(Karakura Town: Squad 15 Barracks)
"Anything?" Isshin asked Lisa, who was still examining the girl Senna brought in. Hiyori discovered the Senkaimon opening and the bubbly Soul Reaper brought in the unconscious girl soon after. Though the communication system with Soul Society was being a little buggy as of late, Hiyori was still able to access the list of Shinigami personnel and was going through that ever since.
"Still nothing sir." Lisa answered, ending the Kido she was using to sense anything from the sleeping girl, now dressed in a red skirt with a cream cardigan. "No Reishi, no heartbeat, if she wasn't there in front of us then I would doubt she even exists."
"Well, doesn't that sound familiar." Senna groaned out, thinking back on her short life. She stayed with her captain to deliver her report and was genuinely curious about the girl. "Are we going to have to worry about some crazy exiled clan or a bunch of blank slate souls?"
"I doubt it." Isshin returned, taking a step back to assess the situation. "There shouldn't be another Shinenju so soon and I'm pretty sure we've dealt with the last of any notable threats with a grudge against Soul Society."
"Well, Ichigo mentioned that Oetsu guy has a lot of Zanpakuto that look like people. Could she be one of those?" Senna guessed again, throwing around any possibility she could think of.
"We'd still feel something out of that." Hiyori said, coming in with the results of her search. "And I found a fat load of nothing. She doesn't match any description of active Shinigami and the closest that I could get is a resemblance to an inactive Shinigami by the name of Oko Yushima, a former member of Squad 12."
"Isn't that the guy that created Project Spearhead?" Isshin asked, remembering the controversy from his time as captain of Squad 10. He noticed Senna's confused look and went on to explain. "Shortly after Kirio Hikifune created the artificial souls that most Shinigami use, there was a proposal to use that same process to create the modified versions that were supposed to be combat capable to help with the shortage of Soul Reapers and the abundance of Hollows and lost souls. Kon was one such mod soul."
"Unfortunately, those jackasses in Central 46 decided against the project after it was already in progress." Hiyori continued, having done her homework on important events she missed or forgot during the exile of the Vizards. "Apparently he snapped and tried downloading his brain into something. He's been locked in the Maggot's Nest in a catatonic state ever since."
"We should probably look into that case again, just to be sure." Isshin advised, earning a nod from Hiyori as she went back to try and fix the communication system from her end. "Okay, maybe we haven't dealt with all the people that would have a grudge against Soul Society."
(Squad 12: Underground Lab)
"We'll keep Ichigo in here." Urahara said as Riruka pulled the stasis tube that held the hybrid out of her cat plushie. "Be sure to keep him stabilized. And remember that that's an order Mayuri." He clarified to his lieutenant, getting a dismissive wave in response. "Now, I'm not sure what we'll find in the Dangai, but you do remember where the contingency plans are in case of emergency. Correct?"
"Yes, all disguised in a photo album with you and those kids you left with Isshin." The deranged scientist hissed as he wanted to get on with his own research. Urahara kept looking at Mayuri with a measure of expectation, causing the man to sigh. "As I, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, take command of squad 12 in the absence of my captain, I vow that I will not and shall not abuse my authority and keep my experiments to acceptable moral, ethical, and legal boundaries." This satisfied Urahara as he gave a nod and proceeded to pack his equipment for his foray into the Precipice World.
"Try to establish communication back with squad 15 while I'm gone." The man continued as Riruka place Ichigo on a shelf. "Since there seems to be a big time delay between the two, chances are they might have a clue they've been unable to send back to us."
"You seem to think that I'm completely negligent in my duties." Mayuri growled.
"I know how absorbed you can get in your own research Mayuri." The captain returned. "And I'm certain you have the same ideas that I do about what might be happening in the Dangai."
"The delays in received and sent messages between Soul Society and the world of the Living suggest that there's a growing time gap. An easy fix, but how did it get to that point in the first place?" Mayuri stated, brainstorming a possible answer.
