"Shut up, midget." Ichigo mumbled half-heartedly toward his lieutenant. As usual, he was in a poor mood, and Rukia's constant pestering did nothing to lift it. He scribbled his name onto some papers on his desk, pretending to care what they said.
The responsibilities that came with being a captain were nothing if not mundane, signing papers and training children. Ichigo couldn't help but become restless and snappish, wishing for something to happen so that he did not have to sit at the all-too-small desk for even a minute longer.
Rukia, while she was able to control herself a little more precisely, felt the same way. She had hoped that, with Ichigo being her captain, they would be getting a little more action. She had counted on his eager, hot-headed personality to carry them through hoards of missions, but in actuality the most exciting part of her day was the lunch break that interrupted their hours of silent paper signing and scowling. She usually ate with the other lieutenants, who were not away on missions. Ichigo never stopped to eat lunch, convinced that if he kept plowing through his paperwork, he might find his opportunity to go out on the field and abandon his austere cubicle.
"Rukia," Ichigo's voice sounded, hoarse from disuse.
"Yes, taicho?" Rukia replied, displeased with the thought of Ichigo being her superior.
"It's getting late. You should go home," Ichigo sighed, scratching the back of his flaming head. His eyes squinted and he laughed nervously. Giving orders was never really his forte, and Rukia's constant stare made him uncomfortable. Every time he gave her an order, it came out as more of a suggestion than anything.
Rukia nodded pertly before organizing her things and standing from her desk. Ichigo sighed in relief as his eyes followed her out the door, glad she didn't insist that she stay. Ichigo sighed once more and began clearing his own desk, preparing to take his own leave.
An almost imperceptible breeze blew past him, ruffling his longer orange locks. He glanced up and noticed a man clad in all black, kneeling before him with his head bowed and a fist planted on the ground.
"Reporting to Squad 13 captain Kurosaki Ichigo. There have been an increased number of hollow related attacks in his hometown of Karakura. Kurosaki-taicho has been granted permission to exit the Soul Society with his fuku-taicho and investigate the situation." The cloaked figure pronounced.
"Understood," Ichigo breathed. The black figure left, leaving Ichigo to contemplate his new mission. Excitement (and worry) coursed through him as he shunpo-ed to Kuchiki manor. He'd managed to arrive before Rukia, who had most likely stopped to visit Renji and collect some news about her brother, a common practice of hers.
"Kurosaki Ichigo," a suave voice came from behind him. Ichigo turned around and saw Byakuya behind the bars of the gate to the manor. "I assume you have a reason for your appearance at my gate at this hour." Byakuya stated.
"I-I was waiting for Rukia," Ichigo replied, laughing nervously, "Something's come up."
"Very well. Do not go beyond this gate, then." Byakuya retreated. Ichigo puffed out a sigh of relief, catching sight of Rukia out of the corner of his eye.
"Ichigo? What are you doing here? Why were you talking to nii-san?" Rukia questioned.
"I'll explain on the way. We're going to Karakura Town."
"So we're going on a mission? Now?" Rukia questioned, struggling to keep up with Ichigo as they passed through the Precipice World.
"Correct. Come on," Ichigo answered before exiting the purple tunnel and entering the World of the Living. Immediately Rukia's cell phone began to beep, signaling the presence of a hollow nearby. Rukia pointed to her right, to the general location of the hollow. Ichigo nodded before running from roof to roof over the familiar buildings.
It wasn't long before they caught sight of the hollow. It was roughly the size of an average building, four oversized arms extending from its blue abdomen. Rukia caught up to Ichigo, taking in the sight of the masked monster.
Ichigo ran at it without any form of a plan, hoping to take it town using his exceptionally dumb luck per usual. Before he could react, the hollow was behind him, holding a struggling Rukia in one of its massive hands. Again without thinking, he ran at the beast, jumping up to sever the arm that imprisoned his small lieutenant. The arm dropped, Rukia still encased by the discolored fingers.
