The Angel Of Silence [PG13, NDE, Hard]

[Kento Waffles]

Name: [The Angel Of Silence]

Participants: [Hotaru Kuchiki, Kagami Murai, Aevus, Himitsu Misute]

Location: [Human World]

Difficulty Level: [Hard]

Setting: [NDE, but Damage Permanent]

Plotline: [Why would you need to bring in a Captain, a Lieutenant, and a seated officer? Well, a Lieutenant and seated officer aren't unusual, but a Captain? Well, here's why. Black Parade... A black market organization not terribly different from any other. Atrocious, evil, crime-like, sinful. All of that. They started as three organizations with three crime pins who decided later to come together into one organization. Larger and more influential than many of their rivals, they sell what you'd expect. Organs. Weapons. The like. But when rumors that they have kidnapped Squad 1 Lieutenant Kagami Murai surface... Well, time to act.

Team Hotaru, which consists of Hotaru, Aevus, and Himitsu, is set to meet with a man named Douma, who claims to know Kagami's whereabouts. In exchange for helping them rescue him, Douma wants their assistance in taking down the Black Council, the three who run the Black Parade... Because Douma wants this organization.

They will meet in secret outside a shipment of Black Parade smuggling... And then they will use it to get to Kagami and the Black Council too.]

Estimated Enemy Strength: [3+]

Estimated Time Until Completion: [4 pages]

Starts: [Now]

Special Conditions: [None]

[Douma]

It’s time…

Douma had been building up to this moment for a year now. Everything he had been working towards was leading to his return to Soul Society as the notorious Vice Captain of Squad 1, Kagami Murai. The man who didn’t give a damn about life and went on as he pleased. The man who got any woman he desired and spent his nights drunk in various bars and taverns in Soul Society and the Human World. The man who boasted incredible strength yet always came short in key moments. The man who had no back bone. No purpose. The man who had nothing.

Kagami Murai is hollow. He’s a shell of a real person, but that also means he can be used. Attach strings to his joints and you’ve got yourself a puppet. Hide behind his pathetically arrogant face and you’ve got a mask. If there’s something Douma’s learned about a mask, it provides for opportunity. Opportunity to throw in a twist, to catch people off guard. He was saving that opportunity for important moments, and so he had dawned his bone-white mask for the past few years and allowed his reiatsu to corrupt his eye color for the purpose of that opportunity. And soon, he was going to have a new mask, but this time, it would be his own face coupled with the façade he wore for decades.

Douma had been at the meeting spot he designated all day, and he wasn’t alone. With him, he had two lovely ‘assistants’, both of which who dawned a white mask with no features other than slots for their eyes. Their only defining characteristics were their attractive, feminine bodies and their hair color. One had a deep red tone in her hair while the other’s hair might as well have been made of the sun’s rays. And so, it’s from their hair color that they received their nicknames as Douma’s executives: Blood and Gold.

Blood and Gold had been scouting the vicinity in the outer Rukongai district, ensuring that no one noticed the masked man. Douma had been hiding on a in a bar he secretly gained control of recently, having positioned himself there before the light of day emerged. There was plenty of cover to avoid being seen, and B was little chance the man could be detected. They were about a mile away from the Black Parade shipment, so only someone with the most acute energy sensory could pick up his reiatsu signature. No one, however, would be able to identify him with energy sensory. His memories were locked away and silenced. Kagami Murai no longer existed in his past.

But the world thinks he’s alive. After all, just a week ago, the Black Parade was ‘successful’ in kidnapping the Vice Captain after he attempted to infiltrate and destroy their organization from the inside. It was all part of an elaborate set-up. Now, with Soul Society involved, there was no chance that Douma wouldn’t succeed in taking the Black Parade down and conquering them. By the end of the week, their assets and manpower would belong to him, and he would be one of the most feared names in all three worlds. The Black Parade’s influence stretched even into Hueco Mundo and ran deep through the Human World. If Douma succeeded, Soul Society wouldn’t be the only world touched by these events. The world was going to tremble to its core.

---

It’s time…

Himitsu Misute had been building up to this moment for a few weeks now. His blood boiled with anger and his mind was filled with vengeful thoughts. Douma was one of the most cruel and corrupt men rising to power, and after Himitsu’s humiliating loss to the man, he wanted revenge. He needed to take the masked man down once and for all, and this time, he wasn’t going to lose.

The unusually large Shinigami made his way quietly through the Rukongai streets accompanied by two allies. Hotaru Kuchiki, Captain of Squad 10, and Aevus, an unseated seated Shinigami in Squad 2 who, if rumors are true, is in well-deserving of a promotion based off strength and merit. What interested Himitsu most about Aevus was the lack of a last name. If he were to guess, Himitsu and Aevus weren’t too different. Neither had a family or any memory of a family. Both were trying to find where they belong in the world. Maybe Aevus would be a future friend, not just an ally.

Hotaru Kuchiki was a different type of interesting. Himitsu heard the stories about how Azumi Kasumi’Oji and Sozen Kuchiki cooperated on a project to turn an ordinary Shinigami into a Kuchiki family assassin, and Hotaru was the outcome of that project. Himitsu had met her once before and nearly died in that encounter, all because of some sort of misunderstanding. He had wanted to befriend the woman, but her blind loyalty was a problem. She had a moral compass; she just refused to use it in favor of taking orders and rejecting her judgment. But she was incredibly powerful and would be an essential part of the team.

