The Rogues: A Powerhouse Team [PG13, Medium, NDE]

[Tsubaki Shiba]

"I see. Such prestige, you were a member of a gang. I'll admit, I'm impressed." The idea of clearly communicating sarcasm despite having a monotone voice was a hard to believe one, but Tsubaki certainly did not disappoint. "Sorry, Kuruna, dear, I clearly underestimated your capabilities. You were second in command even? One of your coworkers was good at pit fighting? That more or less makes you on par with the Captain Commander in and of itself."

"Moron. You're still a tool of Callus, without a shadow of a doubt. Perhaps you were strong, but the three worlds are full of strong people, and many of them die all the time. Strength is meaningless, the only thing in this world that matters is drive. The will to succeed, to push through adversity and conquer all that oppose us. And you, if you find this world boring, then I doubt you possess the drive you need to succeed, or win." Her voice slowly grew darker, and a tinge of emotion found its way in. Disdain. Scorn.

"For the rest of my time in Callus' employe, I don't want to hear your voice. It's pointless and bothers me. If I need to let Callus know this as well, I'll do so. And if I need to take matters into my own hands, I'd love to see what your liver looks like." Tsubaki's bloodlust was palpable, and Kuruna would actually feel hesitant for a moment. Probably not for long, but there was a degree of utter seriousness to Tsubaki that couldn't be overlooked.

"I won't ask you again." In this moment, maybe it was her listening to him bragging about Team Josai killing a Shinigami Captain, but Tsubaki felt the first thing she'd felt in a while. She felt truly, truly angry. She felt annoyance, on par with nothing she'd felt since leaving Soul Society. She felt hatred, more than she'd felt for Callus himself. And all these emotions were manifesting in someone who still gave off the presence, the air of a Captain of Soul Society.

[RayginX]

The swordsman was silent as the child opened her soul to him, to let that hidden inner character slip free and into the world around them. Garret may not have been able to sense energies, and maybe he'd normally have a hard time even sensing the framework of ones soul, but he could sense this one. Maybe it was because they were both cursed? Maybe it was because of how toxic it was? Garret didn't know. Reason didn't matter anyways. The swordsman looked down, that expression remaining the same, as he stood straight, taking in the essence of her soul. He could feel it. He could feel that bloodlust. That alien, unspecific, blood lust radiating out from her soul and into the world around her. It crazed to kill. But the child, herself, didn't want to do it. She didn't want this affliction. They were polar opposites. Unlike the man who stood before her, the one who welcomed his affliction beneath the surface. The affliction that fed those flames.

But he wanted her to leave. To run away from him. Why didn't she get that? Garret didn't want her. She'd get in the way. The idea that her Osen made her untouchable that laughable. Anything could die, and anything could be killed. There would be a right way to go about it. Here he was, thinking about that, thinking about how Hollows would kill her. She'd just get in the way. How old was she even? She had to be younger than fourteen. Old enough to have been a target for the deprived back when he was alive. Old enough to have been killed. Garret didn't see a lot of women fighters when he was alive, and while that certainly wasn't the case in todays time he still possessed the experiences of the past. Could she even hold a sword?

What could Garret even teach her? He had to have been half her age when he first stepped onto a battlefield and took life for the first time. Even younger than that he'd been training with the sword. Could Garret even teach her? His methods had been so different even for the time period he was from. Nobody used swords as large as he did. There was a reason he was leader of the raiding party, meant to split armies. Garret had been blessed with good genes, being made into a tall and massive man to wield his weapons of choice. Maybe the basics of a sword? The basics were always used. But, again, how and when? They'd be so busy being on the run that he'd never have time.

But maybe that wasn't what she was looking for. Maybe she was looking to die. Maybe she was simply looking to find death with someone close to her. It was obvious that even if Garret denied her she'd probably follow him. She was like a lost and overly attached puppy who you made the mistake of giving food. She'd follow him, or she'd deteriorate further. Could he even use her against the Hollows? He frowned at all these questions, knowing that the answer would have to be no. There was no way. She was too big a liability. He'd get attached, he'd get sloppy, and he'd be killed. Or she'd be killed. He closed his eye, beginning to turn away from the child when a whisper from a familiar voice tingled in the back of his head.

"Unlike the beings that you may have encountered already, you can already deduce that I am different. It is actually due to what I am, Garret. A Failure. A being that is.. unstable. Kimiko Aimi, the one person in this world that Garret considered an ally, a companion. She wasn't with him at this time, having heard news about a possible cure for her affliction. Success or failure, she had promised to return to him upon completion of her task. But thinking about her now, Garret realized he had gambled with this question before. But would it be wise to gamble again? He knew what it was Kimiko would have said. What would Cassandra have said?

Keep bathing in blood, killing, and thirsting. Forever alone. Forever. Burn yourself and them in your hate.

"We'll see, I suppose, after you've spent some time around me." Garret spoke, his monotone voice breaking through the torrential downpour of rain, his hair almost completely covering his eye as he spoke his words, offering the invitation, and damning the girl to his battle. He turned away from her, with that, and began to walk again in the direction out of the city. He'd made the choice, and now it was hers. It was her choice to now flee or to follow him into the battlefield.

[Douma]

Douma began following his two new allies through the halls of their compound. One was a Kawada defect. The other, Sozen Mumei, was also interesting. Douma immediately theorized that he was an attempt at replicating Sozen’s power. After all, there is little benefit from creating an individual with Sozen’s genes unless it was meant to bring Sozen’s abilities and strengths to the hands of another. Douma would have to learn more about this Sozen copy, especially others with the name Mumei.

It was the Kawada man who spoke to Douma first. "So, Douma-chan! You're doing the liquid treatment too! I finished that not too long ago. What're you doing it for? What are you sharpening?" So each liquid treatment was different. Callus seemed to cater to the needs of each individual person to aid them in reaching their own full potentials. Douma and Shiratori were different, and so they needed different forms of liquid treatment. Callus mentioned something about an absence of humanity. That had to be it. But he didn’t find any value in sharing that information with Shiratori. “I don’t know. What did your treatment sharpen?” Playing dumb couldn’t hurt, and he might even learn more about his comrades.

