Arc 1 ~ Canon 2: Lock-In in Berghain [R, DE]

[Johnwaluigi]

Name: Lock-In in Berghain

Participants: 3-4 participants with valid IC reason (Priority will be given to those who suggested patrolling the Human World/Xcution Members). Send a PM if you are interested. First come, first serve.

Location: The Berghain, Berlin

Difficulty Level: Hard-Extreme

Setting: DE

Plotline:

The Hollow army of the Arms dealer is usually only enlisted by those in power - those who aspire to greater things. So why, then, have they converged on this hugely popular Berlin nightclub? Such a strange occurrence is sure to send Spiritual Beings from all over to investigate. Xcution members in particular are interested in this - specifically because they have received orders to investigate it. Xcution have also used their influence to keep the non-spiritual beings away for now - so the risk of collateral damage is pretty much non-existent. What hides in the depths of Berlin’s most famous nightclub?

Estimated Enemy Strength: ??

Estimated Time Until Completion: 4-5+ Pages

Starts: After participants are selected and an intro post goes up.

Special Conditions: The first battle of this thread will use a terrain grid map, in order to lay out the environment in combat. The mechanics will be explained when they arise. Rewards from this thread will go beyond the usual TP and Ryo rewards.

[Johnwaluigi]

Participants are Shizuka Sanamizu ✮ Masaaki Kenji @sanothesoul Gracie. The introduction is as follows:

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Music}

WELCOME TO THE BERGHAIN.
PLEASE, ENJOY YOUR STAY.

Entrants are immediately met by excess. Lavish decorations and bright lights - pounding music lightly shaking the copious amounts of alcohol on the bar shelves. The couches look well kept - yet very worn, obviously with all manner of stories to tell. The club would have been a hive of activity, had it not been completely empty. The music echoed down every corridor, resounding in every nook and cranny. For the initiated, a familiar nightclub scene (though perhaps not on a scale they would be familiar with). To the unfamiliar, a complete assault on the senses. Overpowering was the word that would best describe yet.

And yet, this place was an anomaly. Closed only a few days ago due to a mass disappearance of all its occupants. The local Polizei were astounded - it was unlike anything they had seen before. The whole place had been ravaged - torn from the inside as if a pack of beasts had ripped through both the furniture and people alike. And yet, to those who were here now, the place looked pristine - as if it were waiting to throw open its doors this evening. Even though the power and water had been cut, the place seemed to function just fine. Of course, those who were here probably knew why - this place was struck by one of the peculiar Hollow attacks. Some might even have more information regarding the situation than others.

Those were smart enough to plan ahead would have found the building map at the entrance, they would see that this was only the ‘lobby’ - the first of many dance floors and bars. The club extended downwards, its subsequent floors being buried deeper and deeper into the earth. Was there a secret to the Berghain? Were there an treasures to be found should its depths be plumbed? What on earth would draw such a coordinated Hollow attack on this location? Who was maintaining this place? All of these questions had to be answered. The adventure had just begun.

---

CURRENT LOCATION: GROUND FLOOR LOBBY
PLEASE, TAKE YOUR TIME TO FIND YOUR BEARINGS

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

She already knew what was going on. After being told by Satsujun about the serious issues going on in the world, she understood she would have to do what needed to be done. As an assassin, it was only natural to be sent on missions like this one. Her own recommendation was to patrol the World of the Living. She needed to try to find out anything she could by interrogating whoever she found was involved in some way. The only issue with that was her lack of knowledge for who was involved. It's not like these Hollow gang members appeared out of nowhere on a regular basis.

Shizuka Sanamizu approached the night club with caution despite the fact that it had been fixed up after recent events. She remembered hearing how, just a few days ago, the whole place was practically torn apart by some kind of attack. The Fullbringer already knew it was because of Hollows. She bit her lip and closed her eyes in thought. What she wanted to know was why people were doing things like this. She wanted to know what, exactly, was causing them to agree to help whoever was in charge of these plans. Unfortunately, however, she didn't get any of that information in her mission statement.

As she entered the building, she made note of the building map near the entrance. So this part was the lobby. It was relatively beautiful, all things considered. Shizuka admired the decorations that were put up and how nicely they were done even after the destruction. She was not a stranger to expensive living, and this place was almost the epitome of it. The blonde nodded in the direction of the stairs. She would have to descend, but she didn't want to. She had some gut feeling that was telling her not to mess with whatever was down there, but that wasn't how she worked. She obeyed orders and did what she was told when directly told to do it.

"I guess I should probably go down there," Shizuka whispered as she opened a door to the stairs. "Maybe what I'm looking for is in there. I certainly won't find any information staying up here, that's for sure."

