Wayward Son (Arawn/Open)

((This continues on from A Call to Arms))

Sal wasn't even sure why he hadn't thrown his Squad 11 uniform, he never considered himself the sentimental type. Then again he never considered he'd be standing on the front line in a Battle Royale with the planet at stake either.

It was strange being home. As much as he didn't want to believe it Seireitei still felt that way, the minute he walked through that gate the feeling of nostalgia and familiarity swept over him and he wondered how it had ever gotten so bad. Why couldn't it go back to how it used to be? Sal, Himawari, Jin...all sitting in the pub in Rukongai chugging down beers and berating one another.

Whatever happened to them, he wondered. The last he heard of Jin was back on Earth when they had gone their separate ways to track down the origin of the outbreak. That was more than a year ago and he hadn't been able to track him down since.

Himawari was still here, he was sure, she was too smart a girl to follow in his footsteps and leave all this behind for a life living in disused buildings like a specter. What if he bumped into her?

The thought filled him with dread, she couldn't see him as he was now. Those green eyes would look right into his soul and see the darkness there. No, she had to be avoided at all costs.

Shinigami in their droves bustled past him. It was mid-afternoon on a Saturday and he figured the majority were on R&R from their duties but they didn't pay him any attention and he likewise. He continued down the paved street, noticing how very little had changed in his absence. The buildings were the same, the feel of the place and the usual organized hustle of the cities occupants were all unchanged.

He walked for more than twenty minutes and found no sign of the illusive Captain of the Ice-Zanpakuto. It occurred to him that it might have been best to ask Ryouta exactly WHAT squad he was Captain of....

There wasn't any point complaining, he was here now and if anyone recognized him it could get ugly real quick.

For scientist there was no such thing as rest and relaxation. A true scientist was not to be satisfied with any of his work. In truth it just meant zero time off and long hours. It was the late hours that were taking their toll on him. At most he was getting three hours of sleep. The zombie like existence was common among the whole squad. It would seem the captain was keeping everyone busy. Truth be told he hadn't see the captain since he was interviewed to join the squad. Not that he regretted it, but he did wonder what the captain did all day. Like most scientist he probably spent much of his time locked away in his lab. Being a scientist meant answering questions no one asked and breaking down walls made of reason and logic. It wasn't glorious work, but it was rewarding in it's own way.

Well that wasn't case today. Arawn's task was to drop off paperwork and receipts to the main offices. It's wasn't his fault his lab lost power early that day. There whole lab had been experiencing black outs. Several fuses probably blown and many taking the time in darkness to sleep. Unfortunately Arawn was given the task well before the power surge. The warm sunlight heated his face as he pulled the cart filled with boxes of paper behind him, map in one hand. He passed many shingiami on his way, but took little notice to any of them. But one shingiami caught his eye. There was something about the man that stood out. Aside from his towering height and build, a familiar air about him. Did he know him? He would remember someone that big. There was Tatsuya, that wasn't him. He slowed as the man drew closer, trying to figure out the man. The large man passed him, and Arawn stopped completely. He felt a tickle in the back of his head.
"Hey you! Big guy." he regretted the words as they passed from his mouth. Some one turned to look, but quickly realized they weren't the one he was addressing. What if he didn't know the man, this could be even more awkward. The gears in his head spun
"Do you think you could help me with this cart?" Asking for help was a good cover. "I can pay you for your time." he added quickly. If not appeal to the man's kindness, he could appeal to his sense of greed.

He recognized no one. Not one solitary soul jogged his memory and that was depressing in itself, to think he had spent so much time here, shed blood for the place and he had made so little an impact on the social circuit.

"No one likes a dick..." He thought but smiled despite himself. He knew those who were worth knowing, the good ones, the loyal and the brave. The rest...they were faces in the background. He wouldn't change his past here, wouldn't give up the memories of Jin or Himawari for a thousand of these people.

He continued onwards, he had forgot how large a place Seireitei was, and occasionally gave his black uniform a tug to adjust the fabric when it rubbed or chaffed against his skin. How had ever worn this day in, day out!?

