Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Prize of Victory 2
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
Views: 56251 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story
Chapter List
- 67
- 68
- 69
Security

The last few days had been absolute hell on Hitsugaya Toshiro�s blood pressure and if things kept going the way they were, there would be little relief in sight. Finding out there was an actual coup in the works as opposed to the official �story� regarding Grimmjow and Szayel hadn�t helped matters.

He had been stunned when Starrk, Ukitake Jushiro and Lilinette showed up the previous evening to learn just how deeply Harribel was involved in it. While he�d been initially angry that she�d kept something like this from him, he had to admit that her reasons for doing so were sound, especially in the wake of what he�d learned had really happened in the Royal Realm. Toshiro could forgive her for her secretiveness, knowing that she was finally willing to take direct action against Aizen. Her girls were behind the decision and supported both it and their Mistress, especially when the three learned of the threat Aizen posed to Hana.

It had been surprising to learn about Hana�s heritage, but learning of Karin�s family tree had left him at a loss for words, especially when he found out he�d served as the Spirit King�s son�s 3^rd Seat for all those years. Harribel had helped steady him, the newfound knowledge about what had happened to his former Taichou setting his head spinning. He disliked sake, but that news made him down a few cups of it, to Harribel and her girls� disquiet.

Knowing Ulquiorra would be in on the coup helped, and Lilinette�s description of the Fourth�s reaction to the news was priceless. It was a relief to learn the �traitors,� including his 7^th Seat, were for the most part safe and sound, though the idea of Karin in Aizen�s hands made him sick. Harribel had all but wrapped her arms around him from behind to keep him from filling the study with icicles when Starrk brought that up.

Toshiro let out a sigh and he put all thoughts of his fellow conspirators aside. He and the other officers in his Division had a meeting to attend. He would be lying if he said he wasn�t apprehensive, considering Aizen had called it and where it was being held. Rising from his chair and putting the last of his paperwork for the day in order, he made his way out of his office and towards the 3^rd Division�s main gate, where the other seated officers and those with Claims had nervously gathered. Their respective Masters were just arriving, apparently deciding to join their pets before going up to the meeting together. No doubt the nervous shinigami had helped draw them here, especially the two with pregnant females.

�Taichou!�

They saluted him smartly in unison as he arrived, even the one with her Arrancar Master practically glued to her back with his hands roaming over her stomach. She elbowed him in the side and he pouted, but the lecher stepped back a little.

�I�m going to have to have a chat with that one about inappropriate displays of affection while his mate is on duty. He�s getting out of hand.�

He inclined his head in their direction and double checked to make certain that all of his top officers were present. They seemed anxious, as was he, but at least Toshiro knew he hid his restlessness better. The young man still found it disconcerting how protective the Arrancar were of their pregnant females and children and wondered how much longer it would be before the other Claimed women in his Division found themselves in the family way. From what he understood of Unohana�s report, it was probably going to be sooner than later.

With the Swarm�s base purged, perhaps they could finally catch up on paperwork and he could see about giving the expectant members of the 3^rd Division some maternity leave. Barring that, he could see about putting some ground rules in place where it concerned the hovering Arrancar sires being nuisances. He didn�t mind their presence, as long as they stayed out of the way and let his staff work. A few of them needed a swift kick in the backside and a solid definition of what constituted �interference.� Sitting next to a pregnant mate was one thing. Herding her into the supply closet for a �quickie� was an entirely different matter.

�I�ll have to have Harribel speak with that pervert Lloydght about that incident,� he vowed.

�Are we all ready to go?� he asked his second-in-command.

�Yes sir. Um, do you know what this meeting is about?� the young man asked apprehensively.