But Himitsu didn’t need her. Nor did he need Aevus, for that matter. He wasn’t sure he could trust them, especially not Hotaru. The only comfort was the fact that he was protected by his Captain, Sozen Kuchiki. Hotaru wouldn’t do anything to hurt her family head’s Vice Captain, nor would Sozen order her to do such a thing ever. Aevus, on the other hand, was a wildcard. There was little on his personality in his profile, but for the most part, he seemed cold and serious. Not Kenryoku or Shade cold, but Aevus was pretty damn edgy. Hopefully, Himitsu could find some good in him to call on.

“We’re almost there,” the Lieutenant said to his party behind him. When it came to battle, Hotaru was definitely the leader of the group. Aevus had special skills such as speed and stealth to help support the team and scout from the shadows if necessary. Himitsu, however, knew the mission forwards and backwards. He had prepared the details for the past week and memorized them thoroughly, and the coordinates Douma sent to Soul Society marked a building just a couple of blocks away.

A few minutes later, the party arrived at a small, shady looking bar with broken glass windows and a ramshackle door. This wasn’t a surprise, however, considering that almost every building looked similar in the area. Outer rukongai districts weren’t known for their luxury. Because of their distance from Soul Society, it was easy for criminals to take over without much opposition from Shinigami. In the bar, there were definitely several notorious faces there, all of who were served by a bartender that didn’t seem very inviting.

However, the bartender was aware of the situation. He knew how to deal with average criminals, but Douma was above his experience and ability. As long as he complied with the man and kept his mouth shut, he would keep his life. And so when the group of Shinigami arrived, the bartender made sure no one was looking his way other than the Soul Reapers and nudged his head in the direction of the door in the corner of the room. Himitsu skeptically and cautiously led the party to said door while whispering to his allies.

If they were being led into a trap is a trap, Himitsu had already established a plan with his group before hand. Hotaru was to work her way to the front lines and make things up close and person. Aevus, stay by Himitsu and assist Hotaru by striking at opportune moments and backing off while keeping Himitsu safe from fast, physical fighters. Himitsu will provide Kido support. With this plan in mind, he entered the room with his guards up.

And so Himitsu opened the door to find a masked man sitting at a chair waiting with his two masked executives standing on either side of him. There were three chairs set out in front of him, and he calmly and slowly gestured with his hand to the seats.

“Welcome, and please have a seat.”

SPOILER: Click to show

{Kagami Stats, Skills, and Items}

Stats

Strength - [100] Points (50)

Speed - [300] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [400] (1000) Points

Reiatsu Strength - [50] Points

Light Aura - [65] Points

Dark Aura - [35] Points

Instinct - [200] Points

Senses - [150] Points

Energy sensory - [400] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: [1600] Points

Abilities

• [Weapons: Sword] {3}
  
  
• [War Strategy] {3}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {3}
  
  
• [Analysis] {3}
  
  
• [Leadership/Charisma] {2}
  
  
• [Mental Incantation] {2}
  
  

Items:
15 Kunai
10 Shuriken
1 Giant Shuriken
5 Kunai Clips
5 Full Body Condoms
Blood Cross
Artificial Zanpakuto - Kagebokkusu

SPOILER: Click to show

{Himitsu Stats and Skills}

Strength - [100] Points (60)

Speed - [300] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [300] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400] Points (700)

Light Aura - [90] Points

Dark Aura - [10] Points

Instinct - [100] Points

Senses - [150] Points

Energy sensory - [50] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: [1400] Points

Abilities

• Mental Incantation Level 3

• Weapon: Staff Level 3

• Battle Analysis Level 3

• Battle Skill: Kido Level 3

• Strength of Will Level 3

[Kento Waffles]

OOC: I'm still waiting on some introductions from the remaining participants. Just saying.

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru was now walking behind Himitsu, a man that she had met in battle what seemed like ages ago. The man was powerful, which was now evident by the Vice Captain badge he now wore. She really wasn't surprised that her family head had decided to claim him as a Vice Captain. Though, it seemed that their first meeting was a huge misunderstanding. She had almost sliced the man in two and she felt horrible about it after she had talked to Sozen about it. She had apologized and it seemed that he took it, but she knew he was still a little hesitant around her.

Walking next to her was Aevus. She remembered the shinigami from the jail ordeal. He had went as a backup due to his stealth. He was a competent fighter and she had no doubt that he would eventually reach a high officer position, if not Vice Captaincy, in his future. She really didn't know too much else about him, since she had only interacted with him on that one encounter. She figured that this might give her an opportunity to get to know him better, if there was enough time to do so. When Himitsu came to her a few days ago, she had no idea this is what was going to happen.

She was busy doing her duties when he walked in. She glanced up at him, smiled and stood. She greeted him and he got straight to business. It seemed that one of her closest friends, Kagami, had been captured by something called The Black Parade. She had only heard rumors about this underground network, but it seemed like her friend had gotten in over his head. All of her attention was on Himitsu, giving her the details of the mission. She was ready to run into Hell itself to get Kagami back, so she would've agreed to pretty much anything to get him.

It was how she found herself among this group. It seemed that Himitsu visited Aevus as well and he joined the group. Himitsu said that they were almost there and she nodded back to him. She was ready to find this man and bring Kagami back. She knew that she was pretty much going to be the physical power in this group if something happened. Also, since she was the highest ranking member of the party, she was going to head up any fight they got in as well, so she was trying to prepare herself for what might happen.

