and the Kidōmembers will be stationed as needed at their assigned positions."

Ryouken chuckled, scratching his beard again saying with a smile, "You're making it sound like this was your idea now, Kukkyōna-san."

Kukkyōna was about to retort when suddenly, a handheld device from within his Haori, ringed, he briefly bowed his head to Jūshin before taking the device up to his ear, answering softly with a bit of increduality behind his voice, "Officer Sonada? What is it, I'm in an important meeting..."

Meikurai's smile brightened a fraction before cocking his head to an angle, nodding behind himself as he said, "Walk with me," and as they walked, his kimono flowing around him like a extravagant curtain, cloaking himself with mystery and vague intentions, as he then spoke aloud, "Kuchiki, I believe the situation within Yurei Okuko is far more severe than what you know. Tell me...have you noticed anything...odd about this cult, the Ahijados, their movements being locked within riddles as strange runic patterns, a set of times and dates...do you understand anything about this?"

"I hope it's not more important than your son's life."

Within the hangar, Kenta had the same type of device to his own ear as he saddled up one the Dragonbirds that were about to be taken into flight. A squad of police officers were doing the same thing with their own individual dragonbirds. "From surveillance reports, there's a fierce battle going on between him and that Sakura Kojima girl against an unidentified group of at least four or five. I'm going to lead a team in order to suppress the area and extract the two of them to Landing Pad C of HQ. I need you to head out and wait for the extraction team once they get there."

Rukia, outside of the doors, cocked an eyebrow in questioning and slight apprehension as she walked right beside him. "Other than the fact that there is a massive attack on the entire region within a few days...." She paused for a moment, thinking about her next words. "Thanks to words from some personally known streetears....the runic patterns at Road 701 were supposed to be the first signs of an apocalyptic reconstruction movement deemed by Red Sun. Because of the lack of proof, however, I don't have reason to believe that it's nothing more than some sort of scare tactic by Ahijados extremists. Why do you ask?"

Kukkyōna narrowed his eyes, physically and internally not worried about his son's safety, believing in his son's will to survive and his skill, but was more worried about the origin of the attackers. "Have you confirmed their origin? Are they Red Sun agents?"

Shiro narrowed his eyes, looking over to Chidori curiously before shrugging and just observing the interaction the Captain had with the Police Officer.

Ryouken narrowed his eyes, cupping his chin and propping his elbow while thinking, finding this interruption troublesome and...disturbing. His Lieutenant looked over, his eyes looked at the Captain with interest, feeling worried of slight for his fellow Lieutenant, someone who had a great amount of zeal and compassion. He'd hate to see anything happen to him, but he would never voice his concerns unless asked.

Taiyō's eyes widened with shock, finding that another sudden attack almost unthinkable, whispering aloud, "They're moving that fast? They couldn't be targeting people specifically, could they?!"

"Captain?" Lieutenant Yūhi asked curiously, her own concern for the handsome and inspiring Lieutenant was also now on her mind.

Meikurai remained silent for awhile as they passed some residents, not bothering to make eye contact with any of them, before saying in a serious tone, "The zealots are following far more than simple terrorist attack of hit & run. Among the sights seen by our good Captain Kukkyōna before seeing the Espada Afilado's leader, was a hooded man.

What I gathered up from sources, Captain Avaron and Captain Kukkyōna were both struck with a wave of empathetic energy, so intense that only with the Captain's sheer Spiritual Pressure was able to keep them safe. There was also a uncanny rythym within the air before the hooded man's appearance, seen to have been heard during rare occurances with the Ahijados present.

There is without a doubt the Red Sun deities are watching and observing the Ahijados' actions, meaning the text contains more truth than what you have seen to believe, Kuchiki," he then turned around a corner within the castle, now heading towards a door leading to the underworks of the castle. He grabbed the handle, pushing it open before looking back and asking, "but that wouldn't explain how they got by your city's vigiliant security so easily and launched a surprise attack on your little kingdom. How do you suppose they managed that?"

"Their origin remains yet to be known, sadly." Was Kenta's immediate reply.

As natural as the Sergeant's response was, Rukia also answered with a ready statement. "Agents hidden under the radar...." She said, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. "The police have been cracking down on security policies and the like, arresting anyone who show any signs of a connection with the extremists. Though they try to be as democratic as possible in their efforts, I can't help but feel their motives are out of paranoia--"

Then it hit her, her eyes widening in realization. She was almost tempted to stop in her tracks.

".....or there's someone within the high ranks of the police pulling the strings and attempting to silence targets of opportunity!" She kept her voice composed, but not hiding the surprise within her tone.

Kukkyōna nodded, saying, "That was too much to hope for, I suppose. I'll be there in a few minutes. Captain Hayate out," with a click of his communicator, he pocketed slowly as he locked eyes with all of the Captains before going back to Jūshin's, bowing apologetically as he explained, "there has been an attack by unknown entities on the outskirts of Yurei Okuko. I am needed to be debriefed of the situation."

Ryouken said with a serious tone, "I'll make sure everything is set in motion, Kukkyōna-san. You find out what this is about so you can meet me to finalize our strategies."

Kukkyōna nodded to Ryouken, smiling lightly before saying, "Thank you, Captain," before walking out in a rushed manner, the rapid beats of his sandals echoed through the mediocorely sized meeting room, before walking through the hallway, quite curious for a moment where Rukia Kuchiki went before dismissing the thought from his mind. His son needed him, and he need to know why.

Meikurai smiled approvingly at Rukia, saying, "A woman of action AND keen eye for detail. We will get along just fine, Kuchiki-chan," he said before going down the dark stairs, snapping his fingers towards a torch, mysteriously lighting it before grabbing it, holding it out in front of him as he lead the way down with Rukia in tow.

"Now, before we go and interrogate the entire Police Force of Yurei Okuko and give your King and the Parliment a heart attack, we have to now wonder the 'why'. We need the Bios of all insignficant Police Officers, anyone who wouldn't stand out socially, politically, or career-wise.

Then, we will need security footage of all comings and goings of the Museum District of the Mausoleum that our good Lieutenant Hayate and the peculiar Sakura Hojima character went to, where are supposed leaders of the Ahijados attack were hold up in.

Lastly, we will need any and all mysterious, particularly strange characters entering Yurei Okuko from the time before the D.C.O. agents were found dead. Feel free, by the way, to ask me why I want these items. Knowledge is power, and if you want to be powerful during this time of crisis, Kuchiki-chan, you will need all the power possible."

This caused Rukia to raise a suspicious eyebrow of her own, her tone somewhat skeptical as she spoke the next words. "While I do wonder why you would want such....." She commented. "I also wonder how you would go about acquiring them. You also seem to be willing to go off on your own on this investigation with the way you're carrying yourself...."

Meikurai walked down the steps with loud claps with his sandals touching the dusty, old steps leading deep into the underworks of the castle. He simply responded, "I commend you for your intuition and caution, but its not necessary to be wary of me. This is how I prefer to work, and that's how my Captain leaves me, more of a understanding to better fulfill our goals more effectively anyways. Besides," he turned his face slightly to give a eery glow from the dancing sparks from his outreaching torch, sideglancing her, "I wouldn't be much of a Lieutenant if I didn't do my part, now would I?"

"His face...."

The glow radiating off of the man's face made Rukia wince a little - a rather subtle gesture.

"It's fine as I thought it would have been..... but the way he carries himself.... it's almost as if he always is knowing everything more than he lets on...."

She kept her tone composed and firm. "No, you wouldn't...." She admitted, folding her hands behind her back in an idle manner. "It's good to see someone with such a sense of duty to their cause...."

Meikurai stared at her eyes, catching the wince with seeing his face, something only because his keen eyes would've been able to catch. He kept his eyes on hers, even as she spoke and clasped her hands idly behind her back, her words sounding partially truthfull, and partly held back. At times he knew that there would be people frightened or slightly disturbed by his mannerism, but he never took it personally. People fear what they don't understand, and if they don't understand why he is the way he is, it wasn't his place to make them understand it.

It was a long few moments of his sideglancing eyes stared at her before continuing down the steps, moving down and continued his rhetoric, unanswering her statement, "I need those Bios of the Police Officers with little to no public light but with enough motive to aid the Cult. The most insignificant Police Officers are usually the ones who would join a Cult or sympathize with one at the least. Reading up their personalities, their histories, their records will give us an idea which one will be most likely.

Next, I need your recorded footage that wasn't destroyed from the blast caused by one of the Ahijados conspirators to see exactly of all places to be when monitoring troops or directing orders. Why would they be held up in a Mausoleum? From what I've gathered, was cut off from the rest of the troops and the place was littered with their dead, a place that wasn't in their control. We need to find out the significance of that location as well as the connection it has with the rest of the city.

Lastly, to find out the identity of interesting or strange characters entering Yurei Okuko will determine any possible aid the Cult has been recieving, or if it was indeed a spy of their own sent to scout out the area. Within the last 3 weeks, if possible, before and after the deaths of the D.C.O agents because they might've murdered them to get them from leaking any intel on their whereabout and plans.

Anything else do you think we need to go over?" He finally asked after giving out his long list of reasons why he needed what he needed, stopping at near the end of the stairs, now at the door to the underworks, a strange set of hums and beeping was heared beyond it, something that shouldn't be inside the unused are of the castle.

"There is something I would find in question....." Rukia said, stopping when he did and casting her eyes to the door in front of them. "How do you expect to gain all of this? What you're asking is the divulging of personal information to outside sources, and the police are just too democratic to hand such sensitive information over. Of course, this is a time of crisis, but that doesn't completely assure that they would do so...."

"My my, Kuchiki-chan," he then moved forward, opening the door and a sudden vision of lights were shown before dulling down, showing a large array of equipment in a room that was once housed for a dungeon, now had been filled with computers, vials, and a few walls with papers with queries, facts, photos of individuals with 'X' drawn on them, "oh of how little faith you have in me."

This time, Rukia could not hide the surprise, her eyes widening and her mouth slightly agape. Out of instinct, she quickly stepped into the room and visibly swept the area. "My God...." She muttered, almost rendered speechless by the display. "Did you build this? ..... for how long?" Following this sentence, she looked over towards the walls with the X-marked photos on them.

"Ever since the surprise attack the Ahijados launched on Yurei Okuko. So around 5 days since the aftermath," he said before walking towards the 'X' marked photos, standing behind her and now looking at them ominously, before speaking plainly, "those on the center marked with D.C.O. are the deceased operatives that were dead before the attack. Those on the left," he pointed to the left of them, showing a variety of other individuals all of them strangely familiar to anyone who's worked in Yurei Okuko's security, "are citizens related or knew about security of Yurei Okuko. The ones on the right," he finished with a number of passed deceased photos, clearly liberated out of the Police Station, "are Yurei Okuko Police Officers that have died mysterious to 'natural causes' deaths. So far, I haven't gotten much off of any of these people...I've searched their bodies, discreetly questioned their families, and searched for any connections they might've had with the Cult's activities, or any of the other deceased you see on this wall."

He then brought out a match, scratching it along his palm briskly before bringing it up and lit his pipe, puffing it a few times before exhaling, a thin screen of smoke bathed the pictures and billowed above the short Soul Reaper. He then looked down at her, his eyes bore a serious glow with a face firm and stoic, his brows knit, saying, "Rukia Kuchiki. I've run out of options, and as painful as this is for me, I need your help in obtaining the prior mentioned items to help my investigation. I've tried being discreet for the past few months but I, along with Yurei Okuko, is running out of time. I need your help!"

It was an unnerving situation.

Everything that Meikurai had said and shown her was marked with nothing but the signs of death and destruction. It was enough to send a chill down her spine, and she couldn't take her eyes away from the photos in order to look at him due to the newfound thoughts within her mind. She took in a deep breath and sighed, closing her eyes and lowering her head a little. Then, after a moment of silence, she allowed herself to turn her head in order to look over her shoulder at him. "I understand...." She confirmed quietly, acknowledging his plea for help. "I'll do what I can."

Meikurai nodded towards her, "Thank you, Kuchiki-chan," smiling a little before turning around, his sandals slapped against the stone floor as he reached out to a wheeled chair and pulling it for him to sit down on as he moved over to a desk.

"I think its best we start with obtaining that security footage. Shouldn't be too much a problem, just ask if you could make a copy of all the footage around the Museum Sector and bring it back here. While I am reviewing the footage and anything out of the ordinary, please obtain those Bios of the average to unordinary Police Officers and we will cross-reference any that might stick out. I know it won't be easy, but it has to be done," he exhaled another breath, another wisp of smoke filled the air while he looked at a empty manilla folder, before locking eyes with her, "then we need a list of tourists, guests, or suspicious people that have been here 3 weeks before the death of the D.C.O. operatives. It would be plenty of time to scope out the area for the enemy as well as plan to plant those forboding messages in each particular area within Yurei Okuko."

Rukia turned towards Meikurai with an affirmative nod. "What about the others? When will you inform them of this?"

Meikurai looked blankly at Rukia before exhaling another puff of smoke. His eyes were briefly lit by the fire from his pipe and the blinking lights of various pieces of equipment within the self-made lab, face illuminated by the floating mist of smoke before him, his look of indifference showed just how much he cared about that question.

"Kuchiki-chan," he said, placing his arms on the handrests of his chair, leaning back as he tapped his fingers rythmitically, "what I tell or don't tell is really my buisness, and the 12th Division's buisness, isn't it? This assignment was given to me specifically by my Captain: Find out the secrets of Yurei Okuko's conspiracies, and find out how they ambushed your city. Beyond that, is quite up to me to decide what is and isn't involved with this war and conspiracy of the Red Sun cult."

"Good, then you won't mind if I keep an eye on you...." Rukia thought, eyes narrowing slightly at his answer. "...very well. I'll be taking my leave now." With that, she proceeded to walk out of the room, a slight frown on her face. He simply carried too much of a shady nature that was prominent within the 12th Division, too much of a mysterious mind to be left alone. Although she knew he hit some accurate points, it didn't satisfy the possibility that he knew more than he let on. She would have to go along with what he was doing, for now. Time was of the essence....

Meikurai watched the short, lithe Noble Soul Reaper walk out in a somewhat unsatisfied gait, he could tell by the way her shoulders tensed, the begrudging acknowledgement of his vague answer, and the knitting of her brows. He knew working with someone of a keen mind like Rukia's would be precarious for his sensitive work, but he knew that she could get things done, and by his brief exchange with her, he knew she would be worth the risk.

As soon as he heard the door close behind her, he exhaled again another puff of smoke, turning his head around, shuffling his hand through a pile of folders and papers before bringing out a manilla folder and brought it to his line of sight. It read on the front, 'Prime Suspects' and he opened it, the sound of ruffling pages of notated and queries written along the pictures of individual that could be involved.

One of the pictures he let his eyes drift over for a long while, exhaling another whiff of smoke on the partiallly illuminated photograph, his eyes narrowed at it with a cold, cool look, one that looked ready to murder. Meikurai then leaned his head back, folding the folder back and shuffling it back onto his desk, his eyes closed as he exhaled one more time.

"Well now...I guess I'll find out...one way or another...if you are really my target or not," he spoke ominously in the dark, eerily lit laboratory before moving around, taking test samples and looking over readings, preparing himself for the oncoming trials up ahead.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Within a matter of a half hour, Meikurai had compiled a decent amount of video copies that had angles of the Museum Sector. It took a bit of prompting with the Police Commander in charge of the sector, but Rukia had managed to obtain the surveilance footage Meikurai needed. While he skimmed through it, he had also began skimming through Bios him and Rukia had obtained, Meikurai's keen eye for detail and what he was looking for as well as Rukia's familiarity of the Police Force of Yurei.

Meikurai however, also heard over a brief communique from the Lieutenant of 4th Division that there was a situation that involed the use of D.C.O. resources, as well as Captain Kaze's personal attention with Captain Kukkyōna, even his son, to venture to Hell.

He had given Rukia the summary of what he was told after keeping her waiting, crossing his arms and looking down with a knitted pair of brows and narrowed eyes filled with suspicion and displeasure, "This can't be coincidence. Whatever this new element that wants the Punisher, this Sakura Hojima character, is taking advantage of our time of emergency with the Ahijados," he exhaled another puff of smoke as he looked down at a number of crossed out Bios, showing their total irrelevance to their investigation, and a small pile of possible suspects that could be involved, the rest of the pile almost halfway finished from their studious work.

"They don't appear to be even remotely related to the Ahijados, though...." Rukia commented, having rested herself in a nearby chair. She was sitting with her legs crossed and her hands folded in her lap. "The cult is known for its extremist worship of the Punisher, so why would this particular group deliberately attack and capture her? It just doesn't make sense...."

"Vengeance comes to mind," Meikurai let a puff of smoke escape his lips, his eyes rose to meet his Rukia's, his arms crossed over his chest as he elaborated, "the Punisher is supposed to be the Red Sun deity of punishment. Suppose if that was true, she would have made enemies of those that she punished, such as the beings she sent to Hell. What if someone broke them out, promised them vengeance on the deity who sentenced them to Hell, and then had the power to come and go freely from Hell? There," he snapped his left fingers, grinning morosely, "is the reason why. Other than that, the Ahijados will know through the spies they have within your city that our Military Command and Power will be weakened, rushing their inevitable time of invasion. Thanks to this new element, we will now have less time to figure out who's leaking information to the cult."

"Maybe not...." Rukia said. "The Ahijados won't be the only one who will be aware of this. That's why the police and the military made preparations for fortifying the city and evacuating the citizens early on, when it could be truly confirmed that there would be an invasion. Of course.... that always brings up the question of whether or not that has been leaked out, as well...."

"In any case, we must presume the worst. Before we go any further on the list of potential sympathizers and spies, I have something I want to go over with you," Meikurai said with another sigh, exhaling some more smoke onto the group of Bios before grabbing a remote, clicking a button that turned on a nearby large monitor screen to Rukia's left and Meikurai's right, showing a dimly lit street and the mausoleum that was destroyed, where both Daisuke and the Punisher had their conflict. The time of the recording started about 2 1/2 weeks prior to the invasion, around a week before the D.C.O. were sent into Yurei Okuko to investigate possible leads. He clicked the Play button, and the sounds of wind blowing, the night sounds of a nearly sleeping city, Meikurai leaned back on his chair.

"This particular angle was caught of the maintenance entrance of the Mausoleum that was destroyed by one of the Ahijados agents. Did you ever pick up anything strange other than the debris and unusual energy emanating from that place?" He asked, his eyes never leaving the screen as he gestured with emphasis when speaking.

"What else could there be?" Rukia questioned him, her eyes directing themselves towards the screen attentively.

"I guess you weren't debriefed entirely," Meikurai grabbed his pipe out of his mouth before exhaling one last time, catching Rukia's gaze with his before pointing at the the screen, "this is the last location mentioned within the data capsules the D.C.O. agents were at, as well as downloaded."

As she stared at the screen, Rukia remained silent for a moment. However, she immediately snapped to attention once she saw a black-clothed figure of a young man on screen. "Hold on, who....?" She managed to say, eyes widening slightly as she leaned closer in order to see better.

Meikurai catching the image a moment before Rukia, but wanted clarification it wasn't just his imagination. He immediately called out in a commanding voice, "Computer: Rewind image 5.7 seconds and pause." The computer did as commanded, bringing back the image and pausing when the black cloaked, young dispositioned individual, still faintly dimmed and blurred by the current resolution.

"Maximize target of interest 150%, increase resolution to 295%, eliminate glares and shadow overlays," Meikurai list off a number of commands, the computer maximizing its imagery further, now showing in a rapidly graphic resolution of the individual in question, his young features were shown and dark cloak shimmered with a eery night light, but his face was plain as day. Meikurai's eyes widened, "oh Hell no! You had to turn up HERE of all places!"

"Former 3rd Seat McTavish?" Rukia said incredulously, switching her look to Meikurai and back to the screen again. His name wasn't hidden due to the fact of his "defection" from the Soul Society during the ending events of the Mourning War.

"Yeah, that's him," Meikurai put his pipe back into his mouth, now breathing in and out the crushed herbal mixture within the wooden item, lightly sending more smoke into the air as he sighed, "he was classified as a 3rd Priority threat by the Stealth Force, declared abandoning his post and responsible for the death of his squadmates. They've been looking for this ex-Soul Reaper for decades, and now, of all places to be it had to be right in the thick of a conspiracy and war. Things aren't boding so well for our fugitive here," he sideglances morosely at Rukia.

Her expression shifted back to a more solemn one. She folded her arms across her chest. "What purpose would he have here, I wonder....?" She murmured, almost to herself.

"Well," Meikurai said before pressing the play button, the tape now playing at the enhanced, zoomed view, continuing, "let's see what happens for the next few minutes he's there. Let's get an idea why our fugitive would be here of all places. Computer, set magnification to 190%, maintain resolution, target current image in blue for Ghost Vision, set all unknown thermal signatures to Red, display physical construct of the inside of the Mausoleum" he finishes, pressing the play button, watching the young man go in, now illuminated as blue.

As he enters what would've been previously a unseen location, the background image dissolves the barrier and shows a screenshot of what the Mausoleum looked like before the incident and the current up-to-date appearance on the inside. It showed Braeburn, moving around, as if expecting someone or was trying to lose someone. He approached what looked like a centerpiece of the structure, a altar of sorts, almost taking a knee before 5 thermal images with cloaked Spiritual Pressures on the screen.

"This doesn't look good," Meikurai mentioned as he intuitively guessed it was the D.C.O. operatives that have cornered him, albeit it was nearly out of their mission to engage individuals of interest, but a war deserter and fugitive of the Seireitei Law does grant them immunity of punishment by their superiors. They seem to circle him, and Braeburn appeared to act cooly, waving his hands in a non-threatening manner, almost trying to say something, something that was unfortunately not able to be picked up by the computer. And then, as the D.C.O. agents moved in threateningly, a burst of Spiritual Pressure happened and within a dozen rapid sets of movement, all of the D.C.O. members fell down one by one, fading in thermal imagery confirming their inevitable death.

"Well," he looked sardonically at Rukia, puffing out another cloud of smoke while looking morosely at his current partner, "it seems we found our murder culprit."

