Lethal Hornet, Timid Healer

Disclaimer:

I don't own the rights to anything related to the anime Bleach

The rights to that anime belong to…other people…

Chapter 9: The Virus

-Captain Kurotsuchi's Lab-

"This is odd."

Kurotsuchi rubbed his chin as he stared at the giant computer screen before him. On it was a 3D rendering of the blood sample Nemu had gained for him, which detailed the contents of the blood.

He waited for a few seconds before looking at the clock sitting at the lower right hand corner of the screen before him. "One more minute," he mumbled to himself as he returned stare to the rendering before turning to its basis: a vial of dark blood suspended in a small glass chamber.

It was slightly darker than it was three hours ago, which was slightly darker than it was three hours ago, which was slightly darker than it was three hours ago.

"There!"

It changed again!

The rendering was jumpy and slow as it updated itself to show the sample's new change, resulting in a jagged blob that took 17 minutes to straighten out. There was an odd organism within the blood that functioned as a virus of sorts. It would go to a blood cell and latch on, injecting its genetic code within the cell. It took three hours for a 'child' to be born from the cell and join its parent in corrupting the other cells; its sudden appearance and the change it brought confused even Kurotsuchi's advanced computer, resulting in the erratic and long renderings.

Kurotsuchi labeled it as a virus, but it took on the function of a regular blood cell. Upon isolating one of the child viruses, Kurotsuchi discovered that the child virus was much more effective in its new role than the old blood cell had been. This find caused him to label the mysterious organism as an infiltrator, and correctly guess that the host would actually benefit from this virus once it evolved past a certain stage.

Kurotsuchi tapped his desk a few times before he typed something into his computer, prompting it to bring up a rendering of the apple he'd received from Unohana. Testing it against other apples revealed that it contained a substance known to make those that consume it in high amounts gradually aggressive, as well as regular apple juice and an unknown substance.

He had been spending the past few days trying to figure out what the substance was and what it did, but only managed to discover that it caused blood to darken and contained infiltrators. He had figured out what the infiltrators did, but the substance itself remained a mystery.

"…The only reason blood would darken is if…it is deoxygenating!"

He snapped his fingers as a smile crept across his face, "The boy is dying! At least that is my theory…It makes sense, but I'll need Unohana to draw some more samples from the boy to be sure…Nemu!"

-1-

About twenty minutes passed before Nemu returned, which was signified by the gentle sliding of the iron door leading into Captain Kurotsuchi's personal laboratory.

"That was quick; I did not expect Unohana to work…so…"

As he spun around in his chair to look at Nemu, Kurotsuchi noticed the woman standing next to his daughter. Captain Unohana was smiling sweetly at him as he shrunk back in his chair, "I hope I am not interrupting anything, Captain Kurotsuchi."

"No, I was just waiting for the samples," Kurotsuchi hesitantly spoke before quickly spinning around so that he faced his computer once more, "I assume you have an oxygenated and deoxygenated sample?"

"Of course, I obtained them earlier today in hopes of doing my own research."

Kurotsuchi cocked a slightly irritated eyebrow; he disliked the idea that anyone outside of his Squad would step into his niche.

"You have no faith in my abilities."

Unohana kept up her sweet smile.

"I believe you can find the answers I seek, but I will not rely solely on others to help me when I am capable of helping myself. Hanataro is more than just a test subject to me."

Kurotsuchi heard the subtle bitterness in her voice, and smirked angrily.

"Fine, just try not to overstep your boundaries. I like having a specialized Squad."

"I enjoy the niche my Squad holds as well."

Kurotsuchi let out an amused scoff before raising his hand and motioning Nemu towards him.

"Nemu, give me the samples."

The young woman gave her Captain a slight nod before politely asking Unohana for the vials. Upon receiving them, Nemu quickly made her way towards Kurotsuchi. He briefly glanced at his Lieutenant before typing something into his computer, prompting the appearance of two glass chambers.

"…Put the samples in those..."

Nemu did as she was told before moving back to her position next to Captain Unohana. Kurotsuchi typed for several seconds, stopping only once two more blood renderings appeared on the screen. He locked his hands together and rested his chin upon them as he stared at the renderings, mumbling something about nonsense and improbability.

