Hey oh my gosh! It has been what feels like absolutely 10 years since I have touched this fic and I'm definitely planning to continue it, don't worry! I appreciate everyone's reviews (Even though they're all from 2012-2014 and it's now 2018 ahahahaha…..) Anyways! I am redoing this fic! I have an outline done for chapters 1-9 which generally stay along the same lines as the ones already posted. However, when I wrote this fic at first, I was only about 14 years old, and you're dealing with a whole new demon now. A few things I'd like to say before we get into it, please bear with me here; Some characters may seem OOC for you, and that's okay because I am not Kubo Tite, these character's are not my own, and their canon portrayal is sometimes hard to capture in simply words, versus pictures. However, that's not saying I won't try my absolute best to stay in character for most of the characters and situations they're in. The most OOC you'll see is Shiro (or Zangetsu, as we now know him, aka Ichigo's Hollow.) As you get to reading, not all characters may be as they seem, I have some headcanons for them born from being a long time fan, and reading a lot of fanfiction myself, however if anything seems absolutely wrong, please let me know (gently, don't be an ass)
And just a quick reminder, almost all of the characters belong to Kubo Tite, NOT myself. There is only one OC, the rest are all bleach characters that I have no right to claim as my own, their ownership belongs to Kubo Tite!
Now without further ado, here is the revamped version of chapter 1, of my untitled Grimmjow/Ichigo Fanfiction, and eventually this will have a name…. I'll think of something.
The streets that cut into the eastern side of Karakura, Japan, at night were nothing shy of dangerous. Nightlife anywhere had it's risks, but if you were smart, you'd stay far away from these streets. Lanky figures stalked the sidewalks, and j-walked from area to area, uncaring of the few and far in between cars driving in the area. The stench of the underground piping, dumpsters stacked high with trash and lord knows what else, of sex, alcohol, vomit, if it's gross, it's on the ground somewhere, the smell made worse by the thick mist and gentle drizzle suffocating the city with humidity. It was a warm night, falling easily into the 90's, temperature wise, the last vestiges of summer still clinging onto this part of Japan like static on a rug.
The echoing din of the clubs that were dotting the area like pimples was low, the base a background noise, the doors of those places were thick steel, and insulated, definitely not up to date with the fire codes, but the police and the government didn't really look at this part of town…. No, this place was owned by more ruthless, wild people.
The general quiet was interrupted in favor of pounding footsteps, fast, and balanced, a steady beat
A drop of water fell from the gutter into a puddle below, it's waves just barely reaching the edges before a foot slammed into it, splashing the ground already permeated with water.
A few blocks away….
He'd been there for the better part of an hour, contemplating just how he wound himself underage, in a club, listening to one of his closest friends point out which guy was tingling his "gaydar," but his mind came up blank. Kurosaki Ichigo wasn't the most social of people, a scowl generally kept the public at an arms distance at school and outside of school, but he had his group. Hirako Shinji was part of that group, and as he continued prattle off "oh my, Ichi look!" at passing men and explaining why each one was "definitely closeted" he really wondered if he made a mistake befriending the lanky blonde.
The club was… an interesting scene, and he hadn't yet been to this one before. Ichigo didn't quite snag the name of the place, but getting to it had been an anxiety inducing experience, having to walk through the worst part of Karakura just to get there, as no cabs would dare drive through these parts at night.
The flashing lights strobing in blues and greens were getting to him though, along with the heavy bass and warm bodies around them, he wanted to leave. Crowds weren't his scene, and he could feel his throat constricting slightly now that his mind was focused on his surroundings more intensely, drowning out Shinji's drabble in the bass and his current predicament. He could feel the anxiety attack bubbling up within his diaphragm and he knew he had to get out, even briefly.
Standing up with a nod to shinji and a quick "I'll be back," Ichigo started making his way towards the exit, brushing past the throbbing bodies around him and dodging over zealous partiers. It took longer than it should have to reach the exit, despite himself being completely sober, and by the time he pushed the door open and took a solid step onto the concrete of the alley next to the club, he could hardly draw in a full breath. His lungs wouldn't open fully and he knew that if he didn't calm down, he'd end up curled up behind a dumpster for an hour.