"He managed to kill the D.C.O. operators....? All on his own?" Rukia managed to say incredulously, her eyes bearing down on the screen. "I never would've thought...." She allowed herself to trail off in her subject, falling back into her chair once again with a solemn, thoughtful expression. "He wasn't after the data they were carrying, from the looks of it. The whole thing looks like it was just some sort of accidental collision."

Meikurai could only puff another funnel of smoke from his mouth as his eyes bore down Rukia's, then cooly at the screen, showing Braeburn methodically take the bodies out of sight, "It seems that he made sure to hide the bodies from the initial scene of the crime. When D.C.O. found their agents, they were sent down river of Yurei Okuko, close to where a abandoned hovel the Ahijados once used as a hideout. The bodies had multiple sword wounds with random abandon to the pattern, they were almost unrecognizeable until we took out the capsules assigned to each field agent," he took out his pipe, rubbing his eyes as he sighed.

"The only problem is that this only implicates him in their murder. It doesn't tell us anything about what his motives are in Yurei Okuko, or why he decided to appear now in the middle of a war zone, ironically the last place anyone ever saw him, and this may have nothing to do with the Ahijados. The only implication I can think of, is the relation to his conflicting religious status back in the Seireitei as a Red Sun philosipher, believing in the divinity of the Red Sun deities known as the Hankami, rather than follow the laws of the Court of Central 46. Its one of the main reasons, or believed to be, for his desertion of the war and abandonment of his post," Meikurai speculated aloud in depth and detail, his brows were knit and his tone matter-of-fact, hiding his irksome feeling for the whole predicament.

"What do you suggest we do with him?" Rukia asked, shifting her gaze back to him and giving him her full attention. She refolded her arms.

Meikurai tapped his pipe along the handrest while swinging his chair around to fully face Rukia, placing a hand against his jaw and leaning into it as he looked calmly at Rukia, "What can we do? Braeburn McTavish is among allies, and this is a delicate situation. For now, we keep an eye on him and focus on our more present danger: The spies within Yurei Okuko's Police Force and the Ahijados pulling the strings."

"Right...."

Letting out a sigh, Rukia allowed herself to stand back up. "I'll keep you updated with information as the situation goes on. I'll see you around, Lieutenant." Once again, she made her way out the door with a calm and collected gait.

"Oi, Kuchiki-chan!" Meikurai called out suddenly in a sing-song voice, the same he used to flirt with her in the first place, pocketing something by his desk and throwing it for her to catch. A ear-piece phone from what it looked like, reminiscent from a blue tooth of the 21st Century.

"Its to keep updated in the even you or I find something and we need each other's help," he gave a playful wink after a few more puffs of his pipe, crossing his arms and awaiting her approval.

The sudden tone abruptly made her stop in her tracks, and she turned her side to him, a cocked eyebrow in a somewhat unamused expression. With almost natural reflexes, she caught the earpiece and held it between her index finger and thumb. When she raised her hand to look at the device, her face was temporarily shielded from Meikurai's point of view.

When she lowered it back down again, she had a deadpan expression on her face. "Hmph." She only rolled her eyes and shook her head a little as she turned around and walked off, pocketing the small headpice as she did so.

Meikurai sweatdropped as she didn't even say thank you for the device he gave her, saying pitifully, "I guess my charms with women have really laxed, haven't they?"

After she left and her Spiritual Pressure was gone, he rested his arms back on the handrests, his eyes staring off into the distance, not looking at anything in particular as he began to be lost in his thoughts. The beeps, clicks, and bubbling noise within the lab of his slowly began to face as his eyes closed, and he began to ponder over everything in his mind, trying find one particular thing that he might've missed.

As everything descended into a eery silence within his mind, fragments of his conversation with Rukia, the inforamtion he's collected thus far, and the evidence presented to him. Something stood out amongst it all...the Mausoleum!

His eyes opened widely, his breath gasped, and he gripped the armrests of his chair before saying aloud, "That's it!" Before his eyes narrowed, and he quickly raised himself off the seat, bringing his Kimono around his uniform again, and refastening his Zanpakuto, thumbing it slightly out, watching the glimmer of his blade before unsheathing it fully, raising it into the air and then bringing it close to divide his face, basking in the smoke filled air his pipe created.

"Mesmerize, Kagasu," he spoke lowly, suddenly a small ripple happened within the specially sealed laboratory, before settling back into normalcy, no one would've suspected a thing had happened. He then moved his Zanpakuto back into its sheathe slowly, the slide of the metal audible in the air and the soft click emanated in the makeshift lab. He then walked slowly out of the eerily lit area, before exiting a secret passage, leaving his lab behind to find out the epiphany he just had.

Plans in motion, Deep breath before the Plunge
"...and by protecting these transmitters, we can succeed in giving most of Yurei Okuko a City-Wide Shield Array, thanks to the Dept. R&D and the Kidō Corps Captain. Now," Shiro finished the debriefing of the defense and tactical battle plan for Yurei Okuko's impending invasion. With them stood the Captain Ryouken and his Lieutenant, now present with all the Sector Commanders and Juugen.

Having upon later about the inevitable departure of Kukkyona as well as his son were preparing to undergo a mission, leaving them two less Soul Reapers for a extended period of time. However, Ryouken proposed to begin immediately getting everyone prepared for battle and the city for its defenses after the evacuations was complete.

Taka Nakanome was among them, having a unlit cigarette in between his lips and his eye looking at the hologram image of Yurei Okuko's landscape, his other eye covered but twitched instinctively, something he never bothered telling anyone or mentioning. He began to see the plan unfold and throughout it had kept a keen eye on Kenta on the seat not too far away from him, considering he was in the Sector next to his their proximity was inevitable throughout this process.

'OF all the dumb luck, I have to be seated next to HIM,' he glared sideways with his only exposed eye, his arms cross, having one leg over the other as the other Commanders began murmuring. 'Well...nothing to ask? I bet you're taking notes in that steel cage of yours so you can botch this and ruin the city, with you and your men remaining to restructure the governement, bastard,' he inwardly growled at him, but allowed to keep his features in check, just staring at him for a minute before looking back at the board and Ryouken who waited patiently beside the large hologram table, with Juushin Igen sitting next to it as well, with Chidori by his side and Shiro presenting the strategy.

These rather tense thoughts were a foil compared to where Chidori and Juushin were at.

If one looked, they would've seen an extremely agitated and annoyed Juushin glaring at the board, with an exasperated Chidori glancing in his direction with her arms folded across his chest. Though he had asked his own questions, he remained silent with that irritated look on his face at the current point in time. He took in a deep breath, grabbing his face with both hands and dragging on it with his fingers in a comical manner before pulling them away, returning to the aggravated expression he had.

Yes, it was for the good of his city.

But damn, it was so boring!

At this action, Chidori just slapped her hand to her face. "He has no idea how much of a jerkhole he's making himself look like right now...." She thought in embarrassment. "Of all the types of leaders that had to be born....why you?"

Shiro, absentmindedly felt the need to have a deadpan face inside his mind, due to his majesty's irritable and bored expressions, producing a untowardly if not negative inspiration for any Commanders of the Yurei Police Force that looked his way. "Your majesty...is that attitude really necessary? These are your Sector Commanders we're debriefing, not a bunch of rag-tag mercenaries! Please show more pride in your position," he practically begged inside his mind, before a hand was raised in the back, a Commander from Sector 7.

A female in fact with blonde hair cropped into a bun behind her head, blue eyes, fair complexion with round cheeks and a desirable body for any average woman to desire. She asked aloud in a frank unsure tone, "Shiro-sama, if I may, what's the effectiveness of the shield array? If its as powerful as you've just explained and, I beg your pardon, as the Soul Reapers claim, how can enemy troops possibly slip through our defenses and possibly destroy them?"

"I have to agree with her," Taka concurred, leaning back in his seat than what would be appropiate, crossing his legs and his arms as he eyed Ryouken in particular, "what exactly is the weakness of such an array shield? What disavantages do we have to cover our bases on?" He briefly looked over at Kenta, completely aware that any weaknesses or flaws in this shield array might be purposely exploited by whatever means he had. Or that's what he would expect from a man like him...unless he had a different idea entirely.

Ryouken cleared his throat before pointing at the base of the shield where it met the ground, "The defense array shield does have one weakness: the ground level is completely transparent and can be stepped through as if stepping through a waterfall. Its about as resilient to artillery and physical power as the rest of the shield, but its at the edge of where the arrays can support its energy to, so its weakest there. We are planning for enemy infantry and shock troops to come through there."

"....concerning this, the simplest method would be to deploy troops and supplies at these weak points." Jūshin said, his irritated expression changing only slightly with a half-lidding of his eyes. "Unless.... there's somehow going to be a problem with that, as well? I might be wrong with that particular notion, but from the way you're speaking, that might be the case here...."

Kenta still continued to remain silent, hands folded and his eyes continuing to look at the board attentively. He had a serene, calm expression on his face as he listened to everything around him, making sure to pick up on the details. Occasionally, he'd raise a hand to scratch his face or nose, but that was the only movements he really made besides blinking.

Ryouken turned towards the king, pausing slightly before saying with a deep inhale of air, "There is...a very small possibility, one with enough Spiritual Energy condensed hard enough can momentarily bypass the top of the shield array. We will already be relying on your unique air force to keep any particular sky-worthy enemies from making that attempt and possibly counterattacking their forces as well, but if one with enough skill could bypass both them and the shield, then they would have nearly free access to the whole of Yurei Okuko," he narrowed his eyes looking to Shiro inquiring quickly, "are nearly all of the gun emplacements operational?"

Shiro nodded, his complexion slightly pale at the thought of an enemy that strong could possibly have free access to the castle to harm his lordship or anything within grasp of the skies of Yurei Okuko. "Yes, the last of the specialized land-to-air gun emplacements around the castle and the surrounding few blocks near it are operational. It should reduce any chances of any possible airborne threats reaching our Majesty or your Kido Captain."

Ryouken then looked over back at Juushin, wondering if he had anything else to add or inquire about.

Taka himself started to become skeptical, seeing that this plan, if thought out well by the Ahijados, could exploit everyone of those factors, and there still could be a number of them that they aren't seeing yet. The problem is, he couldn't think of any himself.

"So the air would be ultimately up to me, then...." Juushin concluded, closing his eyes and nodding. "All right, I understand that. But what would happen in the event that they manage to execute this bypass of our weakness successfully?"

Ryouken looked at the King, a confidence born from years of experience matching that of Kukkyona, saying in a voice of authority, splaying out his gloved hands towards the hologram map again, "That is what the Seireitei Gotei 13's forces are for, your majesty. Located here, here, and here," he pointed to numerical signs in the symbols of inverted triangles spanned near a perfect angled position away from the Castle, designated numbers assigned to them what they are, "is the 4th, 5th, and 6th Divisions. The 4th Division's responsibilities is to tend to your troops' wounded and protect weakened forces of either side, as much as they are able. 5th Division's task is to reinforce the castle's perimeter and any weakened Sector's forces. The 6th Division's priorities is to meet the enemy head-on and counter-attack as necessary. There are...contingency plans ready to be set if it the worst was to come, but," he smiled reassuringly and a confidence radiated from his voice as he clenched his right hand into a fist, "that won't happen!"

Shiro was very satisfied with how Captain Aizen has structured and organized the individual Divisions, tasking them to key points to help reinforce and protect the city where needed as well as tend to the wounded. He was slight concerned at the end about the mentioning of 'continency plans' but other than that, the confidence and experience radiating from this man was certainly a match for the cool, experienced Captain Hayate. With a smile, he turned towards his King and Chidori, nodding with approval and showing no personal questions left on his own behalf.

Taka looked a little skeptical, but he had a slight smirk of being impressed by this Captain. He had hoped to meet personally the Captain that had helped organize the Police Forces around the leader of the conspirators as well as take the fight to them with no injuries other than superficial tatters to his clothes. He chuckled as he shrugged, finding this Captain more than a adequate replacement for the absent Hayate.

Both Chidori and Jūshin looked at each other, contemplated what was just said...

...and grinned in approval before turning back to face Ryouken.

"All in all, then...." The king said. "This sounds like quite the effective battle plan, and I believe we have at least all of our bases covered." Though his tone was formal, the way he spoke radiated his anticipation and his own confidence within the given blueprints. "Don't see any reason for questions on my end.... what bout the rest of you?" He turned his attention to the rest of the deciders in the room.

Taka bowed his head, a thin shadow covered everything above his jawline, a small smile emerged on his face. "Well, war does emerge heroes, and this crazy plan is defnitely going to bore heroes, both living and the dead," he thought inside his head before standing up immediately, slamming his right fist onto his chest over his heart, saying, "Your Majesty, as Police Commander of Sector 4 Overwatch, you have my full support and confidence that the city will not fall! This goes on my word, Taka Nakanome, on my life!"

Soon after, another Commander sat up, repeating a similar gesture, shouting out to Jūshin, "Naya Tsunayoshi, Commander of Sector 9 Overwatch, has also your full support and confidence, your Majesty!" Within moments, a rally of cheers and cries errupted from each and every Commander, all pledging their loyalty, confidence, and support to their homeland and their King that they will win this war.

Shiro smiled, scratching the back of his neck, looking over at Jūshin, saying loud enough for his Majesty and Chidori to hear, "Despite your introduction, you sure inspire a lot of confidence, your Majesty."

Ryouken smiled, crossing his arms at the cheers from the Commanders, "They certainly have a lot of energy. They will make fine leaders for their men to rally behind, that is for certain."

Ryouken's Lieutenant quietly observed everyone from behind the table, silent throughout the entire debriefing and just kept watch over the Commanders and took everything to heart. He was quietly disconcerted by Commander Nakanome's actions, subtle as they were, it only took someone who wasn't as interactive with the meeting to notice that there was something going on between him, and the other Commander Sonoda just across from him. He made sure to keep them within his sight and his awareness, hoping they didn't start a feud or worse down the road.

Jūshin's eyes fell into an upside-down U shape, and he grinned cheerily at Shiro. "The tense and stoic attitude doesn't always dominate the area of morale-boosting, Shiro. Sometimes, you just gotta go crazy!" This caused Chidori to roll her eyes, and she folded her arms across her chest while she directed a somewhat amused expression to him.

"Don't you go "crazy" a little too much?"

Jūshin's expression immediately fell. "Hey...!"

It was here that Kenta's eyes glanced over towards Taka. For a moment, a brief scowl fell over his features as he took in the apprehensive and suspicion-fueled movements for a second. Then, he turned back towards where he had been facing before, letting out a light sigh. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a lighter and a cigarette. Taking the cigarette to his mouth appropriately, he promptly lit it and placed the lighter back into his pocket.

It was his own little gesture of "celebration", in contrast to the loud cheering.

Shiro made a embarassed face, feeling a cloud looming over him of foreboding, "Please don't stop while you're ahead, your Majesty..."

As the Commanders began to talk and discuss with each other, some of them began filing out, with Ryouken and his Lieutenant left with Shiro, Chidori, and Jūshin to wrap things up, a officer with a designated numeral '3' the Sector 3 Overwatch, approached Kenta, bending down and whispering in his ear, saying, "Excuse me, Commander, but I have some urgent matters to discuss with you elsewhere."

"....sure."

There was no cock of the eyebrow, no expression of surprise. Kenta simply narrowed his eyes slightly and, with a slight pause, agreed. Slowly, he arose out of his chair, moving the cigarette around in his mouth before stopping it between his index and middle fingers. After pushing his chair in, he waited for the officer to move first and take the lead.

The officer nodded, saying, "This way," before leading him out of the debriefing room in a calm, casual manner, his hands were at his side and his back straight, common disciplined stature for men under the command of Kenta Sonoda. He didn't look behind himself to confirm his superior was behind him, just merely opening door and left it open without turning around enough for Kenta to grab it and continue onwards, before he moved down the corridor, silent as the grave with the exception of his military-like footsteps and his small sounds of breathing.

Taka narrowed an eye at Kenta, seeing one of his subordinates come by as he was lighting a cigarette INSIDE the debriefing room, something as much as Taka himself loved to smoke refused to light it within meetings or in front of his Majesty. Seeing him do so casually and without any real cheer or comradery with his lit cigarette made his blood boil. He became suspicious of the subordinate whispering to him, only gathering it was not for the ears of the other Commanders to hear, watching him carefully leave the meeting room casually.

"What are you planning," Taka asked, grabbing the tip of his cigarette out of his mouth before looking onwards with a deadly, suspicious glare at the doorway he left out of, "Kenta Sonoda?"

The walk was silent for the most part. Kenta didn't allow himself to speak at all, provided it was all would be just idle chit-chat. His gait was a calm and relaxed one in contrast to the military one that his subordinate carried. He only encouraged disciplined behavior when it was necessary, not all the time. But he didn't make attempts to control his subordinates actions. As he walked behind the officer, he couldn't help but smile slightly at the irony.

The police hated the military, yet the police derived some of their mannerisms from that source.

The officer lead him for a few minutes until they arrived at a deserted office, the blinds closed and the overhead lights were flickering, creating a eery mood from which it became almost like lightning and thunder effects inside a office room.

"In here, Commander," He said as he opened the door first, heading inside and held the door open for Kenta to enter, the majority of the office itself was clean, but was gathering dust on the shelves and desk.

For a moment, Kenta paused in his movements, moving his cigarette idly around in his mouth and hands still in his pockets. Then, he stepped inside, eyes wincing at the aggravating overhead light. As he allowed himself to step in, he slowly turned and stepped aside for the other man to enter.

"There now," the man's voice suddenly relaxed, changing from a crisp nearly military voice, to that of a chilling higher pitched tone, the officer smiled widely, unbecoming for someone of his stature or earlier attitude, "now we are free to talk, Kenta-kun."

"....typical."

The sudden change of tone didn't phase Kenta any. It was from the simple phrase "In here, commander", that had set him off to something suspicious. He had trained his men with discipline and taught them to respect his authority. So when a simple command used when it wasn't needed immediately sparked off his alarm senses. It was something that his intellect had a habit of acquiring.... even if it may have been out of paranoia.

At least he had been correct....

"Take me to some dark room before confronting me...." He continued to speak, using a firm and formal tone even when his words were probably taunting. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

"Now now, Kenta-kun," the man's voice changed until it hit a nearlypassive twisted tone, the appearance all over began to change as well. As if a curtain of rainbow particles began to dissipate, muscular arms changed in size and composition, clothing changed from uniform of kempt and perfect cleansliness to a peculiar black garbed long sleeved jacket with a fur collar that showed off his sternum and part of his chest matching black pants and boots below. Finally the skin tone went from a medium fair to a pale gray complexion, with a sinister pair of light blue eyes and a face that Kenta wouldn't forget, "is that any way to treat an old friend?"

"Oh....right. Of course, it would be you, wouldn't it?" It was here that Kenta pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and tossed it into a nearby garbage can. Once again, he placed both of his hands within his pockets and gave the man in front of him a slightly stoic but mostly serene stare.

Tenshi chuckled, unphased by the stare and comment made by Kenta, closing his eyes as he waved his left hand to the side, brushing his blonde bangs in emphasis, "My my, Kenta-kun...that's all I get after 3 months?" he then stared back, a wide thin smile donned on his face as stared back at him, "and such a scary face. So deliciously calm with such a delicate sinister motive behind it. You're a man after my own heart," he put his left hand over his bare part of the chest, making a eerily comical love-dope face.

"Don't make this an awkward moment, Tenshi...." Kenta said bluntly, folding his arms across his chest. "That would give me even more of a reason to call in security."

"Don't be like that, Kenta-kun," he smiled, dropping his love-dope expression, changing it to a sheer sadist smile, saying, "We both know that if I was your enemy, there wouldn't have been time for you do so! But," he simply looked at him seriously, the smile thin and his voice collected now, "I came here to talk about buisness. What's the Soul Reapers planning? I didn't expect so many Captains to be here and from what I've scouted out so far, they're using some sort've devices scattered through the city..."

It was a matter of choosing words. Kenta knew that telling him outright would expose the two to outside sources. But staying too confined from the man would ultimately keep him too oblivious. He put on a small smirk, tilting his head to the side. "You really came all this way to wonder about a plan....?" He asked, somewhat incredulously. "You came to the wrong guy. My mentor did teach me that plans are, in the end, ultimately worthless." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a black pocketwatch with strange inscribings on it.

"Oh really? Then how do you want to explain why there's a laboratory being monitored by a Lieutenant that's being masked by Kido barriers that not even I can penetrate without being discovered?" His smile faded, his eyes glaring at Kenta for being vague, crossing his arms, a barely visible bladeless sword hilt and guard was seen in right hand, while his other gloved hand folded into and underneath his other arm's sleeve. If Kenta knew anything from working with Tenshi, it was when he wasn't smiling, he was deadly serious.

"Because he...." Kenta began to pace around the room, raising one of his hands for emphasizing purposes. "...is one of these planners. He believes that there is some hope if he controls the battlefield. That's what every one of them are thinking. But if you truly believed in the religion of Red Sun, then you wouldn't care for planning or tactics or any of those other pathetic attempts to puppet their worlds. Even if all of those radicals under your command die without a plan...."

He stopped, lifting the black pocketwatch up and dangling it by its chain. On the front, the Red Sun symbol could clearly be seen. "....they'll simply be profiting to your cause, either way."

"Hm, Red Sun is the ultimate Truth, Kenta-kun! Don't forget that for a moment," he smiled and splayed his hands across his face in a manic form of emphasis, "because ultimate destruction, is the true form of giving birth to perfection and eternal life! For that, is what will make the Plinial Movement necessary and that's why no one, not Soul Reapers nor Hollows will keep us from our goals! Creating Utopia through absolute destruction!" He clenched his left hand into a fist, and began cackling aloud, his high pitched laughter reverberating through the room, the light flickering eerily off and on, giving a impression of a true slasher movie with the villain laughing in the wake of near victory within his grasp.

If anything, Kenta's grin grew to a more normal level. "Indeed...." He said lightly after the insane laughter subsided. With an elegant flip that he would've treated a balisong, he stuffed the watch back into his pocket. "Which is why I tell you not to worry about the plan. Just...." He closed his fists, brought them up to eye level, and thrust them out partially, his gesturing fists bursting open. "Do. Attack with everything you have, pound at their defenses until there is nothing left. When all of it is over, nothing will remain, and everything will be thrown into the midst of chaos. You have nothing to fear."