It wasn't like Shizuka could really sense anyone or anything in the building, so she had to rely on her other senses and abilities to figure out what was going on. She took a moment to look at the door before slowly opening it. If anyone were to come up behind her, she wouldn't notice because of her focus. Shaking her head, she snapped out of it and took a step towards the next flight of stairs. It was as good a time as any to move forward into the unknown, and she was well-trained. She could handle it. She just needed to be confident. So why was her confidence waning? With a huff of breath escaping her lips, the Fullbringer pushed herself to make her way down the stairs. She would start at the next floor down.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shizuka's Stats}

Strength - [100] Points

Speed - [300] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [200] = [500] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400] = [1000] Points

Light Aura - [60] Points

Dark Aura - [40] Points

Instinct - [200] = [100] Points

Senses [200] = [100] Points

Energy sensory - [0] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: [1400] Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shizuka's Skills}

[Weapon: Firearms] {3}

[Stealth] {3}

[Strength of Will] {3}

[Charisma/Leadership] {2}

[Analyzing] {2}

[Battle Analysis] {2}

[Martial Arts: MMA] {2}

[Honeypotting - The art of manipulation to obtain information. Basically, a girl gathers enough information about her target - male or female, doesn't matter - and dresses accordingly or changes how she acts to be able to get them to do whatever she wants or tell her what she needs to hear.] {1}

[Deleted]

"Yeah, this is the place all right." Jäger told him as the Bount rounded the corner of the street, staring at the sign of his destination from a block away. The young man narrowed his eyes as he stared ahead at his destination, reflecting back for a moment on the events leading up to this. The news of this place reached far and wide. Not only did it reach Uzaki Enterprise's ears, but even those underground in Taka's Club. A nightclub where all of the occupants suddenly vanish, and the only evidence was destruction to the interiors? Like an animal had decided to go wild in there? Didn't take a genius to realize that it had been a Hollow. It might have actually had something to do with what was going on as well. The Bount wanted to figure out what had happened.

So here Luke was. Earlier in the evening he had summoned Jäger to help him search for the place, and even detect Hollows if any where around, but now that they were here he had resealed his Doll back inside his soul. Approaching the club, Luke had to wonder what the point of the attack had been. Why did all those people vanish? For what reason? Was it to feed the Hollows? "Hollows can grow in strength by feeding on souls. It's entirely a possibility." Springflut replied as Luke approached the club. It wasn't a charming thought, and Luke felt anger at the idea that people would be used in such a way. As Luke approached the entrance, he noticed something. Another presence. Someone was here? The Bount blinked.

Was it an enemy? Or someone that was drawn here by the same story he was? He couldn't be sure. Could he? As Luke entered the club, he couldn't help but admire the decor. It was much more fanciful than Taka's various bars and dance floors, but he preferred the homey feel of the latter than this. "That's because you live there you shit." Ignoring that. But something stood out. This place had been the target of an attack. What Luke read was that this place looked like a tornado of wild animals had run through the place. But it didn't look like that at all. It looked clean. Like it was a day one opening levels of clean. The hell?

Looking around the place, Luke spotted the map. So this was only the ground floor huh? "I like this music." Jäger commented as Luke looked over the map. Weird. The club was almost built like a tower. Descending floors leading deeper into the earth? Almost like Taka's club. But this felt...different. Hers was natural. This felt almost video gamey in a way. Like a dungeon filled with monsters and treasure where the rewards and danger increased with each floor. Like Luke was in a dungeon crawling game. "You're retarded." Jäger replied, but Luke decided to ignore him. Entering deeper into the lobby once he was done with the map, the young man blinked when he saw who was in the club with him. That reiatsu he felt earlier did feel familiar after all.

"Kapri??" Luke asked with clear confusion, using the name he had been given when they met in the fighting ring. "What're you doing here??" This was going to be interesting.

[/div]
[/blockquote]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Skills and Stats}

• [Weapon: Swords] {2}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {3}
  
  
• [Strength of Will] {3}
  
  
• [Pain Tolerance] {2}
  
  
• [Anti-Stealth] {2}
  
  
• [Charisma/Leadership] {1}
  
  
• [Battle Focus] {3}
  
  

Luke | Soldier

Strength - 200 Points

Speed - 300 Points

Spiritual Pressure - 400 - 700 Points

Reiatsu Strength - 100 - 60 Points

Light Aura - 90 Points

Dark Aura - 10 Points

Instinct - 150 Points

Senses - 150 Points

Energy sensory - 100 Points

Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total SP: 1400 Points

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"Eh?" Shizuka's voice nearly squeaked in surprise. She hated not being able to sense anyone.

The Fullbringer turned around to see who it was that spoke to her, but she had a pretty decent idea who it was after she heard the name he used. She only ever used that alias once, and it was to fight Blade. Turns out, that's exactly who she saw. She backtracked from the stairs a bit to meet up with him, embracing him in a tight hug. Shizuka was a fairly good judge of character, and Blade never gave off a scary vibe. She could tell, though, that he had gotten stronger since they last met. Hopefully that meant he was continuing to work hard, especially since she had invited him into Xcution. She never received an acceptance from it and she was, admittedly, a bit disappointed. But it was fine. If that wasn't what he needed, so be it.

