Finally there was silence, for the last four hours she had been repeatedly pummeled by stacks preliminary slips for various projects, random paperwork and the absolute worst: people. After being recently transferred to the main building among Research and Development’s other outcropping stations within the division, she only barely had time to acquaint herself with the building's new floor maps and protocols, let alone a minute to relish in her accomplishment. Nonetheless, this was but a taste of all that came with her new security clearance and responsibilities. Regardless, it seemed as if everyone was lined up at her door for one thing or another.
"How do they even know where my office is?"
She just got the damn keys yesterday…
Someone’s socializing levels were clearly on E and was long overdue for some tea. Bounding from her chair to the door she quietly closed the office door before another intern could reared their ugly head. Continuing on, she took the complimentary tea set from it’s cabinet and began to heat herself a serving of liquid patience. She stood by the fact a cup of tea could get her through any type of day, this day included.
Leaning back in the chair, taking in the sights of her new vacant workspace. Releasing the mounting stress from her shoulders and clearing her mind. Gazing lovingly down into the cup’s jade depths as the liquid swirled, the warmth wafted through the air encircling her senses. Tired eyes slipped closed for a moment as the tension in her eyebrows lessened, leaning down she grasped the porcelain with both hands. Finally just as her mahogany lips pressed gently to the rim of the ivory colored cup.
*BOOM*
Although her grip was secure, the tea unfortunately was not. Steam rose from her freshly burned reddened hands. Remaining still, she mourned the little cup of heaven who’s taste was again out of her reach.
"Sigh...one day." she audibly vowed to herself.
You're probably thinking, this behavior seems very uncharacteristic of a member of leadership during an explosion. However, let the record show that this was The Research and Development Institute, where intellectual exploration and technological ingenuity meet. In other words, a place where adults get to play with
very dangerous toys that sometimes go
boom, especially when not under the watchful eye of a Captain. This wasn't the first time something shook her walls (lol) or damaged her things, this is what comes with the job description. If she was shook from every single explosion that happened here she’d never get any work don-
*alarm begin to sound throughout the building*
Eyes narrowed, her head sharply turned towards the door
"Okay, fine. What the **** is that?"
Due to the constant 'oopses' that occurred in the 12th, it takes a LOT to set off an alarm. Especially that particular one, it was assigned to the underground levels. definitely meaning a breech. She stood staring for a moment as her mind raced through possible scenarios as the main interior lights above shut off, signaling the backup generators to switch on.
Fluidly she turned her feet pushing off the floor sliding her computer chair into place, Okito's eyes averted to the screen of her computer module. Gloved finger tips delicately danced along the keyboard, her brows furrowed in concentration, her profile illuminated in the low lighting by the computer’s screen blue hue. Time was limited, however, research must ensue before action. Pushing forward without any intel would just cause casualties and more confusion. While her search continued, she expanded her reiatsu over the department as an attempt of reassurance, stretched like a rubber band, it tightly encompassed the perimeter of the department. Anything stepped a foot into her space she’d know immediately.
From what she could discern, whatever was happening had not entered her sector or harmed any of her 15 subordinates within it...yet. The only sound emanating from her office was the taps of her clawed fingers across the keys, blackouts in surveillance were prevalent throughout several neighboring sectors and spreading rapidly to others. She was able to pull a few shotty images of shinigami in distress, but no assailant in sight. Eyes sweeped sporadically across the images as they cascaded down her screen in a blur. The amount of information she was able to process at once was admirable, yet a common trait among those worthy of the 12th.
"There.”
she murmured softly squinting at her screen.
“Is… that a..."
"Well, shit.”
She sucked in a quick breath then sighed sitting back in her chair away from the screen.
This was certainly no biohazard, those tended to leave a...mess. A mess that leaves evidence to trace it back to patient 0, where everything began. This dissolving an entire soul into nothing but particles is moreso a sign of a spiritual ability or weapon, not a contagious virus. Someone or some…
thing either was let loose or broke free of its bindings and probably started attacking whomever was closest. She was sure there was a protocol for this type of breach buuuut she had yet to get to that page in her transfer packet. After all, Sales was a far different monster than Experimental Research, and this shit is exactly why. For now, she’s going to have to make her own protocols.
Rising from her seat, she pulled her door ajar and met the frazzled expressions of her brethren huddled in the furthest corner from the main door. They were whispering among themselves little strategies and attempting to contact friends in other departments. She let the seconds of continuous eye contact tick slowly, as she took in all their faces with no names coming to the forefront of her mind she simply looked to the one nearest her left.
“I’m going to create a giant net, you all are going to have to jump. I cannot guarantee your safety for as long as you’re in this building ”
The blonde man’s face shook frantically in agreeance to her order, droplets of sweat dripped from his face as the spectacles he wore almost fell from his face with the nervous shaking.
” Y-yes! Yes M-Ma’am”
The others quietly nodded, as she remained cringing at the term “Ma’am”, moving towards a nearby window, she slid it open and placed a sandal cladded french tipped foot on the seal of the window and spoke.
”Run as fast as you can the moment you touch ground, I have to lockdown this area as fast as possible. Although I’m sure this isn’t a contagion, we don’t know what that explosion may have caused damage too. Follow sterilization procedures once you’re at a safe distance. ”
Leaning out the window with arm outward her fingers twirled in circular motions as an intricate interwoven net began to form that expanded wide, attaching itself to two tall nearby pine trees and to the sides of the building several floors down closer to the ground.
