Post by Miranda Frost on Apr 24, 2023 21:42:34 GMT -5
(This is part 2 of Miranda's absence from the invasion, leading up to her promotion as captain. The linked thread is part 1, Terremoto. If you do read it, I do hope you enjoy it! I do not claim to be original, but I couldn't help but write this one. Thanks, Friends!)
The sounds of battle raged on outside, but the true threat lay within. A being of strength not unlike a captain’s but with the distinct taste of Hollow filth. Miranda gritted her teeth, her rather feeble attempts at tracking it proving to be a challenge of a type she had yet to face before. Just as she had gotten a lock on the signature it'd vanish and reappear somewhere else in Terremoto's halls. It wasn't teleporting, but moving incredibly fast, fast enough for her to lose its tracking. Thankfully she was able to predict where it would appear again, as the being was simply relying on speed rather than stealth to avoid detection.
No doubt she wasn't the only one who had noticed, but she was the only one with the strength to deal with the threat. The signature moved in a sweeping pattern starting from the base moving up the tower, it was inevitible until it reached the command room. She would halt it in the level below in the hanger bays. Surely enough she could feel it move up and over, quickly approaching then slowing as if it sensed her. Recognizing this she'd close the blast doors behind her just as he approached.
The man was frail, sporting pale paper-like skin and eyes of different coloration, one red, one white and black. Even worse, the man had the stench of Hueco Mundo flowing off his tattered, brown robes. The man pulled the cloak's cowl over his head and pulled his weapon out into a loose ready stance, a mockery of a shinigami's fighting style. Miranda would answer in kind, a blade of softly radiating crystal forming into her grip, though she wouldn't answer his ready stance with one of her own. One of his kind didn't deserve this.
Emotions flooded her, her heart pumping with dark rage she hadn't felt in quite some time. Jyuria, Mariposa, every hollow she had encountered thus far had that same look in his eyes, one of insatiable hunger. Whether it be for power or anything else, all had looked upon her with those who believed to gain anything from her. "Our long awaited meeting has come at last,", she'd speak, her calm anger building and vibrating out from the charred helmet she wore. "The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but a student, now I am the master.", she declared, not to him specifically but to all of Hueco Mundo. To her he was but an extention of that cursed place.
Miranda didn't see the eyes that stared back out beneath the shadow cast from the cloak's cowl, but she did see the Arrancar's smile. "Only a Master of Failure, Frost", he'd goad, his weapon brought up to a more defensive posture in anticipation for Miranda's next move. He was correct in anticipating her as she quickly closed the small distance between them, roaring out with rage as she brought her blade up to strike down across his chest. He'd sidestep and strike at the blade, the weak blow deflecting it just enough to send it into the steel lighting panel beside them.
What the man didn't expect was the crystal's edge slicing through the spiritual steel like butter and turning in her grip, the strike sending forth towards the opponent at her side. Sparks flew singing his cloak as the edge collided with his weapon, which she could see now as a staff. For it to resist her blow, it would have to be a Zanpakuto of considerable strength. This man had to be an Espada, had to.
Miranda broke the lock and furiously gave a duo of slashes, each budging the frail-looking being as he effortlessly moved his weapon to block. He'd return a strike that was obviously restricted in its speed given the effort in his face to hold it back. The vice-captain blocked it and knocked it aside, nearly casting it from his hands to leave him open, yet the next duo of strikes would be met with deflections anyway. This mockery enraged the shinigami and used her strikes to force them into a narrow corridor. They would b oth notice the difference in physical and sprititual strength, but now Miranda had the space to use it, a space where the Espada would not easily block.
One more overhead strike would push the man just enough into the narrow passage way enough to block escape to her side and would not let her blade bounce from his zanpakuto. she'd keep it locked, sparks flying as their reiatsu rubbed and rejected each other. she'd put her weight and strength into the lock, using a bit of her ability to control its velocity to add pressure. Slowly she'd force the Espada down, his legs shaking beneath the burden of her faux blade of crystal. "Your powers are weak, Espada", she'd goad, venom dripping from her voice.
