Flawed Origins Ch.1
Title: Flawed Origins
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Urahara x Uryuu
Summary: Vampire AU. Ishida Uryuu hates the Watch, an agreement implemented almost twenty years ago between the shinigami and the Quincy, and will do everything in his ability to live by his own rules - Urahara Kisuke plans to make things difficult. However, when an unknown force begins to upset the balance created by the Watch, the two must work together to stop it.
Notes: Thank you to kirstian for the beta! ♥
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Kubo Tite. :)
Snow blanketed the town of Karakura. It had stopped falling earlier in the evening and now, at midnight, the clouds had begun to part, allowing the moon to cast an eerie glow on the surroundings.
By the local playground, the layer of white had been marred by footsteps and scuffles, trails leading back to the main roads where the cars had created a grey slush. The streets were empty now. The normally quiet town had been silenced further by the unexpected snowfall.
The park behind the playground was mostly untouched - no one had tried to cut a path along the trails and standing at the base of one presented a view of a flat powdered canvas stretching into the trees.
However…
A figure burst out onto one of the paths, creating an erratic trail behind him as he ran sluggishly through the snow. His breath curled into the air in heaving gasps as he strained to go faster, to distance himself from something, stumbling only to claw his way back to his feet.
The “something” trailed behind him leisurely, flickering in and out of the shadows and moonlight.
The man darted off into the trees, propelling himself forward by pushing off nearby trunks with his hands, ignoring the way the bark tore at the skin on his palms and fingers. Anything to just get him away.
The creature that followed him darted easily into the trees, weaving between them at a pace that rapidly brought it closer.
His hands were shredded badly; drops of blood coloured the snow as he ran.
The red appeared to drive the creature faster, its feet barely leaving a trace on the newly fallen snow.
The man suddenly tripped on a buried tree root and fell in an explosion of white powder.
A leap. A muffled shriek into the snow. Fangs shone in the moonlight before burying themselves into the man’s neck.
The vampire fed.
The sound of a blade being drawn cut through the night air and the moment the vampire turned, a quick, precise motion brought the sword through its chest. The seconds ticked away before the creature burst into pieces of ash that floated away on a gust of wind. Some settled onto the snow nearby, only to vanish a moment after. The attacker crouched down beside the man laying unconscious on the ground and reached out a pale hand to turn him over. Two fingers pressed against his neck to search for a pulse, the skin wet and cold from the snow but still warm underneath.
“… still alive,” he murmured in satisfaction before pulling out a small cell phone from his jacket pocket, dialing with the push of a button. “Request for 4th Division services of a victim in area 17. I will keep watch until your arrival.”
Putting the phone away, he stood and surveyed the area. He’d been a little too slow in his pursuit - slightly faster and he wouldn’t have had to call the 4th Division. Just a little flash from his memory alteration device would have been enough and then he could have moved on to other things, but this was how things had ended up and he was lucky the man hadn’t been turned.
“I still don’t understand how you can see while wearing those,” a voice commented from behind him.
Turning, he sent the newcomer a lazy grin. “Why, Yoruichi-san, I had no idea you’d joined the 4th Division.”
Shihouin Yoruichi smiled wryly back at him. “I haven’t. I just happened to be with them when you made your call and thought I’d go on ahead to check on things, since I remembered you were doing your shinigami duty in area 17. They’re on their way.” She paused. “But really, are you sure those sunglasses aren’t hindering your abilities? It’s the middle of the night, Kisuke. Therefore, you know, dark.”
“Ah, but you know as well as I do that the dark doesn’t affect our vision,” Urahara Kisuke replied, adjusting the sunglasses on his face with a smile.
“The dark, no, but I can’t say the same for those,” she pointed at his face, “considering I’ve never worn them at night.”
“I assure you that my vision is fine.”
“If you insist,” Yoruichi replied. A flickering motion caught her eye and she turned to watch the arrival of two 4th Division shinigami with their medical packs strapped to their backs. They nodded to her and Urahara before approaching the man on the ground, reaching into their bags for various items. With Urahara’s duty over, she started to walk away, motioning for her friend to follow.
“Yes, Yoruichi-san?” He fell into step beside her, their feet leaving no noticeable prints on the fresh snow they walked on.
