Theme and Variations

by sophia prester and aishuu

Notes: This is a special project for me, since it was two years in the works. Basically, Sophia Prester and I created this as a study in perspective and limited points of view. The scene is the same, but it takes seeing all four points of view together to understand what's really going on. It definitely took a lot of work to put together, but I hope the result is worth it. This is an older piece which is complete, but was never posted here before. I'll be posting a part a week to make up for this oversight. It is not canon compliant anymore, but was compliant through 343 (yes, it's that old).

Part One: Allegro (Matsumoto Rangiku)

The thing that hit me as soon I stepped through the doors was the smell.

I'd already seen the carnage before, and I was prepared for that. I had forgotten, though, that dead bodies had a way of decomposing and the stench which filled the room almost made me wretch. It was a good thing I hadn't eaten breakfast that morning, or else I'd be seeing it again.

I hadn't wanted to come here. Taichou was still with the Fourth, and the paperwork was piling up in the Tenth. Normally, I would let that slide – I hate paperwork, it's such a waste of time – but I really didn't want Taichou unable to see the top of his desk due to back work. He had enough to think about, and I'd intended on clearing some of it before he was released by the medics. However, orders were orders, and I'd been summoned to help deal with part of the aftermath of Aizen's treachery. I doubted I'd get to the paperwork before Taichou came back.

Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it was best that we get back to routine. I don't want Taichou to think I'm coddling him or anything.

I glanced around the cavernous room of the Central 46, and noticed that they were more than halfway through removing the casualties. Iba was coming toward me, carrying a black-garbed body in his arms. Usually he would leer at me playfully, ogling my breasts, but as I stepped aside he merely nodded to acknowledge my presence. I nodded back, placing my hand on Haineko's hilt for reassurance. In the back of my mind, I felt her presence, and that gave me the confidence to move forward.

I moved leisurely, even though I was already more than two hours late. No one expected me to be on time, and I tossed my hair off my shoulders in a flippant move. If I acted naturally, maybe the world would respond in kind. Things had been insane ever since the ryouka arrived, and I wanted that normality back.

I let a smile curve my lips, ignoring the smell with my usual stubbornness. I was tempted to wrap my scarf around my face to help mitigate the stench, but decided that wouldn't accomplish much. It was best I get used to the smell, since I was going to be here for a while.

Glancing around, I tried to figure out which captain was in charge, but there was no one wearing the white haori in my sights. About half of the captains had been put out of commission by the recent fighting, but surely someone was in charge of such important work. After all, it wasn't everyday that the Gotei 13 went through the Central 46.

For a second I was tempted to turn around and leave since no one seemed to be coming forward to tell me what to do. However, it was likely that someone would eventually notice my delinquency. Best actually get to work – sooner started, sooner finished.

I noticed Nanao kneeling off to one side, looking intently at a blood spot on the floor. I know that blood splatters differently depending on the situation – forensics was one of the required courses at the Academy – but I'd never been very good at it. Nanao was, though – she was good at just about everything. And she would be a good person to pester for information. Nanao has always struck me as being a bit uptight, although she's getting better. We've been friends ever since our schooldays, although I think she'd like to deny that.

"Hello, Nanao-chan! You look tired - have you been here long?" I lifted my right hand and waved, pasting a smile on my lips. Nanao is always so serious that I feel the need to be extra perky, just to counter weigh that.

She glanced up, and I couldn't help but notice her normally perfect hair was escaping from its confinement. She must have been here for a really long time – I felt bad about slacking for a split second, before realizing it wasn't my fault she was so diligent.

"I've been here a while. Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou and I were brought in early to help the onmitsukidou gather evidence. So, perhaps three hours?" She paused, and for a second I wondered if she was going to lit into me for my tardiness. That would have been usual, but she lifted a hand to wipe the sweat off her face without comment. "And it feels much longer than that-this is not exactly relaxing work."

She was too tense, I thought. Not that she didn't have reason to be, but she could have spared me more than a look before returning to work. I was a bit annoyed that she hadn't noticed I was missing, too. No person likes to be forgotten.

However, this was Nanao. Somewhere along the way she'd missed the basic lessons in human interaction. When she got stressed out, she started to forget common courtesy. I couldn't get mad at her for being herself. Once upon a time, I might have been silly enough to take offense, but it was like blaming water for being wet. A person will always be true to their own nature.

Like Gin, crept unbidden into my mind.

