"The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend." - Abraham Lincoln.
"Hey Starrk, I think he's awake!"
Ichigo opened his eyes to see a small green haired girl inches away from his face. He was lying down on a bed (again), with three layers of covers thrown messily onto him. He sat upwards, looking at the dark room around him. There was one boarded up window, with a small hole drilled in the center, a perfect fit for a gun barrel. A candle flickered on a nearby desk, dangerously close to a pile of nature magazines, and a box of bullets lay by an unloaded revolver. A man was sitting at the desk, snoring, his feet propped up in comfort. Ichigo glanced back at the green haired girl, who happened to be holding his shoe in her hand. The look on her face was clearly of agitation.
"Starrk! I said he's awake!" the girl snarled while angrily pointing at the man with Ichigo's shoe. "STARRK!"
"Umm, little girl?" Ichigo said cautiously, "I think he wants to rest. Maybe you should – OWW!"
The shoe left a perfect imprint of its sole on Ichigo's cheek. The girl was now pointing his own footwear at him, less than an inch from his nose.
"Keep quiet, you! One more word an' I'll hit you with this again!" She was fuming now, her eyes set to kill. Ichigo couldn't believe it: this girl was scarier than Captain Kurotsuchi!
The desk chair creaked as the man awoke from his nap. He yawned, and then turned his head towards Ichigo and the girl. Looking at the awoken man with wide eyes, Ichigo's attacker tossed the shoe behind her innocently, and then gave her superior a sheepish smile. He was clearly angry, glaring at the green haired girl, rubbing his temple.
"What the hell are you doing, Lilynette?" he asked, still half-asleep.
The girl, Lilynette, snapped back, "I was trying to tell you this punk here is awake, but apparently you have selective hearing!"
"And why's that?"
"Because you don't hear me screaming at you, but you can hear me tap his face with a shoe?!"
"You freakin' slapped me across the face with it!" Ichigo yelled at the child.
Lilynette snorted. "Says you."
"Shut up you too!"
The man was standing now, more agitated than before. Ichigo could see him clearly now: he was wearing a long green trench coat, a larger version of the girls. Underneath the coat the man wore a military vest, with the nametag of the soldier who previously owned it still present. A belt was tied around his waist, with two holsters, one empty, one not. The candlelight gleamed off the holstered revolver's barrel.
"Now," the man continued, looking at Ichigo, "I'd like to apologize on Lilynette's behalf, 'cause hell knows she won't do it."
"Never said I wouldn't…" muttered Lilynette.
A sharp glare from the man silenced the girl. Ichigo was surprised the little devil obeyed the man's every command; it was as if they were connected somehow, much closer than family.
"As I was saying," the man said as he pulled the desk chair closer to Ichigo's bed, "I know who you are, Soul Reaper."
Ichigo looked at him, shocked. How'd this guy know who he was if they've never met before?
But first," the man continued, "I want to ask you one thing before we go any further, kid."
"Sure, what?" Kurosaki replied, still wondering how the man knew him.
The man leaned towards Ichigo, a serious look on his face.
"Were you bit?"
The Substitute Soul Reaper looked at him, confused. What was this guy talking about? Nervously, he replied:
"By what?"
The expression on the man's face didn't change.
"By the biter. Were you BIT?"
"Oh, you mean Hanatoro… no, I don't think so. I don't feel anything."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. Jeez, what's it matter?"
"'Cause then you'll turn and kill us, dammit!"
The man was holding Ichigo by the throat with one hand, the other reaching for his revolver. Lilynette was also glaring at Kurosaki, feeling just the same as her partner. Ichigo didn't want this to turn ugly.
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry! Please, just don't shoot me. Please." The man released his grip after Kurosaki's last apology. Ichigo, rubbing his throat, leaned back onto the wall behind the bed. He wanted to know who this man was, and why the world had gone to hell.
"So, mind introducing yourself? And kindly telling me what the HELL is going on outside?"
