Second Chapter to Life of An Outlaw!
Took forever to write because I kept revising
Enjoy!
Ichigo knelt by the creek and splashed water on his face, dragging a hand to wipe off the excess water. He sighed and dried his face with the collar of his shirt. He never liked riding with a companion, unless that person was Rukia, but today she had had important noble crap to do today, so she couldn't come. It was a pain to calm down Rin, who was Yuzu's horse, when he walked Zangetsu out of his stall, the chestnut whining pitifully with big eyes.
He knew Rukia hated being noble, but she never said anything to her brother, which he didn't get at all.
"It's all about image and respect, Ichigo." She had said, sitting against the door of Zangetsu's stall. "My family name is one of the most respected names in Japan, and that is the result of image. Being the younger sister of the head with no son or daughter to call his own means someday I will take over, so working on image and going to fancy stuck up dinners now is a must." Ichigo wearily shook his head, stroking Zangetsu's mane. "I still don't get it."
She laughed and lazily waved a hand in the air around her. "It's all a game, a dangerous game, and I'm stuck playing. If you don't play by the rules they walk right over you." She smirked and teased, "Of course, I wouldn't expect you to understand, Strawberry. It's probably too much for your little brain to handle."
Ichigo stood up from his kneeled position by the creek, running a hand through his orange hair. A faint gunshot echoed through the mountains and e rolled his eyes. A careless hunter was out and about.
The bushes quivered a little aways and his hand automatically crept to his hip, eyes narrowed. Faint hoof beats broke the still silence that had followed the gunshot. Ichigo turned slightly, keeping the bushes in the corner of his eye, and clicked his tongue softly. Zangetsu's ears perked and he folded his legs under him with a grumble, his form completely hidden by the bush he'd been grazing by.
Ichigo silently crept up a tree, grim determination burning in his eyes. If it was a thief or outlaw he would protect his town. Years of attacks from his dad and town raiders could make anyone wary.
He leaned against the trunk, his feet under him as he crouched, one hand holding onto a branch for balance, the other still holding the handle to one of his guns, completely hidden in the shadows. The bushes shuddered with every hoof beat on the ground, the sound becoming louder and louder while another shot rang out, this one much closer.
Ichigo held his breath as the forest became silent, hand tightening on his gun. His gaze was drawn back to the bushes as they quivered again, hevy but soft foot falls on the ground.
Out clomped a pure white Camarillo, it's head jerking around with it's ears alert. It's bridle jingled with every swing of it's graceful neck. He let out a breath and looked over the horse. On it's back was a leather saddle with packs tied behind it. It seemed the animal was healthy enough to prove it had an owner, if the bridle, saddle, and packs didn't point out that obvious observation. Ichigo relaxed his stance. "Now where's your owner, little one?"
The horses head swung around in alarm and stared at Ichigo, eyes intelligently raking his form, resting slightly on his relaxed hand on the handle of one of his guns. A low whistle rang out and the horse jumped to attention, it's head jerking to the right, a soft neigh coming from it's lips.
Ichigo tensed again as another figure came out. He tried and succeeded to hold in his gasp of surprise. A young woman sprinted out of the bushes, one hand holding on to her shoulder, another holding an old pistol, her breath coming in gasps. She crouched low by the horses legs and Ichigo got a good look at her face, already knowing who he would see. The artist had been amazingly accurate with his drawing. The eyes were shaped just right but didn't do them justice. They were the most unusual color he'd ever seen, the only eyes he'd seen like them were Rukia's; it seemed her eyes couldn't decide which color they wanted, a seemingly mixture of blue and violet, depending on the way the light caught them. Her lips still held the ghost of a smirk, even if she was panting right now, one hand still holding her shoulder. Her plain black bandanna was still in place, hiding the rest of her features.
She put the pistol into a holster by her waist and fumbled in one of the packs, always looking where she came from for persuers. She came out with a roll of bandages and tore off a small strip with her teeth, before ripping her sleeve, revealing a wound made from a passing bullet. She hurriedly tied the strip around the area with her teeth and hand, before tying another layer with her shirt. She wiped her hands on her trousers before tying the pack together again. The woman stood up and cocked her head.