Douma could sense the Shinigami base long before they arrived. With that many kido corps members present, he knew that Soul Society wasn’t messing around. The Kido Corps was one of the stronger divisions simply because of the raw power each individual provided. But other than Kyomei Kuchiki, none of its members were truly a threat to Douma. "Alright, Do-Chan! Show me what you're capable of and destroy that complex!" Douma shook his head. “If you’re looking for raw destructive power, you picked the wrong person. I have a feeling that you or Mumei are more capable of destroying this building than I. But most of those shinigami will likely survive, and then I will lend you a hand in combat.” Douma was used to being the leader, so he naturally came off as commanding. In truth, he was correcting an easily avoidable mistake. Shiratori wasn’t familiar with his strengthens and weaknesses yet, so until he was, it was only natural for Douma to watch out for the team’s best interests as well as his own. But he was still interested in learning more about his new ‘friends.’

“Show me what you two are capable of.”

[Kento Waffles]

First song

Kuruna didn't look even remotely phased by Tsubaki's words, instead sneering at her with a half chuckle and a wide smirk. It was said that Team Josai's members all had bad personalities. If so, Tsubaki would fit right in, as Kuruna already did. She was a bit more of a grumpy recluse, and Kuruna was someone who liked to irritate others around him. It was clear as she spoke and became more aggressive and harsh that all she was doing was amusing him more. He also didn't seem to take her threat seriously, which was understandable, given the current difference in their levels of power. It was hard to talk big when the other guy had several levels on you.

"Idiot," Kuruna said with a huge grin. "You don't have the authority or strength to make a demand like that! Kehehehe!" As he smiled, he let his tongue slide out of his mouth in the most obscene, grotesque way, mocking her. One had to wonder if this was something he did to his other teammates. Some were probably more used to it than others. Some might even had strategies for coping with it. Either way, Kuruna was someone that loved to irritate people. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a black marble. After kissing it tenderly, he tossed it in Tsubaki's general direction. As it flew toward her, it exploded outward into a new form, transforming into... a three headed dog.

The dog, were it to stand on its hind legs, would be a little taller than Tsubaki. Yes, it was indeed a big dog. All three heads had distinct necks and were snarling viciously, saliva dripping from their mouths. Since it had been tossed at Tsubaki, if she didn't do something to get out of the way the three headed dog would land on her, and if it did, it would begin to bite viciously into her and tear into into pieces. Kuruna, grinning, spoke again. "Callus wants you tested, so make sure you're at least strong enough to survive this," he said. With a laugh, Kuruna walked out of the lab, leaving Tsubaki alone to contend with this vicious hound that wanted to tear her into pieces.

Meanwhile, Douma and his two new comrades would reach the base during their conversation. "Of course you know," Sozen Mumei told Douma with a maniacal smirk, his hand combing through his luscious black hair. "You just don't want to tell us too much about yourself in case you have to fight us later. It's understandable, but we could kill you for that, don't you think?" As they reached the base and Douma again denied Shiratori, their leader pouted, and looked desperately to Sozen Mumei. "So-Chan! He's trying to command me just like you try to! Why is everyone so mean?!" Shiratori was mocking, never taking anything seriously. But, his eyes sharpened for a second. "Okay, I'll give you a taste..."

Music 2

Shiratori swung his arms back, and then literally ran at the base. He took off with a fair speed, but it wasn't how fast he was that was unsettling. His Bakkoto directed itself into his hand, and he then jumped hoisting his sword up as a flash of reiatsu indicated the activation of his Bakkoto. The Kawada defect's jump was extremely high, very well practiced, and highly impressive. More importantly, there came some sort of a sound as he jumped. In the back of his mind, as if out of nowhere, Douma would hear it too. A crowd chanting, in synchronziation, "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..." the moment Shiratori started his jump. And, outside Douma's mind, even Sozen Mumei was doing it! And then, as his Bakkoto struck against the base, he'd hear the crowd as well as the Sozen look-a-like yell "HEYYY!!!!"

As soon as Shiratori's Bakkoto touched the base... It suddenly burst into nothing, disintegrated as a huge explosion took it out. The massive detonation already resembled a miniature nuclear explosion as it was in terms of shape, but it didn't even stop there. What had begun as an explosion shaped itself like a mushroom cloud, as a nuclear explosion would, and did not dissipate. The fire and heat and power remained there, and only continued to grow taller and larger, until it was over two hundred yards tall. It would be over a minute before it began dissipating, and by then, Shiratori had already walked back to Douma and the Sozen look-a-like. "There are like two survivors. Who wants them?"

MUSIC AHAHAHAHA

Where Garret found himself with the girl, wandering now with her behind him, and leaving this forsaken city which was rife with the domination of an abomination named Lord Callus, he would also find, at the border of the city and the wilderness beyond, a sudden manifestation... a black smoke appearing in front of him and the girl. The voice that boomed was similar to a Hollow's, and yet was not guaranteed to be a Hollow, evident by the reiatsu that had come before them being very difficult to decipher. "I am the truth that no one wants to know..."[/i] The black smoke instead transformed before their eyes into a huge, skulking beast, a monster with empty black eyes and a huge maw.

It seconds, what stood before Garret and the little girl was a wolf larger than a truck, gazing down at them both with its fangs bared. Yet, a voice could emanate from it still, though deep and like gravel. "Yet I am a part of every story no matter how big, or how small..."[/i] The wolf's breath smelled distinctly of rotten meat, and its exhales could be seen on the air. It was a heavy breather. It wasn't even certain that this wolf was real, but the girl said nothing, instead looking to Garret for any cues on what to do. This huge thing, its shadow looming over them, guarding the way out. Was it an enemy, or just a story teller? A riddle, or more?