Captain Unohana and Nemu watched his mumbling and typing in silence.

"Captain Unohana."

The aforementioned woman glanced at Nemu; curiosity marked her features as she wondered why Nemu was whispering.

"Yes, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi?"

There was a short pause before Nemu spoke again.

"What is wrong with 7th Seat Yamada?"

"You know Hanataro?"

Nemu looked up at the Captain, revealing to Unohana the slight worry that marked her features.

"I have come into contact with him, but I do not know him as well as his other friends do."

Unohana opened her mouth slightly as she thought of what to say, though all that came out was a sigh. "I am unsure of what is happening to Hanataro, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi," Unohana answered after several seconds of silence, "But I can tell that his condition is worsening."

Kurotsuchi cocked an eyebrow at Unohana's statement.

"How can you tell?"

"His blood keeps darkening and that odd organism within it keeps multiplying."

Kurotsuchi could barely contain the irritated scoff that left his mouth.

"Captain, medicinal research requires me to investigate things such as this odd occurrence within my young subordinate," Unohana smiled as she approached the grumbling man.

"You know about the infiltrator virus and the role it plays?"

"Yes, and I also know about the aggression inducer the apple contained."

"If you know so much, why did you ask for my help," Kurotsuchi grumbled.

"You have a knack for science and it always helps to have a second perspective."

Kurotsuchi grew quiet as he noted the sincerity in Unohana's voice, "…Yes, well, that is true…" He sighed before tapping his desk, "I believed the boy was dying, but the tests I've run indicate that he would actually benefit from the virus. Has he displayed any changes in behavior?"

"The other day, I was informed of an incident in which Hanataro became 'cold and aggressive' in response to the harassment a nurse was receiving from a member of Squad 11. When the man tried to hit one of Hanataro's friends, Hanataro used Flash Step and restrained the man by his wrist. I was surprised to hear that last part; Hanataro lacks the ability to use Flash Step and I highly doubt he could have learned how to perform it within the last three months since his annual review."

"Hmm…could that be what the unknown substance does? Could it be some sort of ability enhancer? It's not impossible…could Aizen be using the boy as a guinea pig…" Kurotsuchi mumbled, scratching his chin.

"Why use a Soul Reaper when he could use one of his Arrancar? I doubt their Hollow origins-"

"Hollow! That's it, how could I have overlooked it," Kurotsuchi exclaimed, snapping his fingers before typing rapidly. The screen flashed for a brief moment before several folders opened. Kurotsuchi paused for a moment and squinted at the screen before closing several of the folders, leaving only two open. He enlarged them and scrolled down one of them, clicking on several of its subfolders before backing out and closing the main one.

He set his sight on the remaining one and scrolled down before finding what he was looking for.

(April 5th, Day 4)

Hanataro let out a small yawn as he woke from his relatively peaceful sleep. He was curious about why he was sleeping at the foot of his bed, but quickly remembered that awful letter he read. A sick feeling slithered around his stomach as he reread the letter's vulgar words in his frightened mind, but it quickly disappeared once he noticed the black cat curled up next to him.

A smile crossed his face as the furry creature stretched her legs as she dreamed of catnip and milk, letting out quiet purrs of joy.

"I would rather be surrounded by some of my human friends, but a cat is fine."

He gently scratched the sleeping cat's exposed belly before getting to his feet and stretching. After that, he headed to his closet and pulled out a clean Soul Reaper uniform before heading into his bathroom to take a shower.

-0-

Cat and the Sloth

-1-

Hanataro stepped out of the bathroom after his preparations for work were done. A small smile was on his face as he walked over to his bed and grabbed the medical sack lying on it. He looked at Yoruichi, who was looking up at him with her gentle yellow eyes, and scratched her behind her ears.

"I'm about to go to work, but you can stay here or come with me if you-ah!"

Yoruichi suddenly leapt from the bed and landed gracefully on the boy's shoulder before he could finish his sentence. "Well, I guess that means you want to come with me," Hanataro chuckled before making his way towards his front door.

