Rukia Kurosaki

Ash wrapped a fresh bandage around her arm, tugging the knot tight with her teeth. No one knows... She went over it again in her mind: She hated to leave Sakila when her memory had been tampered with, but she'd had to do it. When everyone had escaped from the impending explosion she'd stayed behind for a few moments to make doubly sure there were no survivors... And she'd seen Greyfield. He was with Petya and a group of Armed Forces. "I coulda 'ad ;im..." But she'd lingered too long and nearly gotten caught up in the blast. It didn't seem like anyone had noticed, so she discreetly followed her father and his men for several miles, bandaging the arm that was burnt in the blast. After a long period of watching, she turned back, "I can't kill 'im. An' they'll never 'ave enough power ta control the people again... But..." She tugged the photograph out of her blood soaked glove, staring at it as her father drew further away. After taking a deep breath she gripped the edge and tore Greyfield out of the picture. "I'm Sparrow now... An' you'll never escape the fate ya deserve." Ash touched her scythe to the ground, releasing her pent up energy into the earth. Flowers bloomed in the soil rut as the cracking electricity made its way toward her target. Greyfield was seized by a fit as the jolt entered his body, and she began to walk away as his soldiers rushed to his aid. With that his body would paralyze within an hour, the effect lasting up to a week... And Petya, too, she thought, sending another shock of reaper's touch. The wind whistled through the trees, and she whistled right along with it, chewing a toothpick with a contented look on her face. "We'll meet again soon, pops. An' this time you won't lay a finger on my allies, or Sakila." Walking back to the city she whistled to herself, examining her reflection in the glass of a shop window. "Aw, I look like 'ell..." It was true. Her green-dyed hair was clotted with blood, and the bandages serving as her shirt were torn to rags and had maybe three square inches of somewhat clean material. Her face was smeared with dirt and blood, and she wasn't walking quite straight. But she'd never felt better. Now pops is behind me, I gotta stop bein' so cold... maybe. I'll 'elp Saki get back the mem-ries of when she was happy, an' train ta protect the people of Nubinelle... But there's nothing else here. I'm just a weapon. And without the struggle, I'm no use ta anyone... Damn. Since she'd depressed herself a bit, she decided to ignore her problems and get cleaned up. Maybe she could talk to Brent about her job, or maybe even sit down and eat with Misaki and the 8th Battalion members who had helped. Ten minutes later she entered the cafe everyone tended to gather at, planning on washing up in the restroom. She stood in the doorway for a moment awkwardly as glances turned to stares. People should be used ta this... I'm always ragged after a fight... With a sigh she wove through the maze of tables and partiers to the back, trying to make her way to the bathroom. Maybe some things will stay the same, she thought, watching the people around her smiling and talking to one another. And this is home. ((EDIT: Sorry, IU. I was already writing this when the post went up. Had to finish my end o' the story))

Ash dusted herself off and watched as Greyfield and Petya were hauled away, allowing herself a smile. When Sakila began talking, her cheeks turned pink, but she nodded silently. Then all else was gone: Sakila had brought a knife to her own throat. "No!" Ash ran to the fallen girl and dropped to her knees beside her. "This isn't how it ends! I promised..." She grabbed the knife and tore off her right glove, letting the family picture fall to the ground. 'Reversal... reversal...' Ash cut her palm and pressed it to Sakila's wound, charging her power and willing it to reverse itself. She mumbled to herself, tears falling from her cheeks for the first time in years, as the wound began to close. "Don't do this... Saki, you're all I have, I promised them- I'd protect you... Dammit, don't be too late."

I thought it was strange as soon as he said he knew what people ate last. very logical, so riddles and the like are fun xD If you have any more I'd like to read them, Araide-sempai~

— What makes it creepy is that he said 'human' for one of the passers by.

((Sooooooo sorry I haven't been on! TT_TT My pc still has a virus and I can't even use it at all... Can't have access to anyone else's either... TT_TT I may not be able to finish up the round with you guys. TT_TT I'm going to try to catch up and post....)) Ash took a deep breath. It was now or never... She drew up her scythe, calling to Greyfield. "Hey pops! Here's the deal: Help me stop the Intel guys, cancel the weapons launch, and I'll take you on one on one when it's over... Winner takes all." Greyfield frowned. "Why would I do that?" Ash swept her scythe up to his neck. "'Cause if ya don't, I'll kill ya here an' now. I know what happened with you an' mom, an' I know what ya've done since... but if ya drop all that fer five minutes nd be the dad yer supposed ta, I'll give ya the chance you never got." ((Reaction and his response anyone? I wanna tie it up with the Intel Services being taken down over tie and Greyfield losing, Petya, ya can either betray the enemy and work with us or I'll see to it you never escape again. Let's do this!))