"They call me ugly, yet know nothing about me... I am feared, yet about me there is only speculation..."[/i] The little girl that had come with Garret, come to think of it, had no name. The two of them had yet to trade names. But maybe it was better that way. After all, how could one get too attached if names weren't given? It shouldn't be possible. And maybe it was better for the two companions to never know each other's names like that. So, facing this wolf now, with its beady black eyes, what might they discern? The wolf paused, and then looked them both in the eye and asked them its most pressing question. Tell me... What am I?[/i]

SPOILER: Click to show

Class 3. Careful, though it has no spiritual capacity, it is not affected by cutback. Non-Typed. In fact I'm not even binding it with ordinary stat rules. It's a random beast.

Strength: 600
Speed: 300
NO SPIRITUALS OR AURA
Instinct: 250
Senses: 150
NO ENERGY SENSORY OR HEALING

[Kitai Yoru]

'Kitai glared hatefully at the building. A place built solely to let the masses indulge in sin of Greed, and to waste away their lives and money, consuming them from the inside out, leaving them as empty husks to be controlled. And you're entering this place, why? Oh right, because the thing that broke your cheese cannon told you so. How ever could this go wrong?' The madman growled at his narcissistic narrating persona, but didn't drop his smiling visage. Seeing through the walls of the sinners palace only revealed an ocean of fools, giving away their money for cheap thrills.

'Oh my~, wonder how I can git in on some'a dat. All dat monay~, gets me all-' "Would you shut the h*ll up!" This was already risky as it was. He hated people, and walking into a building filled with them was going screw with his nerves as it was, so he didn't need these two cutting his focus even more. The only response they gave him were unsettling laughs. Great.... Closing the distance between himself and the building, he walked through the automatic doors and let an artificial breeze rush over him. The whole place was filled with people sweaty nervous people, so try as the air conditioners might, they couldn't fully keep the temperature down. He felt someone watching was him.

Most of the machines were occupied, with people sucked into the moment and thrill that they received from them, cheering or booing after the noises of their selected money stealing device. It was almost entirely booing that the albino heard. The fullbringer waded through the area with a silent grace that seemed foreign on him, something that one wouldn't expect from such an eccentric person, but he passed by like it was practiced. It wasn't the best, but it was enough not to bump into anyone on his way through the morons, too absorbed in their addiction to notice the seven foot tall albino walking behind them. No one was paying him much mind, but he could still feel those eyes on him.

Kitai listened in on some of the conversations around him as he approached the bar. Of course this disgusting place had one, what better way to take someones money then to loosen their grip with a few drinks? At any other time Kitai would be laughing at the cattle who wasted away their lives in these holes, but he was too busy keeping himself from blowing off some steam. And heads. But considering the reason he was here, and the fact that he could sense many people with powers here, while his own tank was empty, he knew that it would lead to a meaningless death. Maybe from his secret admirer?

So he took a seat and sat on a stool in front of the counter. It was a familiar scene for him. He loved drinking, drank gallons on the weekends, silencing the voices in his head. It was marvelous. And something he couldn't afford to do right now. 'Oh how disappointed Alex would be.' Kitai nearly attacked the closest thing near him, but managed to only crush a section of wooden countertop underneath his hand. He glared down at his hand. He was bleeding, his palm filled with splinters. "Hehehehe, hey buddy, mind giving me, a 'hand'? Hehehee."

Ahh, pain, such sweet misery. Most people hated pain, but Kitai loved it. Grabbing the bartender's attention, as well as scaring a few drinkers, the server called someone to get him something to help. "Oh, and if you could do something about this too, that'd be great." His smile never left his face, but the drink dealer was unphased, most likely from dealing with crap like this for years, but who really knew. The bartender did. They know everything that goes on in joints like this. Hopefully they get paid well for all the crap they see and hear.

The bartender nodded to a member of security, and escorted Kitai to the back. Hopefully to bandage his hand before meeting whoever it was that the pink plane wrecker sent him to meet. Man was this plan f*%king stupid. The eyes were still on him, keeping his shoulders stiff, as he walked, holding his left hand around his right wrist, trying to reduce the bleeding, not that he cared what he bleed on. Kitai was weary, but it was too late for regrets at this point. His plasma blade was in his left sleeve, ready to be drawn at a moments notice if need be. Wherever this guy was taking him to meet, Kitai would greet them with a smile.

[Kento Waffles]

The bored looking bartender's eyes didn't waver once from taking note of everyone in the bar while he called people over to help Kitai's hand. In fact, judging by the practiced motion of it all, this wasn't an uncommon occurrence. If Kitai was keen in analyzing situations, he'd be able to discern that the jester sent others here, too, and quite habitually at that. If he didn't pick up on that little detail, that was probably fine too, of course. Kitai wasn't there to learn about the jester, but to take up the jester on what appeared to be some kind of invitation. The bartender continued serving out drinks while someone else in a tuxedo, also with a bored face, led him to the back.

They would enter an elevator, which would begin taking them down. Of course, so cliche a place as this casino would have an elevator to the mischievous underground, and to secret passageways. They would then travel the passageways by torchlight for quite a few minutes. Kitai might even lose track of time as he moved throughout the darkness with his guide. It was quite narrow, and claustrophobia, if he had it, might also get the best of him along the way. Still, after a while, they'd reach yet another elevator taking them even further down. And then more passages. It had to be close to an hour by the time they got to where they were going. Kitai's feet might even hurt by then.

But, when they got there, Kitai would be permitted to see a horrific underground mausoleum, and at the end of the room was a throne. Upon this throne sat an old man in a kimono, wrinkled feet bathed in blood red wine, or maybe it really was blood, and with broken, naked humans on all fours with collars and chains on their necks, lapping at whatever the old man's feet were dipped into. All at once, the most sinister and evil aura that Kitai had ever experienced would explode into him all at once, rushing his whole body and his very will and spirit. This was, truly, the most powerful and intense figure he had ever come across. A monstrosity by all rights.