"How have you been? You don't look any different! Well, maybe a little. This is so exciting! Oh, wait a minute. Why were you sent here? You know who I work for now, so it's obvious it was a mission on my end. Hold on! If you can't tell me, that's fine! I forget things are classified sometimes. This is so exciting!"

Her usual bubbly personality was shining through her attempt to be a dark and mysterious assassin. Her personality never really fit the role, but that didn't bother her. She had a strange resilience about her that meant her optimism could almost never be broken. Only a few times was she ever tormented enough to bring her close, but she let that anger fuel her motivation to carry on. She never let these kinds of things get her down. And now she had a friend! He'd probably be put off by her like most people are at first since she's overly friendly, but that was fine. She just hugged him even tighter and sniffed. He smelled good. She felt her face get a little hot, though, and quickly let go. That was a bit inappropriate for the two of them, and she needed to remind herself of her job.

[Deleted]

Even though Luke had been able to detect and recognize her reiatsu with his Energy Sensory, it didn't take until actually seeing her face with his own eyes to confirm without any doubt that it was actually her. Not only was he genuinely surprised to see her here, but he even felt a bit of happiness seeing someone he recognized. But he was even more surprised when before he could even say anything else to her, he suddenly had her hugging him tightly. The overwhelming happiness just shining off of Kapri was blinding. It was like she was an avatar of sunshine. For a moment, Luke recalled a memory when he and his parents had spent a day at a beach in Florida one winter. The feeling of the warm sun basking his skin was brought back to him. But it ended rather quickly. Regardless, Luke could feel the growing warmness in his face as her hug tightened, while he ended up softly smiling and returning the hug gently. She's cute.

"Luke. No. What did I tell you last time?" Springflut scolded. "Oh hush. He'll get nowhere with her anyway. Girl is clearly out of his league, kekekek."

"It's good to see you too Kapri." Luke said with a soft chuckle and smile. As her questions continued to fly at him, he tried his best to answer her. "Same reason I guess you are. I'm trying to put a stop to these Hollow attacks where I can. I heard about this place and thought maybe I might find some clues or a lead." Luke confessed, being perfectly honest with her. When she brought up who she worked for, the Bount paused for a moment and remembered back to when they first met. He recalled the card she gave him and the instructions she provided to get in contact with her. "I'm sorry about never following up about that card. Life sort of just went crazy soon after our fight and I ended up forgetting about it." Luke explained, a little embarrassed.

But he wasn't lying. It wasn't long after their meeting in the fighting ring that everything went to hell. Uzaki Enterprise, losing his left arm for a time, his last meeting with Aevus and the destruction of his Zanpakuto, and finally the fight with the Quincy. Everything suddenly happened at once. "Xcution was the name of it right? So they sent you out here to figure out what happened here, huh?" Luke asked, crossing his arms across his chest as he turned his attention down the stairs. Luke was trying to hide the butterflies in his stomach. He was ecstatic to have somewhere he knew helping him out here. He had almost assumed he'd have to do this by himself. But he had fought Kapri himself. He knew she was strong. The two of them together...he was convinced they could handle just about anything.

"So...what do you think about all this anyway? One day this place looks like a rave for Hollows went down with everyone inside vanishing and the next it looks perfectly fine? Honestly...I'm expecting trouble." He commented. It was almost playing out like something from a horror movie, and god knows Luke had watched too many of those. "Don't forget about all that porn you watch." Jäger suddenly snickered. I DO NOT! Luke snapped back. "Your search history says otherwise buddy boy."

Because YOU put that shit on my computer!!

Could you idiots shut up and pay attention?

Looking at Kapri, Luke thought about something for a moment. "Hey, Kapri. Whenever we get done with this you mind if I ask you some questions about that Xcution group you invited me too?" Luke asked, giving her a smile as he did so.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"Oh man. Isn't it crazy how all of this stuff has been going on?"

She wasn't too surprised to learn that Blade had been curious about the Hollow attacks, too. He was obviously a strong... whatever he was, and it made sense that he would be drawn to these disasters. Unfortunately, Satsujun didn't feel the same way about those kinds of things. He apparently preferred for his employees to stay behind and work on the betterment of his organization unless he specifically told them to do otherwise. That's why she was sent all the way over here in the first place. As Xcution's most capable member (and practically the only one), it was her job to investigate the things that threatened their power in this world.

But then the Fullbringer got back on track when she heard Blade apologize to her about not responding after all this time. She admitted she was a little disheartened, especially since she's not used to hearing anyone tell her 'no.' This was certainly a special case, and it made Shizuka somewhat uncomfortable. She wasn't uncomfortable around Blade, himself, but rather, it was the feeling she got when she thought about it too much. Sometimes people just need to find their own path. Maybe this just wasn't the one he wanted? But regardless, it was always up to the individual. Xcution can try to pull them in, but they're allowed to decline. They're just on the organization's radar for all eternity.

