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

[Frozen_Feet]

At first, there's some frantic movement within the flames. Then, the barely visible silhouette of the beast stops and... starts laughing. A whisp of smoke flies from the congflagration, shaping to a red-hot iron chain in mid-air. Michiko moves just in time to strike the weapon away from Kazuo with her gauntlet, taking care to prevent it from wrapping around her arm.

But the chain turns out to be just a ruse. When Michiko moves to intercept it, the beast leaps over her, fire still dancing over its hide, and grabs one of Kazuo's tentacles. "It's cozy and warm out there!", it mocks, spilling burning liquid on the scientist Captain as if it was spitting on him. "Why won't ye join me, eh, pal?"

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Hannibal's mind:

"**** this ****ing ****", Hannibal groans from the ground. The chain left scores of nasty burns across his torso, and he's fairly certain he's got few broken ribs as well. "When in nine hells did you learn to do that, huh? You're supposed to be me! I can't do that."

The younger man doesn't answer. He just keeps smiling, taking a few steps forward, twirling the vicious chain in his hands. Time of talk is over, all that is left is the killing blow.

Victory will be his.

[tgva8889]

"Harukaze no Shizukesa."

From behind Hannibal, Osagawa Mio points a single finger in his direction, her other hand held over her heart. A small white spark seems to fly between them. Then a sudden change strikes at the heart. An incredible calming sensation floods Hannibal's body, like water attempting to douse his flaring battle-fury. Once the effects seem to have set in, Mio brings her left hand down and draws her katana backhand, holding it out as if to challenge her foe.

"So this is what you've been reduced to."

Mio flash-steps behind Hannibal. Her katana glints in the flames on his body as she raises it to strike.

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Harukaze no Shizukesa is a Kido, one that specifically calms emotions, causing the target to generally lose any sort of anger, happiness, rage, etc. and be put in a totally neutral emotional state. It's about in the high 30's - low 40's range. I did discuss it with Innis earlier.

[Draken]

Provided with Mio's distraction, Kazuo pulls his coat over to block the spit, and causes the grabbed tentacle to detach so he can leap away from Hannibal.

"So you can still speak, Hannibal."

[Frozen_Feet]

The beast, dazed by Mio's spell and unbalanced by the sudden lack of resistance on Kazuo's part, stumbles back a few steps, fire in its eyes quenched by the spell. Having lost its momentum, it gives a blind and uncomprehending look at the 10th Division Captain.

Michiko stands beside the two Division heads, the words of the creature ringing in her ears. Her reply to Kazuo's words comes near instinctively. "That's not him. It's not his voice."

Unfortunately, Mio's spell seems to have slippery hold over the raging creature. It manages to lift its hand before her blade comes down, and while soulsteel digs deep to its palm and shoulder, the beast seems relatively unconcerned with the fact. But when it tries to bring its own blade to counter attack, it finds it can't.

Michiko has taken hold of its sword arm. "You have no right to hold that sword", she hisses. "Give it back!"

---

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Hannibal's mind:

The younger man's glee is ruined when white shackles shoot from the grounds, wrapping his arms tight against his body. Hannibal doesn't have long to observe this, however, as similar chains bind him also and yank his head to the ground. "Gah. What the hell?"

For a moment, the two men both fight their own battles, trying to rid themselves of the glowing raiments. It's hard for them to muster the strenght to do so, though, as it would be so soothing to just lie down and forget about their former dispute. But both are stubborn to end the other's life, and eventually they manage to shake them off.

The younger man is first to stand. Murder shining in his eyes, he sprints towards his older self. Hannibal hurriedly stumbles up, bracing himself for the next blow. He knows he can't move quick enough to dodge the oncoming chain, but he sure as hell has to do something. I can't just dawdle here, dammit! I can't lose to this chump! I want to live! I want to win!

Howling, the Captain sprints towards his youthful simulacrum. He sees the chain snaking towards him through the air, certain that it will end his life, but the strike never comes. He doesn't question why. Eyes burning with rages, he meets the gaze of his younger self split-second before he crashes against his torso, sending them both tumbling across the hellish landscape.

"Hey, pal, what's wrong?", Hannibal mocks as he smashes his elbows against the younger man's face, time after time, as they roll towards the edge of the smoking crevice at the far end of the cavern. "Did cat take yer tongue? Not feelin' that cocky anymore, are ye?" The younger man just spits on his face, and returns his blows the best he can. Hannibal barely registers he isn't holding Espírito de Ferro anymore - he must've lost his weapon at some point. No matter. He only has to crush this poor sucker's skull...

Hannibal thinking is disrupted as a heavy punch lands against his jaw. He falls to the floor, all strenght fleeing from his limbs. Through a whirling haze, he sees his adversary rising up. For a moment, he wonders if the younger man is searching for something. Focus. Tis just a lil' concussion. Nuttin' to worry about. Disregarding his injuries, he pours all his efforts to get his limbs moving again. Move! Strike!

Just as his opponent lifts his foot, probably to smash the older man's ribcage to pieces, Hannibal rolls to the side and grabs his leg, delivering a mighty kick to his stomach. The younger man falters, and before Hannibal can administer a second strike, he falls backwards and gravity yanks his limb away from the Captain's grasp.

