A Hand for a Hand (Gaen Shikai Trial)

For the most part, Gaen was very satisfied with his station in life at the moment. He went to work, which was a very fulfilling job at the Fourth division hospital, very rarely went to the human world, and generally didn’t have to see much active combat. Unfortunately, that was because he was considered pretty weak and inexperienced, having just graduated a few years prior from the academy. However, this also tended to make Gaen’s supervisors look for opportunities that could help the young medic grow, increase his skill set and broaden his horizons. For instance, when Twelfth division asked for somebody with a pretty good grasp of chemistry and first aid to go see what had gone sideways with their experiment, Gaen was one of the first picks to head out. The experiment had been described as an exercise in pacifying hollows using a nerve agent of some kind, so there shouldn’t be any concern for Gaen having to fend off one of the masked monsters since theoretically they’d all be plenty docile. What was most likely happening is that the Shinigami who were monitoring the test had some sort of adverse reaction to the gas and couldn’t be bothered to report in. That’s pretty much all the information Gaen had been given anyway before he was told to pack up his bag and head over to the seinkaimon gate. With that and the largely incomplete briefing given to him over his phone (a device he was pretty sure hated him in ways most reserved for lawyers and people who talk during a movie) Gaen was as prepared as he was likely ever going to be to make his first earth bound mission. He put a respirator on just as the seinkaimon opened up, depositing him on the scene of the testing ground.

It was the early evening, the sun was just setting which made enough sense, fewer civilians around, and hollows seemed to prefer the cover of night when on the prowl so luring one out wouldn’t be problematic. The air seemed cloudy, like a thick fog had settled, though tinged a pale yellow which Gaen had to assume was the nerve agent they had been testing. The young medic couldn’t see very far, only a meter or two around him before the fog became too thick. He clung to the words of his supervisors, how they assured him this wasn’t a dangerous mission, it was a simple job, nothing to worry about. Right this second however, every nerve in his body was screaming that he was blundering around in a haze filled to the brim with dangers. He walked cautiously, finding his way to the edge of the roof he was on, some of the monitoring equipment lay strewn about at his feet. There were marks on them, something he recognized and saw quite often in his work: the marks of a zanpactou cutting through something. He was trying to figure out why one of the twelfth division members would hack away at their own equipment when he heard something on ground level, the clang of something being knocked over. He couldn’t see a thing of course, so he hopped down, trying to be careful not to spook whatever may be lying in wait beneath the blanket of chemical soup. When he finally touched base on the sidewalk, he saw a knocked over trash can, a something huddled beside it, rocking gently back and forth.

Hey, are you alright? Gaen asked, his instinct to give aid overriding the ludicrous fear he was otherwise drowning in. The person stopped rocking and looked up at Gaen, though the one armed medic still couldn’t make out any features through because of the fog. He was about to get a little closer, see if he could help in any way when the person jumped to their feet and rushed at Gaen wildly. Gaen was surprised to see a Shinigami uniform on this man, his features thin and pale, eyes blood shot and wide. Gaen didn’t even try to, but his brain started listing off ailments that fit the symptoms including exceedingly high adrenaline, narcotics, intense stress and hysteria. It was too bad for Gaen that the speed he could diagnose didn’t equate to physical reaction time as the man hauled back and let loose a rabid punch that the young medic only barely managed to roll with. The punch landed just along his law bone, and while Gaen managed to collect himself and avoid the punch square on, the frenzied fist did manage to dislodge Gaen’s respirator. The little mask fell to the ground, and while Gaen wanted to pick it up and re-secure it, he was a little busy with a very aggressive twelfth divissioner.

Now, while Gaen really didn’t like fighting in any regard at all, he wasn’t a complete slouch. Knowing that he was being attacked definitely helped his response time when the crazed Twelfth divisioner came around to (as far as Gaen could figure) claw his eyes out. Gaen ducked low, leaned to his right and brought his knee up into the man’s stomach, stunning the fellow and causing him to stagger back. Gaen took the opportunity to rush forward and land a swift kick around to the side of the mans’ head, laying him flat face down on the ground. Gaen was breathing heavily, the quick little burst of exertion getting his heart pumping, the adrenalin giving him a strange feeling of clarity considering the fear that was permeating his mind up until now. Now, let’s make sure you’re okay. He said with a sign, kneeling down next to the Shinigami to check him over.[/color]