"Heh, isn't it our luck that word of the 6th Division's Captain and his brat are going to Hell itself?! With their numbers dwindling, I can commence the invasion ahead of schedule," Tenshi said with a thin smile, his eyes narrow and predatorial.

"See that you do..." Kenta said smoothly, placing his hands in his pockets. "Every advantage is necessary...."

Tenshi chuckled, saying aloud, "I heard some ruckus in the Rukon outskirts wehre our little project went awry. Unfortunately our weapon was disposed of and even it failed to capture it. I guess that's what happens when V-14 gets involved," he smiled nonchalantly, before twirling his bladeless sword hilt, "guess we'll have to make do with them after all, those special creations we've been working on."

"....you make a habit out of talking pointlessly, you know that?" Kenta questioned him with a blunt tone, a slightly annoyed expression crossing over his face. He was getting the impression that Tenshi was just speaking to hear himself talk. Maybe he wasn't.... but Tneshi, especially in times of victory, seemed like a braggart more than anything else.

Tenshi laughed deviously, narrowing his eyes and smiling widely, saying with a chuckle in his voice, "There's always a purpose in my actions, Kenta-kun. Don't forget that, or it might cost you your ignorant life, hehehe! But I digress," he raised up his Zanpakuto hilt up and swiped it to the side, an invisible force caused the floor to be scratched up by something resembling a blade, but wasn't, "you want to go back lying to people's faces and putting on the 'simple hero' act. I'll go and lurk in plain sight with no one seeing me, but everyone not seeing your true self and being right in front of their eyes."

Tenshi's body began to ripple, small blue particles began to dissipate his form, and he slowly began to disappear into thin air, more or less. "Oh by the way, Kenta-kun," he narrowed his eyes, sideglancing him with a eery shadow cast over his facial features as his body began to disappear, "if you ever try and cross me, I'll kill you, okay? By bye, now," with a mock salute with his sword hand, he disappeared, leaving Kenta alone in the light flickering, dusty office, finally alone without the clever, manic Soul Reaper to deal with.

There was a moment of silence.

As the lights flickered on and off his head, Kenta closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "It's gonna take more than words and guns..." He began to sing lightly to himself, a slightly upbeat tone in his voice in order to fit the song he was singing. "A whole lot more than riches and muscle....."

As he opened the door and stepped into the hallway again, he pulled out the black pocketwatch and looked at the cover.

"The hands of the many must join as one...."

He slid the watch back into his pocket before shutting the door behind him, walking back the way he came.

"....and together we'll cross the river."

"Sonoda!" A voice called out as he walked for a minute. The shadow covered and partially illuminated figure of Taka Nakanome walked out in the middle of the hallway, the windows of the castle's southeast view in grand, plain sight, the cloudy skies cracking in occasional rays of light, illuminating partial areas of the hallway while darkening the rest of it. Taka's eye glowed eerily yellow as he snarled at him, tightening his fists as he asked pointedly, "what's your game, Sonoda?!"

"....Commander Nakanome, you should know better than to act in such a manner. It's highly unbecoming of a leader."

Kenta allowed himself to stop at the harsh voice of his fellow commander, raising his head up to look him directly in the eyes. The harsh yellow of the implant met serene, blue eyes, yet both sets seemed to carry the same intensity towards each other. Although Kenta's voice held a calm and casual tone about itself, there was a certain coldness that could be easily blended in and be recognized as a mixed-signal threat.

"You of all people would know what's unbecoming of a leader, having served under such a man such as Damian Seken," Taka said it with a narrowed eye, the said artificial implant dampened in glow, showing his normal blue eye but was glaring all the same, a slight grim smile adorned his veteran features. He hoped he landed a small, but brutal blow emotionally to a man who had served in the Yurei Civil War.

It worked.

For a brief moment, Kenta's upper lip twitched for a second - a momentary break of his serene composure. But it was only for a moment. He spoke readily, keeping his tone. "Did you just come here to insult me?" He questioned. "Although it's easy to acknowledge how worthless your "cold war" tactics on me are, we have more important things on our shoulders.... or did you not listen when the Shinigami were speaking of this society's potential demise?"

"Oh, did you actually know I was there? I was too busy interacting with the Soul Reapers and actually being optimistic in my men and their capabilities, while you sat there, uncaring and cold, just like your old master," he sneered at him before he cocked his head, walking slowly towards Kenta, "it almost sounds like you're sure that we will lose. That's a little pessimistic if it was anyone I knew and trusted, but for you," he narrowed his eye, growling under his breath, barely audible, "it sounds like you're planning for us to lose, doesn't it?"

"This is war, commander." Kenta reminded him, a slightly scolding manner within his voice. He held his ground, refusing to be intimidated by the man in front of him. "This isn't some sort of TV show where the good guy automatically wins. Faith and optimism, victory is not attracted by. The more optimistic you are, the more foolish and arrogant you are likely to become. So save me your pointless lectures about optimism, because I'm an individual of logic, not blind patriotism."

"Blind, huh?" Taka closed his eye, breathing slowly before opening his eye again, briefly thinking about that time when he lost half of his vision, "you must be really disillusioned if you think patriotism is blind. Why bother joining the Police Force, Sonoda, if you're more military and dispassionate about our land and people? Courage in the face of certain doom, Compassion to the Fallen and Weak, Honor to those who've given their lives or fought valliantly, Respect to your Leader's Wisdom, and Undying Loyalty to your land and people; that's what it means to be part of Yurei Okuko's Police Force, Sonoda!" He yelled out to him, then pointed at him with a gloved finger, glaring daggers at him, "don't forget YOU'RE King made us remember that, the first time the reorganization of the Police Force was formed, Sonoda!"

"What do you think I've been giving?"

The volume of Taka's voice caused Kenta's eyes to narrow to a clearly angered level. The blue in his ice seemed to reflect the ice of his voice. "My courage, my compassion, my honor and respect.... it's not to the government or some decorated flag. It's to the people of this society and their lives within. It doesn't take patriotism to have those qualities, commander. So I would appreciate it if you didn't make such foolish and narrow-minded remarks. I'd also appreciate it if you stepped aside and stopped this pointless confrontation. It's wasteful for both of us."

"Bastard," Taka growled out, his body only a mere 3 meters away, and he could feel rage boiling inside of him for this traitor they have in the Police Force. He then lunged at him, rearing a fist to smack into Kenta's face, growling out, "what the Hell are you planning, Sonoda?!"

"Enough!" Suddenly, as the fist was within mere inches, a dark blue on black blur with flowing hair 'stepped' in between Sonoda and Taka, grabbing the latter Commander's wrist with a swift grab, his own strength held the fist at bay.

"Stay out of this, Tategami!" Taka growled out, still trying to force his fist forward, despite making no progress at all.

"You're embarassing your King by acting like this, Commander Nakanome," Shiro said simply, a cool gaze reflected off of Taka's now glowing eye.

It was fortunate that Shiro had intervened - for if the man turned, Kenta had not only performed a quick-draw of his gun, but now had the barrel aimed at what would've been Taka's legs. He held that position for a moment, continuing to speak directly to Taka (albeit he had been surprised by Shiro's intervention). "Remember your place, commander...." He stated, twisting his revolver around his finger at a quick speed before sheathing it within its holster. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he moved past the two of them and walked off. "And I can tell you right now.... it's not with me."

"Dammit!" Taka swore aloud, glaring past at Kenta, his glowing eye followed his movements past him, walking so calm and sickeningly taunting at him, he couldn't stand it. He moved to reach for his sidearm, but suddenly heard Shiro speak, causing him to pause.

"Do you really want to disgrace yourself in front of guests from the Seireitei, dishonor your post and your Majesty so carelessly, Nakanome? Then I suggest you don't use that overkill for a sidearm," Shiro said softly, but held a stern tone with him, his red eyes narrowed at him, almost daring him to try and do the unthinkable.

But...unlike Kenta, knew when to respect his authorities, at least he thought so in his mind. He let his body go less tense, and released his fists, but his brows were still knitted as he grit his teeth.

"Tategami, sir. I-"

"Don't mention it and I won't," Shiro said releasing his arm and began walking away from Taka, the latter suddenly aware of a Seireitei Soul Reaper leaning against the wall of opposite of the windows pouring in small quantities of light, "if it wasn't for a quiet, yet attentive Soul Reaper, you probably would be going to lead your men with a hole in your leg."

"You really should watch where you point your guns, Taka."

If they looked up towards the ceiling, they would've seen Chidori abruptly appear. Despite the tense aftermath left behind, it was a comical sight to see the assistant of the king standing with her arms folded across her chest and her hair hanging towards the floor with a cocked eyebrow and a slight frown on her face. "I always assumed that the rivalry was between police and military.... not police and police...." She commented lightly, her gaze towards Taka mostly.

Taka looked up, giving a blank comical look at her, asking, "How did you get up there, Chidori-san?"

Shiro turned around, crossing his own arms, a few feet away from Senshi's cool, dispassionate gaze looking at Taka, the prior asking him in a semi-demanding tone, "What's gotten into you, Taka? One moment you're acting rationally and compelling your fellow commanders to fight courageously and boosted their morale when most needed. Next I see you about to slug another Commander in the face while disregarding the shot he would've placed in your leg-"

"To answer both of your questions, respectfully," Taka cleared his throat, before he looked coldly back at Shiro and briefly up at Chidori, "that so-called Commander was a former student of Damian Seken, fighting for the tyrant's side of the war! So yeah, I guess you could say this IS a rivalry between military and police..."

"Oh....right...."

With a slightly annoyed look on her face, Chidori allowed herself to backflip off of the ceiling and land on the ground. She directed her gaze to Taka, carrying herself in a lighter tone than Shiro. "Even our rivals know when to knock it off." She reminded him, emphasizing it with a light backhand slap to the center of the man's chest. "To be honest, I don't know what's the thing going on between you and Kenta.... but losing your cool like that's just going to make you look like a bad guy instead of him. You just can't go around flying off the handle like that."

"Maybe if acted like the Commander he's supposed to be, then I wouldn't-" he began, before he bit down on his tongue, realizing what he was saying before sighing, looking downwards with a downtrodden tone in his voice, "I've fought and bled for this city, for this society, and he can't even acknowledge the heroes who've done the same but didn't make it back. This eye," he raised his left hand over the eyepatch, hovering over it but never touching it, "is my tribute among other things to rebuild this great city in a righteous sovereignty. I've never seen him nor anyone under his command ever sacrifice anything in the name of our nation. He's never been sincere with me or anyone in his life, not even when off duty does he come out with a honest carefree spirit. He's a danger to us all, and I'm ironically the only one who can see that!" He gave out a grit teeth, rough tone, his eye looking at them desperately to make them understand why he is what he is around Kenta.

Shiro looked down, not knowing exactly the words to say to a man who's sacrificed so much and have problems with a man who he sees hasn't done anything for his nation.

The passion in Taka's voice seemed to soften Chidori's calm gaze. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh, shaking her head a little. "There are some things in which the eye alone can't percieve and first impressions don't prove." She said softly, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "Just because someone holds a different mindset than another does.... doesn't call for the need to immediately brand that person as an outcast. That's all I can really say to you....but think about it." With a few pats, Chidori gently moved past him. "That being said, I must be off. You'll know where to find me...." With a Flash Step, she had vanished into thin air.

"Taka," Shiro said softly, looking at him less condenscendingly before nodding to him, "I can't say it any better than Chidori-san has, but I just want you to know your actions have not gone unnoticed. Just because someone else is lacking in where you see them, doesn't mean they don't deserve their post. Just letting you know," he turned to leave waving at him as he walked away, "I'll be anxious to see how your Sector fairs against the upcoming battle, Commander. Make us proud," and with that, he Flash Stepped away, leaving him alone with Senshi.

Taka sighed, looking at Senshi questionably before the latter, usually silent Soul Reaper responded, "Tell me something. Exactly how dangerous would Commander Sonoda be if he was the enemy?"

Taka lowered his eye, closing it briefly before he reopened it, saying, "Among those who aren't death gods, he's a force to be recokoned with, and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't let even higher powers best him. He's stubborn, cunning, and deceptive, knows how to cover his tracks and how to make alibis. All in all, because I know he's an enemy, he's the most dangerous man in Yurei Okuko next to my Majesty."

"I thought so," Senshi said with a eery, cool tone before he too leaned off the wall and walked away, not saying another word, leaving Taka to tighten his fists in silence, before moving in the opposite direction, anxious to help secure his sector and lead his men.

Damn my hate for that bastard, if I'm going to die I might as well die standing on my feet beside my men, fighting for my nation and my King, Taka thought to himself with confidence as his dark brown garbed form disappeared from the corridor, once again leaving it empty and eerily lit.

Plots unfolded, Black Truths within White Lies
Meikurai immediately knew he had to distract any enemy intel and the mole(s) within Yurei Okuko so he set out a decoy version of himself, towards Royal District, northeast of the Castle, occupuing any intel by collaborating Police Forces. The real him, had contacted Rukia Kuchiki via communicator, telling her to meet her discreetly at the back entrance to the Mausoleum.

Meikurai's kimono fluttered as a small gust of wind blew by, his bangs flowing across his brow as well as sending smoke in its wake from his lit pipe, his left hand holding onto his Zanpakuto's hilt tightly with it sheathed, but ready for any conflict that could possibly happen.

However, despite the tense stance, he was talking in a comical tone, "C'mon, Kuchiki-chan! Its not like I was asking you out on a date or wanting to secretly make out with you in a dark alley, I need you now," he tapped his tower clog sandals impatiently, waiting for the Soul Reaper rep of Yurei Okuko.

"Yes, because that would be all the reason needed to stay away longer...."

The blunt tone of Rukia came from behind him. If he turned around, he would have seen a deadpan look of comical annoyance, her arms folded across her chest. "I hope you weren't getting any inappropriate ideas while you were waiting, Shiomaneki-san."

A sweatdrop came down his brow as he turned around, smiling sheepishly as he raised his hands up in his defense, "No no no, Kuchiki-chan, I wouldn't dream of anything inappropiate in my mind when it comes to you."

"...uh-huh..." Following that skeptical remark, Rukia immediately reverted back to a serious demeanor, her eyes focusing for a moment on the Mausoleum. "What are we in for?"

Meikurai let down his hands, turning around while exhaling another puff of his pipe, crossing his arms as he looked at the Mausoleum, "For the moment I'm not sure. Call it a hunch, if you will, but there's something underlying the meaning of this landmark that I'm not even sure the dead are aware of."

Rukia nodded in acknowledgement, looking over the structure for a moment. It was amazing that it had been rebuilt in such a short time span. The construction was certainly worth more than they looked. She walked over to the back entrance, pressing her hand on the door and looking over it for a moment. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. "Well, I guess going in and seeing what's up would be a good place to start, then...." She said. "Unless, you have any objections...?"

"Investigating the inside was part of the plan, Kuchiki-chan," he said matter-of-factly, puffing a few more breaths of smoke flowing into the air before dissipating. He walked over to the entrance, putting his hand onto the handle and opened it just part-way, winking at Rukia.

"After you, my lovely lady," he said in a eloquently practiced, gentleman-tone, making sure he had a handsome smile and dazzling twinkle in his eye.

....ok, she had to admit it.... his action was rather charming.

Not to mention that the smile and the twinkle just added onto the desired effect.

Therefore, she had to smile and chuckle, accepting the polite gesture and walking through the door. "You're such a gentleman...." She commented lightly, stepping through the doorway and stopping for a brief moment to make sure he was following right behind her. Then, she turned back around and kept walking, a composed gait about herself.

Meikurai closed the door behind himself, then calmly walked behind Rukia at a even pace, still smoking his pipe as they walked in. His tower sandals clapped quite loudly upon the very surface which Captain Hayate and Primera Selestino were just months before, and the very center of the chamber, as they saw on recording, where Braeburn McTavish slaughtered the D.C.O. field agents in self-defense or retaliation, either one bad for the former individual.

He then smelled the air, dousing out his pipe as he furrowed his brows, uttering aloud, "Odd...this isn't right..."

"What is it....?" Rukia turned her head back over her shoulder in order to look at him, eyebrows slightly furrowed at his sudden statement.

Meikurai put away his pipe, taking out his shades that hung loosely at the collar of his uniform, and unflipped them, a high-pitched whining sound emitted from them, showing a low green glow from the inside of the lenses, reflecting off his skin as he moved them onto his eyes, "There's something odd about the residual Spiritual Pressure here. Can't you feel it?"

He then showed by example raising his right hand out in the air, not pointing to anything specific to the eye, but what the shades detected was a blue glow of what was assumed to be where Braeburn stood. He emitted a small amount of spiritual energy himself, a neon green glow as he felt the spiritual energy there at its rawest form. When his hand floated over it, it crackled lightly, like the shorting out of a bulb with no source of its own, and then grasped it before it turned red, dissipating through the cracks of his fingers.

"According to my files...there is a remnant of Braeburn's Spiritual Pressure here, but there's something else. Something that wasn't confirmed by Captain Hayate and Lieutenant Hayate," he spoke aloud his hand continuing to find slight traces of blue energy with his neon green glowing hand occasionally causing sparks where Braeburn stood and low hums from where other Spiritual Pressures were as he walked around the room, circling the reconstructed coffin centerpiece of the Mausoleum.

Rukia's mind flashed back to the tape that she had seen earlier. The only people that she had seen other than Braeburn was the D.C.O. operators. Yet, from the way he spoke, he wasn't referring to them. She walked towards a nearby seat of an empty pew and sat down in it, keeping her gaze on him. She remained silent, trying to think about what he had just said. "....do you think that there was some sort of illusion ability cast here, in order to lead potential investigators off-track?" She questioned him.

"Initially, that would be a plausible cause for a frame-up, if it wasn't for the fact that this device of mine is reading an accurate reading that Braeburn was here. The only problem is that there is an anomaly within this are where Braeburn was seen here," he held out his hands in a demonstrative way, a small red aura showed up when his neon green spiritual energy waved over it, "this is Braeburn's residual spiritual energy trail. However, upon closer investigation," he waves over to the side or a little past it, and suddenly a visual crackle of electric light flashed slightly before disappearing, "there is this anomaly. Before I test something out, Kuchiki-chan, can you tell me what are the 5 known ways to cast an illusion to distort reality or the senses of a spiritual or mortal body?"

Rukia's expression contorted to one of slight surprise at the question. "I'm not really one for guessing games, Lieutenant...." She said lightly.

"Then humor me as this will make sense in a few minutes," Meikurai said with a smile, taking off his shades and hung them at the collar of his uniform and began emphasizing starting with raising one finger, then followed with all of them as he spoke.

"The first way to create an illusion is by Touch. Although not oftenly used there are a few of those that have particular abilities that can cause such effects towards the mind. For instance, someone was to touch a blow torch to the skin, the immediate feeling is not hot, but cold, the nervous system is being damaged so badly that the body starts to view it as cold rather than hot. Thus, the illusion of an extremity to the body causes an illusion to be cast on the target's senses, if only for a little bit.

The second way to create an illusion, is by Taste. You've probably have heard of experiences of citizens or fellow comaptriots of yours on how they've been drinking too much alcohol or they take particular drugs that induce terrific trips or fantasies their mind's eye creates. This is another illusion, by confusing the natural make-up chemical balance within the brain and causing it to secrete too much or too little of the wrong hormone within the blood stream, causing illusions or trips that would cause such phenomenons. You'd be surprised how a few of these illusions have manifested in the powers of their Zanpakuto.

The third way to create an illusion, is by Scent. Similar to the prior sense of the body, by discharging or secreting a particular gas or chemical into the air to be inhaled, it usually causes the immediate persons to be effected unless properly equipped. Unless its genetically targets particular individuals or has a short shelf life, illusions caused by scent usually last for quite some time and are quite dangerous considering they can be nigh invisible most of the time.

The fourth way to create an illusion, is by Sound. By sending out a subliminal message over a news cast or radio station, or creating a specific tune or reverberating sound will cause certain frequencies to alter the make-up of the brain waves, sometimes causing them to see things that aren't there, slowly dissolve brain tissue, knock them unconscious, or even brainwash them. Sound is by far the most dangerous of the illusions, though it takes time and resources to create it.

The fifth and final way to create an illusion, is by Sight. Probably known as one of the most practical and common uses of illusions, people have always used the ability to fool people's sight to control their perspective of reality, even if for only a moment, that power is quite spectacular. There is a few known ways of pulling this off. The most common way, is the set-up of particular guises and/or pieces of evidences to create the illusion you really weren't there, like creating a loop-video on a surveilance camera, or an actor changing from one costume or role to another. The other way, but most difficult to attain is the manipulation of solar particles, or more accurately, light particles. This would effectively confuse most averagely intelligent individuals and even keen eyes wouldn't be able to tell the difference at first or second glance," at the end of his speech, he had somehow attained a tripod with a white sketch pad large enough to show scientific descriptions in a visual format for explanation for Rukia, using his unlit pipe to point out things as he wrote/drew them out.

Not surprisingly, this method of explanation had easily caught her attention, and she made sure to let him know with a comically attentive expression and a vocalization of "Ooooooh!"

Meikurai smiled, tapping the sketch pad again with a audible 'tap' sound 3 times, before he asked Rukia, "Now, if this is truly the works of an illusion, which of these 5 would be most likely to be employed, Kuchiki-chan?"

That was obvious, even without the long explanations. However, they did provide a basis for Rukia in order to explain her belief. After thinking about it, she allowed herself to speak on it. "Well, if I had to say, sight would be employed in the case of the camera footage. Might or might not have been something to do with spiritual abilities, but manipulation or outside hacking prior to my acquiring of it might have had something to do with what we ourselves had seen. As for here.... someone may have attempted to mimic at least Braeburn's spiritual energy as well as physical appearance.... something that have to involve a spiritually empowered being with a considerable level of energy control. However, the being could not do so fully, resulting in the accidental leak of the "foreign" aura mixed in with Braeburn's."

