AN: This is a bit different from the normal Bleach fic. It won't make much sense at first, but keep reading, and everything will fall into place. :P
Thanks to Quel Zune for beta reading!
(I don't own Bleach, or any DC or Marvel characters mentioned.)
Kobayashi Nobuya: Diary of a Fledgling Mangaka
Batman was in trouble.
He was trapped- Lex Luthor had been one step ahead the entire time, and now the cunning Superhero had nowhere to run, and no options left.
"You cannot escape, Batman!" Lex shouted.
"We'll see about that." Batman said. He used his bat-hook to swing himself high into the air, flying straight into Lex Luthor, knocking him down.
"No!!" Lex said, as he was defeated.
"Kobayashi!"
The third voice caught Nobuya's attention, shattering the adventure unfolding before him. He hurriedly shoved the Batman and Lex Luthor action figures into a drawer, shutting it just as his boss entered the room.
The young man looked up from his drawing table, shrinking down slightly.
"Yes, sir?"
His editor, a balding man in his mid-30's, glared down at the young man cowering before him. "What is this? This- this trash? This filth?"
Kobayashi looked at the papers his boss held up, shoving them into his face. "…why, it's a superhero, sir! You know, just like the American comics-"
"Superhero or no, this sort of thing just isn't going to cut it! Everyone I've talked to think the same thing- there's no way people will go for this! It just isn't going to cut it!"
The young man gave out a sigh. The room was silent, save for the 'Don Kanonji Radio Special' playing dully in the background. "Sorry, Sir. I'll… come up with something else."
He nodded, folding his arms. "It had better be something good, Kobayashi, or you'll be lucky to have a job by next week." With that, he left the room.
Kobayashi Nobuya: fledgling Mangaka. The young man with a baggy, non-descript T-shirt and pants that were a bit too short sat in his chair, staring at his drawing board.
He just didn't get it- what was wrong with his latest work? Superheros were always fascinating, each with their own unique powers and abilities, always wanting to help those in need… since a small child, he'd been captivated by them. Everyone around him figured it was a phase that came with being a kid.
It never left. Here he was, 25 years old, and still just as amazed at them as ever. Nothing could come between him and his favorite superheros- Superman! Batman! Spiderman! Hawkgirl! Iron Man! If only there existed people like them.
He tried at making superheros of his own, featuring them in his manga, though without success. He didn't understand it. How could people not like MosquitoMan? He was brave, amazingly intelligent, and had the superpowers to back it up. He wasn't a normal person by any means, as he had the head of a large Mosquito.
Nobuya scratched his head, wondering. He just couldn't get people sometimes. He sighed, focusing back on his drawing board. Whatever he came up with had to really be something… something big.
His hand started to work, started out with rough ovals and curves, slowly turning into a male figure with large muscles, and cape billowing out behind him. He started to draw in various design elements to the costume, experimenting with the addition of animal ears, tails, and finally wings. He sighed, shaking his head. It just wasn't coming to him. Inspiration, like other things, just couldn't be forced- he wasn't going to get anything done that day. Better he head home and try again tomorrow.
"Mom! I'm back!" He said, sliding off his shoes by the door. His dear mother, an aging creature with grey, partially styled hair, sat on the couch thoroughly engrossed in some sort of reality television show. A playful 'Bark!' greeted him, as his small Corgi came running up to him, panting and jumping.
Nobuya proceeded up into the kitchen, starting to prepare dinner early.
"How is your latest work doing, dear?" His mother called from the living room.
"Fine, Mom." He dully answered, much in the way he would when she questioned him about school those years back.
"I'm so proud of you, you know." She continued. "It's a good thing you didn't do as my sister did- going off to be some sort of ghost hunter. A good solid job is the best thing a young man such as yourself can get."
He sighed. He only hoped it was something he could keep. "Yes, Mom."
That night, sleep didn't come easily for him. He tossed and turned, wondering about his next work- what it would be, how would he do it? What could draw the people in that they would really read his work, and not laugh at it? His thoughts turned to his dismal future, where he would be out of a job and left to Mother's badgering. Somehow during this, he drifted off to an equally troubled sleep.
His solace didn't last long, however, as high-pitched crying noises woke him. He opened his eyes, straining to see in the darkness, and noticed his dog, Bruce, was crying, obviously needing a trip to the bathroom. He bent over, looking closely at the alarm clock, and realizing with frustration it read '3:15'. Nobuya let out a small moan before finally getting up.
The nighttime air was chilly, biting at his skin as he walked outside, Bruce's leash in hand. He stood patiently as his pet relieved itself in the grass. Nobuya stifled a yawn, struggling to keep his eyes open. The sound of voices, clear, loud, and distinct, soon gained his attention.
"Argh! Do we have to do this?" A male voice complained.
The second voice was female, though slightly harsh and very commanding. "Yes! Stop complaining."
Nobuya looked over, trying to clear his vision. Going down his very street was a pair of teenagers, dressed in what looked to be the black kimonos and hakama. He blinked, staring with his mouth hanging open slightly as he watched in confusion. The boy, he noticed, had bright orange hair, with a sword almost as tall as he was. They ran down the pavement, jumping unusually high in the air. Suddenly, a giant monster appeared, roaring and slashing about. The two people attacked it, jumping, skidding, and landing in mid-air throughout the fight, while the orange-haired boy sent out attacks in the form of bright, arcs of light from his sword. It wasn't long before the monster was defeated, dissolving away into nothingness, and the two people mysteriously disappeared.
Nobuya yawned, checking to see if Bruce was done, and headed back inside.