Word Count: 949

Gaen looked around, everybody was gone, and the air was still thick with fog, though he could make out trees, bushes and the like. He was in a forest, one that was familiar to him, one he had been in many times. He was in the forest of Rukongai, a place he had called home for decades before he joined the ranks of the Shinigami. He often came out here, offering medical aid to those who couldn’t afford it from the local doctors, searching for medical herbs, or just visiting his family. This was strange though, like a memory, like he had been here in this exact spot before, felt this gentle breeze and smelled these flowers before. Then he heard a scream, sharp, piercing, echoing in his head and suddenly he knew exactly where he was and what this was. He dashed off in the direction of the scream, coming to a clearing where he jumped into the air, delivering a kick to the head of a bandit, landing as he stood over a young girl. It didn’t take much imagination to understand what these men wanted with her, it made him sick, a familiar anger boiling in his veins. Gaen lashed out, doing what he very infrequently did, he started a fight. These men were bandits, thugs, murderers and worse, but for every blow he landed, he felt like he had only truly hurt himself. They were scum, and still Gaen didn’t want to hurt any of them. He could name every bone he felt give way under his feet, ever joint he struck to debilitate, knew that nothing he was doing would take long to heal, nothing he did would be more than a passing memory in time, but for the moment, he was a source of pain. It wasn’t long before he was surrounded by a dozen or more men, some clutching their broken or bruised extremities, others just laying motionless save the rise and fall of their chest. The only thing that Gaen could feel from this was his anger, no satisfaction in defeating them, from saving a girl from a horrible fate, just anger. He was angry with them for their actions, how little they valued something so precious, and he was angry with himself. He had hurt so many people for no good reason at all. He could have just picked the girl up and ran, he was a Shinigami, simple bandits wouldn’t be able to keep up. He could have used his kido to hide and protect the girl until the men simply moved on, brought the girl to the inner rings of Rukongai where she would be safe. Nothing forced him to fight, he did it because he wanted to, and that was as distasteful to the peace loving man as anything these men did.

Gaen looked over to the girl and she seemed scared beyond words. The men who would have destroyed her were al laying on the ground, no longer a thread, but the terror in her eyes was just as intense as it had ever been. Gaen knew why, he could feel it in his soul, she was frightened of him, he had just fought and downed a dozen men, he was the scariest damn thing she had ever seen. His eyes betrayed nothing of his usually kind nature, just the barely contained anger, the scarcely concealed rage. How could he be a healer if he was feared? How could he be a bastion of peace and care if he could so easily fly off the handle like this? He reached around for his medical bag, reaching into it, looking for something he kept there specifically for situations like this. He pulled out a little red lolly pop, squatted down and put a smile on his face.

I’m sorry about this, I just didn’t want them to hurt you. He said, holding out the lollypop to the girl. He could still feel the anger in his heart, but that was something he didn’t mind having to fight, and his best weapon was his nature, his love of peace. He was confused briefly when the girl flashed like a bright green light for a moment before vanishing, leaving him alone in the forests of Rukongai.

GAEN![/size]

Word Count: 717

Gaen was somewhere completely alien to him, but stunningly familiar. He stood on a strange stone island afloat in the sky, limitless blue above him with a burning sun perfectly at high noon. Below him he couldn’t see the end of the sky where it should meet the ground. All around him were similar islands, floating lazily like strange stone clouds, none larger than the one he was on and he one he was on was barely three paces around. The only other thing here was a single, small wilting flower, the bloom too heavy to be held up by the stem. Gaen had to admit he was a little thrown, this was a starkly different experience than the rest of his afternoon, which only now seemed strange to him. How was it possible that he could meet people from his past, one of which was dead and tossing him around like a rag doll, while on Earth trying to deal with a… nerve… agent. Well, that suddenly made a whole lot more sense. Still, he didn’t know where he was now, or why he was suddenly feeling a whole lot less drugged, but he did know that there was a little flower there that could use some love.

Don’t you worry little lady, I’ll get you blooming in no time. He said to the flower (he considered most flowers ladies) as he got down on his knees and started focusing on his opening revival kido, his hands glowing green and enveloping the flower. The flower began to look fuller, the bloom coming up and facing the sun, fully open and healthy. Gaen sat back and smiled, pleased with a job well done, but damn near fell of the little island when the flower started bubbling out green light like a small spring. The green light looked familiar, but he had no idea why, just transfixed as he watched it swirl and change, taking shape before finally there was a woman hovering over the flower, though she only stood ten centimeters tall. Um, hello? Uh, my name’s Gaen, could you-

I know who you are boy! I’ve been calling your name out since forever, and you’ve been ignoring me! I’m good and proper pissed off with you right now, I have half a mind to leave you on this floating rock! She said, her voice loud and powerful despite her size. Gaen just froze, not sure what to do really since at this point, he was just completely confused as to what the heck was going on, and for all he knew, she could very easily just leave him to float around in the sky forever. WELL?! She said, looking at him with expectation and anger.

Er, I’m sorry for ignoring you? I honestly didn’t know you were calling me. He said, unsure if that was what she was looking for. Her expression just seemed to get angrier though, so Gaen was figuring that wasn’t what she was hoping for.