"Very good, Kuchiki-chan," he said with a pleased, dazzling smile before he tapped the text pad again, "you're right on nearly all accounts save for one: Braeburn really WAS here. He just wasn't here the night the D.C.O. agents were killed. There are two different methods of framing a person like that. One, the hacking and falsifying data on surveilance equipment and back-up files, requiring the expertise and technology equal or superior mine. The second, and possibly most disturbing of the two, is the use of spiritual powers. And the only techniques available of that sort are reserved for Soul Reapers, who are more specifically coming from the Stealth Force," he finished, his tone now more foreboding and his eyes furrowed, his gaze far off and unreadable, as if he himself was puzzled or reminiscing on possible people he'd met with that ability.

This revelation struck a chord within Rukia's train of thought, apprehension poking at her. "You don't suppose that there could be people within the Stealth Force attempting to target Braeburn, do you?" She said, her voice showing slight tension. "They have too much of a hold on their members in order to ensure the possibility of defect and rogue activity, after all...."

"No, not possible. If you think the last 2nd Division's Captain was hardcore, the next one is your traditional military-minded, the mission is only what matters, kind of guy. There would be NO exceptions to that, unless...," he drifted off, placing a hand around his chin and stroking it in thought.

"Unless....?" Rukia pressed further in order to push the answer from him.

"There was one who possessed such skill enough to do what has been done here. A man whom everyone thought would inherit the title of Commander-In-Chief of the Stealth Force as well as being the 2nd Division's Captain. However, things didn't work out the way he wanted. In short, the Gotei 13 and him had a falling out, and he's been presumed dead for some time, since we haven't heard anything involving his M.O. or sightings of him at all.

That being said, he's the one Soul Reaper I know who had the most powerful Light-based Zanpakuto, having abilities that could mask his presence and Spiritual Pressure entirely, even able to resonate foreign spiritual pressures at will. With the lack of suspects, we have only two people to blame for the murders and the conspiracy revolving this site. Braeburn, and the man I speak of," he said evasively, not wanting to speak names or encourage Rukia that a man who hasn't been seen in over centuries would be responsible or collaborating with a Cult like the Ahijados. As far as Meikurai knew, he wasn't that kind of man...unless he was properly motivated into doing so.

The Kuchiki looked down for a moment, pondering this new information. Then, she looked back up at Meikurai curiously. "Tell me... how skilled and power are individual D.C.O. operators?" She questioned him.

Meikurai looked at Rukia cautiously, momentarily gnawing his lower lip showing some apprehension and nervousness, before he told her, "I'm not exactly...well what you call priviledged enough to know all the details involved with the D.C.O., but I can tell you what anyone who's been part of the D.C.O. will tell you.

There are 3 rankings which seperate the rosters of all D.C.O. agents, and their skill varies within each of these rankings. The first is the Whisper Squad, those who are specialized in analyzing decripted intel, hacking into foreign systems, and overall saboteurs and spies. Skill-wise, they are the best spies in the Soul Society aside from the Stealth Force. The second is the Shadow Squad, those who are specialized in stealth, recon, and assassination. They have less numbers than the three squads, but have extremely skilled in close-quarters combat and fighting from the shadows. The third and last is the Sword Squad, those who specialize in combat, hit & run tactics, and endurance. They are the best fighters among all of D.C.O., and are usually the most populated, which usually gives way to what the D.C.O. call Reserve Members, those who have duties too important within the Gotei 13 to ignore and will only be called upon during emergency measures.

The Squad the D.C.O. operators belonged to," he looked grimly in Rukia's eyes, "was the Shadow Squad."

What he saw was a calm, pondering gaze in his direction. "But if that was indeed the Shadow Squad...." She said, using his information as a reference. "Then why would they choose to confront him openly instead of striking him from the shadows?" That would have been something within their jurisdiction, at least from how Meikurai told her.

"Normally you would be correct to question this, Kuchiki-chan," Meikurai nodded to her respectively, then he pointed to the limited spacing within the mausoleum, "however, it woudln't be easy for someone to target the person in question. No, the person in question lured them in here full well knowing they would have to get close and assault him at a short distance between himself and them. Because of this, our person question was able to somehow, even though its rare in occurances, surprise his attackers by striking first once they revealed themselves. Then that left them all completely surprised by sheer skill and ferocity of our target in question," Meikurai explained, coming up with this theory was more than a simple possibility and he knew that Braeburn, despite his history as a accomplished Soul Reaper, wouldn't willingly lead people to their murder. It would explain why there was a foreign presence among Braeburn's residual Spiritual Pressure.

This explanation caused Rukia to fall silent, her eyes looking away in a slightly troubled expression. "So that would mean someone is attempting to frame Braeburn...." She said solemnly, switching her gaze back to Meikurai. "How would we go about warning the others of this?"

"Warn them?" Meikurai said in a soft, incredulous voice, looking at Rukia with narrowed eyes and studying her reaction, "exactly what would that accomplish? We have no solid proof that our attacker in question is who we think he is. For all we know, this is an unknown entity with even greater power than we suspect. No, that is not the full reason for coming here regardless, Kuchiki-chan."

This rendered the Kuchiki silent - a nonverbal indication for Meikurai to go on.

Meikurai nodded, seeing that Rukia would not say anything and waiting for him to continue, he walked casually over to the centerpiece coffin, walking around the pedestal that held it up, surprisingly most of it was intact from the Cero blast that the assassin 666 caused. Meikurai let his hand touch the symbols etched at the base of the pedestal, his glassese adorned once more, his optics saw something of a code within the pressed stones, speaking while he touched them, "The 2nd reason we came here is to verify Braeburn's reasons for being here to begin with. If we have THAT information, Kuchiki-chan, then we will have sufficient data not only valid of his innocence, but also what the enemy may or may not be up to," after pressing the buttons correctly through the first time, ancient mechanisms could be heard rumbling underneath the raised sarcophagous, and gradually the piece of marble and stone moved in a meticulous fashion, causing there to be a stairway leading around the sarcophagus, lowering deep into the bowels of the Mausoleum.

"Wow," Meikurai let out, his voice carrying into the depths of the stairway, deeper than he would've thought it to be, "that's quite the secret passageway. Would you know anything about catacombs of this city, Kuchiki-chan, or is that before your time?"

"How did he--"

Rukia's eyes widened immediately out of surprise, and she stood up in a reflexive but natural movement. Her mouth was agape slightly as she walked over to him, blinking a few times in order to make sure that what she had seen wasn't just a figment of her imagination. Then, she narrowed her eyes slightly in disbelief, directing her gaze towards Meikurai. "I didn't even know that was there...." She said calmly, but her tone was laced with question.

"I don't anyone but the enemy and Braeburn knew this was here," Meikurai said calmly, his voice in supposition and careful deduction, his hand stroking his chin as he took off his shades to hang them on the hem of his uniform, "That's why Lieutenant Daisuke and Sakura-chan found this place with the most powerful supporters of the Ahijados here, and why they preferred to be here, a place that was already cleared out by one of the Police Commander's forces. And before that, it was the location of a murder of D.C.O. operators, and residual Spiritual pressure of Braeburn."

"Assuming Braeburn doesn't fall into the category of "enemy"...." Rukia added dryly, expression falling to a more normal look. She made the steps to go ahead of Meikurai and down the stairway as she had done before, her eyes looking around. "And assuming you don't, either...." She thought to herself as an additional note, making it a necessity to keep in mind what she had seen.

Meikurai got up, noticing her wary expression when mentioning Braeburn as an enemy, keeping in mind that she could also mean a number of other people as well; including himself.

'''Well then, let her be cautious. It will just make her all the more useful for my investigations on discovering what the Ahijados are planning, and to see any plans the Espada Afilado have with them as well'',' Meikurai thought as he got up and walked to the stairway, walking casually behind her, his clog-sandals clapped noisily behind her as he descended with her into the slowly darkening stairway, illuminated slightly by old-grade lamps and candles still kept alight. Whoever has been using this passage in the Mausoleum, is still using it presently, something that made Meikurai wary of any traps or ambushes capable of happening within the end of the stairs.

"My my, this place sure smells. I wonder what they've been using for preserving the dead down here," Meikurai resumed a more comical, casual tone, his face drawing back onto a disgusted appearance and he waved his right hand over his mouth and nose in emphasis of the dank smell of preservatives and chemicals used to preserve the dead bodies.

"Whatever it is...." Rukia did not bother to hide her own disgust at the smell, albeit she refrained from expressing it with gestures. "It's not working if the chemicals smell worse than the actual bodies..." Her eyes were still wandering around the stairway, her own mind anticipating the possibility of potential traps.

As they descended further, Meikurai could not help but notice with a look at the walls there were built-in sarcophaguses, coffins lining the very walls with every 10 meters holding another body in the stone coffin, and in between them were runes, symbols, and pictures painted in what looked like stories and depictions of the Red Sun and its followers.

Meikurai could not help but run his hand across the surface of the dusty, rough stone surface, looking almost entranced by the depictions and stories held within them, "This...almost seems like this was here when Yurei Okuko was first built...its old, and is showing stories and tales of the dead, and most commenorated followers of the Red Sun and how it connects with Yurei. I can understand why the Ahijados would use this passageway as more than a secret route into Yurei...it seems to connect to their very beliefs as well," he spoke in awe and fascination, his voice lifted with enthusiasm and spirit of enjoyment he never thought this investigation would bring.

His astonishment brought a slight smile to Rukia's face. She looked over towards the symbols, allowing her mind to drift to what she herself knew about Red Sun. "Beautiful, isn't it?" She remarked. "This is what the violence and unethical nature of the cults have overshadowed. Underneath it all, the more remarkable traits and positive attributes remain." She looked over her shoulder at him. "Not really surprised that it's been here as long as it's been... religion has been around as long as civilization has, after all."

"Can't believe each of these deceased had such colorful tales of what they witnessed and beheld during their liftimees. These pieces of art and culture makes the Red Sun scrolls look like the sheer dark side compared of what the Red Sun started out as, and as well as the followers. It almost seems the foundation of Red Sun philosophy started in this nation, this city being built in honor for their 'gods' and they walked among them as equals," he smiled back at her, occasionally looking back at each new piece of story-covered wall and the strange runes that came with them. They seemed to be counting down though, the younger sarcophaguses being above them and the ones they see are dated to be far older.

"These runes...they seem like a calendar that was found used several months ago, where your men found the cultists drawings on them," he said with wondering and puzzlement, how this could be connected with the incident months ago.

"A calendar?" Rukia mused, frowning slightly. "The countdown to each religion's paradise always comes with one...."

"More than likely this is just an account of all the history of the people of Yurei Okuko and the Red Sun Deities. It seems that there was at one point in time hundreds of Hankami, all of them having specific tasks to carry out for the World of the Living and the Spirit Realm of Yurei Okuko. But...its unclear, but something happened to the Demi-deities," Meikurai continued as they entered deep into the stair way, the air became colder and the stench less concentrated, his sandals clicked and clapped against the surface of the aging stairs.

The effects did not go unnoticed. Rukia could see the frost of her breath as they descended deeper. Her arms were clutched to her chest in an attempt to keep herself warm, and she shivered slightly. It was a side effect of having such a petite frame. Despite wielding a Zanpakuto made of ice, it did not mean that she could get used to it easily. "The Red Sun deities have far too much power, though...." She said, her voice slightly shaky due to the cold. "Far too much power to be exterminated by the likes of the Shinigami or Hollow...."

"As beautiful as these stories are illustrated, its not precicely clear what caused their demise. From what's been repeated so far from the last 12 sarcophaguses, it seems like their was a war amongst the Hankami themselves, and the people of Yurei Okuko picked sides, causing a devestating era for them...but it doesn't say anything worthy of details or accuracy, unfortunately," Meikurai said with a tad of frustration, his intrigue gathered from the unexpected cultural marvel drawn and carved into the bowels of Yurei Okuko's foundations themselves.

Meikurai breathed out frosted precipitation in the air of his own, but was less shakily, for some reason or another, but looked onward to Rukia's shivering frame. He walked up to her, while flourishing his blue kimono off his shoulders and then around her lithe, petite frame, hoping his own body heat and the warm coat would warm her up, "Here you go, Kuchiki-chan. I think its going to be a little colder before the stairs end," he said with a soft smile and sincere warmth in his eyes, his arms squeezing her shoulders tenderly showing his empathetic affection towards her.

The sudden contact made Rukia's eyes widen, and she turned her head towards him out of reflex. Under the sudden surge of heat, her body relaxed, and she found herself a bit more comfortable than she had been before. "Th....thank you...." She allowed herself to say softly, giving a weak smile of gratitude. She turned her face away so that he wouldn't see her cheeks flushing a little at his gesture of generosity. After all, she didn't want to give him a reason to break the moment by teasing her.

"Your welcome, Kuchiki-chan," Meikurai said with a bright smile, before walking over to join her on her right, walking down ahead, looking around at the corner ahead, seeing no sarcophagus, "it seems that the end of the stairs is just down below."

"Right..." Rukia muttered in confirmation, taking a slightly deep breath and mentally preparing herself for what she was about to see. Though she made no move to draw her Zanpakuto, her mind was on the alert. They were approaching the final area, and anything could happen.

Meikurai walked ahead, his hands held casually to his sides, also not moving towards his Zanpakuto, but had the decency to unfold his shades and don them as he closed in on the distance, "There's residual Spiritual Pressure here that's not Braeburns'...it feels like Arrancar's and Soul Reaper's however. Stay on your toes," Meikurai said in a experienced, commanding tone, as he approached what looked like an ancient, stone door, with the same runic symbols for buttons that were found around the Mausoleum sarcophagus pedestal.

"I'm guessing the only ones who activated this door, knew the code. Once again, these runes look like dates from the Yurei Okuko calendar of old," Meikurai mused as he clicked and clacked his sandals against the stairs until he stood before it, cupping his chin as he looked onwards at the buttons and the residual 'finger prints' left by the people who used it last. Surprisingly, its been freshly used.

Once at the door, Rukia stopped in her tracks, eyes narrowed and a frown etched on her face. She remained silent to Meikurai's observations, choosing only to listen to them. Once again, she did not make a move to draw her Zanpakuto. If any potential enemies were watching, they would easily see that she was prepared if she did so. The last thing she wanted to do was make her opponents aware of their thoughts....

"This...that...this...that...and this one," Meikurai spoke to himself as he touched the used buttons, then witnessed to the door lifting its locks off both the top and sides, before dropping to the recess in the ground below, "haha! That did it. Come, Kuchiki-chan," Meikurai walked into the room that followed, it was lit by small candles and outdated lamps, casting a eery yellow and red glow within the stone faced wall and floor room. What lied around showed tables of old wooden make with specialized texts copied from a Red Sun scroll and blueprints lying next to them, all of them showing either specialized weapons of war and the layout of Yurei Okuko itself.

"This seems like a laboratory of some sort," Meikurai mused aloud, taking off his shades and hanging them on the hem of his uniform again, picking up blueprints and schematics of sorts, each of them showing revelations of how well the enemy has been informed, planning, and building technology, "I can now understand why Braeburn would try to locate this area. Its a hive of Ahijados illegal tech and gathered information on Yurei Okuko!"

The Kuchiki in question had silently but switfly walked to his side, inspecting the blueprints Meikurai had not picked up. Her hand traced over the patterns in analyzation, and her eyes peered at them. "This.... is quite accurate.... too accurate to be a result of observation and surveillance alone...."

Meikurai caught his breath before speaking, hesitating at first before asking lowly, a dark shadow hung over his eyes as he spoke grimly, "I-Is it possible the Police Commanders could have access to this information?! It seems like its too classified and high priority for any meager officer to obtain."

"That was the case I had been expecting.... and hoping not to be true...." Rukia answered, frowning in disdain and apprehension. Both of her hands were placed on the table, and she was now leaning on it slightly as she continued to look at the blueprints. "That would confirm that there are agents within the police ranks."

"Not good," Meikurai looked at the schematics for what looked like a unique humanoid weapon, made from specialized weapons, armor, and resources only available to-,"it seems like there are a few conspirators within the Military as well...there's no one else I'm aware of that can make this type of firepower with readily resources at their disposal," he grabbed one of the schematics and showed it to Rukia, the thing looked like a cross between a mythological possessed armor with specialized weapons at its bidding.

As Rukia was inspecting it and hearing out his words, her expression shifted to one of slight alarm. There was a hint of that very same alarm in her words. "The military, too?! Just how far has the Ahijados reached into the security?!" Every bit of information was only degrading their situation more and more.

"I can only think of one thing the traitors that are helping the root mastermind behind this could want: a Coup. They plan to overthrow the government in the chaos of the invasion, leaving the rest of the Police Force and Military in shambles to reap the benefits of this war!" Meikurai growled at this revelation, hating that there have been so many unknowns to this whole conspiracy.

Out of the corner of his eye, however, Meikurai saw a video recorder of sorts. It was on a laptop, and it had a specialized webcam built into it, with a previously recorded event already open and available for use. Meikurai walked over to it, musing to himself as he called out to Rukia, "Kuchiki-chan! There seems to be a recording left on here!"

That drew her attention right away, and she was quick to appear at the Lieutenant's side. "Does it still work?" She asked immediately, not bothering to be surprised by it.

Meikurai breathed out another thick, foggy breath before reaching out, fiddling with the keys, "Let's see about that. Such a lousy password...hmmm...aha! Here we go!" He then said in a victoriously low tone, hit the enter button, starting the recording, the voices were mostly recognizeable and the faces for the most part were shadowed while their bodies were illuminated by a eery red glow.

"Is everything going according to plan?" The first voice asked, what seemed to be emanating from a portable TV box, the voice was modified to a degree where it was high pitched and modified so the identity could be kept secret.

"Yes, everything is going exactly as planned, all thanks to Commander Rovino," the Military, wide-shouldered man pointedly emphasized with a gloved hand to the lone female Police Commander.

"I wouldn't have done it without our enigmatic supporter, whom by the way can't help but stand in the shadows every meeting," Commander Rovino said distastefully, a near visible shudder could be seen running through the meaty arms of the Police Commander.

"Its how he likes it, unless you have a problem with the plan altogether?" The first voice through the TV spoke again, a soft hinting of a threat loomed over his tone.

"O-Of course not! As long as Captain Morino doesn't, I don't!" Commander Rovino pointed out to the Military man, whom simply scoffed.

"Then, let me make this official, that starting within 13 days, our operation will begin and by the end of the Invasion of the Ahijados, you my partners, will be head of the new government of Yurei Okuko and the Ahijados will have their new swift holy war they want," the TV spoke, and all at once, the two conspirators with the TV, spoke with conviction.

"Let Paradise Awaken within the new Dawn of the Red Sun! AMEN!"

After that, the recording ended, and Meikurai was left with a sour taste in his mouth. They really believed they could begin a paradise of their own, and Meikurai did not pity the fools, for when their necks meet the executioner's blade, "Well...at least we know the majority of the conspirators...," he said uncomfortably.

Despite herself, Rukia allowed a small smirk to cross her features. "For people attempting to work in secret, they leave behind obvious pieces of evidence." She said in a slightly smug manner. She folded her arms across her chest. "At least this makes our job easier.... at least, somewhat...."

"I'm almost beginning to think that whoever this mystery man in the shadows was, purposely left information on the two named suspects. Probably to divert attention away, if only momentary, from the man speaking in the TV and the shadowy man," Meikurai mused, his gaze wandered off and began taking steps towards a colder part of the room itself, the shadows which the collaboraters were looking at.

Rukia cupped her chin with her index finger and thumb with a thoughful but solemn expression, keeping her gaze onto the laptop. The smirk had faded from her face. "It's going to be difficult for both the police and the military from this point on...." She said softly. "Even if they somehow manage to root out ever spy within their ranks, it won't matter if it leaks out to the public. The civilian populace will lose faith and morale in the government, and even the Soul Society of Japan may lower its own respects of this society." She brought herself to sit down at the seat in front of the laptop, one leg shifted over the other.

"Meaning, even if we take the information with us and confront the moles and traitors, it would play into the enemy's hands regardless. Whoever left this last must've knew what they were doing, unless...," Meikurai began guessing until he saw something off into the far corner. Something hanging by the hands, dark blue hair seen from head, covering a pale face and old bloodstains covering a ragged, burgundy muscle shirt and a pair of tattered cargo pants, with no shoes and socks the bare feet held above the cold surface just mere inches.

"Oh Hell...Kuchiki-chan!" Meikurai called out to her, a look of surprise and worry showed on his face as he was a mere meter away from the confirmed woman, already reaching out to feel her pulse until Rukia could come over or acknowledge him.

"What is it--"

Rukia's words immediately cut themselves off once she had neared him once again, quickly sitting up and running over to where he was. "Oh god...." She muttered, horror written on her features as her gaze fell on the tattered woman. It was all she could bring herself to say at the moment; seeing people held in such manners rendered her too disturbed for words...

"She's alive, but unconscious. Probably due to passing out from her most recent session of torture," Meikurai said matter-of-factly, his lips curled up to a grim look, retrieving his fingers from her neck after noticing that she was alive, "she could be a possible link to this conspiracy, and a witness at that."

Rukia took slow steps towards the woman and reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, looking over her for a moment. She reached out with her senses in order to see how much reiatsu she had within her. A soul's energy was their very life force, so if it was low, so were her chances at continuing to live. Hopefully, that would not be the case. If this was indeed a link to the conspiracy, it was vital that she remain alive--

"Wait!"

When she "caught" the woman's signature, her eyes widened in surprise. She took a reflexive step back. "This.... this woman's not just any soul...." She said. "This is a Gikon, a modified soul!"

Meikurai twirled his head towards her, his own eyes opening in shock, uttering aloud, "What did you just say?! A Mod Soul?!" He took out his shades upon reflex, his fingers activating the specialized lenses as he put them over his eyes, the readings from her Spiritual Energy began to bounce and show irregularities before effectively reading, ' Illegal Spiritron Modification '.