"Please don't worry about a thing," Shizuka said, flashing him her famous smile. "Sometimes, all people need is space. So don't blame yourself or think anything of it. Besides, I invited you. The invitation will always remain unless properly declined."

"Xcution was the name of it right? So they sent you out here to figure out what happened here, huh?"

Her smile turned into a coy smirk. "They did. I may not look it, but I'm actually fairly notorious. I'm in a rather prestigious spot in my organization. I'm among the best."

Which wasn't a lie, especially given their small numbers. But how else was she supposed to describe herself without completely giving it away? Granted, she didn't care if people knew of her status within Xcution. So what? She was one of the Seven Guns. If anyone had a problem with it, they could take it up with her. But it wouldn't end well for them. In Blade's case, she didn't mind if he knew, but she hesitated because she wasn't sure how much he actually wanted to know about her. Some people tend to think of assassins differently once they find out what they are, and it can be a struggle to move beyond that impression.

"So...what do you think about all this anyway? One day this place looks like a rave for Hollows went down with everyone inside vanishing and the next it looks perfectly fine? Honestly... I'm expecting trouble."

"I don't blame you. I feel the same. My thoughts are someone is trying to cover their tracks. It's likely that, after the Hollows came in, a crew of some sort came in behind them and cleaned everything up to make it less... Well, so it wouldn't be so obvious. But there are clues around here. We just have to be ready to find them."

That was her best guess, anyway. Most of the time, that was what happened. Someone would come in, probably a part of some secret clean up crew or whatever, and make it so it looks like nothing bad ever happened. And these people were really good at their jobs. Unfortunately, that wasn't the important detail. Shizuka was sent here to find someone, and she needed to look. The only problem was that she had no idea where to start. She didn't have any Energy Sensory, and she wasn't sure if Blade did, either. She learned throughout her experiences that some people were like her and others could sense just about anything. All Shizuka could do to combat that was make up for it with speed.

"Hey, Kapri. Whenever we get done with this you mind if I ask you some questions about that Xcution group you invited me to?"

Shizuka's mind was silenced when Blade caught her attention. "Of course! Oh, and call me Shizuka. We're friends now!"

[Deleted]

She wasn’t angry about him not ever calling? Well, he was relieved to hear that. The offer was still open as well, at least until Luke said otherwise. Regardless, talking about Xcution wasn’t the point of why they were here. It would be something to talk about after and not focus on right now. They needed to keep their heads in the game, and not worry about things not important to the current situation. What Kapri ended up saying about how she felt about the current situation made sense. It was obvious that somebody had gone through after the attack and cleaned everything up. But the question was “why”. ”So new prey isn’t scared to come in, duuuuuh.” Jäger explained in his usual jackass tone.

As much as Luke hated to ever agree with that shitty Doll, he couldn’t deny that what he said made sense.”Well, I’m glad to have Xcution’s best watching my back then. I’ll try not to slow you down.” Luke replied to her with a smirk painting his face. If what she said was true, then it meant that there was the possibility that Kapri had been hiding a lot more power from him than he thought. Just standing next to her like this he didn’t even need to focus on her to feel how incredible her reiatsu was. It was a weird sensation. He could tell he had more reiatsu than she did, but her reiatsu was a hundred times stronger than him.

Which made sense. It hadn’t been too long since Luke had still been relying on the Artificial Zanpakuto given to him by Aevus. Luke had been under the assumption that the sword had been fueling the development of his physical powers at the sacrifice of his reiatsu strength. But now that the sword was gone what was going to happen? It was something to worry about another day. For a moment his thoughts drifted to that night as he remembered destroying the sword with his own hands to prove both to himself, and the one who gave him that sword, how serious his resolve was. It was for the best it was gone. He was a Bount not a Shinigami.

”It’s just a matter of finding them. I’ve got no idea what’s probably waiting for us down there. Can’t sense anything outside this room for some reason. Maybe because it’s underground? Is there stuff that can block energy sensing?” Luke asked, letting her know that he was able to sense energy. The Bount blinked and returned his gaze to Kapri when she revealed what her name actually was, as well as stating that she and Luke were friends. Shizuka was a cute name. It fit her. Smiling softly, Luke felt happy to hear that. ”And feel free to call me Luke. We'll figure this all out, no problem.”

He was confident working together they could handle anything that came at them. Plus Luke knew that he’d work much harder with Shizuka being here. ”Why? Because you think you’ll impress her?” Springflut snorted. Luke decided against arguing with the Doll, and resumed trying to extend his Energy Sensory downstairs to see if he could feel anything. Unfortunately he couldn’t. But he was beginning to have a idea about how they could scout ahead, if the need arises that was. Looking at Shizuka, he settled his gaze on her two different colored eyes for a moment before deciding to talk some more. ”What’s your take on everything going on anyway? Like what does someone gain killing off the world's leaders with Hollows?” Luke began to ask.

