Post by Knowledge on Dec 2, 2012 23:24:11 GMT -5
Participants
+ Kyousuke Tsukimiya
+ Jasper Aizawa
Kyousuke Tsukimiya was adapting well to Gilgamesh's rule of Seireitei and the Gotei 6. A week had passed since Kyousuke had been released from the Maggot's Nest and appointed captain of the Second Division, and he had immediately started making subtle changes. His induction ceremony, he was told, had been beautiful. He would've seen it for himself had he bothered to attend, but he hadn't showed up. There was always work to be done, and that day hadn't been an exception. He suspected some of his fellow captains were none too pleased with his flippant disregard for decorum, but he simply did not have time or energy for such trivial matters. For them, this was the calm before the storm. For Kyousuke, the storm had already broken.
Besides, any excuse not to wear the awful haori that signified his rank was welcome; Kyousuke avoided it like the plague, and during his week-long tenure thus far he had managed to only don it once. It reminded him too much of Satine and Kasumi for him to wear without feeling... Guilty? Was that what the sensation was? Guilt? Perhaps it was loss, Kyousuke wasn't quite certain. Kannaduki remained silent on the matter—reluctant, it seemed, to speak since Kyousuke had been released from his incarceration and reunited with his blade.
His office was spotless, as it had been since he had moved into it. Not a single sheet of paper was in sight, quite unlike his old office in the Fourth Division. Serving with the Research and Development Division hadn't necessitated the same level of secrecy, and on top of that, times had changed. All those years ago, it had been peacetime. Now Kyousuke was in charge of the Onmitsukidō as war loomed on the horizon, and he wasn't going to leave anything to chance, not when he stood to gain so much from something so... Easy. Kyousuke had been busy, and he was about to enjoy the fruits of his labor.
The Second Division's command annex, Kyousuke's home for lack of a better word, was empty save for the division's captain, and the not-quite-silence was relaxing. The muted chirping of cicadas in the neatly tended garden outside the sliding doors had been a nice change from the deathly silence of the cell he had occupied for the last year and a half, and Kyousuke had yet to grow tired of it.
He hastily scribbled a note to his lieutenant and left it on his desk, then unsheathed Kannaduki. A faint sound of static filled the air as Kyousuke cut through dimensional space and opened a gateway to the realm of the living, then he stepped through.
The late afternoon sun drenched the center of Karakura Town in warm orange light, and Kyousuke was surprised at how little everything had changed since he had last set foot in the little Tokyo suburb. It seemed like a lifetime ago, somehow, and tiny waves of nostalgia lapped up against the edges of his consciousness. He realized he wasn't far at all from the block that had been demolished when he had faked his death, and he wondered vaguely how different it would look now. He didn't have time to go see, of course—he was on a tight schedule, the intel had been very specific—but the curiosity was gnawing at him.
Perhaps later, he thought, before pulling out his faux-Hollow mask and putting it on. He settled it into place, then set off in the direction of the industrial district.
It felt strange, being back on the street where he had first met Kasumi all those years ago, knowing that she was dead. This is where the last chapter of her life had begun, and then the story of her life had come to an abrupt end some time later. Kyousuke had warned her, and she had ignored the advice. Now she was dead, and despite knowing that he was not to blame, Kyousuke still couldn't help but feel that he could have done more to save her.
He pushed the lingering thoughts from his mind, unwilling to dwell on it further. There was work to be done, and he needed to concentrate.
He took to the rooftops of the warehouses and made his way down toward the one he had been told was the location of the meeting, keeping his reiatsu suppressed to almost nonexistence. He was not going to risk detection.
Kyousuke's source had indicated there would be five secondary targets on location: two guards on the outside, one inside with the primary target, and the two the primary target was meeting with. They would no doubt be suppressing their presences, too, but Kyousuke had the advantage of knowing what he was looking for.
Sure enough, there was one of the guards on the rooftop. The black uniform was a dead giveaway, of course, and luckily, the man had his back turned toward Kyousuke. He quickly weighed his options, then decided to go for a quick, clean kill. He drew Kannaduki and flash stepped straight through the man, blade extended and braced for impact. The poor soul barely had enough time to grunt in pain as Kyousuke barreled into him and impaled him on the short blade, the momentum carrying the two of them over the rooftops halfway down the street. Kannaduki had pierced through the man's lung, and he was struggling just to breathe as he simultaneously bled out and suffocated. Kyousuke wrenched his zanpakutō free, barely registering that his arms were covered in blood before flash stepping back to where he had struck the man. He touched down softly, noting with a certain measure of pride that there was no sign of any scuffle at all. He made his way to the edge of the roof and peered down at the front door, finding the second guard.
