She braced herself, her fingers wrapped so tight around Kurobara's hilt that her knuckles were white. She looked at Chusei, determined, then at the men behind her. They were all anxious to find out what was under the tatami mat. Chusei bent and lifted it revealing a small trap door. Kicking the mat out of the way, she felt around and finally found a small latch. Azdeha leaned forward and grabbed the slab as Chusei heaved it out of the floor and the men automatically fell into attack stance.
Nothing happened. No Hollow shot out of the floor, no villain with a horrible fashion sense. Just pitch black and a set of stone steps.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief mingled with disappointment.
"Looks dark down there," Ikakku stated to everyone's annoyance.
"Thanks Captain Obvious." Azdeha spat back. "Can't see how far those stairs go down. Has anyone got a torch or a lamp or something?"
"There were some lamps outside but they look like they're attached to something so I doubt we'll be able to use them." Hisagi volunteered.
"Any other ideas?" Everyone shook their heads. Azdeha looked at Chusei and sighed. "Well I hope no one’s afraid of the dark then.” She stepped forward and placed her foot inside the hole, onto the first step and a hand grabbed her shoulder.
"Where exactly are you going?" She turned her head and saw Chusei peering at her.
"Down the stairs. My brother and Captain are down there and I'll be damned if I have to wait for these chicken shits to get up the nerve to throw themselves down here, and when they do, they'll probably let the whole world know we're there by charging round blindly swinging at every little thing they bump into. I'm going first to scope the place out. I'm smaller, quieter and lower down in the hierarchy which means I'm the least fundamental to this mission."
"Are you insane? You are not any less important that anyone else on this mission." Hisagi frowned, "If you go down there and get yourself killed, and we find your brother, he'll kick all our asses for letting you do it, so out of the way, I'm going first."
"No way!" Azdeha took another step forward, shrugging Chusei off. "My brother. My captain. My responsibility."
"Is it fuck." Hisagi reached forward to grab the girl and pull her out of the hole but she leapt forward and jumped blindly into the hole without considering what might be underneath her. "IDIOT!" she heard the lieutenant call behind her as she plunged into the darkness. She landed heavily on her feet, and fell forward into a rolling position, putting her into a crouching position on the floor. It was dark down here. Too dark to see anything like they had anticipated, and it smelled musty. She felt the floor around her, surmising that the ground was made of compacted dirt. Straining her ears she listened for any sounds. Nothing. Complete silence engulfed her, almost suffocating her, but she knew she was definitely alone down there. She stood up and felt her way around, reaching out to find the walls on either side of her. They too were made of compacted dirt, a tunnel with no structural support.
"Wow...this seems safe." She turned to head back to the stairs and call the others down. She knew they were seriously pissed off at her but she was fine so they could just deal with it and tell her off later.
She felt her way back reaching out to touch the stairs that she knew were around here somewhere. Instead she met with cold, hard wall. "What the...?" She turned again, feeling in every direction. "Where the hell did I leave those stairs? I know they were here."
She walked several paces back and forth feeling nothing but walls on 3 sides of her, finally she gave up, and took a deep breath. She knew what she was about to do would give away her position but she was lost, and it was dark. "HEY! CHUSEI TAICHOU! HISAGI! IKAKKU!!! HELLO!!!"
She was met with silence. Looking up she strained her eyes. Where was the light from the opening. She can't have fallen that far could she? "HEY!!! ANSWER ME!!"
Still nothing. "What the hell is going on around here?" She turned in circles staring up, trying to find a tiny glimmer of light that would show her where the hatch was. But there was nothing but darkness. "If those assholes have closed the hatch to piss me off, blood will run." She stood with her hands on her hips, wondering what to do. Clearly she was alone down here, for whatever reason. She would have to have words with the others when she got out of here but for now, she reminded herself she was a soldier and she had a mission. Find Renji and Byakuya. She reached out with her reiatsu and found nothing. "So much for finding them underground. Now I'm stuck in this place. She kicked a nearby wall and stubbed her toe.