”A lot of the people at Uzaki Enterprise think it’s got something to do with the gangs. But this is too big for street punks, you know? It’s obvious someone is providing those idiots with the Hollows but how the hell do they control them in the first place?” Luke ended up saying a lot more than he originally intended. He wasn’t even sure if Shizuka was able to say anything about it. What if she only knew about as much as he knew? What if she wasn’t allowed to say anything? Regardless, he was hoping they would find answers down in this club regardless.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"Hmm... My take? I haven't given it much thought."

Shizuka tapped her chin and looked up at the ceiling as she pondered his question for a moment. She wasn't sure what was going on in this club. Actually, she wasn't sure what was going on in general. She had theories, but not a whole lot of information was shared with her. Truthfully, she didn't think anybody in Xcution, not even Satsujun, knew for sure what was going on. If he did, why would he have his underlings go out and get clues as to what was happening? If he actually had any decent idea, it would likely be a different story. He would have probably led Shizuka and a more solid direction rather than simply go and find out.

"I think it may be because of a single person. With a lot of the seriously intense problems we've had throughout all of these worlds, one person was generally the cause of it. They were just able to make more people listen to them somehow and create a following. Think Charlie Manson."

It was a guess at best. Nothing was really set in stone because of how little her knowledge was. It wouldn't be easy to make assumptions, but someone had to be the ring leader. It always starts with one person before it grows into anything significant. Shizuka believed that, whoever it was, they were a much bigger threat than any of them were prepared for. But she also wasn't here to try to find that person. She was here to find someone else and hardly had any clues for that, too. And she didn't have Energy Sensory! How the hell was she supposed to find them? She could use her senses like an animal and literally track them. That was possible. But without a scent to follow, that would also be hard.

"As for controlling the Hollows, I couldn't tell you. But they all were still attached to chains. I think it may have something to do with that. They probably possess the Hollows somehow and force them into submission."

The Fullbringer looked at the stairs and poked Luke's side to get his attention. She made a motion with her eyes after looking at him that hinted for the two of them to descend. She had originally wanted to go down them anyway, but he distracted her by showing up. Shizuka took Luke's hand and forced him to follow her, which she hoped he was okay with. She didn't want to head down the stairs alone, and she didn't see an elevator nearby. That's kind of strange for a place like this, but maybe she just wasn't looking hard enough. Either way, she would start making her way down the steps into the dark staircase. If Luke followed, she hoped he'd be close by.

[Masaaki Kenji]

Ahhh Berlin Kenji thought as he stepped out into the chilly street as he walked into the night, standing near the busting noise of chatter and flashing lights as the local polizei surrounded the building as they tried to figure out the answers to the question that none of them could ever come to comprehend. However Kenji and most of the Soul Society knew exactly what sort of things had the power and the capability to attack and make it seem like they had disappeared.





The hollows of course, however this attack was different. An attack on this scale however was something that was out of the ordinary. However, what Kenji wondered was why the building had been fixed up after it? As he stepped into the main lobby, he couldn't help but feel astonished about how beautiful this club looked in the reception however, he was wary that it wasnt the polizei. So the culprits of this attack were still in the building. Kenji however took a brief scan of the map, seeing it spiral down and down, almost like he was being sucked into hell himself.



Then he felt it, the reiatsu of 2 other people, clear as day which worried him greatly. They could be anyone, friend or foe so Kenji had to consider the possibility of the [air being foes. He carefully drew his rapier from its sheath as well as mentally preparing a kido spell in his mind, just incase he needed to fire before going in on the attack. His boots tapped ever so slightly on the floor, echoing as he walked down the corridor, preparing himself and taking a deep breath before turning around the the corner, raising his rapier preparing for a fight.



However when he turned round the corner he was met with two humans standing in the corridor apparently having a very pleasant chat with each other. That's when Kenji started to relax, breathing out happily before sheathing his blade and walking towards the pair. "Ahh, false alarm... I was worrying that you were the hollows!" Kenji said as he walked towards them fixing his hair that seemed to fall perfectly into place... for someone who had just rolled out of bed however he carefully sorted it before bowing to both of them respectfully. "It's nice to meet you! I am Kenji Masaaki, squad 3's 4 seat."

[Deleted]

What Shizuka said made sense and that the same time was stuff that Luke had, more or less, already pieced together. Alongside most of Uzaki Enterprise. He nodded in agreement as he listened to her, taking her words in and adding it to his own memory of information. Her theories were good. The idea that one person was so charismatic that they could create a group of Hollow controlling thugs was certainly worrisome. "I think you mean Charles Manson." Luke corrected, recognizing the last name even if the first name wasn't quite right. It was certainly a good way to put it. A highly charismatic leader giving rise to a ever growing dangerous force. Maybe it wasn't a cult where they'd all drink the cool-aid, but giving people with issues that were already prone to violence monsters that could easily kill a normal human was an issue that Luke needed to put a stop to.