Using her strength against her, he'd stop resisting enough to quickly dip down and send a strike at her blade to push himself back to make space then thrust foreward with the metal tip of the cane. Her eyes widened, taken aback by the surprising, blurring speed of the manuever. Her mind reacted on its own, loosening the grip on the crystal katana and spinning it about to knock the strike away, causing the Espada to lose his footing. Miranda once again took her sword in hand and took a step to advance only to find that the man recovered, weapon pointed a mere foot from Miranda's helmeted face.
"You can't win, Frost", the Espda laughed, clearly taking some amusement from this reaction. "Should you strike me down, you'll lose the truth you so desperately desire." Miranda calmly and slowly took the crystal katana into both hands, deciding to use a bit more of her ability in this bout. This man matched her strength with speed, but she could tell his stamina would falter long before her own. The slow game here would win her the victory. However, that stench of Hueco Mundo burned her nose, drove her mad. She could still here the voices, the moans, and the cries still, and this man's reiatsu felt so much like theirs.
"Then I will show you the true nature of this world", she'd growl, reaching out with her mind to the crawl spaces between the walls. There was just enough space for her to create a spinning, crystalline cone of death to the man's blind spot. It tore through the lighting panel with ease and raced towards the Espada, but the man was faster, turning on his heel and deflecting it with the shaft of his cane to redirect its flight path before spinning back with an open palm, a crimson orb of energy forming within it. "Cero".
A wave of unrestrained power sent forth, colliding with the spike that turned to face it, shattering the lights all down the passageway. Fire sparked from the ruptured steel walls, filling the air with smoke. As if that would detur the Vice-Captain who recovered from the blast quickly, slicing through the smoke and barrelling forth, pummeling her blade down with both hands now, each block threatening to send the Arrancar's weapon flying.
Recognizing that he'd have to make an attempt to go on the offensive, the Arrancar's cane blurred to counterstrike only to be knocked away with a bit of telekenisis on Miranda's part, maneuvering her blade faster than she was physically capabable knock away any strike he would send. The Shinigami retained the offensive and slammed the flat of her blade across the Esada's face, knocking him into the end of the corridor. Poised to end this with a stab to the chest, the blue black blurred in motion, but struck not but steel.
The Espada stumbled to the side, bringing his blade to bare as he thrust forth not unlike a rapier, but her gloved hand caughted the slower strike and threw it to the side as she stepped foreward, slicing through wall panelling and pipes alike as she arked her strike towards his pale neck. He'd duck and burst forward in a flash of speed into her chest, knocking her back and leaving her stance wide. A twist of his wrist recovered the usability of his weapon and returned her slice with one of his own. the blade cutting through her helmet and reached her flesh, just narrowly missing her eye.
She cried out in rage and grasped at his still outstreached wrist and punched him across his jaw, sword still in hand. The Espada merely buckled slightly, head positioned perfectly for her knee to connect, knocking him back and away. "There is no escape." Gritting her teeth a block of crystal would form at his chest and accelerate at its maximum speed, picking up the lightweight enemy and carrying him down the corridor, slamming him into the metal wall there. He'd crumple to the floor, dazed, battered, and bruised.
Miranda swung and threw her sword at equal speed, sllicing the man's neck, and embedding into the wall. Her stride was one of hate and determination, rushing through the doorway as she called the blade back to her gloved hand, slicing at the open space where the Espada's neck once was and slicing the door's controls, sealing them shut. She'd cleave down at the recovering Arrancar, who had readied a block.
