I know I stated before that I wouldn't post Ch.1 until "Behind Closed Doors" was finished...but I couldn't help it. I at least wanted to post Chapter 1 for this fic to give you guys a well deserved taste of what's to come. Call it an elongated version of a prologue. I was also extremely curious to see what you guys think thus far after the largely praised success of "Behind Closed Doors". So yeah, despite Chapter 1 being posted now, any following chapter will have to wait until "Behind Closed Doors" is finished. It's in its finalizing stages so it's getting there, but almost done.
This story takes place in the 19th century old west of Texas. However, unlike my GrimmIchi fanfic, Behind Closed Doors that takes place during the Holocaust, this story will not entail any specific year or history point. Some research has been done to get this new fic started and will be ongoing as I write on the chapters, but will exist as a Bleach AU (alternative universe) as well as an Old West AU so no history of the old west will be used or really even mentioned. Despite this choice, I will do my best to stay true to the era's elements, atmosphere, and even language.
The old west has an entire alphabet of slang and talk that will only be remotely used in light manner to try to keep an authenticity to the era, but to also avoid racking my brain from reading through the mass amounts of vocabulary for the old west that will most likely confuse my readers let alone myself. XD
If you're a huge fan of the Western era as well as western movies, then it should tickle your fancy to know my story has a very similar feel to the movie "True Grit", but unlike that movie plot, my story is a lot more in depth than that with a bigger plot going on behind the main plot.
-Disclaimer-
If you are NOT a Yaoi fan, then go elsewhere. This story is strictly for GrimmIchi/GrimmjoxIchigo fans (such as myself). The story is entirely yaoi based between the pairing. If you don't like what you see, then don't look at it. Capeesh?
Tit for Tat
Blue bonnets painted the road sides with blues and violets like a sea of flowers. Tumble weeds danced along the dusty roads like children on a day off from school. Rattlers shook their tails like macarenas to a steady beat as the long horns roamed the plains like kings of the prairie.
Amongst these entities rustled about outlaws, bounty hunters, marshals and rangers. These were the few of many elements that were the essence of Texas, but for one 20 year old young man named Ichigo Kurosaki, his reality had only just begun with the soon approaching entanglement on a journey of the west.
Fall began to climb out from the blistering heat of summer like the desert creatures of the night, creeping in the darkness to hunt for prey. The long days of humidity and heat finally began to fade into cooler temperatures, making long travel tolerable and wearing raw hide leather more comfortable. However, this more calm and pleasant setting allowed the lurking of bandits and thugs, leaving them to ransack towns without much worry of little drought or heat exhaustion. Within these essences lives the Kurosaki family in the town of Waco. Isshin acts as the town's main doctor while the Kurosaki sisters, Yuzu and Karin, help out at the candy store. Ichigo however, helps out at the stable with the packing and unpacking of hay stacks.
What many would consider back breaking work comes rather easily to Ichigo with his surprisingly strong physique and a well endowed stamina, more than enough to handle the labor, but labor does not come without just rewards. For Ichigo's effort, the stable owner Dalton decided to give Ichigo one of the prized horses. It was a beautiful black stallion that was found by Dalton as a young stray colt, separated from its mother and lost in the desert. Dalton found the colt on the night of an eclipse and so the name Black Moon stuck. Strangely enough however, this particular horse was never fond of anyone, but when Ichigo started working at the stables, Black Moon started taking a liking to the orangenette. Maybe it was destiny. Maybe it was coincidence that both the horse and Ichigo had lost their mothers at a young age.
Either way, the two seemed meant for each other.
Black Moon was not the only friend of Ichigo however as the town also sheltered his human friends; Orihime Inoue the local school teacher, Yasutora Sado the Mexican body guard and town watchman and Uryuu Ishida the Marshal and occasional bounty hunter who has a distinct distain for outlaws.
It had been a long day, but Ichigo's business wasn't finished. Gabe, the local bartender and owner of the Rusty Spur saloon was going to pay Ichigo extra for help with a beer bottle shipment. The night shift employee is sick with a fever so he needed an extra helping hand. The saloon was on the way home from the stables so it made it easier to drop by and take care of the shipment not to mention it was a usual pit stop that Ichigo would go to, to chat with Chad or Uryuu that were usually found at the saloon to keep an eye on things. The Rusty Spur was a hot spot for the regular thugs that could be found inside playing poker, watching the dancers, or simply drinking away their problems. Wasn't exactly the most welcoming bunch, but business is business and Gabe never turned away a man's tin so long as no one starts a gun fight inside.