"Dammit!" Meikurai swore aloud, taking the shades off and handing the piece of equipment to Rukia for her to veirfy, "Mod Soul creation or tampering with anything realted to Gikons was deemed unethical and illegal effectively around over one thousand years ago in our Soul Society, the original creator nearly destroyed the Soul Society because of it, discouraging any renewed attempts of the research. However, I've heard rumors and stories of banned researchers or scientists leaving the Soul Society to go to other realms to progress their research and reap the profits from anyone with deep enough pockets and enough power to cover it up. This," he pointedly waved a hand towards the Mod Soul, before crossing his arms and glaring at the thing in front of his eyes, "proves those weren't just stories I've heard about. Know anyting about potential programs within Yurei Okuko that could've led to her...creation...Kuchiki-chan?"

"...only one source." Rukia had once again gained a rather solemn look to her person, only having to glance in the shades and see the words before turning her attention back to the woman. "The military. They've been moving to create better and more efficient soldiers in order to replace the ones lost in the battles of the war. I'm not sure exactly how efficient they are.... but if the Ahijados made it a priority to capture one, I'm sure they're effective enough to give the impression of a threat...."

She walked to the back of the woman and attempted to reach out to the chains in order to get rid of them. However, her short size was limiting her reach capability. In addition, her pride was not giving her permission to jump for it in front of Meikurai. So, she settled for a comical vein on the back of her head. "....this isn't funny." She grumbled, out of the thought that her partner might be laughing or was about to laugh at her.

"If it was from Yurei's Military, then that could mean its is either a defect that was part of the conspirator's plans or its an element they didn't expect and they're holding it for questioning and possible reproduction of its particular skills," Meikurai continued his conversation with Rukia, only noticing that she was less than tall enough to reach the tall woman's full outstretched arms far above her own grasp.

With a slight comical open mouth smile, Meikurai asked in feigned ignorance, "What's wrong, Kuchiki-chan? Can't seem to reach the prisoner? Allow me to help, just to warn you in advance," he then held up a sparking finger, before discharging a unspoken Hado #4 Byakurai spell, the lightning bolt struck the chain and caused it to snap off, briefly and unintentionally jolting shocking spiritual energy into the Mod Soul. However, the Mod Soul happened to fall towards Rukia's direction, the full weight of a limp body came crashing towards her.

Fortunately, Rukia managed to react in time.

With outstretched arms, she caught the woman before she could fall completely to the ground. Under the sudden weight, she managed to keep her balance quite easily. "Either way... she's in our hands now...." She said, careful not to aggravate her injuries too much.

Before Meikurai could quip, a slight coughing could be heard from the Mod Soul, and chapped lips moved steadily but her voice definitely shaking, "W-Where...why are you...here?"

"Be still," Meikurai said commandingly, though not in a kind way as if Rukia was hurt but more in a cold manner, "you won't do us any good if you die on us."

"F'ing hell," she coughed out, looking strained at Meikurai and then Rukia, saying with a paled face, "if...y-y-you're here...then that m-means..."

"Don't strain yourself too much...." Rukia said, voice somewhat stern as to gain the woman's attention. As she spoke, however, she glanced questioningly at Meikurai for his rather harsh tone towards her. "From the looks of things, your captors did quite a number on you, although it's nothing life-threatening. Consider this your prison break-out."

Meikurai rolled his eyes at the vague words the Mod Soul kept spewing, and then stepped closer to her, asking, "What the hell were you doing down here?! If you're no good to us-"

"Run! Get out of here!" the Mod Soul cried out, her eyes locked onto Rukia's, her strong arms tried to push herself up, "the moment you stepped d-down here...triggered a trap...the same I-I fell for...the same one that brought out-" she tried to finish until her skin paled and her eyes locked onto a hulking being that stepped into the room, closing the door behind them, the locking mechanisms clicked into place and their enemy reared its head upon them.

Meikurai's eyes widened, recognizing it instantly from the schematics as one of the weapons the Ahijados were developing, and this one looked fully functional. It stood at 6ft 6in tall, and had a strangely organic carapace for armor, its yellow optics showing underneath it laid a mixture of sentience and refined mechanical parts. What the entity held looked like a organic-archaic rifle, similar to that of a Kido-rifle, but its clear firepower was unclear. It showed that it had a variety of other weapons, but for now it held the weapon tightly with the back of it strut against his right side near its abs.

"Greetings, meddlers. I'm here under strict orders to kill you and finish off the spy. Thank you for walking straight into our trap," it then raised the rifle up close to its archaic-organic helmeted face, before shouting aloud, "THE END IS NIGH!

Rukia's eyes widened at the sound of the menacing voice, and she spun her head so that her eyes could meet the cold optics of the monster that stood over them. But because of their situation, her blood went a few degrees colder. "Oh, no.... this isn't the ideal time to fight, not with a wounded HVI in the area!"

Her gaze fell upon the doors that their enemy had went through. "If I could freeze the lock mechanisms on that door, I can disable them and we can get out of here... but that would require a distraction for me, and we need to make sure this Mod Soul isn't killed. How....?"

"Leave it to me, Kuchiki-chan," Meikurai said as his lips curled into a smile, now his eyes filled with confidence and a cool, calm gait entered his steps as he walked forward, unsheathing his Zanpakuto slowly and methodically,"I would've been worried if the schematics shown earlier needed nothing but energy to run. However, this is a living being with merely extra or exchanged parts. Therefore, my Zanpakuto's abilities can be used to our benefit."

"Doll," the Mod Soul called out to Rukia, asking her with pleading eyes, "where's my Doll? Its a cube no bigger on all sides than my hand is long...it should be...somewhere...on those tables," she tried looking herself, but fond her vision slightly blurred and her breathing labored. Had it been an ordinary soul that went through this torture, they surely would've stayed unconscious.

"Enough talk!" The creature snarled out, pressing its finger on the trigger and fired out what looked like super-heated blades about knife-length at high speeds, towards the three.

"Enkosen!" Meikurai called out, forming a yellow circle of his own Spiritual Energy, reflecting the blade projectiles as well as shattering them, before moving in front of Rukia, before saying, "I'll find whatever she needs, you just head for that door and freeze it off. Your Ice element abilities will make short work of the door!"

"C'mon, stay with me!" Rukia insisted, wrapping one arm around the Mod Soul's waist and raping the other limp arm over her petite shoulders. "He'll get your doll!" That being said, she grabbed the hilt of her Zanpakuto with her free hand and unsheathed it, positioning it counter-clockwise and speaking the words to release her Shikai's state.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

As she slowly turned the blade, it glowed a brilliant white before shifting into its Shikai form. As soon as it was complete, she punctured the ground with the tip of her blade four times. "Tsugi no Mai....Hakuren!!!" From the holes within the ground, ice flowed and built up in front of her, only needing several seconds to have the potency Rukia needed. She unleashed the ice on the door, enveloping and freezing it compeltely.

With a Flash Step and the Mod Soul in tow, Rukia re-appeared at the door, raised her sword and swung down.

SLICE!

The door was shattered with the first hit, the pieces crumbling down and leaving an opening for the three to escape through.

"Th-Thank you," the Mod Soul said before her eyes shut tightly and she held back a grunt of pain from having to move so fast on a wounded body she had, feeling her hair fly around as she moved with the Flash Step towards the door.

The creature turned around with amazing speed, firing at Rukia's back watching as the projectiles pierced her body and the Mod Soul's...when suddenly their bodies dissipated, the room itself dropped bars over where the door was and lined the place within a fiery prison, with Meikurai holding his Zanpakuto turned at a clockwise position, allowing Rukia and the Mod Soul to escape.

"Azayaka Kyogi (鮮やか虚偽, Lit Translation, "Vivid Falsehood,"). You're trapped, creature of machine and flesh," Meikurai said cooly as he walked towards the bewildered, entity his sword scratched along the floor and produced sparks that set the bars around the room on fire, causing the entity to step back with uncertainty as Meikurai donned his shades.

"It will be child's play to kill you now," Meikurai said as his lenses read the structure of the armor and gave him an analysis, showing a weakspot located where the neck met the shoulders, allowing him to smile, "you ready?"

It would be up to Meikurai to defeat the menace.

Rukia immediately took the chance to escape, trusting Meikurai's abilities. With another Flash Step, she was up and out of the door, leaving the two to fight it out.

As the creature cried out, it let out another barrage of projectiles, seemingly striking Meikurai in a gory, bloody mess as his body flailed around like a ragdoll before striking the other end of the room. But then his body encompassed into flames and spread out violently across the room again, shuddering the room when in actuality, it was a mere shudder of Spiritual Energy. As the creature stumbled back in increduality, it suddenly felt a blade stabbed through its shoulder and out its chest, the faint reflection off a pair of black shades showed a menacing, killing intent emanating from Meikurai.

"Child's play," he said with a indifferent blank look on his face, wrenching the Zanpakuto from the body of the creature before flourishing his sword around, flaking the blood away and began sheathing his Zanpakuto, ceasing the vivid illusion he created in the room and showed only a handful of marks where they've done battle, save for the corpse lying on the floor now.

"I'll catch up to you in a minute, Kuchiki-chan," Meikurai whispered before walking around the room, aiming to take care of a few loose ends and find that box the Mod Soul mentioned.

However, lying atop on the surface level of the Mausoleum, lied six white robed individuals, growling and hissing with Zanpakuto's drawn and glowing eyes baring down at the open entrance as they heard the battle below, and the oncoming escapees from below. If the unthinkable happened, they were to clean up after their creation and demolish the basement of the Mausoleum to cover evidence.

It was here that Rukia stepped out from the stairway and back into the main mausoleum, her eyes initially focused on the wounded woman held in her arms. She kept a grip on her Shikai with one hand, keeping the Mod Soul's arm around her wrist. Because she was focusing the wounded H.V.I., she wasn't paying attention to the individuals.

But when her eyes fell in front of her, her gaze falling onto their figures, she stopped cold in her tracks.

"Oh, no...."

The Ahijados growled towards the two of them, slowly stalking towards the two women, surrounding them. If it had been anyone else and another situation, the feeling of rape or sexual predators would don on a ordinary woman's mind. However, seeing the bloodlust and killing intent from the silent gazes of the near-animal minions would give any Soul Reaper the impression of sheer murder.

The first one moved, leaping at a fast rate and raising his Zanpakuto above its head before slashing in a vertical swipe downwards, hoping to slash across Rukia's chest and release the other target.

Rukia had to act fast.

As they moved to surround her, she flipped her blade upside down to point the tip towards the ground. Momentarily regretting that she would have to shake the Mod Soul up a bit with her movements, she swung her sword in a near 360-degree angle while twisting her upper body as much as she could to complete the swing. In the wake of the swing, the dreaded blue circle had formed underneath them. Once it had completed, she spotted the Ahijados leaping at her at the corner of her eye.

Time stopped.

Just as the blade was millimeters away from cutting through the two, the circle glowed with a brilliant light. A pillar of what appeared to be blue light extended from the circle and spread into the sky. It only lasted for a few seconds... but when it cleared up, all six Ahijados were frozen in solid ice. Rukia breathed heavily, sheathing her blade and re-sealing it just before all of the ice statues shattered into fragments. She looked over towards the woman in her possession.

"You are.... more trouble than you should be worth, you know that....?" She joked lightly - a rhetorical question in nature.

"I'm sorry...ms Kuchiki," her voice came out weakly, as she grit her teeth from the flailing, but necessary movements Rukia created, before she clenching onto Rukia's uniform front, clenching her eyes shut,"I've been nothing but a burden to you and my King. I should've never accepted this assignement had I known how worthless my actions and how futile my retaliations against my captors."

Rukia frowned a little as the wounded woman clenched at her uniform front. "Your actions may have opened up a new door in helping preserve the lives of this city..." Rukia answered, giving a small and encouraging smile. "I don't know what you did.... but if you hadn't, then we wouldn't have been able to find the intel we did."

Slowly walking over to one of the pews, the petite Shinigami gently lowered the Mod Soul onto it, kneeling and raising her hands over the body. "These wounds aren't too serious...." She said. "But they would still be if I didn't happen to know how to use healing Kido." Her hands glowed with healing energy, and she hovered them over the woman's body. She kept her senses at the alert; an enemy might ambush her at any possible moment, after all. However, she kept her eyes on the woman, her expression firm.

"Your assignment.... tell me everything about it, as well as the information you managed to gather."

The woman took deep breaths before centering her gaze on the Soul Reaper's eyes, "My name is Ikari, Ikari Heion. I was tasked by my Majesty to uncover a plot within the Ahijados' motives and possible allies they may be using to undermine the Parliment and his Majesty's authority. I began tracking down suspicious individuals for the past few months, but that's when something strange began occuring. They all began disappearing off my trackers or before my eyes, one after another. Eventually the only one I managed to track was into this burial site...only until recently when it was rebuilt that I discovered it had still been used even after the main structure's destruction. They've been using, no, framing certain members of our Government while infiltrating and duplicating their appearances, then video taping them on a device below," she reached out and grabbed Rukia's shoulders, surprising strength came from the still to-be recovering woman, "you must NOT let that information into our higher-ups hands! They'll arrest and execute the wrong people!"

Rukkia nodded, her expression grim as she kept at her healing. "I know...." She said solemnly. "What our enemy is doing is taking advantage of the fact that there are actual spies hidden within the government. It doesn't help that those same higher-ups might be agents themselves..."

Ikari growled, clenching a fist tightly as she grimly looked up at the ceiling, now a gaping ice rimmed hole with small snowflakes raining downwards, courteousy of Rukia's amazing Shikai technique, "I only know ONE traitor. He's the man in the TV box, and he regulates between his Ahijados scumbag allies. He's insane, will do anything and get rid of anyone. The only reason I'm alive was because he knew I had information on the Military and my Majesty's security. I never gave them anything...not for a lack of them trying," she winces as she felt the healing hit a sensitive nerve bundle, before she closed her eyes, "the man in the shadows would every once in awhile bring out superiors I knew and trusted, changing their motives and personalities to perfectly suit his needs. He's the one infiltrating our security, but I don't know if he's Ahijados or simply a mercenary hired for his skills."

"He's a Soul Reaper," Meikurai suddenly said, as he silently came up the stairs and his feet crunched lightly across the icy ground Rukia created around the Mausoleum, noticing the debris and frozen bloody bits of what used to be enemy Ahijados troops, "it seems their invasion is nigh, Kuchiki-chan."

"Yeah...." Rukia said in acknowledgement, turning towards him and looking at him questioningly. "Did you happen to see the doll that she was talking about?"

Ikari looked over at Meikurai hopefully, and was rewarded with a matter-of-fact expression on Meikurai, as he held in between his fingers a small, blue-like cube with a single hole in it, "This what you were looking for?"

"Yes, thank you," she said flatly, looking with narrowed eyes at Meikurai, "can I have it please?"

"Sure," he clenched his hand over it before tossing it over to her, "you aren't much of a threat to either of us at your current Spiritual Pressure level right now anyways."

As the cube flew in the air, Ikari deftly caught it with her left hand before opening it, looking down at it for a brief amount of time. She then asked, "Is the rest of my gear there?"

"If what you mean as 'confiscated weapons,' then yeah, they had your stuff in a chest below. Luckily the monstrocity didn't destroy i-"

"Keiji Higai," She said in a grim, but calm undertone as she never took her eyes off her cube 'doll'.

Those two words was enought to bring about a dead silence within the room. Rukia's eyes widened in surprise, not having expected the sudden and seemingly random interruption from the girl. She furrowed her eyebrows, lowering her head a little as if she hadn't heard properly. "....Pardon?"

"It means, 'Apocalyptic Havoc' in our language. They are the new breed of supersoldiers the Ahijados have been developing. The one that was sent to kill us off, was a Keiji Higai," Ikari said matter-of-factly, before looking grimly at the two.

"Well," Meikurai sighed, rubbing his eyes with his left hand while propping his right palm on his hip, "anything else you want to surprise us with information on?"

"The invasion starts today," Ikari said with a shrug.

"Wonderful!" Meikurai growled, slamming his face into his palm, before dragging it off with a deadpan, comically annoyed face.

"It is a good thing that the Yuurei military chose an early time to prepare, then...." Rukia stated calmly. "They've been evacuating the civilian populace ever since the first battle between the cult members and the police, fortifying the defenses of evacuated locations. Hopefully, that will be enough to keep anyone from being caught off-guard...."

Meikurai nodded in affirmation, crossing his arms over his uniform saying, "At least we have some solid evidence we have conspirators within the government-" He was cut off when a loud round thundering was heard above, and Meikurai looked up seeing bright flares of fire begin to descend from the heaven, followed by a eery tune flowing in the air.

Ikari paled as she looked above, "Its begun...the invasion's begun!"

"Oh, no...."

The sounds were enough to make the Kuchiki pale visibly, her head instinctively looking up just in time to see the artillery-like bursts rain down from the sky. The frightening tune that had sounded before had rang once again in her ears, sending chills down her spine. "It's starting?! Now, of all times....?!" She managed to stutter, quickly finishing up her healing session and standing back up.

Meikurai stared up into the sky solemnly for awhile, before smiling, "Right...about...now," as he said the last word, a loud mechanical voice sounded in a nearby pylon, "...PYLON 13, ACTIVATING!" Suddenly a beam shot into the sky not too far away from the Mausoleum, but could be seen visibly from the hole in the roof, as dozens of other beams fired up into the sky, simultaneously coordinating before creating a wide barrier of energy. The Spiritual Pressure that could be felt from the power of the barrier shook the air for a good few minutes, causing all structures to rattle like a tremore from an earthquake, but it quickly passed. The orange blasts of artillery fire soon dispersed over the shield, but the blasts seem to be absorbed and flow across the length of the shield before dispersing at the perimeter, what could be seen in a aerial view as a excess of smoke and fire going across the landscape.

Ikari looked up towards the sky, momentarily stunned by the Spiritual Pressure and the bright lights before looking over to the confident smile of Meikurai who simply winked at Rukia and her, before she asked, "What is that? What did you do?!"

"The newest innovations for a Kido barrier. Its a similar concept that was used centuries ago to block incoming unwanted intruders from entering the Seireitei. However, it was a flawed system and old technology. Now, after centuries of researching, we came up with a portable system where we can defend any large stretch of space with minimal amount of exertion at top capacity. It is by far, one of Captain Sasayaki's greatest innovations as a Captain of the Gotei 13," Meikurai said with a hint of jealousy, but a small amount of pride leaked into his voice of having him as a superior, despite his antics and methods.

This immediately caused Rukia's shock to fade, and she looked over at Meikurai to catch the wink. This brought her to smile back in approval before she turned her gaze back to the sky. "At the very least, it'll give us more breathing room to operate and prevent the Ahijados from interfering too much in this." She commented, folding her arms across her chest. However, she immediately looked back down when she found that her arms were brushing up against something on her shoulders.

A comical deadpan look crossed her face.

"Oh...."

"I forgot I was wearing this...." She muttered, looking over at Meikurai as she pulled the cloak off of her shoulders and handed it out to him.

Meikurai smiled happily, taking the cloak back asking, "Wasn't it just comfortable? Maybe you'd like me to make you a coat for yourself? You looked quite stunning," he added with a wink.

Ikari was about to remark when suddenly a loud thunderous sound could be heard and a bright light shined at the middle of the Mausoleum suddenly bringing forth a number of individuals instaneously.

"-make me travel to another," Hana began to say when she suddenly realized she had already teleported, but finished regardless, "point?"

Daisuke gasped, and touched himself to make sure he came intact before looking over at Meikurai and the other two women, "Huh?! Where are we?!"

"....yeah, I'm pretty sure this isn't where we're supposed to be right now." Sakura said bluntly, a palm across her face and one of her arms folded across her chest. "Smooth move, you fucking Jekyll."

"Obviously the haste of your teleportation took us off course, Captain," Kukkyona retorted before closing his eyes in a almost taunting way, his stoic expression never leaving.

"Teleporting is no easy task, you Blue Blooded imbecile!" Kaze began arguing as the chaos seemed more and more rampant as everyone began voicing their confusion and excitement.

Meikurai sweatdropped as he draped his cloak over himself, "This is going to be a long day..."

Sudden Arrival! Emotional Entanglements
"UNLESS YOU ALL WANT ME TO CARVE YOU NEW BLOODY ARSEHOLES, SHUT THE FUCK UP."

Of course, it was Braeburn's voice that seemed to shake the very foundation of the building they were in and rendered everyone else silent. As soon as he completed his shouting, Braeburn switched to from an extremely annoyed expression to a smug and stuck-up look. "Thank you." He said bluntly, folding his arms across his chest and keeping his nose to the air.

Sakura scowled, walking over to one of the seats and promptly sitting down on it. One leg shifted over the other, her arms were folded across her own chest, and her eyes were closed.

Kaze twitched, his fist clenching the cane till his gloved hand actually began sounding audibly as he growled, "Boy...if you raise your voice to me again, I can't garuntee you safety from my most base, primal anger which I assure you, will make you wish you to suffer beyond be-"

"Ahem!" Meikurai coughed aloud, earning a surprised twitch before a smile actually encroached onto the ghastly features of Kaze's, "Captain. Fancy meeting you here. I see you're still taking a liking to dramatic entrances."

"Lieutenant," Kaze chuckled before resting both hands on the cane, leaning forward on it as he enthused, "if there's anything you should know, dramatics have their places as well as subtlety. Today, however, wasn't my choice to do anything but be dramatic"

"Do tell," Meikurai chuckled, glad to see that his presence calmed him down from throttling Braeburn, but made sure to wink towards Braeburn's way, indicating his purpose to save his skin.

Hana, meanwhile, walked over and grabbed Braeburn by the ear and pulled him down to her face, a glare that could fire a million Zanpakuto shot through her eyes into his as she steamed, "Yell 2 feet away from my eardrums again, and I swear Captain Kaze will be the LEAST of your worries!"

Kukkyona began to walk towards Rukia and Ikari, nodding towards Rukia saying, "Miss Kuchiki, a pleasure to see you again."

Daisuke on the other hand sighed and walked pass the crowd after scowling at Braeburn, ushering over to the seat Sakura had taken, seeing her closed eyes and merely steaming, as far as he could tell, after what was said earlier. He took a seat quietly next to hers as everyone conversed, clasping his hands together as he leaned back in a more reclined position as well. He didn't speak, he just waited to see if she would address him.