She wouldn't allow the blade lock to last long and allow him to gain footing and sent her boot hard into his chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him backwards, sliding over the waxed onyx floor. Miranda could feel her heartbeat and as she brought her blade to bare one last time a blast of crimson light would bring her back down to earth, snapping her out of her blood-rage. She'd bring her sword to block, knocking her back only slightly. Her eyes widened slowly and her jaw relaxed. She'd recover gently, the sword in her hand lowering to her side. This entire time the Espada wasn't even trying to fight back, using just enough to stay alive. None of his strikes held any killing intent. Her anger relented and waned, but it did not excuse the Arrancar before her, her enemy. The man stood and reached into her robe, pulling forth a ball of white energy, a soul fragment. Miranda froze, recognizing the signature of it.
"Mirim", she'd mutter in disbelief. What did this man do to her? She still felt as alive as she was when they spoke last, but this was clearly not normal.
"Finally you see, Shingami that would be Captain", he spoke calmly, looking out at her with blank eyes that lost the light she saw before. Even his voice was different, sounding much as a woman would, with her voice as disinterested as one who has seen all there was to see in this world. "Why the long face? I fear you were once acquianted with this bauble? That is most unfortunate, for she is dead."
Miranda couldn't speak, the words unable to be brought forth. Her body trembled as the possibility of this crime weighed down upon her. All of this, this attack, this place, everything was manipulated from the start. "As for her spirit... she gave it to me, Seris", she'd continue, pulling back the cowl to confirm her suspicions. The voice had changed not from the manipulation of the voice, but from the change in the body. Before her was a white haired woman with crimson eyes that clashed with the cold steel of Miranda's. "I hope you can make your peace with that."
"Chosen Reaper and would be Captain, Journey to the base of the mountain of death and seek audience with the guardian of ash.", She'd implore, tossing a data chip of sorts on the ground before them. The space behind the woman opened up and she'd step back. "Burn the mountain to the ground, and melt all that imprisons and segregates." The arrancar woman turned and stepped into the open garganta, taking the soul in tow. Miranda stepped, thrusting her blade forth to catch her before it could close but she was too late. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized the gravity of her mistake this day. Her shaking hand reached down, grasping the chip in her fingertips. Squad twelve could make use of this, help her see where this would lead. This Seris would be waiting there, Miranda was certain of it. Miranda could hear her words echo still, a new phrase reaching her mind.
"May Vulcan take the world!"
The sounds of battle raged on outside, but the true threat lay within. A being of strength not unlike a captain’s but with the distinct taste of Hollow filth. Miranda gritted her teeth, her rather feeble attempts at tracking it proving to be a challenge of a type she had yet to face before. Just as she had gotten a lock on the signature it'd vanish and reappear somewhere else in Terremoto's halls. It wasn't teleporting, but moving incredibly fast, fast enough for her to lose its tracking. Thankfully she was able to predict where it would appear again, as the being was simply relying on speed rather than stealth to avoid detection.
No doubt she wasn't the only one who had noticed, but she was the only one with the strength to deal with the threat. The signature moved in a sweeping pattern starting from the base moving up the tower, it was inevitible until it reached the command room. She would halt it in the level below in the hanger bays. Surely enough she could feel it move up and over, quickly approaching then slowing as if it sensed her. Recognizing this she'd close the blast doors behind her just as he approached.
The man was frail, sporting pale paper-like skin and eyes of different coloration, one red, one white and black. Even worse, the man had the stench of Hueco Mundo flowing off his tattered, brown robes. The man pulled the cloak's cowl over his head and pulled his weapon out into a loose ready stance, a mockery of a shinigami's fighting style. Miranda would answer in kind, a blade of softly radiating crystal forming into her grip, though she wouldn't answer his ready stance with one of her own. One of his kind didn't deserve this.
Emotions flooded her, her heart pumping with dark rage she hadn't felt in quite some time. Jyuria, Mariposa, every hollow she had encountered thus far had that same look in his eyes, one of insatiable hunger. Whether it be for power or anything else, all had looked upon her with those who believed to gain anything from her. "Our long awaited meeting has come at last,", she'd speak, her calm anger building and vibrating out from the charred helmet she wore. "The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but a student, now I am the master.", she declared, not to him specifically but to all of Hueco Mundo. To her he was but an extention of that cursed place.