"The name's Coyote Starrk," the man, who was now back to slouching in his chair, replied. "You should have known that the second Lilynette called me by name. Now, as for what happened out there," he gestured towards the boarded up window, "I don't even know. Six months ago something happened. News spread quickly, and I mean quick, of some infectious disease in the U.S, and then that said disease made its way to here."
"Where is 'here', exactly?" Ichigo asked out of curiosity.
"Not sure," Starrk replied, "Never really bothered to find out. One minute were coming out of a Garganta and the next we're… uh…"
The former Espada had only just then realized what he just said. Ichigo stared at him, eyes wide, and mouth slightly agape. Lilynette slowly face palmed; she needed no words to express how pissed she was at Starrk. He blew their cover, and now this Soul Reaper was going to kill them.
"You're – you're Hollows?" Kurosaki stammered.
"Espada, actually." Starrk sighed. There was no use for secrets in this world.
"Then how do you know me?" Ichigo asked, "I've only met 3 Espada, and I sure as hell don't remember you." Ichigo asked.
"What, you don't think those three wouldn't have told the others about a red-headed human Soul Reaper?" Starrk retorted.
"Didn't really think of that…" said a slightly embarrassed Ichigo, who quickly changed the conversation. "So, what were you going to do after exiting the Garganta?"
"Alright, I'm just gonna be honest," Starrk started, "Us and the other Espada were sent here to the World of the Living by Sosuke Aizen in Gigai's to observe human behavior. Don't ask why, because there is no why. As soon as we set foot on solid ground, the Garganta behind us closes, and that bastard locks us out."
"Wait, why? Why would Aizen send you all here to die?" Ichigo interrupted.
"Just let me talk, kid. Apparently we're worthless to him. I had a bad feeling about the whole thing from the start. You know, Aizen putting us in these artificial bodies, ones we could be hurt in, ones where we can't use any of our powers, ones we were secretly locked in. As well as telling us to leave our swords, since this was a peaceful mission. He never cared about 'human behavior' before either, why tell us to observe things we were just going to kill later on? But none of us were able to speak up, because Aizen's golden child Ulquiorra right away says, *mocking voice*'Oh, my lord, we live to serve you! I speak on behalf of all of these inferior Espada to say that we will go on this somewhat suspicious mission, without any thoughts of why you are sending us on it! Oh, bless us, Aizen, bless us!'*end mocking voice*. Let me tell you something else about that pasty faced freak-"
"Back on topic, Starrk."
"Yeah, yeah, Lilynette. Anyways, all of us Espada are standing here, wondering just what the hell just happened. Some of us, me included, knew that this was probably going to happen, so we keep cool. Others, namely Grimmjow and Nnoitora, are mad as hell at Aizen, and somehow take their anger out on each other with fists ablaze. Ulquiorra was actually surprised this shit happened. He just stood there, not saying a word. That's when one of those things got Barragan."
"Barragan?" Ichigo didn't recognize that name. He was also beginning to wonder why he was so curious about the Espada. These really were strange times…
"The second Espada. He and Aizen hated each other, to put it simply, which is probably why our former leader gave him a Gigai just as old as himself. The old coot didn't even see it coming. Half of a biter – literally, half of one – was lying by his leg. It looked dead enough; apparently, enough just isn't enough. It woke up and took a huge bite out of his thigh. Barragan's Gigai wasn't strong enough to keep him standing, and he fell to the ground, just as a pack of those things showed up. We left him, since none of us liked him that much to begin with, and he was a dead man. More of those things started showing up, and we all got separated. Lilynette and I here were with Grimmjow and another Espada named Hallibel for a while, but about a month ago we went our separate ways. Don't really know what happened to the others though. They could all be dead, for what we know. But Grimmjow definitely is, after those Soul Reapers took him in, hell, six months ago?"
"Did you say Soul Reapers?!" Ichigo couldn't believe it; some of his friends may still be alive! "How many were there? Who were they?"
"Whoa, calm down kid," Starrk said. "How could I know who they were? I never met them before."
"Well, describe them!" Ichigo urged.
"Well, from what I remember, there was a short, blacked haired girl. She was with a tall Latino and a little kid with white hair, from what I remember...""