"You can say that again. I don't see why they can't leave it to the lower seats," I said, pouting a bit. Of course I could understand why – you'd have to be an idiot not to get that there were secrets hidden in the Central 46. Still, this wasn't glamorous work, and I had the right to be annoyed at being stuck here when my captain and division needed me.

Another thing about Nanao is that she completely misses the cues sometimes. She answered me with a well-thought out lecture without even looking at me. "Captains and vice-captains only for this. They went over that in the meeting. Although, I will say I wouldn't mind bringing some other trusted officers in here-but they're not even letting Ukitake-taichou's thirds in here."

"Probably best that way. Can't tell who you can trust anymore, especially after Gin - I mean, the traitors left," I said, quickly correcting the slip of the tongue, and trying to cover the faux pas by tossing my hair over my shoulder.

I still wasn't quite sure what I thought of Gin's role in the whole Aizen fiasco. I'd known that he wasn't always trustworthy – he'd had a way of breaking promises without even noticing. I'd never seen anything malicious in his actions – he did have a slight sadistic side, but he'd always protected what he valued.

I never figured he'd actually hurt me. I never figured he could turn his back on Soul Society like that.

I couldn't get that soft, sad smile out of my mind. That, more than anything, was the cause of my anger with him. He'd known that going along with Aizen would be a betrayal of all he'd ever done. And yet, he'd still done it. My hand found Haineko again, this time steadying my rage. I didn't often lose my temper, and it would serve no purpose to now.

No, I'd wait until Gin and I met again before indulging in my anger.

My thoughts were distracted, and I only heard half of what Nanao was saying. "-mention it... no, never
mind."

"Hmmm?" I leaned forward, hoping to hide my horrible lapse, and letting go of my sword. It was true I was slightly flighty, but that was no excuse. A vice captain should always be aware of her surroundings while on a mission – even one as "simple" as cleaning up a massacre.

Apparently my prompt set something off, because Nanao finally turned away from the stupid blood spot. "I find it interesting how many people took Aizen's 'confession' and explanations at face value. Wouldn't it have made more sense to keep us in the dark as to how he managed to fool us all? Why show his hand like that? Why give away what he'd been keeping secret about his zanpakutou all these decades?"

She spoke quickly, and I could tell that Aizen's actions had been preying on her mind. She was really off today – usually she manages better control of her emotions. I could only recall Shunsui-taichou managing to irritate her like this – well, if we discount the pre-graduation final test incident. Then again, we – including Miyako and Kaien – had promised never to discuss that again.

Funny that I think of them now. It's been months since I remembered to miss them.

"Because he's a raging egomaniac?" I rolled my eyes, trying not to be too amused at Nanao's paranoia. "He probably just wanted to rub in how much better he thinks he is. It must have been hard for him to play the part of the gentle captain for so long, not when he has that much pride."

She seemed to accept that, and I watched the tension in her shoulders ease a bit as she offered me a half-smile, the genuine one she uses too rarely. "You have a point there. After all, my captain isn't exactly known for his... restraint when it comes to matters of the ego."

"Well, he has you to make up for it, right?" I knelt down beside her, placing my hand on her shoulder. It suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't been very friendly to her in a while. Again, that was the late Shiba couple's fault. Things had really changed between Nanao and I after we'd lost them.

I'd always maintained my friendship with Gin, but somewhere along the way, I'd lost Nanao. I mentally resolved to fix that – if the last few days had taught me anything, it was that friends were easily lost. While Nanao was a bit too rigid for my tastes, she was loyal.

Well, at least I thought so. I'd always seen Gin as a constant as well.

My touch must have reached her, because she looked me directly in the eye and let out another torrent of frustration – what she would call "educated speculation."

"Sometimes I think I'd have an easier time reversing the tide," said Nanao. "But honestly, I do think there are times when my captain's antics are just that—antics. They keep people from figuring out what he's really thinking. Isn't it possible that might be the case here? We were pointed towards one possible explanation so that we'd ignore other possibilities?"

I love Shunsui to pieces, but even I recognized that his occasionally flippant attitude – and sometimes outright lascivious comments – had made Nanao off-balance. It's actually what she needs – she's always been the type to go straight from A to B without hindrance, but she does forget to stop and smell the roses. It's a good thing Shunsui reminds her there's more to life than duty, but I don't think she's really learned to cope with it as well.

I was about to chide her – gently – for over thinking things, but was interrupted by a sudden whoosh of air standing beside us.

"I trust that this is a work-related conversation?"

I tilted my head upward to look into the face of the Captain of the Second, Soi Fong. It was an unusual point of view, since she's so short.

