Home Bound[Open]

An idle drag off of his cigarette came as he sensed the strong presence approach. At first, Theocelese had thought it another attack--but two things prevented the man from lashing out. The cretins scattered amongst the Menos Forest would need decades to become this powerful, and if they did make their feeble attacks, it was always in stealth and from the shadows. The cigarette helped to keep his nerves calm, and rather than grow curious as to who this person was, Theocelese instead began to ponder on how this other man knew who he was. For all intents and purposes, the truth of what he became should have not been recognized. There were few and far between who knew the faux body he possessed. Was it Seran? It could have been the only one, as far as Theocelese knew, his crafty friend still lived mostly within Las Noches. The man's arm lowered, and his thumb flicked the cigarette. Ashes fell to the grass below, turning almost invisible with the aid of the nightly state of the town.

Two options came to his mind, and it appeared at first that Theocelese hadn't either heard Gage, or decided to disregard acknowledging the man. He dwelt on what he could do. To instantly give into the subject at hand was one thing, but not knowing who had such valuable information on him superseded aiding anyone.

"You are mistaken." The man spoke in a heavily accented Japanese, clearly, he was not from this country. "I am not the aforementioned person, young man. Who told you such things?" His arm rose again, and in one deep pull from the cigarette, Theocelese nearly finished the stick. Still, Theocelese kept his back to the person who so abruptly approached him.

There was another stretch of pregnant silence, though it could be interpreted as the man trying to be more of a mystic than anything else, had Gage seen the Arrancar's facial expression sans mask and well..his actual face, doubt and perhaps a small trace of hysteria sung loudly through his eyes. He remembered bits of that, snippets here and there of events that did come to pass, but it was cloudy and muddled. Theocelese's eyes moved from left to right, a hand rose to scratch at the top of his head to get at an itch clawing at the meat of his mind. Gage, yes, that name was familiar, but he couldn't put the exact face to the name. Had the re-opened wounds of his past ruined his psyche more than originally thought? The final drag was taken, yet he kept the smoldering and stinking filter in between his gloved hands.

His original supposition was correct. Seran definitely had divulged something, and although he heard the human's words, Theocelese remained silent for just a few moments longer. With a deep inhale of fresh air, he finally turned. The original emotions were culled, leaving nothing to be picked up in his eyes. Those same eyes immediately went to the box held. Just then, it was as if the words finally sunk in. The clean-shaven face contorted slightly, his lips curling back slightly and brows narrowing deeply. It did not take an overly keen mind to realize the mere mention of the Quincy won Theocelese over, for the time being at least. One did not make such a powerful expression, even as brief as it was made, without showcasing loss.

"I rebelled to garner things that escape my comprehension. A brilliant, but twisted mind was eradicated, and in that purging much knowledge was lost as well. Seran has made wonderful use of our facilities, but he is secluded as of late." Finally, Theocelese's eyes locked onto Gage's, almost forcing contact to be made. "I will allow you access to what you need..." The words tapered off, and Gage would have been an idiot to not expect a continuation. "...However...I must know what you are making, what you need and an understanding that you will not be alone, but you will remain undisturbed. I will be with you."

His hand rose, and gently tapped the empty air to render it a wound in reality. "Come, we will discuss all of this over a meal."

The Garganta, as it almost always did, would lead the duo to his diner. Had Gage remembered anything about Theocelese, whether from experience, through Seran or simple observation...it was that his sense of tradition was absolute, and as a host, would not accept any form of 'no' to hospitality. Then again, Gage could profusely decline and risk being shut down completely.

 "Please seat yourself, help yourself to whatever drinks you wish. The bar is past those saloon doors."



That was all the Arrancar said before disappearing into the back. The sounds of kitchenware being readied and the smell of the stove would stand out first. Theocelese did not know Gage at all, though if there was one thing he knew almost everyone liked, it was a good burger. For the both of them, Theocelese made a half-pound patty, seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano and just a pinch of Old Bay seasoning. When the meat hit the grill, he cut up several potatoes to make fries and readied two onion buns. The buns were lightly toasted with a torch on all sides, just enough to give it the right amount of crunch but not so long any of the bread yielded charcoal spots. For Seran's friend, he would have a bacon and cheddar burger at the ready, loaded with fries. For himself, the same, but he added a fried egg and a small bit of leftover sausage gravy. All in all, it took Theocelese roughly fifteen minutes to step out of the kitchen, no longer donning his Shigai, but appearing as he would normally. With both plates held in each hand, he would approach where Gage sat, and deliver the plate before setting his own down. Once he grabbed a drink, an ice cold and sweating bottle of Dr.Pepper, Theocelese finally took his seat and began to unwravel the black, cloth napkin containing the cutlery.