"OW!!!" Braeburn snapped, wincing at her words as well as the ear tug. He almost grabbed her hands, only to remember her earlier threat when it came to touching her. An anime vein popped in his head. "God damn it!! What was I supposed to do, let you guys argue for the rest of the day?! You just can't handle a bit of maturity." After this, he stuck his nose again in the air just to spite her.

Rukia bowed respectfully towards Kukkyona. "The pleasure is mine, Hayate-taichou." She answered him sincerely, straightening back up. "I assume all went well for you?"

"....yeah, what do you want?" Sakura said bluntly, a slightly bored tone in her voice. However, this was only made to hide her irritation.

Hana rose a brow in humor as she released the ear, crossing her arms and cocked her hip to the side in a sensual, yet doubtful bodily gesture, "You? The Mature one? Please tell me that was a joke, because the humor was lost to me..."

Kukkyona sighed, saying, "Its a intricately complicated manner, but in hindsight we accomplished what we set out to do. In all respects it could've ended much worse for all of us," he said with a honest tone, his eyes suddenly meeting Ikari's before looking at her inquisitively.

"Ikari Heion," she raised a hand towards Kukkyona, to which he took and shook nicely earning a smile, "a pleasure to meet you, Captain Hayate."

"The pleasure is all mine, though I have to say I don't remember meeting your lovely company last time I made this young lady's acquaintence," he said in a perplexed, yet polite manner.

"You alright, Sakura-Chan?" Daisuke asked softly, turning his head over to her and observed facial features, empathetically understanding she must be irritated being around all these people, "you went through a lot back there. Want to grab something to heat while things are on a somewhat tranquil tone right now?"

Braeburn managed to catch Hana's gesture by opening one eye, allowing one corner of his mouth to rise in a small smirk. "Well, if I wasn't mature, then we both know that you wouldn't be able to stand me at all." He answered casually.

This brought a sigh from Sakura, and she opened her eyes to stare over at him in a mixture of exasperation and weariness. "Why are you still trying to be nice to me?" She asked him, her voice soft but clearly annoyed. "You can drop the damn facade. You know who I am, so why bother trying to hide it?" Then, a small smirk crossed her face, and she decided to change directions. "Oh, I get it.... you're still wanting to believe that I'm still your pal, your chum, right? That's why you haven't bothered to shove that sword of yours through my gut, isn't it?"

"Why are you so against the idea of me just wanting to be your friend, Sakura?!" Daisuke asked in a hurt, yet exasperated manner of his own, clearly tired of her attitude and her wanting to push him away. "It doesn't change the fact that despite me knowing what you really are, because I know who you are. You're the sarcastic, yet charming girl I met. Despite our differences I always know you're a voice of reason and logic, especially when I get hot-headed. You're great at swordsmanship and the best training partner I've ever had. Why can you just think I can forget all of that?!"

"....were you always this clueless?" Sakura sniffed. She certainly wasn't going to let him approach her, and from the way he spoke, he seemed to focus only on what he saw on the surface. He seemed to be willing to push away the fact that she had manipulated Bokyaku without remorse, toying with his feelings before sending him to eternal pain. If he wouldn't understand through direct words, then maybe he would understand if she kept jabbing at his nerves. "Wait, don't answer that. I'm pretty sure you are, considering it was most likely your obliviousness that let your Lieutenant get slaughtered like he did. I can't help but wonder if he left that little trinket on your head just to mock you in some way, you know?"

Something unexpected happened after her words came out of her mouth. It suddenly, almost by sheer coincidence or sudden hearing of the two's argument that everyone stopped talking. Kukkyona remained silent, closing his eyes, Kaze looked with mild interest at Sakura's direction while Meikurai looked plainly at her with a slight bit of disdain. Even Ikari, not even knowing these people looked over and somehow felt her jaw drop at what she heard from the cold-hearted bitch said to someone who attempted to befriend her.

Daisuke bowed his head, his face held a shadow over most of his features but his lips showed a reluctant smile. "I'm sorry...Sakura-chan...if I hurt you in some way in form, but please do not disrespect my friend and peer like that. He sacrificed his life so that many would survive, knowing that it was the less rewarding and the most selfless, he believed in me and his men," he raised his hand, clutching the headband tightly, before continuing, "many people got slaughtered, as you have elaborately put it, because we were utterly clueless as to who got infected or who to fight or save. I...no, We, who wear these marks or headbands are doing this in the rememberance that despite our victory, it was only a bitter one and there was no happy ending to it," he then looked up with sad, heavy eyes that knew all too well of horror and war, while keeping his sad smile on, "I will not stop being your friend, whether your a demon or a soul reaper, an old lady or an ant, I will keep being your friend whether you hate me or love me. That, Sakura, is what I believe being a friend is really about."

"NO!!!"

Her inner self was now screaming at him, clearly enraged by the response that she was given. "No, that's NOT what you're supposed to say to me! I just insulted your dead friend and his values! You should be HATING me, you idiot!!" She could not hide the shock written on her face as he spoke the words, the words not of the rage she wanted so desperately to feel from him. For a moment, she actually considered wanting to get up and bolt from the area, not seeing any one of them again. But her own fear was forcing her to stay within her spot, and she was forced to listen to every word that he said.

She wanted to leave.

She wanted to kill him.

She wanted to scream at him.

She didn't know what to do.....

"I am not going to lose my cool to the likes of a Shinigami like you...!!!"

Forcing the shock back down, she narrowed her eyes in a mocking and predatory manner, the taunting smirk returning. "Oh, it's always cute to see meatsacks attempting to put value in something so worthless...." She said coldly, still continuing her efforts to press his buttons. "By all means, keep up your little attempts to "befriend" me. It gives me a lot more chances to poke fun at how much of a puppet you've let yourself become."

"What are you afraid of, Sakura?! Why are you so petrified of friendship that you'll purposely push people away from yourself?!" Daisuke looked deep into her eyes, his own hazel eyes pouring out empathy and query, wanting to know why she wanted to lock herself away in a pit of lonliness and isolation.

As he was watching the two butt heads with one another with awe, Braeburn couldn't help but admire how stubbornly empathetic Daisuke was trying to be with the deity. Was that actual stupidity? Or was it truly a belief within the greater good of humanity? Despite himself knowing who the Punisher was from the information in the Red Sun scrolls, he couldn't help but wonder if there was something that Daisuke knew that he didn't.

However, his eyes flickered with alarm when she saw Sakura abruptly reach out with one of her hands and clasp Daisuke's mouth in a swift, rough motion. She brought her face close to his so that he could feel the intensity of the malevolent glare that she was giving him. "Kid.... it's only been a few weeks since we first met." She said, her smile almost matching that of the one she had when she was tearing Bokyaku apart piece by piece. "Other than the woman you see on the surface, you know nothing about me. You have no idea of who I am, because you were never there when the barbed wire was tearing through my skin. You were never there when Mother gave us her will and testament. You weren't there with me and my siblings throughout those thirty five thousand years ago...."

Her grip on his face tightened, and her smile turned into an angered snarl. "So don't you EVER call me your FRIEND!!!!'" She hissed, putting forth every bit of hatred and anger she had within her chilling words. Then, with a forceful thrust, she hurled Daisuke away from her...

CRASH!

...with enough force to crash through the opposite wall.

"AGH!" Daisuke cried out that because of her surprisingly superior strength, he could halt his flight, and his emotions felt too ajar to even concentrate on that. All he could think about was that despite the brief few months he spent with her, he really never knew the real her. He wasn't there to help her through her now revealed horrifying and morbid birth. He wasn't there to comfort her during the proclaimed fate they were each given and the long milleniums of absolute torture and despair that she inflicted onto her victims. He really felt like a fool.

As his body came within a few feet of the wall, only a blurred form moved to stop the probable critical impact from hitting him full force, before it too came with Daisuke through a wall of the Mausoleum into what appeared to be the ancient 'cleaning' room where the corpses were specially prepared to be burried in the appropiate manner and preserved for long periods. The two of them smashed into a table and cracked the surface of the floor, the tiles bent inwards and the plaster mixed with dust, clouding the room and puffing out of the hole that Sakura created.

As Daisuke's eyes opened, he blinked out the dust and plaster in the air, coughing, feeling a little stunned and the ringing in his ears, he couldn't help but feel something other than a table or plaster underneath him. As he heard a slight hissing sound he got up slowly and turned over, seeing the lithe but fit figure of Hana with her arms nearly indented into the floor through the table's surface.

"Hana!" Daisuke gasped out, coughing again and looked her over in shock and immediate thankfulness.

"Stupid...you're really stupid, y'know that?" Hana growled, getting up, whines of metal and tile were heard before pulling up from the floor's surface so she could sit upright, only a few inches away from Daisuke's own upright body. She began feeling the back of her head, as she sighed, "I'm going to be seeing stars for a minute or two from bracing your thick skull..."

"I-I...I'm sorry," Daisuke hung his head down as he got up, the creaking of tile and stone was heard as he got up, a thick layer of plaster and dust held over his hair, face, and overcoat, "please don't get involved, Hana. I appreciate your help, but," he continued speaking as he crawled out of the room and out the hole, his eyes meeting Sakura's softly, "this is something I have to do."

"You can say that again," Hana spoke quietly, spitting out a loose stone that had somehow gotten in her mouth before she began dusting herself off and admonishing the mess that was created, "if it wasn't for me, however, you'd be pretty bloodied up, Dai-baka!"

Ikari widened her eyes when she saw the whole thing, briefly looking to Rukia before asking her quietly, "What the hell is her problem? She's an enemy or having hormonal anxiety?!"

Kukkyona looked onward from the whole endeavor, not moving a muscle to save his son from the prompted anger of the Hankami. He warned him in the beginning she wasn't like everyone else, yet he continued to pursue her. If he insists on dying, here, in the place used to burry the dead, then he will make no move to stop him. Daisuke was no child that needed coddling, he is a Hayate. Kukkyona knew this most of all, when a man of the Hayate Clan makes a decision, they go after it, damning the consequences. He couldn't surpress a small smirk of nostalgia of his own self, wondering if he switched positions if he'd do the same as his son.

Rukia was too shocked to answer. She swore she could've felt mild shockwaves herself from the thrust that the Punisher performed on Daisuke, a bead of sweat falling down her face. It was clear from that one move that she could consider herself lucky that none of them were her targets. She didn't think she could stop someone so powerful.... "I....I don't know....." She finally managed to stutter out, only fixing her eyes on Sakura as she laughed in giddiness at the throw she made.

"How's that for pushing people away, huh?!" The Hankami mocked, chuckling coldly. Slowly, she turned around to face the rest of the Shinigami group, eyebrow raised and a skeptical frown on her face. It was noted that one of her eyes were twitching for a brief second before they returned back to their normal position "Tch.... I throw two of your friends right through a brick wall, and the best thing you all can do is stand there like we've all grown two heads. Just goes to show you that even the puppets treat each other like puppets."

She immediately shifted her eyes towards the shocked Braeburn, grimly smiling when she saw him flinch under her stare. "Isn't that right... Braeburn?" She said, almost in a whispering tone. "Does it depress you.... knowing that your family lives under the scrutiny of the so-called guardians in this so-called heaven? Does it sadden you to know that your mother lost her life in the manner of a cow having its throat slit and left to bleed out in the sun....?"

Her face brightened up somewhat, and Braeburn instantly felt apprehension crawl within his bones.

"I might add that after they killed her, they had a wonderful time playing around with her dead carass. You would've had your own baby brother.... you know, if she wasn't dead--"

That snapped whatever calm attitude Braeburn had at that point.

"ENOUGH!!!" He snarled, unsheathing his sword and walking briskly towards her. She smirked in return, jerking her head sideways and cracking the bones in her neck with a loud, audible sound. Her arms were raised in a "come on" gesture, taunting him to do whatever he planned to do...

Kukkyona watched as the events played out, silent and unmoving. Kaze couldn't surpress a smile, as he inwardly enjoyed the idea of watching the different ways the Hankami could tear the idiot apart.

Ikari looked onward in horror, calling out to Braeburn, "Stop it! She'll kill you!"

Daisuke gripped the broken stone hard, ground his teeth together and narrowed his eyes at the situation in front of him. He only knew one thing to do without escalating this into a battle. With a sharp inhale, and a step forward, he initialized a Flash Step, his body moving fast and the sound of sparks could be faintly heard before appearing in between Braeburn and Sakura, his back facing Braeburn with his arms outstretched and his face near hers. "Sakura," he whispered softly to her, continuing to speak, "don't do this to yourself."

This sudden intervention caused Braeburn to stop in his tracks, his expression fading back to one of shock. Once again, Daisuke had taken the liberty of putting himself under the wrath of the Hankami without hesitation. Even through his anger, he could see that Daisuke wasn't going to let anyone else get involved betwee him. He lowered his sword to his side, a solemn and defeated look crossing his face. "Fine, Lieutenant.... this is your problem.... not mine...." He thought to himself, sheathing his blade and stepping back from the two.

Sakura's smug expression changed from one of shock when Daisuke intervened. Once again, she was forced to look into those empathetic.... sympathetic.... eyes of his. It was more painful than having a sword punched through her head, or her own limbs ripped off and cast aside. "Stop it...." She thought, a flash of fear in her expression as she looked at him in an almost helpless manner. "Stop looking at me like that!!! I don't deserve your fucking empathy, don't you understand that?!!! STOP LOOKING AT ME!!!!"

It took all of her willpower not to do anything rash or anything that would reveal her weakness. Daisuke would most likely see the little signs of it, but nothing more. She angrily scoffed, turning away from him and lowering her arms. "....whatever...." She snapped, not in the mood to keep up her sadistically pleasant attitude. She walked right back over to the bench and sat back down in her spot, closing her eyes and tilting her head back in a manner that made it seem like she was trying to go to sleep.

Within those long few moments, Daisuke felt as if the world stopped. He could actually see something past the rough, twisted nature she used a shield. It was fear....helplessness even. She felt truly afraid of his kindness and his empathy so much she was willing to use her naturally sadist side to deflect his attempts at befriending her. He felt as if his stomach knotted inside out as he saw that look in, that real look he waited to see. He wished he could erase that fear, but the moment as quickly as it came went, and he saw Sakura snap her shield of brashness before settling down on the bench, trying to shut the world out...and most likely Daisuke.

Daisuke let out a heavy sigh, 'We'll talk later, Sakura-chan,' he thought wearily as he did not want to incite another epidemic. Not when a battle knocked on their doorstep.

He turned around to look at Braeburn, the still empathetic, saddened look poured into the other man's eyes, not scolding or yelling at him. What he heard was enough for him to keep his own mouth shut, before he looked over at his father, saying aloud, "I'm...going to meet up with the Division. Even though they're probably aware of it, I need to be oriented with your lieutenant's men..."

"You may take leave, Lieutenant Hayate," Kukkyona said promptly, his cool tone told Daisuke he didn't have anything to say to him. At least for now.

With a nod, he bowed to everyone saying briefly in a small voice, "I'm sorry," before running out of the Mausoleum, intent on being as far away from Sakura, for the moment, as possible.

Little did anyone know, Meikurai kept his left hand on the hilt of his sword, despite the casual manner he held his body he was ready to intervene at a moment's notice had things become increasingly volatile. However, after the Hankami backed down, he released his Zanpakuto before crossing his arms over his chest, muttering, "Now isn't that dandy...the mistress of Hell you go out of your way to save almost pummels someone to death and then antagonizes another, begging for a battle royale from her saviors. Tell me why did you save her again, Captain?"

"Wasn't my first choice as well," Kaze sneered, "that bitch is worth every bit of her malice and sadist nature, unfortunately for us. Don't count on her aiding our defense of this city after what just happened..."

"Right," he looked over to the hole in the wall, a wary Hana glaring at Sakura for a good while before spitting at the ground and walking over to Braeburn's side, allowed Meikurai to give a small chuckle, "she's worth something alright..."

"You okay?" Hana asked Braeburn as she approached him, her own eyes actually became soft and her stance a bit more laxed despite her being braced and thrown through a wall, she looked relatively unharmed, "I heard a little of what the bitch said..."

Braeburn had his arms folded across his chest, bangs overshadowing his eyes. "...yeah..." He managed to mutter lowly. "Though, she was pretty much aiming at what's already damaged. For the moment, I'm fine where I am. But...." His bitter tone had a hint of incredulity within it. "I just don't understand how he can bear to stand up to such a harsh, manipulative woman like her and doesn't break just like that. What can he possibly see in her that makes him so.... resilient....?"

Despite herself, Sakura smirked at the word "bitch" being thrown around. She stuck her nose in the air slightly with an expression of spiteful pride, and even flipped her hair just to mock her verbal assaultants.

Rukia, throughout the ordeal, had remained silent and watched. Her arms were folded across her chest, and she spared a concerned glance over at Braeburn. But seeing Hana was speaking to him, she decided to let the two talk on their own accord. She would talk with the McTavish later, when no one was busy.

Upon hearing Kaze speak, she decided to lighten up the mood a little and take a friendly jab at him as well. Turning her head towards the scientist, she allowed herself to smirk a little. "With someone like you, someone would think that you two would be a perfect match for each other." She said amiably.

Hana chuckled in a bittersweet tone of her own, responding thoughtfully, "I think Daisuke is built to handle people's problems more than others, especially those he cares about. I wouldn't have took two words from that woman either to tell you the truth, but I think Daisuke chose the only option from blowing up this Mausoleum again, and its a good thing she heard something in whatever he said to her to forget her "fun"," she bristled slightly before smirking, aiming a lighthearted punch at his shoulder, "I don't remember you being on the detail list in the initial defense, Brae-san. Why don't you and I have a drink and talk for a little bit. No pun intended, but you look like you've been through Hell."

Kaze looked coldly at the ice princess Reaper, narrowing his eyes resentfully, "I'd take a Mod Soul over that wench anyday!"

Ikari coughed aloud, breaking up the dialogue due to potential awkwardness that might ensue, standing upwards and straight. She turned to Rukia, giving her an appreciate smile saying, "Thanks, Rukia. I couldn't have made it out without you, but I need to report to the King. Do you want to accompany me?"

Kukkyona however walked past them all silently, his sandals clicked and clapped across the melting ice and rubble across the ground, not even bothering to look or acknowledge Sakura's presence, but his mere aura told her nothing but disappointment. As soon as he reached the door, he exited in his stylized sword cut sounding Flash Step, the sound reverberated in the air for a brief while before escaping everyone's notice.

"I guess words are too much of a motherfucker for you too, huh....?"

As Kukkyona passed by her, those were the words Sakura whispered to him. She didn't know if he heard her or not, but she wasn't hoping. As he vanished, she shifted her position so that she was laying on her back on the bench, her head resting on the armrest. Her eyes were overshadowed by her hair, and a neutral curve was made of her mouth, so it was impossible to tell what her expression was. She assumed that everyone was leaving...

"Well, I think that I could use a breather, after what's happened...." Braeburn's light-hearted statement to Hana....

"Of course. I wouldn't mind doing that." The polite voice of Rukia....

And considering the scientist had things of his own busy nature to tend to, she would be left alone for the moment. She would leave later on herself, but for now she would just sit here and lie on the bench and enjoy her (hopefully) alone time.

"Good, then follow me," Hana said briskly, turning around and began walking comically like a stick figure. Stiff, pointedly, and rigid, out towards the door, not bothering acknowledging the Hankami for fear of getting into a fist fight as she exited the Mausoleum.

Ikari walked casually, her features had more warmth than they had earlier and she impassionately looked at Sakura's recliend figure before making a mental note to herself not to piss her off as she walked ahead with Rukia assumedly behind her, when suddenly Meikurai hurried up behind her, "Don't leave me hanging! I worked too!" He made a comical puppy face as he looked to Rukia for acknowledgement as they exited the Mausoleum.

Kaze eerily left without a sound or a word, going onto his own devices, leaving the Hankami relatively alone.

Allowing herself to move to the floor after Kaze left, Sakura curled up, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. Her red hair was scattered across the ground, her crimson eyes shut tightly. She wanted nothing more than to shut out the words Daisuke spoke to her, to push out the empathy and replace it with hate. But it was clear that Daisuke was not going to hate her any time soon. She wanted so desperately for her being to be tainted even more, and she wanted to feel dirty and sick - like she was supposed to be. Out of all the beings she met.... why did he have to be so nice to her?

"I don't deserve any of your kindness..... why can't you let me go....?!" She thought to herself in frustration, gritting her teeth out of the thought.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk...this will not do," a voice emanated in the air in the possibly most cold, sinister sound possible, while a eery atmosphere began to chaotic charges of anger, hate, lust, violence all at once. Something forboding stalked unseen in the shadows of the mausoleum as it continued to speak, masculine in nature, almost reminiscingly familiar to Bokyaku's voice, "I find you as I found all those milleniums ago. Sulking, curled into a ball and feeling nothing but self-loathing. You truly are the most wretched, twisted creature, aren't you? Hahahahahahahaha!"

This made Sakura's eyes widen, her thoughts overtaken by the awareness of this new....entity. The chilling voice sent a chill down her spine, tingled her very nerves, and brought the smile right back to her face. Slowly, she brought herself up to a sitting position, then stood back up quickly. Her head was lowered, and she placed a hand to her rapidly beating heart. She couldn't help herself.... the negative, violent emotion within the voice brought the thrill back to her!

"Who is there.... to speak such cruel words to the mistress of Hell....?" She whispered, lifting her head up to reveal intrigued eyes.

There was a slight pause, but the footsteps became tantilizingly closer, his aura became intoxicating, becoming almost like a aphrodisiac to the negatively fueled Hankami. Little did she know, the entity took the time to smile a falsified gentle smile. He spoke again, "Who am I? That's a interesting question, regarding that if I tell you of myself, my personal features, you would recognize me? No, no, no, my little Hankami, I shall tell you of my birth, which shall tell you exactly what I am.

"I am the child of death, one who revels in the extinguishing of life. I am the embodiment of disasters, wreaking havoc upon hundreds to thousands with joy. I am the master of seduction, forever trapping and torturing countless mortals with perverted desires. I am the whisperer of the shadows, spreading lies and deciet willingly to cause dissention and distrust among millions. 