“Well, since you insist on living here instead of Soul Society and no one else seems to bother to visit you, I felt it was my duty to remind you that it’s your turn for the Watch starting tomorrow.” She glanced over at him. “I’d hate for your charge to go and commit murder or get killed simply because you didn’t know.”
Urahara grinned, teeth shining in the moonlight. “It’s been quiet for the past 17 years. I highly doubt anything interesting would happen if I wasn’t around for a week or two. Nevertheless, thank you for reminding me and ruining my plans for a night on the town tomorrow evening.”
“You’re welcome,” Yoruichi drawled. “I agree that it does seem rather pointless but there’s always that factor of ‘you never know’. Besides, think of it as a vacation of sorts.”
“More like babysitting.”
Stepping out of the park and back onto the main streets, they took to the rooftops in a synchronized leap that spoke of years of experience and companionship. They had met centuries ago in Soul Society and had formed the sort of friendship you only find once in a lifetime. For a few years, they had pursued a relationship, but had decided it was far easier to simply remain as good friends. Urahara had moved into the human world out of fascination and Yoruichi had taken it upon herself to become a mediator between him and Soul Society when needed. It was a setup that had been in place for over half a century now.
They touched down outside a worn-looking shop that was always closed to those who were not acquaintances with the owner. It belonged to Urahara. He strolled inside and shed his jacket to hang it on the wall, Yoruichi leaving hers on as she took a seat on the floor.
“Any news from Soul Society?” Urahara asked as he started to brew a pot of tea.
Yoruichi shrugged lightly. “Nothing of major importance. Byakuya’s adopted sister is taking over your shinigami duties in the area while you do your Watch, but she’s almost vice captain material so I’m not too concerned.”
“Ah, Kuchiki Rukia-san.” He nodded to himself. “She’s very competent.”
“Though…”
“What is it?”
“It’s probably nothing but have you noticed lately that there seem to be more Hollow attacks than usual? Not an extreme amount, just… more.”
Urahara fell silent as he considered this. Hollows were what the shinigami had taken to calling the rogue vampires who roamed Karakura town - the vampires who had chosen to attack humans for blood. They had no rules, no laws, only the gnawing hunger within themselves that they obeyed. It was their duty as shinigami to dispose of them before they could turn other humans into their kind, sending their spirits into the void to be judged. They also helped wandering spirits pass on to the void. Whether they were subsequently sent to heaven or hell was none of their concern.
“A few more, but the Hollows tend to come out in waves. There was another peak a few months ago, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”
Yoruichi frowned a little, before nodding in agreement. “You’re right. I think I’m just expecting something to happen - it’s odd having peace for so long, don’t you think?”
“Perhaps,” Urahara said, bringing over the teapot and two cups, “but would you rather have chaos?”
“I wouldn’t but knowing you, I think you’d enjoy the excitement.”
He laughed, spilling some tea on the table as he poured. “You know me too well, Yoruichi-san.”
“I should hope so,” she replied, picking up a cup.
“How is the supply at Soul Society?”
Yoruichi took a sip, mentally calculating the numbers. “There should be enough Pigeon Ruby to last us at least two more months. Mayuri’s still trying to replicate it without success.”
Urahara grinned, the lamplight gleaming on his fangs. “I’ll start preparing for a new batch then.”
He had created Pigeon Ruby back when he still lived in Soul Society. The drink had revolutionized the shinigami, removing the hunger for weeks at a time instead of relying solely on pure will power and animal blood.
Though they called themselves shinigami, they were still vampires.
They were vampires who had made a choice. Some found their way to Soul Society on their own, renouncing the act of drinking human blood, while others were recruited, their strong levels of reiatsu leading the shinigami to them before they awoke. The majority of shinigami were found this way, brought back to Soul Society for training before being released on duty. Those who refused to be taken when they were found were eliminated quickly.
“Wouldn’t it make more sense to let Mayuri know how to make it? It’s less of a hassle for you,” Yoruichi noted, raising a slender eyebrow.
“Would you trust him not to put something else in the drink?” When there was no response, he nodded once. “And so I prove my point. Besides, I quite like the idea that you’re all depending on me as your one supplier.”
