[BleachITP Reborn] Episode 2: Hannibal's Past: Flashback to the Old!

[tgva8889]

Soul Society, Present Day:

Somewhere on the outskirts of Soul Society, deep in the mountainous hills just beyond the walls of Sereitei, a solid brown door bears a daffodil symbol. Against the stone around it, it is almost invisible. However, those who know of its location know what lies within. A deep, dark cavern filled with dozens and dozens of tunnels, each lined further with thousands and thousands of iron bars and the prison cells behind them. From within, screams of insanity and, almost invariably, suffering and pain pierce the darkness.

This is Maggot's Nest, the prison for the most dangerous men and women in all of Soul Society.

One man walks up the mountain path, towards this prison, a cloak covering his form from the daylight as he travels. He bears a walking stick of some kind, though he discards it along the way, moving faster as he approaches the door from afar.

[Innis Cabal]

Takeshi waits by the door, a long pipe hanging limply from his mouth, its plume of smoke climbing into the air like some languishing beast. He waves slightly, or appears to, his over long sleeve obscuring most of his movement.

"Good evening Captain! It is a pleasure and an honor to meet you, I am Kido Commander Takeshi, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule for this."

Takeshi bows low, smiling broadly.

[tgva8889]

The cloaked figure reveals his face, the Captain of 10th Division smirking at Takeshi.

"Commander? Hmm. Well, it seems like a bit overkill, but whatever, I guess. Nice to meet you face-to-face, Takeshi."

Taiki walks directly to the door and raps on it several times in quick succession, pausing at odd intervals between groups of knocks.

"As for the trouble, don't worry at all. As it so happens, I have an appointment to keep at this time anyways, so perhaps I can accompany you. What was it you were here for, exactly?"

A slot in the wooden door slips open, and Taiki puts his hand through it. A moment later he removes his hand and slips the key that has appeared in it into the lock on the bottom of the door.

[Innis Cabal]

"Perhaps over kill, but I wanted to get out of my other duties for the time being, they can be tedious. I figured this would be a more worthwhile expenditure of my time."

Takeshi watches the Captain intently, smiling a little wider.

"The Kido Bindings on Ex-Captain Hannibal need to be checked. I am here to do such a task if it would be within the parameters of your Division, Captain."

[tgva8889]

Taiki smiles.

"Of course. I knew what you were here for, but it helps to make sure that you're not an impostor. We can never be too sure when it comes to securing this place."

The key turns, and the wooden door slides upwards to reveal a small room, seki-seki walls lined with torches. One guard steps back as the door opens and salutes, while two others stand on opposite sides of another door at the far back. They look up when the door moves, then quickly slide from their at-ease positions to salutes. In unison, the three guards say "Captain Takahashi!" He chuckles slightly and waves them off.

"Oh, you don't have to be so formal. This is just a routine visit." Before the outer door guard can speak, Taiki puts up another hand. "This is Kido Commander Takeshi. He's with me, so you don't have to worry about checking his security clearance."

Taiki turns to Takeshi and holds his hand out palm-up. "Unfortunately, even you must follow some of the regulations here. We do not allow zanpakuto past the door beyond. Though I honestly doubt you have anything to worry about, Commander, we would like to at least not arm our prisoners, even accidentally."

[Innis Cabal]

Takeshi removes the nodachi from his back, holding it before him with a slight bow.

"There is no need to be so formal with me either, Captain. I'd prefer if you don't treat me like the Kido Commander, it just seems...stuffy. No one's going to disrepect one another here on purpose. We shouldn't be so cold to one another."

He lets a large puff of smoke out of his mouth, shifting the pipe in his mouth.

"I'm allowed to smoke though right?"

[tgva8889]

Taiki nods at Takeshi's comment. "Sorry, Takeshi. It's a habit, I suppose. Your pipe should be fine, though. So long as it doesn't have any hidden blades or anything in it."

Taiki hands the nodachi to the door guard, who carefully places it in a sword rack on the wall nearby. Motioning forward, Taiki walks to the door and presents a hand to the guards at the door.

"Please state your name and your business."

"Taiki Takahashi, here to visit Prisoner 666 with a guest."

One of them pulls a list from the wall and checks it for a moment, then replaces it.

"Please be prompt in your return. If you are gone for longer than an hour, sir, we will call the Execution Force."

"Keep up the regulations, Warden."

The door slides inwards, stone grinding against the dirt and stone around it. It then shifts to the side, opening to reveal a gaping darkness. Taiki walks in and takes one of the two torches from the wall before he holds an arm out wide to welcome Takeshi.