"Like attack dogs on leashes." Luke commented when Shizuka said her last piece about the Hollow controlling. Honestly, the whole thing still had so many questions that needed answers. While he was focused on thinking he suddenly felt a poke in his side, making him return his attention to Shizuka. He noticed the movement of her eyes, clearly indicating she was ready to go downstairs. The Bount gave a confident smirk. He was ready to descend as well. But what he didn't expect was suddenly feeling Shizuka's hand grabbing his. She intended to lead the way and go down into the unknown together. Luke was fine with this. He was actually surprised just how soft her hand was.

They only got down a few steps when Luke suddenly halted. Still holding onto Shizuka's hand, he'd essentially force her to stop too. No doubt she'd look back to ask what was wrong, and when she did she'd see both the thousand yard stare and look of concern on his face. But it wasn't directed at her. He wasn't looking at anything really. Because when they began to go down the stairs he had suddenly felt a new signature of energy enter into the building. "Hold on, Shizuka. Someone's here." Luke said calmly, backtracking up the stairs after letting go of her hand to see just who came in. What he saw surprised him, and immediately caused a raise of concern.

"Dude looks like a flat girl."

Approaching them was a black robed man wielding a rapier and, since Luke had pretty good Energy Sensing abilities, had prepared some reiatsu to attack. A Shinigami! Luke recognized him instantly, and instinctively prepared himself as well. Small bolts of energy danced around his left hand as Luke prepared for a fight. But when the Shinigami let out a sigh and sheathed his weapon, Luke felt himself relaxing some as well. Fixing his hair, the young look spirit said something that made the Bount frown. "You know it's pretty stupid to walk up to people with a sword drawn, Shinigami. They might get the wrong idea." Luke scolded, reading over the Shinigami with his energy sensory.

The dude had decent spiritual strength. More than Luke's, which was a given, but less than his. And compared to Shizuka? This guy didn't hold a candle to her. The Bount realized it rather quickly that this, Kenji Masaaki, was weak. Soul Society didn't send a Vice Captain to look into this? Maybe they didn't consider this situation to be important or were focused on something even direr. Regardless, Luke didn't take his eyes off Kenji. "Go home, fourth seat. You'll, honestly, just get in our way." Luke said straight faced and calmly. He had a reasonable level of worry around Shinigami. Generally, and even Aevus did this, when they found out what he was they tended to try and cut first and ask questions later. It was why he, even from other people, kept what he was a secret.

[Johnwaluigi]

A chance meeting of two who had previously met, and the arrival of a third stranger - all looking to find what happened in the mysterious nightclub. Tragedy was truly what brought people together. But while they were here to investigate this tragedy, it did not appear as if any had taken place. Any observation of any of the furniture, upholstery, floors, walls, ceilings, doors would yield no information about what had occurred in the nightclub. There were, however, some features of note for those who were interested. Only those with superior analytical skills would notice and deduce some reasons, but the observations would yield quite a bit of useful information.

The spotlights for the dance floor were not only overhead, they were also set in regular intervals along the floor. Unusually, however, they protruded slightly - and in spite of the fact that the other lights were active, these lights were switched off. All of the furniture had been bolted down to the floor by sleek metal frames attached to the legs of the chairs and other furniture. Unlike the rest of the metal in the room, they had not been worn down - despite the fact that they were protruding quite a distance onto the floor. Even furniture that would have been expected to be moved, like the bar stools and armchairs had been firmly locked down.

The unusual team would have a moment to observe, to try take in and work out the layout of the room. Perhaps they would attempt to head down to the next level - which would present its own set of unique problems. The door had been.. replaced. Even a dullard would be able to work out that the sophisticated electronic gate was something way beyond what would be seen in a human nightclub. It was producing what seemed like an energy barrier of some kind, coating the door in a silvery substance that barred their entrance. Shizuka, might, from previous experience recognise the absence of presence associated with Seki Seki. Then again, she might not, it would all depend on how much attention they were paying. It was clear that the way forward had been barred for now, though.

Exploration would be required before progress could be made - and there were a myriad of opportunities to explore. The empty bars at either side of the floor, the bolted-down furniture, the strange lights on the ground, the mysterious gate. All of them were worthy of investigation, and may provide clues to the motley crew as how to proceed.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Luke let Shizuka know someone was there who likely wasn't allowed to be, and she was thankful for it since it's not like she'd ever be able to tell. His having Energy Sensory was going to save her butt so long as they weren't separated. She could sense attacks and stuff after they were already fired since the burst of energy was hard to ignore, but she'd never know if someone was charging an attack or anything like that. Shizuka whipped around after she was pulled back up by Luke and spied the tiny boy who was ready to attack. She gripped Luke's hand and growled silently to herself in anger.

