Author's note: First time writing a Bleach fanfic. Of course, the characters will be OOC at first, but as the chapters increase, they'll fall into character and you'll understand why they don't seem themselves at the beginning.
Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. I'm just a wandering soulless person.
Mood:Apathetic
Listening to: Ali Project
Physical Condition: A bit off
Falling into Insanity
Chapter One
It was from the shadowy slums of the alleyways. It called itself the Hollow. The Hollow liked to stay in the darkness, relishing the danger it came across in the alleys. It savored the taste of danger, the taste of fear, and the taste of the darkness. Twisting itself into a shadow, it waited, intense with excitement and fear.
Footsteps. Uncertain footsteps, hesitating and reluctant, resonated through the alleys. The Hollow twitched, alert and wary. It pressed its ear against the moldy brick walls, intent to hear the wavering footsteps of the fearful wanderer. An unholy, satanic grin split across its face. Another one.
Slithering through the shadows, the Hollow came to view on the wanderer. A mere child, he was, and hardly enough for danger. But a victim was a victim, and they rarely came upon the alleys of the Hollow. A purple tongue flicked out, licked dry lips. The Hollow felt a thrill of excitement. It was ready.
The thrill of tasting fear, the thrill of danger, and the thrill of sinful lust filled the air, metallic and sharp. The Hollow bit into its victim, savoring in its taste, relishing in the taste of fear. The victim hung limp, mutilated, and barely recognizable in the Hollow's strong, deathly white arms. Dumping the victim unceremoniously in the middle of the alleyway, the Hollow slipped away, back into the dangerous shadows.
Of course, the danger in the shadows wasn't the shadows; it was the Hollow.
---
Kurosaki Ichigo, renowned bounty hunter, tall, well-built, handsome, and orange-haired, frowned over his coffee and newspaper that arrived late as usual, a courtesy of the lumpy paperboy. He frowned at his coffee, which did not look like coffee at all but like milk with a dash of chocolate in it. He frowned at the creamer, realizing that he had put a bit too much, too intent on today's story in the local news. So Kurosaki Ichigo frowned at his newspaper instead, as if reprimanding it for distracting him.
Today's headline blared out: Thirteenth Murder Victim Found in Same Alley! A grainy picture of a mutilated body lay underneath the big bold letters. Ichigo lowered his gaze to the article, scanning through the usual pointless babble of the reporters. He threw the paper aside and downed the rest of his coffee. It was time for work.
Pulling on a dark green trench coat, Ichigo stepped into his brown boots and left his house. He unlocked his black mustang, pride of his heart, and swung himself coolly into his seat. The neighbor next door, a pretty light-haired girl, sighed dreamily from the fence. It was only a pity that Ichigo never realized he had a neighbor, nevertheless a pretty neighbor who tried to talk to him whenever she could.
Ichigo revved up his car and drove to his office.
To his dismay, once Ichigo pulled into the parking lot, his fellow bounty hunter, Abarai Renji, had already arrived before him. The sign of a sleek, candy apple red Volvo brought Ichigo's spirits down considerably. That meant Ichigo couldn't ignore him or pretend he wasn't there. Sighing, Ichigo braced himself. He waited as he strode to the office door and opened it. He waited for the nuisance as he walked past the lounge and to his office. He waited for the annoying guy as he opened his office and was greeted by a grinning, red-haired man with a ponytail and several tattoos.
"Hey! What's up, Ichi?" The red-haired man drawled out, feet propped up on Ichigo's desk and sprawled over Ichigo's nice leather chair.
Ichigo forced out a painful smile. "Get off my chair and put your feet on the ground." It was said all rather forcefully as Ichigo tried to maintain a nice, normal level voice.
"Nah. This is quite comfy." The red-haired man shook his head. He stretched. Ichigo's nerves stretched out and broke.
A series of "ow!", "ah!", "what the fuck, man?!", and "alright, alright!" –s ended with a very much bruised Abarai Renji stumbling out of the renowned Kurosaki Ichigo's office.
The door slammed with a loud snap, and Ichigo, feeling considerably better, cleaned his office and sat down in his chair. He felt satisfied when he heard Renji complain to the secretary, Kuchiki Rukia.