"What else would it be, Soi Fong-taichou?" I asked perkily.

"Matsumoto, I'm not unaware of your tardiness," Soi Fong said in an icy voice, annoyed at my insouciance. She turned her head to look at Nanao. "It would be best if you don't let her interfere with your work, Ise."

Soi Fong is such a bitch sometimes, I thought. To my surprise, Nanao didn't immediately start siding with her.

"We were simply reviewing the implications of recent events. The evidence is clear that Tousen-taichou's shikai was involved in the slaughter. What I cannot tell is what-or who-caused the other injuries," she replied.

It was better than I'd hope for, and I felt myself soften. Nanao wouldn't directly confront the implication I was "no good," but she didn't hang me out to dry in an attempt to curry favor.

"Keep looking, then, Ise," Soi Fong ordered. "Matsumoto, you should join Iba and Hisagi in removing bodies." She gave a curt nod, then left.

I watched her go, before rising to my feet and brushing my clothes off. Soi Fong had never had much a sense of humor, and irritating her right now wouldn't be wise.

"Guess I'd better obey," I sighed. Then, because I couldn't resist, I said, "You know, I'd bet she'd be a hell of a lot easier to deal with if she just got laid regularly."

Nanao's eyes crinkled as she stifled a laugh behind her hands, and it did something to melt a bit of that anger that'd been seething just beneath my careless attitude. Gin might be gone, but that wasn't the end of my world. I gave her a friendly wink, then spun around toward Iba, who had returned from his previous grim errand.

"Some guidance?" I said simply.

"Just drag the bodies after Ise or Nemu gives the go ahead. We're dumping them in the back, and some of the families are claiming them. The ones that aren't we're going to cremate tomorrow. And careful what you touch – Gin was a nasty bastard, and there's no telling if he left contact poison or something around. Wouldn't put it past him," Iba said.

The shock of hearing Gin's name echoed in my ears for several seconds. Iba hadn't known about my connection with Gin, though, so he hadn't meant to be nasty about it – and I wasn't about to let him upset me.

"Gotcha," I said, and pushed my sleeves back. With a bit of relief, I noticed Iba staring at my chest blatantly. Like most shinigami that spent time in the 11th, he made no attempt to hide his interest in my body.

Some women might have been offended at the look, but it was one I encouraged. I smiled and thanked him, shifted my stance to make my tits bounce a little for my audience.

He was almost drooling as I turned toward the closest corpse.

Nemu was tagging each scene she'd finished with with bright green notes, and I went over to the first. Bodies left out to putrefy for over a week aren't pleasant. I wished I had brought a ribbon to tie my hair back, since this was going to be disgusting work.

It took about fifteen minutes to remove the first body, since I couldn't heartlessly just drag them out of there. These people had been the leaders of Soul Society, and they deserved better than being treated like rubbish.

I won't describe how those bodies felt to my touch, or what they looked or smelled like. I don't like to think about it. I tried not to think on what I was doing.

After removing my third body, I moved toward the fourth. The work was going quickly, although dozens of bodies still remained. Along with the 46, all of the aides had been killed as well, which meant there was well in excess of a hundred to be dealt with.

As I wrapped my hands under the body so I could carry it away, I noticed a ring on the finger of its right hand, a delicate five-petal rose pattern that was the hereditary symbol of the Sugino family.

I felt my gorge rise as I realized whose body I was holding. This had been Sugino-fukutaichou.

I remembered her, the graceful shinigami who had been the vice-captain of the tenth when I had exited the Academy. I hadn't known her for long, but I had admired her greatly – she was everything a vice captain should be; strong and fearless, yet still elegant. About two years after I'd started, she'd accepted a nomination to sit among the Central 46.

To enter the Central 46, people have to be appointed by other members of the council. Many former shinigami were among them, along with some of the nobles of Soul Society. I couldn't remember how many shinigami I'd seen rise to their ranks.

Before seeing that ring, I must have unconsciously blocked out the knowledge that some of these people had been my friends. The slaughter had been distant, divorced from my emotions. Now I couldn't deny the horror that Gin had been part of.

I don't know how I managed to carry her outside without getting sick. But I did, because it was my duty to myself. I would not be sick. I would not be weak. The only appropriate response was to store my rage, and use it later.

It was hard to walk back into the chamber, and I couldn't bear to immediately go back to work. I didn't want to have another unpleasant recognition.

