Soul Knights: The Time of Shadows

ACT1
{| border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" {| border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%" Gabriel was moving down the hallway at a hurried pace. It was as wide as a highway, with the ceiling of even greater height. The sun passed trough the decorated windows high above, giving the imagery on them all the more vibrant colors, and casting light on the murals below. This entire hallway was a work of art, designed to remind everyone coming to or going from the central chamber of the history of Avalon and the duty and role of the Soul Knights. Indeed, the entire design of this area of the castle was made with art in mind, not defense. This lone, long hallway, suspended over air like a bridge, led from the main castle complex and into the circular gathering chamber. Names of honored knights were engraved along the walls, and a carpet or rich red was rolled the entire way.
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Even before Gabriel reached the large doors and started opening them, he already heard his brothers voice in his head.

''"A bit late, aren't we?" ''

"Got a bit held up." - he replied via his soul link - ''"How are the Twins?" ''

He received an equal of a mental shrug ''"I'd say irritated. But it's hard to tell." ''

Sighing, he pushed the doors open and walked in, immediately feeling eyes falling upon him. The huge circular room was dominated by 8 large status of knights along the walls. Tables following the shape of the room have been arranged in a circle, leaving the impression of a single, large round table with a giant hole in the middle. There were more people here then he expected. All of the paladins were present, including their second in command. It was clear something was going on.

"Forgive my late arrival Knight-Commanders." - Gabriel bowed his head in respect of the leaders of the Soul Knights, the Aiorlos twins.

"You are forgiven brother-Captain. Now take your seat so we can begin." - one of the brothers replied. He was never sure which, for their personality and manners were almost the same.

Without hesitation he sat down next to his bond brother. Uriel - for a change - didn't have his customary cigarette hanging from his mouth, nor his shades. The Twin Stars of Avalon were not too big on decorum, but they were respected and feared, so around them, everyone behaved.

Gabriel looked around. 3rd Division was here in full. Samael and Phanuel, the "odd" and fatal pairing, with 2 of their Knight-Ascendants (lieutenants). He still couldn't phantom the slip-up that had to happen for them to be paired. Despite their near fatal reaction to the bonding process and the violently clashing personalities, they were exceptionally skilled individuals in their fields and worked great together.

The beauties of the 4th were present was well, but with only 1 lieutenant. Haniel and Ariel were called the roses of Avalon, their beauty only matched by their skill in combat. Ariel in particular was someone one didn't want to cross, for her nickname "the lioness" mirrored her ferocity.

And finally the 5th Division. Anael and Raphael. One of the rare male-female pairs, both masterful healers. And truly many in Avalon had their hearts broken when they finally married. He had to admit that he also felt a tint of jealousy at Raphael.

Gabriels thoughts were interrupted by the Knight-Commander thundering voice.

"This meeting will now come to order!" - Azraels voice was stern and commanding - "I called you here today because Avalon faces a situation that may endanger it's existence.... Our security was breached. An unknown intruder attempted to gain access to one of our portals. He failed, but one of the guards was slain and he escaped."

There was a soft murmur in the room.

"What exactly do we know about the intruder at this point?" - Samael, in his usual calm manner, started with the most pertinent question.

The other twin stepped up and pointed at the map of Avalon and the surrounding area.

"The initial breach was made in the town of Varla. The intruder slipped past the basic surveillance, broke into the basement of the bakery, killed the guard at the portal and attempted to activate it. However, the activation technique he used was one for typical shinigami portals. We haven't used the same method in centuries. As soon as the attempt failed, he fled."

"So he went straight towards the bakery?" - Phanuel was sitting with one of his arms crossed over his stomach, holding the other as it stroked his chin. He was visibly worried - "How did he know the location of the hidden portal? Are we talking about a traitor within our ranks?"

"It is possible" - the old man Azrael replied, his eyes scanning everyone in the room - "but it could also be the intruder found out about it in another way. Or simply noticed something strange about the bakery and investigated."

"I find that highly unlikely" - argued Ariel - "If someone was just investigating something strange, why kill the guard? Also, it's too much of a coincidence for my liking."

