Wayne
The Rustler of Jimmies
3,863
[Taishuu Moral]
Behind the Bandages
Shady | Wayne
[Taishuu Moral]
Behind the Bandages
Shady | Wayne
The former assassin’s body quaked. The bandages which normally hid his disgusting form were torn in numerous places each accompanied by a dark black streak the color of ancient blood. The cloth, at least the bits which hadn’t been ripped asunder, had been dyed the same noxious color. The training Feng endured brought forth rivers of the vile liquid from the weeping sores he hid. Sitting on the dirt floor of the arena, his breath still quickened from the sword fighting, the researcher looked at his opponent. His pulse was still quaking as the bandaged man tried to steady his voice.
To the captain the man finally managed through heavy breaths, “So taichou have you given any thought to the proposal I gave you a week ago?”
His sword’s bloodied steel glistened against the sun’s fading luster. For a moment, he pondered over the man’s question, putting into consideration the tired and beaten state that Feng was already in. Whether or not the lieutenant’s proposition would bear any fruit, there were still a few matters to be considered. The simple fact was: their dealings were blatantly, shamelessly unethical. Kyuketsu, as the type of man he was, had very little qualms on the matter. That did not mean, however, that he wasn’t aware of the possible disastrous setbacks that could occur should they make an incorrect play.
Eyes detached from the nobleman, the captain brought his weapon arching his shoulder. With the zanpakutou’s blunt edge resting beside his neck, he replied, “Just come out with it already. I have an extreme loathing of vague, unnecessary riddles.”
He shot Feng a passing glance.
“You want to become captain to take control of the Ninth and the SRDI, and perhaps bolster your family’s name while you’re at it.” His tone was flat, though eerily calm. “And you’re trying to buy my approval through nobility. That about right?”
“I don’t intend to take over the SRDI,” at least not yet. The former assassin thought. “There is also the fact my family has very little to do with the situation either. To address the whole riddle comment, you should be aware taichou, I have been trained to only imply what I want. In such a case I can still say that I never actually said the terms should the rouse be found out.”
With a shrug Feng continued, “I do however intend to be a captain, and I am prepared to make concessions in order to see the process is expedited. Is that a straight enough answer for you?” The researcher asked not seeming sarcastic.
“Not as straight as I wanted.” His voice was scrutinous, tactical. “You’re attempting to shift the wordplay into your favor, so that should anything backfire, the blame would be placed solely on me. Clever... but obvious.”
He shrugged.
Kyuketsu lowered his head, placing his sights on the partly-mended wound still scarring his left palm. Reiki had done its job, however petty and substandard its result. The bleeding subsided, though the slightest tug could reopen the wound at any given time.
“But I digress, let’s have at it then. If it’s a Taishuu Moral you want, then so be it.” Clutching Tenzansatsu firmly in his right hand, the captain levied its tip over the parched soil, asking, “Your family or your squad? Pick one.”
The bandaged former assassin gave a slight sigh, “Though you’ll believe it as a lie,” the man said mournfully, “I understood joining the academy that my first priority would be to the balance. I hope that I would never have to make the decision, but if my family came in the way of that mission...” there was a slight pause as Feng implied the inevitable.
After a brief second, the researcher elaborated a bit further, “They understood when I made the decision that I would only continue doing work for the family so long as it didn’t interfere with my duties in the Gotei, when that failed to happen they realized I could do it if it didn’t compromised the integrity of the Onmitsukidou. I would hope in such a situation my brother and sister could realize I am doing what duty tells me is correct. As a captain I fully intend to support my division barring anything short of a coup against the balance.”
The captain smiled halfway in an amused, though decidedly mocking manner. From the detailed explanations, to the acquitting and appeasing nature of the man’s tone, his distinct eagerness to please was all too familiar. When captured under duress, most people tended to let their tongues spill a tad bit too much, loosen just enough to feel almost synthetic. Kyuketsu could practically hold the bullshit in his hands.
“Alright, so you choose your squad,” he responded flatly. “But your brief exposition wasn’t exactly the one I was looking for. You can go ahead and blather on about ‘the balance’ all day if you wish, but that notion is second nature to any shinigami. Captain or otherwise.”
Shifting one foot to the side, he adjusted his stance. Eventually, as he settled yet another pace sideways, the captain began encircling Feng.
“Toy with me here and let’s play scenarios. Noble families are nothing if not ambitious. Some individuals have even turned against the Seireitei for their own personal gain... nothing of the sort is news to either of us.” The ivory haori billowed majestically behind in its trail. “So hypothetically, should House Fu ever decide to upset this balance that you so tenderly care for, how far are you willing to go to end such a threat?”
