Killer Revealed.
The sun had risen and birds sang happily off in the distance.
Rukia lay awake, staring at the roof. She had not closed her eyes all night. That girl...Raven, had known about the person who tried to kill her. But Rukia had never even thought of that moment during the unnerving conversation with her. That girl was evil, and Rukia had to stop her because she was the only one who saw her bad side.
The alarm blared and the noise made Rukia jump. The alarm was a birthday present she had given to Ichigo. He would constantly complain to her about it and now she understood why.
She pressed the reset button and rose to her feet. She opened the blinds and found Raven standing outside. She was staring at Rukia with a sinister smile. She then raised an eyebrow and laughed.
Rukia watched the strange girl as she then sprinted off down the road. It was only then that Rukia realised she wasn't wearing a shirt, only her bra. She wrenched the blinds shut and got changed. As she wormed her arm through a sleeve a small picture dropped out of the pocket.
Rukia bent down and looked at the photo. It was a doctored photo of a murder victim, with Rukia's face. The thin body was covered in blood and a horrible gash ran from the chin down the neck and across the torso. Rukia shrieked and threw it away.
She then reached for her mobile. She was halfway through dialing a number when it rang her. The id said it was Ichigo. Rukia sighed and immediately answered the call.
A deep voice spoke back to her. "Hello Rukia. Ichigo can not come to the phone right now, he is...shall I say...a bit busy!" Insane laughter followed.
Rukia shivered and screamed into the phone. "LEAVE ICHIGO OUT OF THIS!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?!" she realised she was crying as she yelled.
"Sorry. I was only joking, didn't mean to freak you out." Ichigo chuckled. "Did Chad get there last night?"
Rukia shook her head, before realising Ichigo couldn't see her. She swallowed air and then answered. "No...was he supposed to?" She knew the answer but wished that she was wrong.
"Yeah! I rang him last night. Funny, it's not like Chad to be lazy like that. Make sure you punch him at school today!"
Rukia forced herself to laugh. She assumed Chad would not be at school either. She said goodbye and hung up.
She walked down the stairs and outside into the street.
A girl with spiky black hair approached her. She carried her bag which highlighted her muscles. "This is where you live? I thought you said you lived in the next street."
Rukia looked at her and frowned. "No, it's all a lie. I live in Ichigo's house, but even his family don't know."
The girl tilted her head and then brushed a strand back from Rukia's eye. "You look awful! Are you alright?"
Rukia fell to her knees and started to cry. "Tatsuke, someone is trying to kill me!"
Tatsuke hugged her and sat down next to her. "Are you sure? Do you know who it is, or why?"
Rukia hugged her knees. "It's that new girl, Raven! I'm certain of it. I have no idea why, but she has been stalking me."
"Speaking of which." Tatsuke looked up at another girl who strolled up to them.
"Hello Tatsuke, Rukia!" She spat the last word and it stung Rukia when she heard it. "Is Rukia hurt? Did somone do something to her?" She sounded genuinely worried.
"I think you have a good idea, because she told me it was you!" Tatsuke stood up and bunched her fists. She was a master of karate and could even beat most of the boys at the school.
Raven laughed. "You aren't going to hit me! We're friends." Raven was thrown backwards as a fist slammed into her face. She grasped at her nose and it bled all over her hand. "It's broken!"
Tatsuke then kicked Raven in the side of the head. She raised her leg for another hit but felt cold steel bite into her shin. She gazed at the site of pain and noticed a barbed dagger in her leg. She screamed and fell over.
Raven let go of the blade and left it in Tatsuke's leg. "One day we'll be able to look back on this day and laugh...that is...if you live that long!" She flicked her wrist and another dagger slid out from her sleeve and into her hand.
Tatsuke slowly tried to remove the dagger but screamed in agony as the barbs caught her flesh and bone. Rukia stood over Tatsuke and looked around for a weapon. She found none.
"You think you can get me? Your friend is a black belt and she failed." Raven twirled the knife around and then hurled it into the air. She glared at Rukia.
Rukia felt tired and realised this girl was causing her to almost pass out. "What are you?!" Rukia yelled.
Raven did not respond, because she was gone!
What?! How did she leave so fast?!