�I was not informed,� he answered truthfully. �Nor was my Mistress informed before my arrival to work this morning.� He turned his attention towards the assembled Arrancar, giving one particular blond male the evil eye. �Have any of you heard anything relevant about this meeting?�

He got series of negative responses and noticed that, like his Shinigami, even they seemed a bit nervous. Toshiro�s attention was pulled to the main gateway as Harribel arrived with her three fraccion. As usual, she drew a fair amount of attention, more so now that her face could be seen in its entirety. He glared and flared his reiatsu, chilling the air and reminding his men, in a not-too-subtle way, not to ogle what was his.

�Possessive pussy-whipped boy.�

�Shut up. That is my child in her womb,� he silently told Hyorinmaru. The ice dragon hissed, though he detected more than just the usual derisiveness at his choice of life-partners.

�So it is, boy, more than you think. It�s also a collar and chain. Be careful that the weight of it doesn�t drag you to your death.�

�You are ready?�

She ignored the way those not required to go to the meeting quickly scurried away.

�Yes,� he answered, taking his place by her side and frowning. �I wonder what he has planned.�

�I�ve no idea, but I would advise not being late.�

The two of them led the odd precession to the only place in the Seireitei truly large enough to hold so many people, the Sōkyoku Hill. They were joined by others as they made the long climb towards the meeting. The Arrancar with pets who were off duty today and the very few that either had civilians Claimed or no pet at all also joined them, which increased Toshiro�s nervousness.

The conversation was hesitant at first, but it gradually became more open as people gathered. There were a lot of theories being tossed around, however. Some of them were not pleasant, such as the possibility of being forced to give back their Zanpakuto now that the War with the Swarm was over. Toshiro found that one highly unlikely, for there would be no reason for everyone to attend something like that, and it would only affect the Shinigami. Others whispered about the possibility of more traitors, or perhaps that the Sixth and the Seventh Espada had been captured. Sōkyoku Hill was, after all, the old execution grounds�

He hadn�t realized how much the whispered speculations bothered him until he felt a gentle hand rest on his shoulder and fingers stroke the back of neck. Glancing to his side, he sent Harribel a grateful look. Their bond had tipped her off to his unrest. When he�d wrestled his worry back into submission, they continued to walk to the meeting side by side, her presence keeping him at ease, or at least, dispelling the worst of his jitters.

They arrived in short order. Aizen wasn�t there yet, but someone had set up a long, narrow platform with steps leading up to it. It seemed like a simple stage much larger than necessary for an execution so he doubted that was its purpose. The officers and Arrancar milled about, keeping loosely to their Divisions as they awaited �Kami.� He spotted Unohana as the woman arrived with her own group of 4^th Division officers and the very few Claimed members of her own Division. There was a sad look on her face; she evidently knew something, and he wasn�t the only one to realize it.

Jushiro and Nanao, escorted by Starrk and Lilinette, approached her. Toshiro thought about going over as well, but Unohana shook her head to answer the question Jushiro had asked, which suggested to him that she was not permitted to say anything.

�This is killing me,� Mila Rose complained and folded her arms across her chest. Sung Sun made a noise that might have been a muffled �yes� from behind her sleeve, though her eyes were fixated on the 4^th Division�s officers and Unohana.

�It is unpleasant��

�Do you think this has anything to do with the traitors?� Apachi whispered the question to her mistress, but the other two women picked up on it as easily as Toshiro and stiffened along with him.

�It is a possibility,� Harribel answered in an equally low-pitched voice, �but an unlikely one. Karin and Hana are the only �officers� missing and Aizen did not name either of them as having taken part in the attempted coup. While the Seventh technically heads his Division, with his mate serving as his �Fukutaichou,� neither title is �official,� since one is an Espada and the other is his Claimed pet. The top officer there would be that Division�s 3^rd Seat. No� this is about something else. I suspect he will do something that will make our endeavor more difficult.�

Her line of logic made sense. However, Toshiro still wasn�t entirely certain that the traitors� defection wouldn�t come back to bite the rest of them somehow. His uneasiness about it grew and he had to fight to keep it in check lest it distract Harribel at a point where both of them would need to be on their toes.