Ichigo listened hard but couldn't hear a thing. He saw her shake her head. "They brought hounds this time, Shirayuki. We're going to have to run in the creek." Her voice was muffled by the bandanna. The horse shook it's head, huffing. The girl stroked the horse's forehead lovingly. "I know, but we have to or the bad men will catch us." The horse's ears perked at this and she huffed again. She chuckled and took the reins. "How about I make you a deal? I'll run with you, but don't complain to me if we get caught because of my small legs." Shirayuki rolled her eyes and pawed at the ground before glancing up at Ichigo. The girl's eyebrows furrowed before glancing up to follow her line of vision, her hand and Ichigo's immediately going to their guns, both pointed at the same time at the other.
Ichigo and the outlaw watched each other intentely, so intentely he noticed a conflict of emotions passing over the girl's eyes. She moved and Ichigo jerked back to attention, a scowl on his face. She warily eyed him before lowering her gun, a sigh of defeat leaving her lips. "It doesn't matter if I shoot you or not, boy. It'd take me too long to hide your body and by then the police would find me." His eyebrows scrunched together and he growled. "Don't underestimate me, outlaw." Her eyes glared back at him. "Idiot, if I really wanted to, I could bring out my gun and kill you before you can even squeeze that trigger."
He growled at the obvious challenge. His eyes glared dangerously into hers. "Then why spare me? You've killed before, why should you have to hide my body?" She scoffed and placed her hands on her hips. "So your body wouldn't be trampled by the police's horses. You think they care about a dead body when they're chasing me, someone who could make them rich? I would at least help your family out when they came to find you. I'd leave a note saying you were at the wrong place at the wrong time and wouldn't back down-" She broke off and cocked her head again, Ichigo watching her intentely. Her scowl that came over her face was one to rival his. She cursed and turned back to her horse, getting it ready for the run, completely at ease with a barrel pointed at her back.
She stepped away slightly to look at her handywork, regarding the horse thoughtfully before listening again, Ichigo finally being able to hear the sound of baying hounds. "Boy." He turned his attention back to the girl as she faced him again with a raised brow. She looked so badass like that.
He scowled at his thoughts along with her arrogant smirk. "My name's not 'Boy'. It's Ichigo Kurosaki."
Her smirk turned into a grin before sobering. "You might want to leave about now. It could get hectic. Police don't care much whether they kill citizens or not."
He frowned and carefully climbed down from the tree, Zangetsu standing up. "What about you?"
She chuckled and placed a hand on the saddle. "What else? Run from the cops and keep them from coming into Karakura."
He eyed her. "Why do you care about people in Karakura?"
She scowled. "Don't think you know me, Kurosaki. I only kill when it's either a life or death situation or the people deserve it, inoccent people don't."
She hoisted herself up on the saddle, fixing her gloves and taking the reins in her hands. She turned the horse's head to the left, but he grabbed the reins, looking up into her angry eyes. "At least tell me your name?"
She smirked. "I guess I'll tell you seems how you told me yours. My names Hitomi Sayomi." Her violet eyes bore into his amber hues. "Good luck, Ichigo."
With that she was gone, one hand holding onto her hat. Ichigo shook his head and walked back over to Zangetsu. Orders and shouts reached his ears and he hurriedly saddled and bridled Zangetsu, but he wasn't fast enough.
Around fifteen police stopped their mounts and raked their eyes over him, a lieutenant stepping forward. "What is your name, boy?"
Ichigo bowed his head. "Ichigo Kurosaki, sir. I live in Karakura."
The man that spoke leaned on the horn of the saddle, regarding him with piercing dark eyes. "Ichigo, huh? Well Ichigo, did you know that an outlaw just past here not a few seconds ago?"
"No, sir. i was too busy getting my horse ready to travel again." The man signaled ten of his men to follow Hitomi's trail, leaving four to stay behind before getting off his horse. "Why are you out here?" Ichigo tried to look sheepish as he replied, "I've been swimming sir. You know, to get out of the chores and house."
The man looked him over again. "You don't look too wet to me, son." He cursed silently. Damn, I hate lying. Ichigo shrugged nonchalantly. "I've been lying out, sir. It's pretty uncomfortable to ride in wet clothes." The man smiled along with him. "You wouldn't mind if we took you for a little questioning, would you?" Ichigo gulped. "I don't have a choice I'm sure, so why not?"