Miranda didn't see the eyes that stared back out beneath the shadow cast from the cloak's cowl, but she did see the Arrancar's smile. "Only a Master of Failure, Frost", he'd goad, his weapon brought up to a more defensive posture in anticipation for Miranda's next move. He was correct in anticipating her as she quickly closed the small distance between them, roaring out with rage as she brought her blade up to strike down across his chest. He'd sidestep and strike at the blade, the weak blow deflecting it just enough to send it into the steel lighting panel beside them.
What the man didn't expect was the crystal's edge slicing through the spiritual steel like butter and turning in her grip, the strike sending forth towards the opponent at her side. Sparks flew singing his cloak as the edge collided with his weapon, which she could see now as a staff. For it to resist her blow, it would have to be a Zanpakuto of considerable strength. This man had to be an Espada, had to.
Miranda broke the lock and furiously gave a duo of slashes, each budging the frail-looking being as he effortlessly moved his weapon to block. He'd return a strike that was obviously restricted in its speed given the effort in his face to hold it back. The vice-captain blocked it and knocked it aside, nearly casting it from his hands to leave him open, yet the next duo of strikes would be met with deflections anyway. This mockery enraged the shinigami and used her strikes to force them into a narrow corridor. They would b oth notice the difference in physical and sprititual strength, but now Miranda had the space to use it, a space where the Espada would not easily block.
One more overhead strike would push the man just enough into the narrow passage way enough to block escape to her side and would not let her blade bounce from his zanpakuto. she'd keep it locked, sparks flying as their reiatsu rubbed and rejected each other. she'd put her weight and strength into the lock, using a bit of her ability to control its velocity to add pressure. Slowly she'd force the Espada down, his legs shaking beneath the burden of her faux blade of crystal. "Your powers are weak, Espada", she'd goad, venom dripping from her voice.
Using her strength against her, he'd stop resisting enough to quickly dip down and send a strike at her blade to push himself back to make space then thrust foreward with the metal tip of the cane. Her eyes widened, taken aback by the surprising, blurring speed of the manuever. Her mind reacted on its own, loosening the grip on the crystal katana and spinning it about to knock the strike away, causing the Espada to lose his footing. Miranda once again took her sword in hand and took a step to advance only to find that the man recovered, weapon pointed a mere foot from Miranda's helmeted face.
"You can't win, Frost", the Espda laughed, clearly taking some amusement from this reaction. "Should you strike me down, you'll lose the truth you so desperately desire." Miranda calmly and slowly took the crystal katana into both hands, deciding to use a bit more of her ability in this bout. This man matched her strength with speed, but she could tell his stamina would falter long before her own. The slow game here would win her the victory. However, that stench of Hueco Mundo burned her nose, drove her mad. She could still here the voices, the moans, and the cries still, and this man's reiatsu felt so much like theirs.
"Then I will show you the true nature of this world", she'd growl, reaching out with her mind to the crawl spaces between the walls. There was just enough space for her to create a spinning, crystalline cone of death to the man's blind spot. It tore through the lighting panel with ease and raced towards the Espada, but the man was faster, turning on his heel and deflecting it with the shaft of his cane to redirect its flight path before spinning back with an open palm, a crimson orb of energy forming within it. "Cero".
A wave of unrestrained power sent forth, colliding with the spike that turned to face it, shattering the lights all down the passageway. Fire sparked from the ruptured steel walls, filling the air with smoke. As if that would detur the Vice-Captain who recovered from the blast quickly, slicing through the smoke and barrelling forth, pummeling her blade down with both hands now, each block threatening to send the Arrancar's weapon flying.