Rukia helped Tatsuke to her feet and led her back inside the clinic. She set her down on a bed and stared at the tools around her. She knew kido, but as Tatsuke was not a spiritual entity, it wouldn't work. Other than that, she knew barely anything about first aid. She picked up some bandages and a scalpel, as well as some rubbing alchohol, a cloth, a bottle of water and some other instruments.
Tatsuke whimpered as her blood dribbled down her leg. It was warm. Tatsuke had always had a secret fear of blood. She had never told anyone, and no-one guessed it because she was in karate, but the sight of blood made her tremble. She watched Rukia come back from a storage room with an unsure expression. "Do you know what you're doing?"
Rukia stared at the wound and shook her head. She placed a hand on the handle and lightly nudged the dagger.
Tatsuke wailed.
Rukia placed a hand on the blood-slick skin of her friend and pressed down. This caused tatsuke to yelp. Rukia deduced that a barb was just beneath the skin. She looked around for gloves and found none. She shakily reached for the scalpel.
Tatsuke begged for her to not use the tool.
Rukia tried to quiet her down, but Tatsuke just screamed.
"Rukia, can you keep a secret?"
Rukia nodded.
"Okay. Not even Orihime knows this, but...I'm scared of blood and surgery and all that gross medical stuff. You won't tell anyone that will you?" She pleaded.
Again Rukia nodded in response. She then raised the scalpel.
"NO!! Don't you understand?! You can't do that!" Tatsuke screamed.
"I have to. That or I pull that knife through bone and muscle and you never walk again." Rukia stated matter of factly.
Tatsuke groaned and lay down. She took a deep breath and gripped the mattress she lay on. She nodded to Rukia.
Rukia lowered the scalpel slowly and then made the first cut. It sunk in with a wet noise that sounded like someone stepping in wet mud. Both girls made a disgusted noise. Rukia then cut deeper until she felt the scalpel connect with a barb. She then slowly pulled the blade out a bit.
Now the next barb.
Rukia tried to pry the blade out further but it was stuck. She placed a pair of closed tweezers in the wound and then opened them to see what was causing the obstruction.
Tatsuke screamed in agony. It was a terrible noise which brought tears to Rukia's eyes.
She noticed the blade was stuck in Tatsuke's shin. Rukia stared at the wound and considered the situation. She picked up the tweezers and placed the handle in Tatsuke's mouth. "Bite down as hard as you can. I have no anaesthetic and this will really hurt!" Rukia forced a weak smile.
Tatsuke bit down on the metal tool and closed her eyes.
Rukia placed both hands on the handle. The blood on her hands made it hard to get a grip. Rukia rolled her shoulders and then twisted the blade. She winced as she overheard the muffled cries of her friend. Sweat dripped down her face and got in her eyes. She blinked and jerked the blade. She felt it come free and slide out slightly.
After a quick inspection, Rukia guessed there was only a barb and the hooked point left inside. She looked up to Tatsuke who was drooling blood.
Tatsuke had bitten down so hard that she had pressed the metal into her lips until they cut her. She felt sick when she noticed the sensation of blood going down her throat. She gagged and the tweezers fell onto the floor...just as Rukia had yanked the blade from her leg. She let loose a scream louder than any she had heard before.
Rukia grasped her ears as the noise resonated throughout the small surgery room. Before she opened her eyes she felt arms wrap around her neck. She instinctively thought it was someone trying to choke her, but she felt a gentle hug from Tatsuke.
Tatsuke wept into Rukia's shoulder. She had never acted like this before, but then again, she had never had a knife in her leg and then undergone surgery without anaesthetic either. She quietly whispered in thanks to Rukia.
The two held each other in silence for a moment before they went into the kitchen. Rukia washed her hands after she had done the messy task of cleaning and bandaging the gushing wound. Tatsuke sat at a table and studied a photo of Ichigo and his family. "Shinigami huh? Never would have guessed it."
Rukia turned to her. "What?"
"Nothing." Tatsuke looked down and noticed her clothes were covered in red stains.
Rukia wandered over to the laundry and picked up a spare of her uniform. She brung it back to the kitchen and handed it to her. "You can wear that. I'll wash those."
Tatsuke undressed in front of her and then handed over the bloodied uniform. She struggled to put on Rukia's clothes. "Geez, you're even skinnier than you look!"