It looks like Kitai was expected, too.. Maybe someone had alerted this sickly old man with three nostrils and sunken gray skin to Kitai's coming while traversing the passageways. Maybe that was why they took so long. Either way, here now was Kitai, standing before a man who, physically, had to be at least a hundred and forty... That was how decrepit he looked. The oldest living human-like creature Kitai had probably ever laid eyes upon. And the cruel old man didn't seem even remotely phased by any of the horrors around this mausoleum, likely because it was his construction and his design. So here was Kitai, standing before such a terrifying scene and terrible person...

And now Lord Callus, for that was the only one whom this could be, spoke to Kitai. "Ehehehehe... So, new power, is it?" he asked. "But you're not one of those whom I called here... So I'm hardly obligated to help. What can you give me in return if I help you?" Lord Callus was infamous in the criminal underground, especially for having the most twisted and unorthodox minions. He had always been able to create monsters. That was why they called him Monster Maker. if Kitai was before him now, then... Kitai too might become a monster. He already had some of the trappings of one. But, it could also make him stronger... So, what would he say?

[Tsubaki Shiba]

Tsubaki just stared at Kuruna as he spoke to her. "Maybe I don't yet, but trust me when I say that I will." Unfortunately, she couldn't continue the banter, because suddenly she was plunged into a more dangerous situation. His obscene tongue, which gave her chills, danced and taunted her, and something about it gave her a very bad feeling. That, and his aura. It was jovial, joking almost, and yet....dark. Darker than hers, certainly, and on the road to being blackened as Callus'.

The marble which he retrieved from his pocket was obviously something dangerous, and she steeled herself for him to throw it at her. But he didn't, he kissed it, which was...concerning. Then, he threw it in her direction, although she quickly stepped back a few paces, so that it landed at least twelve steps away from her. But she hadn't anticipated what it would land as. A three headed dog, a monster, quickly moving at her, trying to bit her into bits. A test?

She glanced at it, trying to evaluate its spiritual energy, and whether it could actually hurt her. But it lacked a spirit entirely, and the potency of its class exceeded hers. Shit. This wasn't an area she was comfortable in. She needed to act immediately. Kuruna left the room, and thus wouldn't be watching as Tsubaki jumped over a nearby lab bench, putting that inbetween her and the dog, and started moving to the opposite wall. The equipment there would help her.

As she ran, however, her Bakkoto started to come alive. No, rather, it began to wake up. It slowly pushed up against her skin, and then popped out, although her lab coat would cover the movement, and the dog wouldn't be able to see her face, or notice her pain. It crawled up, along her spine, finding some place nice and comfortable, then latched in, slowly pumping her body full of a grey liquid, that darkened her reiatsu, and turned her skin ashen. Releasing was the path to survival, that much was clear.

She would not die in here. She refused to.

Life Force: 3800/4000
Bakkoto Level Five: 1/3 Posts

[Douma]

"You just don't want to tell us too much about yourself in case you have to fight us later. It's understandable, but we could kill you for that, don't you think?" Douma didn’t answer. He had hoped to gain as much power from Callus as possible before defecting, which could ultimately lead to a future battle between Douma and Team Josai, so Mumei was not wrong. Douma was simply being cautious. He didn’t trust his two new comrades, and he didn’t expect them to trust him either.

When they were near the complex, Shiratori complained when Douma made his request. "So-Chan! He's trying to command me just like you try to! Why is everyone so mean?!" The man seemed very childish and innocent, but Douma saw through the façade. Their was no room for weakness and immaturity in Team Josai. Shiratori was a killer, just like Douma, if not worse. He was dangerous.

And Shiratori just verified Douma’s thoughts. "Okay, I'll give you a taste..." As Shiratori activated his bakkoto, running toward the Kido Corps complex, Douma began to hear a sound. It was a cheering crowd chanting simultaneously. The rogue at first believed this to be an illusion caused by Shiratori’s power, but when he looked to the side, he saw Mumei chanting too. ”GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO... HEYYY!!!!"

The instant Shiratori made contact with the base, it exploded into a giant mushroom cloud that seemed to sustain itself. It looked identical to a blast from a nuclear bomb, just like the one that killed Kagami in Hiroshima. The mushroom cloud continued to grow, sustaining its heat and light. It was a difficult sight to stare at for a long period of time just because of how bright the explosion was. Shiratori returned to the group as cheerful as ever. "There are like two survivors. Who wants them?"

“I will take one,” Douma told the two rogues beside him. He found the reiatsu signature of one of the survivors and closed to distance between them through two uses of shunpo. However, he didn’t attack. No, when he approached the shinigami, he extended his hands toward the soul reaper, palms out to show that he was unarmed. “Do not fight me,” he warned the shinigami. “Surrender and you will live. If you choose to fight, you will meet the same fate as your allies.”

Reiatsu Remaining: 9,900/10,000 (-100 for Shunpo x2)

[Kitai Yoru]

Kitai wasn't the most observant of people. He blew by life ignoring the finer things to be had and seen. He could never appreciate the roses for what they were. He never saw simple beauty in a piece of art. And even now, he couldn't notice the practiced routine that these men had set up for themselves. Maybe if he slowed down a bit to pay attention to it all, then he could notice. But no, he was caught up in the thrill of motion, the need to see where it is that he would wind up thanks to his choices. Sure he might die, but if he did, who cares? Not like anyone would miss him. He was alone in this life, just like so many others.

As he continued walking however, even he couldn't help but notice how far he and the monkeysuit-wearing underling were traveling. "Hehehee, what an odd place to put the bathrooms." He said aloud. He was ignored, as the two continued walking. After a few minutes, the halls got smaller and tighter, forcing the seven foot tall man to duck down as he proceeded. "Hehe. This is a joke, right?" He complained, getting angry at the tight quarters that he was barely able to fit through. It was very annoying.

