Winter War -- Ensemble: Mad Science In Motion
Title: Winter War - Ensemble: Mad Science In Motion
Authors: incandescens
Characters: Kurotsuchi, Szayel, Urahara, Tessai
Rating/Warning: PG-13.
Notes: This is a dark AU co-plotted with sophiap and liralen. The war against Aizen's forces went very badly. Nothing is sacred and no one is safe.
Summary: In which too many cooks spoil the broth, sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, and everything boils over.
Index of Links
[...]
21. Nanao: Going Down
22. Hisagi: In Too Deep
23. Ensemble: First Contact
24. Byakuya: Necessity
25. Hanatarou: Signs Of Life
Mad Science In Motion
Only Urahara Kisuke could have been so brazen, so arrogant, so unbelievably crass as to open a Gate between worlds near Kurotsuchi Mayuri's own laboratory. What, did the man think that Mayuri lacked the wit to perceive it? Did he believe that Mayuri was as imperceptive and as dull as any fool of the Gotei 13? Did he honestly consider it possible that Mayuri might not have detected it within minutes of its opening and now be considering how to use it?
Truth to tell, it had possibly been a little stagnant down here of late. Aizen had perhaps not lived up to his original promises. Oh yes, Mayuri knew that he was keeping secrets. He knew that there were specimens -- valuable, valuable specimens -- in Aizen's private laboratory, however much Aizen might claim otherwise. And what about the Inoue girl? Or the Kurosaki boy? Were they really so important to Aizen that he couldn't be allowed a few hours a day with them?
Mayuri stroked his chin. More than that, he knew that he was being used. Aizen was playing him off against that Espada who vaunted himself as a scientist -- bah, the creature knew nothing of the true meaning of the word. There was a certain raw cunning there, admittedly, a facile ability to steal from others, and an imitative tendency which might perhaps convince the casual onlooker that a man of science stood before them.
Even Urahara Kisuke was a more genuine scientist than that fellow.
"Nemu!" he said.
Half a dozen of them moved to stand behind him. "What is Mayuri-sama's wish?" one inquired.
He did not strike her. That was for when a Nemu displayed stupidity. Since she could not reasonably know what he planned to do, asking him his intention was a proper response. "Ten of you are to remain on duty here. Monitor the schedule, continue the experiments. If Aizen-sama asks where I am, inform him that I am investigating a possible source of information."
A couple of the Nemu frowned. Some of them still had difficulty with the concept of variable hierarchy and information disclosure. The variation between Nemu was fascinating, and he intended to investigate it further at some point in the future. Most of them nodded, however, showing a proper understanding of his orders.
"Two of you are to fetch the experimental Garganta modification device from the private laboratory," he continued. "Fifteen of you are to obtain docilisation collars and fit them on experiments B-19, C-15, and D-1 to D-13."
A single Nemu raised her hand. "Does Mayuri-sama have any specific instructions for me?"
"A cup of tea," he snapped. "And be quick about it. We move out in five minutes."
It would have been three minutes, but it might take longer than expected to manipulate the open gate into something which would be more convenient to his needs. He hadn't got to where he currently was by being careless.
And while Aizen had ordered him to refrain from any specimen-collecting missions to Karakura for the moment, surely Aizen could be persuaded that such an opportunity shouldn't have been missed. Why, Aizen was busy elsewhere at the moment. There had simply been no time to inform him. He made a mental note to dispatch a Nemu with a post-dated note and request to investigate. Surely Aizen himself would understand that it was easier to gain forgiveness than to ask permission.
He was sure that Aizen would be very understanding if Mayuri were to present him with some suitable gifts. Karakura was brimming with potential. He rubbed his hands together, lips curling into a wide grin. There were the Vizards who had managed to escape. There was the Kurosaki brat's bloodline. There was Tsukabishi Tessai and the others who clustered fawningly round Urahara Kisuke. There was all Urahara's research. Oh, the data, the data . . . he salivated at the thought. And there was Urahara Kisuke himself.
Why, if he hadn't excised certain organs as unnecessary, they would have been positively twitching at the very idea.