"Just as it's an easy fix, it's an easy problem to create. And since the closest thing the Arrancar had to a scientist is dead, that leaves a small number of people that could and would make this problem." Urahara returned as he listed off the necessary qualities for a profile of the suspect if someone did create the issue. "First, this person would need an extensive knowledge and understanding of the Precipice World. Which should narrow down the list greatly, but with Aizen as a factor, we might not have an idea of who knows what to do and how to do it." Many people would never have pegged Aizen for a scientist at first glance, but the man was careful and precise in his experiments and execution.
"Second, the person in question would have to have had enough time to set this up and all under our noses until this moment, if whoever did this counted on us finding out about it at all." Mayuri continued. "Again, that could be anyone that could slip our notice due to the war preparations."
"And if there is an outside factor that forced this person's hand, it might be something in the world of the Living since Soul Society's baggage always seems to find its way there." Urahara groaned, lamenting how poor of a job the Gotei of old did that made so many problems now. "For now, focus on reestablishing communication. After that, we should start our investigation with the head of Precipice World studies, so keep an eye on Kageroza Inaba."
"Try not to die. I'd be terribly inconvenienced if I had to be captain again." Mayuri finished, wishing Urahara luck in his own way.
(Precipice World)
"And this only confirms our suspicions." Urahara sighed as he continued the study. With him was Shinji, Kensei, Byakuya, Toshiro, and their lieutenants assisting and offering additional protection. The exception was that Hisagi stayed with squad 9, someone needed to be in charge there. "Someone is currently controlling the Dangai. The only question is why and how." The other Soul Reapers looked to him with concern, unaware of the slight shifting in the restrictive current. "But now that we've established what is currently causing this, we can fix it... or we can run." The captain said, noticing the presence of the Kototsu. "I vote the latter."
"Move!" Toshiro called out as the Shinigami charged toward Senkaimon leading to the Living world, as the Cleaner was coming in from Soul Society. As they ran, a second Kototsu appeared and started heading straight for them.
"Our little rat is controlling the Cleaner as well? How did he get two of them?" Kensei asked as the two trains of space time current came barreling toward them. "More to that, how do we get out of here?" The Vizard asked, getting more and more nervous.
"I've got an idea, but the success will be questionable." Urahara said, bracing himself.
(Squad 15 Barracks)
"Well we've got good news and bad news." Hiyori said, reporting to Isshin. "The good news is that the girl woke up and is under watch and guard. The bad news is that communications with Soul Society is still screwy and we still have no idea what or who the hell the girl is. She just keeps calling Uryu and other men perverts, while refusing to talk to anyone else." She finished, earning a sigh from the captain.
"No name, no idea what she is, and no identity other than a resemblance to a comatose prisoner from a century ago." Isshin summed up, going over the current matter. "Remember when we thought things would calm down after Aizen's defeat while we focus on the Quincy? This is rather annoying."
"Especially since we still don't know what's going on with the communications system and the Precipice world." The girl returned. "I do have this one theory about what the girl might be though. As hard as it may be to believe." Before she could continue, Lisa came in.
"Captain Isshin, we have visitors." She said before the captains Kisuke's team came in. "Should I prepare tea sir?"
"That would be nice Lisa." The third seat left to get the refreshments while Hiyori stood next to the squad 15 captain. "Captains Kuchiki, Shinji, Kensei, Urahara" He immediately flashed to the youngest and held him up with a smile, "and Toshiro! To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked.
"Put me down." The 10th squad captain said bluntly, causing Isshin to raise his eyebrow before doing so. "We were investigating a disturbance in the Precipice world." The ice wielder started before Byakuya took over.
"We found that someone was controlling the Dangai and led us into a trap. Shortly after arriving, whoever is behind this sent the Cleaner after us." The noble said, looking to Urahara. "Thankfully, captain Urahara figured out a way we could escape the Precipice world."
"Does it have anything to do with those bracelets?" Hiyori interrupted, noticing a brass colored bracelet with a black gem tassel on the left wrist of each captain. Urahara held up the accessory in question and smiled.