“I’m gonna contact other divisions, then lock this place down. Move quickly. If there's anyone scared of heights, push them.
With that, Okito leapt out the window. Pointing with her forefinger to the roof, bending her thumb slightly making a small gun motion. A single strand of thread shot forward, embedding itself into the side of the roof propelling her body upward several stories. Upon landing atop the roof avoiding the piles of various debrie, she couldn’t help but stare at the new defining feature of R&D’s architecture, a giant smoking hole. This was surely going to be expensive to repair, she silently thanked herself for not going into accounting.
"Alright. Time to get to work.”
Breathing deeply, she bit down her thumb, a trail of her blood began to slowly flow down the side of her palm and jaw from the puncture wound. She proceeded to expertly run a clawed fingertip down her opposite arm, drawing the sharp corners of the geometric symbols. It was eerie how calming these actions were, as her hands have always been her chosen brush and her paint, the life giving pigment.
"hmmm..maybe it was a past life or something." she thought dismissively.
Finally finished, she thrusted her gloved hands forward palms facing outward, creating a luminescent golden window before her. Focused, hands slid through the air, mapping the trajectories her message intended to travel. The golden branches formed from blood stretched up towards the sky as if grasping at the wisps of pink clouds painted by the setting sun. Squinting in the bright display of her spell, she pushed all other thoughts from her mind but the message just as the telepathic links connected.
“ All presiding Captains, this is Okito Shihōin of 12th Division, we are seeking emergency aid. There has been a major explosion originating from within the Research and Development Institute. We have suffered significant casualties with survivors still trapped inside. I believe a weapon or potential experiment has been released. We are ALL in danger, it MUST be contained. I am locking down this area, Shigami may enter but no one may leave until the threat is eliminated.”
...with that she severed the connection, there wasn't time for much else. Dropping immediately to the floor, folding her legs in a crisscross fashion her wrists hung casually along on the tops of her knees. Holding her hands outward in-front of her chest, she curled her clawed tipped fingers and angled her hands to face one another forming a cage. The seriousness of will could be felt as her body language tensed and her reiatsu pulsed. By now her subordinates should’ve made it almost through the forestry surrounding the compound. At that distance, they’d only be able to feel the fringes of the outer edge of her unhinged field of influence as it fluctuated throughout the area of the building. The air around her body crackled and seemed to bend to the massive force barely contained inside her. The cherrywood tone of her textured hair danced alongside the breeze that had begun to pick up as if on her cue. Lips curled into a small snarling expression, barring a small glimpse of her teeth as her fingers flexed to her words.
“Bird Cage”
Large tendrils of thread began to form and emanate from the tips of her claws, her hands strummed through the air manipulating their structure as a director would do their orchestra. They bursted upwards straight into the sky as if a missile was launched. Right before disappearing above the clouds they parted, raining downwards in the twisted shape of wide pillars spiraling down to the ground. One after one the pillars pierced the ground, riddling the area with small shock waves. Leaving rocks and greenery displaced amongst their intrusion earthly as they took root. There between each of the pillars, singular strands of thread shot out in unpredictable patterns crossing the gaps between each pillar and its neighbor, making looming prison impenetrable. The threads were pulled so tightly at any brunt trespass would cause unfavorable injury to anything attempting an escape. Conjoining only at the top of the formation, combined the pillars formed a fortress in the likeness of the technique’s name. The Cage’s tall wide structure could be seen for miles throughout the Seireitei, their ominous white color clashing harshly against the now darkened sky that only held slight traces of sun's recent departure.
Reaching behind her back under her hori, grasping the rotator disk she turned the dial, clicking until it displayed the roman numeral “II”.
"Gear 2."
Pressing her palms together as if in prayer then slowly dividing them apart, she revealed glistening silver threads kissed by the full moon’s gaze like freshly crafted webs from a spider's loom. Each connected one finger to its corresponding twin on the opposite hand, these were forged especially for this following technique for they had to be more durable than the average strand.
“Double Threaded”
Waving her hands outward she created a fishnet pattern covering the ample space available to her on the rooftop. There the threads intertwined around themselves over and over, taking on different colors, textures beyond their original capabilities alone. Finally, 50 life-like versions of herself stared back at her from her place on the ground. They would be extensions of her senses, of her will, with the ability to perform minor kido and physical attacks they would be suitable for the task of tracking the threat, securing any other shinigami trapped inside, and most importantly ensuring whatever else still locked inside stays that way. Okito still hasn’t been able to determine a motive, this attack could have far greater ramification and she needed to prepare for those possible outcomes.
Flicking her wrist in a slight gesture the mini militia of puppets dispersed immediately down the hole via their own low level shunpo. Teeth grinding slightly, her annoyance evident, she spoke.
“I am not handing this damn division over to you, you picked the right one today because I have time. ”
She glanced at the grand view of her Cage from the inside then back into the gaping hole, regulating her breathing. Focusing on the massive influx of information flooding her senses from her puppets, sharing their experiences. It wouldn’t be long before reinforcements started knocking outside for entry, she had faith that this incident would soon be over.
“I am going to relish throwing your ass back into whatever sad hell you escaped from. she murmured low to herself as she stared intently into the dark depths of the long night that awaited her.
