Track 7: Welcome To The Pit

This story is dedicated to my cousin Sarah, who passed away recently.

The newly formed band, Soul reaper felt higher than the clouds. They felt so good; they felt like going to a club. Ichigo insisted on going to the place of their first unofficial gig, as his groupie was waiting. The others could not care less, as long as they could get pissed and enjoy themselves.

They stood outside the bar, once again, needing Grimmjow's interference to allow them entry.

Once inside, they took a corner booth and ordered drinks. Ichigo walked up to the bar and scanned the several scantily clad maids. He spotted the girl he wanted and called her over. "Hey Cindy!" The girl turned to him and her face lit up.

"Oh my god! You're that guy from that band um...what were you called again?" She asked innocently.

"We're Soul Reaper. I thought I'd stop by and say hello while we celebrate. He smiled arrogantly as he spoke. "We've got a few songs ready and we're doing a gig tomorrow. If we play well enough, we'll get signed to a label."

"Cool! Just make sure to clear the fence if you stage-dive." The girl giggled while Ichigo went red in the face. "Well, yeah...I'll make sure that doesn't happen again...Anyway, how about we have a few drinks together?" Ichigo raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Okay! My shift ended just then anyway! Let's party!" She removed her head band and brushed a hand through her short brown hair. They walked back to the table where everyone grinned from ear to ear.

"Wow, you work fast Kurosaki!" Renji joked before taking a large gulp from a pitcher of beer.

"Where's my groupie?" Grimmjow asked, acting offended.

"You have to wait you turn!" Cindy said, grinning. The group laughed and Ichigo sat down with his fanatic.

"So, any good bands tonight?" Ichigo asked.

"Dunno...anyone just goes up on stage, it's not set in concrete." Cindy watched a bunch of sad looking Goths as they played a song so distorted it was a challenge to figure out what they were playing. They finished with a loud ringing sound which continued even when they walked off-stage.

"Hey! There's a band tonight that's going to that gig you're going to. It's like a battle of the bands type thing and the best group gets signed!" Cindy watched the next band and cheered. "That's them!"

"Alright, let's check out our competition." The first person to walk onstage was the giant with a fox-mask. His oversized bass was slumped over one shoulder as he stomped onto the wooden platform. It creaked underneath him and he took up most of the space just by standing there. Nnoitora came on next. He glared at Ichigo and Rukia as he sat down at the drum-kit.

He was followed by a dark woman with short blonde hair which fell across the upper half of her face, concealing her eyes. She wore a skimpy white vest which struggled to contain her large breasts. She received a few wolf whistles from the crowd, but her expression never changed. She held a white ESP 'Flying V' with a shark painted on the body.

After her were what appeared to be a father and daughter. The man had wild brown hair and a tired expression. He was smoking a joint while he walked onto the stage. A tiny girl with light green hair followed close behind. She wore a revealing white vest like the other woman, but she only looked to be about twelve years old.

"Bit much for such a tiny kid." Renji muttered.

"I'm not a kid!" The girl roared. "I am a woman!"

"How old are you then?" Someone in the crowd asked.

The girl went red in the face and looked at her feet. "Twelve." She whispered.

"We are called 'Flames Of Wrath' and we are going to get signed pretty soon." The singer seemed pretty cocky. "This is a preview of our stuff!" The man put out his joint and cleared his throat. The little girl took out a pink Dean Razorback.

"Wow! That's a cool guitar!" Rukia pointed to the little girl who smiled sheepishly.

The vocalist hummed accompanied by a quiet double-pedal rumble from Nnoitora. They got louder and eventually the stoned man was roaring like beast from Hell. Both guitars shrieked and a double lead ensued.

"Damn! That's awesome! We're gonna have to bust our balls to get signed!" Grimmjow stared in awe as the band played an intense verse riff.

"That little chick can really shred!" Ichigo exclaimed. "We've definitely got some competition."

Nnoitora stuck his tongue out and howled as his arms moved so frenziedly that his arms disappeared. He then struck the crash cymbal and a quiet melodic riff played. The older woman started performing a heavier riff while the little girl played the melody.

"Well, they formed a pretty good circle pit..." Renji pointed to the mass of people charging into each other and running about like rabid animals.

"Let's go in!" Cindy yelled excitedly dragging Ichigo to his feet.

The others got up and waded through the thick crowd towards the pit. Zaraki charged, knocking down anyone in his way. When he got to the mosh pit, he attacked. He shoulder charged a bulky man who shoved him away. Kenpachi landed in a trio of young girls who screamed as the shadow fell over them. Ichigo shoved them out of the way before Zaraki collapsed like a logged tree.

"What a hero!" Cindy grabbed Ichigo's arm and smiled. A fist slammed into her face and she fell to her knees.

"What the fuck?!" Ichigo looked at a man punching wildly in the air as he spun in circles. The fiery haired boy suddenly went fiery in spirit. He trudged over to the man and tapped him on the shoulder.

"What?" The man asked. Ichigo responded by punching him in the nose, knocking the guy out. The crowd roared like a hungry beast as they saw blood flow.

"This is freaking crazy!!" Grimmjow ducked under a high kick and then side stepped a man about to barge into him.

"Hey, where's Rukia?" Renji looked around and saw her crowd surfing. She was so light that people were throwing her up into the air to make it appear as if she were bouncing on the crowd. Bulky security guard pushed her aside.

Meanwhile, Zaraki and Ichigo stood back to back. "Come on Ichigo! Let's fucking wreck these little assholes!"

