[AU] Unintended, Ch. 1
She stood looking out of her office window, a pane of glass that took up most of her wall. Her expression was pensive, though slightly strained, as she studied both ends of the horizon. On one end loomed a dark metallic building, all smooth and sharp angles as it towered loftily over all other buildings. Its size was unmatched, in fact, save for one other: one lone, opposing tower, its height kissing the clouds themselves. While the first was black and square, the other was bone white, and its edges were smooth slopes. It reminded her of a castle in the sky, the peak of its tower seeming joined with the atmosphere. But it also seemed cold, she thought. Its unassuming white appeared an illusion of the eye in the wrong sunlight. The sun was gone now, however, and it stood framed in the eerie pale blue lights that lined the building. Looking further out, flashes of lightning lined ominously dark thunderhead clouds.
“Ah, looks like a storm is coming.”
Her shoulders had tensed at the sound, but she knew who it had been and turned to see her friend and colleague, Ichigo Kurosaki, walking leisurely into her open office. He stopped next to her and looked out at the horizon with a frown pulling at his face, his hand idly running through his messy orange hair. Thankfully, the darkness in the room hid the blush that had crept upon her cheeks.
“Y-yeah,” she sighed, following his gaze, “I hope it won’t be too bad.”
“At least this building wasn’t built up so high. I don’t think I’d stick around in one of those others with a storm like that on the way.” His eyes shifted towards the dark building on their right and she looked up at his face.
“I’m sure Kuchiki-san will be alright. Soul Systems is pretty well protected, isn’t it?” She smiled then, and he looked down at her with a frown. “I mean, it was sort of difficult for us to break in!”
Ichigo allowed himself to look crossed as he remembered. “Eh! They would go to that much trouble keeping us out when we just wanted to help. Those stuck up-”
“Ichigo, Inoue, I think Urahara wants to see us.”
They turned to see their quiet friend, Sado Yatsura standing in the doorway.
“Oops!” Orihime exclaimed, her eyes wide as she moved towards her friend, “I forgot! Thanks for reminding us, Sado-kun.”
After giving one last glance out the window, Ichigo joined them, and the three left the office.
“You know, it does feel really nice to be back,” Orihime said thoughtfully, looking around the floor that had become like home to her. It was funny that she felt this way now, and she realized she had really taken the building for granted before.
“Mm,” Sado replied, nodding his head slightly. “I wonder, though, just how long this lull will last.”
Ichigo glanced at him and shrugged, “Yeah, but what can we do? If HM Global comes after us, then we will have to defend this place again. There is no way I’m letting Aizen push everyone around.”
“True. No doubt Soul Systems is already preparing as well…”
Orihime allowed herself to fall behind the two, and as she came up to a familiar office, she slowed and stopped before it. The door was closed, so she knocked a few times and then turned the handle.
“Ishida-kun? There is a meeting.”
Uryuu Ishida looked up from his computer screen to see her peeking through the door.
“I-Inoue-san,” he said, startled out of whatever he had been doing. “Right, I almost forgot.”
As Orihime watched her dark-haired friend shut down his computer, she couldn’t help but notice he looked slightly distraught, though over what she couldn’t tell. His face seemed paler than she remembered, but then she too probably didn’t look the best. Not after everything that had happened recently.
Moving back into the hall, she waited as Ishida locked up and joined her.
“Oi! Hurry up, we can’t hold this elevator forever!” Ichigo called from up ahead, and the two hurried to join them.
Ichigo tapped the button for the highest floor, allowing Ishida barely any time to get in the elevator before the doors closed.
“I thought you said the Quincy were the fastest!” Ichigo laughed, seeing Ishida’s death glare sent his way.
“Damnit Kurosaki! Did you leave your brain at Soul Systems?”
“No, but you almost left your arm behind,” Ichigo shot back, still grinning while Sado and Orihime just smiled, bemused at their usual antics.
“I was being polite by allowing Inoue-san to get in first, something you wouldn’t understand!”
“That’s not-” Ichigo began, but his smile quickly fell as the elevator jumped, causing its occupants to smash against the walls and grip the bars tightly. There was a creaking noise, another jolt of the compartment, and then the elevator shot up like a rocket. For a few seconds they felt weightless, but with another thud of the machinery, the elevator stopped without warning and sent them all crashing to the ground. With an innocent ding, the doors eased open revealing all of them lying in a pile on the floor.
“What the hell,” Ichigo moaned, trying to remove Ishida’s foot that had lodged itself against his face.
“Owww,” Orihime held her head, sitting up and then taking Sado’s arm when he reached to help her stand.
“Hmm, it seems like it needs some work!” An odd looking man in a pinstriped suit was walking towards them, a fan fluttering near his mouth, though it was unable to conceal his smile.
“What the heck is wrong with you? Damn pinstripe-wearing insane inventor,” Ichigo was muttering, finally standing upright.
“Oh Kurosaki-san, you know my inventions are all meant to do good!”
The four of them gave their boss, Kisuke Urahara, a skeptical look as they entered the room and took seats at the long conference table within, Urahara taking the head seat at the table.
“Ah, it’s nice seeing all of you back here again,” a female voice said, and they all looked up to see Yoruichi walking into the office, a small smile tugging her lips.
“Yoruichi-san!” Orihime greeted, happy to see her again. The woman took a seat next to Urahara at the head of the table and laced her hands together.
“Though you look a bit banged up, heh.”