"Yeah, these babies kept us in an isolated time field outside of the influence of the Dangai. Rendering the entire trap pointless." The man explained while Hiyori and Isshin shared a glance. Before they could continue, Momo and Rangiku came in.
"Captains, we found her." The squad 5 lieutenant said, sounding more confident than anyone heard her before. "We found Nozomi Kujo."
"Is that the girl we have in custody?" Isshin asked as Urahara began to explain.
"She's a rogue Soul Reaper that erased her records and escaped from Soul Society. We suspect that she's involved with whoever is behind the time gap in the Precipice world." The captains got up and ready to move. "Now that we've found her, we can take her back for interrogations back in the Seireitei."
"That's not going to happen." The father said, causing the other captains and lieutenants to glare at Isshin. "You said it yourself. The Dangai is a dangerous place. The safest place to interrogate Nozomi Kujo is right here, in my barracks." Isshin sent a confident smile to the group. "You can watch, but I can't let you guys jump into danger like that."
(With Uryu: Interrogation Room)
"Let's see." The Quincy started, entering the empty and blank room of Sekkiseki stone. After the reveal of her having a connection to the disturbances and whoever was causing them, she was moved to the prison and interrogation section of the barracks. "Nozomi Kujo, records removed from the Soul Reaper database and currently the leading suspect in our current investigations." He looked away from the papers to put his gaze on the girl in question, sitting in the corner and curled up defensively. "Things would go a lot easier for you if you cooperated."
"I told you I'm not talking to any of you. Pervert." She said, calling the lieutenant a perv for the twentieth time. "Leave me alone!" The Quincy sighed, getting tired of being called a pervert, when Orihime walked in.
"Let me try." She suggested. Thinking he could use the break, Uryu gave her the files and exited the room. Shinji and Kensei were in the hallway with their lieutenants, giving Uryu disguised glares before returning their attention to the interrogation room. The only other noises were those coming from Isshin, Toshiro, and Rangiku 'catching up' as his captain put it while Kisuke was reminiscing about his old home and Senna was playing with Mashiro.
"You still won't get anything out of her." Kensei suddenly said, gaining Uryu's attention. "She has literally nothing to gain from talking and everything to lose if she does. Why would she tell us anything?"
"We probably should risk going through the Dangai again." Shinji said, losing patience with the situation. "It's too dangerous to leave things as they are." Uryu said nothing as he left, though he was keeping tabs on them during their stay.
(Squad 12: Mayuri's Playground)
It was practically silent as he made his way into the dark lab, nothing beyond the tapping of his cane, the bubbling of various chemicals, and the blips and whirs of computers and machines. The man searched the off-limits section of squad 12's underground research facility, looking for one thing of great importance. What would either be the key to an ultimate creation or the single most dangerous thing to his ambitions. He had to be careful, quick, and silent or the plan he spent so much time on would crumble around him. This was the main lab of Mayuri Kurotsuchi and he knew precisely how dangerous that man could be. He spent half an hour searching the lab before frustration got the better of him.
"Damn it! Where is he!?" He growled before a monitor came on, bathing him in pale light as Mayuri appeared on the screen.
"Looking for a certain hybrid, are we Kageroza?" The lieutenant asked, shocking the man in question. Inaba was wearing a flamboyant yellow robe with a high collar that shielded the back of his head. The other identifier was the man's dual colored hair, green on the right side and yellow on the left.
"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi." The traitor returned, glaring at his superior officer. "Can't say I'm surprised. I thought highly of you as my captain during your tenure as such. Far more than captain Urahara."
"You can't butter me up Inaba, I've already gathered what you're planning." Mayuri responded, his image shaking as he picked up a camera. "And I've got the evidence from your lab as well." He said as the background changed rapidly, evidence of the man using Flash Step to reach his new destination. "Manipulating the Precipice world, attempting to trap all of the top Shinigami in there and replace them with Reigai copies infused with mod souls. Ambitious, and you probably would've gotten away with it, or at least make it that much more challenging, if it wasn't for one misstep on your part."
"And what would that be?" Kageroza asked, feeling a slight headache coming on.