Carefully, Rukia wiggled her way out of the palm, Sode no Shirayuki tightly clutched in her tiny hands. Ichigo leaped at the hollow repeatedly, waiting for his chanced to sever the mask. Rukia briefly doubted the full return of Ichigo's powers, worried that he may not be able to handle the strength of this particular hollow. She knew he wouldn't want her to assist him, and she watched, prepared to defend herself should it become necessary.
Ichigo once again jumped at the hollow, searching for his opening. He swung at the hollows mask, hoping to split it and end this. The beast reached his arm up, defending his weak point. Ichigo swung down on the arm, creating a large gash before he felt a strong hand wrap around his body, crushing the air out of him. The hollow threw Ichigo out of its way, its eyes constantly trained on Rukia, its real object of interest.
"Ichigo!" Rukia cried, staring at the slumped form laying on a roof several buildings over. Rukia had known that she should not have relied on Ichigo to handle the monster himself. Frankly, her trust in Ichigo himself had dwindled, threatened by his constant silence around her when they were alone. Ever since he had become captain, he seemed like he was hiding something from her. Her eyes watered at the thought, not wanting her friendship with Ichigo to end. She hadn't even noticed the hollow advancing on her, mouth wide open.
Images of the first night Rukia had met Ichigo flashed through her mind, replaying themselves behind her eyes. Her in his room, not realizing that he could see her until he reached a socked foot up to kick her in the back of the head, him breaking her binding kido, his look of determination when he impaled himself with her sword, welcoming the powers of a shinigami. These things all showed themselves before her, along with images from her childhood in the Rukon district and memories of a cold Byakuya, who couldn't stand to look her in the eye.
Rukia stood there, wide-eyed and paralyzed, having been caught off guard by the hollows attack. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the impact of its teeth around her body. It never came. After what seemed like an eternity, she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the blood of her captain on the stone roof, almost black in the night.
Slowly, Rukia looked up, her eyes roaming from the hollow's feet, its knees, stomach, neck...mouth. In between the beast's massive jaws hung body of her captain, friend, everything. He was smiling, a thin line of blood extending from the corner of his mouth down the side of his cheek and dripping onto the cold stone. Rukia's eyes widened in horror as she realized what had happened. Ichigo jumped in front of the beast, willing it to take him instead of her.
"ICHIGO!" Rukia wailed, running toward him, hot tears blinding her as she prepared to strike the hollow that held her captain.
"Wait," Ichigo croaked. The part of Ichigo's body not encased by the hollows mouth twitched, and the hollow wailed in pain as the tip of Zangetsu appeared through the monster's mask. Ichigo had reversed his grip on the zanpakuto, so that when he shoved it upward it impaled the face of the hollow. Ichigo rolled out of its mouth, landing on the roof with a thunk and a clatter as his zanpakuto was released from the roof of the hollow's mouth.
Ichigo raised a hand, "Now," he mumbled before closing his eyes. Rukia raised her zanpakuto and smiled before halving the hollow before her in one swing. Once she was firmly planted back onto the roof, she ran over to her captain. Ichigo lay on his back, his captain's haori and shihakusho in tatters, torn by the jaws of the now gone hollow.
"Ichigo?" Rukia questioned, resting her hand lightly on her captain's shoulder.
"Mmm?" Ichigo hummed, eyelids fluttering but not opening.
"I'm an idiot. I should've known you couldn't handle a hollow on your own yet. I should've remained alert and defended against that hollows attack," Rukia clenched her fists beside her, "I shouldn't have questioned your motives. I should have trusted you." Tears were flowing freely down Rukia's face at this point.
"Rukia," Ichigo mumbled.
"Yes?"
"Count on me. That's an order." Ichigo smiled, opening his eyes to wink at her before slowly standing up and throwing an arm around her shoulder. Rukia laughed and shifted Ichigo onto her back before making her way back to Seireitei.