(Me too...)

(2 Weeks Later) Hattori Heiji sat down, closing his cell phone. It had been two weeks since the showdown with the Black Organization, and he was glad to know that so far there had been no retaliation by the remaining members. With a sigh he turned to Kazuha, who'd demanded to know "What Kudo said," and replied, "His dad goes on trial next month, and Kisaki Eri refused to be his attorney. Other than Korn and Chianti, none of the other members were caught.Kir is back with the CIA, Gin and Vodka could be anywhere, Vermouth, anyone. And as for Bourbon..." Amuro Tooru untied his apron, setting it on the counter of the kitchen at Cafe Poirot. "My shift's up. Have a nice night." He left without another word, soon maneuvering his car in a practiced manner to Beika Central Hospital, ignoring the traffic and sounds of the street as he thought over the past month. "I'm definitely shunned from the Org after taking the boss in. And I didn't get to finish my plan that would have seen the whole group arrested..." He shook his head as he pulled in to the parking complex, mumbling to himself while he locked the car. "Why did that jerk Rye not turn me in? Is it because I haven't killed? Or does he have some kind of plan for me?" "Both, in a way." Amuro turned to see Subaru Okiya leaning against a yellow volkswagen beetle two parking spaces away from where he'd stopped. Subaru spoke, now in his true voice as Shuuichi. "I want you to join a... task force, shall we say, to incarcerate the remaining members of the syndicate. I know you loved Akemi as well, and you've hated me for letting her die, but as a witness to the Organization's actions in my absence, you're invaluable to the FBI. Comrades, once again?" Amuro walked past him slowly, turning his head when he was a few feet away. "Comrades," he answered. Conan watched Amuro go from the passenger's seat of the Beetle, turning to Haibara, who was sitting in the back and ignoring him. "I still don't trust him," he muttered, his expression unsure. Haibara added, "I think he knows who you are, Kudou-kun... And since he is a police officer, and Ran obviously still has no clue you're you, I think we can give him a little leeway... For now." She gave Conan a tired look, adding, "Of course after what's happened there is still no antidote... You have to tell Ran sooner or later..." Conan shook his head. "Not yet. Those guys're still out there. Until it's safe for me to be near her again, I can't risk it." He blinked at the laugh that followed his words, watching Haibara as she chuckled, "You're full of surprises, aren't you Kudo-kun? All this time tearing yourself apart to protect her, and you're going to prolong that? Do detectives live by a code of honor now, or is it just how much you care about her?" Conan's face turned pink as he turned away and coughed, "Uh, honor..." Ran and Sonoko passed the window of a cafe and stopped, turning back at the sight of a poster announcing a sale on baked goods. "Conan-kun's been wanting curry buns recently... let's go in," Ran proposed, smiling. Sonoko nodded, replying, "Anything to talk to that cute cashier who looks like Shinichi." She elbowed Ran, adding, "Hm?" Shaking her head, Ran protested, "No! That has nothing to do with this!" "So you DO admit you think he's cute!" Ran's face flushed. "That's not what I meant! Please tell me you aren't planning on acting like this around Erru-chan..." "Who?" "The new girl who's joining our class, Natake Erru. Apparently she's Shinichi's sister, and had a part in... arresting their father." Sonoko blinked, standing frozen. "Huh?" Ran stared at the ground, losing her smile. "After all that's happened with these never ending cases, Shinichi wasn't even here to find out about what happened. I called him the minute I found out. Conan and I were watching the news, but of course I made him go to bed. A child his age shouldn't watch those stories... But I called Shinichi, and he sounded pretty upset. There was no way to be there for him over the phone, and I know he's suffering, but I can't do anything to help him through this. He's always been close to his father, and..." She sniffed and bit her lip as Sonoko sighed. "Alright, let's go! We're gonna get the biggest cake they've got and invite everyone to come have some. You aren't gonna get away with being all mopey and alone while your dad's out drinking tonight. We'll send an invite to Shinichi-kun too!" When Amuro reached the room he was looking for, he found himself hesitating. There were voices on the other side of the door. Not wanting to interrupt a conversation, he stood there and listened. "You're such a tomboy!" "Yeah, this coming from you, miss, 'oh yeah, by the way, I'm female, 'sup''." "Why won't you just try the skirt on?!" "Why? I know I hate it. I hate all skirts... And wearing one to school!? Not a chance. They're drafty and people can see your underwear!" "But it's the uniform!" "Not a chance!" Amuro sighed and opened the door, hoping he wouldn't enter into the middle of an argument. "Ah, I'm back." He smiled and held up the tray of sandwiches he'd brought, adding, "And I made some dinner. Mouri-sensei said his daughter would be by as well, since she's one of the three to be teaching you your way around." Erru glanced at him from where she sat half covered on the neat bed, pointing at Sera. "She said they're gonna make me wear a skirt," she accused. Amuro raised his hands defensively, stepping lightly around a stack of mystery books after setting the tray of sandwiches on the bedside table. "Look on the bright side. Transferring here lets you be a sister figure to Masumi-san again. And you have your job back in Rye's group. But since there's no way to bring you up to the age you should be, you have to attend school." Erru sighed, throwing the blanket over her head. "I don't want to go... I haven't been in a high school for ten years..." "I'll convince the headmaster to let you wear pants," Sera chimed in. "Fine. And Kudo-nii... He's not, uh... gonna be there, is he?" Sera laughed, "No, not for a while, yet." Conan sneezed, frowning. "Must be getting a cold..." He closed the journal he'd finished writing in just moments before, in which he'd been detailing everything that had happened since the day at Tropical Land when he'd been shrunk to the days following the unmasking of his father as Anokata. On the front he'd scrawled "Meitantei Conan," in marker. He was planning on giving it to Ran for her 18th birthday if he was still unable to return to his normal body. His phone -Shinichi's phone- vibrated in his pocket, and he withdrew it with a small smile. It was a text from Ran, inviting him to come have some cake with them if he was still within traveling distance. I want to... I want to see you so badly as myself, but... Haibara tapped his shoulder, and he turned as his thoughts were interrupted. "You look so pitiful, I think you deserve this... Just this once." She held out a temporary antidote capsule, smiling. "I'll tell her Conan is spending some time with myself and Agasa Hakase. He doesn't need the cake anyway..." Conan stared dumbfounded at Haibara for a moment before taking the pill from her and replying to the text. "I have a long case, but I am on leave for now. I can be at your father's detective agency in a couple of hours. I will deal with the situation with my father, so don't cry for me. I am hoping that I will soon resolve the long mystery that I have been investigating since the trip to Tropical Land after you won the Karate Championship." He sighed, finishing the message as he swallowed the Apotoxin antidote. "Until then, Ran... The case continues."