“Of course you do,” she said in amusement.
“Oh,” Urahara suddenly said after a sip from his cup, “do you remember the name of my Watch subject?”
Yoruichi glanced up at the ceiling thoughtfully. “Ah yes, Ishida Uryuu.”
---
The Watch was a routine that had been implemented 17 years ago.
Long before the incident that brought on the Watch, the Quincy emerged into being. They destroyed the Hollows much like the shinigami but there was a fundamental difference that formed a rift between the two groups, one that only grew as time passed.
Though the shinigami sent Hollows’ spirits on to be judged, the Quincy’s arrows passed a cruel sentence on all of their victims, sending them directly to hell.
This was changing the balance the shinigami tried to uphold and in retaliation, they waged war on the Quincy. The battles were long and brutal, with high casualties for both groups. Eventually the war ended with a loss for the Quincy and a pact was formed where they would no longer actively seek out the Hollows, but would be allowed to attack in defence, and the shinigami would leave them in peace. It was called the Menos Agreement.
Roughly 65 years passed without incident before a startling piece of news came to the shinigami.
It appeared that one of the Quincy had attacked and killed a shinigami, only to disappear himself afterwards.
There was an uproar in Soul Society at this breach of the pact. The Quincy who had been living peacefully for so long struggled to find a way to appease the shinigami and prevent another war. And so the Watch was created. Every Quincy would have a shinigami assigned to their person, to track their movements and ensure another case of murder wouldn’t happen again. A positive factor in this agreement for the Quincy was that the shinigami would typically handle any Hollows that came near them, thus enabling them to keep the balance while providing a source of protection.
Though the Watch was considered a crucial shinigami duty directly after the incident, time eased the tense nature for most. However, there were still a few who took their roles seriously.
Urahara Kisuke was not one of them.
---
Urahara crouched on the roof of the building opposite that of Ishida Uryuu’s apartment, yawning widely as he checked the time on his cell phone.
2:47 A.M.
He had sent the previous shinigami on Watch back to Soul Society almost three hours ago. He yawned again.
Most of the humans had grown to believe that the vampires never slept; this was only partially true. Though they were capable of going weeks at a time without sleep, a period of rest was always preferable. However, in this case, Urahara was yawning less out of fatigue and more out of boredom.
The level of reiatsu leaking from the third-floor apartment was low, implying Ishida was asleep.
From what Urahara had been told about this particular Quincy, Ishida ran on a fairly strict schedule. He went to college from eight in the morning until five in the afternoon, ate dinner, then studied until midnight or later. On the weekends, he worked then holed up in his apartment with the occasional shopping trip.
Overall, very boring.
Urahara stared down at the dark apartment and tried to remember what else he knew about the boy from his file.
20 years old; striving for medical school; raised by his mother and grandfather from a young age, due to his father’s death; mother died of illness, grandfather died a few years ago from a Hollow attack; hates shinigami. He had a strange tendency to pop up around Hollows and eliminate them before his Watch arrived. However, he couldn’t be accused of exactly hunting them down since no one had ever caught him doing so and his actions were considered legitimate cases of self-defence. The times his Watch tracked down the Hollow before him, Ishida would direct a glare in an oddly accurate direction, despite the fact that the shinigami were shielding their reiatsu, before leaving.
Speaking of the matter, Urahara began to wonder how Ishida managed to appear near the Hollows without his Watch noticing, considering they were supposed to watch his every move. Every case he had heard of involved the Quincy simply disappearing from his apartment, sending his Watcher running off to find him.
Propping his head up with a hand, Urahara tilted his head curiously at the apartment. Whatever it was the boy did, he was going to find out what it was. Though Ishida’s past Watchers may have been shinigami that were competent enough, he had never had Urahara Kisuke following his trail.
---
Ishida Uryuu opened his eyes slowly and reached out for his glasses on the table beside him. Letting his vision adjust, he was careful to keep his reiatsu levels low as he stood and shuffled around his apartment in the dark. He could sense a Hollow in the distance but he had also felt the change in his Watcher a few hours ago - considering it was something he had had to deal with almost his entire life, he had grown fairly adept at tracing reiatsu signatures and levels.