Turning on his computer and ready for research, Ichigo realized that there was a note on his desk. Reading quickly, Ichigo furrowed his brow. His boss, the antisocial aristocratic jerk of all ages, Kuchiki Byakuya, wanted to see him. Curiosity heightening, Ichigo promptly left his office and headed to see his boss.
Stopping by a mahogany polished door, Ichigo knocked, face grim. An imperious "come in" was the cue for Ichigo to go in. Grimacing, Ichigo stepped inside. The room was spacious, coldly elegant, and cold. Glad that he had not chosen to shed his coat, Ichigo approached the silent and dark figure of Byakuya. The elegant man was standing, facing out the window, hands behind his back.
"Kuchiki." Ichigo almost wanted to shoot himself for sounding like a snob.
"Kurosaki." Byakuya turned around, impassively surveying Ichigo. They locked gazes, each disliking the other. Finally, after some grueling eye muscle exercises, Byakuya looked away. Ichigo mentally enjoyed a brief period of triumph, then sat down on the guest sofa.
"So, what is it that requires my assistance?" Ichigo inquired politely, though inwardly cringing at such formality.
Byakuya turned his head to face Ichigo. His eyes were serious. "You have heard about the murder cases at Hueco Mundo way." It was not a question; Byakuya hardly asked questions.
Ichigo nodded, feeling as if that Byakuya was going to ask him a rare question next.
"I need you to catch the murderer as soon as possible. If you refuse, I will deduct your salary. If you agree, I will raise your salary. And," Byakuya fixed an icy cold gaze on Ichigo, "failure is not permitted."
Ichigo's mouth fell open, despite his previous outer cool. Okay, so Byakuya didn't ask Ichigo if he wanted to take over the mission, he shoved it into Ichigo's mouth with no escape route.
"You may leave." Byakuya ordered him, and Ichigo floated out.
His head was currently feeling a bit stuffed. This was crazy. Ichigo blinked, and then snapped out of it. He felt a tiny bit excited. It has been a while, Ichigo admitted, since he had an exciting mission. As a bounty hunter, Ichigo mainly sat in his office and researched and occasionally went out to catch the wanted. None of them were as exciting; the wanted were mostly drug dealers and people mixed into the mafia. But a murderer, a mass murderer! Ichigo almost skipped at the prospect of an actually exciting hunt.
He walked quickly to his office, turned off his computer, locked his office, and then almost ran out of the building. He skipped towards his car, drove home, and changed into clothes that he liked more.
Feeling a lot comfortable, Ichigo grabbed his gun, Zangetsu, and set off for the back alleys.
---
The Hollow was bored. It gazed dully at the dull white walls is lived in. The sickening smell of medicine and cleaning detergents floated into his room. The door was open, and nurses were rushing about, carrying medical supplies, food, or medicine to the patients.
Squatting in a corner, the Hollow idly smashed a spider. The Hollow turned around, twitching as a nurse came in. The nurse was motherly, and the Hollow hated her. The Hollow wanted to kill her, but couldn't. It couldn't kill anything it hated.
"Shiro!" The nurse smiled pleasantly. "It's time to take your medicine." She was carrying a tray of pills and water. 'Shiro' made a face. "Do I have to?" His voice was raspy and hoarse.
"Of course!" The nurse set the tray down on the table. "It's important to stay healthy."
Grumbling, 'Shiro' slouched over to the table. He stared at the pills, a wave of nausea sweeping over him. "Nurse," He raised his head, "Can I take them later?"
The nurse sighed. "As long as you take them today, it's fine."
"Thanks." 'Shiro' smiled, hoping the nurse would be fooled by his act.
The nurse smiled back. "I'll be back to bring you your lunch, dear." She left, closing the door quietly after her.
'Shiro' dropped his innocent act. He went back to being the Hollow, his favorite form. Taking out a lighter he had stolen from one of his victims, the Hollow burned the medicine in the bathroom and washed down the remains down the sink. He slipped the lighter back into his pocket, and drank the water thirstily.
He opened the window, catching a breath of air. Yellow eyes scanned the scenery. The usual smog, the usual crap and cluster of tall buildings, sky scrapers. He hated this place. He left the window open and sat on his white bed.
It was all white. His walls, his bed, his table, his skin, his hair, and everything he saw. He hated white. He hated the word 'I', the words 'he', 'she'. He loved the word 'it'. 'It' wasn't human-sounding. 'It' was the Hollow.