He heard a voice calling out from the throng and instinctively he turned. He saw a face that kept popping up in his life. He was immediately filled with a sense of caution. If Arawn opened his mouth without thinking, he could be facing down a literal army when the Captain Commander or one of his lackeys that dealt with Rogue Shinigami heard about his presence here.

"Sure buddy," He said with a very forced smile, which gave the impression of an impending bowel movement with no sight of a porta-loo near by. He grabbed the cart and lifted it easily and still smiling whispered through his teeth. "Keep cool Arawn mate, lets get somewhere quiet."

The synapse fired and the memory flared. He knew this man quite well. It was the enigmatic warrior Sal. Quite afew time this man had saved his life. There was a sense of shame in forgetting someone so important. He mentally kicked himself for his lack recognizing him sooner. Arawn was about to give the man a proper greeting when he realized the oddness of his appearance. He’d never seen Sal in a shinigami robe, and he had never seen him in Soul Society. The large man had never mentioned being part of any squad. Honestly when he first met the man he had thought him just a spiritually aware human, if not for the large zanpukto he used. He took Sal’s warning to heart and walked along the road without speaking. They did get afew looks, but people were careful not to stare intimidated by the other’s man’s size. Looking at the map, he plotted a course to a series of storehouses for the 12 squad. It took them off the normally traveled roads. They finally stopped in front of one the large buildings. Arawn walked over to the keypad ,entered his code, and opened the door. He motioned for Sal to follow him inside. There were boxes and objects covered with heavy sheets. All of wish had a thick layer of dust showing how much disuse the room had seen. Dusting the sheet off he sat down.
“So what are you doing here? You’re acting abit strange.” he had noted the man cringe when he called out to him. If he was trying to avoid Arawn , he could have just kept walking. No, it was as if he didn’t want anyone else to notice him. “Is someone after you?” There wasn't much he could do physically. Still he was 9th seat in the 12th squad, perhaps he could get some of the officials or higher ups to listen to him.

They walked in silence, Arawn leading the way, but Sal could tell there were questions coming. Sal had always been the cagey sort and more so since he had gone Rogue, especially with active Shinigami. Only Jin knew the full story and he was either dead or so far off the radar that nothing in heaven or hell could find him.

"I pity the bastard who tries.." Sal thought and followed the Reaper to a cluster of storehouses that he had a vague recollection of from his time in Squad 11. They stepped inside and Sal put the cart down, right on cue Arawn said what was on his mind.

The questions came rolling out and the last made Sal laugh. "Yeah there are plenty of people looking for me," He smiled and took a seat on a small dust covered crate facing Arawn. "But thats not why i'm here, i'm looking for someone. A Captain specifically, Kurama Himura...."

Sal held up a hand before Arawn could answer. "I'm not here to cause trouble, we know each other from an incident with our mutual friends back on Earth..." He finished, referring to the Hybrids he and Arawn had fought together.

((Marly is AWOL so just say he's away or something, dont know where ect edt))

OOC: Funny thing is I've met Marly IC as a rogue, check this thread.

It was hard to forget that name. Not many captains were accused of killing another captain. And he had the chance to meet the man, only things didn't go well. Arawn thought it best not to mention these things to Sal. Not sure how he would take it if he bad mouthed a "friend".
"The name sounds familiar, but can't say I know him." he lied. "But does this visit have to do with those creatures you hunt?" He recalled the adventure he had with those feral beasts. When he got back to Soul Society to report no one believed him. His report was filed away and he was issued remedial work for nearly a month. He had be wise enough to keep mention of Sal out of his report. Arawn had feared they would hunt him down for questioning or worse for his destruction of the building. During that time he swears that he was being followed. He dared not speak to anyone else about it. If that's why they did to him he could imagine what they would do to Sal now that he knew he was a shinigami. Getting help from the officials might not work out. "What squad is he captain of?" Arawn asked at length, he knew the answer, but it was best to play along. Not sure how things would unravel later. "Perhaps I can help you get into the barracks."