After another few minutes, the albino decided to roll up his sleeve and start removing the splinters from his hand himself. One by one, he ripped out the wooden shards. Blood dripped out as he dropped the wood to the ground below. "And then, eheheehe, I ripped the f*#ker's arm RIGHT OFF HIS BODY! Yahahaha! Then I threw him through, pshh, I don't know, three buildings? HA, he was so pissed when he came back! And that was the first time I tried driving a plane." All the while, the madman decided to chat with the unwilling participant of his story telling.

Half an hour and the two reached an elevator. "Fi-nal-f*#king-lee! Bout d@*n time we got 'ere! Hehuehaha!" The persona known as Jill decided to butt in. 'The fullbringer was sick and tired of leaning so far forward, just to meet with what was likely the 'owner' of this hive of filth. Either that, or they were heading to the porn dungeon like last time-' "SHUT THE F#**K UP JACK! THAT'S NOT HAPPENING AGAIN!" He yelled, screaming at the voice narrating in his head. He shuddered at the memories. The horror.

His unexpected shout startled the man, earning him a glare, but Kitai only chuckled darkly in response. There was no elevator music on the way down, so Kitai started singing quietly after a few seconds. "This is the song that doesn't end. It goes on and on my friends." He started. If he had been looking at the man beside him, he'd see his eyebrow twitch. "Some people, started singin it not knowin what it was, and now they'll continue singing it forever just because." This time Kitai caught the man twitch. The lunatic grinned a wide and cruel grin.

This time he sang a little louder, and sang it a bit closer to him. Whenever the man looked up at Kitai, he made sure to look away. He loved being annoying. So finally the elevators open up, revealing- "OH YOU MOTHER F$*KERS!" Another stone passageway. Just as small and cramped as the last. The shorter man only grinned in wicked satisfaction. Kitai grinned too, but his eyes told a different story. The man walking in front of him could barely see, but he could catch a glimpse of the rage in his eyes.

The two continued forward yet again. 'The torches on the walls were irritating Kitai to no end. The insane man hated fire with a burning passion-' "F#*k. Off!" He said angrily at the joke Jack made. He only heard wicked laughter from the dark recesses of of his mind. Oh how he hated those two. If he could, he would have killed them years ago, but sadly, he couldn't. Every time he tried, they just reformed later. Fortunately this also applied to him too. The three of them were at a deadlock, unable to silence each other. So instead, they decided to torment one another at all hours of the day.

After another half hour of walking, they reached another elevator. He was beginning to think that this was one of those crappy horror games that just kept looping till the player went mad. "But jokes on them, I'M ALREADY MAD!" Kitai whispered to himself with a calculating look on his face. The albino's feet were starting to ache, leaving a mildly painful sore spot in the middle of each of his feet. The sick man took pleasure out of the pain. "Hehehehe, so are we FINALLY THERE, or is this just another way to screw with my head? Hehehehe!" He asked the man as they approached the elevator, whom he could only look at from the back.

The man was still quiet, probably believing that it wasn't worth responding to the wacko. Kitai tried singing again, but the man quickly responded by pulling out a gun and placing the barrel under the fullbringer's chin. Said man only blinked in surprise, and grinned a face-splitting smile. The albino chuckled happily, as they descended in silence. The bodyguard withdrew the weapon the moment before the ding came. Kitai quickly stomped on the man's foot, and shoved him to the side, walking out before him into a room that was bigger than the hallways.

The room was large, and at the end of it was a man sitting on a throne. He had some men licking at a bowl with his feet in it. They had collars around their necks, and the one on the throne was holding the chains. Then he felt it. An aura from the man washed down on him like a wave. It was pure, with nothing corrupting it. It felt cold. It was true evil, something that could not be misinterpreted. Kitai only grinned, with the edge of his lips reaching the bottoms of his cheekbones. This man had a heart just like Kitai's: nonexistent.

The difference between the two though, was that this man held power, money, and most likely an army. He could do whatever he pleased, and it would take a monumental effort in order to stop him. Kitai on the other hand, was one man. He was strong to the weak, yet weak to the strong. He had no balance, and constantly shifted around with his morals, doing what he pleased on a whim. That, and his fullbring had been literally kicked into dust, and had next to no reiatsu left. And this guy was old. Like, REALLY OLD.

Kitai's inhuman smile didn't falter as the inhumanly-aged man spoke. Negotiations? This wasn't going to end well.... "Hehehaha, why hello there!" He said with a laugh in his voice, sounding cheery, with a sprinkle of madness. "Kukuku~, I' gotta say, I lov da setup ya got goin, dough I tink I'd a had a few mer women." Jill cuts in, rubbing her chin, imagining the prospect. A little drool runs down the side of her mouth. The fullbringer quickly wipes it away. Their grin closes, covering their teeth, turning their smile cheshire. "Huehue, but before I offer anything, I cannot help but wonder, how do you intend on aiding me? He asks the man across from him." The man narrated aloud. He was bluffing, and was unsure if he could act well enough to hide the fact. There was no way this guy was going to experiment or do any freaky blood rituals on HIM.

His hair covered the majority of his face, the entire top half to be exact, but who knew with these types. He could very well be reading his mind! ....On second thought, that might work out in his favor. The amount of chaos swirling around in there would probably be unreadable, but still. Acting was the one thing he had going for him at the moment. If he really needed to, he supposed he could try and fight his way out, but with the elevator being occupied by some chump with a gun, and a dude who could do who-knows-what, he REALLY didn't like his odds. Oh well, death isn't the worst thing that could happen. Because he sure wasn't ending up like those four if things do go south.

[Kento Waffles]

The mighty hound crashed into the desk mouth first, its chomping mouths biting through that desk as if it were nothing. What had been some sort of hardened wood material was flimsier than butter before the mouth of this fiend. It seemed to not be slowed down at all, the desk splintering into pieces in less than a second as it reached where Tsubaki was. This thing was strong. She had her Bakkoto out, but no attack had taken place. Now, coming at her, the hound was snarling with saliva dripping from each of its mouths. Its eyes were wild, feral. Tsubaki was in trouble if it bit her. Its bite was wider than a Great White Shark's, and stronger too. She had just witnessed that firsthand.