When in doubt, procrastinate. I glanced around, trying to find a likely distraction. My eyes settled on Hisagi, who was talking to Kira. Decisions, decisions – did I put up with the questionable company of Kira in hope of distracting myself, or did I go back to dragging away former comrades? The choice wasn't a stumper.

"Yo, Hisagi-kun!" I waved cheerfully, painting a smile on my face. Act natural, I told myself. Act natural, and he will, too – and that's what I needed. I didn't want to think of Sugino-fukutaichou.

"Matsumoto-san!" There was something in the way his expression shifted that was a boost to my ego. There are advantages of being beautiful, and one of them is power. Admiration is a form of deference. "Good to see you," he said, before remembering exactly where we were. "Under the circumstances, I mean."

Hisagi is a handsome-enough guy, although he's a touch too serious for my tastes. Luckily, he does know how to have a good time, which is why I've spent several evenings drinking him under the table. He is very nice, though, which explained why he was putting up with Kira.

I'm still not exactly sure what I think about Kira's whole role in the Aizen-mess. A part of me understands he was only following his captain's orders, but he'd followed his captain right off a cliff. A good vice captain should provide balance to their captain – while we have to be loyal, a part of that loyalty is to challenge their captain if they saw something wrong. It's a delicate line.

But ignoring him would be rude. "Kira-san," I said, keeping my voice level, even as I nodded an acknowledgment of his presence.

He seemed startled that I was doing so, and his eyes went wide with surprise. "Matsumoto-san," he replied, and he looked back and forth between us, like he couldn't decide what to do. "I want - um..."

"Yes?" I prompted with unusual sharpness. He wanted to apologize, that was obvious, but I wouldn't let him do so without a fight. Where was the man who had crossed swords with me several days ago?

"Um, I just remembered something I have to talk to Nanao-san about. Excuse me," he murmured, before scurrying off like a beaten dog.

He didn't rise to my challenge. At that moment, I decided he just wasn't worth the effort. The current Kira wasn't worthy of being called a shinigami, much less a vice captain.

For a second, I'd almost forgotten about Hisagi, who was looking at me with a quizzical expression. "Damn... Gotta say, I feel kind of sorry for the guy."

"Really? I don't." My smile was a bit meaner than usual, but that was the truth. Even if he'd lost his captain, he should be strong enough to stand on his own. No shinigami can ever rely on another – when you're on the battlefield, sometimes it's just you and the Hollows, and you have to be strong enough not to wait for rescue.

"It's not his fault. How many of us would have stood up to our captains if they seemed to be doing something a little..." He looked over toward Nanao, I couldn't help noticing. I understood – Nanao had followed her captain, too, leading to the destruction of Sōkyoku. "All I'm saying is, it's not like he knew what they were doing."

I started to fiddle with my hair, a habit I've had for as long as I can remember. It helps me think. "That's not why I'm pissed at him. He should be the first in line to try to kill him, not stumbling around like a terrified mouse."

"Huh?"

I didn't think I was that unclear, but I supposed spelling out my point wouldn't hurt. "He's not angry at Gin."

"Well... no..." Hisagi spoke slowly, and I couldn't help but tap my foot a little, feeling like he was going to drop a bomb. "I think that right now, maybe he... misses him?"

A natural enough assumption – after all, he'd been following Gin for decades. "He never really knew him, Hisagi," I said, mentally tagging on and neither did I. It suddenly occurred to me that I was being quite cruel to discuss this with Hisagi of all people, who had lost his captain as well. "How are you doing?"

"Missing my captain," he responded.

I really needed to be kinder, and think more before I spoke. "I'm sorry," I said, reaching out to give him a quick hug, and then stepping back before he could misconstrue my intentions as romantic. "That was mean of me, wasn't it?"

He shrugged, but I think he was blushing a bit. The only problem with being the quintessential blond bombshell is that a gesture of comfort could become awkward. "Ah, it's been a rough time for everyone," he said, and he was looking over my shoulder.

I turned slightly to see what was going on, and noticed Kira was backing away from Nanao quickly. Chances were he'd interrupted her, and she'd pinned his ears back. She never did like to be disturbed while working, but Kira didn't know her well enough to be cautious. Some of my anger at him started to melt a little. He was here, trying to do his work. That deserved some kind of respect.

"I also think he feels like shit over what happened to Hinamori."

Now there was a sensitive subject. I still hadn't resolved how I felt about that girl, especially since she'd gone after Taichou. She had been duped, but surely common sense would have compelled her to recognize that Taichou would never turn his back on Soul Society. Of course, I'd probably have sworn the same about Aizen a week ago. "Were they close?"