"I know them!" Ichigo yelled with joy as he jumped out of the bed, knocking Starrk out of his chair. He could barely contain his excitement: Rukia, Chad, and Hitsugaya were alive! Well, maybe. Six months is a lifetime in this world. One, or all, of them could be gone. He had to at least search for them, dead or alive.
Starrk was being hoisted back up onto his feet by Lilynette, even though he didn't need his other half's help, when he noticed Ichigo walking towards the door.
"Whoa, hold on there," the Espada called, "you're not ready to go outside yet."
"Why not?" The Substitute Soul Reaper asked as he looked back at Starrk.
"You seem to forget that it's a living hell out there. Also, I can tell you don't have any powers, just like me." The Espada was sitting down once again, with Lilynette at his feet. "If none of those other Soul Reapers had their powers, I'm guessing you don't either, right?"
Kurosaki felt somewhat embarrassed being corrected by the Espada, but was surprised that his friends were in the same weak condition as him.
"The others are powerless too?" Ichigo asked, "How do you know?"
"They were using guns instead of their Zanpaku-to. None of them tried using Kido or anything like that either. They must be trapped in their Gigais like me and Lilynette."
Ichigo walked back over to the bed, plopping back onto it. He couldn't hide in this shack forever, especially with these two. The fact that they were Arrancars was bad enough, but one being an Espada was as worse as it could get. Besides, his friends don't even know he's alive, meaning they weren't going to come looking for him. And the only way Ichigo had any chance out there was if he had a gun, something he had never used in his life. 'Guess there's a first time for everything,' he thought.
He turned to the Espada, the latter drinking from a bottle of whiskey, while his younger partner eyed the alcohol with thirsty eyes.
"Teach me how to shoot."
The Espada looked at him from behind the bottle. Setting the alcohol down, he removed one of his revolvers from its holster and showed it to Ichigo.
"You ever fired one of these before?" Starrk had gone from laid back to serious in less than a second.
"Never even held one," Kurosaki responded, "but I know how they work. I just need some practice, and who better to ask than you to teach me?"
Starrk smirked. There was no way this kid would be harder to teach than Lilynette. He was more mature, much stronger, and a lot more determined to learn the way of the marksman. 'Damn,' Starrk thought, 'teaching this kid might actually be enjoyable.'
"Alright," the Primero Espada announced, "I'll teach you. Be up first thing tomorrow morning at sunrise. Not many biters are out then. Perfect time to find a few individuals to shoot down."
"Thanks, Espada." Ichigo said with a smile, followed by a slight chuckle.
"What're you laughing about?" Starrk asked.
"Nothing," replied Ichigo, "just never thought I'd be thanking an Espada for anything."
The Espada smirked. A Soul Reaper thanking him? It really was the end of the world.
As Ichigo crawled back into his bed, Starrk loaded the revolver. After blowing out the candle on the desk, he pulled his chair over to the boarded up window. Starrk looked through the small hole in the wood, seeing if any biters were outside. For once, it was clear. For once, he could sleep in peace.
Ten minutes later…
"S-Starrk? This *hic* stuff tastes funny…"
"Mrrgh… give me the booze, Lilynette…"
The sun was shining, something Ichigo Kurosaki hadn't seen since he woke up in the hospital room ten days ago. Since then, everyday had been the same: wake up, practice shooting with the former Primero Espada Coyote Starrk and his other half Lilynette Gingerback (something the Substitute Soul Reaper still couldn't comprehend, no matter how many times Starrk explained it), salvage supplies and food, and return to bed. Golden rays covered the shack the trio had been living in, shining through every crack in the rickety old building's roof. Ichigo basked in their warmth as the sunlight warmed his bed. He looked down at his partners, who slept on the floor beside him. Lilynette was snuggled against her other half, who had fallen asleep with his face to the floor. Kurosaki smiled. Awake, the two Arrancars bickered continuously, as if they despised each other. Sleeping, he could see just how close they were. It was almost adorable…
"Well, time to piss." Ichigo whispered to himself.