All of them grimaced while looking pointedly at Urahara who pretended to look at the ceiling. “My my, it looks like we are in for some bad weather! Well, I don’t plan to keep you long.”
Sitting back against his chair, he looked at each of his subordinates in turn before speaking, “I’m sure you all know that even though you managed to make it back here in one piece, we aren’t out of trouble quite yet. Both Soul Systems and HM Global are no doubt busy making preparations for what will, I believe, be an all out war against one another. There is a lot of hurt pride over at Soul Systems, and as you know, Sousuke Aizen aspires to great things himself.”
Worry fell upon Orihime’s face, and she couldn’t help but glance out the window at the high white tower that was HM Global.
“Aizen now has full control of the company, and he will be able to work much faster towards his goals.”
Ichigo, who had been leaning back in his chair, arms folded behind his head, let his chair legs drop with a sudden thud. “And what is our role in this?”
It was a question they had all be thinking secretly, and Orihime saw the others stiffen apprehensively.
There was a pause, and then, “To protect this company, of course. I have no desire to get you involved for any other reason than that. I don’t want you to pay for my mistakes anymore than you have to.”
Ichigo smiled at the man who had given him a start and replied, “Eh, we would do that anyways, right?”
“That’s right!” Orihime replied enthusiastically.
“Ah,” Sado also confirmed.
Ishida was silent as they looked at him and then abruptly stood. “I…” he hesitated a moment before going on solidly, “I’m afraid I will have to step down from my position and cease all involvement in this company.”
Shock sprung upon their faces as they looked at Ishida while Ichigo stood as well. “What are you talking about Ishida? Why do you want to leave?”
Ishida glanced at the orange-haired man, his eyes steady at he replied, “It is none of your concern, Kurosaki. I have thought about this ever since returning.”
“Ishida-kun…” Orihime voiced, disheartened at the thought of one of her precious friends leaving. It had been her hope that once they returned things would go back to normal. Now, suddenly, it felt like everything was falling apart again, and her face fell at the notion.
Ishida glanced her way but quickly averted his eyes. “I have to do this.”
“Are you sure, Ishida-san?” Urahara voiced, looking at him. “You know, even though this company is small, we have many resources you could utilize to-”
“I’m sure,” Ishida broke in, cutting Urahara off.
He wouldn’t quite look them in the eye, and Orihime’s heart stuttered at the thought that their close-knit team would be one member short. Glancing over at Ichigo, she saw he seemed unwilling to give up from the hard searching look he was giving their friend.
Urahara however beat him to the punch. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that, Ishida-san, but of course we will all respect your decision.” He offered Ichigo a pointed look before continuing, “At least join us tomorrow night for the celebration. It is for all of you, after all.”
Ishida hesitated only a moment before inclining his head slightly.
With a huff of resignation, Ichigo slumped into his chair and Ishida stiffly sat as well. Orihime looked between them and sighed. There was still the party, she knew, and Ishida wouldn’t really be gone forever. Even if they didn’t work together, they would all still stay close. She was sure of it.
“Good!” Urahara sing-songed, and the tension was finally broken as they all looked back at their boss. “Of course I’d hate to see you all moody at the party because of this. I’ve gone above and beyond for you!”
Ichigo’s brow ticked. “Above and beyond,” he muttered, “As if it wasn’t deserved for cleaning up your mess.”
Urahara feigned hurt at his words. “Now Kurosaki-san, you know you are all quite dear to me! This is being done out of the goodness of my heart-”
“Yeah yeah!” Ichigo slid his chair back noisily and stood, effectively deciding for himself that the meeting was over. The others, quite used to such events, stood as well.
“Thanks for this, Urahara-san! It’s going to be so much fun,” Orihime smiled, wanting to be more polite than her hot-headed colleague. She gave a small wave to Yoruichi before following her friends out of the office.
Urahara slumped in his chair as Yoruichi offered him a smug look.
“Those kids really grew up fast, didn’t they? You must be proud.” She teased, poking him in the shoulder.
Sighing dramatically he replied, “I wasn’t prepared for it…but they have been through a lot, so I shouldn’t be surprised. Ichigo won’t be taken lightly by anyone now.”
“Do you think he realizes how much more dangerous his life has just become?”
Urahara looked thoughtfully out at the stormy weather. “I think he has some idea. But not even I can guess how things will end up.” He frowned at the dark clouds gathering on the horizon. “And, I feel, it will not only be Ichigo who will have a target on their back. They will all have to stay diligent.”
Amber eyes watched him closely. “When do you think Aizen will make his move?”
He paused, his eyes sharp behind his hat. “Soon.”
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
A white expanse of table stretched out before them, its glossy finish revealing the mismatched faces of its occupants. They sat quietly, aside from a sip of tea, and they were positioned in every fashion from stiffly rigid to nearly dozing. The only empty seat left was at the head of the table, and many found themselves glancing at it from time to time. It was a rare moment of silence within the conference room, one that was soon shattered by a loud yawn and a fist banging against the table.
“How the hell long do we have to wait here?”
“As long as it takes.”
“You think I was talking to you, bi-”
“Ahh, how long was I out?”
“Sometimes I envy your ability to fall asleep in any situation…”
“He’s just lucky he isn’t female...heh.”
“Disgusting.”
“Shit, I’m out of tea!”
“You could have mine.”
“Like hell I’m going to trust that.”
“What the fuck are you looking at punk?”