�Aizen-kami�s coming,� he growled softly, so that only the four women near him could hear. �Stay sharp.�

Toshiro pointed his chin in Aizen�s direction as the usurper casually approached, Gin trailing behind like a whipped dog. He also ground his molars together as he prepared himself for yet another one of the many humiliations heaped upon the Claimed Shinigami. The crowd went silent and bowed. While the Arrancar went to one knee, Aizen required their pets kneel on all fours on the ground, their faces towards the earth. The only exceptions allowed were those whose pregnant bellies made such a manoeuvre impossible or dangerous, though Rangiku, Tatsuki and Soi Fon still had to bow their heads in subservience, keeping their eyes glued to the dirt.

Aizen made it to the platform and they rose. The nervous shuffling among the collected officers quickly died down as they waited for him to speak. Aizen greeted the assembly with a benign smile.

�Good evening. I am pleased so many of you are expecting, although my wife laments that you could have spread yourselves out a bit more as far as delivery dates.�

He laughed genially, and most of the Arrancar, and even a few Shinigami, joined in. Slowly, the fearful cloud that hovered over the gathering dissipated when it became apparent that �Kami� was in a reasonably good mood.

�I know some of you will be ready to den up soon in anticipation of the birth of your cubs.� His eyes shifted towards Nnoitra and Tesra. The first appeared indifferent but the second hugged his mate closer. �While I wish I could spare so many of you from your duties, for this is a joyful time indeed, I cannot allow anyone to shirk his or her required responsibilities. Moreover, the Divisions must see to the balance of the Realms now that I and my Espada have vanquished the Swarm and it is a task of paramount importance.�

Aizen raised a hand to stall any objections that might have arisen at his announcement. The Arrancar had shifted restlessly at the news, but they didn�t voice any protests, for Aizen hadn�t denied them just yet. His next words helped to smooth over any ruffled feathers.

�I would not presume to ask you to leave your newborn children unguarded. Moreover, anyone who attacks any of my warriors� cubs will answer to me personally. However, we can�t entirely foresee all of the dangers that such vulnerable youngsters might encounter, such as those who have decided to forfeit their place of honour as my Espada, or those who have remained at large and refuse to become a part of my regime.�

Toshiro did his level best to keep his rage under control as Aizen neatly packaged Grimmjow, Szayel and Ajuga, as well as anyone associated with them, as potential threats to the Arrancar�s young. It was one thing to abandon Aizen, or even stage a revolt against him, but framing them as a direct threat to children of the Espada and the Numeros alike couldn�t be good. It would give the lower-ranking Arrancar more reason to try for any of them should they try to make it back to the Seireitei, on the pretext of protecting their families.

�Clever bastard,� he conceded. �They�ll fight all the harder if they think the Sixth and the Seventh, or the Escapees, are a menace.�

�Therefore, I have given the matter some thought and I believe I have found a solution. This solution will also, conveniently, serve as a reward for those who have served me well in the past, supporting both my Ascension and assisting in the destruction of the Swarm.�

A few hands went up, despite his earlier warning and �Kami� frowned at those who had the temerity to want to dig deeper on that subject.

�Please wait until I finish my speech before asking questions.�

This time his words were accompanied by a flash of his power. Toshiro shivered as the pressure washed over him, and hands quickly dropped. It was just as well, as the young Taichou knew that Aizen would get to the meat of the speech shortly.

�After the betrayal of an acting Fukutaichou and two of my former Espada, I question the loyalty of those under my command, especially those that worked for, or with, the traitors.�

Toshiro shot a worried look towards the 5^th Division. Nanao had gone a bit pale, as had the rest of her officers. Starrk took a step closer to the woman, and she seemed to relax slightly. The smaller group of scientists from the Science and Research Division also looked a little green around the gills.

