Being suddenly partially pulled into my soul scape was unexpected but honestly welcomed. Considering how I interacted with my guns that they've taken very seriously, continuing what old friends before the war once called me. So when I appeared I was standing upside down on the very corner of the cube inside my soul. Three figures greeted me upon my entry.
A woman in her twenties with auburn red hair, pale skin that is matted by scars and bandage wrappings, crystal clear crimson eyes, wearing a more imperial German style of military uniform, a G28 marksman rifle sling over her left shoulder, Kūsho. A child about twelve years old with dirty blonde hair, murky green eyes, tan skin wrapped in bandages covering glowing burn scars, dressed as a disposable American foot soldier with a Colt 1911 strapped to her chest, Megami. Then the unmistakable vestige of my former self represented as a Hollow Soul stood behind them. An array of weapons strapped to his body with COMBAT DRONES floating around him.
My old duster trench coat stained in blood was pitch black, my old combat armor was chromatic gray, my old spiked steel toed boots were black instead of tan, my old essentially combat gauntlets gloves were chromatic white, his skin tone bleached white, brown messy hair turned black, black in place of white in his eyes with golden eyes looking at me, a defeated scowl on his face.
"Hello Zero, you already know what I am so I shall instead give my designation. I am Reaper. A name I WANTED DEAD. Yet here we are in a shit stain worse than before yet also so much better, minus Aizen and the Quincy King. I'm not going to fucking do any convalutted Hollow bullshit of hostile takeover or anything. Just fucking no… just no. You want to fuck shit up Hollow style I'm game for it. If not no skin off my back I get to rest and avoid war finally then.
Also sorry but because I'm around I've essentially influenced and changed your next three weapon forms. Shukai being the second to last as dear old Orcus decided to have a bit of fun with Jūki's. There's a step above it called Jenosaido, translation Genocide. So Shikai, Banki, Shukai, and Jenosaido are what all Jūki can use. You don't need to subjugate any of us to use anything above Shikai. We KNOW what will happen and just…. We're all tired of war, we won't fight you to use a form to protect this new chance...."
The Hollowfied me just sounds so… tired, so defeated and fed up that it makes me remember my unspoken constant wish. To just be retired as a war resource peacefully, not do what I did. Yet I knew peace wasn't a choice, not with how everyone wanted it done. So I retired Xane peacefully, I gave my son an essentially peaceful retirement till the end. Shaking my head I looked at the three war torn veterans essentially and sighed just as tiredly.
"We're just five veterans of war looking for peace yet war hounds our steps like a vengeful spirit. Thanks for telling me that pointless fighting will be avoided because potentially killing you three… wouldn't give me anything but disgust. We've suffered enough, let's just LIVE for once don't you agree?"
"Yes… my scope gets blurred just thinking about being stuck in constant war again."
"Yeah I'd like to rest my muzzle and mag chamber from all the constant fighting of war."
"Don't need to tell me twice, or any amount of times kid, I'm a hollow reminder of the past monster we were, but I'm tired and I'm looking forward to potentially just watching you raise some kids, potentially horribly."
Scoffing at myself I shake my head. He didn't need to point out that I don't really like kids. Yet if those two want them and trust a war damaged soul like me to raise them the best I can, I won't spit on that trust just because kids make me want to gut them. I'll just give it my best as they also seem apprehensive about if they'll be good parents.
Pschent may be a berserker with reckless abandon, but she's rather protective and endearingly rough with family. Suì-Fēng may be rather zealous with Yoruichi, and her job as an assassin, and a noble family head but she's rather caring, protective, banterous, and adorable if you get past her usual self. Yet somehow for some god forsaken reason, the two who are apart of rather prosperous and well respected noble families, looked at me and wanted a very fucked up, potentially, family. It's actually the warmest and most affectionate thing ever in both lives to happen to me.
So it both confuses me yet terrifies the monster lurking behind the scars thinking it's a trap. Yet it's NOT and that's just what both excites yet terrifies me. It's pure confusing affection with no ploys, no carefully crafted seduction plots, no war game of minds, just two women having affectionate attraction to me for some reason.
"It's confusing, I know kid, we've been essentially alone for decades that emotions are confusing to us. Yet this whole two wives thing is testing you emotionally in a big way as this is frankly new. Add the kids on the way and this all just feels so… fake. Yet it's very real, you have a chance to be MORE so embrace it kid. Embrace it like a dragon and NEVER let go. Heh which I'll tell you that your Genocide Weapon is actually related to the dragon theme. Just as a Wendigo version of it because of how the war wanted us."
"Hm? Know the names for everything?"
At that question Kūsho and Megami grinned saying three lines in unison.
""Firing line assembles, mass execution commences! Shikai, Blood Mist.""
""Render the masses lifeless. Bankai, War Machine.""
""Bring them to their knees, no survivors! Shukai, War Beast.""