There was a brief moment of silence as the man contemplated his own decision, “I do not see House Fu replicating LaSalle’s mistakes. Though I fear if I leave it at that you’ll make some snide comment about lack of conviction ‘or some bullshit’” The researcher said with a slight grin. “That I love my family, but if they threaten Soul Society with half as much as Maria and Augustus did I will personally ensure they won’t get the opportunity to see a trial.” Feng’s voice was cold and distant as the threat came out after speaking it he looked slightly confused at having actually saying the words out loud.
“You may think I only care about power Kyuketsu, but I can be a rather selfless man. House Yin is unable to be of any real importance by the very nature of my interactions. I seek power for others constantly, that being said, I am no dagger in the dark. I am a blade but I have my own thoughts on the rationale behind the kills,” using his blade, the researcher stood up, still resting heavily on the weapon after returning to his feet, “I am not the type of man others who led this division were. I am not willing to commit genocide on a whim. The Ninth is meant to be the mind of the Gotei, able to quickly pieces together information, I don’t plan to be spending much of my time smoking, boozing, and womanizing. I pity those in my division who believe they can return to when Saika would throw money at men to keep them away from his girls.”
“Bashing the dead now, are we? That righteousness of yours... I wonder how long it’ll last once you come face to face with a decision that bears no correct answer.”
Stopping in his tracks, the captain couldn’t help but notice the prickling feeling of contradiction that loomed repulsively in the air. Hypocrisy, in all levels and variations, was something of a commodity for people. It was quite a sight that a bit of it spewed profusely from the mouth of—surprise, surprise—a noble.
“Funny how you would speak of selflessness and morality at a time like this, though.” His features were neutral and barren. “You were once an assassin who dealt with deceit and malfeasance to ensure the mission was a success. Along with this ‘Game of Houses’ you mentioned, your very lifestyle revolves on the foundation of foul, unscrupulous methodology. The facades that disconnect man from their own monster are lost to people like you and me, so why reject what you are?”
Kyuketsu snorted, holding back a chuckle.
“I’m not the one who has specimens of Hollows jarred and picked for display in my office.”
“You confuse duty and honor,” the bandaged researcher said with a small laugh.
The next line was delivered in monotone expected to sting, “Duty is why you took the haori even when the mere mention of Leon’s name will make you cringe. There was no alternative to doing it, in your mind the division needed leadership. You sought to correct that, I’m seeking something not so different. Morality on the other hand, is merely a construct.”
Feng waved his hand absently, the bite of his voice long since dissipated, “The weak will always seek an answer as to why the strong have power and they are left to fight over scraps. I was taught from a young age Kyuketsu, poison in someone’s dinner will make them just as dead as a stab wound in a duel. One of them is far more likely to get yourself killed. Duty says you take the poison, you accomplish what must be done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Honor says you believe that he has too much power, you worry that if you kill him it will be traced back to you. You fight him honorably and if, let’s say, I were to fight you,” There was a small chuckle as the researcher’s right hand ran over one of the myriad of cuts that littered his body, “I’d get nothing except at best a few missing limbs for my troubles.”
Shrugging, the researcher continued, “I do not intend to be an honorable captain, those men very rarely last long until someone willing to get their hands dirty to do what must be done comes and finishes the job. Selflessness, in my case, only implies my personal goals. I am no saint, as you well should know. However,” the bandaged researcher warned, “I seek to survive not to rule. I could just as easily content myself with being a vice-captain, or even unseated in the division if I did not believe that there will be gross mismanagement without someone who understands the Ninth in charge of it. I may not particularly be fond of the idea of paperwork, but I am more un-fond of Onmitsukidou believing that they can control another branch of the military.
Most men in the Gotei have not yet seen the reality of the world Kyuketsu,” Feng began solemnly, “They are still at the point where the knight runs off to save the princess, the evil doer is banished from the kingdom and its all sunshine and rainbows. You have seen the horrors of war, I have heard what it is like to listen as a man’s last breath leaves his lungs on many an occasion. The Gotei does not need more idealists, a research and development firm especially does not need someone who believes it rains money. They need a man who can see things for what they really are. They need a captain who isn’t afraid to bend rules to ensure what must be done actually is completed.”
Three small, nearly inaudible claps left the man’s hands. Aimed at the lieutenant’s quite ‘heartfelt’ monologue, it was indiscernible whether the gesture was made derisively or with absolute concession.