He gave a shrug. "Those two and Renji. Yeah, pretty close. I mean, after that trip to the living world back in the Academy." His finger traced over the scars on his cheek, and I wondered where he'd gotten them. "They were pretty tight. As friends, I mean."

"Oh." I leaned against the desk, wishing it was easier. There were layers upon layers of ties in the shinigami, natural enough, I suppose, with how long our lives are. "It's all so freaking complicated."

That surprised a laugh from him. "Yeah, you can say that again. I mean, just three days ago-has it only been three days? - I never would have thought..." He paused, crossing his arms over his chest in a self-protective movement. "I tell you, standing there with my sword at Tousen-taichou's throat? Hardest damn day of my life."

I knew what he was talking about. Holding onto Gin, Haineko at his throat, had been one of the hardest things I'd ever done. A shinigami does not draw a weapon unless they're ready to use it, and I was then. I probably should have just slit his throat, but I had waited, and then it was too late.

"We did what we had to," I said finally.

"Even Kira," he replied pointedly. His head tilted slightly and he gave me a considering look. "I just wish I knew how it could have taken him so damn long to figure out that his captain had gone rotten."

I laughed internally at that, but maintained my outward poise. "Gin was always good at disguising his intentions."

"So was Tousen. Look, it's just that I've got an idea what he's going through right now, so cut him a break, okay? But..."

"But what?"

"I got to wonder what happened to him, sometimes, He wasn't like this back in the Academy, all twitchy and nervous. Ichimaru's influence, I guess."

"Maybe." I couldn't stand to dwell on this topic anymore. I had approached Hisagi for a distraction, after all. "What are you doing after this is done?" I asked brightly.

He blushed so beautifully as we went into our usual playful banter, but he promised to join me at the bar later, corralling Iba along to pay our bill. It was good, familiar talk. Feeling revitalized, I turned back to the dead.

I saw Kira working not too far from me now, his face whiter than it should be. I still didn't want to talk to him, but maybe it wouldn't hurt to work alongside him. People respond to how they're treated, and if we – the Gotei 13 – started to ostracize him, he might completely lose it.

He started a little bit as I started to work beside him, collecting the body of one of the aides. I acknowledged him with a brief nod of my head, before gently smoothing the clothes of the victim and gathering him up into my arms.

By the time I returned, Kira had moved onto the next crime scene. He knelt down beside one of the victims, his face set with determined lines, although he was starting to look a bit green around the gills.

"Need a bit of help?" I asked casually.

He jerked upright, and his eyes went wide with barely contained panic. Wordlessly he nodded, and I moved to stand beside him. The corpse of one of the aides, freshly tagged by Nemu, lay between us.

Morbidly, I considered it a good metaphor for the entire situation. There were plenty of problems between us – that sword fight, Hinamori, Gin – which had caused an irrevocable change in our relationship.

Prior to this whole fiasco, we'd only known each other professionally. While he was Gin's vice captain, he had struck me as quiet and competent. That assessment hadn't changed, but my respect for his abilities – and my distrust in – had gone up exponentially. I vividly remember the shock to my wrists as I tried to lift Haineko after he used his shikai on her. Of course, Haineko was uniquely well-suited to defeating his Wabisuke, but that had been mere good fortune on my side.

I bent down to straighten the corpse, which was still sprawled rather haphazardly. It was a good thing rigor mortis had come and gone, because otherwise it would have been difficult to gather the body, which looked like it belonged to a man that weighed over two hundred kilos. While I was strong enough to move the man myself, it would be awkward since my arms weren't long enough to get a good grip on him.

Kira shifted to the other side of the man, squatting down across from me without needing direction. He murmured a prayer over the body quickly, a final wish for him to be rewarded in his next incarnation.

Sometimes I try to imagine what it would mean to live in the human realm, where no one had an assurance what would follow after death. While death in the Soul Society meant loss, it did not mean "the end." We knew what happened, and although we mourned for the departure of our friends, we had the comfort of knowing they were starting new lives in the mortal world.

Aizen wanted to change that. If Aizen had his way, he would crush the current system. Then all bets would be off. He was powerful, and if he managed to create a true Arrancar, there would be nothing I could do.

No, that's incorrect. As I helped Kira carry out the body, I realized that there was still one path open to me. I glanced over at Kira, whose face was set in stern lines, and wondered if I would have to fight him for the privilege.

