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Hey guys, this is my first fanfic, and I want to point out a few things before you get on to reading. One, I know that some people criticize in order to help people become better at things, but please withhold from using any of this "help" with me. I don't exactly appreciate it, I just get annoyed. I do welcome suggestions though! If you have anything you want me to add, I'll try my best. Two, remember, this is only a prologue, so it will be a LOT shorter than the upcoming chapters. Last, if I get ANY information wrong, please tell me. I have been watching Bleach for a short amount of time, so I might get some things wrong.

(Yes this takes place as if there was no such thing as Soul Reapers, even if it will have some surprising twists that might lead some people to think it is. I was going to make it with them, but I figured I would make it different for a change.)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this.

Prologue- How it all Began…

It was not a good night to be out.

Ichigo Kurosaki, a boy returning from his karate practice with his mom, had a gut wrenching feeling that the night would not end well. He was a strange kid, with deep brown eyes and blazing orange hair. His ethnic background was Asian, even if he didn't look much like it. He walked with a slight stall; his leg was still smarting from when his friend, Tatsuki, had hit him there when they sparred. He had a slight frown on his face, mostly because of this feeling. He pondered over what could possibly go wrong after such a wondrous day.

"If you keep frowning like that, your face will freeze eternally," his mother said with a slight smile.

Ichigo let out a slight laugh and traded his frown for a smile. He couldn't resist when his mother tried to make him smile. He just loved her so much, and couldn't imagine a day without her.

"Stop right there," a deep voice said from somewhere in the dark.

Ichigo stopped, surprised at a sudden voice. His mother, Masaki, grabbed his hand and pulled him forward, trying to get away from the voice. She seemed to know something about this man that Ichigo didn't. (Spoiler O.O)

Just as the mysterious person started to walk towards them, a crash of thunder was heard and a steady downpour started up. The man stepped closer into view, producing a switchblade from his pocket. When he extended the blade, Ichigo noticed with fright that it was nearly as long as a ruler, glinting in the pale moonlight, glimmering through the dark clouds.

"Run Ichigo! I'll try to stall him," Masaki suddenly cried out, shoving him away, willing him to run home. Ichigo stood still, recovering from his shock.

"He's not going anywhere," the man said menacingly, "You know why I can't let him get away, don't you Masaki?"

"Get away, Gin! I refuse to allow you near my child," Masaki practically yelled.

Now by this time, Ichigo was really scared. He decided it would be best to run, but the event that changed his life occurred before he could.

Gin quickly flipped his blade into the "gangster" hold (flipped so that the blade extends from the bottom of your hand) and quickly took a stab at Masaki. She instinctively brought her arm up to protect herself, earning a knife through her arm.

Before she could react, Gin quickly ripped the knife out and stabbed again, this time at Masaki's heart. His aim was true, and there was a thud as the knife embedded itself in her chest.

Ichigo watched this, with a slow mix of confusion and anger washing over him. He let a yell loose as he ran at Gin with fists raised. Gin reacted almost in slow motion, as Ichigo remembered what his Karate teacher said to him.

Flashback

Ichigo watched in awe as his karate instructor gave the demonstration. He noticed how when a man is hit hard enough in the crotch, he slows down considerably. His teacher then stepped back from his partner, and addressed the class.

"Remember, always aim for what is vulnerable, one misplaced hit could cost you your life!"…

End Flashback

Ichigo decided the best thing to do would be to aim for Gin's crotch. If he could slow him down enough, he might be able to beat him.

Ichigo delivered a swift blow to Gin's groin, causing him to double over. It wasn't necessarily of pain, more of amusement. Gin decided that he would allow the boy to think he had beaten him, so he could kill him when he least expected it. Ichigo then grabbed his hair and slammed his face into his own knee.

Gin was surprised at the blow's intensity, and felt a stabbing pain in his nose.

Gin howled with anger and frustration as he realized the small, orange haired BRAT had broken his nose. He quickly recovered his blade from Masaki's dead body, and delivered a quick slash across Ichigo's chest.

The pain for Ichigo was unbearable, and he began to cry. He fell over near his mothers dead form (I would have used carcass, but it makes it seem as though Masaki is a dead animal) and quickly fell unconscious.

Gin relaxed and held his nose, which was profusely bleeding. "Damn," he thought, "I never would have thought he would become that strong so fast. I guess that's a side effect."

Gin ripped his shirt sleeve and tied it to his face to stop the bleeding, and then decided his work was finished. The mother was dead, and the boy would die within the hour. He smiled and walked away, faintly hearing the police/paramedics coming….

I hope you enjoyed it; I put a lot of thought into how I was going to write this. I know it isn't very long, but I intend to make the chapters progressively longer. And for those who might be wondering "Oh, this isn't so bad for a rated M story, or I think it won't get into anything worthy of being rated M," your wrong it will. You will notice this is Action/Romance. It will get more mature. Yes, it is IchiRuki, Rukia just hasn't appeared yet. Review Please!