The lieutenant chuckled and motioned for an officer to give Ichigo the pack mule. The officer tapped his belt and Ichigo surrendered his belt with his guns with a grimace before climbing onto the mule.
"What about his horse, sir?" another officer called. The lieutenant waved his hand. "Take it with us."
Two men aproached Zangetsu but he lashed out with his hooves, brown eyes blazing. One man dived to the side to avoid the flailing hooves. Zangetsu turned his angry eyes on Ichigo, whining. The police let Ichigo soothe Zangetsu so a man could put a loop of rope around his neck before tightening it. "Alright, men. Head back home." The lieutenant called before galloping west, the others and Ichigo following. Ichigo had a bad feeling about this.
Rukia, a.k.a "Hitomi", watched the entire thing from the shadows, completely hidden from the men, scowling each passing moment. She could tell Ichigo was feeling bad about this. Too bad for him she knew exactly what was coming for him. But she couldn't let that happen to one of her oldest friends. She clicked her tongue and urged Shirayuki back, sitting low to the saddle to avoid incoming branches.
She ran Shirayuki hard to their hide out, an old run down building. Thankfully the others were gone as she entered the building. She ran down to the basement and grabbed a few pistols and overlapped two other holsters over her own before putting four pistols in each. She strapped her rifle over her back and secured it. She grabbed a few cartons of bullets as she headed out the door, loaded.
It was about nightfall before she made it back to Karakura. She stopped on the outskirts of the town, still in the woods and hiding in the shadows. She carefully climbed off Shirayuki before giving her a light tap on her rump. Shirayuki got the tap and turned back into the forest, disappearing in the thick underbrush.
Rukia stuck to the shadows as she made her way to the Karakura Jail. A few lights were on in some houses. These she kept a wary eye on. A nearby tree sat by the jail and she easily climbed it and jumped onto the roof. She paused long enough to tie her bandanna around her head, falling into the character the world knew as Hitomi Sayomi, a member of one of the most powerful and feared gang groups in the world, the Soul Reapers.
As in any jail there was a steel trapdoor for easy entries and in case of fire, hence why the tree was still there. She kneeled next to it and picked at the lock. She caught the door before it swung and hit the ceiling. She carefully set it aside before looking at the position of the stars and moon, having memorized each shift when she had stayed here once. A guard was to come in about five minutes. She jumbed in and landed on the balls of her feet, completely silent. The door swung shut with an inaudible click. She glanced around before darting around the corner and as she peered down the hall Rukia realized she was on the third floor. Prisoners were on the second floor.
Rukia looked over the rail beside her. She had a clear view of the warden's office and the Warden himself sat in a chair with his feet kicked up on his desk, snoring away with no other cops around. Rukia smirked and hurried down the hall and took the stairs, staying low. She hid next to the desk, glancing around for any new comers. She kept her back to the desk as she turned the corner, able to see his legs now. She cautiously stood, grabbed a rag from her belt, and held it to his face. He coughed and opened his eyes, panic written clear as he tried to fight her off, but she held firm. Finally he stopped fighting and his eyes rolled in the back of his head. She released him and he let out a loud snore, Rukia wincing at the noise. She tucked the rag back in her belt, wrinkling her nose at the smell. Now she didn't have to worry about any calls for backup for about three hours.
She crept on down the hall, keeping under the stairway where she had just been. She came to an intersection of hallways and quickly looked down each one, the map of the jail memorized in her head. She turned left and brought out a pistol, keeping it held out in front of her. The one she held had been specially made for her in situations like this when you were only alive if you were silent. When you shot it, it made no sound.
She stopped at a corner, back to the wall. She peered around it and saw a guard. She took a breath and stepped into the open, and before he could shout in alarm she had shot him in the shoulder, far from the heart and far from fatal, and had him gagged before he could make a sound. She tied his wrists and feet and his eyes watered as she jostled his shoulder. Rukia glanced sympathetically at him before continuing on.
Rukia found the stairs on up and sprinted up them, pistol still in hand. She took out the couple of guards at the top with ease. She kicked one aside as he tried to trip her. She found a small door to the left and opened it to see a long, bare hallway, with a long line of windows for easy access to shoot down runners. She snuck down the hall and found a sleeping guard. She did the same to him as with the Warden and carefully took the keys in his belt.