---
Szayel stared at his monitor screens and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
He felt very strongly that what was about to happen wasn't his fault. It was simply a matter of move and countermove. He couldn't allow Kurotsuchi Mayuri to improve his position without taking steps to improve his own position. Why, if you looked at it from that point of view, it was all Kurotsuchi's fault anyhow.
Aizen wasn't around to complain to, or to report Kurotsuchi's behaviour to, or to beg indulgences from, or anything like that. No. Aizen was in seclusion, hard at work. Szayel could understand that. He could appreciate that. He could take the thought apart with sharp knives and look at all its implications. Aizen was not here, which meant that only the last person standing got to tell the story, present the information, give the report, and get the rewards.
He giggled lightly to himself as he rose to his feet. Creeping things in the corners of his laboratory rose to their full height and assumed humanoid form, sliding to await his orders.
Everything here did exactly what he wanted it to. Precisely and perfectly. Now and for ever and ever . . .
. . . he was giggling again.
There was nothing wrong with giggling. It was healthy to enjoy one's self. He was probably the healthiest person in Hueco Mundo, not bound by neuroses, not crippled by self-limiting ideals, not restricted by guilts or by loyalties. The only true self was the unbound self, the hungry self. Even Kurotsuchi Mayuri (another giggle) didn't grasp that.
But right now, right this minute, if he didn't counter Kurotsuchi's move, then his own position would be weakened. Kurotsuchi was attacking Karakura. If he was successful, then his stock of experimental subjects and his available data would be drastically increased. This couldn't be allowed. Szayel had to take steps to maintain parity.
Of course, there was the possibility that Kurotsuchi would suffer a painful defeat in Karakura -- that he would come back weakened, with diminished forces, lessened enough for Szayel to absorb and devour. And the probability of this possibility increased greatly with Szayel's own presence there. It became a near certainty.
He would gobble up little Nemu! One, two three! He would toss her in the air and let his creatures snap her up in a single mouthful! Would the legs twitch? He rather thought they would. And then he would eat them (food chain, food chain, the food chain was a wonderful thing) and he would expand, he would grow, he would shine.
Kurotsuchi would be a bigger mouthful. Kurotsuchi would take weeks -- months, maybe -- to harvest all the data, to gather all the information, each savoury drop of it as good as a soul in his mouth.
And all the other little bright squirmy souls in Karakura. How they'd squeal!
Szayel hummed to himself as he drew up a rapid set of orders for his subordinates. Everything would be under control, totally under control, beautifully, perfectly under control while he went to Karakura. And there he'd kill people and eat people and get all sorts of lovely specimens. Simplicity was an important part of mental health. Sometimes one wanted complicated pleasures. Sometimes one needed to go straight for the heart and carefully dissect it out still beating, taking care to -- oh, there he was, getting distracted again. Never mind.
He fondled his sword and smiled. What a beautiful day, what a lovely, sparkling, glorious, beautiful day.
---
"A word with you," Tessai rumbled from behind Urahara. He'd dropped the 'Shopkeeper' for the moment. Urahara was convinced that Tessai only did it to annoy him anyhow. Tessai had never wanted to be in charge of anything: he'd always preferred spending his time on research. That hadn't changed in a hundred years. Of course, Urahara preferred research to management himself, but the difference between the two of them was that Urahara didn't like anyone else being in charge. Tessai was prepared to take orders. Urahara was frequently and selectively deaf to orders.
"Of course," Urahara said, turning away from the Gate to face Tessai. The children were back in the shop, and Kensei and Mashiro should be with them, or nearby -- close enough if there was an emergency, and reducing the odds that they'd do something reckless. Yoruichi had stepped back inside to get something to drink. He expected her back out again at any moment.
Tessai glanced back at the entrance to the shop for a moment, which suggested to Urahara that he'd chosen a moment to ask questions when their dear Yoruichi-chan was out of earshot. "All right," he said. "What's up?"
Urahara flicked out his fan. "Only the usual tension at moments like this --" he began.