You couldn't put anything past Arawn, he was one of the smartest people he knew and judging by the uniform he and Ryouta were of the same squad. Did they know each other?

"You could say that..." He began, unsure how to word 'beings from another dimension were behind it, can you believe that? Oh and they plan to rip all creation apart'. "I found out who...or what started it."

Sal ran a hand through his scruffy brown hair, it was hard to put into words. Why would Arawn believe it, there was no reason too. Everyone either fears or rejects the unknown, in Sal's case it pissed him off. Why would this Shinigami be any different?

"Squad 10...but...first...you need to understand whats going on. You've seen what these things were capable of, now imagine that number a million fold..." Sal said and then reached out, his hand between the two of them, palm up. "Take my hand and i'll show you the truth...."

Arawn's eyebrow raised. What did Sal mean show him? He looked at the hand skeptically for a second. Did he want to shake hands?. It was apparent that he was meant to grab the offered hand, but he couldn't see what that would do. Reluctantly he stretched out his hand. Right before the two hand met, his fingers flinched. With a sigh he gently took the upturned hand into his own. He felt awkward holding hand with another man, but dared not make mention of it. Sal had something in mind. He could only hope it wasn't going to hurt.

"Don't freak out..." Sal said and then the memories flowed. It wasn't something could control yet, this Telepathic networking that Abaddon's existence had granted him, so the memories tumbled from his head like a land slide. The very first awakening of the Hybrid in a sleepy village in England. The disbelief of his superiors, the branding of a liar.

Next to come was the bomb shell that this retro-virus had come from within the very walls of 12th Division, that one or possibly dozens of Shinigami had been corrupted by the creators of this disease that was sweeping across the earth.

The death of Sal's former girlfriend played like a movie in a cinema, the battle with the Psychics, the death of the daughter he never knew....the joining with Abaddon, the creature from beyond the veil.

His battle with the Fifth, a member of the Circle of Twelve, Masterminds who had plotted for 6000 years to bring the end of existence to fruition, was send between the link between Sal and Arawn.

No detail was spared, there were few Sal trusted with such knowledge but you only truly knew a man when his life was on the line. He and the Reaper had been there together more than anyone should have to. He was the most trusted individual Sal had in this afterlife and what he was being shown was no prize for such an accolade.

Next came the fight in Glasgow, with the Captain, then his internal struggle against Abaddon, his triumph. The most recent memories came next, the fight between the humans with advanced technology and the Hollow's and Ayame Ryouta's involvement.

What did Sal sense? He was only beginning to understand this whole Psychic business...but...there was something and he couldn't place it.

Norongachi let Arawn's hand go and let a sharp gasp of air enter his lungs, his hands rising to his head and cradling it as the mother of all head ache's punched 9 inch nails through his grey matter.

He was shocked both physically and mentally by the rush of information. His body tensed and eyes glazed over. The images the ran into his head like a movie with bad editing. Pictures of things that had gone before. Sal's life and experiences flooding his brain. Even as he absorbed it all he wondered if he could have withstood such things. A one man war against all odds. It was amazing he was still alive. And like just like it started it ended. He recoiled his body as a feeling much like a brain freeze filled him. In jerking backwards he fell backwards and landed on his back. Arawn lay there for several moments breathing hard.
"What the hell was all that? How'd the hell you do that?" he asked. Still replaying the scenes in his mind. If what he had seen was true...
He rolled over and started to pace the floor. What the had he gotten himself into? This wasn't something he can pretend he hadn't seen. There were people on the hunt for Sal, and since he knew they might come for him as well. Things were getting very complicated. The more he thought about it the more he realized that already his life was already complicated.
Should he tell Sal that Captain Kurama Himura had killed Captain Ri O'Nocht? Or that he had help bring said captain back from the dead? There were alot of things going on, and some how he had gotten himself caught in the middle of it all. He held his head as he paced the floor. With a sigh he looked up at the large man.
"So where do you go from here and what can I do to help?"

The headache subsided, grudgingly, and Sal was finally able to open his eyes although even the dim light in the store house sent needles through his pupils.