Rukia ran back down the hall and out the door before taking a left to continue down the hall she had been on before entering the door. The sound of voices quickly brought her to a halt. Pressing her back against the wall, she tightened her grip on her pistol and brought out another.
"Kurosaki, I know you have talked with the outlaw named Mitomi. Now tell us what you told her and where she went and I'll let you go." It's a lie. Rukia thought as she could hear the hidden smirk in his voice. She was sure Ichigo could too. "Sir, you have no evidence of this. You can't keep me in here, so let me go." A groan followed. "Damn teenagers! I'll let you go when I want to. Now answer me, what did she tell you?"
"Nothing! She told me nothing except her name!"
"Liar. Do you know what the penalty is for being in the company of a criminal without turning her in? The gallows."
Rukia scowled and quickly turned, firing one shot to each guard in the shoulder, both unconscious as they hit the floor, before turning her pistols on the lieutenent from earlier. A deadly frown was on her face as she regarded the frightened man cowering in the corner.
"M-Mitomi!" Ichigo called. He sat in a chair in the middle of the room with his hands and feet tied, the beginning of a bruise appearing on his cheek.
Rukia smirked. "Hello, Kurosaki. I hope it wasn't you that groaned pathetically like that all because of a punch in the face."
He blushed and mumbled something about "Stupid midgets." She scowled and kicked the legs of the chair, making him fall to the floor.
"Damn it that hurt!" He cursed. She simply shrugged her shoulders. "Don't call me a midget."
The lieutenant cleared his throat and Rukia turned back to him with a raised eyebrow. "What do you want from me?"
Rukia squatted next to him. "I want information. Two days ago, two of my friends were put in custody and are going to be hanged in a week. Where are they?" The man shook his head while keeping an eye on the pointed gun. "I-I don't know!"
She pressed the gun to his stomach. "A bullet in the stomach is a nasty one. Without treatment you will bleed out and the acid in your stomach will escape and eat away at your body, while you're in agonizing pain. I'll put this last bullet into you there if you don't tell me what I need to know."
The man gasped and tried to hold back a sob. "If they were worth a big amount of money they would be put in the Sendai jail. It's two days ride from here."
"We'll make do." With that, she shot him in the heart, instantly killing him.
"Mitomi! Why did you kill him?" Ichigo asked with a hard scowl. She turned to him with arms folded. "Three of my friends have been killed by him. He abuses his prisoners. He deserved to die."
She hastily cut the ropes and surveyed the hall out the door. Ichigo rubbed his wrists and glanced at her. "Now what? What happens to me?"
She spared him a glance before looking for any windows in the room. "You are now a wanted criminal. Those two guards over there are not dead, merely injured and they will definately tell the higher ups about your little breakout."
Ichigo sat on the floor, head in hands. "What do I do?"
Rukia's eyes filled with pity for her old friend and she placed a hand on his arm. "You can come with me and become part of the Soul Reapers."
Ichigo looked up. "Will I have to kill people?"
"If you get good enough with a gun then you can shoot them in the shoulder or leg or arm, you don't have to kill. But yes, sometimes you will, but it's either your life or theirs."
Ichigo nodded. Rukia placed one of her empty pistols into it's holster before bringing out another. She tossed one to Ichigo and said, "Don't shoot unless it looks like I'm in trouble. I'd like to survive this if you don't mind."
He nodded again and they set down the hall. Rukia motioned for him to go in a door. He did and watched through the window of the door as Rukia went on ahead to scour the upstairs, a gunshot here and there heard before she came back down. "Took out two guards but other than them it's empty. Let's go."
He followed her up the stairs. She went over to a window and brought out a rag, wrapping it around her knuckles. She caught him watching her and she chuckled. "You might want to stand back some and watch the hall." He turned back the way they had come from and heard glass shattering. He whirled around to see Rukia with a bloodied rag and a broken window. She hissed as she removed the rag and brought out bloodied knuckles, flexing them.
"W-What did you do that for?" Ichigo asked furiously as he stomped over to her. She growled and shoved him away. "It doesn't matter. Just climb out of the damn window already!"