It was your typical layout for a saloon; a big sign at the top of the building advertising its names, the classic wooden paneled swinging doors for the entrance, the creaky yet sturdy wooden floor boards that echoed the heaviness of a cowboy's boots, tables everywhere filled with local patrons as well as criminals on the run, the glowing dancers on the stage, and of course the hot spot being the bar. Business was bustling tonight, causing Gabe and his only other bartender, Sam, to be busting their ass as they scurried about the saloon to make sure everyone had what they needed and drinks were paid for accordingly.
Sam had a small chance to have a breather as he continued wiping down the glasses with a cloth as the saloon's doors suddenly swung open and like always, swinging doors caught attention as most of the patrons looked towards the entrance. A glowing head of orange hair popped through as Ichigo entered within the den in his usual white shirt tucked into light brown pants and covered by a leather light brown vest. Around his waist sat his mother's belt with a gun holster, but the holster was empty.
It bared no gun.
As soon as the locals and patrons knew who it was, they turned their head away and cast their attention back to drinking, poker, or who knows what else.
"Well howdy Ichigo," Sam greeted with a smile through his red colored bar handled mustache. He was wearing your usual bartender clothes; fancy red vest that was topped with a intricate floral pattern, a white shirt with a black tie and arm band, black form fitting pants with black shiny leather shoes, and of course a black bowler hat made of the finest wool not to mention a silver chain that connected from the middle of the vest to a vest pocket where a watch was usually kept.
"I reckon yer' yere' for the bottle shipment?"
"Hey Sam and yeah, Gabe set me up as the backup. Where is he?" Ichigo replied as he sat at the bar.
"He's in the back taking care of the payment for the shipment. He should be out soon."
"Alright, thanks."
"If yah' need anything, just give me a ring."
As Sam returned to cleaning the glasses, Ichigo sat idly at the bar, leaning on his left forearm to give him a better view of his surroundings. It was the usual atmosphere of thugs, smell of alcohol not to mention the smell of someone severely needing a bath, and dim lighting. It was always this way at night when the creepers liked to come out and less likely to be bothered by authorities. It was late and by this time Uryuu was making the nightly rounds of surveying the town for trouble while Chad attended to the gate outpost as a bodyguard. Ichigo wasn't worried about the dark however. He had long since established his reputation in town and was rarely messed with, even by the local thugs. And if anyone new strolled into town, they would quickly hear of the orangenette's reputation. He was a brash young man with a fiery stubborn attitude and was a pretty good hand to hand combatant. Amateur at best, but still someone that wasn't to be toyed with. In knowing that, he was usually safe, in daytime or night. It gave Ichigo a nice sense of calm without much worry.
However, tonight was one of those rare nights that his sense of calm was interrupted by an outward unfamiliar source. While sitting at the bar he got an unsettling feeling and wasn't quite sure where it was coming from or why. Studying his surroundings he didn't notice anything that was peculiar or out of place, that is until his eyes fell upon a dark spot in the back of the saloon that had a single table accompanied by a single patron who had their legs crossed and up upon its edge, smoking a nice rolled up cigarette. It was a man sitting so far in the back Ichigo couldn't really recognize much of his features let alone details of his clothes, but more or less he was wearing a tan trench coat with black lining with its sleeves rolled up and stopped just before the elbow, a black vest with a white shirt, black pants and black boots with silver plating on the tip of the boot. And lastly, a black cowboy hat with a silver band and beautiful cyan blue hair that stuck out from underneath it. With the way the man was sitting and at what angle, Ichigo couldn't tell if he was packing iron or not let alone had a belt, but he was pretty sure the man was packed.
Out of all the features Ichigo managed to pick out from afar, the most iconic of them all was a deathly piercing gaze of electric blue that were lit up by the fire light of the man's cigarette. And it was then Ichigo realized the man was staring straight at him. It sent a chill up the teenager's spine, causing the boy to quickly whip back around so that his attention was back on Sam. Even though his gaze was focused away, Ichigo still felt like he was being watched from afar by lightning blue eyes. The man was obviously new in town. Ichigo had never seen him before, but none of the other patrons seemed to be saying anything in relation so maybe this stranger wasn't as important as the impression he was getting just by looking at him.