"I don't care who you are. You're already on my hit list just by allowing yourself to be a Shinigami. Take your little pointer stick and leave here. This job is for adults, and you're hardly an excuse for one."

She had started to advance on the boy when she stopped herself and remembered why she was there. It wasn't time for useless fights, though she could at least tell she'd win in an instant. She could crush him if she wanted to and Luke wouldn't even be affected the way he was last time. Unfortunately, she had a sense of duty to oblige to. She didn't want to waste her stamina on such a worthless little brat. Not yet, anyway. If he got in her way, she'd kill him on the spot. That was something she promised herself. For now, she left him alone to focus on what was around them. She should have known better than to outright ignore everything she'd already passed just because it appeared to be okay.

Spotlights seemed to cover more than their fair share of ground, but that wasn't necessarily unusual for a dance floor. A lot of disco places had features like that, so it wasn't particularly halting for her to see. What she noticed, though, was that they were a little bit out of the ground. Most of the time, the lights would be under a plastic or acrylic tile that encased it in a protective layer. That way, dancers wouldn't step on them and break them. They could be fairly expensive. But if they were sticking up a bit, it was possible that stepping on them would be a bad idea. It reminded Shizuka of something like a land mine.

If things were bolted down to the floor, however, the way the Fullbringer noticed them, another possibility is that they opened some kind of hole in the ground for trespassers such as the three of them. Still, even if that thought made sense, there was no guarantee that was the case. She sighed and finally let go of Luke's hand. She made up her mind to see what was down the stairs, but she hated the idea of going alone. Still, she needed to see what was going on in this club. It was obvious this facility was used for something else, but she didn't know what yet. She needed to know more.

"For now, Luke, don't step on those lights. Something is weird about them. The furniture has all been bolted down, too, but I'm not entirely sure why. My theories are that they either explode or open a hole in the ground, which would explain why the furniture is attached to the ground the way it is. As for you, Shinigami, I don't care what you do. Maybe you can test the lights and see if my thought is right. As for me, I'm going downstairs."

Shizuka carefully descended a single flight of stairs until she saw the next door. Something was wrong with this one, too. The door that was there was far too advanced for a place like this, and something was off about it. It felt familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She couldn't get through on her own, though. She had to think. Why the heck was this such a familiar feeling? Maybe it was because of something having to do with her spiritual abilities. She couldn't move forward, so she was being repelled. She only knew of one thing that did that kind of guard, and it made her groan. She went back up the stairs since it was obvious she couldn't continue yet.

"The door below has been fused with Sekkiseki or something like it. None of us are going to be able to get through it right now, so we're going to have to figure something out."

[Masaaki Kenji]

Kenji looked at the pair carefully, noting the first man that spoke to him first, he was slightly apprehensive and was worried how the large and muscular man would react to his presence as they weren't shinigami at all. Kenji had to be cautious, as they could be quincy or anyone but he didn't care. The situation was dire enough, so this added variable was enough for him to be slightly scared and he knew he couldn't trust them but he needed to wait to see whether they were a threat to take care of.

He first noted the male's sheer energy sensory, being able to recognise and prepare for the possible threat and ready his abilities as well, which was something that he couldn't help but admire. Once he had sheathed his blade, he then heard the man reprimanding him for his bold choice of having his sword drawn when approaching them, which he couldn't help but understand. However when the girl popped up and gave him the biggest death stare, he knew that they definitely weren't fans of the Shinigami.


"Go home, fourth seat. You'll, honestly, just get in our way."


"I don't care who you are. You're already on my hit list just by allowing yourself to be a Shinigami. Take your little pointer stick and leave here. This job is for adults, and you're hardly an excuse for one."

Kenji felt his anger rising rapidly however this was the worst situation to let his anger rise up so Kenji took a deep breath before responding. "No, I can't do that. I have a man under my command down there who is possibly alive and I can't leave until I do that. And as well as not being qualified enough and holding you back, I happen to be one of the best kido practitioners in the entire Soul Society, being able to use captain level kido. So no, I won't be leaving. If I have to use my kido to support you then that's fine."

Kenji knew that he had to stand his ground towards the more powerful pair but this was an assignment that he needed to complete, so if they were gonna stop him, he would fight to the goddamn grave. However since they didn't seem like they were gonna stop him, he walked downstairs and walked into the disco room which immediately seemed odd at a first glance and that's when Kenji knew that something was differently wrong and that the situation was dire.


"For now, Luke, don't step on those lights. Something is weird about them. The furniture has all been bolted down, too, but I'm not entirely sure why. My theories are that they either explode or open a hole in the ground, which would explain why the furniture is attached to the ground the way it is. As for you, Shinigami, I don't care what you do. Maybe you can test the lights and see if my thought is right. As for me, I'm going downstairs." 