He carefully slid out of the bed, trying not to wake up the sleeping Arrancars, and stepped over Starrk's legs. Ichigo walked over to the desk, looking for his weapon of choice; he couldn't relieve himself unarmed. The hammer he looted from the hardware store was the best choice, as a revolver was too loud and the hunting knife too small. Slipping the hammer into his bulletproof vest (taken from the corpse of a SWAT officer, washed thoroughly in a pond), Ichigo walked to the door and cautiously peeked through a small opening.
The area around the "pissing tree" (the name coined by Starrk for the large oak tree beside the shack) was clear. Kurosaki slipped out the door and made a beeline for the living urinal.
Standing there, Ichigo was thinking about his friends, and just when he would go searching for them. 'The sooner the better…' thought Kurosaki, 'maybe tomorrow.' He had been hesitating to tell his companions about leaving, and not just because he'd miss the company. If he was to go off on his own, something bad might happen, something he could need backup for. Besides, a few more days with them couldn't hurt.
Suddenly, the sound of scuffling of feet could be heard around him. Quicker than a hawk, Ichigo pulled the hammer from his vest and swung at the source.
"WHOA!" Starrk yelled as he raised his arms in defense. "It's just me, kid."
"Sorry about that," Ichigo apologized as he lowered the tool, "I thought you were a biter."
"Don't worry about it. You mind pulling your fly up?"
"Oh shit!"
*ZIP*
"Again, sorry."
"Stop apologizing so much, it makes you soft," Starrk snapped, "and can you move away from the pissing tree now? You aren't the only one who's gotta go."
Ichigo stopped himself before he could say the s – word, and walked back towards the shack. Looking out towards the woods, which were only a hundred yards away, he caught sight of something moving just at the forest line.
"Starrk, we got a biter!" Kurosaki yelled.
The Espada turned his head towards Ichigo, who was pointing at the woods.
"Wait until it gets closer, and then kill it," Starrk said as he finished his business. "Shooting at it will just attract more."
"Umm, I don't think we'll have to worry about that last part…"
Starrk soon saw what he meant, for as he turned his gaze towards the forest, there was no longer one biter:
There was at least fifty.
"Shit! Go in the shack, wake Lilynette, and gather as many supplies as you can, we're getting the hell outta here!" Starrk ordered Ichigo as he pulled out a box of matches.
"What are those matches for?" Ichigo quickly asked.
"Don't worry about it; just get Lilynette and the supplies now!"
As Kurosaki ran inside, obeying Starrk's orders, the Espada was lighting matches and setting fire to the dry grass around the shack. He observed before that biters tend to avoid large fires, let alone walk through them. Creating a wall of flames would distract the undead, and would provide cover while he, Lilynette, and Ichigo escaped.
As the flames began to rise, Ichigo and Lilynette rushed out of the shack, bags of supplies over their shoulders. Starrk quickly ran over to them.
"Where's the whiskey?" he asked his companions.
"I left it inside," the Espada's other half responded, "that stuff was gross!"
"Good. Ichigo, get Lilynette a safe distance from here, things are about to get hot."
"Come on, let's move!" Ichigo grabbed the girl by the arm, almost dragging her away from the shack Starrk was walking in to.
"What about Starrk?" Lilynette questioned, still looking at the old building as she ran.
"He'll be fine, trust me." That's what Ichigo hoped, at least. If the Espada was to die, he'd be stuck having to protect this girl, something he couldn't handle in a world like this.
The two stopped about a hundred feet away from the shack, both eyeing it in hopes that Starrk would soon make his escape. Ichigo could hear the moans and growls of the biters on the other side of the flames. The Espada was running out of time…
Suddenly, the wooden boards covering the shack's sole window were kicked out from the inside. Starrk, whose trench coat was slightly burnt, jumped through the opening and began running in Ichigo and Lilynette's direction. He showed no signs of slowing down as he came closer to them.
"I didn't tell you to stop!" he yelled as he sped past his partners, who soon followed behind him.