"You're the top expert on the Dangai, everyone in the squad knows that." Kurotsuchi answered. "Of course we'd suspect you right away. And one of the many contingencies that Urahara made is that his personal computer is linked to EVERYTHING in the squad. Your misstep was enacting your plan and not covering your footsteps immediately. How is that new nerve gas by the way?"
"What?" Inaba said before getting into a coughing fit, finally hearing a subtle hiss of gas.
"Those Shiba siblings during the memory incident revealed that our security measures could use some more work, so I've developed a new gas and rigged my lab to release it whenever someone without clearance goes in. I just recently tested it on your Reigai clones, but all that tells me is you did shoddy work." The doors opened again as three masked figures came in. "They're still alive, part of another experiment Kisuke and I are working on. If you could escape, that would be most beneficial to us as well." The monitor shut off after that.
"Bastard!" Inaba cursed turning to face his opponents, Ashido, Yin, and Yang. "Go mad, Raiku!" He yelled out, spinning his cane which turned into a double headed voulge glaive and kept spinning. Before Ashido could attack, Inaba disappeared.
(Squad 15 Barracks)
Nozomi stayed curled in that corner, far from the door, and trying to remember what she knows she had forgotten. She knew the image of the location she wanted to go to, but not where it was. As of yet, she wasn't even allowed out of the building. They did clothe her and feed her, but she had a mission and she needed to get out of there. Especially since she didn't want to be found by a certain someone that sent those Reigai after her. Her thoughts were interrupted as the door was flung open, revealing Renji and Byakuya.
"You're coming with us." Byakuya stated, his eyes flashing a pale purple along with Renji's. The tattooed man came in to drag her, prompting her to try and run. A practice in futility as the man landed a solid blow to her gut and knocked her out. The two began to quickly make their way out of the building, regrouping with the rest of their team, and reaching the door leading out. Running directly into an ambush of the seated members of squad 15, Jackie, and Giriko.
"Giriko." Isshin said as the eyepatched man stepped forward and turned a dial on his chest.
"I'm going to sleep now. While I am, no Senkaimon will open until I wake." He said, before passing out with Jackie catching him and creating a 'Clean Bubble'.
"You're pretty good for imposters, but I figured you were fakes from the beginning." Isshin said as he unsheathed his blade while the other got ready to fight as well. "Now you are going to tell me what I want to know or this will get very ugly." The man growled. Suddenly a Garganta opened up, revealing the real captains and lieutenants. All led by Halibel and her Fraccion.
"Don't bother Isshin." Urahara stated as he and the others unsheathed their blades. "I can explain everything we need to know."
(Illustrated Guide to Soul Reapers)
Deleted scenes
Interrogation
"I'm not talking you pervert." Nozomi told the Quincy, who frankly had had enough of the girl.
"For the last time, I'm not a pervert!" He yelled before getting an idea. "But I'll show you one." He said, going to the door. "Hey Lisa, go nuts with her!" He called out, leaving the room. Almost a minute later, Lisa appeared with a long clothes rack filled with different outfits.
"Strip." She ordered with an emotionless tone, but a burning lust in her eyes.
'I think I made a mistake.' Nozomi thought as Lisa came closer... with a micro bikini and cat ears in her hands.
Contingencies
"Let's see.... no, that's for viral breakouts." Mayuri dismissed, standing in a room full of sleeping dopplegangers while he downloaded all the information from Kageroza's computers. "I should've had that bookmarked. Civil uprising, cover up operations for both public safety and public... decency. Kisuke, I doubt the whole of the Gotei will lose their clothes for any reason. Ah, here we go. Betrayals. Already did that, did that, in the process of that, 'in case of clones, see page 742.'" He shrugged and turned to the page in question. "'Clone war, let happen if first time with assurance that others would know the difference between original and fake. If second, kill them ASAP, nothing more can be learned.'" He looked over the bodies. "Is this the first or second time? Did the Zanpakuto Rebellion count as a clone uprising? Might have something worth learning." He said, leaving the Reigai to live as he proceeded to connect to his underground lab and give Inaba a painful reveal.