"Tell me of your plans, and why the urgency to see them through?"

Theocelese listened, idly munching on a few of the fresh cut french fries. It appeared that Theocelese lost his appetite, that was not so. Ideas came to his mind, plans that never left the drawing board, so to speak. With this young man's explanation...that could have very well expedited. Theocelese took a small sip of his drink and followed up with this by wiping at his lips with the cloth napkin. Said napkin was then folded nearly into a small triangle, then set beside the plate. "Of all the realms, yours has the most to lose. But you are correct, Young Gage. If the Quincy were to attack right now, there is very little of our numbers left. A skeleton crew, compared to the forces once under my command." Rising from his seat, the Arrancar put up a finger to gain a moment of time. His feet took him back behind the counter, from which he retrieved a medium sized, clear bottle as well as two drinking glasses. Once back at the table, he set the glass for his guest down first, then his own. The cork keeping the bottle sealed revealed an overpowering smell of alcohol...with a hint of citrus. No doubt, this was some kind of moonshine.



"I have never heard of this Soul Alchemy, though I am aware that ancient alchemy and spiritual rituals could be potent. Your method of combining souls, is this the most you are able to accomplish? Can you work with...geneticist notes?" Looking more intrigued than ever, Theocelese's elbows pressed against the table as he leaned in, his fingers crossing with one another. A raising of his eyebrow no doubt led him eager to hear more. "My predecessor, he created data on...a great deal of subjects. One thing he managed to do was to create Arrancar who held no purpose other than to be eaten and in doing the process, he could regenerate completely." Theocelese paused for a moment, then added. "I have not tapped into their numbers. Not yet..." Finally, the Arrancar took a drink from his glass but did not look affected.



"I will not lie to you, Gage...I need more troops, and most importantly, I am in need of generals to lead them. Generals created from my own genetic structure, sons and daughters who will see this war to the end if I am to die. There is no telling what the future may hold, and should I be erased from existence, there must be suitable replacements that I can trust to not turn into tyrannical warlords." The implication that perhaps there was some method of research locked away within the former Eighth Espada's database now presented itself. Before a reply could be given, Theocelese rose his hand up.



"Do what you must to secure the Human Realm, but know I must have security here as well. If you can do this for me--if this is at all within the infinite possibilities of the universe, I will grant you access to anything and everything my laboratories hold. I will even acquire any necessary requisition from the Seireitei, if needed. The last construct-binding parasite in my possession is yours to do with as you please, as well."

"Understand this, young Gage, I have quarrels to attend to in the world I have died time and time again. There are the heads of people once worshiped as deities that I must claim for vengeance sake. This has nothing to do with the Soul Society, this is...my past merely catching up with me. I will set this term--This personal task will not be impeded upon by my oath to you. I will track down the accursed Sun God and what he has sown, he will reap." Theocelese raised his own corresponding arm to shake, but did not yet. He spoke with such severity in his voice, it felt as though he were on the verge of losing his calm. The Arrancar cracked a melancholic smile, and his words came out low, measured and soft. "You would have the same untenable stance if you knew who was ultimately responsible for the death of your wife...twice..." Theocelese let this sink in, though through these statements there was the obvious implications that this task was something he would venture to do alone. No others would walk down this crimson path beside him.

Finally, Theocelese embraced Gage. It was not a simple handshake, but a firm grasp on the human's forearm and a closing of the gap to put his other arm to the young man's back. "You will no longer be alone in defense of your world, my previous home. I know a few groups still strong in number from my time as a mortal, I'll see to it they join us...and you have my shield to protect you." What a Hell of a feeling it was to be...emotional. Having felt nothing for so long took its toll out on a man, and this conversation led Theocelese to a minor, mental breaking point. "Words are not enough to express to errors of my judgments and decisions, what I helped allow to happen, and to what you were forced to witness. These mistakes shall never happen again."