Ash was nowhere to be seen. In fact, she might not have been with Sakila and the others from the moment they held their vests. "So, you wish I'll cap your a** with this eh?" She stepped in front of Brent, holding her scythe defensively. "No more, gen'ral. You an' pops ain't takin' any ore lives. EVER. AGAIN." With that, the girl dug the blade of her scythe into the ground between herself and Petya. The dirt flew up as a cage of electricity rose around Petya, immobilizing him and rendering his firearms useless. "Where's pops, Petya?"

Ash tugged three strangely textured neon orange shirts from her bag. "Put these on, so I know who not to attack." She didn't feel the need to add that they were made of Kevlar, and that she was once again being protective... There was a distant peal of successive crashes, like a roll of thunder, but too sharp and clamorous... "It's started.. Hurry!" Sparrow turned as the others slipped on their orange shirts, charging her power and running toward the distant sounds. Dammit, they can't be falling... I won't let him take any more lives...

Ash gave a curt nod. "We can. But ya gotta promise me somethin', all three o' ya. No more death, awright? No matter what 'appens out there, yer not ALLOWED ta fall. I won't let ya... Sakila, I know ya carrya lot o' hist'ry an' a load wider 'n yer willin' ta admit, but... I'm 'ere, along with these two, for ya, 'kay? I made a promise ta keep ya outta harm's way, an' that means ya can't look at yerself as a monster or somethin' else terrible that ya aren't. Yer human, girlie." She tucked the photograph further into her glove and smiled. "Now, who's ready ta kick some Forceless an' Intel ass?"