If even one of those bites landed on her, she was saying goodbye to a huge chunk of herself. Kuruna had unleashed a truly terrifying beast. But what was terrifying wasn't so much the monster itself. No, it was the fact that Kuruna had one in his pocket. One had to wonder how many of these things existed? Were they mass produced? If it was contained in a marble like that, it must have some reduced features compared to one that was kept in a cage. Was it possible that this was a lower level prototype? Either way, it seemed Callus's army was something completely monstrous. And yet Soul Society and Callus had never really clashed. Why was that, if Callus had such power?

Meanwhile, Douma's arrival before two heavily burned Soul Reapers would reveal to him that there was no need to give them an ultimatum. When Shiratori had said "alive," he had meant it very loosely. Douma was standing over two people who, by some luck or another, had managed not to immediately die. Yet, their burns were some of the worst he'd ever have seen. Their breaths were ragged, and shallow. They would be dead in a few minutes, if that. Neither of them even had it in them to answer what Douma said. A hand placed itself on Douma's shoulder from behind. If he looked back, he'd see Shiratori, smiling at him. It was at this moment that Shiratori felt like a leader for the first time.

"See what we're all about, Do-Chan?" Shiratori asked with a wide smile. "I know you work for yourself and your own goals. So do I. But we're going to get stronger too, even as you do. So don't try and betray us, okay? There's nothing for you to gain from that." Shiratori was smiling broadly as he spoke. "'Wow, I'm so lucky I got to serve with Shiratori-Senpai.' One day I'll make you think something like that." With that, Shiratori turned around, and began leading them away. "Let's go home," he said. But for Douma, it might be worth lingering just one or two more minutes. Or, if not, he could follow Shiratori. But before Shiratori had arrived, one of the dying men had said, "Listen... to me..." Up to Douma to stay or not.

Back at Kitai, Callus responded. "A new Fullbring is what you need, yes? Isn't it? I don't need to experiment on you. I don't need you to be cut open. I can give it to you. Easily, too. It will be painful, ohhh yes it will be painful. But only a few seconds. Isn't that a good deal? Your old Fullbring is destroyed... And you'll never be strong again if it stays that way. But me, I can make you stronger than you ever would have become... So strong you'll cry because of how strong you are... All I need is for you to use your new power to help me once in a while... In my old age, I find it hard to get all my errands done in a single day..."

Callus, the monster maker. A man well known for what he could do to other people. Once, in Soul Society, he had been tapped for Captain Commander. He had even battled the 33rd, Shigekuni, for it. And he had lost. But, that was a long time ago. Over a thousand years. Now, he was a monster in the human world. Who knew how many events in the human world had been precipitated by Lord Callus? Who knew how many horrible things he had done to people over the years...? And now he wanted an answer from Kitai. But, at that moment, a black haired individual, another Kuruna in fact, appeared into the room. He started walking toward Callus, but then stopped and looked at Kitai, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey," he said. "Aren't you Jaden Smith?"

[RayginX]

OOC: Not on my own computer, so not sure what the exact size of this posts paragraphs are.

His footsteps came to a stop within a puddle, yet the moisture building up around his feet was not what he was focused on, nor did he truly notice or care about it. His focus had been shifted to the sudden manifestation that was appearing before him and his companion, an entity that birthed itself into reality before them in a cloud of black smog. Garret may have been blind, spiritually, but he could still “feel” energy. It wasn’t like having Energy Sensory, it was simply like standing within the prescence of a Hollow, feeling its pressure in the air, was different than that of a man or beast. Standing before this black jackal, however, was different than what it was like being in front of a Hollow. His single eye narrowed itself as he gazed at the beast, wondering what it was that it wanted, and what exactly it was.


Did Garret need to say anything to the girl? Was she smart enough to read the situation? He trusted that she wouldn’t make a dumb decision. ”I am the truth that no one wants to know..." What was this? Garret raised an eyebrow, his muscles tensing up beneath the skin as the creature began to talk. What was it doing? It continued to speak, its size growing until it became well greater than the size of two or three horses stacked ontop of one another. And yet, despite its size, Garret remained calm. He remained stationary. He stood like a fortress, a great wall between the hound and the child. He knew no fear, but was not ignorant or without caution.

"Tell me…. what am I?"

”This isn’t entertaining. Whatever you are, whatever forces sent you to us, doesn’t matter. If there’s something you want then spill it. Don’t speak to me in riddles, I hate riddles, and waste what daylight there is left.” Garret suddenly said, wasting not a second after the hound had finished its own question. Yet despite the way it sounded, there was no malice or threat put into what Garret had said. His monotone voice conveyed the calmness he possessed, yet his unbreaking attention that he cast on the apparition displayed the seriousness he was taking of this situation.

The way his body was tensed up, muscles ready to spring into motion, showed that he was prepared to grab his weapon within an instant. Yet he never made a move for it. If it didn’t intend to inflict violence on him, then why would he threaten it? Garret wanted it to leave, riddles being something he detested because he had such a hard time with them, so he could continue on his own path. It was yet another obstacle standing between the city, and the darkness that would come for him in the wilderness.

[Douma]

Douma had expected to encounter some shinigami capable of putting up a fight, but instead, the sight he arrived at was pitiful. Shiratori really didn’t need to send up a cleanup crew to the “survivors” considering that the Soul Reapers’ injuries were so severe, they wouldn’t be alive for much longer. There was little counterplay to Shiratori’s enormous explosions. He was truly a monster.

Douma felt the leader of Team Josai approach him from behind and place his hand warmly on the rogue’s shoulder. "See what we're all about, Do-Chan? I know you work for yourself and your own goals. So do I. But we're going to get stronger too, even as you do. So don't try and betray us, okay? There's nothing for you to gain from that." Douma nodded his head. He understood that much. Shiratori and Mumei were not good enemies to make. Callus was even worse. He wouldn’t be stabbing anybody in the back if he could help it.

