Bleach: The Captain Part Two & Three, Toshiro Hitsugaya x OC

Chapter 11: Visored

I pulled the hood over my head, wrapping my scarf around my neck to conceal my face against the invading wind. We were wordless assassins, hellbent on satisfaction and revenge. Soundless we bounded on rooftops, through alleyways, and over causeways, dispatching hollows this way and that, fruitless in our effort to find our target. We continued for hours, silent as the grave with our focus solely on dealing death with our blades.

The day was dark and desolate. Clouds hung low and heavy on the horizon, threatening to open their bowels on to the earth below. The ground was still wet from the previous days' rain, and as we ran, our footsteps splashed through the puddles, soaking our legs through to the bone.

Murray kept his council.  Today, for him, wasn't a day for witty banter and heartfelt speeches. He was pissed at me, and he had every right to be. I promised him I wasn't going to get into dangerous situations without him and yet that's what happened. The stitches pulled when I turned my head left or right, reminding me what an idiot I was. 

We ran into the clearing of a field and saw a hollow taking form on the ground. It was relatively harmless and not worth the effort we were putting in, but still, I drew my sword and ran towards it, holding it aloft as my hands gripped it tightly.

A shadow leaped over me and came down on the creatures head, slicing it in two. I stopped my assault and took in the familiar man with grey pressed slacks and oxfords, as he turned and walked towards me.

"That's three times I've seen you now," I mocked him. "I'm beginning to think you have a thing for me."

He stopped two feet away from me and propped his blade on his shoulder, ignoring my jest. "Little beneath you to be killing low life hollows isn't it?" he asked.

I started walking back to Murray, unimpressed with him. "Oh I don't think so, I'm not answering you anymore until you start answering me. Let's go, Murray, there's nothing here for us."

The fair hair man relented, grabbing me by the robe turning me around. He looked at Murray, and his eyes widened ever so slightly. 

Recognition?

"Alright I'll answer you as best I can. Ask away Captain." 

I hadn't planned for that to work, and now I was at a loss for words. I had to think of something. 

"You're name is?"

"Shinji Hirako."

Why did that name sound so familiar?

"How do you know Keisuke?"

"Who told you I knew him?" he shifted to one leg, feigning interest.

"No one, but thanks for confirming it. Same question." I smirked.

"He was blamed for my murder." He said simply.

That's where I'd heard his name before, in the old files Yuki had been researching before his death. But that meant,

"You used to be the captain of Squad Five," I answered automatically.

"Ding, ding," he gave me a toothy grin, which looked more like a grimace than a smile.

"But I thought you were dead? Reports are saying exactly that."

He had a pained expression on his face; it looked uncomfortable for him to be sharing his story with someone he didn't know. "The reports aren't wrong. I did die."

I gave him a queer look. "I'm pretty sure the fact that I can see you means they are wrong."

He held out a hand, silencing me. Sticking his sword in the ground, he leaned on it with a sigh. "I'm what you would call a visored. Aizen had stolen an item from Keisuke back when Keisuke was a captain. Its power was astronomical, giving it the ability to turn soul reapers into hollows by fusing a hollow's soul to a soul reaper; we call that process hollowfication. Aizen went after a bunch of us; it was a massacre, and when the dust settled it was Keisuke who helped us to grasp our new abilities fully."

"So you're a hollow?"

He let out a long breath. "Weren't you just listening? I'm a visored. It's not the same thing."

I still wasn't getting it. "So are you good or. .?"

"I'm not your enemy if that's what you're getting at. If you're going up against Aizen, then that makes us allies." 

"Well, that's a relief. The last thing we need right now is more enemies. Speaking of that, we're having an issue with a hollow who's stirring up a lot of shit with us. It's been going after soul reapers in my division, and I think it's targeting someone." I chose not to tell him that target was me. I still wasn't sure if I could trust this guy.

"No I haven't, but I'll be sure to let you know if I've seen it."

"One last question," I hesitated, "-- did you know Yuki Urahara."

"You've asked me that before." he frowned.

"I'm hoping for a different answer."

A phone beeped. I checked mine, but it hadn't gone off. Shinji rummaged through his coat pocket and found his, reading whatever was sent to him. 

"Sorry to cut the conversation short but I have something important to deal with. As for your brother, Yuki, it's not my place to say. You need to talk to Keisuke about it." He tipped his hat and vanished into the distance.

The light was fading on the horizon and with it, the temperature. I rubbed my arms for warmth, feeling the chill set into my skin.

"What do you make of all this, master Akira?"

I started walking back in the direction of our quarters, reflecting on Shinji's story. "I think the reason why Keisuke sent us to that warehouse was to talk to Shinji and understand the reason why Yuki died. He found out about hollowfication and about the truth behind the deaths of the visored and was silenced for it."

"That doesn't explain why Keisuke couldn't have told us that in the first place." 

I tapped my finger on my chin. "It could be that it's too hard for him to talk about it. I don't know how I would feel if I was the one responsible for Yuki's death, but I think it would chew me up inside." I felt a pang of sadness for Keisuke, having to carry that burden. I smoothed out my robes and breathed, reminding myself it was past us now. "At the very least, this gives us some closure I think."

"For you, I think it does. For me, it will never truly heal the emptiness I have." Murray kept his eyes forward, but I knew if I looked into them I'd see the heartache.

I held his hand and squeezed it gently. "It's okay Murray. We've got each other."

"Until the end," he whispered. He shimmered brightly and transformed back into a blade in my hand.

"Until the end," I agreed.

***

By the time I got back, most everyone had gone to bed. Ikkaku and Yumichika were in the living room watching some ridiculous reality T.V. show. 

Why bother with reality T.V. when you can spend a day killing hollows?

"Has Captain Hitsugaya brought you up to speed on everything?" I asked, slumping into one of the dining room chairs I had dragged into the living room.

Ikkaku clicked off the T.V. and got up, strapping on his sword. "Yep, we were just waiting for you to get back so we could head out ourselves. You're three hours late by the way."

I hung my two swords on the back of the chair and massaged a cramp out of my shoulder. "I just needed to burn off a little steam, that's all. Where is everyone?"

Yumichika looked up from his compact mirror. "The other three lieutenants are out, something about getting a bite to eat, which, for them, probably means drinks. I think the only one here is Captain Hitsugaya and he went to bed an hour ago."

Something inside me twisted up, and at once I felt strange. 

Was I nervous?

"Thank you, good luck on your patrol." I waved them goodbye and closed the door with a shaky hand. My whole body started vibrating.

I cleaned up quickly in the bathroom, towelling off and brushing my teeth like I was on a mission. I looked at myself in the mirror and gave myself a pep talk that could have won me an Oscar. I took a deep breath in and walked into our room, ready to finish what we had started.