She continued to follow Himitsu to a bar in one of the outer Rukongai districts. Once they entered, she looked towards the bartender. She knew in these outer districts, most souls did what they had to to survive, which usually meant let the criminals do what they want to live another day. So, when she looked towards him, and while Himitsu was looking towards him, he pointed his head towards a door. Himitsu came to the door and opened it. Hotaru took a breath to clear her mind and when she saw into the room, she was kind of surprised.

She didn't really know what she was expecting, but she wasn't expecting one man with a bone white mask sitting, waiting for them. He looked their way and she immediately noticed the different color eyes. This man was going to be interesting, she could just tell from looking at him. Once all of them made it into the room, he offered them to sit down. Hotaru liked that he was polite, but she felt wrong sitting down. "If you don't mind, I would prefer to stand for right now. Can we please move onto business? I would like to get this done as quickly as possible."

SPOILER: Click to show

Strength - 150 (112) Points.
Speed - 400 (700) Points.
Spiritual Pressure – 400 (300) Points.
Reiatsu Strength – 400 (700) Points.
Instinct - [150] Points.
Senses - [150] Points.
Energy sensory - [50] Points
Healing Expertise - [0] Points

[Weapons: Swords] 3
[Weapons: Whips] 1
[Pain Tolerance] 3
[Bleeding Tolerance] 2
[Damage Recovery] 3
[Anti-Pain] 3
[Special: Hoho] 3

Medium Reiatsu Orb (Own 10)
Large Reiatsu Orb (Own 10)
Flame Aura Orb: Shakkaho (Own 10)
Water Aura Orb: Gouzen Demizu (Own 10)
Wind Aura Orb: Surasutoeria (Own 10)
Steel Aura Orb: Tetsu Supaiku (Own 10)
Electrical Aura Orb: Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho (Own 5)
Fire Aura Orb: Soukahou (Own 5)
Wind Aura Orb: Aspect of Wind (Own 5)
Water Aura Orb: Aspect of Water (Own 5)
Stone Aura Orb: Aspect of Stone (Own 5)
Carrier Belt (Own 1)
Secret Blades (Own 1)
Reiatsu Concealing Cloak (Own 1)

[Kento Waffles]

OOC: Well, this is taking a while. XD

Let's just have Kagami post in response to Hotaru now so we can get the thread rolling.

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

Sleep was something Aevus longed for tonight and yet he hadn’t slept in days. Nightmares ravaged the pale faced reaper ever since that fateful day where he had met the golden lined vulpine visage of a silver tongued hollow. Vibrant needles of light escaped the world, forcing darkness into the midst of the land but again. The tide of shadows seemed to wash everything in a vivid obscurity. The serene light had faded and with that the storm of night had corrupted the land but again. Laying over everything, like black snow.

Its intangible blanket shielding the visage from those who cannot see without light. But the eyes of a predator, those of that hollow seemed to pierce through that complex boundary even in his wakeful hours those golden eyes pierced into him ever so fiercely. Finding its way into his very heart, within his soul it kept ever so close, a threat loomed over him in every corner of his mind and he no longer felt safe. That gloominess, that truth sent cold shivering splinters throughout the man, digging deeply ever so deeply within the inner confounds of his being.

It sheltered its imprisoned existence in a realm of twilight, Like an aurora of foreign beauty within the world of his Zanpakuto spirit who now questioned her own freedom The complexity of that fear was almost impossible for the pale reaper to describe. His heart beat was now but faded, once pacing a mile a minute from the sight of that monster within him. And though he was seemingly calm he was only feigning serenity. Focus kept him moving forward and as of right now the dreams of that stealthy teal eyed girl was nothing but gray splotches, under the black veil of a foreign night.

Yet hidden within those shadows, within his cold heart, still laid that light. A faith so sublime, yet as of now the intensity of her very dream could not be seen, for the dreaded darkness that the hollow brought now veiled it. His tired eyes hid nothing as his resolve was slowly collapsing with each nightmare filled night tearing his very hope away. Within his mind, darkness was reigning supreme and he was slowly crumbling under the very weight of that black umbra.

---

Within a sheath strapped to his back, sheltered an artifical Zanpakuto. The purchase of it was an act of desperation and complete ignorance. He had hoped if he didn’t have to use the aid of his Zanpakuto that that vixen hollow would not appear again. But she came back in his dreams and taunted him for three days now. It was a mistake to think that he could fend off the monster with such an idea. The nightmares though were slowly subsiding as if the hollow within him merely was making her presence known for a time before sheltering itself back into the darkness of his inner world.

Walking alongside his superiors Aevus would remain vigilant, his Sapphiric gaze glancing over to Hotaru. She was a vice captain last time he saw her and now she was a captain just like Kimoko. Did everyone around him get stronger while he remained the same pitiful soul? Heh but that was wrong Aevus had gotten stronger but with the appearance of that monster he actually felt so much weaker than he ever had. The other Shinigami, Aevus had forgotten his name already sadly but he supposedly was a vice captain.

Being an unseated member of squad two he surely felt out of place and knew not why he was being sent to aid in the rescue of a captain. What could he do to aid a captain and a vice captain in an attempt to rescue a captured Captain. If the captain was captured whoever it was had to be stronger than him and that meant he had no hopes of defeating such a person by himself. Even though he felt out of place, he still felt a deep concern for a fellow Shinigami. Regardless of the mans rank, he was going to do everything within his power to help rescue him.

As the door opened, Aevus to would lock eyes with the masked man as he spotted the three chairs. He was expecting them as they were told and yet even with that knowledge and the companionship of a captain and vice captain the Shinigami still felt a sense of uneasiness. He to would decide to stand back with the captain, just to keep some distance from the strange masked man. He would also remain silent, deciding to keep his mouth shut for the time being for he had no intentions of causing an unneeded conflict if he could help it.