"Hey Sam—"
"—what'cha need Ichigo?"
The boy motioned Sam to lean in closer so that he could talk at a lower tone as Sam put the glass down and began wiping the counter top while leaning in.
"Who's the man all the way in the back of the saloon with blue hair? I've never seen him before."
Sam didn't need to look to know who Ichigo was referring to as he replied back in a low tone, "You mean the one staring intently at you since you walked into the bar?"
Ichigo flinched at the thought as his muscles tensed accordingly. He couldn't help but wonder why the strange man was watching him in particular.
"That dear boy is an Espada."
Ichigo nearly gasped. He had never been outside of Waco, but he knew of the Espadas as well as the Reapers, but not with much detail.
"An Espada? Here? Why?"
"Who knows, but for whatever reason he's watching you. It's too bad you don't believe in carrying a gun, not that it would probably save you against a man like that."
Ichigo scowled a little. He had a reputation for kicking ass, but his reputation only went so far and only meant so much and Sam had a point. The Espadas are a group of killers, thieves, deceivers, bounty hunters and any kind of thug you could think of, all under the rule of one man whose name was rarely spoken. His name was Aizen, the leader of the Espadas, the group being the biggest gang of outlaws in Texas and always at war with the Reapers, also known as the Texas Rangers stationed in Austin.
"Do you know much about them?"
"I know as much as you do. I've only bartended in Waco and nowhere else, but I always keep tabs on any word that gets around. That's about it."
"Hasn't anyone said anything?"
"No. When an Espada comes into town it's like everyone goes hush-hush. No one wants to bother and no one wants to get entangled so they keep quiet to avoid confrontation of any kind. You know there's trouble if things go quiet. It's busy tonight, but no one's been sayin' anything."
Their conversation was interrupted as Gabe finally entered on the scene.
"Well howdy Ichigo. Good to know you're on time. Your father dropped by earlier today so I informed him that you'd be doing some work for me and would be home late. Ready to unload them' bottles?"
"Yeah and thanks. Last thing I need is my old man wondering where I am. Let's get er' done."
Soon enough Gabe had Ichigo outside by the wagon filled with shipped goods as he explained to the boy where the shipment needed to be placed and unloaded and soon enough Ichigo was working hard away at the shipment that was rather large and rather heavy, but nothing the orangenette couldn't handle. Easy steady gets the job done without breaking a back if the lifting is done correctly, knees bent first, back kept straight. Took around thirty minutes to unload everything and then another thirty to get it stocked away. Job paid well and was good exercise. It was getting late now and the bar was nearing to closing time, but it was still filled with quite a few patrons as Ichigo entered back on the scene, approaching the bar with sweat stains under his pits and sweat coming down the back of his neck and chest.
"You look like you could use some water, Ichigo."
"You read my mind Sam," the boy replied as he sat at the bar to give himself a well deserved rest as Sam brought him a large cold glass of water with some ice. The orangenette began to chug it down quickly as Sam filled it up a second time.
"You did a good job. Glad I came to you instead of the other guy I was thinking of hiring for the job. Here's your cut," Gabe stated as he came out from the back office with Ichigo's dough for the good work.
"Thanks Gabe," Ichigo replied as he took the money and placed it in his pocket. "If you ever need help again just give me a holler."
"Sure thing. I'd suggest you go home though. I'm sure your family is waitin' for yah."
"I will in a minute after I've taken a breather," the orangenette replied again in exasperation. He was rather exhausted from a loaded day of work at the stables and at the bar. Thank the heavens he has the next day off. However, what was supposed to be a relaxed cool down, slowly started to shift into a shady situation as Ichigo happened to look over his shoulder to see that the blue haired Espada was still sitting in the back idly and still watching Ichigo intently. Ichigo was becoming a bit nervous now as he quickly shot his glance back towards the bar wondering to himself, "What the hell is he still doing here? Is he really here for me? What the hell does he want?" What would normally warn people away instead ended up pushing the teen to the brink of irritation. He didn't like being watched without reason. Neither was he keen on the idea of someone starting up trouble in his town.