"'Wow, I'm so lucky I got to serve with Shiratori-Senpai.' One day I'll make you think something like that. Let’s go home.” Douma let his new leader get a head start, taking a few extra moments to think to himself. The idea that Callus’s headquarters could be considered a ‘home’ was laughable. Douma didn’t have a home, and he didn’t care for one. Sentimental concepts meant nothing to him. For that very reason, the only way he’d every appreciate working alongside Shiratori were if the man could help him grow even more powerful. That’s the only benefit he cared for from Callus and Team Josai: strength and power.

Just as Douma was about to leave, he heard a faint voice. "Listen... to me..." So the shinigami could still speak, just barely. Douma was always the type of person to squeeze as much usefulness out of an individual as possible. Perhaps this shinigami had something noteworthy to say. The Angel of Silence crouched down below this man’s body with attentive ears.

[Kitai Yoru]

Kitai and his mental tormentors could only listen on in wonder, though they only grinned a cruelsmile outwardly. The man was offering to make them strong, stronger than they ever had been! It was a simple deal, a new and more powerful fullbring for a few seconds of pain and agony, something Kitai very much got off on, and some odd jobs every so often. It was almost too good to be true. Why bother training for more power when you can have others just give it to you instead? So then why did his cross feel so heavy against his chest?

Was this... was this guilt!? His right hand reached up to grab the cross from underneath his dress shirt. It used to belong to his father before he passed, killed by the group Xcution. He didn't know why, nor did he care. He needed power to slaughter them like the swine they all are. But this... it feels too easy. His wrath demands that he take all the power that he can get his hands on, but his pride feels tarnished at even considering accepting this decrepit old man's power. And doing ANYTHIG for free? Jill was more than a tad resistant.

'...Ehhhh, nah.' Jill said to the others in their stolen mind. She sounded as bored as she did stubborn. 'As dreadful as it is to agree with the harlot, I must say no to the disfigured man as well. He proclaimed, not willing to submit like a mutt to a master. [/color]' Jack narrated to the others. Kitai thought it over. Free power, just so long as he remained in depth to a man, a man whose name he didn't even know. His smile actually faulted, turning into a sad looking grin. Now he had something to add to his long list of dislikes: negotiations. They sucked, and one person would always end up the sucker. No wonder this guy owned a cassino.

Normally at this point, Connor would have taken over already, that or the three of them would have forced him to handle the matter at hand. But he was gone, and likely never coming back. So he tried to think of what his literal better half would have done in a situation like this one. Heck, he even tried thinking of what Connor's father would have done. His chest felt like a mountain was resting on top of it. Why? WHY WAS HE FEELING EMOTIONS!? He thought he had managed to get rid of them all when the four of their personalities were split apart, so why were they showing up now!?

His smile fell off his face, turning into a deep and heavy frown. He removed his hand from his father's old cross, and placed his hands into his oppisite sleeves. He couldn't muster up the energy to continue smiling his usual fake smile. "Your offer is generous, however-" "Hey, aren't you Jaden Smith?" Kitai stopped mid sentence as some guy spoke to him. The madman stood like that for all of three seconds, before the breaking of glass could be heard. 'Hello~ooo scape goat, Kukukuku~!'

The fullbringer's face slowly turned into one of offended shock, raising his sleeved hand to his throat. "I am unable to work with such racist individuals such as him! He told the men, aghast at being racially profiled like that." The pride told the two. "What, just cause I'm a black albino means I look jus like the ones from da big screen!? That's racist!" Jill switched in, pretending to be some triggered social justice warrior in her usual croaking tone. She loved the way they acted, being so easy to imitate.She loved how they used their gender to bully everyone else into submission, regardless if it worked or not. No respect for others combined with an overwhelming amount of entitlement.

Kitai tagged in, throwing his hands up in the air and turning around, walking to the elevator. "Every time! Never fails! Try to join an evil organization and I get mistaken for people I don't even look like! I can't take it!" He said, barely loud enough for the two behind him to hear, sounding quite crazy, as he tried to make his getaway. Unless told otherwise, he would leave back up to the hallway, and would sprint down once the hall, dragging the body guard with him, just in case. He didn't want any surprises on either end, and what would normally take an hour would only take minutes at best.

Kitai would leave the cassino as quickly and quietly as he could, leaving not with a new fullbring, but a new mindset. He might have lost something major, but he would gain a new way of thinking, and trying to get back on the path his father had tried so hard to get him to walk. Maybe it's time to follow that road once more. He clutched his cross once more, pulling it out, and letting it hang outside his shirt for the first time in a long time. It wasn't and regular cross though. It had a smaller blue cross running through the middle of the metal, and a loop hanging around the middle. It was a low ranking quincy cross, one that held a striking resemblance to the Christian cross.

[Kento Waffles]

"I am DEATH," the wolf said to Garret. "I have watched over this young girl since the day she was born. And I've watched you, too, fighting your war... I know what you've lost... I know what little you have... That's why, I was moved by your taking this girl with you, even in spite of your reluctance, and the experience you have having told you to know better... I know how difficult all of this was, Garret the Wanderer." It must surely be unlikely that this wolf was actually death, and rather was some sort of putrid spirit, some figment that brought death, and was enamored in some way with that young girl, or with tragedy, or with something else entirely.

But in accepting that girl, Garret found himself now before yet another powerful being with plans. Too many of those existed, but this one brought with it another offer. "You did well in rejecting Callus... That man is the epitome of the evil you fight against. So I come to you with another, better offer... A counter." Reiatsu pulsed around the wolf, and the girl continued hiding behind Garret. In the midst of all that reiatsu, there could be heard a high pitched voice, dull as if it was far away, singing a melancholy song desiring some sort of freedom. Behind the wolf's eyes no intent could be read, and its breath touched Garret as it exhaled deeply, making sounds like a wild boar.