Hannibal blinks, not getting what just happened. Then it dawns on him he's laying just before the horrid abyss that governs his inner world. "Huh? Where did ye go?", he mutters, trying to peek over the edge in hopes of catching the merest glimpse of his enemy. But his effort is stopped by a splitting pain in his head, and then his vision blackens...

---

Hannibal stares. "Hi... mura?", he asks with a faint voice, looking at the form before him. "Whatcha... watcha doing... with my sword?" There are two other people standing nearby, people he thinks he should recognize from somewhere, but the names are not coming to him at the moment.

"Himura? What's... all of this?" The Captain vaguely realizes there's something on his face, but he can't move his hand to take it away. The last thing he can remember is sinking through water... or was there something else? He can't remember through all the pain.

"What happened?"

[tgva8889]

Mio holds her katana down in Hannibal's flesh, even as he appears to return to normal. She shifts her gaze over him, as if to determine whether he is somehow acting or whether he has truly returned. The mask blocks her vision, however, so she remains tense. "Something's happened to you, Hannibal. For the moment, I don't want to take any chances. I hope you understand."

Her right hand points at Hannibal, ready to respond to any sudden moves. Slowly, she pulls her sword from his shoulder. Immediately once it is free, she pushes her right finger into his chest. "Bakudo 1: Sai." The binding spell drags the Captain's arms together, however weak it is. Mio then swings her right hand around in a circle, stopping before her face. "Bakudo 63: Sajo Sabaku." The yellow energy bindings further restrict Hannibal's movement. Mio calmly steps back two steps.

"Is it you, Hannibal? Is that you?"

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Well, the spell doesn't really prevent them from fighting, just removes any emotional drive behind it.

[Draken]

Kazuo straigthens himself up.

"Now it is his voice, so whatever. Would you two mind taking him to proper containment so I can call the fourth to find and help my division members and repair my division grounds?"

Kazuo's empathy appears to be little to none.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Past]

"Eh?" Hannibal gives a shocked look at Mio as the shackles bind him. "Whatcha mean? Of course it's me! Ye ain't... making any sense..." Black smoke drifts past Hannibal, choking him and making his eyes water. Why is there a fire nearby? Had he caused it?

"It's him", Himura says plainly, turning her eyes away from her former superior. She lifts (now sealed) form of Espírito de Ferro on her shoulder, readying to leave. "I trust you know what to do with him."

Hannibal whips his head around to regard her again. "Hey... where ye going? Huh? Ye didn't answer me! Himura, whatch doing..."

"I shall use him", she replies before he can repeat the question. "You will reunite with him, but not for as long as you are that which endangers us all." Then, in one rapid step, she jumps of the roof, and leaves Hannibal with the two other Captains. Whatever will happen to him, she does not wish to see it, and somehow she know that neither does the spirit within the blade she carries.

What she's strived towards for years has finally come to pass, and in the end, it didn't really even need her to anything. Her part is done, she's reached her goal. And she's never felt emptier in her life.

Hannibal lays his gaze down, eyes blank and wide, uncomprehending of the situation. When he does, something falls from his face and clatters to the ground. Blinking, he realizes he's looking at a bone mask. Why was I wearing that thing? Was it the reason? Cause behind all this?

As he wonders all these things, exhaustion and pain wash over him like a wave. He feels old, and lost. His former colleagues look at him in disgust, and he doesn't have the faintest idea why.

It doesn't take long before he passes out.

---

[Present]

". . . it was this close they didn't just execute me", Hannibal grumbles. "Despite the Captain's wishes, or so I heard, one of the researchers stepped up to plead for my life. Said I was valuable research subject - said they'd use me to make sure nothing like this would ever happen again."

"So they locked me up here. Smacked all these curses and hexes upon me. For a while people came to look at me like I was some caged beast - then, I guess they kinda forgot 'bout me. Forgot me here to rot. Such a glorious end for my career, don't ye think?"

The former Division head twirls the eerie hannya mask in his hands, seething fury twisting his lips downwards in a wrathful frown. "Do ye know, kiddo, why them Hollows are said to wear these? I'm sure ye've heard the rumour."

"They say they wear these to look fearsome - to hide that under the leering visage, they're just people too. 'Cause they know that if someone could see how pathetic and broken they are, no-one would ever fear 'em."

"Now... how did ye put it again? Oh yes, ye said ye wanted to meet a person who 'could show his full honest face to the world' " Hannibal holds the mask next to his head, staring deep into Takeshi's eyes.

"My 'full and honest face' is here", the old man snarls, pointing at his tattooed and scarred, wrinkled and worn face. "This, here" he growls, pointing at the thing in his hands, "is just a mask." With a flick of his wrist, Hannibal throws it to the corner of his cell. It touches the floor without a sound, as if it'd been gently placed there, its empty eyes and fake grin leering at him, as if mocking him. Snorting, Hannibal throws himself on his prison bed.

"Story time's over, whelps. Get outta my sight, before I gut you both."

[tgva8889]

Present Day

"Best listen to the man." Taiki shifts a hand against the wall, and a path opens for Takeshi to leave the cell. The Kido Commander turns back to Hannibal for a moment as he leaves, but says nothing. Taiki looks at Hannibal with a neutral expression. "Have a good day, Hannibal. We'll leave you to your devices." The Captain and the Commander exit to the left, leaving Hannibal alone to ponder his own story.