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This article, Birth of the Grat cell, is the fifth article of The Rising arc, which is part of Bleach: Cataclysm. Garrett Sheppard remains the POV character with Anko Amatsuki, Marisa, Ries Nohr and Lloyd serving as support. Garrett's sister Jenna and brother David also appear.
Garrett sat at his complete comfort in the front room of Anko's home with Ries sitting in the armchair opposite. Anko was as shocked as Marisa was when she clapped eyes on the katana blade won from Kentaro's lookalike, and the two where busying themselves studying it in Anko's kitchen. Garrett, meanwhile, was enjoying a tin of cider as he watched the formula-one racing with Ries.
"Oh, come on!" Ries exclaimed. "Illegal manoeuvre!"
"How'd he get away with that!?" Garrett slapped the armchair in anger.
The occasional exclamation of surprise drifted up from the kitchen as the sisters continued studying the rare weapon -- it was as if all their Christmas's had come at once! -- and in response Garrett turned the TV's volume up whilst Ries shut the door on them.
"You're bet still running?" Garrett asked of Ries.
"At the minute I'm looking good."
Ries's amnesia had taken a hit following the incident over Grat. Whilst he could remember odd pieces of his life before meeting up with Garrett and his friends before the incident, he could now only remember his time since coming to Grat. Garrett was glad he didn't have to befriend him all over again but he also felt a pang of sadness for him. In a short time he had come to consider Ries his rival in all things, and this was very much reciprocated by Ries. It was only their shared interest in formula-one where the two weren't butting heads.
"Did you hear about May?" Ries asked suddenly.
"No, I was a bit out of the loop because of Randy." Garrett turned the volume down on the TV. "What's her condition?"
"She's awake." Ries revealed. "Just this morning actually. Lloyd's been splitting his time between visiting her and Randy, and I think if he doesn't stop soon he'll drop."
"I'll see if Jenna can pop in to see her later." Garrett replied. "I'm on patrol tonight."
The Hollow activity around Grat had exploded like never before. You'd have thought the appearance of Kentaro's lookalike had signalled the start of something, because ever since that night Hollow had literally been crawling out of the woodwork!
"... I'll go with you tonight." Ries said after a long spell of silence. "It might be a good idea to have a buddy-system of sorts. Someone to watch your back, you know?"
"Sounds like a plan."
The duo watched the formula-one until the race was finished and then popped their heads through the kitchen door. Anko and Marisa where still tinkering with the katana. They had removed the white hilt-wrapping and pommel to reveal a slimy mass with a single large eye, the sight of which nearly made Garrett heave. Before the two disappeared they where told by Anko to swing by later.
Lloyd nearly collapsed into a seat in the waiting area at the reception of Grat's main hospital. He was about to close his eyes and surrender himself to sleep when he saw Garrett's sister Jenna and brother David approaching through the sliding doors. Thankfully Jenna looked nothing like her brother. She was attractive, possessing of a lithe and athletic figure, and sported long brown hair and blue eyes. In many ways she looked much like the pictures of her mother that Lloyd had seen. David, on the other hand, was Garrett's double. The only difference was hair colour. David was blond. Where the hell he got that from Lloyd had no idea. But the little guy was a ball of energy even so late at night.
"Evening Jenna, Dave." Lloyd greeted. "I'm not sick, but thanks for thinking of me, and visiting me regardless."
"You're sick in a different way." Jenna, referring to his womanising ways, said cuttingly. "I'm here to see May. Even if he where stabbed and recuperating, I imagine Randy would still attempt to mount my leg."
"He probably would." Lloyd agreed with a grin. He ruffled David's hair and set a few coins into his hand. "Get yourself something nice."
"... How is Randy?" Jenna asked when David was out of ear-shot.
"He'll pull through but it was touch and go for too long." Lloyd answered, sounding as exhausted as he looked. "If it's alright with you I'm gonna hit the sack for a couple hours. Meet you here later?"
"It's a date."
"Fuck, don't tell your brother that. I like my danglers where they are!"
As Lloyd walked away and headed home he thought back to Jenna and sighed. "Hard to believe she's only fourteen. I'd ask her out, but Garrett would likely castrate me if I did."
The patrol went about as well as Garrett imagined it would. He and Ries made short work of any Hollow they encountered, to the point the pair decided to make a game of it. Garrett lost 15-18 and was in a thoroughly foul mood until he and Ries stopped at an all-night greasy-spoon for a bite to eat. Once he had something hot in his belly he was decidedly happier.
"Let's head back to Anko and Marisa." Ries opined. "Before they hunt us down."
"It wouldn't be like them at all." Garrett's tone dripped sarcasm.
They completed the journey in quick order and not for the first time did Garrett stop and observe Ries's movements. Whilst he knew Ries used Māipō there was a distinctive swish to his steps that was entirely closer to Shunpo. But he put it to the back of his head as the pair entered Anko's home. The second they crossed the threshold Maris nearly split Garrett's head open with a thrown knife!
"The fuck you playing at you idiot!? It's only us!"
"Does she greet you that way all the time?" Ries asked.
"Be thankful I like you two." Marisa quipped. "If I didn't I wouldn't have missed."
"Oh, be quiet and come in here!" Anko snapped. "Here."
She brusquely handed over the katana to Garrett, now accompanied by a dark-blue sheath, and told him to draw it. He did so with more familiarity than someone who predominately practised hand-to-hand combat should have and immediately began working through the forms taught to him by Kenji. Should it come as a surprise that someone trained by Kenji wouldn't known how to use a sword?
"It's very well balanced." Garrett noted.
"It's yours now." Anko stated. "Bakkōtō can be tricky. Usually they passively absorb your reiatsu and the more you feed the weapon, the stronger it gets. But it will eventually devour you." Garrett made shape to hand it back, suddenly fearful. "But I've disabled that particular function. The sword will now work in tandem with you, not unlike a Zanpakutō in many regards. Look after it."
"I will. Thanks, Anko."