-4th Squad HQ-

May was quietly leaning against a wall outside the 4th Squad HQ, her arms folded as she frowned at the tiled ground. Soifon's grip on Hanataro was growing stronger and, at this rate, he'd be her slave for the rest of his natural born life. May had to do something, but what that something was eluded her.

"I have to step my game up… but how… Oh!"

She snapped her fingers as an idea crossed her mind.

-1-

Hanataro arrived ten or so minutes later with a cat resting on his shoulders, a sight that puzzled May a bit. He never mentioned owning a cat; then again, she never mentioned owning a crow.

"Good morning, Hanataro," she sweetly smiled at the boy as he approached her, "Did you lose a bet or something?"

Hanataro tilted his head to the side as he wondered what she meant. A second or ten passed before May pointed towards the cat resting on the young healer's shoulders, which caused him to exclaim his understanding. He laughed as he scratched the cat's furry head, "I get it! This is Noir, a stray cat I found at Soifon-da! I mean, she's a cat I found at Captain Soifon's house."

Hanataro let out a nervous laugh at his slip; May gave him a fake smile that hid her boiling anger.

Yoruichi stared at the girl as she sensed the unnatural spiritual pressure emanating from her. She had sensed this kind of spiritual pressure before, but the thought that this girl could be an Arrancar boggled her mind.

"Spiritual pressure varies from owner to owner."

Yoruichi nodded once she remembered that bit of information, but she still felt uneasy around the girl. Even if the oddity was just an abnormal variation of spiritual pressure, May herself was suspicious.

It seemed rude to point this out, but her appearance is rather odd upon closer examination.

Her hair was unusually stiff against the heavy breeze that occasionally blew by, despite the fact that she was obviously not using hair gel. Her clothing looked freshly ironed and smooth, no matter how many times she folded her arms or played with her sleeves.

The only thing that looked natural was her face and those deep blue eyes of hers. Looking into the latter only seemed to heighten Yoruichi's uneasiness.

"I'm not sure…" Hanataro stammered as he and May took a seat on a nearby bench, bringing Yoruichi's attention back to their conversation, "I don't want you to waste-"

"Hanataro," May frowned, raising her hand to silence him, "I want to help you, and my time is my time, so I'll waste it how I think it should be wasted."

She smiled sincerely at him, causing him to blush as he gave her a bashful smile. "Alright, I know the perfect place to train," Hanataro nodded as he stood up and stretched his arms, "Right now, we should hurry and get some work done. After I give Noir back to Captain Soifon, I'll show you where I train."

Even the mention of her dreaded enemy's name could not dampen May's mood.

"That sounds like a great idea!"

Hanataro gave her a slight nod before heading inside 4th Squad HQ, missing the sly smile that marked the girl's features.

"I won't let her win that easily."

-Fon Estate, Soifon's Room-

"Who would do such a thing," Soifon growled as she reread the letter Yoruichi had shown her. The dark-skinned woman was amazed to see how worked up Soifon was getting over this, which showed her just how much her former student cared for the boy.

"Do you have any idea who could have done this?"

"You'd probably have a better idea than I do…" Yoruichi responded, shrugging her shoulders. A smirk appeared on the woman's face, "I pity the people who wrote that letter; I'm more than sure you'll tear them apart once you find them."

"Damn right I will!"

Yoruichi let out a light chuckle. "You must really like Hanataro."

Soifon paused for a moment before looking away in order to hide her growing blush.

"May I assume that you are not going to refute that? Hmm?"

"Sh-shut it…"

The 2nd Squad Captain then let out a sigh and glanced at the note before giving it back to Yoruichi, prompting the dark-skinned woman to cock an eyebrow.

"Oh, you don't want it?"

"Put it back in Hanataro's room…" Soifon sigh, heading out to her balcony. She leaned against the railing and stared out at the forest, wondering whether Hanataro would be out there.

Yoruichi looked at the note before giving Soifon a curious look, "Why?"

She didn't reply, focused solely on her thoughts.

Yoruichi shrugged her shoulders, "Alright, if that's what you want."

With that, Yoruichi disappeared and Soifon let out another sigh before leaping from her balcony.