“Wish it wasn’t your ugly face!”
“What did you-”
“Greetings everyone. I thank you for your patience.”
Everyone’s head lifted and silence fell around the room immediately as a man entered and took a seat in the vacant chair. He smiled at them, his deep brown eyes shining with honesty. But he held the aura of authority, of power, and everyone in the room felt deep within their bones that he was a dangerous man. But so he should be, as their leader. They would not follow anyone worth less.
A fresh cup of tea was poured for the man, and he soon thanked and dismissed the servant. The clinking of metal on glass was heard as he stirred in his sugar. Still, the others dared not move.
“I must say, it certainly feels good to be here officially. I hope you all find this arrangement comfortable enough.”
Here some nodded, eyes darting around the newly furnished room. It was all white and full of curves and big spaces. It was meant to make one feel small. Their white uniforms blended in with the upholstery as if they could disappear into the furniture and never be seen again.
“Now gentleman, and lady,” he added giving a nod to the one female participant, “Allow me to congratulate you all on your position. Make no mistake - you are here because you are the best. With your unique gifts and my leadership, HM Global will surpass all of its competitors.” He laced his hands together, that same smile still in place while he looked at each of them. “Soul Systems will crumble before us, and we shall stand above all. That is guaranteed to those who follow me.” He raised his cup and took a delicate sip. “So, with that in mind, will you follow me, my Espada?”
“Yes, Aizen-sama,” they replied as one, their voices resolute, and the man raised his cup to them.
“Very good. Then we must waste no time. War is already upon us, so we must be the ones to make the first strike.”
“So we are going to attack Soul Systems?” One asked, intrigued at the potential of destruction.
“Actually, I believe it would be more meaningful if we attack the heart of our opponent directly.” He replied cryptically, causing confusion to spread across the faces of the rest.
“The heart?” Another asked, his voice betraying nothing while his bright eyes watched their leader keenly.
“Mm, yes, the heart. You see, our dear friends at Soul Systems have long since hardened themselves. But they have a new ally, young and fresh. They have not yet lost their humanity to a corporation. They are the heart, and it is there that we should strike. I am under no disillusion that they would not aid Soul Systems, if need be, which automatically makes them our enemies.”
“Who is it?”
“Karakura Inc.”
“Those flies?” A gruff voice asked.
His voice was filled with amusement as he replied, “Do not take them lightly. They were able to completely infiltrate Soul Systems and clear Rukia Kuchiki of all charges. Of course,” he added, his voice light, “they are no match for us. But I am lenient, and I believe it only fair to offer them one chance to align with us or suffer the consequences.”
“They shouldn’t be given a chance, Aizen-sama. Let’s just take them down now.” Blue eyes flashed dangerously as he looked to his leader.
“Perhaps,” Aizen entertained, but quickly shot the man down. “But I believe we can afford to give it, Grimmjow. It will also be something of a test, if you will. There is information that could be gathered still, before they are completely wiped from existence.”
Reluctantly the man relented, looking away so Aizen wouldn’t notice his distaste, “Yes, Aizen-sama.”
“Do not worry, my Espada,” he said calmly, his hand sweeping towards them. “As long as you stand beside me you have nothing to fear.”
He smiled. None could look him in the eye, not because it wasn’t true, but because of the irony of the statement.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
Heels clicked rapidly against the pavement as two girls hurried down the sidewalk.
“Damnit, I knew we’d be late!”
“D-Don’t worry Tatsuki-chan! I heard it’s good if you are fashionably late to parties--ack!” Her heel slipped and she stumbled, but Tatsuki caught her and hoisted her back up. “Aha! Thanks!”
“No more of that, Orihime. You’ll ruin your shoes.” There was amusement in her voice, even as she dragged her friend along to the parking garage elevator.
“I won’t be sad at all if they break. They hurt!” she gasped, almost slipping again as they rushed inside. With a quick tap she pressed the button for the first level. “Besides, I’m just going to take them off when we get there.”
As soon as the door opened they scurried through the door and down to the crosswalk. “You can’t do that!”
“Why not?” she pouted, brushing her hair out of her face as they waited for their signal. “It’s my party isn’t it?”
Tatsuki’s smile grew, linking her arm through Orihimes as they crossed the street. “Only partially. Besides, how will you dance with Ichigo without any shoes on?”
At that she paused, her cheeks reddening at the thought. “Well,” she started, exasperated, “How do you know I will dance with him at all?”
“Don’t you want to?” her friend prodded as they neared the door, reaching to yank it open. Once inside they smoothed their hair and dresses before continuing on down the hall.
“Um…I-I hadn’t thought of it.” She replied, shyly, causing Tatsuki to smirk. “I’m just excited to be together with everyone again.”
Thankfully, Tatsuki decided to drop her teasing and the two walked through the lobby and headed in the direction of the attached restaurant located on the first floor. Usually it was open to the public, but for tonight it was reserved specifically for the employees invited to the big celebration.
“Tessai-san! It’s good to see you again,” Orihime beamed as they approached the entrance to the restaurant.
The mustached man peered at them through his lenses before his eyebrows rose dramatically. “Orihime-chan! I’m so happy to see you returned safely.” The large man pulled out a clipboard and thumbed through a list, making two marks on it. “Ah, Orihime Inoue and Tatsuki Arisawa, please come in and enjoy yourselves!” With a dramatic motion he waved them in.