"Welcome to the Maggot's Nest, Takeshi. Not quite the same as an office, but it comes pretty close."

[Innis Cabal]

"It is...well, more organized then my own office."

Takeshi chuckles softly, shaking his head.

"It is a little dreary, but each to their own I suppose. You run a tight ship Captain, I will have to extend the favor and invite you to a tour of one of the Unit's facilities at some point for a demonstration. What can you tell me about Ex-Captain Hannibal, Captain?"

[Frozen_Feet]

Far, far within the hill, in the deepest and most forlorn tunnel, one unseated of the 10th walks forwards, carrying a tray full of various dishes. Cells around her are empty and filled with dust, having not been used for anything but storaging furniture for a decades.

Expect for one.

At the end of the corridor, in the cell farthest away from the exit and any important facilities of the Nest, there is one prisoner, locked behind specially reinforced bars. He is currently reading a book, lifting his eyes from it as he hears the warden's steps.

Technically, this prisoner is not allowed to hold books. Something about "possibly using it as a weapon". But the warden isn't going to report it - after all, she gave it to him.

"Ah, Nasumi-chan! Glad to see you! My, is it lunch-time already? I just never learn to keep track of time here in the darkness", Hannibal Magalhães greets from behind the bars, closing the book. "What delicous things do we have today?"

"Oh, just soup, as normal, Hannibal-san", the warden answer, kneeling to open a small hatch near the floor, before sliding the tray through it. Hannibal gets up from his bed and takes a few steps towards the bars, but stops when they start to hum omniously. The kido corps had been careful to give no leeway for the former captain to try anything funny.

"Just soup? Oh, don't be so harsh to yourself. You know I love your cookings, no matter what they are", Hannibal replies, kneeling himself and putting the book on the floor. After Nasumi has let go of the tray, he carefully reaches for it and drags it to himself. He then slides the book through the hatch, smiling to the girl.

"Thanks for loaning that. I'm sorry I caused you trouble, but Broken Sword never lets me have any fun here. Better you take it back before he pays his next visit", the trollish man says and smiles. "This was really nice of you."

"Oh, it wasn't anything", Nasumi answers as he picks up the book, blushing a little. "I too think it's a bit unfair you aren't allowed any entertainment. I'll promise to take it up with Takashi-taichou once my internship is over." She then rises up and turns to leave. Hannibal to stands up behind the bars, holding the tray in his rough hands. "I'll be back in an hour to fetch the tray, as usual. Itadakimasu!"

"You do that, gal, you do that", Hannibal mutters as Nasumi leaves. He returns to his bed and sits down, putting the tray on his lap. He waits untill Nasumi disappears into the shadows of the tunnel, before taking a sip of the soup... and putting it aside in disgust.

I can't believe that after all this time, they still serve this same tasteless goop, the former captain muses, face distorted in an ugly frown. And they still don't teach those whelps to cook properly. Or maybe they do this just to spite me.

In reality, the soup wasn't half bad... even though he hadn't said it to the girl, Nasumi had managed to screw up worse in the prison kitchen. But no matter how much he just wanted to yell at the poor girl, face red as a tomato, he'd learned long ago that being nasty to his guards would never solve anything.

Maybe, if he'd just continue acting like a good boy, they'd let him out. Maybe the central whatever would finally decide two hundred years was enough time for one person to spend rotting in jail.

Or maybe, they'd just continue to ignore him like they had for who knows how long.

I want out.

[tgva8889]

"I would love to see it, so long as you don't make me test my kido prowess to get in. I wouldn't want to mess up your hair."

Taiki leads Takeshi through a long and dark tunnel while he talks.

"He was Captain long before I was. Almost 400 years ago he started as the Captain of 11th. Crazy man, skilled but crazy. He was a genius in terms of zanjutsu, typical of the 11th. 200 years later he was imprisoned here by one of my predecessors and has been here ever since. Had something to do with an experiment of some kind, I think. Since I became Captain I have been meeting with him twice a month. Pretty good conversationalist, all things considered. I would say I was surprised, but to be honest Hannibal Magalhães never struck me as what you would call 'normal'. Most do not survive the Nest nearly as long as he has. In fact, from what I read, the reason he's where he is now is that he killed so many that they had to force him into a lone cell."

As he finishes, the walls on either side of them seem to disappear, replaced by pure darkness. Taiki kneels down and puts his hand to the ground, then stands up once again.

"Welcome to the center of Maggot's Nest."