You’re sorry? Damn straight you are! You’re sorry for that crux lady, you’re sorry for scaring little girls, you’re even sorry for some jerk bandit getting his, and you didn’t even DO it! She said, and Gaen was honestly very impressed at how loud and stern she seemed for somebody who could fit in his pocket. Worst of all, you JUST found the conviction to admit not every damnable boo boo is you fault, that you’re damn incapable of hurting people, and you’re going to kick the bucket. Couldn’t have listened to me earlier than this huh? No, just found me and now this conversation is probably going to be our only one. She said, her tone getting a little more solemn, but still most certainly angered. While Gaen didn’t really want to push his luck at the moment, some of the things she said was sort of concerning him.

Wait, I’m dying? He asked, notable worry in his voice. She looked up at him with genuine concern and sadness in her gaze, which was genuinely worrying.

Ya, all that nerve agent you’ve been sucking back and the three or four rounds you’ve been going with that hollow aren’t doing your body any favours. You're organs are going to give out. Whoever that weirdo Jerk a**-hat on the radio was, he basically sent you marching to your grave. Holla reported, which more or less confirmed Gaen's suspicions. He was at this point pretty darn certain that he was speaking to his avatar, he was presently in his head (which he found dishearteningly empty) and his body was waiting to get crushed by what he was guessing to be a hollow he had been hallucinating as a giant bandit.

Is there anything I can do? He asked, hoping that this wouldn't actually be his last conversation with his newly realized avatar.

No, and I want to help you, but I'm too weak, too small. She said, hugging her legs up to her chest, hopelessness a bleak backdrop to her tone.

Then grow, Grow Holla! He said, though he honestly didn't know why. She looked up at him, a new sharp gleam in her eye as she energetically launched into the air. The flower she was floating above grew aggressively, towering up into the sky, its roots like great monstrous limbs hungrily searching out for new ground. All around him a forest was sprouting up in a matter of seconds, with Holla, now a very imposing six foot tall, glowing brightly like a new sun for the massive jungle to feed from.

Good boy. She said, looking down at the shocked young medic. She rushed down from her lofty height, once again changing shape though this time becoming a mess of vines and greenery that wrapped around Gaen's right shoulder. In a moment he was standing with a newly formed right hand made of thick vines and sharp thorns. He was also standing in an alleyway filled with a yellow fog, a hollow barrelling down on him from above. Gaen quickly cartwheeled out of the way, the hollow crashing on the pavement with all its weight. I'm filtering the nerve gas from your system, but I can't do much about your injuries until we're clear of tall and gruesome there.

I can feel it. Gaen said, more to himself than to his avatar, somehow being acutely aware of the chemicals in his blood, how they're being drained and stored. He could practically taste the way the molecules were arranged, what the components were down to the atom and how much. His mind was already putting together an anti-toxin that would render the nerve agent useless, but he had to shelf that idea until later as his current problem wasn't chemical, it had a hole in its chest.

Crash course in what I can do, I can heal pretty decent, move chemicals around and refine them in fun ways, and make some planty tools for you. I can do some more stuff too, but for now we'll focus on the plant tools and chemical refining. Know any really strong sedatives? Gaen started running away from the hollow, get some distance so he could run through the list of anesthetics he knew of which was a very, very long list. He landed on four sedatives he thought would work, used in concentrated enough doses, a fairly small amount could ground an elephant for a week. Keep in mind you need to have the ingredients in your body or readily available. I can’t make something from nothing. And be careful, take too much of something in your blood, you’ll take yourself down before you try anything with that hollow! Holla warned, which Gaen was glad she did, two of the four options he had thought up used ingredients that he either didn’t have on hand or would give him a brain aneurism if he used too much of. He settled on neuropozene, an old family recipe he could make mostly from the foggy nerve gas all around him. He visualized the make-up, how the molecules were shaped and how the atoms strung together. It was interesting how he could feel the processing in his arm, little valves and tiny thorns swishing the sedative together in the hollows of his wooden bones. Within moments the raw ingredients were combined into a stiff and powerful sedating draught, enough for one dose, strong enough to lay a field of yaks on their rears. Okay, I’ll do this one for you, but you’re going to have to learn how to make these on your own after this. Holla said which Gaen found confusing until he felt his newly found right arm wriggle in disconcerting ways until a spike 30 cm long and 2 cm wide popped out from his forearm. There was a thin tube Gaen could feel in his arm leading up to where the neuropozene was stored, making his arm the biggest, most aggressive looking hypodermic needle he had ever seen.

Alrighty, I look forward to learning how to do that. He said as he stopped running and turned to face the hollow that was still chasing after him like a rabid animal. Gaen got low in his stance, bringing his right arm up as a weapon he felt strangely comfortable with. The hollow let out a frenzied howl before charging, Gaen silently waiting for the right moment to strike.

Word Count: 1573