�My concerns about the trustworthiness of my officers dovetail neatly with yours. Therefore, I have decided, after great deliberation, to require the top ten officers of each Division to be Claimed. Those who are not Claimed will be stripped of their rank. Should they desire to keep their posts, they will submit themselves to the Arrancar who selects them. As for my Arrancar, I hereby increase your allotted Claims from one to two, whereas my Espada, should they desire more, may now take three pets instead of being restricted to two.�

The announcement caused an absolute uproar. There were excited exclamations from the Arrancar and dismayed expressions of fear and disbelief from the Shinigami, especially among those who weren�t Claimed. This was certainly not a reward for them and they had done a fair amount of the fighting themselves.

�Aizen-kami,� Starrk called out, not bothering to raise his hand. All eyes landed on the male half of the Primera, who regarded Aizen with a deep frown on his face.

�Yes?�

�Nanao is my fraccion and she has served me well. I have no desire to give her up. However, there is a strong chance she will not survive should I Claim her, in accordance with your instructions.�

Aizen turned those brown eyes of his fully on Starrk and Toshiro watched as Aizen�s bland smile, meant for pleasing a crowd, took on a sharper edge. His eyes narrowed a fraction and while he didn�t actually appear to be smirking outright, the 3^rd Division�s Taichou could almost smell the satisfaction as it rolled off of the man on the platform. That smugness increased as what little color there had been on Starrk�s face drained away.

�I am sure you can resolve this on your own, First. If you are so concerned over the difference in your relative power, I am certain that any of the others closer to her in strength would be willing to keep her Claim for you, much the way Ggio held Soi Fon for Barragan.�

With that, Aizen summarily dismissed the concerns of one of his strongest Espada.

Starrk almost looked like he was going to say more, he was definitely not pleased with the answer if he read him right, but Harribel spoke up next. Toshiro almost believed she did so to prevent Starrk from doing or saying something rash.

�What of Hana? She is an officer of the 3rd Division and my fraccion, and yet, she is away on the mission you assigned her.�

Toshiro wanted to bite his lip as Harribel threw the lie Aizen had told her about Hana�s whereabouts on the eve of the celebration back in his face. Both he and his mate knew it for what it was the moment he�d uttered it but had no idea what was really going on with the girl. It had been a relief to hear the real story yesterday evening, to know Hana was fine and safe in the hands of the Escapees� as long as she remained out of sight in the Living World. Yet there was always the chance an Arrancar patrol could run into her. Better to parrot back Aizen�s falsehood and let him think he�d fooled them while they covered their bases.

�Do you desire her Claim?� Aizen asked the blond, sounding almost bored now.

�I do, and yet I do not want another to assume that he or she can take one of my girls as theirs if they encounter her before I do, simply because she is a Shinigami and not an Arrancar.�

�Then I expect you to do so when she returns. As she is one of your fraccion, it is your right. Is that clear?� Aizen told the assembled Numeros. The rest of them took one look at Harribel and almost as one, nodded vigorously, especially when they saw the equally cold looks on the faces the Trés Bestias.

�Well that is a relief,� Toshiro thought. Hana would be safe from the others, at least for now. Unfortunately, that still left a few of his other officers up for grabs. All he could think about was the free-for-all of murder and rape that occurred when Aizen had taken the Throne.

Aizen clasped his hands behind his back and surveyed the crowd before him before continuing.

�Now, before you all go wild, I have a few rules that will accompany this expansion. The officers have important duties, to me and to their respective Divisions. Due to the battles with the Swarm, the Shinigami are considerably behind in their work balancing souls. As such, I will not allow them to be distracted, nor come to any harm that will impede their ability to perform those duties. Peace and order have descended upon our city once more, and I desire to keep it that way. Thus, I have instructed my wife to give me the medical records she and her Division officers have meticulously kept on all of her patients. Included in those records are the reports that give an accounting of the health of every one of your pets, be they current or former, be they Shinigami or civilian.�

Toshiro heard some ugly muttering crop up here and there, but a gesture from Aizen silenced it, as did the disappearing act his smile pulled.