He huffed and did as he was told, clumsily grasping a branch near the window. She followed him and they both jumped to the ground, Rukia hissing again when it jostled her cradled hand. She dug out a roll of bandages and Ichigo helped her tie a layer around her hand and knuckles. She clenched her bandaged fist to test it before pulling him down and putting a finger in his face. "This is the most dangerous part. Do exactly what I tell you to."
She ran behind a house with Ichigo following. The jail alarm sounded. "Shit." She growled and ran over to a nearby barn.
She tried each key until one finally fit. The lock came undone with a click. Rukia pulled out a pistol and peeked through a peep hole in the wood, just in time to push Ichigo out of the way of the door and dive for the ground as bullets filled the air. She growled as one grazed her arm and looked through one of the cracks in the door. Three guards each did a fist bump with each other, laughing. One started to cockily walk over to the door. Rukia quickly signaled for Ichigo to hide on the side of the barn. He did and she crawled out of view of the door but able to be seen by the cop walking their way.
The officer stepped out of the door and walked over to her fallen body. He roughly kicked her in the side and turned his back on her. She immediately stood and quickly put a hand to his mouth and kicked his legs out from under him, his body colliding with the nearing ground. She hastily straddled him, his arms secure behind his back. He spit out a clump of dirt and started to shout, but she pressed his face harder into the ground.
"Ichigo." She called softly. The teen came around from the back. "Do exactly what I'm doing while I take out the others." He nodded and sat on the man, replacing her hands with his larger ones.
She got off just as one of the guards hollered, "Hey Jiro, what's taking so long?"
Rukia took a deep breath as she faced the closed door. She kicked the door down and fired two shots, surprised yells signaling she'd hit true. She quickly ran over to a black horse. He huffed and backed away so Rukia held up her empty hands and took off her bandanna. The horse flicked it's ears in recognization and calmed down. She carefully tied it back and took the rop connected to Zangetsu's bridle. She led him to a wall and slung his saddle over her shoulder, fidgeting until it rested comfortably against the rifle.
Rukia led him outside and had to restrain him from running to Ichigo. Ichigo broke into a smile at the sight of the black monster. Rukia released Zangetsu and unslung the saddle, it falling to the ground.
She unslung her rifle and hit the man in the head with the butt of it, instantly knocking him out cold. Ichigo got up and dusted his pants before hurrying over to Zangetsu, the horse nickering in delight as Ichigo scratched behind it's ears. Rukia smiled at the reunion as ichigo situated the saddle, but the unmistakable whistle of bullets breaking through the air had her pushing Ichigo to the ground.
Rukia gasped as the two bullets entered her shoulder and arm. Using the momentum of the bullets, she whirled and drew two pistols, emptying them into Jiro's chest as she fell, her body colliding with the ground, her breath knocked out of her. She bit back another gasp as the impact jostled her shoulder and arm.
"Mitomi!" Ichigo yelled as he dashed over to her, falling to his knees as he waved his hands over her bleeding body. "Shit, what do I do?"
"Dig the bullets out! There's a pocket knife in the side of my left boot." She gasped as another wave of pain overcame her, her vision failing as she struggled to hold onto consciousness.
Ichigo ripped open her shirt to reveal her chest wrapped in bindings to protect it. A nasty bullet wound sat in her left shoulder. His hand found the hilt of the blade and he brought it up, fighting the temptation to squeeze his eyes shut as he sunk the blade into her shoulder, the girl under him letting out a soft whimper. He grimly worked the bloody piece of metal out of the girl who saved his life, disgustedly dropping it to the ground. He sunk the knife again into her skin as he started to work on the bullet in her arm, the outlaw finally surrendering to the blackness.
After he was done he dug into her pocket for the roll of bandages, just being able to secure her arm before the sound of orders reached his ears. He gently slid a hand behind her neck and waist before carrying her over to Zangetsu, ready for him. He carefully sat her up on the saddle, her body automatically keeping it's balance from being in the saddle for so long. He hoisted himself up in the saddle behind her, letting her lean against him. He manueverd Zangetsu around the body and urged him into a gallop, making his way into the woods.
After thirty minutes of wandering, Rukia finally came back to consciousness. "Where are we?" Her words were slurred together, her head nodding wth the horse's movements on it's own.
He glanced around. "I've been actually just walking in a big circle to confuse the cops. We're about a mile out from Karakura."