-Forest-

"You have to grip it tighter when you go to swing, Hanataro," May told him, swiping at a nearby tree to demonstrate. Hanataro nodded and tried to mimic her movements only to fall over when he swung too hard. His face turned red when he realized that instead of falling to the ground he fell comfortably into May's arms, "You're so clumsy, Hanataro."

She let out a small laugh and smiled sweetly at him, holding him a bit closer. He shrunk back a bit and looked away from her. His eyes slowly turned yellow and an unfamiliar voice rang in his mind, "What are you afraid of? We both know how you feel… just give in… What's the harm in doing so?"

"You're in my way!"

Hanataro let out a sharp gasp and fell to his knees, clutching his head as a sharp pain passed through it. "Hanataro, what's wrong," May frantically asked him as she knelt down.

He shook his head and got back to his feet, smiling nervously, "I'm fine… it was just a small headache…"

May gave him a worried smile, "If you say-"

She abruptly stopped and turned around, sensing a familiar spiritual pressure approaching. A low growl escaped her as she identified it as belonging to Soifon, which irritated her to no end. "May… what's wrong," Hanataro timidly asked, sensing the irritation radiating from the girl. He nearly jumped back when May spun around with a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Everything's just fine…" she said, lunging at him. He let out a small yelp as she gripped his shoulders and pulled him closer, staring into his eyes with a lustful sparkle. She moved closer, closing the distance between their faces and… stopped.

In fact, everything around her stopped.

She looked into Hanataro's eyes and trembled with self-loathing when all she saw in them was confusion and fear. "This…this isn't how I want Hanataro…" she whispered, loosening her grip on his shoulders, "Scared and confused… I don't want… this…"

May shook her head and, with a fierce determination, let out a powerful yell before tossing Hanataro over her shoulder and into a nearby tree.

"Time to work on some CQC, Hanataro," she exclaimed, a determined smile on her face.

"Owww…you're worse than Kitty…" Hanataro groaned as he pulled himself from the ground, rubbing his aching back and head.

"I hope… I'm not interrupting anything..."

Hanataro's attention immediately snapped to his left upon hearing the 2nd Squad Captain's voice. She wore a dark blue kimono with golden embroidery; it was heavy enough to fight back the chill of the night air, yet it was also light enough that her movement was not hindered by it. As she stepped into the moonlight, Hanataro could make out the faintest smile on her lips.

"Soifon… I…" He quickly rose to his feet and gave her a bow. "Captain Soifon… Hello."

The smile on her face faded into her usual countenance and she glanced at May. Her eyes narrowed upon the strange girl ever so slightly as the Captain took notice of her odd spiritual pressure. Not only was it odd… it was familiar…

"Captain Soifon…" May gave her a wide smile and bowed slightly. "…Welcome to our little training ground."

Soifon cocked an eyebrow before turning her attention back to Hanataro. "You two are training here?" Hanataro nods and May answers in the affirmative. "Oh? Maybe I could be of assistance."

The fake smile May wore instantly died.

"Ar-are you sure? I mean, it's bad enough that I'm causing may to waste her time-"

"Hanataro," Soifon frowned, raising her hand to silence him, "I want to help you, and my time is my time, so I'll waste it how I think it should be wasted."

May stared at the Captain.

"I want to help you… how I think it should be wasted…"

Her jaw dropped and her body soon dropped with it.

"Ma-May!"

"…She stole my line…"

-Author-

Charles: "Took you long enough…"

Author: "I kinda sorta lost my muse for the story after mulling over the first part of the chapter. I'm no doctor, but I did a little research about blood before writing the first half of this chapter. It still didn't feel right so I sulked and flew over to Japan for some Blade Master training…"

"Anyways, I planned on uploading this in February, but I got distracted. I'm still getting back into the swing of writing this. I'll be working on the next chapter and it should be up sometime around 3/11/2012. Also, Cat and the Sloth is a one-shot I plan on making dealing with Yoruichi's brief stay with Hanataro. Also, also, the bit with Nemu knowing Hanataro will be expanded on in a story I'm planning on making involving Hanataro, Ichigo, and Renji working with clay and the SWA."