"I've seen that look on your face before Ichigo. Don't you go startin' trouble up in our bar," Sam warned in a quiet low tone so that only Ichigo could hear.
"I'm not starting trouble. I'm just going to go over and ask that man a few questions."
"If by ask you mean roughing that man up, don't you dare. Remember what I said earlier, about him being an Espada? It's just a death wish walking over—hey! Ichigo! Come back here!"
Sam started yelling lightly at the boy as Ichigo got up halfway through Sam's ranting as he began to make his way towards the back of the bar where the devil eyed bluenette sat quietly, undisturbed until now. Ichigo was stubborn, but he wasn't necessarily stupid as he approached with caution, the bluenette narrowing his gaze, keeping his hand lowered below the table and next to one of his guns just in case. The boy stopped at the table with his arms folded.
"Look mister, I'm not here to give you trouble but—"
"—then why the hell are you talking to me?"
The boy was put off by the stranger's rude short ended interruption of his talking as he retorted back in a bit of a stronger tone, "Because I don't like being stalked. If you've got business with me then state it."
Click
Ichigo suddenly heard the sound of the cocking of a trigger as his eyes fell down upon the table. He couldn't see anything from the way the man was sitting, but he knew that sound anywhere.
"You've got balls comin' over here and telling me what to do. Unless you want a bullet between those eyes of yours I suggest you take this opportunity to turn that little carrot top head of yours around and walk away. I don't give second chances."
Ichigo gritted his teeth as he saw a small grin appear upon the bluenette's face. It was jeering at him in a mocking manner, but before the boy could speak another word his thoughts were interrupted by small talk going on not that far behind him. It wasn't just any small talk however as the subject matter of conversation sounded all too familiar. The boy froze for a moment, darting his eyes to the side and completely ignoring the man he was confronting.
"Talbus Fischer? You mean the Grand Fischer? Yeah I heard about him, what of it?"
"I heard he's with the Espadas."
"I don't know about that, but I do know he's the most famous thief out there, robbin' banks all over Texas and Mississippi."
"Yeah, but Andy, didn't he start out here?"
"Yep, that's right. Talbus' early days of stealin' started right here in Waco. He tried to rob some poor bitch who was out on a walk with her son. She didn't have any valuables to give and so in exchange he took her son's life. Ha, ha, ha, poor wench. It's too bad too; she was a sweet little thing."
A chill shot up Ichigo's spine as he continued to listen to the men talking like stupid drunks as he turned his attention towards a table that sat near the front of the bar by the entrance.
"Not only was this Talbus' first attempts of stealing, it was also his first attempts of murder."
"What happened to the boy?"
"He lived, got away. Don't know how but he lives in Waco now from what I hear. I'm not originally from this area, but that's how the story goes. Apparently no one can catch the guy, not even the Texas Rangers."
Ichigo had heard enough as anger began to boil within his blood. For years he had been searching in the town for clues or whereabouts or even the name of the man that killed his mother, but there was nothing on Talbus. The murder of his mother was in the days before Talbus was ever known let alone famous, but now was Ichigo's chance to finally crack down on the hunt that he swore he would start as soon as he found information. With heavy striding steps Ichigo approached the table with the drunkards that were chattering a bit too loud as he grabbed Andy by the scuff of his shirt and out of his chair, yelling in demands.
"Where's Tablus?! Tell me where I can find him!"
At first Andy was a bit daunted by the sudden movement as at first he was sitting at the table minding his own business and then next thing he knows he's being picked up by his shirt and removed from his chair, confronted by a much younger strapping boy with orange hair. At first he was alarmed, but then laughter settled in as the drunkard chuckled in the boy's face, his alcohol scented breath giving off a repulsive stench.
"Why the hell doyou' wanna know?"
"That woman you were talking about WAS MY MOTHER!"
The ruckus began to stir the other patrons as they stared blankly, Sam and Gabe with their guns ready just in case anything got started.
"Ichigo! What in tarnation are yah doin?!"
The boy ignored Gabe as Andy continued to chuckle, "Oh, ho, ho, so you're that little boy that survived. Touchin' story, but I ain't tellin' you shit. Besides it's not like it's gonna do you any good. You wouldn't last out there for a day, stable boy, not to mention you're carrying around a holster with no gun in it. What'cha gonna do to him? Beat him to death with your words and your crying about your mama?"