He throws the torch, allowing it to fall out of view. For a moment, everything is shrouded in total darkness. Then, flames stream up the walls and illuminate the cavern. Cells line two round paths against the walls of the cylindrical tunnel. For miles down below, walkways of stone provide paths to visit any of the cells. Outside the cells not a soul but the Taiki and Takeshi seems to stir, but inside each cell two or three people sit against the wall, dressed in the white clothes of a prisoner.

"His cell is at the bottom. Would you like to take the fast way or the slow one?"

[Innis Cabal]

Takeshi simply nods as he listens, looking about him as he walks through the gloom. He starts at the sudden light, shielding his eyes.

"The fast way, I have a feeling it will be more enjoyable then the slow way, Captain."

[tgva8889]

Taiki smiles at Takeshi's decision. "In that case, I hope you're not afraid of heights."

He walks to the edge of the rock path, looks over, then shunpos, appearing on a path almost ten below the top. He shouts up at Takeshi, "There's almost 50 floors. How fast can you go?"

(For any reading and possibly having trouble imagining what it looks like, each level has a circular path around it lined with cells with a single path lengthwise across and a passageway off to the side that is basically stairs to the next level down. There are a bunch of tunnels that branch off from this point, but this is the center.)

[Innis Cabal]

Takeshi laughs loudly, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh dear...well...this should be interesting! I'll meet you down there then Captain!"

Takeshi shunpo's next to Taiki, covering his mouth weakly.

"I-I'm not well practiced with it, you understand, it makes me a little dizzy after prolonged uses if I go slow."

Takeshi continues to shunpo down, finalling falling to his hands and knee's at the bottom, retching before swallowing the bile back.

[tgva8889]

Despite Takeshi getting a slight head-start, Taiki is at the bottom before he gets there.

"Sorry to make you do something uncomfortable, Takeshi, but I'm horribly impatient. I've been told I can be a show-off sometimes, but I don't quite get where people get that from."

At the bottom, a large circular furnace at the center burns, with four streams of fire passing along the ground to the walls and sliding upwards. At this level, there are no cells, only three paths leading in different directions. A Shinigami passes from one of the tunnels to Taiki and bows his head.

"Sir. Is this Kido Commander Kitano Takeshi?"

"Yeah. He's with me. He'll be alright, though. Don't let us interrupt your duties."

The Shinigami nods, then returns to the hallway. "Central hallway as usual, sir."

Taiki nods. "Ready to go, Takeshi? Or do you need a moment? We can wait as long as you need."

[Innis Cabal]

Takeshi stands weakly, blinking as he notices the Captain already there before him.

"I had heard you were fast Captain..."

He then shakes his head, holding up a hand as he pulls the pipe from his lips.

"No no...please, let us be on our way...I'll be alright..."

[tgva8889]

Taiki looks concerned for a moment, but his face shifts back immediately to his normal smiling self. "Alright then. Let's move along, shall we?"

As the two enter the central hallway, the darkness seems to fade into a bright hallway, the light similar to a hospital in terms of brightness but seemingly coming from nowhere. The hallway stretches on and on. Taiki seems to increase his stride speed as he walks, passing by empty cell after empty cell as he moves towards his goal.

[Innis Cabal]

Takeshi falls behind Taiki, wiping the edge of his mouth with his sleeve before re-lighting his pipe, puffing at it slowly.

"He has a wing to himself Captain? A truly fearsome man..."

[Frozen_Feet]

Nasumi's walking from the opposite direction, and is startled by the sound of approaching steps. She clumsily hides the book behind her back, and when Taikia and Takeshi come to view, he turns her back against the all and bows.

"Ah, Takashi-taichou. Back to see Hannibal-san already? Pleasant to see you again", the girl says with a nervous smile on her face. She then notices Takeshi and blinks. "Um... and you sir are?"

[Innis Cabal]

Takeshi extends a hand, rolling his sleeve away from his hand, bowing his head low.

"Takeshi, miss! You can call me Takeshi! Maybe you can tell me a little about Hannibal? I'd really like to know more about him."

[tgva8889]

Taiki smiles brightly. "Hello, Nasumi-chan! Please, you don't have to be so formal with me! I understand you're still an intern, but really, we Captains don't all expect such formality."

At Takeshi's straightforwardness, Taiki turns and says, "Takeshi, you really don't have to be so upfront with the girl. She's only been working here...what is it, a year now, Nasumi-chan?"

[Frozen_Feet]

Nasumi blinks again, the smile frozen on her face. She removes one hand from behind her back, and gives Takeshi a half-hearted handshake. She's then blushes when Taiki's words hit home. "I'm sorry, um, Takashi-taichou." She winces a bit she did the same mistake again. "It's just... we were taught to be like this in the academy."