"How many guards have we run into?"
He shook his head and tightened his hold on her waist as she swayed dangerously. "Not many, but you need help. I just had enough time to bandage your arm but it was already seeping through it not fifteen minutes after I bandaged it, and I have no idea about your shoulder. You're knuckles need rebandaged too." Rukia held up her left hand to see what was once white was completely red. She lifted up her right arm , the action causing a wave of pain to come over her. The bandage was completely red and some of it had escaped and was slowly running down her arm. She hid her arm from sight and sighed. "What a pain..."
"When we were ducking near the barn door when those guards shot at us after we unlocked it did a bullet hit you at all?" Rukia nodded her head but said, "One grazed me but it's not deep. Don't worry about it. I think I know a place we can go but you must make a descision now. To see this place you have to be a member of the Soul Reapers. If you don't want to join then let me down now."
He tightened his hold on her waist. "I'm joining. There's nowhere else I can go anyways." Rukia nodded and smiled. "Then head west for two miles."
He nodded and a comfortable silence fell over them. "You know," Ichigo mused, breaking the silence after fifteen minutes, "Zangetsu has never let anyone besides me and my friend Rukia lead him anywhere."
Rukia chuckled nervously. "I just have a way with animals. You'll find that out later." Ichigo nodded. "Speaking of, where's your horse?" Rukia waved around her good hand. "Don't worry about her. She was born wild, but we came to an understanding of sorts. She can look after herself and when I need her I can just whistle, she's never too far away. I wouldn't be surprised if she was following us now."
Ichigo let a small smile grace his features before it became silent once again.
Another fifteen minutes passed before Rukia told him to stop. She carefully stepped down from the saddle with Ichigo's help. She whistled an imitation of a bluejay and two horses appeared from either side of them. The rider to the left wore a bandanna that completely covered his head, except for his eyes, which raked over their forms with narrowed eyes. The other boldly led his horse in front of theirs. His hair was an absurd color of spiky, red hair. He wore cool sun glasses that were placed on top of his head. His clothes were that of any other person, the customary brown trousers and a white button down shirt. He regarded Ichigo with narrowed eyes before he caught sight of Rukia's feeble form standing next to the horse. "R-Mitomi!" He yelled and jumped down from his horse to give Rukia a big hug.
"Re-Renji! Can't...Breathe!" She gasped, biting back a whimper of pain. Renji sheepishly stepped away as their orange haired guest watched with a scowl on his face. "Sorry, Mitomi, you just haven't visited us for a while." Rukia rolled her eyes.
"It was yesterday afternoon, Renji." Renji scratched his head. "Well it seemed like it was a while. Ah, my bad." His eyes widened as he caught sight of the bandage on her arm and her pained look. "Shit, Mitomi you're hurt! Shuuhei get over here!" The man made his way over to him and held out a hand for Rukia, but she shook her head. "Renji, not yet. It can wait until later. Right now I have to introduce Ichigo to the higher ups." Renji glanced up at the silent orange haired man that had come with Rukia before turning back to Rukia. "R-Mitomi, he can wait. Your wounds look bad. Let's help you first." She shook her head firmly. "No Renji. Now let us pass or I'll make you."
"You could never make me, Mitomi. I'm too strong."
Ichigo watched as the injured outlaw continued to beat the crap out of the red haired guy, amazed at her display of strength even in critical condition. Finally pineapple head called times and stood, wiping blood from his lip while Mitomi just stood there with no sign of strain or weakness, but from only being able to see her eyes behind that bandanna he could tell she was in pain, even if she didn't show it. Pineapple guy finally turned back to him, amused. "Welcome to the Soul Reapers, Kurosaki. If this brat gives you too much trouble you can always come to me." A punch in his side had him doubling over, with a glaring, injured midget standing over him. Ichigo smiled. It was starting to feel like home.
Wow, long chapter...
Preview for Chapter 3:
Ichigo took a step towards the purple eyed midget. "Why do you always cover your face when I'm around? I've been here for two weeks. I thought you trusted me..."
"Ichigo, I do!"
He folded his arms with a scowl. "Then show me what you're hiding from me."
She sighed and reached behind her head to start to untie the knot, keeping her eyes on his. "This may be a shock to you, Ichigo..."