SPOILER: Click to show

Strength - 100 (75)
Speed - 400 (540)
Spiritual Pressure - 350 (473)
Reiatsu Strength - 100 (75)
Light Aura - 50
Dark Aura - 50
Instinct - 150
Senses - 100
Energy Sensory - 0
Healing Expertise - 0


•[Weapon: Katana] [2]
•[Martial Arts: Iaido ] [2]
•[Calm Mind] [1]
•[Stealth] [2]
•[Battle Analysis] [1]
•[Strength of Will] [1]
•[Acrobatics] [2]

[Douma]

Himitsu felt a mix of emotions, of which anger was the most prominent, when he looked at that expressionless mask and those evil eyes. Douma was too smug, even in his introduction. There was an air of arrogance he carried, something to define him with. Otherwise, he was just a man in a mask capable of horrible feats. One of those feats was nearly killing a Vice Captain, Himitsu himself, and allowing him to be recovered by Squad 4 and saved in the knick of time.

Hotaru was the first to respond to Douma, and she did so politely. She must know that he was a notorious criminal, but she kept a level head and dealt with him peacefully. Himitsu could only assume that she didn’t hate the criminal because he could be the key in rescuing Kagami Murai, the Lieutenant of Squad 1 who disappeared a year ago. Himitsu respected the Kuchiki and decided to stand by her side, hoping Aevus followed her lead. Hotaru was going to be the key in not getting too caught up with Douma. Himitsu hated the man and wanted to kill him, but right now, he was extremely valuable to Soul Society alive. They needed his help.

“You sent a message to the Gotei 13 claiming that you have information about Kagami Murai, the Squad 1 Vice Captain who is currently missing in action. Then, after our meeting, Squad 4 discovered a date, time, and coordinates written on my back in my blood. They put two and two together, and here we are. If this is an ambush, you might realize that you’re outmatched. I’m ten times stronger, and we now have a captain and another helpful hand.” However, Himitsu knew that Douma wasn’t stupid enough to invite Soul Society’s best into a simple trap. It wouldn’t work. Himitsu spent enough time in Squad 9 to understand how to analyze information, and right now, the conclusion he came to was that Douma wasn’t bluffing. He knew where Kagami was and he knew how to get to him. The ball was in his court.

---

Douma recognized Hotaru Kuchiki. He pinpointed her unique reiatsu signature from miles away. He also remembered Himitsu reiatsu after their short battle that left the Lieutenant brutally crushed. If he really thought he was a match for Douma now, he needed to have done a lot more than a little training. If Hotaru was supposed to be able to fight on par with him now, she must have come a long way since she had become a captain.

“Himitsu Misute, it’s a pleasure to see you again. You don’t have to cut right to the chase, I was hoping to sit down with you and catch up. I’m happy to see that you’ve made a full recovery. And Mrs. Hotaru Kuchiki, you’re looking beautiful as always. I hope the husband is doing well. Oh, and I haven’t seen Nickel Haida in a while. I’m sure you two have been in contact, and I hope you wish her the best for me.” Hotaru had run into Douma earlier when he went to establish business ties with Katekarin and ending up meeting a handful of special individuals. She must have remembered him.

“And look, you brought a new friend.” Behind the mask, the man’s face formed a sinister smile. “I know you, though. It’s great to meet you in person, Aevus. You can call me Douma, and these are my colleagues and friends, Blood and Gold.” How did someone as notorious as Douma know Aevus, an unseated, unrecognized officer in Squad 2. This would definitely raise some question as to how much Douma knew about the inner workings of Soul Society and if he had any sources feeding him information such as who was thrown onto this mission.

But the truth was far simpler. Aevus had recently purchased an illegal artificial Zanpakuto from the Black Market, and all black market organizations with any brains had some way of monitoring who their customers were. Aevus never put a name down, but his face had been secretly recorded and Douma recognized him. He used to receive paperwork from missions as the Vice Captain of Squad 1 and there were a fair share of reports Aevus sent to first to his captain to be approved and then to Kagami to file and oversee. He had information on all of the Shinigami in Soul Society up until he disappeared.

The masked man rose to his feet so that they all saw eye-to-eye. “Here’s the plan: about a mile from here, the Black Market group known as the Black Parade has several shipments going out. I don’t know how many shipments there will be, nor do I know how many decoys they will send with the shipments. I just know there will be both, and you can expect guards with each shipment, decoy or not. We’ve got ten minutes before the shipments are sent out, all at the same time. It’d be a good idea to start heading over their via rooftops.”

Douma rose out of his seat and headed for the backdoor exit behind him. There was a ladder that would allow them to climb up to the roof. Just before they climbed the ladder and hopped from rooftop to rooftop until they get close enough to monitor the Black Parade shipment, Douma handed out small, black, Bluetooth-like earpiece. “These will keeps us all connected. Depending on how many shipments there are, we will either need to all split up or form small pairs. Either way, we will all needed to stay in-touch.”

But there was one detail Himitsu and Hotaru would be wondering if Douma forgot. He didn’t. “The Black Parade has Kagami detained and captured. They’ve probably tortured him and tried to get info out about why he was trying to infiltrate them. If we capture these shipments, we’ll have chips to negotiate with. Rumor has it that these chips are as valuable as even a Vice Captain.”