“Wow, they really fixed this place up,” Tatsuki commented, surprised at the complete makeover the place had received for the event. Streamers covered part of the walls, and decorated the tables while candles were lit throughout to give a homey feel.
Bouncing on her toes, Orihime swept her eyes around the room lined with long tables dotted with sparkling lights and flowers. Music played softly as some people swayed on the dance floor.
“Inoue-san, Arisawa!” Someone called from a table nearby and the two girls made their way over.
“Keigo, you actually look somewhat decent for a change,” Tatsuki said dryly, looking at him and then nodding to Mizuiro.
“He tried his best and this is all he could do,” Mizuiro added with a lamented sigh causing Keigo to whine.
“Eh? You jerk!” he cried dramatically, looking helplessly at Orihime. “Inoue-san, do you see how they talk to me? So cruel.”
She smiled, her eyes crinkling. “That only means they are really good friends!”
“Speaking of which, where is Ichigo?” Tatsuki asked, looking around.
At that, Keigo began to look gloomy and pointed across the room. “He’s in a mood. Some weird guy has been talking to him.”
Looking over, they noticed a blonde haired man with a wide grin talking to their friend who looked less than happy about it.
“Who’s that?” Orihime wondered aloud, causing the others to shrug.
They watched as Ichigo waved his hand, annoyed, and walked away from the blonde. Deciding that something might be wrong, she broke away from the others and moved towards the opposite side of the room. During so she paused, sensing a familiar presence, and turned to find Ishida sitting at a table by himself.
“Ishida-kun!” She exclaimed with a smile. “I’m glad you decided to come.”
“Ah, Inoue-san, hello.” He said, somewhat surprised by her sudden bubbly greeting. “What are you up to?”
“Oh, I was just going to investigate! There was a strange man talking to Kurosaki-kun and I got worried. He didn’t seem very happy about it.”
Glancing over her a moment, he looked over to where the blonde man had been moments before.
“He’s gone…” she said, surprised when she saw no trace of either him or Ichigo within the restaurant. “Maybe we should do something!” She had said it so adamantly, her tone brave, as if she could fly in and make everything alright.
Discomfort flashed across Ishida’s face a moment, discomfort mixed with guilt. But then his face hardened, and she looked down at him worriedly as he said, “I’m sorry Inoue-san, but I can’t get involved in this any further.” He pushed his glasses up and moved back from the table to stand. “Whatever Kurosaki is dealing with is beyond my control.”
Her face fell. “Yeah, but…we’re his…”
Ishida didn’t let her finish the sentence. “I have already sent in my resignation formally. As of now, it no longer concerns me.”
She didn’t know what to say; words had left her completely, and instead an incredible emptiness constricted her heart. Ishida, she found, wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“Sorry,” he said again, looking anywhere but her face. “If you would excuse me…”
And he left. She watched his back retreating from her, his steps so incredibly even and his back so stiff. Orihime found she couldn’t move from that spot, and it wasn’t until a hand touched her arm did she blink and look away.
“T-tatsuki-chan, Ishida…he-”
“I saw,” she told her. “I don’t understand that guy…but I’m sure there is something up with him. It isn’t like him to just forget about his friends, right?”
Orihime nodded, orange hair floating past her cheek as she did.
“Then he must have something he needs to sort out with himself right now.” Tatsuki confirmed with a nod. “He’ll be back when he is ready, so don’t worry too much.” She gave her arm another squeeze for encouragement and Orihime smiled once again.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Ishida-kun does care. I know he does.”
“Right,” she agreed, then gave her a nudge with her elbow. “Pssst, look. It’s that guy again.” Pointing over to where the blonde man from before had reappeared.
“Oh!” She gasped in a whisper, huddling closer to Tatsuki as they watched.
“Listen,” Tatsuki began, as they watched the man help himself to a glass of wine. “You keep an eye on him. I forgot my camera in the car, so I’ll be right back.”
“Alright!” she said, saluting as Tatsuki waved.
Tatsuki-chan left this party in good hands, she thought gleefully, slinking over to stand closer to her target. Little do they know I have been cultivating my ninja skills in secret…
She had been watching intently when a shadow fell over her. Straightening, she leaned back to stare up at the looming face of Sado.
“S-Sado-kun, you scared me!” She righted herself and turned to him with a smile. “One more moment and you could have been taken down by my karate skills!”
As predicated, Sado was silent, offering her a disbelieving look before inclining his head. “He is leaving.”
She turned suddenly to see the strange man walking away, his cellphone pressed tightly to his ear.
“We have to hurry!” She called, moving to follow, Sado moving after her. They followed him down the hall and saw him disappearing through the front revolving doors.
“Hey!” she called loudly as a cab pulled up to the corner.
He turned, a wide grin on his face as he looked at them coming towards him. “Aren’t you Inoue-san? I feel like… I’ve fallen in love for the first time…”
Just then the cab door opened and a blonde girl with pigtails grabbed the man and forced him inside. He seemed to put up a fight, wriggling around and yelling as she tugged him in.
“Shut up, idiot!” she screeched, before reaching over and pulling the door shut. The cab then pulled away, merging into traffic and sped off.
She and Sado stood dumbfounded, watching as the yellow vehicle disappeared from view.
“I wonder who they were…” she voiced, confusion evident in her speech.
She was only left a moment to wonder, however, when a deafening sound and intense pressure forced her down to the ground. She gasped, frightened, her hands flying to her ears. The scent of burning rubber filled her nose and glass pieces plinked down onto the sidewalk and road. Traffic came to a screeching halt as screams filled the air.