I was going to kill Gin. It wouldn't be out of rage or angry, but out of necessity. I still loved the bastard, and it was the only thing I could offer him. I would prevent him from dishonoring himself even more, and maybe reclaiming a bit of his legacy. He'd been a captain in Soul Society for over forty years; surely he'd done enough good to be remembered as something other than a brutal traitor.

My expression must have changed, because Kira was looking at me curiously. "Matsumoto-san? Do you need to take a break?" he asked.

I must have looked a bit ill to provoke that reaction. Of course, I wasn't about to let on about my new plans. It's always best to keep your own counsel. That way, you have the advantage of surprise. Besides, people expect me to be lazy, and I see no reason to disappoint expectations.

"Some water sounds good," I said, rubbing a bit of the sweat from my brow. "I bet the Second Division has a relief station set up we can raid."

Kira murmured his agreement. Soi Fong is nothing if not an effective captain, and she'd brought plenty of supplies. Kira and I both accepted the tubes of water

I took a long drink of water, relieved by the coldness against my throat. Despite the horror of my surroundings, enough of the little girl I'd been in Rukongai remained to enjoy the blessing of water, no matter the situation. Glancing around, I was relieved to note that most of the bodies had been removed. We'd be done in an hour or so, which would give me time to check in on Taichou before night fell.

"Matsumoto-san?" Kira said. From the sound of his voice, he'd been trying to get my attention for a while.

"Sorry, sorry... I spaced out," I replied. "What is it?"

He didn't look nervous, not like he had when I had first approached him. He tilted his head, the overly long bangs falling away from his face so I could look into both of his eyes. "When I entered the Gotei 13, there were stories that you and Gin-tai- Ichimaru Gin were... close," he started.

I'd been stalked by those rumors my entire career, and I'd never made any issue of clarifying my relationship with Gin.

"I didn't think you were the type to dig up old gossip, Kira," I said mildly.

He actually blushed, and I realized that he'd heard that set of those particular rumors. While being the center of gossip had never bothered me before, I wasn't in the mood to deal with his misconceptions.

"I just... I wanted to know what he was like, before," Kira replied.

There was a sincerity in his voice that reminded me that I used to consider him a sweet, young innocent. Having his captain abuse his trust must have been a terrible betrayal, probably the first he'd ever witnessed. I had been around longer, though – women were never as quick as their male counterparts to rise in the Gotei 13 – and I was less idealistic.

So I told him. I haven't talked about those first days with Gin in Rukongai in decades, but if anyone deserved to know, it was Kira. It was like taking a purgative, recalling the boy who'd extend his hand to me to save my life, and how he'd changed as he grew. His smile, although omnipresent, had become less sincere, and he'd put up a wall between us.

I must have talked straight for fifteen minutes, with Kira only occasionally asking for clarification or offering encouragement. Unfortunately, our sudden lack of industriousness caught the attention of Soi Fong, and she sent over Omaeda to hassle us.

Omaeda's not one of my favorite people. I suppose he's competent – especially when you compare him to his brother. However, he's not brilliant, and he really doesn't deserve the rank of vice captain. A part of me – the part that remembers Rukongai and how hard it was to fight my way up – resents him for the privileged position his family bought for him.

Omaeda is very boorish, and after offering me a hello – well, my chest at least – he turned to Kira. "Soi Fong-taichou said there's still some bodies left in the back rooms. You need to start clearing them."

This rubbed me wrong, since Kira isn't Omaeda's subordinate, and the act of giving another vice captain an order is presumptuous and rude.

Kira, though, was more gracious than I. "Tell your captain I'll see to it," he said, before deliberately turning his back to Omaeda and addressing me. "Would you help me?"

"Sure," I said, although I was annoyed that I was going to be stuck here longer. But Hisagi had been right; I needed to give Kira a break, and I could only do that by treating him with the respect his position deserved. I wasn't about to trust him again anytime soon, but treating him like a criminal would be a bad idea. It might cause him to become one consciously, since people usually live up to expectations.

We headed towards the accountant's rooms, I looked at him. He was wary, his eyes carefully sweeping the area as we proceeded.

"Is something wrong?" I asked him.

He paused for a second, but I didn't wait for him. A second later he started walking again. "I'm just being cautious," he said.

"What are you so afraid of?" I asked him.

"Myself," he whispered in reply.

I rolled my eyes as we reached our destination. As I opened the door, I turned to chide him for that kind of attitude. "Really, Kira-"

But it was a sentence I never finished. The attack was unexpected, and all I could do was call for Haineko to fight for my life.