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru was standing now, just waiting to see what this man would say. Looking at him better now, she does remember seeing this man before, while she was in Karakura visiting with her husband. She met him, the gas mask guy and Nickel, who sadly hasn't really contacted her since. From that encounter alone, she knew that the man was a criminal, and a prideful one at that. He willingly said his plans, even though she was there, a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen. The way he talked about Soul Society had put her on edge to the point that when she got back, she immediately went to the appropriate captains.

She explained everything that she had heard and left the captains to their duties. She also went to her own squad and set out a few new details, in the hopes of catching this man in the act and not even letting him get into Soul Society in the first place. He was very crafty and she was definitely going to be on the lookout for anything that didn't look quite right. Then, Himitsu spoke, standing next to her in solidarity. She glanced over while he was talking and saw the stress in his posture and on his face. The two men had obviously met before.

The meeting must not have went too well for the Vice Captain, which became evident in how the coordinates for this meeting were found in the first place. She raised her right eyebrow when he said it. Finding it in blood is definitely interesting, and means that he has some skill, which she had already assumed from the way he talked before. So, the man wasn't bluffing about everything he said. Himitsu then said that he was outmatched, being stronger than he was before and having a captain as well as another shinigami.

She quickly glanced at him then. He was definitely sure of himself, and sure of the party, that we could defeat him. Hotaru was strong, that much was for sure since she was able to attain the rank of Captain. But, they knew next to nothing about this man. He could be hiding who knows what here that could immediately zap all their strength away, leaving them defenseless. Hotaru liked the chances they had, but with someone like him, she was still preparing for the worst. It was then that Douma finally decided to speak.

It seemed that he remembered Hotaru from the last encounter as well, though to be fair, with her purple hair and height, she always assumes that people can easily remember her. He comment on her looks, asked about her husband and hoped that she would pass along wishing Nickel the best. She took a breath. She knew the man was a criminal, but he had done nothing to her to warrant any evil emotions. Even though he talked about entering Soul Society when he pleased, she had never caught him doing it, so it could be all talk.

It was the reason she was staying polite. It was more than likely he was doing everything he said, but until she actually saw him do anything like that in front of her, she would stay polite and keep her guard up so she would be ready for anything to pop out at her. It was why she wanted the squads on alert, to catch him doing it or prevent him from coming in. "He is fine, thank you." She continued to watch him, skeptically of almost everything that he did. He then knew Aevus by name and introduced himself.

Now, how did he know that? Unless he had met the man before. She didn't know Aevus well enough to talk to him on a regular basis, so she had no idea if they had met. They could've easily met while Aevus was out on patrol in Karakura or any number of ways. It was still weird that he knew him, but she was starting to learn that this man had his own ways of gaining knowledge. She was definitely going to have to talk to the other captains about a mole that might be in the Gotei Thirteen, giving him information. It was too odd not to mention it to others.

He then started to tell them all of his plan to hit The Black Parade. They had ten minutes to hit all of the shipments at the same time, which would be no easy feat, but doable with four people, depending on how many there were. He started to walk towards a door. She glanced at her party and started to walk behind him. She knew that the best way to get to Kagami would be to get this underway and dealt with as quickly as possible. When he handed her the little black thing, she was confused. She had no idea what it was. Douma said it was to keep them all connected, but she had no idea how, since they weren't connected by strings to each other.

But, this was all new technology to her, so she assumed it worked the way he said. She saw him put his on, so she put it on the same way and it fit her ear much better than she thought. It felt weird on her, but she would have to get used to it. Before she could ask herself, Douma said that The Black Parade have him captured. When he mentioned that they probably tortured him to try to get information out of him, Hotaru glared at air. She didn't like the idea of her friend getting hurt. After Douma was done speaking, she stared at the man. "What are we standing around here for then? We need to get Kagami back, so tell us how to get there Douma."

[Kento Waffles]

Los Angeles

Why Los Angeles? It wasn't just that the Dungeon Master knew this location best. Well, okay, yes it was. But also, consider this. In Los Angeles, one would find, more or less, the kingpins of modern crime. That, or over the border and down in Mexico. See, whereas New York City had once been the hub for the mob, mafia, gang stuff, whatever, today it was Los Angeles, not with the Crips and Bloods, but rather, with cartels from South America. Those who ran the narcotics trade. Long story short, narcotics had replaced Italian gang warfare, because they had been unable to adapt. Too respectable and whatnot.

So, fastforward a bit. The spirituals would find themselves down in a town called Compton, overlooking a small shipment garage from afar using whatever observation technology they could muster. There, they would witness an operation of multiple people loading narcotics into trucks to transport somewhere. Pretty standard. Why Compton? Well, as it is, Compton used to be known for gang war. It all began with gang violence spreading through the town and then becoming very well known due to songs from the likes of Dr Dre and his friends. In today's modern world, Compton isn't half that bad. But it maintains reputation. People who aren't from it stay out of it.

Now, it would be pretty easy to ambush all of these guys, attack them, and then interrogate them. However, given that they had not only narcotics but weapons and explosives, there was a very high risk factor associated with this whole operation. It would be best to wait until all of the things were loaded into the trucks, and the people were driving. Plus, perhaps they could tail them to wherever they were transporting the shipments. It was their call, of course. Also noteworthy was that there had been rumors in the area lately of a business tycoon trying to buy out property in areas like this, potentially for the drug trade.

If they waited patiently until all trucks were loaded and there was driving, then they would notice all of the varying men begin to get into their trucks and drive. They all followed the same route, going in single file down deserted streets, since it was very late at night. They could ambush them each individually there, or they could be patient and wait until the men all got to their destination. If they did this, it would be grueling. The drive was well over two hours, and took them far out of Compton, into the likes of the middle of nowhere. Into the valley. And this would make it difficult to follow.