He watched Arawn pace and thought how he was taking this surprisingly well. Although he hadn't actually spoken the words, just to share it ALL with someone was...comforting. Ryouta hadn't seen half the hell this Soul Reaper had just been subjected to and...it was sort of good to know that everything he had done from his departure from this very city until now wouldn't be forgotten should he fall in the coming days.

"Firstly...you saw the thing, its inside me, it is part of me and i get certain...abilities from it." Sal began. "This is one of them."

Sal didn't know how to respond next. Where did they go from here, did he invite Arawn to the gunfight at Ok Corral? Could he live with himself if he died?

...Could he afford not to?

"You know whats out there now, you know that in less than a week...thats it...game time, sulfur and brimstone. Boiling seas and the the Big Four riding out across the land. What you do is your choice mate, i cant ask this of you." He finished and looked the Reaper in the eye, he couldn't ask him. This wasn't a burden he would force upon anyone.

"Can you trust that 'thing" inside you?" Arawn asked slowly. Could it turn against them? A war on on fronts was hardly ideal, but it wasn't much worse than their current one. As things stood it was on man against the world of death and destruction.
"There's not much of a choice, I'm afraid." he reasoned. "Sit back and do nothing as you face of against impossible odds. You fail we die. Or join you at least try to help in some form or fashion. At least that way when I die I know I wasn't sitting with my thumb up my arse!" he couldn't help but be angry. He didn't like any of this, he felt like a puppet on strings as the mad maestro played his whimsical tune. But would this be a final performance? Gods he hoped not.
"I'll say it again; Where are you going from here, and what can I do to help?" he stared intently at Sal so there would be no doubt in the conviction in his voice or his determination to help. Come hell or high water he with the fullest of his abilities. He regretted those words, since hell was indeed coming.

Sal couldn't keep the smile from his face. This was the first time he had seen Arawn angry, normally there was fear, panic or cold reasoning. All Sal knew was anger, even now it festered in his gut. He couldn't remember what it was like before he became this way..

"Of course i can't, well, couldn't. Its broken, its under my control." He responded.

Where would he go from here? The answer to that question wasn't one Arawn would like. Sal didn't like it but desperate times called for bat shit insane measures.

"If we cant find the Captain..." Sal paused, the response wouldn't be pretty, he imagined. "I'm heading to Hueco Mundo. This isn't a fight for Humans and Shinigami alone, there's more than Earth at stake and the Hollow deserve a chance to save their own necks. If they want to that is." Sal let this little bit of news sink in.

"We're currently working on methods and weapons to better our chances when the final battle comes. You could head for earth and see if you can lend a hand or you could come with me. Its your choice." Norongachi stood and matched Arawns stare.

"Just make damn sure this is what you want. I can promise you, that before the end...we'll all have to do things we never thought we were capable of.."

It seemed his message got through to the man. But still he felt guilty for holding back information, in light of what the other had just shared. He chewed his lip and began to pace the floor again. How much could he tell him? How much should he tell him? Everything wasn't necessary, but at the same time if he kept quiet what actual harm could it do? Why, maybe, if and buts. They all circulated through his mind. He had to choose his words well, not sure how the other would take it. Where had all that firm resolve gone to? A minute ago he was willing to charge into the mouth of madness with nary a look back, now he was reluctant to tell the truth. But how can one speak the truth when you're not sure what it is? With the new evidence presented by Sal, and what he learned from O'Nocht resurrection, this could all be interrelated. He groaned, too complex. He silently wished he had not called out to him on the street. Ignorance was truly bliss.

"Sal." he said with a deep sigh. "There's something I need to tell you. It might be important." He was trying find a way to ease into the subject, but there wasn't an easy way to do it. "The fact of the matter is I have met the man you're looking for, but he wasn't a captain." Ugh. He regretted the words already, but it was too late to retract them. Softening the blow might have just added more insult to the coming injury.

Arawn had gone from Do or Die to nervous wreck in under a minute. What was going on with this guy, he looked like he was just about to come out to his parents with his 'friend' Pete standing beside him.