He hated having someone tracking his every move. Though he understood the Watch’s purpose and supposed necessity, that didn’t mean he had to accept it. So Ishida did what he could to sneak around their rules and do things his own way.
Take killing Hollows for example.
It couldn’t be expected that a mediocre shinigami would stay at full attention at all hours of the day when Watching a generally boring subject. Ishida decided to take advantage of that fact and kept note of his Watcher’s level of reiatsu - lower ones generally meant they weren’t paying attention or were even taking a nap. When that happened, he would just lower his own and slip through…
Reaching out his with senses, Ishida concentrated on the source he felt opposite his apartment. It was low, low enough that the shinigami probably wasn’t dozing but dead asleep.
Ridiculous, Ishida thought as he stepped towards his door. If they’re sending these kinds of shinigami, why keep the Watch at all? Making a note of the Hollow’s general location of reiatsu, he slipped out of his apartment and made his way towards the stairs.
---
Urahara raised an eyebrow as a slow grin stretched his mouth.
“Well, isn’t this interesting,” he murmured quietly.
He had lowered his own reiatsu levels just to stay as inconspicuous as possible when he had felt a disregardable blip from Ishida’s apartment. Well, almost disregardable. He would have ignored it if he hadn’t also felt the Hollow’s presence to the north. The Quincy’s levels were still low enough that someone who hadn’t been paying full attention would have completely missed the slight change and the fact that the boy was now sneaking out the back exit.
Rising to his feet, Urahara placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. “How about we go intercept that Hollow and make a first impression on our Watch subject, Benihime?”
---
Keeping to the shadows, Ishida moved quickly towards the Hollow, the comforting feeling of his cross charm tapping his wrist as he ran. Suddenly, he felt the Hollow’s reiatsu disappear and skidded to a halt. Ishida frowned in confusion, throwing out his senses for any trace of the creature or a shinigami who might have reached it before him; finding nothing, his brow furrowed deeper.
“Hollows don’t just disappear,” Ishida muttered in frustration.
“You’re right. They don’t.”
The Quincy jerked his head in the direction of the voice, hand flying to his other wrist to grip the charm that hung there, ready to bring out his bow at a moment’s notice. “Who are you?”
“The one who made the Hollow disappear,” the male voice replied, obviously amused. “I must say I’m impressed, Ishida-san. Your reiatsu control is commendable as well as your tracking skills, however, I’d suggest you don’t try sneaking out like this again.” The voice paused. “At least, not on my Watch.”
“Watch…” Ishida’s eyes narrowed into a glare as he tried to trace the shinigami’s position. “You’re my Watcher.”
“Indeed,” he said cheerfully. “I doubt you’ll be able to find me - I’ve had centuries to hone my abilities… and then there’s the fact that I’m just ever so slightly better than most of my comrades. Now, I’m not particularly devoted to the whole ‘rule’ business but I don’t think I could overlook it if you went and actively hunted down Hollows while on my Watch.”
“You don’t have any proof that that’s what I was doing.”
“True, I don’t. Yet. So I suggest that you don’t give me any proof, and I won’t have to turn you in for breaking one of the fundamental policies of the Menos Agreement. Which, I assure you, wouldn’t be pleasant for either of us.”
“Are you threatening me?” Ishida asked incredulously, still straining to find some flicker of reiatsu in the area around him.
There was a soft chuckle. “Call it more of a friendly warning. Now I know you have a busy day of classes tomorrow, so why don’t you head on home and we can just put this evening behind us, hmm?”
Gritting his teeth, the Quincy slowly turned around. “I won’t be made your prisoner,” he said sharply before starting back down the road to his apartment.
---
Urahara watched Ishida walk away sulkily and smiled in amusement. He hadn’t had a Quincy be this entertaining in decades - most simply accepted the pact and lived by its rules.
Glancing down at his zanpakuto, Urahara’s smile spread into a grin. “It looks like these next two weeks won’t be as boring as I thought they would be, Benihime.”