The Shinigami was scanning the street, no doubt relying on his now-dead friend to provide overwatch, and Kyousuke was if nothing else somewhat impressed that even with the limited amount of people they had deployed, they had gone for the optimal setup. One on the roof, one out front is exactly what he had done in their place. They simply hadn't expected someone like him.
That won't save them, though, thought Kyousuke, as he extended an arm over the side of the building and flicked his fingers, sending a spatter of blood sailing down toward the pavement. It caught the guard's attention, and as he bent over to inspect it, Kyousuke was already whistling through the air at him. He landed solidly on the guard's back, and he buried Kannaduki up to her hilt in his neck, straight down. He died without a sound. Once more, Kyousuke pulled Kannaduki free of the warm body, wiped her blade on the dead man's clothes, and then climbed back up to the roof, where he had spotted a ventilation shaft. That would be his point of entry.
He gently pulled the grate free and sheathed his sword, then climbed in, taking care to be as silent as possible. The climb through the shaft was slow and arduous, but he had been through worse, and soon enough he was out on the other side, finding himself on a walkway near the ceiling of the warehouse. It was dimly lit, and Kyousuke found himself conveniently half-hidden in the shadows. Beneath him, in the center of the room, there were four figures, all wearing the black Shinigami uniform. Their voices were subdued and Kyousuke couldn't make out what they were saying, but it didn't matter. He instantly recognized the man he here to retrieve. He was easily the tallest man there, and he was the only one besides Kyousuke with black hair. From the way they were standing—two pairs of men facing one another—Kyousuke assumed that the one next to the tall one was another guard, which made the two opposite them the "potentials", as Kyousuke's source had so delicately put it.
All three of them would die today. Kyousuke leapt off the walkway, releasing the hold on his reiatsu as he did, letting it flare out violently as he flew through the air at the gathering of people below. He caught the two potentials' heads mid-air and slammed them face-first into the ground as he landed, crushing their skulls instantly and breaking his fall. He looked up from the carnage at the two remaining men, still in a half-crouch and ready to spring forward. Kyousuke's mask had been spattered with a stray spray of blood, the little droplets adding a grim splash of color to the otherwise chalk-white mask. The expression was as impassive as always, the wide slit of the mouth and the unexpressive eyes chilling.
Behind the mask, Kyousuke's jaw was set and his expression grim. Now there was only one obstacle left between him and his quarry. Preliminary forecasts didn't have the man lasting very long.
°1,500
+ Kyousuke Tsukimiya
+ Jasper Aizawa
Kyousuke Tsukimiya was adapting well to Gilgamesh's rule of Seireitei and the Gotei 6. A week had passed since Kyousuke had been released from the Maggot's Nest and appointed captain of the Second Division, and he had immediately started making subtle changes. His induction ceremony, he was told, had been beautiful. He would've seen it for himself had he bothered to attend, but he hadn't showed up. There was always work to be done, and that day hadn't been an exception. He suspected some of his fellow captains were none too pleased with his flippant disregard for decorum, but he simply did not have time or energy for such trivial matters. For them, this was the calm before the storm. For Kyousuke, the storm had already broken.
Besides, any excuse not to wear the awful haori that signified his rank was welcome; Kyousuke avoided it like the plague, and during his week-long tenure thus far he had managed to only don it once. It reminded him too much of Satine and Kasumi for him to wear without feeling... Guilty? Was that what the sensation was? Guilt? Perhaps it was loss, Kyousuke wasn't quite certain. Kannaduki remained silent on the matter—reluctant, it seemed, to speak since Kyousuke had been released from his incarceration and reunited with his blade.
His office was spotless, as it had been since he had moved into it. Not a single sheet of paper was in sight, quite unlike his old office in the Fourth Division. Serving with the Research and Development Division hadn't necessitated the same level of secrecy, and on top of that, times had changed. All those years ago, it had been peacetime. Now Kyousuke was in charge of the Onmitsukidō as war loomed on the horizon, and he wasn't going to leave anything to chance, not when he stood to gain so much from something so... Easy. Kyousuke had been busy, and he was about to enjoy the fruits of his labor.
The Second Division's command annex, Kyousuke's home for lack of a better word, was empty save for the division's captain, and the not-quite-silence was relaxing. The muted chirping of cicadas in the neatly tended garden outside the sliding doors had been a nice change from the deathly silence of the cell he had occupied for the last year and a half, and Kyousuke had yet to grow tired of it.
He hastily scribbled a note to his lieutenant and left it on his desk, then unsheathed Kannaduki. A faint sound of static filled the air as Kyousuke cut through dimensional space and opened a gateway to the realm of the living, then he stepped through.