The Hollow smiled. 'It' was ready to find another victim.
---
Ichigo walked through the dark alleyways of Hueco Mundo. The ground was covered in dust, in filth, and a smell of decay reeked from the trash. Ichigo couldn't help but wonder why people often strayed to such a terrible place. Looking up, Ichigo saw that the broken down buildings hid the sunlight. The shadows made the place sinister, even in the day.
It took a while before Ichigo came to the conclusion that there was nothing to be found in the alleyways beside residues of past murders, filth, and trash. He was about to give up until he heard a faint rustling behind him.
Ichigo turned around, sense tingling. "Hey, whoever you are, come out. You ain't scaring me." He drawled, shoving his hands into his pockets.
An albino with startling yellow eyes shuffled out from the shadows. The albino was thin, but was obviously not weak. He wore faded blue jeans, worn-out sneakers, and a rumpled black t-shirt. His face was drawn-out, ill-looking, but wary.
"Who are you?" Ichigo asked, wondering what the hell the guy was doing in a place like this.
"Shiro." The guy said in a hoarse voice. "Who are you?"
"I'm Ichigo. What the hell are you doing in a place like this?" He asked.
"I-I stumbled here by accident." Shiro said, yellow eyes flickering. "What are you doing?"
"Walking around." Ichigo jerked his head at the exit. "I came here wondering how dangerous this place can be."
Shiro smiled. "It's very dangerous." His eyes flickered.
"If it's dangerous, then what are you doing here?" Ichigo asked, wondering whether the guy was the killer.
"I'm here by accident. I got lost." Shiro explained, matter-of-factly.
"Really. Then why are you hiding in the shadows?" Ichigo tilted his head, brown eyes boring into yellow ones.
"I thought you were the killer, so I hid." Shiro grinned, showing white and pointed teeth.
Ichigo barked a laugh. "Sure. But anyways, if I were you, I'd leave."
"You're not leaving." Shiro pointed out.
"I'll leave if you leave." Ichigo offered.
"I don't know how to get out." Shiro said blandly.
"I do. Follow me." Ichigo turned on his heel and began to walk. Shiro stood still for a moment, then followed after Ichigo.
Shiro was 'Shiro'. Shiro wasn't being the Hollow yet. Shiro felt like if he turned into the Hollow, then man called Ichigo will just laugh and think it was a joke. Shiro didn't like laughter to accompany his victims, so Shiro decided that Ichigo wouldn't be his victim today.
"Hey, you in there?" Ichigo asked Shiro, face concerned. He peered into Shiro's face. Shiro, feeling a bit warm and uncomfortable under Ichigo's gaze, muttered, "I'm fine."
"If you're fine, then you wouldn't mind getting some lunch with me, would you?" Ichigo smiled. It was amazing to Shiro to see how Ichigo could look attractive by furrowing his brow and smiling at the same time.
The smile caused Shiro to feel something very much like a thrill. Shiro suppressed the shudder that threatened to rise up. "I-I don't have money." Shiro stammered.
"It's fine." Ichigo smiled again. Shiro felt a strange feeling in his heart. Shiro wanted to take the smile off Ichigo's face. It bothered him, made him feel strange.
They stopped by a small café, away from the Hueco Mundo alleys. Shiro hadn't even noticed they left the dark. A waitress came to take their order, and Shiro watched Ichigo closely. Ichigo was like a radiant light; it hurt to stare at him, so Shiro lowered his eyes and looked at the menu.
It was after the meal did Shiro realize that he wanted to be the Hollow again. "I need to go." Shiro said quickly to Ichigo. "Thanks for the meal, and –"
"Do you want to hang out again?" Ichigo interrupted. He looked at Shiro.
Shiro blinked. "S-sure."
"Alright, cool. I'll meet you here tomorrow at the noon." Ichigo grinned. "See you tomorrow!" He waved as Shiro took his leave.
"See ya." Shiro waved back and walked away as fast as he could without looking like he was running. He took a detour, and then ended up back at the alleyways.
Back to the shadows. Shiro slid into the Hollow. Breathing a sigh of relief, the Hollow opened ecstatic eyes and saw another wanderer, a girl calling for her lost dog. Wild giggles erupted from the back of the Hollow's throat as it laid hungry eyes on the girl. It was time to hunt.
---
Ichigo felt a strange shiver run down his back. There was something wrong with the guy, something not right.
