"So, that was a complete bust." I said as I walked into the Urahara's shop while dragging the goatee Bount by his leg, letting the bastard's face leave a trail on the ground. "But on the brighter news, we got prisoners!" And then threw him inside where he landed on Urahara's tea table and listened as he groaned in pain.
"...Cain-san, why is there a Bount on my table?"
"Weren't you listening?" I asked with a smile as Yoshino and Yoruichi walked in with the twin child Bounts under their arms and followed by Soi Fon. "We got prisoners."
"I feel like you have very much misunderstood the purpose of my shop." Urahara said with a sigh as he snapped his fan open. "This is a legal establishment, we have no interest in such unlawful acts like kidnapping or keeping people prisoners."
"One of them could make gashes on the ground spew out snakes while the other two have a Doll made entirely out of water."
"In which case, I will gladly take them off your hands!" The sheer radiance of the smile on his face... it almost makes me understand how this man before me could coexist with Kurotsuchi Mayuri for years with little to no care about the fact that said clown was likely plotting his demise.
"Though considering your earlier words and the fact that there are only three prisoners, I am guessing things did not go the way you envisioned them."
"Kariya was not at the mansion." Yoshino gritted out. "Neither him or the rest of the Bounts except Hō, Ban and Utagawa. He used them as a distraction while going who knows where!"
"Hmm, I see. And I am guessing that this act means that our three new prisoners are not exactly well regarded by the rest of the Bounts?" Urahara asked as he hid his mouth behind his fan and peered at Yoshino.
"All three of them are sociopaths who loved bullying the weak. There are some who are similar among the others but these three are the types to only fight those they consider to be inferior to them. They also had no use to Kariya other than in battle so I doubt anyone objected to using them as bait."
"Meaning we have only dealt with bottom feeders and have no idea where the true masterminds are." I said with a sigh. "Are you sure that you have no idea where they may have gone?" I asked Yoshino.
"Not precisely, but they likely will go for some sort of cavern system in order to make full use of Ugaki's Doll. Gesell would make any invasion difficult." She said with a frown.
"You said that they needed a Quincy in order to invade Soul Society." Yoruichi said as she sat down. "Are there any words on Ishida?"
"Not since we returned from Soul Society." I said with a frown. "I actually think he might be avoiding me in school too, gotta remind him of his place soon."
"Don't bully him too much." Yoruichi snorted.
"Don't worry, I'll leave some of him for you." She smiled quite like a cat when I said that. "But what about Blanks? Did anything happen on that front while we were gone?"
"Nope, nothing." Urahara said, popping the ending of 'nope'. "We haven't even had a Hollow appearance since then, curious isn't it?"
"Almost like the calm before the storm." I said with a raised eyebrow. "You got any suspicions?"
"I think someone will make a move soon, though I just can't pinpoint who." He said with a smile, almost genuine.
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"So you're going back to Soul Society."
"There is little reason for me to remain here without any info on our targets." Soi Fon said as she glared at me. "The Head Captain will likely wait and see if anything happens and send out one or two lieutenants with several seated officers in case the situation escalates."
"My my, hadn't realized our little town was worth that much personal." I said with a chuckle. "Guess it does pay off to be Jūreichi, the ridiculous amount of Hollow attacks notwithstanding."
"...so you even know about that." The captain of second squad whispered and I could see the way her fists clenched.
She really was not happy about not knowing how much stuff I knew.
"So, what was the reason old man send you anyway? I doubt that it was something small considering that you, despite everything, are a captain."
"There was an intruder in the research and development institute." She said with a glare, obviously not happy about my comment but trying to not show it. "They erased several files, including those about Bounts and several other historical accounts."
"And you're sure that it was an infiltrator and not a traitor?"
"Every member of the research and development institute was personally chosen by Kurotsuchi after he became the captain of the twelfth squad, right after he fired every member that was not personally vetted by him." She said with a frown.
"To make sure there were nobody making an issue with his butcher work that he tries to pass of as science?"
"...yes."
"Wow, not even a moment trying to defend your fellow captain?!" I laughed.
"Kurotsuchi is a criminal that is as lowly as Urahara Kisuke. He remains alive only as long as he keeps being useful."
"Especially while Central 46 is absent and decisions remain in the hands of Yamamoto Shigekuni." I chuckled, it was rather nice to see Old Man Genocide's existence used to keep someone actually criminal in check for once. "And you are taking the Bounts?"
"Unlike the woman, they were fully on board with the plan of this Kariya. They will be interrogated and then put on trial for their crimes."
More like executed without any fanfare but unlike with Yoshino, who actually was trying to do good despite kinda sucking at it, those three were literal scum unlike any other I met with the only exceptions being Kurotsuchi the Clown and Tokinada the Lime-Head.
So yeah, fuck them.
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