Straw broke the camel's back.
In a determined a rage, Ichigo dragged Andy past the swinging doors and outside as he began to beat the tar out of the bar patron. The man's previous laughter soon faded to bloodied coughs as thrusting fists pounded into his sides before Ichigo finally stopped and demanded answers once more as he stood over Andy with his hands upon the man's shirt, keeping him held up slightly by the scuff of the shirt.
"TELL ME WHERE HE IS!"
Andy refused to talk as he grinned once and then spit a glob of blood at Ichigo's face, landing nearly upon his eye as the boy reacted and pushed the man back against the ground. Unfortunately however, the drunkard was not alone. He had other friends within the saloon as they quickly came out to assist their friend. Just as Ichigo was going to land a punch upon the man he was beating up, his arm was caught and then twisted around to his back, but the boy managed to get out of the hold as he used his free arm to elbow backwards into the man's ribs. Being freed, Ichigo got himself some distance as he was being surrounded by three other men. One after the other came at the boy as Ichigo began brawling with these men. With the orangenette occupied, this gave Andy a chance to get to his feet as he slowly rose to a stance…
…withdrawing his gun.
Then with a silent click he cocked his trigger and aimed at the boy, Ichigo's back turned as he was ready to pounce one of the men coming after him again. And then…
"…hey small fry."
"Huh?"
BANG
A gunshot echoed in the air as the fighting halted to a dead still. Ichigo froze as well as the other men as they all looked towards the direction of the saloon's entrance and there, standing in profound confidence was the blue haired Espada with his gun aimed and the barrel smoking from a recent unloading of a bullet. It was him that had fired a flesh wound shot into Andy's leg as the man fell to the ground groaning in pain. It wasn't a fatal shot, but it was bad enough to cripple and detain its victim from making any more moves. Ichigo stood in shock.
The Espada saved him?
"Only cowards shoot a man in the back without giving him the damn decency to ready his gun. As for the rest of yall, your boss is mine. Now get the hell out of here before I shoot the rest of yah."
Without question Andy's men left him for dead as they ran out of sight, leaving Ichigo to face the Espada alone, but the Espada paid no attention to the boy as the man attended to Andy, wrapping some cloth around the man's wound forcedly to keep him from bleeding out. When finished he then tied the man's wrists and ankles together to detain him completely, picked the man up, walking him over to the post where his white stallion horse was kept, and then threw the man over his horse. Wildly curious, Ichigo approached the man once again as he was busy readying the things on his horse.
"Um, mister? Thanks for…saving me."
The bluenette shot a glare at the boy, causing Ichigo to take a step back in nervous gesture as the man finally replied, "Didn't I tell you to go the hell away?"
"I just wanted to—"
"—keep your thanks. I didn't save you. That's not my style," the man retorted in snide interruption as he continued to ready his things on his horse.
"This runt here has a nice fat bounty on his head. He's a small fry, but it caught my attention. I managed to track him to this town and found him at the bar. Of course the second I entered the bar he knew exactly who I was and why I was there. So he forced me into a waiting game to see how long either of us could sit and wait before one or the other gave up, or maybe he was just biding his time, knowing he wouldn't be able to escape. Either way we were there for hours until you showed up of course and to my convenience you confronted him on an entirely different useless matter and dragged him out of the bar for me. So I decided to take advantage of your stupidity and catch my bounty."
Ichigo was a bit dumbfounded by the man's actions and words. He didn't know if to feel grateful that he wasn't shot or to be annoyed by the man's insistent gesture of condescending mocking attitude.
"By the way, do yourself a favor and carry a gun. Fists can accomplish a lot of things, but you can't punch a bullet."
Finishing up his business, the man got atop his horse as he lead it out from the post and was about to ride off before Ichigo interrupted his ride.
"Wait! Could you…at least tell me your name?"
The blue haired devil looked down upon the boy with bright orange hair that seemed to glow in the darkness of the night that nearly covered over glimmering golden brown eyes.
"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the 6th Espada."
Almost enamored by the moment the boy replied back with a cocky courtesy, "Ichigo Kurosaki."
Not giving the moment another thought, Grimmjow's horse moved about restlessly before the man finally nudged it to go as he traveled silently…
…into the night.