As they got into the valley, they would at last come to stop at some rural looking farm and a barn, the doors of which would then open to permit the trucks to enter. They would then disappear from view. It would be here that they could ambush. ...Or they could wait to see what else happened. This was their third chance, however, and to wait now might pose some problems. And, besides, this was probably the best opportunity. There were also no strong spiritual presences in the area. Just these guys, and they were all very low level. It would be child's play. Unless, of course, it was a trap from someone more knowledgeable.

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

Having traveled straight into Compton Aevus felt slightly off put by the earlier exchange with the masked man known as Douma. He had decided to remain rather aloof throughout his little rant but the fact that the man recognized him surprised him deeply. Aevus couldn’t begin to piece together how the man knew his name. It was just way to ominous and fed deeply into the mystery that was the man Douma. The captain and the vice captain seemed to have a history with the man and that made the situation even more curiouser and curiouser. Though Aevus knew nothing of the masked Man, he knew for a fact that he couldn’t be trusted. He was someone who he wouldn’t want to deal with one on one if he could help it. But he also wanted to know how this stranger knew him and he wouldn’t be leaving here without a few answers.

“Be careful around that one Aevus, this one does not trust him.” Silver lupine irises sheltered themselves inside him as his blade hummed gently within its sheath.

'Nor do I, something is just off about this Douma. I can’t put my finger on it but I think it’s because of the mask. Those that wear masks usually have something to hide or fear being recognized.'

“In this case Aevus, it's perhaps both.”

‘You’d be right, i’m a nobody after all, I should definitely not be on his radar but~.’ Aevus would pause his memory distantly trailing to the purchase of the artifical Zanpakuto and the shady individual that sold it to him. ‘But yet he recognized me, maybe it’s someone I know or maybe...knew?’ But who it could be Aevus knew not. He had met many in his two hundred plus years of being alive well erm dead? and throughout that time he knew for a fact that he made more enemies than friends. It was silly even bringing up the idea that he had friends back then, except for a select few he didn’t even gave out his name.

“Aevus?”

‘It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.’

Overlooking the shipment Aevus would kneel at the edge of the building. The breeze threading through his black hairs, the pale faced reaper resembled that of perched bird or even a gargoyle at that time. His actions would be determined by his superiors but he wouldn’t act on their commands on a whim. He was in fact a dog of soul society but that leash wasn’t as tight as he would let them believe. His cold blue eyes narrowed below him. “I’ll move on your command, just give the order.” Aevus wanted to get this over with and get straight outta Compton.

[Douma]

Four trucks. Six people. At least four people per truck. Douma and his ramshackle team of Shinigami and criminals was definitely out numbered, but as far as Douma could tell, the Black Parade was outgunned. Extremely out gunned. Douma’s energy sensory was sharper than the vast majority of other spiritual beings. He was easily in the top 8% when it came to energy sensory. However, there weren’t any strong presences he could pick up. Either this was too easy or there was something more to the shipments.

The orders he gave were clear. No one in the group was to take action without his permission. No one in the group was going to reveal themselves to the Black Parade, accidentally or intentionally. When the shipments went out, they were to maintain radio silence on their earpieces incase the Black Parade caught their frequency. Caution was a priority. Failure wasn’t an option.

When they learned the number of trucks, Douma whispered to Hotaru, “We’ll split up into teams to take out each truck at the same time. They could have explosives so we need to handle them with caution. Because we’re most likely the strongest, we will handle our designated trucks on our own. You take the one in the front, I’ll take the last one. Himitsu will go with Blood and Aevus will be paired with Gold. How does that sound?”

If all was okay with Hotaru, Douma would continue. “We won’t attack until I give the silent signal. It will be obvious when I decide we should make a move, so don’t worry about exactly what that signal is. Otherwise, we should follow the trucks and try to make it to their final destination. The larger the stash of illegal goodies, the more leverage we have and the better chance we have of getting your friend back.”

The masked man asked Hotaru to relay the information to the rest of her team. Therefore, Himitsu continued keeping an eye on Douma, but that signal to attack never came. He seemed focused on the task, but the potential that he was leading them into a trap was a real possibility. Himitsu stayed on guard the entire time, never letting his focus dull. He stayed alert as they pursued the trucks up until they all pulled into the barn, and even then, no signal came. It seemed like the plan was to watch and wait.

[Kento Waffles]

One hour passed. One hour of complete silence. Nothing. Nothing at all. Some might be tempted to think that, after all, this was a dead end. The drugs and weapons were just going to be stored there. But in this kind of a stake out, one hour wasn't sufficient to say that nothing was going to happen. Transit time, especially on the 405, was a huge bitch for most people to go through. It could be, after all, that it was going to take longer for the shipment of trucks to be picked up. After all, why would they straight up just leave it out here, when there were so many warehouses in the LA county? And, soon enough, outside of that middle of the nowhere shit hole, the action would begin.

ANIME BASKETBALL

A black Lincoln town car pulled up with tinted windows. There were about sixteen or so smuggler guys from the trucks to begin with, and they now started filing out of the barn to greet the town car. The town car looked much more ominous than it should. Maybe because black Lincoln town cars are what are used in most mob movies. Ironic since mobsters don't actually use town cars anymore. That's a give away and it's too out of style. The sixteen guys seemed to have a ring leader, who wore a fuzzy gray beret and a tweed jacket. He looked hilariously like an outdated English cockney. But was probably American.