"What was so important about leaving the whiskey?" Ichigo asked once he caught up with the Espada.
"Oh, you'll see."
The inside of the shack was an inferno. Flames had set ablaze to all of the building's contents, except for the items inside of a small knapsack, hung from the ceiling by Starrk. As the fire grew, a large cinder landed onto the hanging bomb. The cloth knapsack began to burn, and soon caught fire. It only took a second for the flames to reach the ammunition and alcohol bottle contained inside...
*KA-BOOM!*
Ichigo, Starrk, and Lilynette looked back as their temporary home exploded in a glorious inferno. Burning wood flew into the air and landed across the field, dotting the landscape with flames. Ichigo could see the silhouettes of biters caught in the blaze through the smoke and fire, still moving with flames engulfing their bodies.
"Let's go."
Kurosaki turned around towards the sound of the voice. Starrk was already walking away, his head down, with Lilynette by his side.
"Where are we going now?" Ichigo asked.
"Don't know," the Espada responded, "We can go back onto the highway and see where that takes us, I guess."
Ichigo didn't like that plan. His main priority was not to wander; he had to find his friends. It seemed like now was the best time to break off on his own. He sighed, and then turned towards the Arrancars.
"Where was it you saw my friends?"
Starrk stopped. He knew what Kurosaki was really saying, as well as what he was thinking of doing: something foolish. Looking back at the Substitute Soul Reaper, he replied:
"West on the highway, months ago, back when this all started. Don't tell me you want to go after them."
Ichigo nodded. "I have to. I can't wander around with you guys knowing that they might still be alive out there."
"What if biters get you?" Lilynette chimed in.
"Don't try and stop him, Lilynette," Starrk told the girl, "He won't take no for an answer. As for you," pointing at Kurosaki, "stay with us until we reach the highway. It'll be safer that way."
After a short pause, Ichigo answered with a slight smile:
"Sounds good to me."
It was about noon when the trio reached the highway. The once busy interstate was littered with broken down cars and random debris. Dead bodies and bones were sprinkled in between the wrecks of vehicles, some with the corpses of their drivers still behind the wheel. A crow landed by a body near Lilynette, promptly pulled out its remaining eye, and flew away with its prize. The Arrancar girl felt her stomach turn at the sight, and buried her head into Starrk's trench coat. The Primero Espada only hoped she wouldn't vomit into his clothing. Meanwhile, Ichigo was looking down the western road, searching for any undead. Thankfully, none were in sight.
"Well," Ichigo semi-announced, "I guess it's time I take my leave."
"Hold up, kid." Starrk reached into his holster, and pulled out one of his revolvers. His other hand pulled out a grenade and a pair of ammunition boxes from his trench coat. "Take these. I know I already gave you a gun, but two is always better than one. Don't waste the ammo, there ain't that much of it."
"Take this too," Lilynette added while she held a small pocket knife up to Ichigo, "I've had it for a long time, but I never used it. It's better off with you."
"Thanks, you guys," Ichigo said as he stored the gifts into his jacket, "I'll use these well. Hopefully we'll meet again."
Lilynette walked over and hugged Ichigo, something that shocked the Substitute Soul Reaper. Nevertheless, he knelt down and returned the favor. After returning to his feet, Starrk firmly placed his hand on Ichigo's shoulder, and looked him in the eye.
"Watch yourself, kid. If you ever meet Hallibel, give her my regards."
"Will do, Starrk. Take care, you two."
And with that, the would be enemies parted ways, two heading east and one west, both on the road to nowhere.
The field was burning, smoke rising into the grey skies. Rain would soon put out the flames, something that the hooded man didn't want. As his soldiers threw the bodies of the undead into a huge billowing flame, he walked through the wreckage of what was once a shack. Fragments of ammunition shells were lodged into the rotting boards. The hooded man picked up a fragment between his glove covered fingers, and crushed it into ashes.
Whoever was here was surviving.
Whoever was here had enough weaponry to blow the building to smithereens.
Whoever was here wasn't under his control.
Whoever was here must die…