�Those who have taken good care of their pets will be permitted to pick first, starting with my Espada, then their fraccion, and so forth. Afterwards, those of you with children on the way that don�t meet the first tier will be permitted to pick new pets, followed by those who are not expecting. Today, all officers will need to have a new Master or Mistress, chosen before sundown, or resign their posts. After that, the next tier will have five days to choose new pets, and so forth. As before, there will be no fighting over Claiming rights. I will not bother reminding you what happens to those that indulge in such things,� he stated harshly.

The crowd shifted restlessly, but otherwise everyone remained relatively subdued. The mixture of fear, excitement, dread and the unhappiness from the majority of the Shinigami seemed to charge the very air with a kind of twisted tense electricity. Toshiro swore he could taste it if he inhaled through his mouth.

Harribel had been right. Aizen was swiftly moving to consolidate his power, giving his Numeros more privileges and as Starrk had warned them, it would be harder to find a way of defeating Aizen if his Arrancar controlled the most powerful Shinigami in each Division.

�Now then, will all the un-Claimed officers please step forward and line up along the platform please?�

It was an order, not a question and with the purpose of the platform made plain, Toshiro revised his opinion of the structure.

The damned thing was meant to be an auction block.

The significance wasn�t lost on those who slowly filled the wooden stage, especially amongst the more softhearted healers of Unohana�s Division. Their weakness at combat and their empathic natures had served to make them unattractive to Claims before today, but that would not save them anymore. The 4^th Division and the seven officers that had called Szayel �boss� took up most of the space on the platform. Nanao�s Division served up six un-Claimed officers, mostly because of its relatively recent formation, while Aizen�s and his own had five and Jushiro�s had three. Nanao, being un-Claimed, walked up with her six, more for moral support he supposed than anything else. Starrk already had her, but she was still technically un-Claimed.

To her credit, she appeared less pasty and frightened than Starrk, who had the demeanour of a man kicked in the gut and presented with two terrible choices. Moreover, to the credit of the current batch of officers, none of them resigned their commissions, despite the anxious expressions on many of their faces. One poor little girl with a 4^th Division satchel walked up with noticeable tears in her eyes, her limbs trembling as she made her way up to her fellow healers, but she wouldn�t let them fall.

Unohana handed Aizen a scroll and he rolled it open, revealing the list of Arrancar and the order they would be permitted to select from those on the platform. The only consolation they had was Aizen�s assurance that the least abusive Arrancar would get to choose first, and that he would tolerate no abuse or any removing from their duties. The tyrant had clearly learned from the horror of his Victory and seemed unwilling to make the same mistake twice. While that provided some small relief, it did very little for the prospective pets� nerves.

�Once you have chosen, you may leave to see to the Claim. I�m certain you will adhere to the rules I�ve made regarding this edict. Coyote Starrk�� Aizen called out and sent another one of those almost-ugly smiles at the Primera, beginning what Toshiro could only describe as a slave giveaway to the least odious of Aizen�s Arrancar troops.

Yammy didn�t complain that Aizen had passed him over. No one with a working set of eyes could mistake his treatment of Byakuya as anything other than horrific. Thankfully, the brute had shown no interest in anyone but his current pet. Even now, it seemed as if Yammy had zoned out, his attention on the man kneeling at his feet rather than the proceedings. In fact, he took the start of the choosing as a dismissal and roughly led Byakuya away. Jushiro would have to fill the man in later over the rest of the events.

�Thank Kami. By the time he�s allowed to choose someone, let�s hope our allies have a course of action outlined and no one else will have to experience what Kuchiki has endured,� Toshiro prayed.

�Ise Nanao,� Starrk called back, only now regaining a bit of his color.

Nanao nodded, gave one of her more worried-looking officer�s forearms a supportive squeeze and left the line to rejoin the rumpled, lanky Espada.