Recognizing that he'd have to make an attempt to go on the offensive, the Arrancar's cane blurred to counterstrike only to be knocked away with a bit of telekenisis on Miranda's part, maneuvering her blade faster than she was physically capabable knock away any strike he would send. The Shinigami retained the offensive and slammed the flat of her blade across the Esada's face, knocking him into the end of the corridor. Poised to end this with a stab to the chest, the blue black blurred in motion, but struck not but steel.
The Espada stumbled to the side, bringing his blade to bare as he thrust forth not unlike a rapier, but her gloved hand caughted the slower strike and threw it to the side as she stepped foreward, slicing through wall panelling and pipes alike as she arked her strike towards his pale neck. He'd duck and burst forward in a flash of speed into her chest, knocking her back and leaving her stance wide. A twist of his wrist recovered the usability of his weapon and returned her slice with one of his own. the blade cutting through her helmet and reached her flesh, just narrowly missing her eye.
She cried out in rage and grasped at his still outstreached wrist and punched him across his jaw, sword still in hand. The Espada merely buckled slightly, head positioned perfectly for her knee to connect, knocking him back and away. "There is no escape." Gritting her teeth a block of crystal would form at his chest and accelerate at its maximum speed, picking up the lightweight enemy and carrying him down the corridor, slamming him into the metal wall there. He'd crumple to the floor, dazed, battered, and bruised.
Miranda swung and threw her sword at equal speed, sllicing the man's neck, and embedding into the wall. Her stride was one of hate and determination, rushing through the doorway as she called the blade back to her gloved hand, slicing at the open space where the Espada's neck once was and slicing the door's controls, sealing them shut. She'd cleave down at the recovering Arrancar, who had readied a block.
She wouldn't allow the blade lock to last long and allow him to gain footing and sent her boot hard into his chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him backwards, sliding over the waxed onyx floor. Miranda could feel her heartbeat and as she brought her blade to bare one last time a blast of crimson light would bring her back down to earth, snapping her out of her blood-rage. She'd bring her sword to block, knocking her back only slightly. Her eyes widened slowly and her jaw relaxed. She'd recover gently, the sword in her hand lowering to her side. This entire time the Espada wasn't even trying to fight back, using just enough to stay alive. None of his strikes held any killing intent. Her anger relented and waned, but it did not excuse the Arrancar before her, her enemy. The man stood and reached into her robe, pulling forth a ball of white energy, a soul fragment. Miranda froze, recognizing the signature of it.
"Mirim", she'd mutter in disbelief. What did this man do to her? She still felt as alive as she was when they spoke last, but this was clearly not normal.
"Finally you see, Shingami that would be Captain", he spoke calmly, looking out at her with blank eyes that lost the light she saw before. Even his voice was different, sounding much as a woman would, with her voice as disinterested as one who has seen all there was to see in this world. "Why the long face? I fear you were once acquianted with this bauble? That is most unfortunate, for she is dead."
Miranda couldn't speak, the words unable to be brought forth. Her body trembled as the possibility of this crime weighed down upon her. All of this, this attack, this place, everything was manipulated from the start. "As for her spirit... she gave it to me, Seris", she'd continue, pulling back the cowl to confirm her suspicions. The voice had changed not from the manipulation of the voice, but from the change in the body. Before her was a white haired woman with crimson eyes that clashed with the cold steel of Miranda's. "I hope you can make your peace with that."
"Chosen Reaper and would be Captain, Journey to the base of the mountain of death and seek audience with the guardian of ash.", She'd implore, tossing a data chip of sorts on the ground before them. The space behind the woman opened up and she'd step back. "Burn the mountain to the ground, and melt all that imprisons and segregates." The arrancar woman turned and stepped into the open garganta, taking the soul in tow. Miranda stepped, thrusting her blade forth to catch her before it could close but she was too late. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized the gravity of her mistake this day. Her shaking hand reached down, grasping the chip in her fingertips. Squad twelve could make use of this, help her see where this would lead. This Seris would be waiting there, Miranda was certain of it. Miranda could hear her words echo still, a new phrase reaching her mind.
"May Vulcan take the world!"