Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Bleach anime and manga. Just this angsty fanfiction.
Warning: Crappy writing (once again). Seriously. I feel like breaking down (curls into fetal position). Uh, Aizen-bashing? By making him so weak in this fic… Don't really like him that much no matter how smexy that handsome bastard is. And um, physical abuse towards the kitty D:
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Ichigo was on one knee, and was holding onto Zangetsu for support. He panted heavily and blood oozed from his head wound, causing his vision to blur slightly. On the other hand, Aizen stood perfectly uninjured before him with that pleasant smile on his face. Fucking cheater, Ichigo thought, Infusing Hougyouku into himself. The ex-captain had done so when the group finally found him after an extensive search of the great white fortress of Las Noches, sitting on his 'throne' in a grand hall, with Gin and Tousen standing by the side, droning on about him being the 'new god' or whatever with that sickening constant smile on his face.
The rest of his friends (with the exception of the captains, of course) were either passed out, heavily injured, or too overwhelmed by both Ichigo's and Aizen's extreme amount of reiatsu to move much. The captains, meanwhile, seem to be holding off Gin & Tousen well. That would be easy to explain since Kenpachi was around. With the 'undead' Shinigami captain, Ichigo was assured that his friends would at least be protected. He believed Kenpachi could never be beaten down; further more, Kurotsuchi and Byakuya being there was support enough, while Unohana's and Orihime's healing abilities were definitely more than useful. The situation wasn't that bad. Oh no, not at all. That is, if Aizen didn't stick that freaking glowing orb into himself and heightening his power. Nah, Ichigo could manage… somehow. He'd just have to concentrate on beating Aizen.
Ichigo inhaled deeply & stood up, though slightly giddy. His injuries didn't really matter. As said earlier, his injuries seem to hurt less & his reiatsu was still very high – ok, truthfully, it's still growing. Ichigo had a definite fighting chance. Probably. Besides, he still hasn't called upon his mask yet.
"That's da way ta do it, King," Hichigo said to him sarcastically. "Remain optimistic."
"Shut up, Hollow," Ichigo muttered under his breath as his Hollow self cackled in amusement.
"I can still choose ta overthrow ya King," Hichigo continued. "Just be thankful I'm lettin' ya take control unless ya pansy out at the last minute." Ichigo could feel his Hollow grinning maniacally at him. Ichigo sighed and grumbled at his other self, then tensed up when Aizen smiled again at him.
"I wonder how you have achieved such power in a short time, Kurosaki-kun." Ichigo really hated that smile. "Your reiatsu feels so much like an Arrancar than a Vizard," Aizen said almost knowingly. Ichigo winced; where was he getting at? Don't tell me…
"It feels very much like Grimmjow's reiatsu, Kurosaki-kun… How very interesting," Aizen said again mockingly. "Pray tell, why is only his reiatsu living through among yours, Kurosaki-kun?"
"That's none of your business," Ichigo snapped.
"If I must say, Kurosaki-kun…" Aizen's smile grew, "It was a very entertaining way in his method of reiatsu transfer. It's no wonder Grimmjow has been looking content lately."
"Wh-What're you talking about?" Ichigo suppressed a blush. Aizen knew too much about that.
"But such a shame that a fine Espada would actually betray me for a boy," Aizen said in mock sadness. Ichigo frowned; what did he meant by that in that tone? Ichigo opened his mouth to speak but Aizen raised a hand, & two Arrancars appeared, holding up a familiar body, covered in blood with spiky teal hair. Ichigo's eyes widened as the body was dumped to the ground with a loud thump.
"Grimmjow!" Ichigo cried. All eyes in the room snapped to him, especially the captains' but Ichigo no longer cared. He stared at the bloodied body whose blue eyes were open, but now blank and dull. Dead. Ichigo could feel his heart twist in pain and an uncontrollable emotion welled up within him, threatening to burst. That was it. Aizen would pay.
Ichigo roared out in anger and pain; the uncontrollable emotion of anger bursting out of him like an unleashed beast. Black reiatsu swirled around him and Aizen raised his eyebrows in curiosity. The teen's reiatsu had rocketed to twice its level a moment ago, and even Aizen himself had to take a step back from the spiritual pressure.