Samael interjected: "Whether he had internal help or not, we should focus on identifying the intruder. Without knowing who he is or who he is working for, we are stumbling in the dark."

"There is more" - Brachiel made a calming gesture with his hand - "if you would stop interjecting I will continue."

He made a short pause and then continued: "The guard was killed instantly. He was a promising Knight-Aspirant, which means the attacker must have been at least of a level of strong lieutenant. Or a Captain. Furthermore, the spiritual residue, tough faint, points at an outsider. A shinigami to be more precise."

The room was filled with silence.

"Soul Society has found us." - Uriel finally broke the silence. There was agitation in his voice - "Is that what you're telling us?"

Azrael rose up. "It is highly possible. But, we must not forget that there are other shinigami outside of Soul Society's command structure. Mercenaries, rebels, outcasts. Soul Society is not as unified as many think. Yet this event has shown just how out of touch we currently are with the world."

He begun pacing around the room, arms behind his back.

"Seireitei has increased it's security. The few spies we have are all commoners, and what we hear are rumors. But those give a pretty damning picture. Things are in motion, both in Soul Society and in the Real World. We have isolated ourselves and sat in the shadows for far too long, and now we pay the price. Our first others of business is therefore to gather information and prepare."

"For war?" - Anael exclaimed with trepidation. The forces of Soul Society outnumbered them severely. In an open conflict, things would look grimm for Avalon, and everyone in the room knew it.

Azrael cast a glance in her direction without stopping - "Let's hope it won't come to that....Since the Soul Society is our primary suspect, we will have a small force infiltrate Seireitei..more specifically, the Research Division. Gather what information you can, especially about their captains. If it comes to a war, we will need every advantage we can get."

Stopping in his stride, he turned towards the window overlooking the city below

"Gabriel and Uriel, I will give that task to you. Remember, your order is to gather information and nothing else. Avoid conflict or detection at all cost. We still do not know with certainty if they are on to us, so be as discrete as possible."

"And if we get compromised?" - inquired Gabriel

"Then I will be severely disappointed in your abilities... You are authorized to use whatever means necessary to escape. But also use your judgment."

"Excuse me Sir, but what about the rest of us?" - The question came from Raziel. A gifted knight who already reached the rank of Knight-Ascendant, despite his young age. But he was also highly impulsive and arrogant, traits that only time and experience will hammer out of him. Brachael took over the floor.

"There are tasks for others naturally. We will not be gathering information just from Seireitei. Soul Society maintains increased contact with the Real World in several locations. Strong spirit energy and rumors confirm that shinigami and gifted humans are mixing together in schools and colleges of all places. Thus, we will have to send someone to take a look there. And you and Michael would be perfect for that job. You will fit right in."

Michaels facial expression barely changed, but Gabriel could tell he didn't look forward to working with Raziel. It wasn't a secret why: Micheal was heavily disciplined and seemed emotionless at times and Raziel grated at his nerves.

"If the Knight-Commander so commands, it will be done."

Brachael nodded, adjusting his white mustache with his finger: "I don't have to remind you that your task will be to monitor and gather data. Single out individuals you think may work with shinigami. Observe them."

"And if they are attacked by Hollows or get into a battle?" - inquired Michael

"If they have high spiritual pressure, they should be capable of taking care of themselves. Intervene only if strictly necessary."

Again taking over for his brother, Azrael returned to the table.

"We will also have to increase our security and defenses. Prepare for possible further infiltrations. This is what the rest of you will be doing. Now, 4th Division, you will be assigned the following tasks..."

At this point Gabriel tuned out, lost in thought. The ramification of what will happen in the next few days may be colossal. And he will be in the thick of it.

ACT3
Surprisingly, entry into the inner city was easy. There was a lot of activity and tension in the air, with many shinigami on patrols, but no one so far had stopped them. Seems like they were expecting a foreign intrusion, and not an infiltration by other shinigami. The pair reached the research institute without incident and made a casual stroll around the large building. It was well guarded, with tight security around all potential secondary entrances, like windows.