The next day, he woke and prepared for work as usual. After feeding Mother, he left for work, just like he normally did, though inwardly he dreaded it.
Several minutes later he was sitting, at his desk, staring blanking at the empty drawing board.
His thoughts drifted, thinking over his grim future, and how he would explain it to Mother, he recalled the dream he had the night before. A young man, though appearing to be human, dressed in traditional clothes… though with a sword so large enemies would cower in fear.
Nobuya's eyes lit up, suddenly looking down at the paper with enthusiasm. His hand started to work, the ovals and curves slowly turning into fabric, folds of cloth, a handsome young face and spiked hair. Off to the side, he drew the long, strangely pointed sword he remembered. He looked down at his new character, a smile making it's way to his face. He had a good feeling about this one- something just seemed right.
He looked over the design again, thinking it a bit simplistic. He added sharp, aggressive looking designs to the sword, as well as a pair of daggers along the boy's sides. He added a simple black mask that covered the upper portion of his face, masking his identity, as he pretended to be a normal person during the day, in society. At his side, worn on the left arm, was a magic, see-through shield that would help fight off the attacks of enemies. The character stood there on the page, poised and ready to fight crime, a confident smirk on his face.
Nobuya frowned. Something was still missing, he thought. But what was it?
Suddenly it came to him, an obvious notion that he shouldn't have struggled with in the first place. It was so obvious, really! Carefully, he leaned forward, penciling in a large, flowing back cape behind the character, one that would fly with the courageous, muscular superhero as he soared above the city below.
"Now… what to call him?" He said. The boy on the page looked at him with a sort of intense stare. Already the character had a very distinguished feel to him.
"The Vanquisher!" He tested the name on his tongue. The character was commanding, and he was a superhero that would let no evil stand in his way, no matter how powerful they were.
Nobuya smiled and stretched his fingers before getting to work.
It was only 2 months later, and Nobuya's life was taking some drastic changes.
His manga- "The Vanquisher" had gained the attention of some higher-ups in the manga business. His editor had tried feebly to keep him under his employ, but Nobuya had eagerly taken the new job. Now his work was in the best place it could possibly be- Shonen Jump. People of all ages were enjoying his work, while action figures, wall-scrolls, key-chains and more were being sold based off his creation. The Vanquisher was a character everyone loved, as he was mysterious and cunning, though always did the right thing in the face of danger. There were rumors of a possible anime show to be put into the works, and the idea excited Nobuya even more.
Though, it was one strange day where his doorbell rang, and an odd-looking pair of teenagers appeared on his doorstep.
"Can I help you?" He asked, looking at them. A teenage boy stood before him, with brightly colored orange hair and a strange look on his face.
"Yes… are you Kobayashi Nobuya?" The girl next to him asked, reading off of a small sheet of paper.
He frowned. They sure seemed serious. "Yeah, that's me." He looked at them again, trying to figure out what the problem was. "Is there something wrong?"
The girl looked off to the side at her friend, who had stuffed his hands deeply into his pockets, and seemed to struggle with something.
"Could we go inside, sir? I think there's something we need to talk to you about."
He looked at them, when finally it registered. "Oh! Wait, I know why you're here! Of course- come on in." He opened the door, welcoming them inside.
They sat down at the kitchen table, as his mother was in the living room. "I'm so glad to see you here." He said, smiling at them.
The girl blinked. "You are?" She seemed surprised.
"Of course! I never thought… I never dreamed-"
"Well, it is a bit hard to explain…" She admitted. She pulled out a sketchbook from her bag, intent on opening it. "It could best be described as-"
"I never dreamed in a million years people would cosplay my work!" Nobuya said, standing up from his seat and moving about the room, his excitement impossible to contain.
The raven-haired girl froze in mid-action, before the sketch pad could be fully opened. "E-excuse me?" She said in a small voice. The boy next to her, who looked rather constipated, Kobuya thought, still had the strained look on his face, folding his arms and glaring off to the side.
"It's so great to see fans!" Kobuya continued. "The success of "The Vanquisher" really turned things around. I was on the verge of losing my job before…" (He said the last part softer, as so his mother wouldn't hear.) "…But now things are great. I can afford to have her taken care of properly, and won't have to worry about how to feed her anymore, like I used to when money was tight." He grinned.
"And it's all thanks to fans like you! I can't thank you enough." He finished, patting them both on the shoulders.
The boy's expression had changed, and he had loosened his posture. The two teenagers looked at each other for a moment, coming to some sort of silent agreement. The boy finally let out a resigned sigh, looking down at the ground.
"Yeah… we're big fans…"
The girl seemed to be considering something, before finally looking up. "…could I have an autographed copy?" She said thoughtfully
Nobuya happily complied. He led them to the door, seeing them off. "Feel free to stop by any time." He said.
The orange haired boy, who's name was Ichigo, he learned- turned to him. "Hey- one suggestion… for your manga." He said reluctantly.
Nobuya thought it a bit odd, but listened carefully nonetheless.
"How 'bout you write in a stuck-up, nerdy archer as a sidekick?" Ichigo smirked, slinging his book-bag over his shoulder with one hand, while looking back at him. He was amused by the suggestion, somehow.
"I'll see what I can do." Nobuya said, chuckling slightly to himself. One thing was for certain: with people like Ichigo supporting his work, the adventures of The Vanquisher would go on for a very long time.
AN: If you want to put your mind to the test, try reading the fic again- only this time, replace 'Kobayashi Nobuya' with 'Kubo Tite'. (It very well might blow your mind.)
Thanks for reading!!