''I was born into existance feeling dozens of blades simultaneously exit and enter my body in a undying, unrepentant embrace, drinking the blood oozing from my pores and reveling in chaos the moment I opened my eyes as they stung with dozens of pains. Now, my dear Punisher...let me ask you this?''" Suddenly the entity came right behind her, whispering with the smile intact, "what am I?"

"The only person capable of speaking to me in such a beautifully tragic manner...." The Punisher whispered back, enjoying the dangerous and threatening aura the entity exuded. She folded her arms across her chest, looking over her shoulder so that her eyes could meet his. "I remember those words back from when I had the barbed wire around me.... it's been far too long.... hasn't it, Reaper?"

"One thousand years too long, Punisher," he said, using his right hand to brush along her skin, pouring tantilizing bits of his energy into her pores, a nostalgically enticing thing he used to excite her in the past, "one thousand years since my armies of brethren battled against armies of my brethren, in a titantic battle that forever shook realms for eons and still now. One thousand years since I felt your lips against mine," he finished whispering as he leaned down and raptured the female Hankami's lips, roughly kissing her using her teeth, fiilling her with passion that he longed to feel from the twisted creature that near mirrored himself.

Unlike Bokyaku, she did not feel weak and vulnerable in his presence..... and this wasn't fake.

Once he captured her lips, the Punisher's heart accelerated like a madman's. She reached behind her to fiercely grab the back of his head and returned the kiss with just as much force and passion as he had put forth for her. For the moment, thoughts of Daisuke had cleared away from her mind - something that she was grateful of. She needed something to take her mind off of him and his disgusting kindness. Every touch ran vicious chills down her spine, and she loved every minute of it.

She didn't want that moment to stop....

She probably wouldn't get her wish.... but it was the thought that counted, after all.

What would seem like eternity for the Reaper, lasted only a few minutes, but he did enjoy every bit of it. As he released her mouth from his, his eyes opened and he inhaled deeply, smiling predatorially, "I've missed your scent, Punisher. You're scent has been faint, but prevalent throughout this society...I even visited Hell to see your handiwork, but only found your drab minions. They spoke of a titanic battle in the depths of Hell with a Demon influence no less. What became of that entity, Punisher?" He asked as he held her body close, filling her with his presence in more of the addicting presence he naturally exuded that would drive normal mortals mad but those of his own race would merely feel aroused and enticed.

"Where else do you think fools of mortality go when they choose to defy me?" The Punisher hissed coldly, narrowing her eyes and smiling as she ran her finger slowly and deliberately down the side of the Reaper's face. "There's no other place to go, after all. You know that as well as I do...."

He purred at the Punisher's touch, feeling all of his senses tingle and feel like they were burning, like the fiery pits she commands and controls at a whim, it made him long for more. As he stretched one of his hands down her chest, he furrowed his brows, speaking in a slight perplexed manner, "You've been harmed...by mere Hollow-kind? You really have been sinking low, haven't you?" He said in a mocking manner, chuckling in the back of his throat.

The Punisher growled, knowing he was referring to the wound that 666 had delivered to her. "Shut up." She grumbled, pushing his face roughly a little so their eyes would meet. "It's not as if you're any better....besides, the weapons of mere mortals aren't enough to kill the likes of me." She leaned back into him, burying her face into his neck and taking in his intoxicating scent. This was the curse of his touch - it made her feel like she could just stay within his grasp forever. She knew that she would have to pull away sooner or later, and that would leave her rather empty.... she knew that Daisuke would once again come to her mind....

So what would she do then?

"This is true," he spoke in a lull, soft whisper as he felt her face burry into his neck and inhale deeply, smiling widely as she came onto the addiction of his mere touch, presence, and smell. Ironically as he sought everything to a almost maddening point, his mere presence would drive anyone mad to stay close to him forever.

However, the ominous but nearly vague scent that he had caught from nearly all of her recent travels and now especially this place, caused him to stir and his hands roamed slower, his voice rang out softly, but held a silent menace in them, "But why...does the scent of Soul Reapers...cling to you," he said with a harsh whisper, his hands that roamed her head and back scratched at her, though a hint of impressive strength hid behind it with the underlying subtle anger that could cause this passionate moment to crash down within a moment, "so tightly?"

That made her eyes widen in surprise.

She had to commend him for the transition.... it made the parting smoother.

During the moment, she had allowed herself to twist around in his arms so that she would be facing him. Now, within her position, she allowed her hands to press against his chest as his fingers dug into her back, wincing and smirking a little at his anger. "You don't blend into one's surroundings without gaining a little bit of their influence." She said, and it was almost as if she was mocking him. Her sultry, yet playful tone was adding to that effect "Besides, it's not like this is the first time you've caught me with a foreign scent on me...."

"The presence of the scents has never bothered me," he said with a narrowed eyes, gazing into hers with a almost lethal observation while detaching his smile to that of a thin lipped line, "what surprises me is the empath energy flowing from a particular Soul Reaper. I don't know what your game is, little Punisher, but I assure you whatever he said or feels for you is fabricated by his desire to see something you're not. Remember what you are, Punisher, and never forget that," he then left another longing kiss upon her lips, as his body suddenly vanished from sight, using the Hankami high-speed technique to instantly leave her. And keep her within his grasp...

It made the parting smoother...

...but it didn't make it any less easier.

She stood there for a moment, taking in his words slowly. She lowered her head again, her arms lowered to her sides and her fists clenched. As refreshing as the Reaper's visit was, it left her once again thinking back to Daisuke. She just wanted to block him out, to push him away and never think about him again. But the stare that he had given her.... the words he had spoken to her..... it was like they were making an imprint on her very mind. She raised her hands and grabbed the sides of her head, grinning despite the frustration she was feeling. "Of course.... the moment I'm left alone, I have to deal with shit like this...." She muttered, fingers curling. "He'll have to give up sooner or later. He'll see what a disgusting monster I am soon enough. What would someone like him want with a psychopath like me?"

"I think it's the whole opposites attract thing going on, in my opinion...."

Her mood immediately shifted from frustrated.... to comically shocked.

"AH!" She yelped, spinning around to find the Slayer leaning against the wall and comically grinning. She could only stare with her mouth slightly agape and her eyes as widened as dinner plates. "H....how long have you been standing there?!" She demanded, hands shaking slightly.

"Long enough...." The Slayer drawled, pushing himself off of the wall and pointing at her. "And I brought company."

"What co--"

Glomp.

The Punisher was promptly slammed onto her back, courtesy of a young, pale-skinned boy. She growled, attempting to push the clingy child off of her, but to no avail. "God damn it, Melody!!" She snapped. "What is wrong with you, you hyperactive brat?!!"

"But I've missed you!" The Melody complained, putting on a pouting look. "So have all of us! Ever since you've been here, you haven't come back to Limbo in order to visit or anything! Well, not that you'd probably have the time to, considering P.E.'s going to be really soon. But, still, you could have at least considered it!"

An aggravated sigh escaped the Punisher's lips, and she slapped a palm to her face as she ceased her struggling. However, she soon removed it in order to glare at the snickering Slayer. "How goes things on the Summoner's end?" She questioned, a serious tone to her voice.

"Hm? Oh, right...." The Slayer, briefly surprised at first, took on a lax but equally serious demeanor. He folded his arms across his chest, allowing himself to speak as the Melody got up to allow the Punisher to stand once more. "Well, as far as it goes, he and his little minions are doing quite well on their end. I'm impressed how he's managing to keep things quiet in all this mess. It might save the Ahijados the trouble of even assaulting this place." He raised his eyebrow curiously. "He still has that amulet, right?"

The Punisher nodded, smiling. "A little gift I left him during our last talk. I'm sure he'll have lots of fun abusing it. That's how the mortal mind works, after all.... you have a toy and you have to twist every bit of fun out of it for your pleasure."

"Speaking of toy...." The Melody commented, tilting his head to the side and looking at the Punisher in an innocent and curious manner. "How come you let Reaper treat you like a toy?" This made the woman's lip curl a little and the Slayer scowl faintly, but the boy paid no mind to it. "I bet you could beat him up like you did Bokyaku!"

"If she's not in the process of grinding hips with him, that is." The Slayer snorted, smirking when he earned a shocked and angry look from the Punisher. "Yeah, I was here long enough to see you two go at it, and couldn't help but wonder if they were going to have to clean that bench later o--"

WHAM!

The Slayer was greeted with a vicious kick from the Punisher that spun him around a few times in the air, before he promptly fell to the floor on his face. The Punisher glared down at him, her face a beet red from embarrassment and anger. "You are such a low-life bastard!!!" She snapped.

The Slayer rolled onto his back, folding his arms across his chest and glaring with a deadpan look at his sister. "Well, at least I'm not screwing around with the foil of our existence...." He sniffed, unphased by the blow she had given him.

"At least I actually get some!!"

"W-what?! Ok, don't you dare get started with me on that--"

The Melody sighed, folding his arms across his chest and shaking his head sagely as he watched the two argue. "This makes me wonder if I was lucky to be born a child...."

Taking Positions, Drowning the Demons and Unveiling Confessions
Hana lead Braeburn through the streets of Yurei Okuko, their gait hurried but thoughtful, she occasionally glanced up at nearby positions that the Police Force's troops and Military were set up, as well as the bright beam of light emanating from tall pylons that were being powered up and used by members of the Kido Corps. War is on, but it is now the enemy's turn to play their hand. For all Yurei's defenders could do, but wait. Waiting is something that she herself did not take kindly to often, but for now she did not have any immediate assignments from either Kaze or any of her other superiors, so she thought to at least take care of a certain someone before things became heated with no room for second thoughts or remorse.

After walking to a closed down house with no remarkable features attached to it, she made a immediate left towards it, the nearby buildings were the same but were boarded up and locked down but this one had looked plain and unprotected.

"This is the place," Hana said, looking over her shoulder at Braeburn before giving him a brief smile before, knocking on the door.

Braeburn raised an eyebrow, stuffing his hands within his pockets and frowning a little. "This is the place? I was expecting some sort of fancy restaurant." He joked, the frown immediately turning into a small grin. It was a joke - considering that the majority of the town was now boarded up and evacuated, there was probably nothing fancy lying around.

"Trust me, Brae-san," Hana chuckled as the inside of the house emitted sounds, the peep hole suddenly bathed her in a wide net series of different colored lights, each scanning her a different way each time, her words became more robotic than anything during the last few seconds as it was scanning her vocals, "there's nothing in here that isn't fancy. Trimester Equation, Pass Phrase; Delta-Omega."

With a series of clicks and whines, the door handle moved on its own and opened, showing a number of specialized layers of security within the door, showing it wasn't an ordinary door.

"Follow me quickly," she insisted as she stepped inside of the doorway, showing a narrow hallway of steel and glass, showing their reflections on either side while walking on a metalic surface.

Braeburn did so without hesitation, but his eyes caught the mirrors that showed their reflections. He gave a slight whistle, turning his attention towards the hallway itself. The properties of metal and glass as well as the fact that it was...well... a hallway, brought about a sense of slight excitement within the defector. "Wow. If I'm impressed by a simple hallway, then there must be something good up ahead." He commented lightly, grinning a little.

Hana smirked, her amused grin could be seen in the reflections as well as the rest of her curvaceous, perfectly rounded body as it walked confidently and inadverdantly sensually towards another door, this one a mere mirror door.

"Trust me. Everything you will see here is top secret and eyes only. But, since you've proven your worth in Hell, I've made some calls when you weren't looking. As long as you're with me, you have full clearance to any D.C.O. safehouse and HQ we enter," she then simply walked, or rather, stepped through the mirror after casting a wink at him before she seemed to liquify into the mirror. After casting a variety of ripples upon its surface, it retracted back into its reflective state, with Hana on the other side.

"Coming, Brae-san?" Hana's voice emanated through the metal and glass hallway, as if it was a low whisper but reverberated a dozen times over, almost a tickling sensation to the skin from the with a sound waves.

"Impressive in more ways than one...."

Once again, Braeburn cocked an eyebrow and smirked in anticipation as well as impression. The manipulation of the sounds made his skin shiver, and it made her voice all the more attracting to listen to. Folding his arms across his chest, he followed her route. He placed one leg in front of him, pushed himself forward, and entered the mirror. Ripples appeared on the surface as he entered, stopping once he was completely through.

"Welcome," Hana said, walking to a nearby barstool, the entire scene looked like a dinner-lit, casiono-atmospheric bar room, complete billard's table, a pingpong table, dance floor, a dressing room with what looked like racks of unique sets of attire sitting next to wooden cabinets with ordinary looking locks, as well as a number of individuals residing within already, "to Yurei Okuko's D.C.O. HQ, Brae-san."

She sat on a nearby bar stool, crossing one leg over the other before lounging her back and arms on the counter, "Pull up a stool and make yourself comfortable."

"Shit...." Braeburn complimented with a bit of mirth, sliding on a stool next to her. He allowed one arm to hang off his side and the other to rest on the bar counter, his head turned to look over at her. "For such a military-run organization, you guys sure are living it up, huh?"

"We have to be," said a young man with a round, profound chin wearing a similar matte black body suit but also adorned a peculiar grass hat as he aimed his pool stick down at a billard ball, "we don't get much free time or even break from duty for those who are part of the D.C.O. so we make use of all that incredible tech and funding they let us use for missions to set up HQ's the way we want it." After striking the billard ball, it struck the opposing ball expertly before striking others, sending five multicolored ones down seperate holes.

"That is Takashi Kōsoku," Hana said in a hushed tone, leaning over to Braeburn's ear, smiling, "he's a Reserve Member who's part of the Sword Squad. He's one of the best, damn swordsman in the Gotei 13 as well as a 3rd Seat within the 11th Division."

"And also good with the ladies! HAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed heartily as he winked over at a nearby female member who merely smirked at him and went about her pinball machine.

"He's also one of the biggest braggarts, that one is," a unnamed female behind the bar came up with two seperate mugs, filled to the brim with sudsy liquor. The agent looked at Braeburn up and down, a sly smile adorned her rosy cheeks and blonde locks swayed as she leaned close to Braeburn, "And you must be the fugitive that's been hiding for years, Breaburn McTavish. Can't imagine you actually stood up to a Hankami merged deity and lived to tell about it."

"Wow. Just walked right up to the bar and already you've got a chick on you? Dad would be proud of you..."

Laughing internally, Braeburn kept up his casual smile. "You'd be surprised at what years of running around like a decapitated chicken actually does to you. Though...." He nodded his head over towards Hana. "I did have a little help, obviously."

"Yeah, I heard she had to slap you silly to keep you from fainting, hahaha!" She laughed in a light-hearted mocking tone, before she left them alone, cleaning glasses and checking the stock.

Hana smiled cheekily, saying, "I didn't leave out ANY of the details of our mission."

Though their tones were only teasing him, Braeburn couldn't help but give a squinted-eye glare at Hana. He folded his arms across his chest, clearly pouting as he rolled his eyes. "Oooh, ouch... I think you actually crushed my man feelings with that one, Hana." He remarked sarcastically, though he was grinning slightly all the while.

Hana swung around from her lounged position to face the counter, grabbing her own mug before pushing Braeburn's towards his hand, remarking playfully, "With all due respect, you need toughen up a little. I thought time as a, how did you put it? A 'headless chicken,' would make you grow a pair to replace the ones you have, haha!"

"I have!" Braeburn said in light protest, furrowing his eyebrows a little as he caught the mug. He raised it up towards Hana casually, cocking a slight eyebrow and frowning in the smallest of ways. "I just don't feel like throwing them around like a toy." With one hand holding the handle of the mug, he placed a hand on his chest to empahsize. "I like to keep my status as a gentleman, not some chavunistic bastard."

"No wonder you're a fugitive. Guess some people in the Soul Society prefer the chavunistic bastards. Keeps people more honest of their intentions," she made a jocular comment in slight sarcastic tone, winking at him before raising her drink towards him.

Braeburn's grin grew wider as he moved the glass to level hers. Then, he tilted his head back, lifted the mug to his lips, and drank. Of course, the liquid burned his throat all the way down. But it was really something he was used to. It wasn't the first time he allowed himself to do something like this, anyway...

Nearly at the same time, Hana drank her own poison, and slammed the mug onto the counter, letting out a relieved sigh in excess, "It never gets old...that feeling like that burning liquid is purging you of your stress, your fears, and your nightmares," she said the last part in a somber, knowing tone but looked at Braeburn expectantly, leaning on the counter looking towards his eyes. "Now that we've un-sobered ourselves, why don't you tell me what's eating you? I'm a good listener and far better company than the current Soul Reapers within this city."

A sigh escaped Braeburn's lips, and he rested his cheek on his fist of the arm that was still on the bar counter. He rolled his eyes at Hana's statement. "I could already tell that." He commented amiably. "After all, you seem much more forgiving than the others upon my arrival, so I guess I can thank you by telling about what went down while I was away...." He closed his eyes in thought, lowering his hand down to rest on the smooth surface.

"First I gotta ask you, though.... what do you already know about me? I prefer to fill in the details and not have to repeat anything."

Hana smiled widely, taking another sip from her mug before pointing at him, "You're in luck, if anyone happens to be an expert in your background history, that'd be me.

First off, you come from a family that's been known to be wrapped up in the Red Sun's teachings, dating back to even when your grandfather practically started the Red Sun cult that would later spur the arrival of the Ahijados. Your father served for a mere 20 years before disbanding, starting the bad naming your family will soon inherit later, and has been known to be involved in a illegal genetics with Hollows, though that remains to be speculated.

You were a known, ahem, 'heretic' for studying a philosophy that was strewn from a known Cult, the Red Sun, which at that time was rumored to have been your grandfather's work and which case it was. You were later deemed a threat to stability, and instead of taking you to the Maggot's Nest like others would, they planned to ...deal with you on the battlefield, make it look like you were KIA. However, when they went to secure bodies, yours wasn't among them, and you've been on the books ever since.

Your sister far outshined yourself and your father in both loyalty and service, being one of the few people to care for your mother after both of your demises, in one way or another. Despite this, your mother served as a Captain with a splendid duty but known brimming hatred for the Courts of Central 46 and some of the other Gotei 13's Divisions for spurning both her husband and her son to their ends.

She was actually known to serve under a famed Captain as a personal apprentice, Seu-Feng the Commander-In-Chief of the Stealth Force and Captain of the 2nd Division. However, after a number of...circumstantial evidence was brought to Head Captain Furuidensho, it was almost certain that she had been planning revenge against the Soul Society. Thus she was sent to assassinate her, your mother and did so without any real struggle. She did suffer an extreme mental episode afterwards...she became what they call 'crazy' and she killed a few of the Punishment Force officers trying to subdue her and it came to a one-on-one battle between her and the Captain. All I know is that they beat each other up real good, but she seemed to escape with her life, and she's been MIA ever since." Hana spun her mug by the rim half heartedly, watching Braeburn's facial reactions and awaited any response to what she's spoken about.

Throughout the first wave of the explanation, Braeburn had a calm and attentive look about his face. He knew the story about himself clearly well, considering that he had said the same thing to Kukkyona. So it was given the impression that he would take everything else the same way.

However, his eyes widened upon the sight of his mother and his sister mentioned, and he could only hold that gaze as Hana spoke nothing but accurate information about her family. He remained silent, but the shock was all too evident to him. His grip on his mug subconsciously tightened as the words rang within his ears. Memories came back to him, and for a moment, he was brought back to the world in where he had been betrayed and nearly killed by his own peers. A shiver ran down his spine, but he had to smile at the fact that she had explained everything within a matter of seconds.

"You have the memory of a bloody elephant, don't you?" He commended her. "Everything you said is right on the money. I only got word of my sister's and old man's abandonment of the Gotei 13 after my own, a few months later. But I was personally there to see my sister fight against the Captain herself. At that time, I had still been trapped within the Seireitei and had stumbled across the scene while trying to escape. The sad thing is.... I think my sister had the best way of going out. While I was struck down and left for dead, she went out fighting against a Gotei 13 Captain. Shows us who got the better out of both ends...."

Following this, he let out a heavy sigh, lowering his head down for a moment in thought. "I told Kukkyona that I came back in order to reconcile my differences and rejoin the Gotei 13. But after what's happened.... I don't think it was destined for me to be within their ranks. If anything.... my family and I seem to be more accustomed opposing them, whether we wish to or not."

"I have to agree with you there," Hana said, turning around to face him, the stool squeaked of leather and metal, before she crossed her arms, looking at him seriously, "you, by terms of your record and what I've seen in your personality, aren't cut out to follow direct orders and give undying loyalty, at the cost of your life. No, you seem more like a survivalist, a lone wolf, a tracker...someone who's used to going undercover and evading detection for long periods of time, but knows when to cooperate with small numbers to take on impossible missions one cannot overcome by one self."

"So what do I do?" Braeburn cocked an eyebrow and looked at her questioningly, slightly surprised by her response.

"By the barbs on the Punisher's ass, you are dense!" Shouted Takashi, finishing a final crack of his pool stick and striking the last ball into the hole, looking upwards before grinning toothily, "she's trying to recruit you, dumbass!" This earned a twitching-eye glare from the McTavish, as he clearly did not like the playful taunts directed towards his person.

"Not one for common sense, is he?" Asked the blonde that Takashi hit on earlier as she passed by and went towards the kitchen, opening a fridge with a click and low hum as a wave of frosty mist came out, showing perfeclty preserved gourmet items.

"Taking on a mission to Hell ain't the brightest thing in the world," mused the bartending agent, smirking at her response.

After Hana snickered, she looked at Braeburn questionably, winking at him, "What do you say, Brae-san? Would you like to join the Deep Cover Ops?"

After retracting his comically irritated looks towards the rest of them, Braeburn resolved himself to a more thoughtful look. He turned towards the bar counter, rested his arms on it, and folded his hands while leveling them in front of his face. The way that Hana had presented it, it was so easy! Join them and he could put his skills to good use for an organization that wouldn't give him a hard time about his beliefs. Have a relaxing time within places like where he was and become a chick magnet, while still being a rather badass quota? Who wouldn't want that?

He did.

But he also knew that it just wasn't his time. Not yet...