A/N: Huzzah, a new fic! Yet another AU... though with vampires this time. I blame that one manga colour spread. I hope I manage to make it through this whole thing. XD Let me know what you all think! :D
To Chapter 2
X-posted places
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Urahara x Uryuu
Summary: Vampire AU. Ishida Uryuu hates the Watch, an agreement implemented almost twenty years ago between the shinigami and the Quincy, and will do everything in his ability to live by his own rules - Urahara Kisuke plans to make things difficult. However, when an unknown force begins to upset the balance created by the Watch, the two must work together to stop it.
Notes: Thank you to kirstian for the beta! ♥
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Kubo Tite. :)
Snow blanketed the town of Karakura. It had stopped falling earlier in the evening and now, at midnight, the clouds had begun to part, allowing the moon to cast an eerie glow on the surroundings.
By the local playground, the layer of white had been marred by footsteps and scuffles, trails leading back to the main roads where the cars had created a grey slush. The streets were empty now. The normally quiet town had been silenced further by the unexpected snowfall.
The park behind the playground was mostly untouched - no one had tried to cut a path along the trails and standing at the base of one presented a view of a flat powdered canvas stretching into the trees.
However…
A figure burst out onto one of the paths, creating an erratic trail behind him as he ran sluggishly through the snow. His breath curled into the air in heaving gasps as he strained to go faster, to distance himself from something, stumbling only to claw his way back to his feet.
The “something” trailed behind him leisurely, flickering in and out of the shadows and moonlight.
The man darted off into the trees, propelling himself forward by pushing off nearby trunks with his hands, ignoring the way the bark tore at the skin on his palms and fingers. Anything to just get him away.
The creature that followed him darted easily into the trees, weaving between them at a pace that rapidly brought it closer.
His hands were shredded badly; drops of blood coloured the snow as he ran.
The red appeared to drive the creature faster, its feet barely leaving a trace on the newly fallen snow.
The man suddenly tripped on a buried tree root and fell in an explosion of white powder.
A leap. A muffled shriek into the snow. Fangs shone in the moonlight before burying themselves into the man’s neck.
The vampire fed.
The sound of a blade being drawn cut through the night air and the moment the vampire turned, a quick, precise motion brought the sword through its chest. The seconds ticked away before the creature burst into pieces of ash that floated away on a gust of wind. Some settled onto the snow nearby, only to vanish a moment after. The attacker crouched down beside the man laying unconscious on the ground and reached out a pale hand to turn him over. Two fingers pressed against his neck to search for a pulse, the skin wet and cold from the snow but still warm underneath.
“… still alive,” he murmured in satisfaction before pulling out a small cell phone from his jacket pocket, dialing with the push of a button. “Request for 4th Division services of a victim in area 17. I will keep watch until your arrival.”
Putting the phone away, he stood and surveyed the area. He’d been a little too slow in his pursuit - slightly faster and he wouldn’t have had to call the 4th Division. Just a little flash from his memory alteration device would have been enough and then he could have moved on to other things, but this was how things had ended up and he was lucky the man hadn’t been turned.
“I still don’t understand how you can see while wearing those,” a voice commented from behind him.
Turning, he sent the newcomer a lazy grin. “Why, Yoruichi-san, I had no idea you’d joined the 4th Division.”
Shihouin Yoruichi smiled wryly back at him. “I haven’t. I just happened to be with them when you made your call and thought I’d go on ahead to check on things, since I remembered you were doing your shinigami duty in area 17. They’re on their way.” She paused. “But really, are you sure those sunglasses aren’t hindering your abilities? It’s the middle of the night, Kisuke. Therefore, you know, dark.”
“Ah, but you know as well as I do that the dark doesn’t affect our vision,” Urahara Kisuke replied, adjusting the sunglasses on his face with a smile.
“The dark, no, but I can’t say the same for those,” she pointed at his face, “considering I’ve never worn them at night.”
“I assure you that my vision is fine.”
“If you insist,” Yoruichi replied. A flickering motion caught her eye and she turned to watch the arrival of two 4th Division shinigami with their medical packs strapped to their backs. They nodded to her and Urahara before approaching the man on the ground, reaching into their bags for various items. With Urahara’s duty over, she started to walk away, motioning for her friend to follow.
“Yes, Yoruichi-san?” He fell into step beside her, their feet leaving no noticeable prints on the fresh snow they walked on.