Gabriel frowned and unsheated his sword. Uriel just gave a satisfied smirk.

"Looks like we'll be going trough the main door, eh?"

"Seems like it. You know what to do."

Both men ducked inside an alley and cast kido designed to muffle their sounds and hide their presence. In adition, Gabriel used his shikai ability to bend light, makign them invisible to the naked eye. Like two specters they waited next to the main gate for any activity. When one shinigami finally exited the building, the slipped past. The first hurdle was overcome.

Slowly and quietly they made their way forward, keeping an eye for any traps or security measures.

"This place is like a maze. Whoever designed it was a madman." Gabriel couldn't but concur. The design was very weird, but it didn't stop their progress. They spent two hours walking around the building, trying to memorize the layout and finding points of interest. Then they finally found a databse room. It was - naturally - locked. The door required a keycard and a password and seemed an automatic type. They used the same tactics as before. They would wait. Uriel pulled out a pack of smokes from his attire and put one in his mouth.
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"Don't. The smell might attract attention. Besides, the smoke will make it harder for me to keep us hidden."

He recieved a euqal of a mental chuckle as a response "Relax brother. Brachiel made these for me. No smoke, smell or ashes. They are even healthy for you... Want one?"

"You know I don't smoke. Why do you always ask?"

"Force of habbit I guess." - he made a whatever gesture -  "More for me then."

They waited outside the door for what seemed forever, but their patience paid off. A researcher walked down the corridor with cup of coffe in one hand. He took a sip while looking at a file folder, oblivious to everything around him. Reaching the door he pulled out a key cared and punched in some security codes, prompting the door to open. It would close as soon as he entered, giving them no time to slip in. Gabriel quickly threw a coin he pilfered from one of the drunken patrons back in Rukongai, so it looked like it fell out of the reseraches garb. The man turned around to pick it up giving them the opportunity they needed.

The room was not very large and all it seemed to house was a central computer and some sorounding machienery. The scientist walked in, logged into the computer and started working. Gabriel took a glance over the mans shoulder to see what he was working on, and he seemed to be inputing raw statistical data on the daily life in Sieretei.

"This assigment seems to consist of nothing but waiting."

"The trurly glorious life of a spy doesn't suit you, brother?"

''"I'm wondering why I tagged along, Gabriel. You seem capable of handling this by yourself. Isn't that why the old men sent you in the first place?" ''- the thoughts were colored mostly with a playfull jab, but there was some irritation beneath

"While my powers are helpfull in a task like this, and while there are others in Avalon with similar abilities, we do need a lot power if caught. You come in handy at times."

"Are you selling yourself short on my account? I'm touched."

They resumed their waiting. The scientist seemed tireless. Uriel was on his 5th cigarette.

"Can we do something to motivate him to leave? Maybe if we were to put some laxative in his drink?"

"Do you happen to have laxative on you?"

"I wish I did....Move already you stupid fart!...fart? FART?" - Uriels thoughts now had a sinister undertone - "I bet that would motivate him to leave the room."

Before they could finish discussing their strategy the man rose up from his seat, yawned and stetched and walked out. He left the computer on and was still logged on. Meaning he would be back soon. They had little time. Uriel quickly started sifting trough the data and copying it on a data disk, while Gabriel listened for footsteps outside the door. It didn't take long for the scientist to return.

"He's back. Grab what you can and lets get out of here!"

Uriel pulled out the disk and was next to Gabriel in an instant. The man opened the droor, but left no room for them to slip trough. Thinking quickly, Gabriel fired a tiny laser beam from his sword, as low-powered as could manage, striking the man in the arm with the coffe. He jerker instinctively, spilling some of the dark beverage and taking a step back, cursing it. They both moved past and were on their way to the exit.

"So, how much did we manage to get?" - asked Gabriel

"A lot. I started several copy procedures, one for each data folder. That way, even if the procedure terminated, we would still have a bit of everything. Figured it would gives us a better picture of what's going on."

"Smart move. But let's not get careless now. They're bound to figure out someone copied data, sooner or later. Beast we be long gone by then."