He should never have asked him. This was to much for the guy to handle, despite his bravado. Sal was about to speak up, if for nothing else then to stop the insistent pacing, it was making him sick, when Arawn beat him to the punch.

Well that was a shocker. If Kurama wasn't a Captain, then Ryouta would have some answering to do. Sure when he had met the guy so many months ago he had been but the 4th seat of squad 10 and now Sal saw that he was niave, thinking that FINALLY there was someone in a position of authority who was actually on his side, had seen what he was up against.

That didn't make any sense....why would Ryouta tell him that he himself was a Captain, Arawns Captain no less, but lie about Kurama. It was a stupid move and Ryouta wasn't stupid, despite the trust issues.

"Wasn't a Captain when you met him, or never has been?" Sal said, it was funny how the proper word here or there could change the entire meaning of a sentence. There was more to this and Sal was done with secrets.

"I'm inclined to believe you over my source, you're a good guy and we've been through a lot together but this ain't the whole story. I can tell that much from the way you're acting." Sal said and gave Arawn his most piercing look.

A trustworthy source? Now things were getting interesting. Someone else from Soul Society had been in contact with Sal. But whoever it was had misinformed him. Why would they tell him wrong? He was curious who this source was. Sal wasn't exactly on the Gotei's buddy list, was there a spy lurking about? Crap, every step was dragging him deeper and deeper into the dark spiraling web. While he had no proof to back up, he could only hope that the warrior would believe him.
"I don't know who your source is, but I can only tell you what I've seen and learned first hand." he started. "The man you seek was not a captain when I met him, he was a fugitive." He paused to let the words sink in, trying to read the other man's reaction. "It was not too long ago that another captain was found dead. Captain Ri O'Nocht was murdered. The prime suspect is the man you call Kurama." He recalled the announcement of the incident; everyone was put on alert to capture the man. "He escaped Soul Society, and now hides somewhere in the Human world.

"I was in a group that had managed to track him down." He winced with the memory. "It was all a big misunderstanding and fight broke out and in the end he eluded capture." He dared not give out details, truth be told he didn't know all of what happened. Still basic information was all that was needed. "I don't doubt he's still hiding out somewhere, more cautious than before. We were lucky that time."

Learning that a potential Ally could be the next Norman Bates wasn't supposed to be good news but Sal couldn't help but smile. If Kurama was on Earth it would make the task of locating him a whole lot easier, although more difficult, you wouldn't find a Captain if he didn't want to be found, if he didn't have to go through this cloak and dagger shit in Seireitei.

"That's the best news I've heard all day," Sal said. "Not the murder part, the bit where he's on Earth. I can get the word out and hopefully i can track him down."

Sal thought hard for a moment. Was there anything else he needed to do here, anyone else he could call on, anything he could skank out of the Gotei that might help them along a bit?

Nothing sprung to mind.


"He's here my Lord." The speaker stood facing a monitor that showed bright white static.

"Let the Reapers deal with him." The voice that came through the monitor was cold and almost robotic in its lack of emotion.

"As you wish." The man said and dipped his head as a mark of respect before the monitor flickered off leaving him in darkness.

At the Store House

"Well, i don't think there's anything left for me to do here. I lost one ally and gained another so unless you have any pressing matters to attend to we can get the feck out of dodge." Sal said and checked the watch on his wrist, he had an hour to get back to his entry point before the humans opened up a gateway to Earth for his escape.

"I hardly think that qualifies as good news." he began. "For one, he's the most wanted fugitive of all time. Yourself being next I'm sure yourself." his finger raised to number the point. Another finger raised "Second, he's in the Living World. It's such a large area to cover. You're better off looking for a grain of salt on the beach." The scope of such a search was mind boggling. The fact the shinigami hadn't found him yet was proof of how hard it was to find the missing captain. "Lastly how are you even going to convince him that you're on his side." As he stated the man was a wanted criminal and Sal hadn't seen him in years. "Who is to know if the person could still be trusted or if he'll trust you?" It would be possible for Kurama to think Sal working with Soul Society in his capture.