Tessai plucked the fan from his fingers and tossed it to one side. "Enough," he said. "Kisuke, you know I trust you -- do me the courtesy of returning it, please."
When Tessai went back to his roots, to the speech patterns that they'd been taught together as children in a noble house, he was serious. Urahara discarded the prepared facile excuse. "You can surely see what it is," he said. "It's a trap."
Tessai rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Which you neglected to mention to our just-departed expedition."
"It hardly involves them," Urahara pointed out. "If Kurotsuchi does take the bait and come through to investigate, then it gets him out of their way, and we're prepared to handle him in here. If it doesn't -- well, nothing lost, and no need to bother them with the possibility."
"Hm." Tessai looked round the cavern. "It's true that we've done enough work here in the past that it'd make an ideal ambush site and killing ground. You were going to tell us about this before he arrived, weren't you?"
There was something very resigned in his voice, and Urahara wondered if possibly he had been a little too secretive about his plans. "Of course," he said quickly. "What good is an ambush if we aren't prepared? But you know Kurotsuchi. He's not going to rush into a situation like this. We can expect at least ten minutes to examine the gateway and prepare, followed by a couple of scouts, followed by a group in force to hold the gate before he comes through. I know how he thinks. He won't risk himself in untried territory."
Tessai nodded slowly as he listened. "That sounds reasonable," he said. "I'll go and fetch Yoruichi and the Vizards so that you can explain it to them." And I'll let you handle exactly why you didn't tell her beforehand, his tone conveyed. "Is there anything else?"
"No," Urahara said cheerfully. "I think you've about grasped it all."
Tessai turned to stride towards the shop entrance.
Moved by some impulse he couldn't quite name or identify, Urahara said, "Wait. You do know that I would have -- that is, you don't seriously think I would have let it all go ahead without telling you, do you?"
Tessai sighed, and his wide shoulders moved in a shrug. He didn't look back. "I'm sure you would have told us when the time was right," he said.
Urahara nodded, glad that Tessai had grasped the point. "It's just habit. You know. You know me."
Tessai nodded. "Yes, Kisuke. Now I'd better go and fetch the others, if we're to be ready for this ambush."
"Excellent idea," Urahara said, and turned back to survey the Gate again. It was steady in a holding pattern, designed to conserve energy while holding the link firmly between locations. Between his own researches and Soul Society's records, he'd managed to create something more stable than the Hollow Garganta, and without the hindrances of intra-universal cleaning cosmic blobs. He was really rather proud of it.
Best of all, he knew the enemy. He and Kurotsuchi had worked together for years, after all, and he didn't think the man had actually changed. Got worse, perhaps, but that wasn't the same as changing. Kurotsuchi was fundamentally cautious, however driven he might be by the lust for knowledge or revenge. He'd never go somewhere without testing the ground first, so they could expect a probe or two before the scientist came oozing through. On the other hand, Kurotsuchi was also fundamentally incapable of actually letting go of anything -- a datum, a grudge, or an opportunity. Once he started investigating, he wouldn't let himself retreat.
Urahara supposed that perhaps there was something admirable in there, at root, or something which might be admirable if put to better purposes.
He frowned. Something was beginning to vibrate in the interior of the Gate's harmonic structure. He leaned in closer to studying it, drawing his hat down on his brows as he stared into the heart of the patterns of light. How very unusual and indeed original -- it seemed that someone on the other end was actively trying to shift the Gate locus on his (Urahara's) end while holding his (presumably Kurotsuchi's) end stable. Such a procedure would require a high expenditure of energy, but it would be like taking a wax seal off a document with a hot knife, and could simply slide the locus along a theoretical axis like a sliding door along a groove, except that one was shifting the opening rather than the door, a philosophical point which Kurotsuchi (assuming it was him) would no doubt have derided rather than considered as an artistic option . . .
"Kisuke," Yoruichi demanded, arriving behind him in a flurry of movement, "what the hell is happening to the Gate?"
Urahara adjusted his hat and turned to face her. Her eyes were flaming, and her fury shone round her in a glorious corona. "I may possibly have made a mistake," he admitted.