"Ah, yes, it been a year already. Time flies by, doesn't it?", she continues, letting go of Takeshi's hand. "I'm sorry, but I doubt I have much more to tell you than good captain here..." Then her expression changes a bit, becoming more serious as she turns her head towards Taiki.

"Oh yes, Hannibal-san asked if it was possible for him to get some interesting reading down here. I have to agree with him, it must be very dreary down here in the dark... I don't know how he manages it, honestly... so could that be possible?" Whether or not she realizes it, she's giving Taiki hopeful puppy-dog eyes look.

[tgva8889]

Taiki looks closely at Nasumi as she talks, though he seems focused mentally elsewhere. He listens to her request, then pauses for a moment. Then, he holds out his left hand. "Can I have what you're holding behind your back first?"

[Innis Cabal]

Takeshi watchs the display, smiling faintly.

"So he is fond of reading. That is something the good Captain did not note. Forgive my up front attitude on this regard, but it would help me with the bindings, Captain. Though I suppose I could ask him."

He glances at Taiki, smiling sweetly.

[Frozen_Feet]

"Eh?" the girl sputter, her eyes widening as her heart skips a beat. There's a brief moment of awkward silence, before the girl pulls the book from behind her back, her face deep red of embarasment and her gaze firmly aimed at her feet.

"I'm sorry. I know it's bad manner to read at work, but I quit at such and exciting chapter last night...", the girl mutters as she hands the book towards Taiki. It's some cheap novel about Mortals going to the moon with a rocket. After Taiki takes it, Nasumi lifts his eyes from the ground and looks Taiki straight into eyes, her face beaming with determination.

"I promise not to do it again!"

[tgva8889]

Taiki turns the book over in his hands for a moment, then looks at Nasumi again. "Just so you know, Nasumi, I generally don't appreciate it when I'm lied to." He pauses for a moment to put a stern look on his face, but then returns to his smiling face. "Please don't bring any more books to our prisoner without asking for permission ahead of time." He puts the book into the folds of his shihakusho. "I like you, so it's possible I would have granted your request." Smiling, he pats her once on the head before motioning at Takeshi to continue down the hall. "Please keep that in mind. Formalities don't mean a whole lot to me, but security is not such a thing. Shall we go, Takeshi?"

[Innis Cabal]

"Of course, I am eager to meet this man. Now more then ever, if he can endear a lady to smuggle books in for him."

Takeshi smiles warmly at the distraught girl, bowing low once more.

"It was a pleasure meeting you Nasumi. It would be an honor to have you come with Captain Taiki here to the Kido Corp grounds when he takes his tour. I hope to see you again sometime soon! Happy reading."

[tgva8889]

Taiki walks past Nasumi, smiling and waving behind him as he goes.

Ahead, one cell seems to shine more brightly than the others. As they approach it, Taiki slows his pace to a more normal one. He puts his hand between the bars and lets it bang against them as he gets closer to the bright cell.

"Oye! Hannibal! I'm here to see ya again!"

[Frozen_Feet]

Nasumi doesn't answer Takeshi - she's too busy feeling bad about herself. She hurries off without further words.

In his cell, Hannibal's holding the soup cup in his hands, desperately trying to feel hungry enough to actually eat the contents. He tilts his head to the side as he hears the loud bang from the tunnel.

"Ah! How yer doing, Broken Sword?", the large man bellows when Taiki and Takeshi finally appear in his line of sight. "I still wonder why exactly you bother entertaining me with your presence. You in love with me or what?" Hannibal puts the soup cup and the tray aside, again, and walks as near to the bars of his prison as possible. He then notices Takeshi.

"My my, new faces. Who's the kid?", the former captain petitions after cursory glance at the Kido Commander. He then gives a better look, and his eyes narrow as he notices Takeshi's pipe. "Hey, whelp, whatcha that thing you carry? Don't ya know smoking's bad for ye, whelp?"

[Innis Cabal]

"So is prison food, but you seem to be healthy, we have something in common then?"

Takeshi smiles, looking down at the sliding door that the soup had been passed through.

"I'm Takeshi, Ex-Captain Hannibal. I've come to check your bindings, and perhaps have a word or two with you? If you'd entertain a kid."

[tgva8889]

Taiki smirks. "I'll have you know, Takeshi, that I inspect the prison food myself. It's all made quite healthily by incredibly good chefs."

He pulls the book from his shihakusho and slides it through the hatch. "That's yours, Hannibal. Or, at least, you read it recently. Unless my information is faulty." Crossing to the right side of the cell bars, Taiki looks through the bars at Hannibal. "You know why I'm here. It's been two weeks since we saw each other last. I just wanted to make sure you had some company."