“Damnit, what was that?” Sado grunted, moving to hook his hand under her elbow to help her to her feet. Her ears were ringing, but time seemed to begin flowing again as she looked up to where smoke was billowing out of the parking garage roof. Her eyes widened, horrified as she realized.
Tatsuki had gone back to her car.
“Ah, looks like a storm is coming.”
Her shoulders had tensed at the sound, but she knew who it had been and turned to see her friend and colleague, Ichigo Kurosaki, walking leisurely into her open office. He stopped next to her and looked out at the horizon with a frown pulling at his face, his hand idly running through his messy orange hair. Thankfully, the darkness in the room hid the blush that had crept upon her cheeks.
“Y-yeah,” she sighed, following his gaze, “I hope it won’t be too bad.”
“At least this building wasn’t built up so high. I don’t think I’d stick around in one of those others with a storm like that on the way.” His eyes shifted towards the dark building on their right and she looked up at his face.
“I’m sure Kuchiki-san will be alright. Soul Systems is pretty well protected, isn’t it?” She smiled then, and he looked down at her with a frown. “I mean, it was sort of difficult for us to break in!”
Ichigo allowed himself to look crossed as he remembered. “Eh! They would go to that much trouble keeping us out when we just wanted to help. Those stuck up-”
“Ichigo, Inoue, I think Urahara wants to see us.”
They turned to see their quiet friend, Sado Yatsura standing in the doorway.
“Oops!” Orihime exclaimed, her eyes wide as she moved towards her friend, “I forgot! Thanks for reminding us, Sado-kun.”
After giving one last glance out the window, Ichigo joined them, and the three left the office.
“You know, it does feel really nice to be back,” Orihime said thoughtfully, looking around the floor that had become like home to her. It was funny that she felt this way now, and she realized she had really taken the building for granted before.
“Mm,” Sado replied, nodding his head slightly. “I wonder, though, just how long this lull will last.”
Ichigo glanced at him and shrugged, “Yeah, but what can we do? If HM Global comes after us, then we will have to defend this place again. There is no way I’m letting Aizen push everyone around.”
“True. No doubt Soul Systems is already preparing as well…”
Orihime allowed herself to fall behind the two, and as she came up to a familiar office, she slowed and stopped before it. The door was closed, so she knocked a few times and then turned the handle.
“Ishida-kun? There is a meeting.”
Uryuu Ishida looked up from his computer screen to see her peeking through the door.
“I-Inoue-san,” he said, startled out of whatever he had been doing. “Right, I almost forgot.”
As Orihime watched her dark-haired friend shut down his computer, she couldn’t help but notice he looked slightly distraught, though over what she couldn’t tell. His face seemed paler than she remembered, but then she too probably didn’t look the best. Not after everything that had happened recently.
Moving back into the hall, she waited as Ishida locked up and joined her.
“Oi! Hurry up, we can’t hold this elevator forever!” Ichigo called from up ahead, and the two hurried to join them.
Ichigo tapped the button for the highest floor, allowing Ishida barely any time to get in the elevator before the doors closed.
“I thought you said the Quincy were the fastest!” Ichigo laughed, seeing Ishida’s death glare sent his way.
“Damnit Kurosaki! Did you leave your brain at Soul Systems?”
“No, but you almost left your arm behind,” Ichigo shot back, still grinning while Sado and Orihime just smiled, bemused at their usual antics.
“I was being polite by allowing Inoue-san to get in first, something you wouldn’t understand!”
“That’s not-” Ichigo began, but his smile quickly fell as the elevator jumped, causing its occupants to smash against the walls and grip the bars tightly. There was a creaking noise, another jolt of the compartment, and then the elevator shot up like a rocket. For a few seconds they felt weightless, but with another thud of the machinery, the elevator stopped without warning and sent them all crashing to the ground. With an innocent ding, the doors eased open revealing all of them lying in a pile on the floor.
“What the hell,” Ichigo moaned, trying to remove Ishida’s foot that had lodged itself against his face.
“Owww,” Orihime held her head, sitting up and then taking Sado’s arm when he reached to help her stand.
“Hmm, it seems like it needs some work!” An odd looking man in a pinstriped suit was walking towards them, a fan fluttering near his mouth, though it was unable to conceal his smile.
“What the heck is wrong with you? Damn pinstripe-wearing insane inventor,” Ichigo was muttering, finally standing upright.
“Oh Kurosaki-san, you know my inventions are all meant to do good!”
The four of them gave their boss, Kisuke Urahara, a skeptical look as they entered the room and took seats at the long conference table within, Urahara taking the head seat at the table.
“Ah, it’s nice seeing all of you back here again,” a female voice said, and they all looked up to see Yoruichi walking into the office, a small smile tugging her lips.
“Yoruichi-san!” Orihime greeted, happy to see her again. The woman took a seat next to Urahara at the head of the table and laced her hands together.
“Though you look a bit banged up, heh.”
All of them grimaced while looking pointedly at Urahara who pretended to look at the ceiling. “My my, it looks like we are in for some bad weather! Well, I don’t plan to keep you long.”
Sitting back against his chair, he looked at each of his subordinates in turn before speaking, “I’m sure you all know that even though you managed to make it back here in one piece, we aren’t out of trouble quite yet. Both Soul Systems and HM Global are no doubt busy making preparations for what will, I believe, be an all out war against one another. There is a lot of hurt pride over at Soul Systems, and as you know, Sousuke Aizen aspires to great things himself.”