"I don't want to get into a fight!" Ichigo roared.

"Well, I'll just leave you when that guy and his friends find you!" Zaraki blackmailed.

"Oh fine!" Ichigo jumped into the air and kicked off of someone's chest, only to do a back flip in the air and land on another persons shoulders. The man yelled angrily, but Zaraki punched him in the gut and he went flying into the wall of people. Ichigo leapt over him and landed next to the big brute that was fortunately on his side.

"Ichigo! Wait up!" Cindy waded through the sea of pumped up metal heads, but someone ran into her and she was sent to the floor yet again.

"Dammit! This is dangerous!" Ichigo grunted as he caught a flying fist. He then thrust his foot into the mans torso, flinging him away.

"Enjoy it Kurosaki! This could be the last time you're in a mosh pit! From now on, you'll be starting them!" Kenpachi grinned with his sharp teeth. A small teenager tried to tackle him, but Zaraki just picked him up and hurled the screaming boy out of the way. He landed in a group of younger people and they all toppled, like a set of dominoes.

"There he is! That's the guy who took down Mitch!" Someone yelled. Ichigo knew who they were. The friends of the guy he put in a coma.

"Kenpachi, let's dance!" Ichigo smirked as the group of seven angry men approached.

"Let's drink some blood!!" Zaraki charged, howling like a maniac. He clothes lined one of them and head butted another. Blood flew into the air and people became more frenzied. Eventually, a circle was cleared with only Ichigo, Zaraki and their opponents left in the middle. People ignored the music and watched the fight.

Ichigo punched a blonde man in the ribs and ducked under a punch from the next man. He thrust his knee into the mans gut, but he did not fall. Ichigo sighed and snap kicked him in the jaw. The man dropped then. The first man was now back up, grasping his ribs with one hand, forming a fist with the other. Ichigo rolled to the side and swept his leg out, tripping the man. He then pounced and thrust four punches into the mans face, until his knuckles were bloody.

He felt like the battle was going in his favour until...

A chair slammed into the back of his head. Ichigo dropped like a ton of bricks. The chair-wielding man laughed, but Zaraki snatched the weapon from him and clubbed him in the face.

Security rushed in and broke it up. The music stopped and everyone whispered harshly while the offenders were taken outside.

Grimmjow and Cindy swayed the guards into releasing their friends, while the others were shoved into a police van and sent to the station.

Ichigo coughed into his hand which was soaked in blood. His skin on his knuckles was torn and he had a sore stomach from a few too many body-shots.

Zaraki was covered in cuts and bruises, but he acted as if he'd just been tickled, laughing hysterically.

"Ichigo! That was amazing! We have to have a rematch one day!!"

"Not for a while yet...I need some ice." Ichigo rubbed at his eyes. The opposing band came out and all members grinned.

"You have fun tonight?" The singer asked.

"I guess so...We've got our work cut out for us if we're going against you guys tomorrow." Ichigo rubbed at his eye as he spoke.

"You mean you're that band everyone's been talking about?"

"Most likely..." Grimmjow replied.

"The names Stark." The man extended his hand and Ichigo shook it. "The little ones Lilynette and the other chick is Harribel. You apparently know the others."

"They auditioned for us. I'm glad they found a band in the end." Ichigo smiled at Nnoitora and the giant.

"Well, I hope you can't play as well as you fight, otherwise we're screwed." Stark chuckled. "Good luck tomorrow."

"You too." Ichigo waved as they filed into a black van and drove off. "They're nice people. Even if they beat us, I wouldn't mind buying their record."

"We should get ready for tomorrow." Rukia suggested. We still need stage clothes. Let's go to the mall!" Rukia ran off, the others followed. Cindy and Ichigo kissed briefly before parting ways.

*****

Rukia dragged the group into a clothes shop and squealed delightedly as she came across a rack of various outfits made of leather.

"Should we have spiked armbands?" Ichigo passed them. The others shrugged their shoulders. Ichigo took down one and found a black fabric armband with a red pentagram emblazoned on it. He placed them in a basket and went further down the isle.

"Hey, where do we get fake blood from?" Zaraki asked.

"There's a dress-up store nearby, it should be there." Rukia told him.

"Alright, see you back at the house!" Zaraki strolled off, his ragged white coat swaying behind him.

Grimmjow took a tub of green face-paint and put in his basket, with a white collared jacket and grey jeans.

Renji took a black shirt and black shin pads with nasty looking spikes on them. He also bought a tub of white face paint and one of black. "Who else is gonna wear corpse paint?"

"I will!!" Rukia waved her hand about. "Get an extra tub of white." She instructed. She took a black corset off of the rack and held it up in front of her body next to a mirror. She smiled and put in her basket which was already overflowing with clothes.

They headed to the check out and a weary looking girl frowned at them. Rukia went first. It took several minutes and already the others were getting impatient. Rukia walked out with four bags. Everyone else only carried one.

Ichigo bought a black leather jacket as well as the armbands. He also bought a pair of black jeans. As he handed a wad of cash to the cashier, she noticed his damaged hands.

"What happened to you?" She asked in an almost forced way.

"Oh, I got...mugged." He didn't want to admit that he was only fighting for Zaraki's enjoyment...and his own. "I fought the bastard off with my wallet intact!" He smiled arrogantly and the girl at the counter rolled her eyes before handing him the bag.

When they had all purchased their gear, they went home. They would rest and tomorrow, they would face their destiny. Tomorrow's gig would be the deciding point of their career...and they were ready!

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