And it was with these words and this warrior's embrace that marked the beginning of his oath. Not just to Gage, or himself, but to the people in another universe he could still call friends, neighbors and customers. This marked the day that he would be bound by his honour to keep the human world a neutral stage, no matter how his affairs with the Gotei turned out. This interesting character gave hope to Theocelese in many ways. It wasn't the prospect of an army, or powerful children to help take on leadership should he fall. No. Although the chances were remote, less than a single percent in all actuality...Maybe Gage could give him what he wanted and yearned for what seemed like thousands of years. Family. A return to normality, a literal rewinding of the clock to a time before he was forced to endure in this Eternal War. Though the interest was not expressed quite yet, to have Sophia and Alexandra returned to him...There was no force in existence that would stop the Grecian from having them back. Perhaps his sword and shield could be nothing more than a mantlepiece set, after all.

Finally, Theocelese released Gage and he nodded towards the diner's internal exit. When Gage was ready to leave, he would be escorted to the laboratory.

"I take it there is much work to be done. You should not be delayed any longer."

"Pray to whatever gods you will that such hatred never encompasses your true self, young man. I am almost lost to it." There was no further diving into that subject, mostly to the Arrancar himself not wishing to do so at the moment. Now wasn't the right time, but the small hint of intrigue in the human's face gave Theocelese the notion that perhaps he could share the final days of his mortal life to the other man. Only the gods themselves and Theocelese knew what was lost and set into motion on that night. For the time being, however, Gage was led down a series of Las Noches' inner workings. Hallways reconstructed and repainted by one of the Arrancar's lost sons. Murals that rivaled the most archaic of cathedral paintings spread for hundreds of yards, illuminated by high-hanging braziers ever-ablaze. The walk lasted no longer than ten minutes or so, and at the end of a few corridor turns and descending stairs, a rather futuristic looking door lay ahead down a hall glowing in ambient, synthetic lights. The Arrancar nodded to continue forward and when at the door, his hand moved to rest on a black screen. Several green lights at the top blipped in rapid succession.



The door split in two, half falling into the floor while the other rose into the ceiling. A gust of cold air burst from inside the well-light area. The rustic smell of Las Noches' halls gave way to something one could only smell in a hospital. An overt cleanliness, as if the entire area was scrubbed from top to bottom every day cycle. In contrast to the smell of the laboratory, it was not solid white like one might imagine. Steel coloured walls decorated with clocks for the times in almost every major city in each continent lined the walls. Row upon row of computer systems lay underneath the clocks, silently humming. At the center of it all was a single massive screen at least twenty feet long rested firmly against the wall and multiple smaller screens with the corresponding equipment, angled to encompass a sitting station all appeared to be offline, but operational. Four comfortable, black, leather computer chairs appeared as if they hadn't been used in some time. Theocelese stopped here first.



"Our entire database. It holds all of the information gathered from the previous Eighth Espada, such as the profiles of every Hollow or Arrancar once in service to that bastard Aizen. There are also some dossiers on a few Shinigami as well. Seran has gone through and updated the alive and dead statuses. All of Szayel's research and data are stored there as well. We do have everything backed up in case we lose Las Noches and must destroy it."



After a few moments, he continued onwards. Again, the large area looked sectioned off by another secure door in which the Arrancar used his hand to open. Once more, green lights atop the black screen flickered to life before the door opened in the same fashion as the other one. Not surprisingly, the scenery remained the same with the walls and cleanly stench. Instead of clocks of computer systems, however, rows of steel crates and cages lined the left area of the laboratory. Glass containers filled with a translucent, green liquid and small monitoring screens hooked up to the tanks covered the right. In the center looked somewhat like a quarantine area. Metallic rooms with a viewing glass took up much of the interior. Whatever Seran did his testing on, it looked as though this is the area he would have done it.



"The next portion I have converted to a forge. I doubt you have much interest there...but how do we get started?"