He took a few steadying breathes, fighting his trembling body to pull them as deep as he could and letting them out through his nose slowly, closing his eyes. It was the last weekend before his senior year started, but he should have known better than to let Shinji bring him out to somewhere like this. He let out a quick sigh, forcing it out of his lungs in frustration and groped the sides of his jeans, looking for his phone, a quick distraction. Pulling it out, he opened it up and scrolled through the messages,
Shi (10 minutes ago);
Ye ok, u lil shit. See u later
Rukia K (23 minutes ago);
Where are you? I need to talk to you this weekend, preferably asap.
Yuzu (48 minutes ago);
Ichi-nii, I left some leftovers in the fridge for you when you get home, be safe 😊 Karin's still expecting you to play a round with her tomorrow, don't stay out too late!
He grumbled at the first two, but the message from his little sister calmed him down, and a small smile found his lips thinking about her and her twin, Karin. He decided it was a bit too late to reply, she was most likely in bed and he didn't want to keep her up, so he pocketed his phone after checking the time, 11:36pm, not too bad.
Feeling relatively calmer, he went back inside, joining Shinji in the fray of things, and within minutes the insufferable, loveable blonde had managed to coerce him into dancing.
Could be a worse night, might as well make the most of his last weekend before school.
Two hours later, not too far away….
His breath came in short, harsh pants as he pumped his arms and legs, sprinting through the streets, his heart pounding in his chest so hard he felt like his breastbone would shatter from the force. He hadn't been this worked up in years, the fear triggering his fight or flight instincts, but he knew fighting was out of the question. He had the item, his mission was practically complete, he just had to make it out of this alive and mostly unscathed.
However, footsteps thundering behind him in a cacophony of pounding shot that out of his mind, these men had weapons, guns and batons in their hands, tucked into their belts, he thought he had given them the slip a few blocks back, but they caught up.
In, out
Keep running..
In, out
Faster, faster, faster…
In, out
Left, right, left, straight, left
The men kept hot on his trail, nearly catching up, he was running out of stamina, he could feel an ache in his whole body, sweat practically falling from him in rivulets, his hair matted and soaked under the thick beanie he wore to keep the color hidden.
A sudden bang, loud and reverberating the streets, and he didn't have to think twice. That was a gunshot, and he distantly wondered if it hit anyone, if anyone had gotten shot, adrenaline slamming through his body like a wave even as he felt his shoulder jerk, but he just kept moving. Muscle spasms were strange, but he didn't have time to dwell on it.
The streets and buildings and signs were practically blurs, he just kept focusing on the sidewalk in front of him.
Movement caught his attention, right up ahead, and he couldn't slow down or stop completely against the person stepping out quickly in front of him, a baton poised and shooting out quicker than he could counter. It connected harshly with his lower abdomen, the force of it bending him over unwillingly and pushing all of the air out of his lungs. He had less than two seconds to catch his breath before they were on him, all of them.
Fists connected hard with his face and upper body, harsh kicks delivered to his legs and torso, but he gave it as good as he got, twisting sharply and elbowing a smaller man right in the face harsh enough to break his nose, the satisfying crunch and following cry soothing his pride, but there were five other men, and he knew he couldn't fight them all and get out okay.
He shoved one, and punched another sharply in the side of the jaw, barely dodging a headshot with a baton, and he took his chance and ran.
His adrenaline rush was practically gone now, only his instincts and the urge to get away were keeping him moving, his body and mind bone tired after running for hours.
Another bang, but this time he knew, without a doubt, that he had been shot.
It just skimmed his thigh, but the burning pain that exploded from the area was enough to nearly send him crashing to the ground, but he kept moving.
Just keep going
Keep going
Move
Move
A flash of seafoam green hair and gray eyes sparkling with childish glee and excitement flashed in his mind, and he sped up, pushing himself beyond what he thought he could do. A distant part of his mind noted that he hadn't been shot just once, but he ignored it, blanking out and just moving.
