The rookies of Squad 8 were standing in a small room, each one quivering - some with fear, some excitement. When they had been summoned from their beds in the middle of the night, they had feared the worst. Now that they were awake, albeit only just in some cases, their mentors - Weiss caught a glimpse of Shiro looking smug - had broken the good news. At the front of the room paced an older shinigami, looking to be at least 40 in human terms. It appeared to Weiss as though he oversaw the training of the newest squad members. He was evidently used to giving these instructions, for he had paused to allow them to whisper excitedly for a moment.
Earth! How long had it been? Weiss could remember it as if it was yesterday; the smells, the sights, the sounds. Returning to Earth already, even if just for a training exercise, was enough to push even his sensibilities out of the realm of calm and into pure excitement. Beside him Kitty, his temperamental partner, was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Settle down," he murmured. She glared at him, but was muted when the shinigami who was instructing them echoed his words. Silence passed over them and their further instructions were given.
"You will be visiting Rome. We have received reports of spiritual activity in the area. You will be split into pairs and each assigned an area. Your duty is to scout this area for anything unusual. If you see a Hollow, you are not to engage. Simply report back to us and we will deal with it." Nods from everyone except Kitty, until Weiss elbowed her in the ribs. She nodded, reluctantly.
"Good. Follow me."
"What do you think it is?"
Kitty had been talking constantly since they had been assigned their areas. Weiss was currently leading the way to the Trevi Fountain, although they were taking the rooftops rather than the streets. Rome wasn't empty, even at night, and it was safer to avoid the general public if they wanted to spot anything unusual.
"If it's a Hollow, I think we should be allowed to take it. It's not fair to bring us out here just to watch. Not real experience, is it? I could take a Hollow easily-" Weiss turned and clamped his hand over Kitty's mouth.
"With the way you're shouting, you'll scare off everything this side of the Atlantic," he whispered. "This is a scouting mission. They want to see that we can be quiet, stealthy, alert, and most importantly that we can follow instructions. Do you want to get shipped back out to the Rukongai?" Kitty frowned. "I didn't think so. Be. Quiet." He emphasised this last word with a hiss. When he withdrew his hand, Kitty stuck her tongue out but wisely remained silent.
There. The fountain was now directly below them. Weiss lay flat on the roof, his eyes scanning the area. So far it seemed clear; he couldn't sense any unnatural amount of spiritual energy. It made sense to use low level shinigami to find the cause of unusual energy; higher level ones would be far too noticeable with their energy output.
He motioned for Kitty to watch the east side of the bustling area below them. He set his gaze on the western half and set his hands on the rooftop to steady them. At least, he mused as he watched, they had one of the more attractive venues to scout.
"We'll wait an hour here," he said in a low whisper to Kitty. "This seems like an attractive spot for anything sinister. After that, we'll cover the alleys, then report back." She nodded, sharp eyes darting back and forth as she took in the sights below. Weiss watched to make sure she was paying attention, then resumed his close scrutiny.