“Well, since you insist on living here instead of Soul Society and no one else seems to bother to visit you, I felt it was my duty to remind you that it’s your turn for the Watch starting tomorrow.” She glanced over at him. “I’d hate for your charge to go and commit murder or get killed simply because you didn’t know.”
Urahara grinned, teeth shining in the moonlight. “It’s been quiet for the past 17 years. I highly doubt anything interesting would happen if I wasn’t around for a week or two. Nevertheless, thank you for reminding me and ruining my plans for a night on the town tomorrow evening.”
“You’re welcome,” Yoruichi drawled. “I agree that it does seem rather pointless but there’s always that factor of ‘you never know’. Besides, think of it as a vacation of sorts.”
“More like babysitting.”
Stepping out of the park and back onto the main streets, they took to the rooftops in a synchronized leap that spoke of years of experience and companionship. They had met centuries ago in Soul Society and had formed the sort of friendship you only find once in a lifetime. For a few years, they had pursued a relationship, but had decided it was far easier to simply remain as good friends. Urahara had moved into the human world out of fascination and Yoruichi had taken it upon herself to become a mediator between him and Soul Society when needed. It was a setup that had been in place for over half a century now.
They touched down outside a worn-looking shop that was always closed to those who were not acquaintances with the owner. It belonged to Urahara. He strolled inside and shed his jacket to hang it on the wall, Yoruichi leaving hers on as she took a seat on the floor.
“Any news from Soul Society?” Urahara asked as he started to brew a pot of tea.
Yoruichi shrugged lightly. “Nothing of major importance. Byakuya’s adopted sister is taking over your shinigami duties in the area while you do your Watch, but she’s almost vice captain material so I’m not too concerned.”
“Ah, Kuchiki Rukia-san.” He nodded to himself. “She’s very competent.”
“Though…”
“What is it?”
“It’s probably nothing but have you noticed lately that there seem to be more Hollow attacks than usual? Not an extreme amount, just… more.”
Urahara fell silent as he considered this. Hollows were what the shinigami had taken to calling the rogue vampires who roamed Karakura town - the vampires who had chosen to attack humans for blood. They had no rules, no laws, only the gnawing hunger within themselves that they obeyed. It was their duty as shinigami to dispose of them before they could turn other humans into their kind, sending their spirits into the void to be judged. They also helped wandering spirits pass on to the void. Whether they were subsequently sent to heaven or hell was none of their concern.
“A few more, but the Hollows tend to come out in waves. There was another peak a few months ago, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”
Yoruichi frowned a little, before nodding in agreement. “You’re right. I think I’m just expecting something to happen - it’s odd having peace for so long, don’t you think?”
“Perhaps,” Urahara said, bringing over the teapot and two cups, “but would you rather have chaos?”
“I wouldn’t but knowing you, I think you’d enjoy the excitement.”
He laughed, spilling some tea on the table as he poured. “You know me too well, Yoruichi-san.”
“I should hope so,” she replied, picking up a cup.
“How is the supply at Soul Society?”
Yoruichi took a sip, mentally calculating the numbers. “There should be enough Pigeon Ruby to last us at least two more months. Mayuri’s still trying to replicate it without success.”
Urahara grinned, the lamplight gleaming on his fangs. “I’ll start preparing for a new batch then.”
He had created Pigeon Ruby back when he still lived in Soul Society. The drink had revolutionized the shinigami, removing the hunger for weeks at a time instead of relying solely on pure will power and animal blood.
Though they called themselves shinigami, they were still vampires.
They were vampires who had made a choice. Some found their way to Soul Society on their own, renouncing the act of drinking human blood, while others were recruited, their strong levels of reiatsu leading the shinigami to them before they awoke. The majority of shinigami were found this way, brought back to Soul Society for training before being released on duty. Those who refused to be taken when they were found were eliminated quickly.
“Wouldn’t it make more sense to let Mayuri know how to make it? It’s less of a hassle for you,” Yoruichi noted, raising a slender eyebrow.
“Would you trust him not to put something else in the drink?” When there was no response, he nodded once. “And so I prove my point. Besides, I quite like the idea that you’re all depending on me as your one supplier.”