Four people left the town car. Douma, with his newly established underworld connections, would have obtained a lot of information on who the big players were in the human world. Kazura Uzaki, of course, was a big player. Uzaki Enterprises had a huge staff of all sorts of races, and was growing still. Satsujun and Xcution, the most powerful human world force, owned a huge majority of the crime empires in the world. Then there were mercenaries for hire, not bosses. People like Anarchy, whose power was on par with at least a high level Captain. And all four of those who got out of the town car were like that. Big player mercenaries. Douma would know all of them.

Axel Johnson. A full seven feet tall. Hugely muscular. Sporting a black tuxedo and deep red sunglasses, despite how it was night. He was the sort of monster that you didn't even want in your nightmares. Physical prowess said to be second only to Satsujun himself. A body stronger than any spiritual entity's. And if anyone thought about what he had actually done? Scarier. He was once responsible for overseeing shipments of Lord Callus's monsters. Single handedly. He had been able to contain even the abominations created by Lord Callus with his bare hands.

Maxitrillion Knox. Who names their child Maxitrillion? Parents who consider the name Maximillion to be too weak for their son. Also clad in black tuxedo, smoking a cigarette, he was also about 6'6. Not nearly as tall as Axel, but still a huge guy, and heavily muscular too. This guy... He had once been one of Satsujun's Seven Guns of Xcution. At the time he had held the rank, he had been considered #1. Later, he had defected from Xcution and disappeared, and only popped up occasionally as a mercenary. That he was still alive despite assassins Satsujun sent after him spoke volumes about who he was.

Basilisk. A silent, slender figure was next. She wasn't extraordinarily tall like the two others, and rather was average height. But, her mask and her veil, both of which were sported over a black tuxedo, were well known. The mercenary Basilisk. No one actually knew whom she worked for. But, she had sabotaged both Uzaki and Xcution operations more than once. And well, too. At the time, she had evaded three of the Seven Guns at the same time, and killed one. She was someone that you didn't want to be on the opposite side from you.

And, finally... .... Was that Darnell?! Kagami had last seen Darnell during his first appearance in Soul Society as Douma. They had worked together on a mission which had succeeded, and Douma had then been captured, unmasked with a disguise underneath (leading people to believe he was, in fact, a K-pop star), and then infiltrated the Senzaikyu Prison System under directive from Souza Kuchiki. Then, he had escaped with Darnell, and they had not seen one another since. 'Kagami Murai' had disappeared soon after. The young male was also average height, and sporting a black tuxedo, and had a grin on his face. He looked somehow different.

And, in fact, he might be the ringleader. All of these people were, at most, in their very early twenties. They were a young group. And Darnell seemed to be the head of the four of them. He hadn't been strong enough for that when Douma had last seen him. Had he grown stronger? Or had he been lying this whole time? "Eyo, mah niggas..." Darnell complimented. "Good job n' all with gettin' this shit here in one piece. HAHA you get that? I called it one piece. Like we're pirates, yo. What, you don't get it? Fuck, you crackas ain't got no godamn taste." The sixteen smugglers stayed silent.

"Anyway, we're here to give you the coordinates for where you gotta take this shit next," Darnell said. "We'll meet yo sorry white asses there." Darnell proceeded to hand a slip of paper to the ring leader, who still said nothing. "N don't be late... Our boss would be PEE EYE ESS ESS EE DEE HYSTERICAL if Black Parade couldn't hold its end of the deal. ...Wait, that shit ain't how you spell hysterical. Fuck." Darnell motioned to the other three, and they turned their backs to the smugglers. Darnell looked back for a second. "There're weapons for you foos in the car we brought. D-Dawg OUT."

Darnell snapped his fingers, and suddenly... The four of them disappeared. Poof. In a flash of green light. Just like Darnell's projectile attack from last time that Douma had witnessed. With his sensory, he would have been able to tell. Of those four, all of them were at least as strong as a Captain of Taiho Kasumi'Oji's caliber. Axel himself had been in the same league as Sozen Kuchiki. Meaning, if they were going to interrupt the smugglers, it couldn't be at the ultimate, final destination. Sure, this was a business deal between Black Parade and some other organization. And learning about both might be cool. But...

Those four were too powerful. If this team engaged that team, then Team Douma would lose. The four they had just seen were of a whole other caliber from your typical grunt. Meanwhile, these smugglers seemed pretty weak. Best to intercept them before they got to wherever they were going, and steal their trucks. So, the smugglers started loading into all (now five) of their vehicles, and started driving away down the road. Unlike Darnell, they couldn't do...whatever he had did. Anyway, if the gang was going to intercept, now was the best chance. Or, they could follow and see where it ultimately went. Their choice.

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru had quietly followed the trucks. She had no idea why they didn't just ambush them at the beginning, but she was beginning to realize it now. The trucks were heading somewhere and it made a good deal of sense that Kagami wouldn't be in a truck. He was more than likely at their end destination. So, by waiting to actually attack the trucks, they were leading this little misfit band towards Kagami's location. The sooner they did that, the sooner she could get out of this crazy place and help Kagami get back to Soul Society.

The road in actually following them was very tedious. They kept running into traffic, so they had to wait while they waited. It was a huge annoyance, but Hotaru just kept telling herself that Kagami is worth all this stupidity. She wanted her friend back. She wanted her best friend back. She missed the times that they had together and having someone she trusted outside her family, not including Asmoskon of course. Asmo was on a completely different level. So, she thought about that while they were traveling and FINALLY, they reached some barn in the middle of nowhere.

