[color=8882be][h2][center]Villains[/center][/h2][/color] [center][sub]Kyogen Akechi (7th Lt) & Arina Kawagana (2nd Lt) The Night Before[/sub][/center] The moon was glistening in the sky, by the time Arina and her cell had reached the village. A chill in the air nipped at her skin as she and her two comrades took cover in the trees. Because the Fourth Seat had conveniently fallen ill, and the Third Seat, Settan was out on his own mission, she had been forced to ask Kyogen to accompany herself, and her Fifith Seat, Ichirou. [color=8882be]"We can't let the word get out that the Gotei 13 is leveling a village..." [/color] she murmured softly, so only the two could hear her. Her eyes locked with Ichirou's, [color=8882be]"We can't afford witnesses - in and out, I want a complete sweep," [/color]she stated coldly. He had never been on a mission with her before - and he was about to realise how true the rumors really were. Kyogen cracked his knuckles. [color=ed1c24]"Don't care why. No witnesses, can do. You don't care if I cause some damage around here, do you? I'm not a ninja." [/color] With that, Kyogen jumped out of his cover in the trees, directly into the village. The place was mostly quiet in the night, it wasn't going to stay that way for long. Finding the largest building in the village, Kyogen attacked it. [u][i]Hachiman[/i][/u] Smashing his fist into the side, the wall itself became shrapnel, killing those inside, and collapsing it downward. The sound caused somewhat of a panic around, nobody really knowing why the building collapsed, as Kyogen walked towards the gathering crowd. Ichirou looked horrified at the loud actions of his comrade, before turning to his lieutenant, wide eyed - and she just frowned at him, [color=8882be]"It's not like anyone will live to tell the tale of how it happened,"[/color] she mused in a dismissive tone before jumping into the chaos. She took the perimiter, cutting down all in her path, men, elderly, women - it didn't matter to her; they were all the same. Her blue eyes narrowed slightly as she slit a screaming womans throat before she turned to a man who spoke to her, "Why?" The words croaked out of his mouth and she didn't bother to ease his mind with a reason. Her sword easily sliced through his fragile skin as she cut him down, and proceeded to slaughter all those who stood behind him. Screams equally came from the center. Kyogen didn't have remorse. The world was cruel, that's just how it was. Punching down person after person, building after building. It was somehow easier on him now that he chose to be a monster, rather than find he was one anyways. Walking up to Arina, he seemed disappointed. [color=ed1c24]"I thought someone here might be able to kill me. Seems I hoped too much.. What are we doing here?" [/color] With cruel casualness, he punches a stone wall, sending more shrapnel into a crowd of fleeing citizens. She turned to Kyogen and stared at him for a moment,[color=8882be] "Sorry to disappoint,"[/color] she chimed in a musical tone, stabbing a man rushing towards her. She was thankful to Kyogen for coming along. Ichirou had never been on a mission of this scale before, nor had he ever taken a life that wasn't a Hollow. The stench of blood was sickening, it was everywhere; on the ground, on his clothes - he was sure he couldn't even see the colour of his skin anymore. His hands shook as he yanked back on his Zanpakuto, pulling it out of a womans rib cage with a sickening crack, blood forming a pool at his feet, And that was when he heard the cries. His heart beat in his throat for a moment, as he tired to block the sound out. However, it drew his gaze, like a moth to a flame - to two children, hiding in a closet, their eyes wide as they grieved for their freshly killed mother. He felt instantly ill as they stared back at him, with a mix of emotions - anger, sadness, hate... confusion. His breath hitched in his throat as he raised his blade, and the fear etched itself into their expressions. It made him want to vomit, it made him want to scream - they were begging to live. He froze. After a moment of pure silence, he forced himself out of the room, and out of the house, leaving the children to cry over their mother. He jumped slightly fightened, as Arina approached him - he noticed that her kimono was drenched in blood. She didn't seem to care, as she stopped beside him with a small frown. He pleaded for the children to be silent, but a cry and a sniffle caused her head to abruptly snap to the house, before she met his horrified gaze, her eyes narrowing in realisation. Her shunpo was too fast as he made a dash for the house, only managing to get to the door as she stopped behind the two children who were huddled over their mother's still warm corpse. [color=8882be]"You were going to let them live?"