"You guys okay over 'ere? I 'eard about all the commotion, but I was, ah... busy with some- stuff." She grinned and took a toothpick from her pocket, offering a couple for the others as she chewed on one. With a cough she added, "Uh, Sakila, I also know some other stuff, an'... I wanna say... I'll beat the daylights outta that freak who messed with ya any day o' the week"

Ash smirked, letting her bandages soak up the blood and wrapping new ones around her bare feet. "My pain tolerance is at a level ya wouldn't believe, pops..." She took her scythe from the floor and followed Greyfield. As she swung the scythe, slicing a hole in the passenger side door of the van, she said one word. "no." With a flick of her wrist she shocked the whole vehicle with a sharp jolt of electricity, tearing the door off with another hit and using a charged strike to flip it once. "I said ya weren't leaving," she repeated as a group of armed rebels approached and extracted the injured AFs from the car, knocking them out for good measure and binding them in tight ropes before dragging them to the secure cells in the inner circle of the base. "An' stay there..." Ash knew there was no way for them to escape, so she turned her attention to a more important matter. "Sakilla..." Sparrow took the photograph out of her pocket, giving it a touch for good measure before activating the tracer she'd set on Vivi's bird. She followed the signal until she reached the three girls, calling, "Oi, Sakila! Misaki! Vi!" She waved, hoping the other girls wouldn't ask about the new bloodstains and bullet holes... or anything about Greyfield for that matter.

Ash grabbed Petya's gun and stepped on his wrist, tugging the weapon from his grasp and expelling the magazine, and tossed the gun away. "Pops, get back in yer cell before I hafta hurt ya an' 'ave Brent drag ya back fer me." She grabbed Petya by the shirt and dragged him along as she herded Greyfield back to the prison, her ability charged and crackling with electricity.

Ash grabbed Petya's arm with both hands, sendinga current of her ability straight through him and twisting it so that he couldn't fire. She followed through with a throw, flipping him onto the ground. Even if the throw wasn't effective, that much Reaper's Touch will have him immobilized... She stepped on his back and turned to Greyfield. "Well?"

(I got no clue) Ash shook her head, glaring at Greyfield. "He ain't allowed ta leave. An' you don't even got authorization ta be here, mister out of a job." She flexed her fingers, and a spark jumped from one glove to the other across her scythe. "The question is, am I lockin' ya up awake, er unconscious?" Sparrow jumped at Petya, aiming for his barely healed wound from their last fight. She closed her eyes to avoid his ability and felt her scythe reach his side.

Adobe Premier Pro CS 5.5

((more unconsciousness... why is it always like this with my rp characters?)) "Dammit..." That is the last time anyone is knocking me out... That bastard Petya... Ash snapped her head up, staring at the empty cell Greyfield was supposed to be in. "Dammit dammit dammit..." That was becoming her new catchphrase... Sparrow leapt up and grabbed her scythe from the floor, dashing through the wide open door. Why has no one been alerted? She sighed and bit her lip. "If I was Petya, I'd gloat over gettin' pops out an' then... go fer the weaps!" Ash took a deep breath and powered up her Reapers' Touch, sprinting toward the sound of voices and heavy footsteps. "Yer not gettin' out o' here, Gen'ral..."

I show no emotion to others, so they always think I'm upset.

((Site gave my personal pc a virus. _ _ May not be super active, but IRL's too awesome to quit. Just a warning, if an insistent pop up shows where it asks "Would you like to allow this program to make changes to your computer" don't click it, no matter how legit. It's either Malware of a Trojan...)) Ash frowned, watching Greyfield as he laughed and then closed his eyes and leaned back. "I have all the time in the world to win this upcoming war, Ash. With Yi in charge at my absence, the Forces will be every bit as strong as while I lead. And don't underestimate my faithfuls. You 'rebels' won't get a word out of me before I'm whisked away back to my place at the head of Nubinelle's greatest Power." Sparrow snickered, and Greyfield's smirk faded. "What? You have another idea?" "Yer never gettin' a war from me, pops. I'm 'ere ta put an end ta all this crap. Sakila, Misaki, Vivi, Brent, an' the rest uv us 're gonna take yer forceless an' show 'em they're nothin' compared ta the people. Ya can't rule with force an' fear an' expect everyone ta come grovel at yer feet an' come back ta save ya. I certainly didn't..." Her frown returned, and she sat in the chair at the desk where the guard would ordinarily have been. "I'll tell ya what: after me an' my gang stop the missile launch an' turn the intel bastards over ta our authorities. Maybe we'll even show the pity ta give ya life in a cell, while all your power is torn away an' no one comes to say 'Poor Greyfield, 'e was a great leader, cut down in 'is prime.'" Ash stared coldly at him, ignoring the commotion from outside as across the hall a door was slammed. "An' I'll be there every day, pops. I'll visit every day and bring yer meals with as much damned pity as I can have for a monster who has nothin' any longer..."