Hah! Back from the grave! I'm sorry I haven't been updating my stories lately, but an old flame got a hold of me a while ago and said she had a couple of kids with my DNA, so naturally: Lets do a blood test on the little brats! Result: I'm a daddy! I'm kinda just trying to get out of parenthood and make this up with my fiance.

Fun fact: You know me and my brother lost our virginities in the same year? (His age: 15 My age: 8) You might want to not know that but I couldn't think of anything else!

Don't own Bleach!

_CHAPTER START_

Killing is easy.

Yeah, I said it.

It's true. In training, I always said I'd die with nothing. I was half right. Back then, I didn't really think a lot of it but now I realize: meeting Rukia was when I signed my own death warrant.

She always did say a woman would kill me.

I killed someone. That scientist with makeup (I forgot his name...). The freak finally pushed me too far. I didn't even think of the consequences. I swear it was just like the old days: flatten my hand, rear back my arm, and thrust it cleanly through the chest. It didn't even click in my mind, until I saw my own, bare fingertips jutting out of his back, and I let him fall. His daughter, Nemu, beaten and bloody by her own father's hand, looked up at me in some morbid fascination. She was grateful, that much I was sure. To her, I ended her nightmare.

But the thing about nightmares; you wake up, and it's not always better than the dream.

Rukia saw me.

She saw the whole thing from the doorway. She must've been searching for me because of tendency of getting lost. I really wanted to tell you that she calmed herself and I explained the situation to her, then we calmly left to go hide the body.

But she screamed.

God did she scream, like a banshee. I'm sure everyone heard her. I ran. It was all a blur after that.

I don't really know why I'm here. Sitting on the roof of my house as I am, with a pistol in my hand. It was a silver Ruger MK. II pistol. A small caliber firearm I kept as a reminder of better days. Days with her in them. I stopped by the visoreds place a while ago, they got word that Soul Society was coming for me. A kill on sight order was issued.

I couldn't run.

Soul Reapers would find my family and friends, torture them. Chad, Orihime, Karin, Yuzu; nothing would be below them. I had one choice. After the Winter War, numerous arrancar had survived including: Tia Halibel, Grimmjow, and Coyote Stark. I wondered if I'll be a powerful hollow? Probably. Knowing my unpredictable power. I chambered the pistol right at the moment Byakuya happened to show up.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, you are under arrest by order of the central 46!" I heard the sound of a sword and knew he had drawn Senbon Zakura. I smiled as I realized he knew nothing of the pistol. He advanced toward me slowly, probably savoring the moment he would recount in his latter years as the executing of a 'spineless murderer'. I couldn't help but grin, sorry prick, but you aren't going to get this criminal.

I put the gun in my mouth and fired.

And felt nothing.

I turned around to find Byakuya gone, and the gates of hell in his place. I could vaguely sense him on a nearby rooftop, looking on in disbelief as I walked toward it, pistol in hand. My body laying on the roof, dead. I looked down at my hands, seeing white, bony claws, I looked at my feet, to see wolf-like feet poking from under my pants' legs. I looked at the gates as a fragment of te stone door chipped off and revealed a reflective film across it. I had a completely blank mask, with only a small chip on the left side. My horns from my hollow form were larger and more natural-looking, like I had swiped them from Lucifer himself. All bone white.

The gates slowly opened. And there stood death.

He pointed at me with one, large, clawed hand. Then beckoned me closer. It seemed to lean forward at my approach.

Ready, Ichigo?

"Yeah..." I answered honestly, feeling comfortable talking to the immortal entity now that I'm dead.

His shadowed face was obscured, but it seemed sad.

You've lead a good life, young one, you're only here on a technicality. You will be treated right.

"Thanks..." I was just out of that world for that moment, I didn't care. Death's body language was saying that he wanted me to be happy. Then he squared his massive shoulders and spoke.

She's here, you know

I couldn't help myself, I dove in, feet-first.

_CHAPTER END_

Ichigo: Did I just shoot myself!

Faceless: Why yes, yes you did...

Ichigo: You Bastar-

Faceless: No foul language with ladies present.