Kaiyo bobbed down, the familiar sound of a blade slicing through thin air dancing above her head as she twisted around coming back up. Her attention drawn but a glistening black butterfly that had danced into the training room. The Captain's small hand gently moved across her body, her palm open to block a strike from a training squad member. No blood drawn, and no strain on the Captain the blonde girl had just wanted to pause their fight for a moment to hear the news. Oblivious to the large man sweating buckets as he tried to push his blade harder against the girl's hand.

The dainty animal fluttered onto Kaiyo's shoulder before the briefest of silences, preceding a rather eerie voice. 'To all available ranking leaders of Soul Society; a highly dangerous rogue has entered our midst. Last seen around Rukongai the rebel is armed and very dangerous. Likely disguised, the man is to be killed on site'

That well known glimmer of excitement swept through the girl's mischievous grin. Translated; a good fight was waiting for Kaiyo. The girl didn't care so much for the politics of Soul Society; in fact it all just confused her, so she just had to trust she was doing the right thing. Given her only aim was to help others, Kaiyo just had to believe that it was the bad guys she was being sent to kill, but if she was being honest, she cared more about the fight than the reason.

Excitable as ever, the girl pushed aside her opponents blade with a quick flick of her wrist, twisting around as she brought her leg up and around, knocking the unfortunate bugger out cold with a single kick. 'Someone call the 4th squad' she yelled around to the few spectators. Sparks of flickering golden light trailed around the outline of the short Captain as she vanished from sight; her reiatsu leaking out around her as she made her way towards Rukongai. If this rebel was as strong as she hoped, he'd be pretty easy to find.

"I wouldn't even have said i was in the top 5..." Sal said, a pang of pain nestling into his heart. It was still a sore subject, that he had given so much and for what....a knife in the back.

"The guy helped me out, i owe him and he'll find me. He knows I'm not working for you lot, i explained that quite....explicitly when we met. If he's on Earth he wont have many people to turn to. I'll be on his radar, I'll make sure of that and then we'll find out what really happened." Sal walked toward the door and reached for its handle when his world shattered around him, he couldn't catch his breath for a moment and sank to one knee.

"You...feel...that?" He panted as he righted himself, steeling himself against the horrendously powerful energy pummeling his senses. "You have to get out of here, right now." Sal said, his jaw set with determination. "If you still want to end this meet me in the forest west of Zaraki..." He pulled open the door, his body adjusting to the astounding energy coursing through the area.

"If i don't get back by the time the rift opens, tell them to find Kurama. They'll need him if they want to win." With that he closed the door behind him and zeroed in on the phenomenal energy and its source.

Norongachi was airborne in a heartbeat, running through the sky like a black blur, putting as much distance between himself and Arawn as possible. He couldn't be discovered, if he was the guy would be labeled a traitor just as he was.

He landed in a disused area of Rukongai, the ramshackle shanties falling to pieces, their wooden boards rotten and black. This was, perhaps, the dumbest thing he would ever do. He should be running, getting the hell out of here. Whomever was coming was one of the most powerful things he had felt in brief but fun filled afterlife.

"Wheres the fun in that..." He said, relishing the excitement building within him. When was the last time he had met anyone even close to this level?

He took off his Squad 11 uniform and cast it aside, under it he had been wearing his usual clothes, a pair of jeans and his boots...and that was about it, he had left his jacket back at HQ.

He unsheathed his Katana and felt its blade tremor with anticipation, Claidheamh Mor knew what was about to happen. It was urging him to face this enemy and he wasn't one to disappoint.

"You know the drill..." Was all Sal had to say to the sword and he felt the weapon pour out Spiritual energy, its blade cracking and splitting before its true form, that of a 5'5" Claymore burst from the remains of the old.

Sal focused and let what little control he had over his Spiritual Pressure go, immediately the area around his body began to spark and shimmer, a haze of sorts blanketing the surroundings and a thin glow of red energy playing across the outline of his body.

If they didn't find him now, they never would.