So the First would try to Claim his fellow conspirator and fraccion, rather than let another have her. Toshiro set his worry for his colleague aside and forced his attention back to the stage. He wanted to know who his officers ended up with and he couldn�t be sidetracked.

�Tia Harribel?�

Aizen smiled at her and he felt Harribel stir next to him, lifting her chin and answering smoothly, though her choices weren�t much of a surprise to anyone but the poor soul crouched next to a glowering Barragan.

�I hold Toshiro�s Claim and I will hold Soi Fon�s Claim after she gives birth and it is safe for me to take her. I will also take Hana�s Claim upon her return from her mission. As she is one of my fraccion, it is my right to do so, fulfilling my limit.�

�Very well. Ulquiorra Cifer?�

Out of the corner of his eye, Toshiro saw a wild look of hope cross Ggio�s face before Barragan�s Claim made him choke and stare at the ground. Barragan�s lip curled and he openly sneered at the Third. Harribel smirked right back at him, resting her hand on Tiburon�s hilt casually.

No one commented on Barragan�s exclusion, in the same way and for the same reasons Aizen had passed over Yammy. Barragan looked furious about it, but other than his display over Harribel�s assumption of Soi Fon�s Claim, he made no protest. Toshiro wondered if Aizen hadn�t already spoken to the 2^nd Espada earlier.

�I have no interested in tra��

The Fourth paused as Orihime glared at him and immediately changed the wording of his refusal, ��acquiring another,� he finished. Aizen subsequently turned to the Fifth.

�Nnoitra Gilga?�

While Nnoitra�s misogyny was legendary, he still treated his pet much better than either Yammy or Barragan treated theirs. In addition, she was pregnant with twins. Aizen would not want to slight the Espada if there was no reason for it and Rangiku had yet to show up at the 4^th Division as a result of abuse from her �owner.� Toshiro still loathed the creature, but this wasn�t, unfortunately, up to him.

�Not interested,� the mantis grunted. �Rangiku�s woman enough for me.�

With his Espada out of the way, Aizen turned to their fraccion, who ranked higher than the Numeros in both power and prestige.

�Mila Rose.�

The dusky-skinned woman pondered the variety in the line of officers for a moment, even tossing a glance Harribel�s way. Toshiro understood her hesitation. With the planned treason, he had to wonder if it was safe to bring others into his mate�s household. Harribel�s girls had never really shown much interest in acquiring their own pets, but now that their mistress was with child, any extra protection they could rope in would be worth it. Tia had also been partaking of her girls considerably less in the last year as her relationship with him grew stronger and closer. Her recent acknowledgement of his status as her �mate� had all but put an end to their play with one another, as the three only really functioned well with each other when their mistress was there as an ice-breaker and a referee for their bed sport.

�Any suggestions, Toshiro?� Mila Rose asked him.

Her request for help from him surprised him at first, but he recovered quickly. Toshiro knew she would prefer a woman and knew her tastes from having had to be a part of those �tastes� for over a decade. While the Third�s fraccion could be irritating, thoughtless, obstinate, argumentative and feather-headed at times, the three were basically good-hearted. In addition, they�d never been violent towards him, nor had he ever seen them raise a fist or a voice towards any of the female Shinigami when they�d come by his Division. He would rather see one of the women in the line paired with any of Harribel�s fraccion over most of the male Arrancar. Doing so would at least spare them the risk of an undesired pregnancy, a real possibility if the current fertility epidemic continued unabated.

He gave her three names, pointing each potential �pet� out to her. After pondering for a moment, Mila Rose chose one of the women, a petite blond that he knew from long association preferred her own gender, and declared she was done. Apachi stepped up next. The brunette let her eyes roam over a number of hopeful-looking men in line before her mouth quirked up and she picked one of the other women Toshiro had named. That, he thought, would at least be two female Shinigami out of reach of potentially abusive male Arrancar. Sung Sun, on the other hand, took them all by surprise when she called out who she wanted immediately after being asked.