"Shiro…" He said aloud, wondering what lay beyond impassive yellow eyes. There was a reason why Ichigo chose to get into contact with him. He was pretty sure that Shiro had something to do with the murders, or be the murderer if Ichigo found enough evidence. Getting friendly with the suspicious was a tactic.
Ichigo stopped in his tracks, the middle of a crowd of busy passerby. It just occurred to him that no one could 'accidentally' stumble into the alleyways. He turned around and started to head back to the dark streets.
---
The Hollow licked the blood off its lips. It stared down at the mangled, fresh body through bored yellow eyes. For some reason, victimizing the unsuspected wasn't as fun as before. Its eyes narrowed. Ichigo. It was Ichigo's fault. All the more to torture him.
Maybe the dullness of the kill will leave if the Hollow destroyed Ichigo. Would it? The Hollow frantically shook its head. That wouldn't be fun. It would be better to stop victimizing others for a while.
A thrill shuddered through the Hollow's lanky body as it imagined the fun of hunting down Ichigo. Hunting him down for good.
Just as the Hollow was about to step out from the shadows and leave, echoing steps bounced into hearing. The Hollow backed into the shadows, silent and invisible.
It was Ichigo. Ichigo, panting and wide-eyed, staring down at the mangled body of another death.
"Oh my god." Ichigo exhaled, trying not to scream and run in terror. He couldn't believe that he was just here a moment before. Taking out a small cell phone, Ichigo dialed 911, heart thumping loudly.
The Hollow watched him, staring at Ichigo's shocked expression with glee. A purple tongue flicked out and licked dry white lips. The Hollow felt a tightening in its stomach when Ichigo twisted around, insecure and unsure. A sweat broke over the Hollow; the effort to withhold itself from biting that smooth, tanned neck was slipping. Clenching white fists tightly, the Hollow did not feel the sharp nails cut into calloused palms; it was intent on watching Ichigo.
The sound of sirens and honks brought the Hollow back from his daze. Ichigo turned his back to the shadows, walking to the police cars. The Hollow chose that moment to slither away.
In his white hospital room, Shiro gripped his hair tightly. His hands were shaking, his body was shaking. Images of an orange-haired man flashed in and out, accompanied with blood. Shiro gasped for air as his body convulsed in a series of spasms. He fell off the bed with a crash, bringing down several objects down with him. His nurse burst into the room with the doctor. They fussed over him, and the doctor prepared an injection.
As the doctor lowered the needle, Shiro saw red. He lashed out, knocking the needle away. "No! No shots! No shots!" He screamed, scrambling to a corner.
The doctor looked at the needle helplessly, then back to Shiro, who was shaking and huddled in the corner. He turned to the nurse and whispered something. The nurse nodded, pale, and the doctor left the room. Shiro relaxed, suddenly tired. He stood up suddenly, startling the nurse, and climbed back into his bed. He drew the covers over him and closed his eyes.
Orange.
Shiro opened his eyes with a snap. He needed to get rid of orange. The Hollow agreed, soft laughter echoing inside Shiro's mind. Orange was Ichigo. Ichigo was orange. Shiro closed his eyes again, a twisted smile on his face. No more victims, only Ichigo.
When the doctor strode back to Shiro's room with several male nurses, he found the nurse quietly straightening the things that fell on the floor and a sleeping patient.
Brows furrowed, the doctor left the room, nurses in tow. He needed to consult the medical chart again, this time on what mental disease Shiro had.
Ichigo sat, shivering, in the police office. After hours of interrogation, the police let him collect his wits again before he left. Pictures of broken flesh, scattered blood and innards haunted Ichigo's thoughts. How was he supposed to find the culprit? Ichigo hugged himself self-consciously. For the first time of his life, he was afraid.
---
End. I feel like I have to explain something before anyone gets confused. First, I'd like to say that Shiro is too twisted to describe. He refers his 'other' self as the Hollow, which is more menacing than him in general. Second of all, the Hollow (Shiro's even darker side) thinks of himself as 'it' because he doesn't think he's human. Third of all, if the characters are OOC, then that's because I'm trying to fit them into the plot. The characters will slowly get into character as the story progresses on. And fourth, the story's moving a bit fast because I'm impatient and sometimes I lose my train of thought. Lastly, I'm tired. Review and enjoy!