The footsteps weren't following anymore, but he kept going, until he couldn't anymore.
The ground rushed to meet him, but he caught himself on his hands, his hands protesting harshly and burning, but he didn't think on it, nor did he think about his knees, and the jeans he knew that were completely ruined. He unsteadily got to his feet, blurring eyes looking for any sort of hiding place…
An alley caught his attention, and he moved, his body protesting in sharp agony, until he made it into the alley and behind a large dumpster, against a tall chain fence. He practically fell against the wall of the building, his chest heaving harshly, even as his legs gave out and he slipped to the ground, wincing and groaning at the intensity his entire body throbbed.
A tickle in his throat forced a rough, jarring cough, and he couldn't fight the heaviness of his eyelids.
The body in the alleyway slowly slumped down against the ground, a sluggish trickle of blood making its way onto the disgusting concrete beneath.
Meanwhile…
Stumbling out of the club with a not so sober Shinji was harder than it looked, despite the man being such a skinny, lanky fuck. Ichigo struggled to keep not only himself, but also the blonde upright, and despite being completely sober himself, it was a struggle, thankfully his best friend Chad had met up with them not too long ago, and after saying a quick few words to one of the bouncers of the club, came over to help relieve ichigo of his charge. Shinji wasn't that drunk, but enough where he stumbled. Chad, the gentle giant, an angel in disguise, held shinji's elbow and helped him along as I walked at Shinji's other side. It was a long walk back to their part of Karakura, but he was glad for his friends.
Chat had been in Ichigo's life since the beginning of highschool, the two of them finding easy friendship in the other. The tall, burly Mexican was a gentle soul, and not very talkative, but he was the most understanding and patient person Ichigo had ever met, and the only one who knew about his panic disorder. Chad respected Ichigo's decision to keep it quiet, after having been at Ichigo's side during many attacks from bullies due to the redhead's hair color, he knew it would only fuel the fire, so he supported his friend, and Ichigo was grateful for it.
Shinji, however, was more of a social butterfly, but no less important to Ichigo. He and Shinji met when the blonde transferred to their highschool in the middle of sophomore year, and at first, the two hated eachother, getting into little spats that everyone else called "lovers quarrels." But after fighting they found small pieces of common ground, and have since then been thick as thieves. Shinji somehow manages to bring out Ichigo's more social side, pushing him to test his own boundaries and limits when it comes to comfort, but the redhead was glad of it.
They walked together down the sidewalks, slinking between buildings and conversing quietly between themselves, Shinji going on about a guy he had seen at the club.
"Ichi I tell ya, he was so for it, I felt like I was bein undressed by his eye!" at that, the redhead scoffed, and looked over at the blonde, disbelieving.
"Shin, I think you've had too many drinks tonight… That guy was definitely glaring. Besides, he was kinda creepy as fuck" he replied, knowing Shinji would hear none of it, but the guy really was creepy. Fucker had an eyepatch on, cause that's totally normal right?
"Bah, ya just jealous berry," Shinji sing songed, like what he had just told the blonde went in one ear and out the other, but Ichigo knew he was fighting a loosing battle with his tipsy friend, so he just chuckled and didn't reply.
They made it a few blocks without incident, with the hoods of their thin hoodies pulled up and Shinji behaving himself as well as he could. It seemed that even inebriated, he knew better than to act a fool in this part of town, and Ichigo was glad. Chad was a quiet, solid presence next to them, his eyes sharp as they looked around, watching out for anything fishy, and Ichigo did the same, because while he and Chad could handle themselves, he didn't know how well Shinji could hold up if push came to shove, which is why Ichigo chose to not drink, especially since technically it was illegal, being that they were underaged.
So lost in his worries, he didn't notice Chad stopping suddenly, until he felt Shinji stumble, and he whipped around to shoot Chad a curious look.
"Chad? You good?" he asked, before taking a step to stand next to his friend and follow his line of sight.