Kenji just rolled his eyes, clearly getting frustrated at this woman's clear hatred for him and all the Shinigami but he didn't want to ask why for now, as he wanted to see her power before he thought about challenging her. He had to be careful as her power was on a completely different scale than his or Luke's. He would probably be fucked if she attacked him so it would probably be for the best that he would just stay on her good side for now.

[Deleted]

The Shinigami was far from impressive. He was small, effeminate, and the furthest thing someone would assume was a fighter. He looked almost girlish. Looking him over with Energy Sensory filled Luke in a lot more about this guy. His spiritual strength was stronger than his, but he had less overall than Luke. More than that, just looking at the guy Luke was confident he would win arm wrestling contests one hundred times in a row against him. Honestly, all in all, Kenji did not impress. It was why Luke was rude to him. He was hesitant and distrustful around Shinigami, rightfully so, but his rude greeting served to try and disuade Kenji from wanting to stay. It was meant with best intentions even if the words could cut like swords.

But what surprised Luke though was how Shizuka reacted. He was caught off guard by what she had to say and the manner in which she said it. The anger and malice in her voice was like snakes coming out of her mouth. It was clear as day. Did Shizuka have some serious beef with Shinigami to put her in that foul a mood? It made Luke wonder what had they done to her to have her put them on her shitlist.”I bet she got dumped by one.” Jäger suddenly decided to comment.

Yeah okay. Luke replied, mentally rolling his eyes.

”Luke, women are simple. I know women. I GET women.”

”You can’t even tell me what’s right or what’s left half the time and you think YOU know women?”

”More than our pasty white virgin master!”

”I’m not a da-”

”You see, women love it when you wipe out your tuna torpedo and slap them in the f-”

And with that Luke threw up that fucking mental wall to block out the rest of what Jäger had to say. Though he could hear that annoying cackle right before communication was cut. He had begun to pay attention at the right time though. Because Kenji had something to say over how the two humans greeted him. Luke could hear the anger in his voice. He didn’t really blame him for getting angry, but Luke was wary and kept his eyes on Kenji and that sword. Just in case he suddenly got stabby. What caught the Bount’s attention though was how the Shinigami said that he was here looking for a lost comrade. Luke blinked. That actually changed things a little.

What Luke assumed was a snooping spirit was actually a soldier on a rescue mission. The statement that Kenji could use “Captain Level Kido” was lost on the Bount. He had no idea what that was or what it even meant. Clearly it was some kind of technique. That much was certain. Luke decided to just shrug. ”Alright then. Do what you want. Just don’t get in the way.” He said, keeping up the attitude he had shown earlier. But under the surface, he had to give the kid credit for standing up to the two of them. Luke would be sure to keep a look out for any Shinigami energy sources in the club for the kid.

Shizuka then pointed something out. The Bount turned to look at her, blinking for a moment, when she suddenly mentioned the lights. What was weird about them? The Bount turned his attention to the set of lights she was pointing out and noticed what she was talking about. They really were arranged in a weird way, and even standing out of the ground. Weird. Luke hadn’t noticed that detail when he came in. He had, honestly, taken them as nothing special. Taka’s club had dance floors with their own unique lighting systems as well. Clubs could be unique and weird sometimes. Some even shot foam from the ceiling.

But Luke was more curious about what was downstairs, not the way the lights were set up. Following the Fullbringer down the stairs and leaving Kenji in the lobby, he was stopped alongside her by the complicated door. ”The hell?” Luke asked outloud, noticing just how complex and out of place the door was. The Bount frowned, looking at the electronic lock and wondering just how they were going to get through. He looked at the bottom of the door wondering if there was enough room for a shadow to fit through. On closer inspection, this wasn’t happening. Damn.

"The door below has been fused with Sekkiseki or something like it. None of us are going to be able to get through it right now, so we're going to have to figure something out."

He turned his head to see Shizuka heading back up the stairs. SekkiSekki? Luke wondered, but decided to trust her judgement and head back up the stairs himself. Scratching the back of his head as he entered back into the lobby, the Bount decided to have a look around. ”Maybe there’s a keycard or somethin around here.” Luke wondered, gazing across the dance floor lobby and just now coming to understand how weird the rooms layout was. He noticed how furniture was attached to the floors. Nailed down, literally. He frowned. That wasn’t right at all.

”I’m gonna check behind the bar.” Luke stated as he began making his way around the room to the bar, making sure not to cut through the middle with the strange light assortment. Shizuka pointing out the lights made him a little weary of them. Like they were a trap ready to go off. Hoping over the bar onto the bartenders side of the world, the Bount started looking around. ”Anyone want a drink?” Luke joked as he put, of all things, unknowingly, a Samuel Adams Utopia on the counter. But he wasn’t there for drinking. So he went back to searching around under the bar for clues.