Worry fell upon Orihime’s face, and she couldn’t help but glance out the window at the high white tower that was HM Global.
“Aizen now has full control of the company, and he will be able to work much faster towards his goals.”
Ichigo, who had been leaning back in his chair, arms folded behind his head, let his chair legs drop with a sudden thud. “And what is our role in this?”
It was a question they had all be thinking secretly, and Orihime saw the others stiffen apprehensively.
There was a pause, and then, “To protect this company, of course. I have no desire to get you involved for any other reason than that. I don’t want you to pay for my mistakes anymore than you have to.”
Ichigo smiled at the man who had given him a start and replied, “Eh, we would do that anyways, right?”
“That’s right!” Orihime replied enthusiastically.
“Ah,” Sado also confirmed.
Ishida was silent as they looked at him and then abruptly stood. “I…” he hesitated a moment before going on solidly, “I’m afraid I will have to step down from my position and cease all involvement in this company.”
Shock sprung upon their faces as they looked at Ishida while Ichigo stood as well. “What are you talking about Ishida? Why do you want to leave?”
Ishida glanced at the orange-haired man, his eyes steady at he replied, “It is none of your concern, Kurosaki. I have thought about this ever since returning.”
“Ishida-kun…” Orihime voiced, disheartened at the thought of one of her precious friends leaving. It had been her hope that once they returned things would go back to normal. Now, suddenly, it felt like everything was falling apart again, and her face fell at the notion.
Ishida glanced her way but quickly averted his eyes. “I have to do this.”
“Are you sure, Ishida-san?” Urahara voiced, looking at him. “You know, even though this company is small, we have many resources you could utilize to-”
“I’m sure,” Ishida broke in, cutting Urahara off.
He wouldn’t quite look them in the eye, and Orihime’s heart stuttered at the thought that their close-knit team would be one member short. Glancing over at Ichigo, she saw he seemed unwilling to give up from the hard searching look he was giving their friend.
Urahara however beat him to the punch. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that, Ishida-san, but of course we will all respect your decision.” He offered Ichigo a pointed look before continuing, “At least join us tomorrow night for the celebration. It is for all of you, after all.”
Ishida hesitated only a moment before inclining his head slightly.
With a huff of resignation, Ichigo slumped into his chair and Ishida stiffly sat as well. Orihime looked between them and sighed. There was still the party, she knew, and Ishida wouldn’t really be gone forever. Even if they didn’t work together, they would all still stay close. She was sure of it.
“Good!” Urahara sing-songed, and the tension was finally broken as they all looked back at their boss. “Of course I’d hate to see you all moody at the party because of this. I’ve gone above and beyond for you!”
Ichigo’s brow ticked. “Above and beyond,” he muttered, “As if it wasn’t deserved for cleaning up your mess.”
Urahara feigned hurt at his words. “Now Kurosaki-san, you know you are all quite dear to me! This is being done out of the goodness of my heart-”
“Yeah yeah!” Ichigo slid his chair back noisily and stood, effectively deciding for himself that the meeting was over. The others, quite used to such events, stood as well.
“Thanks for this, Urahara-san! It’s going to be so much fun,” Orihime smiled, wanting to be more polite than her hot-headed colleague. She gave a small wave to Yoruichi before following her friends out of the office.
Urahara slumped in his chair as Yoruichi offered him a smug look.
“Those kids really grew up fast, didn’t they? You must be proud.” She teased, poking him in the shoulder.
Sighing dramatically he replied, “I wasn’t prepared for it…but they have been through a lot, so I shouldn’t be surprised. Ichigo won’t be taken lightly by anyone now.”
“Do you think he realizes how much more dangerous his life has just become?”
Urahara looked thoughtfully out at the stormy weather. “I think he has some idea. But not even I can guess how things will end up.” He frowned at the dark clouds gathering on the horizon. “And, I feel, it will not only be Ichigo who will have a target on their back. They will all have to stay diligent.”
Amber eyes watched him closely. “When do you think Aizen will make his move?”
He paused, his eyes sharp behind his hat. “Soon.”
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
A white expanse of table stretched out before them, its glossy finish revealing the mismatched faces of its occupants. They sat quietly, aside from a sip of tea, and they were positioned in every fashion from stiffly rigid to nearly dozing. The only empty seat left was at the head of the table, and many found themselves glancing at it from time to time. It was a rare moment of silence within the conference room, one that was soon shattered by a loud yawn and a fist banging against the table.
“How the hell long do we have to wait here?”
“As long as it takes.”
“You think I was talking to you, bi-”
“Ahh, how long was I out?”
“Sometimes I envy your ability to fall asleep in any situation…”
“He’s just lucky he isn’t female...heh.”
“Disgusting.”
“Shit, I’m out of tea!”
“You could have mine.”
“Like hell I’m going to trust that.”
“What the fuck are you looking at punk?”
“Wish it wasn’t your ugly face!”
“What did you-”
“Greetings everyone. I thank you for your patience.”
Everyone’s head lifted and silence fell around the room immediately as a man entered and took a seat in the vacant chair. He smiled at them, his deep brown eyes shining with honesty. But he held the aura of authority, of power, and everyone in the room felt deep within their bones that he was a dangerous man. But so he should be, as their leader. They would not follow anyone worth less.