The late afternoon sun drenched the center of Karakura Town in warm orange light, and Kyousuke was surprised at how little everything had changed since he had last set foot in the little Tokyo suburb. It seemed like a lifetime ago, somehow, and tiny waves of nostalgia lapped up against the edges of his consciousness. He realized he wasn't far at all from the block that had been demolished when he had faked his death, and he wondered vaguely how different it would look now. He didn't have time to go see, of course—he was on a tight schedule, the intel had been very specific—but the curiosity was gnawing at him.
Perhaps later, he thought, before pulling out his faux-Hollow mask and putting it on. He settled it into place, then set off in the direction of the industrial district.
It felt strange, being back on the street where he had first met Kasumi all those years ago, knowing that she was dead. This is where the last chapter of her life had begun, and then the story of her life had come to an abrupt end some time later. Kyousuke had warned her, and she had ignored the advice. Now she was dead, and despite knowing that he was not to blame, Kyousuke still couldn't help but feel that he could have done more to save her.
He pushed the lingering thoughts from his mind, unwilling to dwell on it further. There was work to be done, and he needed to concentrate.
He took to the rooftops of the warehouses and made his way down toward the one he had been told was the location of the meeting, keeping his reiatsu suppressed to almost nonexistence. He was not going to risk detection.
Kyousuke's source had indicated there would be five secondary targets on location: two guards on the outside, one inside with the primary target, and the two the primary target was meeting with. They would no doubt be suppressing their presences, too, but Kyousuke had the advantage of knowing what he was looking for.
Sure enough, there was one of the guards on the rooftop. The black uniform was a dead giveaway, of course, and luckily, the man had his back turned toward Kyousuke. He quickly weighed his options, then decided to go for a quick, clean kill. He drew Kannaduki and flash stepped straight through the man, blade extended and braced for impact. The poor soul barely had enough time to grunt in pain as Kyousuke barreled into him and impaled him on the short blade, the momentum carrying the two of them over the rooftops halfway down the street. Kannaduki had pierced through the man's lung, and he was struggling just to breathe as he simultaneously bled out and suffocated. Kyousuke wrenched his zanpakutō free, barely registering that his arms were covered in blood before flash stepping back to where he had struck the man. He touched down softly, noting with a certain measure of pride that there was no sign of any scuffle at all. He made his way to the edge of the roof and peered down at the front door, finding the second guard.
The Shinigami was scanning the street, no doubt relying on his now-dead friend to provide overwatch, and Kyousuke was if nothing else somewhat impressed that even with the limited amount of people they had deployed, they had gone for the optimal setup. One on the roof, one out front is exactly what he had done in their place. They simply hadn't expected someone like him.
That won't save them, though, thought Kyousuke, as he extended an arm over the side of the building and flicked his fingers, sending a spatter of blood sailing down toward the pavement. It caught the guard's attention, and as he bent over to inspect it, Kyousuke was already whistling through the air at him. He landed solidly on the guard's back, and he buried Kannaduki up to her hilt in his neck, straight down. He died without a sound. Once more, Kyousuke pulled Kannaduki free of the warm body, wiped her blade on the dead man's clothes, and then climbed back up to the roof, where he had spotted a ventilation shaft. That would be his point of entry.
He gently pulled the grate free and sheathed his sword, then climbed in, taking care to be as silent as possible. The climb through the shaft was slow and arduous, but he had been through worse, and soon enough he was out on the other side, finding himself on a walkway near the ceiling of the warehouse. It was dimly lit, and Kyousuke found himself conveniently half-hidden in the shadows. Beneath him, in the center of the room, there were four figures, all wearing the black Shinigami uniform. Their voices were subdued and Kyousuke couldn't make out what they were saying, but it didn't matter. He instantly recognized the man he here to retrieve. He was easily the tallest man there, and he was the only one besides Kyousuke with black hair. From the way they were standing—two pairs of men facing one another—Kyousuke assumed that the one next to the tall one was another guard, which made the two opposite them the "potentials", as Kyousuke's source had so delicately put it.
All three of them would die today. Kyousuke leapt off the walkway, releasing the hold on his reiatsu as he did, letting it flare out violently as he flew through the air at the gathering of people below. He caught the two potentials' heads mid-air and slammed them face-first into the ground as he landed, crushing their skulls instantly and breaking his fall. He looked up from the carnage at the two remaining men, still in a half-crouch and ready to spring forward. Kyousuke's mask had been spattered with a stray spray of blood, the little droplets adding a grim splash of color to the otherwise chalk-white mask. The expression was as impassive as always, the wide slit of the mouth and the unexpressive eyes chilling.
Behind the mask, Kyousuke's jaw was set and his expression grim. Now there was only one obstacle left between him and his quarry. Preliminary forecasts didn't have the man lasting very long.
°1,500