And the Gate moved.
---
Authors: incandescens
Characters: Kurotsuchi, Szayel, Urahara, Tessai
Rating/Warning: PG-13.
Notes: This is a dark AU co-plotted with sophiap and liralen. The war against Aizen's forces went very badly. Nothing is sacred and no one is safe.
Summary: In which too many cooks spoil the broth, sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, and everything boils over.
Index of Links
[...]
21. Nanao: Going Down
22. Hisagi: In Too Deep
23. Ensemble: First Contact
24. Byakuya: Necessity
25. Hanatarou: Signs Of Life
Mad Science In Motion
Only Urahara Kisuke could have been so brazen, so arrogant, so unbelievably crass as to open a Gate between worlds near Kurotsuchi Mayuri's own laboratory. What, did the man think that Mayuri lacked the wit to perceive it? Did he believe that Mayuri was as imperceptive and as dull as any fool of the Gotei 13? Did he honestly consider it possible that Mayuri might not have detected it within minutes of its opening and now be considering how to use it?
Truth to tell, it had possibly been a little stagnant down here of late. Aizen had perhaps not lived up to his original promises. Oh yes, Mayuri knew that he was keeping secrets. He knew that there were specimens -- valuable, valuable specimens -- in Aizen's private laboratory, however much Aizen might claim otherwise. And what about the Inoue girl? Or the Kurosaki boy? Were they really so important to Aizen that he couldn't be allowed a few hours a day with them?
Mayuri stroked his chin. More than that, he knew that he was being used. Aizen was playing him off against that Espada who vaunted himself as a scientist -- bah, the creature knew nothing of the true meaning of the word. There was a certain raw cunning there, admittedly, a facile ability to steal from others, and an imitative tendency which might perhaps convince the casual onlooker that a man of science stood before them.
Even Urahara Kisuke was a more genuine scientist than that fellow.
"Nemu!" he said.
Half a dozen of them moved to stand behind him. "What is Mayuri-sama's wish?" one inquired.
He did not strike her. That was for when a Nemu displayed stupidity. Since she could not reasonably know what he planned to do, asking him his intention was a proper response. "Ten of you are to remain on duty here. Monitor the schedule, continue the experiments. If Aizen-sama asks where I am, inform him that I am investigating a possible source of information."
A couple of the Nemu frowned. Some of them still had difficulty with the concept of variable hierarchy and information disclosure. The variation between Nemu was fascinating, and he intended to investigate it further at some point in the future. Most of them nodded, however, showing a proper understanding of his orders.
"Two of you are to fetch the experimental Garganta modification device from the private laboratory," he continued. "Fifteen of you are to obtain docilisation collars and fit them on experiments B-19, C-15, and D-1 to D-13."
A single Nemu raised her hand. "Does Mayuri-sama have any specific instructions for me?"
"A cup of tea," he snapped. "And be quick about it. We move out in five minutes."
It would have been three minutes, but it might take longer than expected to manipulate the open gate into something which would be more convenient to his needs. He hadn't got to where he currently was by being careless.
And while Aizen had ordered him to refrain from any specimen-collecting missions to Karakura for the moment, surely Aizen could be persuaded that such an opportunity shouldn't have been missed. Why, Aizen was busy elsewhere at the moment. There had simply been no time to inform him. He made a mental note to dispatch a Nemu with a post-dated note and request to investigate. Surely Aizen himself would understand that it was easier to gain forgiveness than to ask permission.
He was sure that Aizen would be very understanding if Mayuri were to present him with some suitable gifts. Karakura was brimming with potential. He rubbed his hands together, lips curling into a wide grin. There were the Vizards who had managed to escape. There was the Kurosaki brat's bloodline. There was Tsukabishi Tessai and the others who clustered fawningly round Urahara Kisuke. There was all Urahara's research. Oh, the data, the data . . . he salivated at the thought. And there was Urahara Kisuke himself.
Why, if he hadn't excised certain organs as unnecessary, they would have been positively twitching at the very idea.