A fresh cup of tea was poured for the man, and he soon thanked and dismissed the servant. The clinking of metal on glass was heard as he stirred in his sugar. Still, the others dared not move.
“I must say, it certainly feels good to be here officially. I hope you all find this arrangement comfortable enough.”
Here some nodded, eyes darting around the newly furnished room. It was all white and full of curves and big spaces. It was meant to make one feel small. Their white uniforms blended in with the upholstery as if they could disappear into the furniture and never be seen again.
“Now gentleman, and lady,” he added giving a nod to the one female participant, “Allow me to congratulate you all on your position. Make no mistake - you are here because you are the best. With your unique gifts and my leadership, HM Global will surpass all of its competitors.” He laced his hands together, that same smile still in place while he looked at each of them. “Soul Systems will crumble before us, and we shall stand above all. That is guaranteed to those who follow me.” He raised his cup and took a delicate sip. “So, with that in mind, will you follow me, my Espada?”
“Yes, Aizen-sama,” they replied as one, their voices resolute, and the man raised his cup to them.
“Very good. Then we must waste no time. War is already upon us, so we must be the ones to make the first strike.”
“So we are going to attack Soul Systems?” One asked, intrigued at the potential of destruction.
“Actually, I believe it would be more meaningful if we attack the heart of our opponent directly.” He replied cryptically, causing confusion to spread across the faces of the rest.
“The heart?” Another asked, his voice betraying nothing while his bright eyes watched their leader keenly.
“Mm, yes, the heart. You see, our dear friends at Soul Systems have long since hardened themselves. But they have a new ally, young and fresh. They have not yet lost their humanity to a corporation. They are the heart, and it is there that we should strike. I am under no disillusion that they would not aid Soul Systems, if need be, which automatically makes them our enemies.”
“Who is it?”
“Karakura Inc.”
“Those flies?” A gruff voice asked.
His voice was filled with amusement as he replied, “Do not take them lightly. They were able to completely infiltrate Soul Systems and clear Rukia Kuchiki of all charges. Of course,” he added, his voice light, “they are no match for us. But I am lenient, and I believe it only fair to offer them one chance to align with us or suffer the consequences.”
“They shouldn’t be given a chance, Aizen-sama. Let’s just take them down now.” Blue eyes flashed dangerously as he looked to his leader.
“Perhaps,” Aizen entertained, but quickly shot the man down. “But I believe we can afford to give it, Grimmjow. It will also be something of a test, if you will. There is information that could be gathered still, before they are completely wiped from existence.”
Reluctantly the man relented, looking away so Aizen wouldn’t notice his distaste, “Yes, Aizen-sama.”
“Do not worry, my Espada,” he said calmly, his hand sweeping towards them. “As long as you stand beside me you have nothing to fear.”
He smiled. None could look him in the eye, not because it wasn’t true, but because of the irony of the statement.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
Heels clicked rapidly against the pavement as two girls hurried down the sidewalk.
“Damnit, I knew we’d be late!”
“D-Don’t worry Tatsuki-chan! I heard it’s good if you are fashionably late to parties--ack!” Her heel slipped and she stumbled, but Tatsuki caught her and hoisted her back up. “Aha! Thanks!”
“No more of that, Orihime. You’ll ruin your shoes.” There was amusement in her voice, even as she dragged her friend along to the parking garage elevator.
“I won’t be sad at all if they break. They hurt!” she gasped, almost slipping again as they rushed inside. With a quick tap she pressed the button for the first level. “Besides, I’m just going to take them off when we get there.”
As soon as the door opened they scurried through the door and down to the crosswalk. “You can’t do that!”
“Why not?” she pouted, brushing her hair out of her face as they waited for their signal. “It’s my party isn’t it?”
Tatsuki’s smile grew, linking her arm through Orihimes as they crossed the street. “Only partially. Besides, how will you dance with Ichigo without any shoes on?”
At that she paused, her cheeks reddening at the thought. “Well,” she started, exasperated, “How do you know I will dance with him at all?”
“Don’t you want to?” her friend prodded as they neared the door, reaching to yank it open. Once inside they smoothed their hair and dresses before continuing on down the hall.
“Um…I-I hadn’t thought of it.” She replied, shyly, causing Tatsuki to smirk. “I’m just excited to be together with everyone again.”
Thankfully, Tatsuki decided to drop her teasing and the two walked through the lobby and headed in the direction of the attached restaurant located on the first floor. Usually it was open to the public, but for tonight it was reserved specifically for the employees invited to the big celebration.
“Tessai-san! It’s good to see you again,” Orihime beamed as they approached the entrance to the restaurant.
The mustached man peered at them through his lenses before his eyebrows rose dramatically. “Orihime-chan! I’m so happy to see you returned safely.” The large man pulled out a clipboard and thumbed through a list, making two marks on it. “Ah, Orihime Inoue and Tatsuki Arisawa, please come in and enjoy yourselves!” With a dramatic motion he waved them in.
“Wow, they really fixed this place up,” Tatsuki commented, surprised at the complete makeover the place had received for the event. Streamers covered part of the walls, and decorated the tables while candles were lit throughout to give a homey feel.
Bouncing on her toes, Orihime swept her eyes around the room lined with long tables dotted with sparkling lights and flowers. Music played softly as some people swayed on the dance floor.
“Inoue-san, Arisawa!” Someone called from a table nearby and the two girls made their way over.