"Feel what?" Arawn asked. He couldn't feel anything except a tickle on his nose from the dust. Sal seemed to be on edge about something. Was there something wrong? He told him about a portal and what to do should he fail to get there. "You'll need more friends within Soul Society than without, Sal. I'm below the radar like those people in 4th squad." He could funnel information on the Gotei's movements and if need be supply him with goods from his department. Before he could ask more questions the large man was gone. With a shrug he too left the building and resumed his journey to deliver paperwork.
"Do I take a right or a left here?" He asked aloud as his phone began to chime. Reaching into his pocket he retrieved the device. "Yes?" he said pressing the button.

"There's a intruder in Seireitei!" Bryce screeched from the other end. "An A class criminal at that. We've been given orders to mobilize all personnel. He was glad Bryce couldn't see the utter shock on his face. So that was what Sal felt. They were coming for him.
"Which squads are mobilizing?" He asked quickly, Sal was already on the move. If all the groups were actively searching that wouldn't mean much.
"All of them I hear, even the captains!" the poor man was breathing hard with excitement. It was obvious he wanted to see the captains in action. Arawn tried to think. He'd seen Sal in action, a fight with a captain might be possible, but even an entire squad might be difficult.
"Bryce send in a report; A suspicious person was seen in the NNE quadrant of Seireitei." It was a lie of course, the quadrant was in the opposite direction Sal had been heading. It wasn't much, but it wold dirvert some of the forces away from Sal's escape.

Kaiyo's blue eyes twisted around with a golden maelstrom that pushed her vision further; the hairs on the back of her neck prickling against her skin as the rebel in question revealed himself. A large toothy grin flashed into view for discountable second as Kaiyo sped up. Inhaling deeply, the blade at her hip already twitching in the anticipation. Oh yeah, this was was strong. Not even just that, the edge to his flaring reiatsu held a certain yearning the girl seldom came across in others. One that she could liken only to her own insatiable blood lust. It was exhilarating.

Kaiyo followed the rebel, ignorant to the masses of shinigami shades apart from her, chasing behind like lame pigeons hoping to get a scrap of food. She cared not for their petty folly, but that intuitive pulse of excitement was ringing through her ears. Sounds around her blurring into a montage of passing noises, the images of the districts melting into one as her feet periodically tapped the rooftops.

Kaiyo landed in the abandoned street; stopping with such a force behind her that the ground splintered upon impact. Pushing against the red hue that had fogged the area. At least the man had better sense than to run. A final explosion of wind pushed her uniform against her body, flickering around as the girl lifted her head. Her smirk still firmly in place. From a distance, the Captain looked a little crazy, up close; she looked like a maniac.

The swirling capsules of murky dusty began to settle in the stillness around the short Captain; her trusty headband slowly swaying back down onto her shoulders. There was no need for words; both opponents knew they would hold no relevance to the events that would follow. This man was strong, Kaiyo would freely admit that much, in fact that was why she'd bothered to come out to play.

Sharp senses had traced the figure up and down, his large stature and impressive blade seemed to hold, in appearance at least, a certain dominance over the Captain. But kaiyo hadn't gained the title Kenpachi for nothing. It was said that Vice Captains were strong enough to beat all unseated members of their squad in combat; Captains could beat all of them. So Kaiyo didn't have much concern for the shinigami lagging along behind; those who hadn't diverted course at least. They'd have more sense than to interrupt her fight.

An explosive crash enthralled the girl's senses, her own reiatsu bursting out from her small frame; battling almost silently the energy around her. Kaiyo's blade grew in size, they edge shimmering with a blazing lightness as sharp bolts of lightning shot around the Captain. Her white haori effectively engulfed in such energy, flapping around like a white flag amidst the Captains Shikai release. Kaiyo rolled her fingers onto the hilt of the blade, unable to stop smiling as she held a firm gaze at the man across from her. 'By order of Soul Society, you are sentenced to death...By order of the 11th squad Captain, lets hope you fight to live a bit longer'

Sal's eyes traced the on comers progress, the brown orbs tracking her across the sky and focusing upon her landing point as she hit the ground. The ground gave way under her, her feet breaking the earth with ease and the unholy strength she possessed pouring from her body, fighting against his own.