“Of course you do,” she said in amusement.
“Oh,” Urahara suddenly said after a sip from his cup, “do you remember the name of my Watch subject?”
Yoruichi glanced up at the ceiling thoughtfully. “Ah yes, Ishida Uryuu.”
---
The Watch was a routine that had been implemented 17 years ago.
Long before the incident that brought on the Watch, the Quincy emerged into being. They destroyed the Hollows much like the shinigami but there was a fundamental difference that formed a rift between the two groups, one that only grew as time passed.
Though the shinigami sent Hollows’ spirits on to be judged, the Quincy’s arrows passed a cruel sentence on all of their victims, sending them directly to hell.
This was changing the balance the shinigami tried to uphold and in retaliation, they waged war on the Quincy. The battles were long and brutal, with high casualties for both groups. Eventually the war ended with a loss for the Quincy and a pact was formed where they would no longer actively seek out the Hollows, but would be allowed to attack in defence, and the shinigami would leave them in peace. It was called the Menos Agreement.
Roughly 65 years passed without incident before a startling piece of news came to the shinigami.
It appeared that one of the Quincy had attacked and killed a shinigami, only to disappear himself afterwards.
There was an uproar in Soul Society at this breach of the pact. The Quincy who had been living peacefully for so long struggled to find a way to appease the shinigami and prevent another war. And so the Watch was created. Every Quincy would have a shinigami assigned to their person, to track their movements and ensure another case of murder wouldn’t happen again. A positive factor in this agreement for the Quincy was that the shinigami would typically handle any Hollows that came near them, thus enabling them to keep the balance while providing a source of protection.
Though the Watch was considered a crucial shinigami duty directly after the incident, time eased the tense nature for most. However, there were still a few who took their roles seriously.
Urahara Kisuke was not one of them.
---
Urahara crouched on the roof of the building opposite that of Ishida Uryuu’s apartment, yawning widely as he checked the time on his cell phone.
2:47 A.M.
He had sent the previous shinigami on Watch back to Soul Society almost three hours ago. He yawned again.
Most of the humans had grown to believe that the vampires never slept; this was only partially true. Though they were capable of going weeks at a time without sleep, a period of rest was always preferable. However, in this case, Urahara was yawning less out of fatigue and more out of boredom.
The level of reiatsu leaking from the third-floor apartment was low, implying Ishida was asleep.
From what Urahara had been told about this particular Quincy, Ishida ran on a fairly strict schedule. He went to college from eight in the morning until five in the afternoon, ate dinner, then studied until midnight or later. On the weekends, he worked then holed up in his apartment with the occasional shopping trip.
Overall, very boring.
Urahara stared down at the dark apartment and tried to remember what else he knew about the boy from his file.
20 years old; striving for medical school; raised by his mother and grandfather from a young age, due to his father’s death; mother died of illness, grandfather died a few years ago from a Hollow attack; hates shinigami. He had a strange tendency to pop up around Hollows and eliminate them before his Watch arrived. However, he couldn’t be accused of exactly hunting them down since no one had ever caught him doing so and his actions were considered legitimate cases of self-defence. The times his Watch tracked down the Hollow before him, Ishida would direct a glare in an oddly accurate direction, despite the fact that the shinigami were shielding their reiatsu, before leaving.
Speaking of the matter, Urahara began to wonder how Ishida managed to appear near the Hollows without his Watch noticing, considering they were supposed to watch his every move. Every case he had heard of involved the Quincy simply disappearing from his apartment, sending his Watcher running off to find him.
Propping his head up with a hand, Urahara tilted his head curiously at the apartment. Whatever it was the boy did, he was going to find out what it was. Though Ishida’s past Watchers may have been shinigami that were competent enough, he had never had Urahara Kisuke following his trail.
---
Ishida Uryuu opened his eyes slowly and reached out for his glasses on the table beside him. Letting his vision adjust, he was careful to keep his reiatsu levels low as he stood and shuffled around his apartment in the dark. He could sense a Hollow in the distance but he had also felt the change in his Watcher a few hours ago - considering it was something he had had to deal with almost his entire life, he had grown fairly adept at tracing reiatsu signatures and levels.