---
Szayel stared at his monitor screens and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
He felt very strongly that what was about to happen wasn't his fault. It was simply a matter of move and countermove. He couldn't allow Kurotsuchi Mayuri to improve his position without taking steps to improve his own position. Why, if you looked at it from that point of view, it was all Kurotsuchi's fault anyhow.
Aizen wasn't around to complain to, or to report Kurotsuchi's behaviour to, or to beg indulgences from, or anything like that. No. Aizen was in seclusion, hard at work. Szayel could understand that. He could appreciate that. He could take the thought apart with sharp knives and look at all its implications. Aizen was not here, which meant that only the last person standing got to tell the story, present the information, give the report, and get the rewards.
He giggled lightly to himself as he rose to his feet. Creeping things in the corners of his laboratory rose to their full height and assumed humanoid form, sliding to await his orders.
Everything here did exactly what he wanted it to. Precisely and perfectly. Now and for ever and ever . . .
. . . he was giggling again.
There was nothing wrong with giggling. It was healthy to enjoy one's self. He was probably the healthiest person in Hueco Mundo, not bound by neuroses, not crippled by self-limiting ideals, not restricted by guilts or by loyalties. The only true self was the unbound self, the hungry self. Even Kurotsuchi Mayuri (another giggle) didn't grasp that.
But right now, right this minute, if he didn't counter Kurotsuchi's move, then his own position would be weakened. Kurotsuchi was attacking Karakura. If he was successful, then his stock of experimental subjects and his available data would be drastically increased. This couldn't be allowed. Szayel had to take steps to maintain parity.
Of course, there was the possibility that Kurotsuchi would suffer a painful defeat in Karakura -- that he would come back weakened, with diminished forces, lessened enough for Szayel to absorb and devour. And the probability of this possibility increased greatly with Szayel's own presence there. It became a near certainty.
He would gobble up little Nemu! One, two three! He would toss her in the air and let his creatures snap her up in a single mouthful! Would the legs twitch? He rather thought they would. And then he would eat them (food chain, food chain, the food chain was a wonderful thing) and he would expand, he would grow, he would shine.
Kurotsuchi would be a bigger mouthful. Kurotsuchi would take weeks -- months, maybe -- to harvest all the data, to gather all the information, each savoury drop of it as good as a soul in his mouth.
And all the other little bright squirmy souls in Karakura. How they'd squeal!
Szayel hummed to himself as he drew up a rapid set of orders for his subordinates. Everything would be under control, totally under control, beautifully, perfectly under control while he went to Karakura. And there he'd kill people and eat people and get all sorts of lovely specimens. Simplicity was an important part of mental health. Sometimes one wanted complicated pleasures. Sometimes one needed to go straight for the heart and carefully dissect it out still beating, taking care to -- oh, there he was, getting distracted again. Never mind.
He fondled his sword and smiled. What a beautiful day, what a lovely, sparkling, glorious, beautiful day.
---
"A word with you," Tessai rumbled from behind Urahara. He'd dropped the 'Shopkeeper' for the moment. Urahara was convinced that Tessai only did it to annoy him anyhow. Tessai had never wanted to be in charge of anything: he'd always preferred spending his time on research. That hadn't changed in a hundred years. Of course, Urahara preferred research to management himself, but the difference between the two of them was that Urahara didn't like anyone else being in charge. Tessai was prepared to take orders. Urahara was frequently and selectively deaf to orders.
"Of course," Urahara said, turning away from the Gate to face Tessai. The children were back in the shop, and Kensei and Mashiro should be with them, or nearby -- close enough if there was an emergency, and reducing the odds that they'd do something reckless. Yoruichi had stepped back inside to get something to drink. He expected her back out again at any moment.
Tessai glanced back at the entrance to the shop for a moment, which suggested to Urahara that he'd chosen a moment to ask questions when their dear Yoruichi-chan was out of earshot. "All right," he said. "What's up?"
Urahara flicked out his fan. "Only the usual tension at moments like this --" he began.
Tessai plucked the fan from his fingers and tossed it to one side. "Enough," he said. "Kisuke, you know I trust you -- do me the courtesy of returning it, please."