[/color] her voice held no emotion as she glanced at him, [b][color=fff79a]"They're too young... there's no need for them to die," [/color][/b] [color=8882be] "Everybody dies. Is that not that I said? You can't just pick and choose because you don't feel like killing them," [/color]her voice was cold and he took a defensive step towards her as she stepped closer to the children - they were barely four. [b][color=fff79a]"Please-" [/color][/b] His voice was silenced by the sickening crack of their necks, it had been so fast and cruel, he had wondered if there was really anything inside her apart from the ruthless assasian she was made out to be. [color=8882be]"This is what we do," [/color]her voice was so cold that he could hardly believe she was the same girl who had been playfully hitting on Kyogen earlier, [color=8882be]"If you don't like it, you have no place in the Second Division, nor as a Shinigami,"[/color] her words hit him like knives as she brushed past him, utttering one final sentence, [color=8882be]"Next time, I won't do your dirty work for you." [/color] Ichirou would find a (wet) hand on his shoulder. [color=ed1c24]"I know what you are thinking, and you are right. We are monsters. So is the world. Monstrosity is forced on people. So what are you going to do? Are you going to become a monster too, and keep this quick and with few casualties as possible, or slow things down, and force us to hunt down more witnesses? Kill yourself like we did, and you might save a few. Neither of us woke up saying, 'today, I'm a monster'. Monsters are made, not born."[/color] With that, Kyogen headed off, behind Arina. Screams naturally accompanied him. Ichirou slumped to his knees, how were these lieutenants so unaffected by their actions? his hands were shaking and he felt sick - he wanted to run, he wanted to be anywhere other than here. The hatred and malice ran thick through the air, making it hard for him to breathe. The hurt and betrayal these people were feeling burned his eyes and they watered slightly. Kyogen's words were right, but the mentality was so twisted. Within an hour, the village fell into an unnatural silence. The only sound heard in it at all was footsteps as the three regrouped. Words didn't seem proper, so no one spoke. Kyogen face remained indifferent. They had made good time back to the Seireitei, and as soon as they arrived in the Division 2 locker rooms, Ichirou left to clean himself up, he was still trembling as he closed the door behind him. Arina sighed, the tension in the air completely dissipated as the Fifth Seat exited the room. With a solemn sigh, she peeled off her blood drenched Kimono and discarded it on the floor; now in her undergarments. She wrapped a small towel around her frame before she turned to Kyogen, [color=8882be]"Thanks for tonight,"[/color] her voice was unusually soft, [color=8882be]"This would be the sixth favor I owe you,"[/color] she mused with a slight laugh. Her gaze hardened slightly as she looked to the door Ichirou had just walked out of, [color=8882be]"For heroes to take the spotlight... we villains must exist,"[/color] she murmured, before walking to Kyogen and taking a seat next to him, [color=8882be]"I suppose he'll learn that one day..."[/color] Her blue eyes were fixated on her blood stained hands, and she wondered if she'd ever be able to wash it off. Kyogen couldn't help but laugh as he washed blood from his arms, continually. It seemed never ending. [color=ed1c24]"Someone can [i]pretend[/i] to be a hero. I have yet to meet one. I've met plenty of people who claimed to be one though..." [/color] Kyogen's face went blank as his hands shook for a minute, as 'his' face appeared in his memories. [color=ed1c24]"I'm much more apt to play villain. That member now has no choice either. He can let it haunt him, or he can go along with it, the choice isn't his now. Almost seems... cruel of you to take him. Oh well, your squad isn't known for its heroes. I suppose I'll go report to my captain. Probably asking where I've been."[/color] With that, Kyogen threw a towel over his shoulders, and left the barracks. It wasn't long until a hell butterfly found him. Something about a mission to the Rukongai with captain Mao. There was no rest for the weary it seemed. Maybe this time he'd find something to strike him.