When they all pulled in, Hotaru was inwardly rejoicing that they could finally stop and DO something. She didn't like to remain idle for too long and that trip made her idle for WAY too long. She waited with the rest of her group close enough to the barn to actually see inside of it, but not close enough to attract attention. She waited quietly and closely, trying to look at everything that was around her to see if there might be anything off. It was then that she noticed the car that was driving into the barn with black windows.

The car drove up and the people from the trucks walked up closer to see who it was. When the four men walked out of the car, she could immediately feel their strength. Her energy sensory isn't that good, but she could tell that these men were powerful, easily equivalent to high level Captains of Soul Society. She watched them as best she could. Their team, she doubted, would have a good chance standing up to them. She was a Captain, true, but not one of the higher level Captains in the Soul Society. She could easily think of four Captains that were stronger than she was.

If she tried to fight these men, she assumed that she would be able to put up a decent fight, but she wouldn't win. She didn't know how strong Douma was, but she had high doubts that even all of them together couldn't defeat these four men. The last one that got out started to talk, and honestly, Hotaru could barely understand what he was saying. She knew he spewed out a lot of curse words, but it was just a lot of mumbo jumbo to her. The most she got out of what he said was that he was giving them coordinates for where they were going to take the shipment next and they brought weapons.

She watched as the one that was talking snapped his fingers and the four strong men left. Hotaru let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. She was glad that they were gone. But, she didn't know if they should follow some more, see where they were going to see if it lead to Kagami or not. But, she didn't have much time to think, because that's when she heard the signal from Douma. It was time to act. They were driving away in the trucks. Hotaru ran up to the first truck and started to slash all four of the tires, using her max speed. She hoped she would get them all slashed and they would be able to pull the truck over without much difficulty.

[Kento Waffles]

The first truck to have its tires slashed came to an abrupt halt, and swerved around, nearly falling onto its side as it screeched to a dead stop on the road. The other trucks, though the drivers likely noted that their first truck had been stopped, did not. They kept going, realizing that it was better to get some of their loot to the destination, even if not all of it. They did roll down windows and start shooting at the air. Some of them were skilled enough to see Hotaru, and would be shooting bullets at her. Others had no idea where she was, and missed. But, she did have some bullets to deal with.

Meanwhile, two men got out of the truck she had stopped. One was a big man, one was a skinny man. Both had AK-47 assault rifles, and both aimed their guns at her and started shooting. The bullets traveled quickly, and many were released at once. Given that the other bullets were still coming too, Hotaru was running out of space to dodge it. More than likely, one might graze her because of the sheer onslaught of fire. The problem with guns was when multiple presented themselves, it was easy, even for those on her level, to be overwhelmed. In the meantime, she did happen to have some teammates on Team Douma. They could help, or they could watch her.

The other trucks were starting to get farther away as this all happened. The best thing to do would be to stop them from getting away. But, if someone did that, they'd basically not make it in time to help Hotaru. She could likely survive on her own, but not without taking a little bit of damage from the guns. In the human world, guns were a big thing, and the problem that they posed to Soul Reapers that fought humans was enormous. At this point in time, it would be best if one of the team members went to help Hotaru, and two of the others went to stop the trucks. Division of labor. Then, it could become a two on two fight against the weak guys with their guns.

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

(OOC sorry for the wait, my hands feeling a lot better now xD So I should be able to post regularly now!)

Aevus dully observed with tired sapphire eyes as the metal framed objects rolled across the road. He was strangely curious of how these vehicles worked and yet today he would have to shelf that interest for another time. Having been used to stakeout’s during his hunts he was rather patient as he paraded the shadows with his team. Aevus had been paired up with Gold one of Douma’s henchmen. Regardless of his uneasiness around the masked man, he wasn’t about to risk the life of a captain by rejecting the idea of working with someone under such a mans influence. No that would be selfish and Aevus was the opposite of such a notion.

“What do you think of her?" Aevus asked finding himself within the boundless world of his Zanpakuto spirit.“Be wary of the woman, but don’t show your distrust.” Silver paws rippled the cyanic waters as the she-wolf known as Lumina shifted her moonlit gaze to the pale faced Shinigami. Aevus’s cold gaze would turn away from the she-wolf to the aurora filled sky reflecting the utter brilliance of the heavens. “That’ll be simple.” After all he didn’t trust anyone.

As Hotaru acted Aevus to would move. “Keep up girl.” Aevus would subtly whisper to Gold under his breath as he cast himself forward. Moving swiftly on his toes he would Shunpo to the second truck leaving Hotaru to fend for herself. She was a captain after all, a few thugs wouldn’t be enough to take her down. Watching her take out those Quincies at the prison was amazing, he could only imagine what her Bankai looked like. Maybe tonight he would find out yet hopefully he wouldn’t have to.

With that he wouldn’t even look back as he would jump on top of the truck. Unsheathing his blade reverse gripped he steadily began to run across the hood. From the supportive gunfire it could only mean one thing, that the windows must have been open. Swiftly swinging his body across the vehicle Aevus would keep hold slamming his right hand and curling his fingers around the hood of the truck to keep himself from falling off. With his left he would still be clinging onto his blade as he kicked himself into the man pointing his gun out the passenger side. Potentially catching the assailant by surprise and knocking him into the driver who would in turn possibly find it difficult to drive correctly. Aevus would suddenly kick off the door away from the swerving truck catching himself with advanced air ground.

Reaitsu 4555/4730

Instant Jinzen - 100
Shunpo - 50
Advanced Airground - 25