"Theres someone back there" Chad murmured, moving into the alley before Ichigo could even reply, but instead of replying he took a look as Shinji and then moved into the alley himself, curious but worried, and it settled in his gut heavily.
The alley itself had an air about it, the bricks of the buildings on either side spray painted over and over, no logo discernable from another, creating a mish mash of colors and shapes. He saw the dumpster, barely taking note of how it looked, piled high with black and white trash bags and just general trash, practically oozing a disgusting, cringe worthy scent that was too close to how throw up smells for Ichigo's comfort, but he followed chad in, and past the dumpster, straining his eyes to see better in the dark, the street lights and emergency lights casting an eerily warm, sickly glow about the alley, but not light enough.
When his eyes finally fell to a rest on what Chad was talking about before, his breath stuttered to a halt in his chest, his mouth falling into a small 'o' of surprise and mild panic at the state of the slumped figure in front of him.
It was a man, a larger man, haphazardly curled up on the ground against one of the buildings and the fence, surrounded by glass shards and old alcohol bottles, but he knew without a doubt the man didn't leave that there. The man was wearing a big, thick black hoodie, and jeans torn in so many places. His sneakers were practically shred in some places, and the beanie upon the mans head was slipping to the side towards the ground, revealing hair Ichigo recognized, but the face was in rough shape, and seeing a trail of blood, partially dried running from his nose down to his mouth and from there, to the ground, was enough to kick Ichigo into clinic mode. He knew this man on the ground, and he was in bad shape.
He took a quick step closer to the fallen figure and kneeled down, careful of the broken glass scattered around the wet concrete, reaching out for the man's shoulder, but thinking better of it. He went instead for the man's neck, because he couldn't see a definite rise and fall of breathing under the thick hoodie 'who wore something like this in this weather though, really?' was a distant thought in Ichigo's mind, but he kicked it aside and moved two fingers underneath the man's jaw, searching for a pulse. He let out a sigh of relief as he found one, relatively weak but definitely there, and then went to try and wake the man with a gentle shake on his shoulder.
No response.
He frowned, but he could practically smell the metallic tang of blood, the thick humidity only making it more prominent.
A voice startled him, forgetting that shinji and chad were still here, and not noticing that Shinji had moved into the alley as well to see what was happening.
"That's… Jaegerjaquez, ain't it?" the blonde questioned, no inflection of negativity in his tone or words
Ichigo grunted in response, not knowing what to say. He knew the guy, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, went to school with him, hell they were in most academic classes together. He couldn't focus on that right now though, Grimmjow needed medical attention as soon as possible, and Ichigo didn't have any supplies on him. He also knew, by where Grimmjow was passed out and the general disposition of the man, that a hospital would be a bad idea to bring him, and further away.
"Chad, could you…. Could you carry him back to my place? To the clinic? He needs medical attention." He asked, knowing his friend would do it without asking, but wanting to anyways.
Chad simply nodded, moving around Ichigo and sliding his hands under Grimmjow's back and thighs, almost easily lifting the man in one swift movement. Ichigo was surprised, considering that even though Chad was a huge guy, Grimmjow wasn't small himself. He'd never seen the two stand close to eachother, but blue haired classmate was a tall, thick figure that cut through the school, he had to be heavy. However, Chad lifted him with ease, and started walking towards the street and out of the alley. The shock of the situation was beginning to wear off, but it still took Ichigo a moment to realize that he was alone in the alley before he shot up and jogged back onto the street behind his friends, taking a moment to grab Shinji's left arm and sling it over his own shoulder and warp his arm around shinji's middle to help him walk.
The walk was silent, everyone stuck in their own heads about the situation. Shock seemed to have sobered Shinji up a bit, but no one dared speak a word.
What a way to end his summer vacation.
Thank you for taking time to read my revamped version of chapter 1! I'm really excited to redo this story and fix some of the mistakes I had made in the previous version, I hope you enjoyed it, and I'm sorry that this story had been left alone for so long!
I'll see you in the next chapter
With love, Aerosyne, now Mojave