Rukia giggled and then walked back to the laundry. She turned on the washing machine and returned to Tatsuke.
Tatsuke gave up trying to fit into the tiny clothes and then went upstairs to Ichigo's room. She came back in a few minutes in a pair of jeans and a loose t-shirt. "Where do you sleep? There's only three rooms."
Rukia led her to the small cupboard and showed her the squashed mattress and small box of her belongings. "It's not five stars, but it's home."
Tatsuke froze near the window and quickly closed the blinds. "It's that crazy girl again!"
They waited in silence for a minute and then opened the blinds.
Raven was gone.
"Rukia, do you want to stay at my place until Ichigo gets back. That girl doesn't know where I live so you should be safe there." Tatsuke smiled and started to leave.
Rukia hurried after her.
*****
UNKNOWN LOCATION
Everything was a blur. Last night was a jumble of memories and none of it made sense.
Chad shot upright and tried to stand but felt burning pain in his wrist. He sat down and studied the restraint on his left arm. It was encircled in a shackle with small spikes on the inside. Every movement Chad made, a spike would stab him.
He was about to call for help, but stopped. For all he knew, his captors may be nearby, and if they would put him in this trap, then they could do worse. He grabbed a spike and tried to snap it. He grunted with effort as he pulled at the metal spike. It only bent slightly.
"You would bleed to death before getting out that way." Someone said from another room. A door creaked open and smoke entered the room.
Chad couldn't see at all now, but he felt metal bite into his other arm. He tried to raise his free arm but only raised a bloody stump that went to his elbow.
My arm!!
Chad tripped over. It felt like someone had kicked hm in the knee. Unable to see, he used his hands to 'see.' His leg was gone up to the knee now. "Who are you?! What do you want?!"
"Yasutora Sado, or Chad, that's your nickname isn't it?" The unseen attacker asked. He sounded quite old and his voice was a hateful rasp.
Chad nodded, despite not knowing where the person was.
"I have no name, but I prefer to be referred to as Wolf. You have experienced my work before. The name Shrieker may ring a bell." The man laughed, but it sounded like he was choking. I have lived in eternal night for the majority of my life and am not used to sunlight yet, so I hide in darkness."
"Are you talking about Hueco Mundo?" Chad threw the question to the invisible tormentor.
"Yes indeed. You are a smart one. But you are weaker than most of the others, especially that boy with orange hair...Ichigo."
"What do you want from us?"
"Freedom. You have enjoyed it for too long, now it is our turn! Hollow have been pushed in the corner and despised, but no longer! The shinigami have beaten our kind for decades, but I have been able to revive the fallen and also strengthen our weaker bretheren. As our species advance we shall claim the world as ours and the humans and shinigami can cower in the shadows!"
The smoke stopped and weak lights revealed the room. It was bare except for the chair Chad was stuck to. The man stood by the door. He wore black clothes that covered his skin. A cape hung limp behind him. His hair was shoulder length and grey as steel. His narrow chin was bony and a small mouth frowned at Chad. His eyes were such a light shade of blue, they were nearly white and held an empty stare.
Chad started to shiver. He had lost a dangerous amount of blood now.
"Your death will be the start of the liberation of hollow-kind! I am a revolutionary, not an adrenaline junky with a taste for blood." He smiled, but it still resembled a scowl.
He closed his eyes and suddenly Chad fell asleep.
Chad found himself in a dream. The man was there too. He cocked his head and then a rock fell from nowhere.
Chad stared at the rock. It was oddly sharp.
The man, Wolf, pointed to it and made shapes with his mouth. He was speaking, but no noise escaped his lips.
Chad involuntarily grasped the rock and studied the sharp edge. Without a thought, he brought the rock down on his own hand. A sickening crack echoed throughout the abyss-like world that was this dream. Chad roared in defiance but still he hammered away at his hand and then he brought it up to his face.
Wolf laughed maniacally. "You can no longer be in control of your thoughts! We are the rulers of your mind now!"
"You can control minds?!"
"No. My daughter has that ability, but still she lets me watch the fun that she makes her victims have in this state!" He licked his lips and then howled with laughter.
Chad tried to scream, but the rock had already broken his skull!
Hope you liked it. In the next chapter, others learn that Raven is involved with Chad's murder and Ichigo meets Raven, who is sent to kill him! Please review.