“How poetic you are, my lord scientist!” His arms spread apart to both sides, palms partially opened. “I did not expect that from a man engaged in the intricacies of cold, calculated data. Honor, indeed, is something far less suited for this world. The debaucheries we immerse ourselves in, the mindsets which drive our actions, and the means in which we execute them—they are all but minute details in the grand scheme of it all. There is a repetition at work here, lieutenant, which is universally described as ‘history.’ It is a cycle of constantly changing, yet everlasting reiteration. Dull and tedious. You may find it odd, or even downright insulting, but no matter how you conduct yourself, I’m afraid you will always be seen in the eyes of the masses as Rakushun Saika Number Two, Kusajishi Kaede the Second. Tsk, tsk.”
Placing one flat of his zanpakutou over a portion of his uniform, the captain made a quick wipe over the dampened cloth. The stains of red marking the blade were erased, leaving only its opposite face to remain dirtied and tainted. Kyuketsu flourished Tenzansatsu at the analyst, noting some implied meaning behind his move.
“That aside, as amusing as your rhetoric was, you seem to be forgetting one vital detail. Care to figure out what that was?”
“That despite how corrupt I may be, a captain is supposed to be the shining beacon of justice for their division? Or something equally philosophical.” Feng said drolly rolling his eyes, “I am very good at wearing masks taichou, even if I am not very happy at what mask I need to be wearing. Despite how, aggressive, I may seem I can just as equally play the mild-mannered scientist should the need arise. I am attempting to be as honest as I can,” the most honest I’ve been, “so that when I get the haori and nasty rumors begin spreading about how I’m a miser with research money and demand results there are no illusions of the man the Gotei raised.”
“Wearing masks, or dare I even say, being two-faced, is an obvious route for people like you and I. Subtlety is a fine companion to have, and I’m glad you’re aware of that.” Kyuketsu shook his head. “But you seem to have missed my point.”
Looking back at his own moral some months prior, the thought of Katsuji briefly flashed in the captain’s mind.
“Love, Yin Feng.” He paused. “No matter the amount of bloodshed, no matter the violence and perversion we fall into, love is the lynchpin which makes sure that we remain as we are, distinct from the very creatures we hunt down and purify. Through love, we are empowered, and through it we are able to pull free from the cesspool of madness and damnation that we dug ourselves into. Even the most barbaric of warriors, savage and animalistic, have some semblance of love in their soul.”
There was a hint of hesitation in his eyes, though diminutive enough that the noble wasn’t able to catch a glimpse of it. The feeling of amused, unashamed self-incongruity was an utterly repulsive one, drawing the curtain of pretense back on Kyuketsu himself. It seemed, after all, that it took one hypocrite to know another.
The lies we tell ourselves, mused the captain.
“A man once told me that Soul Society’s mind is that of its ruling body. As for the Gotei, we serve an altogether different purpose. We are its heart.” He gestured with his hand, bringing emphasis to his words. “Tell me, lieutenant, who or what do you love?”
“I find it surprising taichou,” Feng mused with a smirk, “that one who seeks to embrace blood and fear is so quick to share a tender moment. However I digress, you may find it surprising Kyuketsu but I joined the Gotei to get away from bloodshed. The work I did for my family was unsettling even for a man trained from birth to not question it. Having a purpose seemed to be the one way I could make sense of something not so dark and twisted. I followed my passion to try to join the ninth division, fate had other plans for me and so I was delayed for quite some time. Over the past year I have come to be fond of the people in my division, of their subtle quirks, as much as they might infuriate me.”
With a shrug the former assassin continued, “I am possessed by my work I find some comfort in it. As much as it may seem weird to a man who thrives in battle, the paperwork and basic research are what I find my passion in.”
“So your attachments are less tangible. Fair enough.”
Cleaning Tenzansatsu’s opposite face, the captain quickly and coolly slid it back in its sheath. Flushing his haori over the secured blade, he proceeded to cross his arms loosely.
“But what of your family? Do you not hold any sway of emotion for them, or is it purely nepotism for politics’ sakes. Your wife? Mistresses?”
“I have a duty towards my siblings,” the former assassin said shrugging, “of course there is some personal investment in the people who I’ve been around forever however they know better than to come between me and my job.” There was a dark twist to the researcher’s voice. Accompanying it was the slightest shift, almost as though from unease, on Feng’s blade.
“If you ever get the misfortune of seeing under these bandages captain, you will understand why I do not have a significant other, and why all those who were once interested in me have turned their favor elsewhere.”
“Ah,” he reacted stoically. “The vain, conceited nature of us all. Of course.”