�Iemura Yasochika,� she said, with a flutter of her eyelashes.

The 4^th Division�s Fukutaichou actually blushed and adjusted his glasses nervously as he stepped out of the line and joined them. Sung Sun did him the courtesy of dropping the sleeve that she normally hid behind to give him a bright smile. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck before drawing him down to whisper something into the bespectacled man�s ear that made him nearly fumble his Zanpakuto from its place on his hip. The choice of such a high-ranking officer caused some muttering among a few of the males with pregnant females, which Sung Sun immediately silenced with a hard, cold look at those doing the complaining. The proprietary hand she placed on the Fukutaichou�s shoulder and the way she all but moulded herself to her choice served to throttle any remaining protests.

Unohana apparently approved of her choice, especially when Sung Sun turned to her and bowed respectfully. Unohana graciously inclined her head and looked kindly on the couple, her permission granted. Aizen raised one of his eyebrows at his wife, but said nothing to countermand Sung Sun�s decision to take Iemura. For once, Toshiro wanted to pat the fraccion on the back for handling the matter with some official decorum, as well as for making a selection that would serve her Mistress well if worse came to worse. With Szayel gone, and with Unohana having duties other than those to her Division, if anything were to go wrong with Harribel�s pregnancy outside of Unohana�s �office hours,� Iemura would be a decent first line of defence.

From a conspiratorial standpoint, her choice was a bit of genius too. Mila Rose had chosen his 3^rd Seat and Apache�s belonged to the 4^th Division, with Iemura as her superior. They�d have extra hands in both Divisions to carry out any necessary legwork if it came to it. Toshiro also realized that one of the silver linings of Sung Sun�s choice was that if the Shinigami Men�s Society ever started up again, it would do so minus its Vice President�s whining about his perpetual lack of a girlfriend.

�Tesra?�

Nnoitra�s fraccion glanced at his Master.

�Your turn, runt,� the Fifth hooked a thumb in the direction of the platform.

At that, Tesra turned to Tatsuki. The two shared a whispered conversation, before a reluctant Tesra picked the terrified-looking girl from the 4th Division. She left the line, nearly in tears and Tatsuki greeted the poor, trembling thing warmly, pulling the girl into an embrace and speaking soothingly to her. That served to calm her down and Toshiro�s respect for the human woman grew substantially. He would later learn that Tatsuki had been the one to pressure Tesra into taking someone and had picked the gentlest, most retiring healer out of the lot. If it was one thing Toshiro knew, it was that Tesra took excellent care of his mate and that this particular officer was in good hands. He swore he even saw Unohana�s shoulders slump a little in relief and he felt Harribel relax slightly beside him at Tesra�s selection.

Since Ggio was Claimed by Barragan, and therefore unable to cast a Claim of his own, it went to the Numeros after that. Harribel�s fraccion wandered off to talk with their new companions, as did Nnoitra and his group and Ulquiorra with Orihime. Starrk, his face drawn and his eyes shadowed, remained with Jushiro and Nanao, so they could see who would choose the remainder of their officers, and delay the inevitable Claiming that awaited them.

There was a bit of grumbling from the Arrancar over the order, but they kept their squabbling to a minimum in front of Aizen. Thankfully, the rest of the un-Claimed officers in his Division ended up taken by Arrancar he knew to be relatively decent sorts.

He also ended up learning more than he wanted to know about some of his officers, including his Fukutaichou. When Aizen called out Franque Lloydght�s name, the blond Arrancar left the side of Toshiro�s besotted pregnant 11^th Seat and actually climbed the platform steps to stand before the 3^rd Division�s second highest officer. The young man�s face grew redder and redder as the Arrancar approached, until his cheeks took on the hue of a ripe tomato. It probably didn�t help that the Arrancar�s voice was pitched so that everyone, even those outside of the walls of the Seireitei, could hear what he had to say.