"If you are so inclined... In a land far away from here, beyond even the outskirts of Soul Society itself, there is a tower where rests a young woman. If you rescue her from the tower, this girl's curse will lift. And, in exchange, you will also gain the right to one wish. Any wish, even if it defies all reason, logic, and reality. I have been waiting ten years for the right hero, with the right conviction. And I believe that that is you. If you will take this quest, I will take you to where you need to start. And, should you wish it, you can first collect anyone who should come with you on this quest. I will give you that right. So now, what will you do?"

Garret Note: If you take it, this is an EXIT from this adventure, and will provide a new QUEST THREAD for Garret to enter. You will be rewarded for participation thus far. If you refuse, this adventure will continue for you as normal. The QUEST THREAD offered is very long, with escalating difficulty. In OOC time, I expect the quest to span over a year.

Back at Douma, there was the man, who grabbed a hold of him by the collar with a huge grin. "You're not like them, right...? You want power, don't you? Well that guy, Shiratori? He used to be a Kawada... I know because I'm one, too. And Shiratori killed one of our Captains. But before he did, I know he learned the Kawada secret of where Jinbei kept his most forbidden techniques... Techniques that haven't been seen in over a thousand years! And if you save me, I'll tell you how to get him to lead you to them... And how to kill Shiratori, too..." What was this? Too good to be true? Or something else entirely? Offer after offer!

Blood was leaving the man quickly. He was holding onto Douma's collar with exceptional vigor and strength. However, his strength was fading quickly. He had lost a lot of blood, and been burnt horribly. The fact that he was even alive now was incredible. Could Douma even save him, even if he wanted to? That remained the question. In order to save this man, it would require ingenuity, resources, or allies that could do it. And if Douma didn't have anything like that, then this man was beyond saving. Yet... tracking into Kawada territory and stealing the techniques of their greatest ever Soul Reaper? How could he ever pass that up?

Douma Note: If Douma is SUCCESSFUL in saving this man, then it will break into a separate QUEST THREAD which will take approximately six months OOC time to finish.

And back at Kitai, all he would hear as he left was something about how regrettable it was for him to have not accepted Callus's offer. Of course, what could he do? He had been racially profiled! In all fairness, he bore a striking resemblance and uncanny personality similarity to Jaden Smith. Any rational individual would assume as well that Kitai was in fact Jaden Smith. Let bygones be bygones, though. What would happen next was even better. To get out, Kitai literally needed to go through that same horrible way he'd come. So he'd been in the elevator forever, walking back forever, and back in another elevator forever, etc etc etc, until he was back in the casino, and exiting.

Thus, as he exited the casino, he'd find that it was very late at night, morning close by. Not that it mattered. It had been dark there for the whole time he'd been around. Somehow, even during the day, there had been only darkness and rain and lit buildings. Exiting out with low reiatsu and no Fullbring, Kitai would have to make his own destiny, without the aid of Callus. What awaited him, however, was something even greater. A grand adventure to truly change his life... Well, their lives. All of those personalities stuck inside of a single body. And that was because as Kitai exited, he would see the same clown from earlier.

"I'm sad you refused..." the jester said. "What are you going to do now?"

[Kitai Yoru]

It appeared before him again. The clown showed its face to him once more, mocking him. Kitai's eyes widened and quickly narrowed. He let out a snarl, about to draw his plasma blade and some explosive notes, ready to kill this man with everything he had. His gravitational pressure even flared for a moment, before it opened its mouth. As the clown spoke, something clicked for the madman. His gravitational pressure faded, and his hands returned to his sides, without weapons and bombs. His face fell into a simple frown. He lifted his hand, and ran it through his hair, slicking it back and stuffing it under his hat, showing off his entire face, not something seen often.

"You're pathetic." He told him in an even tone, an unknown emotion touching the edge of his emotionless speech. Kitai was practically unreadable, be he looked the shorter man right in the eye. "Power, power, power. You've mentioned every time you've spoken to me." If it hadn't been within a few hours, Kitai probably would've forgotten this little fact, but he could still remember a few hours ago. "That's your obsession, isn't it? You only crave power." He stated more than asked. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"We're two of a kind. You care only about power, and the powerful. That's your whole life." He shook his head lightly. He smiled softly. "So did I. I craved power, all I wanted was power. But I have a reason for that. I want power so I can destroy Xcution. But for you, I wonder." His eyes looked empty, even as he glared down at the clown. "I wonder what you want power for? The way you speak, the things you do, and what you've do to and tried to do for me." His face was stony, but he walked towards the pink jester.

"You don't want power for a goal. You don't want power to help or stop something or someone. No. You want power to be strong. You want to have the power to just do whatever you want, to live above everyone else like a god, and to only associate yourself with those who can boast the same." He said as he walked forward, stopping a mere three feet from the pink... man. He looked to the side as he tilted his head, perking his lips to the side, before returning his face to what it just was. "Or, that's what I think." He told him. Kitai crossed his arms around his stomach, folding his hands into the sleeves.

"But I have to thank you, in spite of all of this." His words might not have affected the man, but Kitai could feel a shift in his chest. "You might have taken away a strength of mine, but you gave me an opportunity, a brief glimpse into the future of the path I'm walking." He stared down at his left hand, which opened and closed, as if trying to grasp something that wasn't there. "I got to see a man with a heart drowned in evil, so desperate for power that he'd throw away his soul to get enough to fight off death." They both knew who Kitai was speaking of. Then he looked into the jester's eyes again. "And you let me see a man so drenched in pride and his obsession for power, he refuses to even acknowledge his fellow human as something worth more than mere gum on the heel of his boot."

Kitai raised his hat for a moment, and his hair fell back to its rightful place across his face. Kitai walked around the pink man, standing next to him. "So you ask what I'll do now?" He gave the man a small chuckle. "I guess I'll follow my father's words and walk the higher path." He grasped his visible cross. "The one that doesn't have easy outs. The one that doesn't cut down everything in your path for mindless power. And the one that doesn't end with Hell. I hope you do the same, before your pride consumes you." If the man had any retort, Kitai would briefly listen to it before walking away, and save for one comment, would not react violently unless attacked.