Sal smiled when he saw the white over the usual black uniform of the grunt Shinigami. Squad 11 Captain, it figured, he thought. No one else, aside from the Captain Commander could unleash such hell upon the world with their mere presence.

The Captain was small, almost frail looking to the casual observer, her blond hair and small stature gave her a child like visage that Sal was not inclined to fall for. This one was here for blood and nothing less, if they didn't spill their fair share before the day was done then neither of them would be happy.

The crackle of the opposing forces transformed into dancing bolts of electricity that played between the pair. One would fire from Sal's body and another from the Captains until the pair met in the middle and danced for a moment like a Tesla coil, neither bolt giving ground to the other and then they snuffed themselves out.

The very sky itself seemed to reflect the monumental powers that had gathered, black clouds rolling over head, churning and broiling, thunder flashes coloring the event for miles around.

"By order of Sal Norongachi, you can kiss my perfectly formed arse...." Sal growled in response. To be honest he was afraid, never had he faced a foe with such overwhelming power and this was just the tip of the ice berg. She was a Captain and like all Captains he had a Bankai at her disposal.

"I'm a rock and roll star..." Sal thought and charged. His feet were blur upon the shattered earth, the Claymore held over one shoulder swung out with all his might at the neck of the Captain.

Sal Norongachi, her latest opponent; wasn't he lucky. Though Kaiyo had respect for such fighting vigour, even if his arrogance would inevitably lead to hubris. It was the rough and tumble that occurred beforehand which concerned her more though. The girl held her piercing gaze, and un-flinching smile not even registering the entropy of the splitting clouds above, starting to roar in appreciation to the power below.

A single ion of a moment fluttered before Kaiyo's eyes, a wash of aggression not fervid enough to register on her conscience just yet. Then it truly began. His speed excelled Kaiyo's expectations, not to say she was caught off guard, but it was an observation made by her more analytical side; the part she recalled simply as instinct in combat. A bob and weave under the impressive strike, heavy with a sharp reiatsu flaring around the blade, the girl came back up with a slash at the large man. Jittery sparks of lightning sprawling through the air as she aimed up along his back. Her own stature preventing a strike to be made at his neck, but it was the thought that counts. Her grip was steady and strong, connected fully to the core of her energy source, the pulsating power revelled in the wash of light that buzzed around the girl like an angelic outline.

A flash of light illuminated the pair, the backlash of just two strikes already revealing the disarray that would crumble the area to dust. Kaiyo didn't care, in fact her mind had drawn a complete blank, void beyond the instinctive, she'd struggle to even recall the rebels name. Her movements were fluid and precise, applied with a mastery of refined skill. Following her counter, the girl had brought her blade around in an arc, striking horizontally across at Sal. The atmosphere alone was welling with a hunger for blood, one deigned by both combatants and dry with the heat already building at such close quarters; Kaiyo worked best so close anyway.

Damn she was fast was all Sal could think as the Captain dipped and slashed. The blade cut across his shoulder blades and the first splattering of blood washed across the soil, the earths first drink of the night.

He barely managed to get his defense back on track, only his reflexes kept him standing, bringing the sword up in both hands diagonally across his body. The metals collided and Sal was sent skittering backwards, his feet struggling for purchase as the force from the strike carried him onward despite his bet efforts.

He managed to stop himself, feeling the sting of the fresh wound and the hot liquid coursing down his spine. It wouldn't be the first injury he'd suffer, not before he gave up the ghost at any rate.

A thought was all it took for fire to dance across his blade, snaking across his arms as he poured his energy down the connection with the Lord of War and wreathing his body in the armored titans ethereal flames.

The fire snapped and hissed and Sal didn't wait, he twirled the blade over his head and then stabbed it forward. The fire around his body lunged at his command and a screaming jet of it shot toward Kaiyo.

It wouldn't be enough, no where near enough, he thought and against his better judgement chased the flames. He was inches behind it, hoping to use it as a screen, and as it made contact with his target he leaped into the air and brought his weapon down for an over head slash.