�Michiko-chan tells me you�ve have a crush on me for a while now. Is she right about that, Watanabe-kun?�

When his Fukutaichou�s eyes darted to the planks underfoot and he nodded faintly, Lloydght chuckled in a way that sounded disturbingly like Harribel when something tickled her. The taller Arrancar�s arm then slithered its way around the young man�s waist and he whispered something into the other�s ear that made the Shinigami�s cheeks go purple and his knees tremble.

�I�ll take good care of this one, Kami-sama!� Lloydght called out with a salacious wink and a smirk down at his choice.

The Arrancar�s mate, meanwhile, got a dreamy, giddy expression on her face as she watched her beloved steer his newest acquisition down the steps and over to her. Toshiro reached up and rubbed his forehead, wishing he could �un-see� and �un-hear� the entire exchange, though it did explain the lack of ogling on his Fukutaichou�s part when Harribel and her fraccion had dropped by his Division in the past.

�I�m going to have to ask Harribel to remind that overly-demonstrative sleaze to have both of my officers at the Division on time and properly dressed for their shifts. Ugh.�

After the last officer had been picked, Aizen read the names of those who had five days to pick a second pet, starting tomorrow afternoon so the population could be warned ahead of time before they thought to sound an alarm or call foul on an Arrancar trying to double dip. There was some grumbling over that as well, but no one was stupid enough to truly gripe about it and there was more excitement at getting two pets than there was dissatisfaction. He was left to watch as those Arrancar who had chosen his officers, for good or ill, herded them off to their fates.

Toshiro could only hope that the majority of those who had Claimed their pets from the Science and Research Division�s assortment of weirdoes would let them go about their business, not understanding much of it, and allow Starrk the opportunity to make his overtures to them regarding the Senkaimon monitors. If the nerds that staffed the place hadn�t been ready to throw the Seireitei wide open for the Escapees already, today�s sanctioned enslavement of their top-ranked scientists would serve to fuel their rebellion. It was never wise to enrage a member of the former 12^th Division. Only bad things could come of doing so and the young Taichou was just petty enough to hope those bad things would work in the conspirators� favour.

A warm hand reached down and under the cover of his sleeve, took his hand, giving it a squeeze. He bent his head as Harribel leaned in and began to whisper in his ear.

�This will complicate things, especially if Ise Nanao does not survive the Claiming process. You and I should take some time this evening to make some contingency plans. I fear what Starrk will do if she dies from the punishment Aizen bestowed on him.�

�Punishment?� he whispered back, realizing he�d read Aizen�s earlier expression correctly.

�Yes. I�ll explain later.�

With the show over and the afternoon threatening to turn into evening, Harribel led him, not back home as he had expected, but to one of the better restaurants in the First District. The place specialized in frozen desserts, and her selection, while welcome, confused him. Then it dawned on him that the girls would need to cast their Claims, and he had no desire to be at Harribel�s den when they did. He also hoped that Soi Fon, who was on her way to meet with another of Yoruichi�s hidden contacts, didn�t come back too soon from her �errands.� The walls in that house were far too thin for his liking and he certainly did not want to know what Iemura sounded like in the throes of passion.

He sent his mate an exceedingly grateful look and she gave him an understanding smile in return.

�I hope her mask stays like this after she gives birth. Her smile is truly enchanting,� he thought wistfully, which served as the extent of his positive outlook. The final view he�d had of Starrk and the two he�d Claimed were the backs of their haori as they walked behind the First Espada.

Toshiro sincerely hoped that it wouldn�t be the last he saw of Ise Nanao.

Okay, this original chapter was 33 pages long, so I cut it into two chapters for easier reading. I actually really like how the second one turned out, and I think a lot of you will enjoy it, so, without further ado, hit the next Chapter Button and enjoy.
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Prize of Victory 2	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > General Views: 56251 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story

Prize of Victory 2