Turning to face Hana once more, he gave a mirthful smile. "If the offer's still open later on.... then maybe I'll consider it." He said. "But it's just like you said... I'm a lone wolf. I go by my own standards and rules, live by what I do, and I prefer to act by what I believe in. Right now, in this point in time, it's just not my style to do that." He scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "After this, I think I'm gonna go out and look for my old man and my sister, if they haven't found me first. Otherwise, I'm going to still be left with the thought that they've gotten themselves into more trouble that they can handle, you know?"

"You do realize you'll have your records wiped clean when you join the D.C.O., right?" Takashi voiced his own opinion, not out of outright wanting for Braeburn to join but to state obvious facts to someone who would know nothing about them, "besides...who else do you think has the resources and capabilities of finding your family more than us? No offense to your incredible record of keeping off the grid, as you would think so, but you're not as resourceful as you would make yourself-"

"Thank you, Taka-baka!" the blonde came over with a alcoholic beverage in hand, before rolling her eyes before taking a swig, earning a scowl from Takashi for being misnamed and verbally ridiculed.

Hana sighed, shaking her head before turning her attention back to Braeburn, saying honestly, "I understand the offer is last minute and WE are in the middle of a war, but I was thinking of it as small, slow act of...reintegrating yourself back into a group you worked well in and keep yourself from turning into a nomadic hermit. No offense," she winked at him playfully before crossing her arms, cocking her hips to the side and looked thoughtfully behind half shaded eyes from her bangs, giving her a mysterious, yet sensual look.

"Well, if she's trying to swoon me in by visual appeal, she's doing a real good job...."

"None taken...." Braeburn answered smoothly. "But..." He squinted his eyes and turned his head a little off to the side, raising a slightly waving finger. "What if I don't want to be reintegrated, at this particular moment in time? Hm?" His tone was pondering and curious, and he meant the question as a means to test her. "The benefits seem to weigh higher than the disadvantages, but we are in a middle of a war and our roles could change just like that. I prefer not to be caught in a corner..."

"Then I'll have to slap you to your senses to come to our side. Again," she added with a snicker, remembering her time slapping him in Hell, reawakening his resolve to fight through embarassment and strong language. She didn't expect him to take the offer outright, but she hoped that he would see reason.

"We're really not part of the society we protect anyways," the woman behind the bar spoke, nodding to Takashi, "besides Takashi, who's a 3rd Seat to the 11th Division, there are some of us who are members solely to the D.C.O. . Reserve members like him are people who like to pretend they live life in society while still doing our dirty work."

"You make it sound like I'm being lazy!" Takashi called out indignantly, puffing out his chest and pointing his nose and chin upwards, "I'll have you know I do just as many missions as you do, and as much work."

"As well as the same amount of free time too," she corrected him, earning her a scowl before she laughed back at him.

"You do seem like quite the dynamic group, though...." Braeburn commented, his expression somewhat earnest. "What, can I relate you to a mercenary group or something like that?"

"The only mercenary around here is Taka-bak-" the blonde from earlier felt a spit wad come from a straw, earning her a growl as she tackled Takashi, creating a comical cloud of dust as they kicked, punched, pulled hair, and everything associated with a mad brawl.

Hana stared blankly at the fighting, before she turned her attention seriously back to Braeburn, "We're the people you don't hear about doing the things that are both seen and unseen. We're Black Ops, giving us freedom to act as we see fit and do what we can under our own rules, within reason. We have only one real superior but he acts more as a overseer than a actual boss, always seeing the bigger picture and all that. Since we stem a lot of our resources from two of the Gotei 13's Divisions we do have to be careful how much collateral damage we create for fear of losing face with Central 46 or the Head Captain, otherwise we pretty much act anyway as a freelance group can act. Does that answer your question, Brae-san?"

For a moment, Braeburn's expression was blank and neutral, having gradually shifted to that since Hana had spoken to him. He pondered what Hana just said for a moment more, contemplating that as well as the previous words exchanged within the room. All of it seemed so attractive, even if it wasn't Hana's "eye-candy". With every word spoken, it appealed more and more to his interests. No boss... no rules... just him. This made him smirk toothily, the blank look in his eyes shifting to match it.

"Not only did it answer, but you're making me reconsider my option...."

"A rebel, huh?" The blonde looked at Braeburn up and down, subconsciously licking her lips before smiling at him, "I could get used to that."

"You're a classic, boy who hates authorities type, ain't you?" Takashi jeered, though snorted afterwards, saying, "half of the Reserve Members would agree with your view on authority more than you would know, man."

Hana almost let out a sight of relief, looking at him thankfully, "Thank you for giving it more thought, Brae-san! Despite all the necessary work with getting you officially signed up and introduced to the rest of this HQ's gang, feel free to take your time getting the idea accustomed to your mind. Once you join, your life will never be the same again from here on out," she winked at him before stretching out her arms, letting her chest inadverdantly bulge out for all eyes to see, showing the hourglass delicious curves and endowed chest behind the skin-tight bodysuit.

A comically suspicious look crossed Braebun's face.

"Ok, she's been doing that a lot....and the mind of a woman can be a dangerous one, indeed..."

"Hey." He commented in a lightly protesting manner, raising a wagging finger towards Hana. "Just because I find you pretty doesn't mean it's going to be the main reason why I'm under reconsideration." He followed this up with a coy smirk. "Even if I just took a drink, I'm not that stupid."

As Hana righted herself up, she gave him a blank stare and a coy look, holding a finger up to her mouth as it made a 'o', "Me? What are you implying, Brae-san? Are you saying that I purposely lrued you here into the D.C.O.'s HQ to...what, seduce you?"

Takashi, at that moment, burst out laughing, to the point where he rolled on the ground laughing, beathing his hat against the ground in increduality, "You're a piece...*snort* of work...*snort*...you know that *snort*?! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

That immediately directed Braeburn's attention to the laughing 11th Division member - as well as snapped the last threads of his patience.

"OK, THAT'S IT!!! YOU'RE DEAD, YOU BOWL-HEADED NARCISSIST!!!"

With a comical yell as well as an equally comical vein popping on his head, the Australian lunged at Takahashi and proceeded to unleash another attack involving a dust cloud, punched punches, kicked kicks, and a lot of foreign swearing.... from Braeburn's part, at least.

As Hana leaned back, smiling at the comical fight unfolding before her, she saw the bartender agent fill up her mug again, looking over at the scene with a arched brow of curiosity, "You really think he has what it takes?"

"Besides the fact he went off the grid and has evaded the Stealth Force on multiple occasions, I think he's perfectly suited for the job," the blonde said, taking a seat beside Hana, looking over Hana's shoulder with a sly grin, "not to mention he isn't half bad looking..."

"Please," Hana said with a roll of her eyes, looking back at her friends, taking a sip of her drink before turning back to the fight, "if you saw him and his capabilities, he's more than qualified than over half the Reserve agents on staff, not to mention a number of agents I know personally..."

"I think he's Takashi's caliber, in speaking of skill alone," the blonde said, half interested in the brawl before them and saw that neither gained ground from what she could see, "and from what you've said of his swordsmandship, he might entertain our resident sword prodigy immensely."

"I just hope he doesn't mind who our 'overseer' is," the bartender agent said before going back behind the coutner, disappearing from sight.

"He'll be fine," Hana said as she got up and walked over to the brawl, watching them both aim fists towards each other's bruise covered faces. She then moved like a blur, deftly crouching down between them as she caught their fists full on, with audible cracking sounds of bone meeting her palms, saying before flipping them both off their feet with a graceful, smooth gesture, "as long as you behave, that is."

As Takashi's back met the floor, he let out a long curse and groaned out, "Hana...I was handling it...honest..."

If Braeburn was showing any sign of injury (which he was, considering he had a black eye and several scratches), he wasn't showing it. The only response from him as he lay on his back was a growl in both of their directions. But, of course, it was more comical than anything else. So he really wasn't angry at either of them. It was a sign that he was accepting them.

Hana smiled, turning over to Braeburn and looked at him thoughtfully. She crouched down onto her haunches, reaching a hand just above his chest, smiling at him, "What do you think, Brae-san? You in?"

Of course, this diverted Braeburn's attention back to the female D.C.O. operator. His angry expression shifted to a slightly surprised one, and he looked at her for only a brief two seconds. Then, a small grin crossed his face, and he reached out to grab her hand so that he could pull himself back up to his feet.

"Do you need to ask? Of course I'm in. I've got nothing to lose..."

"Glad to hear it," Hana said with a smile, pulling him up to his feet, inadverdantly *supposedly* stepping on one of Takashi's hands, ushering a yelp, "and you might as well help yourself to the dressing room. Its over there and its got the same material suits in different sizes so help yourself to anything over there," she pointed over to the wardrobe dressing area.

"Let me check on how everyone's doing outside," said the blonde as she began viewing things through a projected hologram cam, switching from view to view, all of which were planted by D.C.O. operatives throughout the city for both discreet viewing but wide angles as well.

After regarding her for a moment, Braeburn eventually shrugged lightly and decided to humor the woman. He found it a bit odd for some reason to be shown a dressing room right after what seemed like incarceration. But Hana knew what she was doing, and she had been in this program longer than he had been. With a slight nod, he turned on his heel and walked away in order to choose his own personal attire.

"What's the status, Yōki-chan?" Hana walked over casually, staring at the projected holographic image that kept flicking back and forth between camera angles.

The blonde, now known as Yōki, shook her head, saying mirthfully, "I have to get to a bigger angle. Most of this was to determine suspicious activity on the INSIDE not the outside. I'll try to get one near one of the pylons..."

"Doesn't the output of the pylons scramble visual instruments?" The bartender agent came back, leaning on her arms and looked forward, her cleavage resting generously onto the countertop.

"NOT true!" Takashi raised a hand up in the air, his tanned hand pointed at the group of girls, his bruised face not kept from grinning knowingly, "due to more upgrades by the boss, they should be unaffected by the output of the pylons stationed around Yurei Okuko."

"Anymore questions, Rokotsu?" Yōki asked the bartender agent, now dubbed Rokotsu, whom merely gave her a dirty look, sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes while pressing noticably down on her expansive chest.

"I have one!" Takashi called out, now looking mirthfully over his shoulder at where Braeburn could be seen entering the dressing room area on the far side of the establishment before he rolled his eyes, looking at Hana, "what gives you the bright idea to bring in a suspect in a potentially dangerous case that STILL hasn't been cleared. Heck! Even that scary Lieutenant from the 12th Division is on the verge of finding a culprit and he STILL hasn't ruled him out from what I've heard-"

"Takashi," Hana said flatly, before giving him a death glare, a towering visage of anger with a lightning flash behind her eyes as she began cracking her knuckles threateningly, "you want to throw him out, you're gonna have to go through me!"

Takashi stepped back carefully, waving his hands up before dipping his hat to cover his face, saying, "Hey, if you want to keep your toy, just say so. I just don't want him stabbing me in the back is all..."

"You're paranoid," Yōki rolled her eyes before flipping her hair to the side, saying plainly, "Taka-baka!"

Takashi growled, before turning around, heading to the sofa before laying back and covering his face with his straw hat, his suit wrinkled in sync with the couch, "Leave me out of this...I'm done trying to make a point around here..."

"When have you EVER made a point around here?!" Rokotsu asked, laughing giddily while snickering at her male companion.

"Shattup!" Takashi said indignantly, flipping off the girls before flopping his arm down and tried to shut his eyes out of the world.

"In all seriousness," Yōki looked over to Hana, crossing her arms over her slender, tall figure, "can he be trusted? You've but met him in just one day and you're convinced because he wanted to save face by fighting a evil that could've destroyed us all might not make him our ally, just a temporary resource."

"I'm serious," Hana said with a stalwart stare back at her friend, then at Rokotsu, saying confidently, "as much baggage as he has with the Gotei 13 and with his family involved with the Red Sun, he's NOT an enemy. Give him time, and he'll get used to the idea of working in our covert unit."

"You're the only one of us who's covert," Rokotsu snickered, smiling with a reassured air about her after seeing Hana and hearing her speak, "but yeah, I'm sure he'll be fine."

Takashi couldn't help but hearing all the girls reassure themselves and ask amongst them of the newcomer. The only few words Takashi could think of at the moment as he muttered under his breath, "F'ing girl talk."

"THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I AM WEARING THIS."

WHAM!

Braeburn immediately stormed out of the dressing room, a mad, twitching look in his eye. He had indeed found his own suit and what-not; his was a darkened bluish color. From the looks of things, the suit that he had chosen fit perfectly. However, if one looked closely enough, it fit around him in a way that made it seem like he had curves. Needless to say, whatever chauvinism he had concerning himself was going to be worn down.

"D-did the the designers only manage to think about the women when they made these things?!" He snapped, glaring down at his newfound outfit. "Look at me!"

Rokotsu gawked in a incredulous manner, asking aloud, "Did you read the gender tags right, Brae-kun? I think you might have a female suit on..."

"Keep it," Yōki said with a sly grin, both earning Hana and Rokotsu's bewildered stares, before she crossed her arms while looking him up and down, "I think he's sexy."

Hana slapped her face with the palm of her hand, muttering, " Yōki, please keep us out of your bizarre fetishes for right now," she turned over to look at Braeburn, frowning a bit as she crossed her arms, "Takashi never had a problem with the suits...did you look through them carefully?"

"Every one of them were the same!" Braeburn said, folding his arms across his chest and huffing. "And yes, I don't just carelessly stick my hand where the female section is! This is a men's suit! And it doesn't even look manly!"

Takashi couldn't help but snicker as he looked at Braeburn's getup, calling out to him, "Boy! I'll bet you'll knock a LOT of ladies off their feet in THAT getup! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Hana inwardly steamed, but tried to keep a straight face, crossing her arms, "There are other 'older models' D.C.O. agents used to wear. What you're wearing is the closest thing you can get to a Whisper or Shadow Squad suit...want me to help you pick out something not as...well, updated?"

"Awwwww, why?" Yōki whined, walking over to Braeburn, wrapping a arm around him and surprisingly leaned a taller frame against his, feeling up his side, "I really find this delicious on him."

"Yōki, stop flirting with the new guy!" Rokotsu fussed at Yōki, whom merely shrugged, giving a firm squeeze to his butt before winking at him as she walked over and leaned on the countertop.

At the goose movement, Braeburn's eyes widened and his pupils shrank to comical levels, and he had to involuntarily arch his back out of surprise. However, when Yōki started walking past her, he gave her a suspicious glare with one of his eyes twitching again in an unamused expression.

"Ok, at first, I thought that was a good sign, but now...."

Closing his eyes and letting out an irritated sigh, Braeburn folded his arms across his chest. "You know what? I just can't find the motivation to go back and look for another one. So I'm just going to swallow my pride as well as an overwhelming urge to beat the hell out of that 11th Division bastard and deal with what I have." He sniffed.

Hana arched her brow before shaking her head, smiling subtly as she walked past him, "I'm going to find you something that gives you back your dignity...even if it kills you."

"Yōki, why does it look good on him?" Rokotsu whispered to her in confusion.

"Just look at him," Yōki acknowledged her, waving her hand in his direction, "wouldn't you love to get a body-to-body massage with him wearing that?"

Rokotsu looked at Braeburn thoughtfully, unaware of any hostile looks he would throw at her before she smiled brightly looking over to Yōki, "That's so hot! I think you may be corrupting me, Yōki-chan!"

"Pffft, told you I would one day," Yōki winked at her pointedly, before reflexsively licking her lips as she looked over at Braeburn's direction.

"Yeah, I feel as though I should abandon myself from this conversation."

A blank glare directed over at the two women, Braeburn once again decided to take another look at himself, slightly posing for a better view. "You know...." He started, cocking an eyebrow slightly. "I just might be acting too overdramatic about this. Considering that I'm only going to be wearing this whenever I'm actually doing the work, it's really not that bad. Considering it's the updated ones, I can't really be too picky over simple appearance alone...."

"Yeah, I bet people will pay you good money to showboat your 'slender, curvy figure,' Brae-hime. HAHAHAHA-OW!" Takashi began to jeer, only finding himself smacked by a shoe with a high heel shoe, the heel landing smack dab onto his forehead sending him sprawling back onto the couch, writhing in pain.

"Shut it, idiot," Hana came over to Braeburn, giving him a unreadable and hidden look before bowing her head. The bangs on her eyes covered most of her eyes, overshadowing any real emotion she had but as she lifted a dusty, previously cob-webbed box to Braeburn about 1 1/2 meters long and matte black, with unlocked rusting latches and a stained-over insignia on the top of the lid, "I...thought you should have this. It will probably be more fit for you and it served its purpose well...it shouldn't collect dust anymore."

Rokotsu gasped, a her eyes widening as her breath became halted as she said aloud barely, "I-Is that...?"

Yōki bowed her head, looking away from both Braeburn and Hana, as the air became somewhat unsettlingly quiet, as even Takashi shut up as soon as he saw what Hana was holding out to him.

"Hm?"

Braeburn cocked an eyebrow, passing a glance to everyone within the room. He could feel the air instantly turn from jovial to tense in less than an instant. If anything, he could tell that the gift that he was recieving had some tragic back-story. He let out a quiet sigh, turning to meet Hana's hidden gaze with his eyebrow lowered. He was tempted to ask if Hana was sure of this or not, but he did not want to take what she had for granted.

"This might come to bite me later on.... but I don't want to look like a jerk."

The Australian Shinigami reached out and relieved Hana of the box, taking in a deep breath and blowing off the cobwebs. "This wouldn't happen to have previously belonged to a deceased comrade of yours, would it...?" He questioned her, keeping a casual but serious tone in his words.

Hana kept her gaze down before she turned around, and began walking towards a door on the far side of the hideout, opening it swiftly before closing it just as quickly, the reverberations of the shut door echoed for a brief few seconds.

As the silenced ticked on to a few minutes, Rokotsu looked at Braeburn curiously, asking him bluntly, "Do you have feelings for Hana, Brae-kun?"

"Lay off him, Rokotsu," Yōki said with a slightly venomous bite to it, before looking apologetically to her, then looked at Braeburn, crossing her arms, "the man who used that box, was a former operative when the D.C.O. was formed as well as one of Hana's partners. She became...attached to him, and he to her. It didn't end well for either of them and he's never returned from his last op.

Unfortunately for the Gotei 13, he was a reserve member who also served as the 8th Division's Lieutenant, so the loss of him was staggering and Hana's involvement as his partner had to be kept under wraps. Meaning, she couldn't come to his memorial service or anything to do with him, not even speak to his kin."

This time, Braeburn's sigh was much heavier. "I see...." He muttered. Of course, he was too much of a lone wolf to let such rules stop him whenever he wanted to do something. However, someone more devoted would have a much tougher time dealing with such restrictions to human need. It made him wonder if what Takashi had said had been nothing but a pointless boast to cover up a lie.

"So I can safely say this wasn't given to me out of a desire to earn it..." He said, his tone serene but having a slightly bitter sound to it. "But rather, she just wanted to get all of the skeletons out of her closet...to forget completely about him." He couldn't help but feel that he had just been used, that Hana had put him in a place to make herself feel better. Was that truly what was happening here....?

"Oh boo-hoo!" Takashi said, having deftly walked over to Braeburn without ushering a sound while letting the morbidness sink in what Braeburn and the others said, he couldn't stand it, "cry me a river, bub. If you think Hana's the only one who got skeletons in the closet, then you ought to get that foot out of your mouth. She did that because she had already FORGOT about him. She wanted to give you this old, damned box to you as a gift, not as a sentimental closure to make herself feel better!" He poked Braeburn in the chest a couple of times, his eyes glared as they narrowed at him, nearly nose-to-nose with the australian, "and let me make something clear. If you even go as far as try to make yourself FEEL better while hurting HER in the process, I swear I'll feed you your enrtails. Capiche?!" He snarled out, both Rokotsu and Yōki stayed silent, though the prior had her eyes wide open at seeing Takashi so pissed, not liking it when he is.

"....stop it."

Braeburn did not react violently to the anger that Takashi had projected to him. He furrowed his eyebrows slightly, a neutral frown on his face as he stared into the furious eyes of the 11th Division Shinigami. "You don't even know what you're speaking of, do you?" He asked him, the slight bitterness turning into irritation. "You can annoy the hell out of me, but I know you're not a complete fool. So don't act like it." With that, he allowed himself to turn away from them, walking off to the direction of the dressing room. "I'm quite thankful that Hana gave me this as a gift... but don't expect me to wear it any time soon."

He stopped for a moment, looking over his shoulder.

"I was the target for a gun. I prefer not to be the trigger this time around."

With that, he turned and walked off once more.

"Tch!" Takashi simply hissed out, before throwing his hands up, "to Hell with him for all I care!"

"Takashi," Rokotsu tried calling out to him, who merely thumbed towards Yōki.

"Tell me when the fireworks start and when the order is given. I'm grabbing a nap!" With that, he walked over to the couch before pulling a cot out from underneath the cusions, then firmly collapsing ontop of it, his hat covering the expanse of his head.

Yōki sighed as she watched Braeburn walk off, "Do you want me to find you a place to rest in the meantime?"

"No need, I'm not tired...." Braeburn stopped once again before he could go out of earshot. "Thanks for making me feel welcome here, but I don't plan on staying. I've got my own places to go before the first blows are exchanged." He gave a small, weak smile in her general direction before making the steps to complete his trek to the dressing room, shutting the door behind him.

The two girls in sync closed their eyes tightly and pouted their lips as the door was slammed. Rokotsu sighed sadly, and Yōki looked at the door where Braeburn entered thoughtfully.

"I don't want him to leave," Rokotsu said honestly, but spoke in a whispered tone, "he doesn't seem like a bad guy and I think he'll like it here."

"Rok-chan, if he doesn't want to stay here, he doesn't have to. I think he's trying to get a breather and think. After all," Yōki looked toward the door while crossing her arms, her gaze softening, "after what he's been through, he certainly doesn't need to be in a place like this half-heartedly. When he's fully commited to this idea, he'll come around."

"What if he leaves and doesn't come back?" Rokotsu asked with a fearful gasped.

"Who said we weren't following him?" Yōki smiled with a wide, toothy grin making Rokosu smile with her in the exact manner, both donning eerily twinkling eyes.