He hated having someone tracking his every move. Though he understood the Watch’s purpose and supposed necessity, that didn’t mean he had to accept it. So Ishida did what he could to sneak around their rules and do things his own way.
Take killing Hollows for example.
It couldn’t be expected that a mediocre shinigami would stay at full attention at all hours of the day when Watching a generally boring subject. Ishida decided to take advantage of that fact and kept note of his Watcher’s level of reiatsu - lower ones generally meant they weren’t paying attention or were even taking a nap. When that happened, he would just lower his own and slip through…
Reaching out his with senses, Ishida concentrated on the source he felt opposite his apartment. It was low, low enough that the shinigami probably wasn’t dozing but dead asleep.
Ridiculous, Ishida thought as he stepped towards his door. If they’re sending these kinds of shinigami, why keep the Watch at all? Making a note of the Hollow’s general location of reiatsu, he slipped out of his apartment and made his way towards the stairs.
---
Urahara raised an eyebrow as a slow grin stretched his mouth.
“Well, isn’t this interesting,” he murmured quietly.
He had lowered his own reiatsu levels just to stay as inconspicuous as possible when he had felt a disregardable blip from Ishida’s apartment. Well, almost disregardable. He would have ignored it if he hadn’t also felt the Hollow’s presence to the north. The Quincy’s levels were still low enough that someone who hadn’t been paying full attention would have completely missed the slight change and the fact that the boy was now sneaking out the back exit.
Rising to his feet, Urahara placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. “How about we go intercept that Hollow and make a first impression on our Watch subject, Benihime?”
---
Keeping to the shadows, Ishida moved quickly towards the Hollow, the comforting feeling of his cross charm tapping his wrist as he ran. Suddenly, he felt the Hollow’s reiatsu disappear and skidded to a halt. Ishida frowned in confusion, throwing out his senses for any trace of the creature or a shinigami who might have reached it before him; finding nothing, his brow furrowed deeper.
“Hollows don’t just disappear,” Ishida muttered in frustration.
“You’re right. They don’t.”
The Quincy jerked his head in the direction of the voice, hand flying to his other wrist to grip the charm that hung there, ready to bring out his bow at a moment’s notice. “Who are you?”
“The one who made the Hollow disappear,” the male voice replied, obviously amused. “I must say I’m impressed, Ishida-san. Your reiatsu control is commendable as well as your tracking skills, however, I’d suggest you don’t try sneaking out like this again.” The voice paused. “At least, not on my Watch.”
“Watch…” Ishida’s eyes narrowed into a glare as he tried to trace the shinigami’s position. “You’re my Watcher.”
“Indeed,” he said cheerfully. “I doubt you’ll be able to find me - I’ve had centuries to hone my abilities… and then there’s the fact that I’m just ever so slightly better than most of my comrades. Now, I’m not particularly devoted to the whole ‘rule’ business but I don’t think I could overlook it if you went and actively hunted down Hollows while on my Watch.”
“You don’t have any proof that that’s what I was doing.”
“True, I don’t. Yet. So I suggest that you don’t give me any proof, and I won’t have to turn you in for breaking one of the fundamental policies of the Menos Agreement. Which, I assure you, wouldn’t be pleasant for either of us.”
“Are you threatening me?” Ishida asked incredulously, still straining to find some flicker of reiatsu in the area around him.
There was a soft chuckle. “Call it more of a friendly warning. Now I know you have a busy day of classes tomorrow, so why don’t you head on home and we can just put this evening behind us, hmm?”
Gritting his teeth, the Quincy slowly turned around. “I won’t be made your prisoner,” he said sharply before starting back down the road to his apartment.
---
Urahara watched Ishida walk away sulkily and smiled in amusement. He hadn’t had a Quincy be this entertaining in decades - most simply accepted the pact and lived by its rules.
Glancing down at his zanpakuto, Urahara’s smile spread into a grin. “It looks like these next two weeks won’t be as boring as I thought they would be, Benihime.”
A/N: Huzzah, a new fic! Yet another AU... though with vampires this time. I blame that one manga colour spread. I hope I manage to make it through this whole thing. XD Let me know what you all think! :D
To Chapter 2
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