The crispness in the air was beginning to return. The aftermath of the smoldering hell which blazed through the vista not too long ago had subsided, giving back the calm, even air of the dawning summer.
“Now then, as you’ve blatantly admitted the ‘harsh’ approach in which you operate, my next question would come as one to be expected. You are insidiously cunning, as I’m inclined to believe, but merely possessing such a worthwhile trait is useless should the execution be ineffectual.” Kyuketsu brushed the side of his head. “So enlighten me, my would-be captain, as to what you’re able to offer the Gotei as a whole... and to its individuals. What makes you think you’re better fitting than that Nakamikado fellow?”
“The same reason I believe that I am more qualified to lead the Ninth than you are,” the bandaged researcher quipped. “I hold the unique position of being both an assassin and a trained scientist, something I believe the new division will need unless Inuzuri-soutaichou is keen on having the Central Forty Six stay away from the Gotei you will need someone like me.”
Reaching into the pocket of his lab coat Feng withdrew a crumpled sheet filled with a number of cramped notations, most obvious of which was a large DENIED in bright red ink. “This man asked for a rather large sum of money to try to develop large scale production of synthetic bloodstone. Many would have approved the measure because such production would have been beneficial to the Gotei, however I noticed that his worked was based on a flawed principle. He would have never been able to generate any form of bloodstone using the methods he outlined.
“The bigger problem is, to the untrained eye, it looks like a very good use of money. However putting someone in the position of Nakamikado without any formal scientific training is a very good way to piss away most of the Gotei’s research budget as they fund projects which look good but have little chance of panning out. While more complicated, but perhaps more effective measures, are left underfunded.”
“And yet you have no qualms of expediting my personal, ‘private’ requests,” Kyuketsu teased, alluding to their first meeting within the Ninth’s walls. “My, my, how underhanded you are.”
While the captain-hopeful appeared vigilant enough as an accountant and an overseer, there was still one little matter that had to be addressed. It was a simple, rather rudimentary concept which simply could not be ignored regardless of how sensible or prudent one was in the field of commanding and strategizing.
Pointing to the lieutenant’s sword erected atop the dirt, he said, “Your predecessors, Rakushun in particular, shared your same shrewd nature. Whether more or less is still yet to be seen. However, they weren’t simply all brains. As amusing as it sounds, the past heads of Research and Development also carried a good deal of brawn. Feared on the battlefield as with any other captain of the Gotei, they displayed prowess in combat along with their intellect.
You won’t always be sitting behind the sanctuary of a control room. You’re going to have to face the enemy head-on sooner or later, and when it comes down to the wire, a blade to the heart is still a blade to the heart. You will face insurmountable odds, foes that defy any sort of logic or reason when it comes to raw power. Do you, for one second, even believe you can stand toe to toe with an Espada?”
“I have no illusions about becoming Kenpachi,” the bandaged researcher smirked, “with that comes no belief that I could duel one of the Espada in open combat. My sword skills are better than most, and my speed is nothing to scoff at however, if I have it my way I will not be meeting enemies on their terms. The Gotei has a long history of trying to play the righteous cavalry when it will do nothing but get us killed.”
Feng shrugged before adding, “If I have no option but to encounter an Espada and have a grand duel to the death, I am not without tools to tip the scales in my favor. Though most of my work was daggers and poisons, I am not without training in traditional fighting.” There was a slightest smile from the former-assassin’s lips as he gave a small pause to emphasize it was no light training. After the brief interlude he continued, “Do I believe I will win? Maybe, I have no information on the prospective Espada you are suggesting I cannot tell you whether or not it will have abilities that can counter my talents. However I do think I will live long enough in any case to ensure that if I don’t kill the creature, the next person who faces them will have a distinct advantage.”
Kyuketsu appeared unmoved. Displeased, even.
Rolling his eyes, he shrugged ostentatiously at Feng’s exposition. “If that’s all there is, then I might just choose to fail your assessment. I trained you; I just finished helpyou hone your blade. You and I are both still wounded. And yet here you are, already limiting yourself not hours later. Do not fuck with me.”
Exposing Tenzansatsu once more to the world, the captain aimed its deathly apex at the analyst’s head.
“For the time being, I’ll give your mental capabilities of leading the benefit of a doubt. Yet... you only have my ‘fleeting’ approval, Yin Feng. I can take it back anytime I want, should I decide your skills still aren’t up to par.” He paused, tightening his grasp around his sword. “So your homework from now until you’re handed your practical is to become stronger. I don’t care how hard or how fucked you get in between. We’re continuing where we left off.”
“Ban Kai.”