Then Reaper speaks one simple line devoid of emotions, yet containing so much venom to them.
"Render the world lifeless annihilation weapons platform. Jenosaido, Wendigo."
Hearing each one just drove home what they possibly linked to throughout my life. Shikai simply means a mass of weapons possibly appearing to become a firing squad. Bankai being tied to possibly a war suit I once had the displeasure of using and becoming a machine. Shukai being those previous two and DOG war machines potentially. Jenosaido… just potentially being everything I've ever used including that cube. Each tied to a major or collation of life events I imagine.
By the time I noticed it I was back in the outside world walking with my killing orchids. Sighing silently I looked at the moon when I felt a tail smack my legs. Looking at Pschent she gave a rather loving smile as she giggled. Suì not looking at me was smiling rather embarrassed with a blush on her cheeks. A small laugh full of life and words she'd rarely say are spoken.
"I'm afraid, Rion. My family trains us to be the best assassins, to do things for a greater purpose to fulfill any given mission, yet they never teach something about THIS. I'm terrified yet strangely excited for this all, it's all just so refreshing. Most of my family's marriages are all prearranged and determined. Yet I've gone against that by meeting an annoying yet endearing idiot and a strange tired soldier. Two so different people I wouldn't usually always be around given my upbringing. Yet here I am married to you both, pregnant, and worrying about things so different than assassination. I… I… oh fucking damn it…. I love you Zero Carrion and Pschent Arrow-Anubis you make my life have an actual meaning."
Pschent was surprised by the last bit as our little assassin didn't dare look at us. Her smile though was genuinely affectionate and devoid of anything negative it just held joy. Grinning to myself I shrug my shoulders and decide to play along given where this is going to go.
"I'm a man from a dying world and time, brought here to continue on soldiering through conflict as a redemption quest. I'm not emotionally or mentally sound. I know this it's why I can do things that seem very cold and uncaring to others. Yet you Suì-Fēng heiress of the Fēng clan, and Pschent of the Anubis clan make my dead emotions spark constantly. It honestly terrifies me to the core because I'm expecting some convoluted plot yet there's NONE. You're giving me experiences I've NEVER had and trust I really DON'T deserve by trusting me with kids. You confuse me, terrify me, yet make me genuinely content with this all. I love you both and I'll kill EVERYTHING to keep this little family safe."
Pschent hearing us looked sheepish as she fidgeted before saying something so much shorter, yet heartfelt all the same.
"I'm just a deranged Beast that likes beating things to death with my fist. It gets me isolated by a lot of people… so you two just putting up with me and well being THIS with me. Means everything to my awkward violent self…. I was planning an elaborate suicide by beating down on someone or something sure to kill me instantly. Then we met… Now here I am hopelessly happy and in love with a girl and guy who are just too good for me while carrying children I never pictured having."
"""We're all scared shitless we're going to be horrible parents aren't we?"""
That last bit got us all to break out laughing nervously, given that none of us have experience with kids. Alopeke who was behind us was just giggling up a storm at our little spectacle. Eventually we arrived home and just retired to bed with us each just holding the other. Alopeke slept on the floor at the edge of the bed with a quiet remark before sleeping.
"This really was a good family to pick… awkward but truly bonded together tightly to the extreme…"
Xane joined us in bed as the big Hollow puppy essentially climbed up behind our heads. Guess he abandoned my mom in favor of coming to sleep with us. Closing my eyes I chuckled at this life's turn of events. A song escaping my lips in the dead of night.
(Keke Palmer, We Are Family)
"We are
We are
Not your ordinary family
But we can all agreed that
We are
We are
Close as close can be
So it don't matter what it looks
We look perfect to me
We got every kind of lover
We're so lucky indeed
They can keep on talking
It don't matter to me
We are
We are
Family
We are (We are)
We are (We are)
We are (We are)
We are
We are
Family
Family
Family
We are
We are
Family
So what?
We don't look
We don't act
We don't walk
We don't talk
Like you do
So what?
If we hang, just a hanging
No shame
We both do what we want to
'Cause we come from everywhere
Searching for ones to care
Some how we found it here
We found us a home.
We are
We are
Not your ordinary family
But we can all agreed that
We are
We are
Close as close can be
So it don't matter what it looks
We look perfect to me
We got every kind of love
I feel so lucky indeed
They can keep on talking
It don't matter to me 'cause
We are
We are
Family
Okay
So the links in our chains
Make us strange
But they really make us stronger
And no one
Would replace not a thing
Mother or Father
'Cause we...
'Cause we come from everywhere
Searching for ones to care.
Some how we found it here
We found us a home.
We are
We are
Not your ordinary family
But we can all agreed that
We are
We are
Close as close can be...
So it don't matter what it looks
We look perfect to me
We got every kind of lover
We're so lucky indeed
They can keep on talking
It don't matter to me
We are
We are
Family
(Family)
We are
We are
Family"