When Tessai went back to his roots, to the speech patterns that they'd been taught together as children in a noble house, he was serious. Urahara discarded the prepared facile excuse. "You can surely see what it is," he said. "It's a trap."
Tessai rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Which you neglected to mention to our just-departed expedition."
"It hardly involves them," Urahara pointed out. "If Kurotsuchi does take the bait and come through to investigate, then it gets him out of their way, and we're prepared to handle him in here. If it doesn't -- well, nothing lost, and no need to bother them with the possibility."
"Hm." Tessai looked round the cavern. "It's true that we've done enough work here in the past that it'd make an ideal ambush site and killing ground. You were going to tell us about this before he arrived, weren't you?"
There was something very resigned in his voice, and Urahara wondered if possibly he had been a little too secretive about his plans. "Of course," he said quickly. "What good is an ambush if we aren't prepared? But you know Kurotsuchi. He's not going to rush into a situation like this. We can expect at least ten minutes to examine the gateway and prepare, followed by a couple of scouts, followed by a group in force to hold the gate before he comes through. I know how he thinks. He won't risk himself in untried territory."
Tessai nodded slowly as he listened. "That sounds reasonable," he said. "I'll go and fetch Yoruichi and the Vizards so that you can explain it to them." And I'll let you handle exactly why you didn't tell her beforehand, his tone conveyed. "Is there anything else?"
"No," Urahara said cheerfully. "I think you've about grasped it all."
Tessai turned to stride towards the shop entrance.
Moved by some impulse he couldn't quite name or identify, Urahara said, "Wait. You do know that I would have -- that is, you don't seriously think I would have let it all go ahead without telling you, do you?"
Tessai sighed, and his wide shoulders moved in a shrug. He didn't look back. "I'm sure you would have told us when the time was right," he said.
Urahara nodded, glad that Tessai had grasped the point. "It's just habit. You know. You know me."
Tessai nodded. "Yes, Kisuke. Now I'd better go and fetch the others, if we're to be ready for this ambush."
"Excellent idea," Urahara said, and turned back to survey the Gate again. It was steady in a holding pattern, designed to conserve energy while holding the link firmly between locations. Between his own researches and Soul Society's records, he'd managed to create something more stable than the Hollow Garganta, and without the hindrances of intra-universal cleaning cosmic blobs. He was really rather proud of it.
Best of all, he knew the enemy. He and Kurotsuchi had worked together for years, after all, and he didn't think the man had actually changed. Got worse, perhaps, but that wasn't the same as changing. Kurotsuchi was fundamentally cautious, however driven he might be by the lust for knowledge or revenge. He'd never go somewhere without testing the ground first, so they could expect a probe or two before the scientist came oozing through. On the other hand, Kurotsuchi was also fundamentally incapable of actually letting go of anything -- a datum, a grudge, or an opportunity. Once he started investigating, he wouldn't let himself retreat.
Urahara supposed that perhaps there was something admirable in there, at root, or something which might be admirable if put to better purposes.
He frowned. Something was beginning to vibrate in the interior of the Gate's harmonic structure. He leaned in closer to studying it, drawing his hat down on his brows as he stared into the heart of the patterns of light. How very unusual and indeed original -- it seemed that someone on the other end was actively trying to shift the Gate locus on his (Urahara's) end while holding his (presumably Kurotsuchi's) end stable. Such a procedure would require a high expenditure of energy, but it would be like taking a wax seal off a document with a hot knife, and could simply slide the locus along a theoretical axis like a sliding door along a groove, except that one was shifting the opening rather than the door, a philosophical point which Kurotsuchi (assuming it was him) would no doubt have derided rather than considered as an artistic option . . .
"Kisuke," Yoruichi demanded, arriving behind him in a flurry of movement, "what the hell is happening to the Gate?"
Urahara adjusted his hat and turned to face her. Her eyes were flaming, and her fury shone round her in a glorious corona. "I may possibly have made a mistake," he admitted.
And the Gate moved.
---