“Keigo, you actually look somewhat decent for a change,” Tatsuki said dryly, looking at him and then nodding to Mizuiro.
“He tried his best and this is all he could do,” Mizuiro added with a lamented sigh causing Keigo to whine.
“Eh? You jerk!” he cried dramatically, looking helplessly at Orihime. “Inoue-san, do you see how they talk to me? So cruel.”
She smiled, her eyes crinkling. “That only means they are really good friends!”
“Speaking of which, where is Ichigo?” Tatsuki asked, looking around.
At that, Keigo began to look gloomy and pointed across the room. “He’s in a mood. Some weird guy has been talking to him.”
Looking over, they noticed a blonde haired man with a wide grin talking to their friend who looked less than happy about it.
“Who’s that?” Orihime wondered aloud, causing the others to shrug.
They watched as Ichigo waved his hand, annoyed, and walked away from the blonde. Deciding that something might be wrong, she broke away from the others and moved towards the opposite side of the room. During so she paused, sensing a familiar presence, and turned to find Ishida sitting at a table by himself.
“Ishida-kun!” She exclaimed with a smile. “I’m glad you decided to come.”
“Ah, Inoue-san, hello.” He said, somewhat surprised by her sudden bubbly greeting. “What are you up to?”
“Oh, I was just going to investigate! There was a strange man talking to Kurosaki-kun and I got worried. He didn’t seem very happy about it.”
Glancing over her a moment, he looked over to where the blonde man had been moments before.
“He’s gone…” she said, surprised when she saw no trace of either him or Ichigo within the restaurant. “Maybe we should do something!” She had said it so adamantly, her tone brave, as if she could fly in and make everything alright.
Discomfort flashed across Ishida’s face a moment, discomfort mixed with guilt. But then his face hardened, and she looked down at him worriedly as he said, “I’m sorry Inoue-san, but I can’t get involved in this any further.” He pushed his glasses up and moved back from the table to stand. “Whatever Kurosaki is dealing with is beyond my control.”
Her face fell. “Yeah, but…we’re his…”
Ishida didn’t let her finish the sentence. “I have already sent in my resignation formally. As of now, it no longer concerns me.”
She didn’t know what to say; words had left her completely, and instead an incredible emptiness constricted her heart. Ishida, she found, wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“Sorry,” he said again, looking anywhere but her face. “If you would excuse me…”
And he left. She watched his back retreating from her, his steps so incredibly even and his back so stiff. Orihime found she couldn’t move from that spot, and it wasn’t until a hand touched her arm did she blink and look away.
“T-tatsuki-chan, Ishida…he-”
“I saw,” she told her. “I don’t understand that guy…but I’m sure there is something up with him. It isn’t like him to just forget about his friends, right?”
Orihime nodded, orange hair floating past her cheek as she did.
“Then he must have something he needs to sort out with himself right now.” Tatsuki confirmed with a nod. “He’ll be back when he is ready, so don’t worry too much.” She gave her arm another squeeze for encouragement and Orihime smiled once again.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Ishida-kun does care. I know he does.”
“Right,” she agreed, then gave her a nudge with her elbow. “Pssst, look. It’s that guy again.” Pointing over to where the blonde man from before had reappeared.
“Oh!” She gasped in a whisper, huddling closer to Tatsuki as they watched.
“Listen,” Tatsuki began, as they watched the man help himself to a glass of wine. “You keep an eye on him. I forgot my camera in the car, so I’ll be right back.”
“Alright!” she said, saluting as Tatsuki waved.
Tatsuki-chan left this party in good hands, she thought gleefully, slinking over to stand closer to her target. Little do they know I have been cultivating my ninja skills in secret…
She had been watching intently when a shadow fell over her. Straightening, she leaned back to stare up at the looming face of Sado.
“S-Sado-kun, you scared me!” She righted herself and turned to him with a smile. “One more moment and you could have been taken down by my karate skills!”
As predicated, Sado was silent, offering her a disbelieving look before inclining his head. “He is leaving.”
She turned suddenly to see the strange man walking away, his cellphone pressed tightly to his ear.
“We have to hurry!” She called, moving to follow, Sado moving after her. They followed him down the hall and saw him disappearing through the front revolving doors.
“Hey!” she called loudly as a cab pulled up to the corner.
He turned, a wide grin on his face as he looked at them coming towards him. “Aren’t you Inoue-san? I feel like… I’ve fallen in love for the first time…”
Just then the cab door opened and a blonde girl with pigtails grabbed the man and forced him inside. He seemed to put up a fight, wriggling around and yelling as she tugged him in.
“Shut up, idiot!” she screeched, before reaching over and pulling the door shut. The cab then pulled away, merging into traffic and sped off.
She and Sado stood dumbfounded, watching as the yellow vehicle disappeared from view.
“I wonder who they were…” she voiced, confusion evident in her speech.
She was only left a moment to wonder, however, when a deafening sound and intense pressure forced her down to the ground. She gasped, frightened, her hands flying to her ears. The scent of burning rubber filled her nose and glass pieces plinked down onto the sidewalk and road. Traffic came to a screeching halt as screams filled the air.
“Damnit, what was that?” Sado grunted, moving to hook his hand under her elbow to help her to her feet. Her ears were ringing, but time seemed to begin flowing again as she looked up to where smoke was billowing out of the parking garage roof. Her eyes widened, horrified as she realized.
Tatsuki had gone back to her car.