 "I have a good deal of steel and silver here. I may not be able to construct things as Seran does, however I am fully capable of crafting a weapon, or a shield, or a piece of armour. I have also dabbled into jewelry as well." Theocelese began, producing a cigarette and lighting it quickly so as to continue. "Normal construction materials are easily garnered and brought back here. I have used my Shigai's Alter-Ego as a...means to still have some influence. Suffice it to say that I can easily acquire you silver as well as steel in an even larger quantity. As for right now, I have roughly a hundred kilograms of silver, and a thousand in steel. More of both if we melt down my collection. Most of it, some I...cannot get rid of." These were, of course, the sets of armour and weapons made for his lost sons. Solinex and Cross, to name his most favoured. The thought of them was enough to nearly sever the cigarette butt between his teeth. As the conversation moved forward and Tia was brought into the picture, Theocelese's agitation grew to be so thick, the threat of his proximity was palpable.



"During our sortie with the Quincy, Tia was captured. Out of all the other Espada, her and a few others were the only ones I could grow to care for, despite how infrequent our interactions. I am ashamed to admit I was lost to the rage to realize this when they withdrew. I have conversed with my remaining forces and put together a strike team to find her after I made peace with the loss of my mother, father and daughter. There are two things obfuscating us from setting out. The first is we are unaware exactly the Quincy are located, and secondly, we have no way to effectively pierce through their defenses. Ideally, once her location is found, my team and I would need to be able to punch a hole in a manner devastating enough that we could safely return her home. Seran has...disappeared. To do who knows what, hopefully to make us a weapon to aid us in winning this war."

 "From the accounts spoken to me by her Fraccion, she was capable of handling multiple Captains chosen to confront Aizen by their leader. I speak from personal experience in that I felt her strength. She is as I am, the pinnacle of my kind's evolution. That is to not be overlooked nor underestimated." Theocelese spoke, continuing to pull drags from his cigarette here and there. He weighed the probability and numbers in his own mind. At least twenty Captain level generals at their disposal, but how many of them were there, guarding the "Queen" of Las Noches? In a semi-irritated exhale of smoke, the Arrancar took a few steps to the console and to one of the extra keyboards. "Key word searches are your best friend here. Your work is not relevant to those who have lived here and so, you must move on." He mentioned, only pushing Gage to what needed to be done. Curiosity was one thing...but with the urgency spoken about what needed to be accomplished, Theocelese did not understand what looking at the Espada profiles would do to help them. He did feel the need to comment about Ulquirra coming about, though. "An interesting creature that one. Far stronger than most would give him credit, but a simple puppet none the less. We almost came to blows due to the human girl held prisoner here. Inoue Orihime. My daughter attended the same high school as her. I told Schiffer if he were to ever mistreat her, we would be having more than words. He responded by telling me if I tried to liberate her again, he would hunt me down and eradicate me." Theocelese paused to scoff and his next statement was something muttered more to himself than to Gage. "He would have never won that engagement. His reasons for fighting were too ignoble."



With a few keystrokes, the Arrancar did a direct search specifically 'Geneticist Notes'. This pulled up the proper files he thought the human may need. Another puff of smoke exited Theocelese's nostrils as he stood up straight once more. "Use the knowledge here, use whatever resources you need from my forge. I..." Theocelese stopped suddenly before going back to the keyboard. He typed at the keys rapidly, spelling out 'Future'. A few more clicks and another puff from his smoke. "I never thought of this before...Saving Hallibel, I mean. To get her back. Look." In a surprising display of technical know-how, the Arrancar brought up the blueprints for what looked like a simple pad. At the very top, it read: 'Transponder and Teleportation' .



"What I read from this...it was supposed to allow Aizen's troops to be deployed instantly. No Garganta, no portals, no risk of the Cleaner. It never got beyond this point, I believe I am at fault but...I will risk the use of a prototype if need be. I am capable of departing from an area with haste, and in violent fashion, this method of shattering the dimensions briefly leaves a window for pursuers. We cannot have that." This got Theocelese to thinking. "I could use my method to get there from a desolate location, and use what you can make of this device to return safely with no one on our tail. It would certainly throw her captors off," Theocelese began, replacing his spent cigarette for a fresh one from his pocket. A Zippo's click ignited a newborn cherry. "You speak of the power of these Sternritters, Gage. They are strong...yes...but would their commander have every single one of them positioned to garrison a single Arrancar? No. Would these Quincy expect a sudden attack? No. I do believe it would throw them off, perhaps even damage their morale." He looked to the human now, waiting to see the response. Though it was abundantly clear that this would be happening, with or without Gage's help. With the other man's aid, Theocelese might be able to pull this off far more efficiently.