"What is this…?!" Aizen flash stepped away from Ichigo, the black reiatsu lashing out at him and swirling wildly around the Vizard like a black tornado. It seemed to be growing bigger and bigger, and Aizen realized why: the Vizard was absorbing – no, feeding on the surrounding spiritual power and particles in the room. Aizen cringed in disbelief when he felt his own power – and the Hougyouku's – being eaten away at a rapid speed, until it stopped abruptly. Aizen looked up, squinting his eyes to see the boy through the smoke and lingering black reiatsu. A masked figure in black stepped out of the smoke. His injuries and the blood were gone. The Hollow mask he wore upon his face was menacing and fierce, and killing intent radiated strongly off of him. His reiatsu spiked angrily but Aizen remained unfazed.
"Interesting, Kurosaki-kun," Aizen smirked and took out his sword, taking the chance to show his own abilities. "Shatter, Kyoka Sui-!"
Aizen stared wide-eyed at his situation. Ichigo had disappeared from his view and reappeared in front of him with his blade thrust into Aizen within a split second. Blood spewed from his mouth while Ichigo's golden black eyes glared coldly at him from behind the Hollow mask. Aizen's initial expression of shock changed into one of a smile as his body disintegrated into particles of glass; a mere illusion.
The real one appeared behind Ichigo, slashing his blade in quick strokes that appear as mere flashes of light; too quick to be seen by the untrained eye. Ichigo blocked the attacks easily; his Bankai's specialty was speed, after all. They then started the furious battle of slashing and slicing. They swung their blades at each other with precision, speed, skill and grace, almost like a high-speed dance. Cold steel met and clashed; its constant clanging screeching at their ears. Deep cuts and loss of blood were sustained from either side, but neither would even think of submitting defeat. After a while of exchanging blows, Ichigo backed away, tired of the mindless exchange. He gave a Hollow-like roar and his black reiatsu gathered once again.
"Getsuga Tenshou!" A large whirl of black-red reiatsu was sent flying to Aizen at mind blowing speed. Aizen shielded himself with his zanpakutou and reiatsu. He succeeded in breaking the attack before it fully reached him, but that wasn't the case for his hands. Aizen stared at his bloodied hands in extreme disgust and anger. How dare he… to a god?!
"Let's end this now, Aizen," Ichigo said. Aizen glared at him angrily.
"Of course," Aizen replied in a gentle tone however, and broke into an evil smirk.
The duo's reiatsu blared angrily, taking visible forms at white light and black darkness respectively. White against black; fighting to overpower the other. They shared a momentary glare into each other's eyes before they moved.
The teen was feeding off his reiatsu again. Aizen was very angry indeed. A human brat eating away the power of a Shinigami, the leader of Hollows and the Hougyouku… Ridiculous! Aizen would never admit that he was weakening, but he was. This… hybrid was consuming him slowly… And Aizen would kill him before he does so. Aizen still had a trump card.
Both sides thrust forward in inhuman speeds as their reiatsu clashed and battled. Both were moving closer and closer to each other. Ichigo had put all his strength in this final attack. For Grimmjow.
Closer now, he could see Aizen's face a few feet from him… Ichigo's grasp on Tensa Zangetsu hardened. He could hear Hichigo howling by his ear, eager to consume Aizen and his power. Nearer and nearer… Ichigo was all ready to strike. Then Ichigo noticed a sparkle against the light. Like a reflection of glass. His eyes wavered away for a single second, but when he returned his gaze to Aizen, a teal-haired Arrancar replaced his position.
"What…?" Ichigo stopped in his tracks in surprise. An image of Grimmjow, coming at him. Ichigo was stunned. And it was when the image shattered that he realized it was too late. An illusion. And Aizen was closing in on him with a victorious smirk spread across his face. "Shit."
Ichigo didn't think he was one to close his eyes on death, but he had screwed his eyes shut on impulse when he saw Aizen's blade nearing. He was expecting pain and the sensation of the blade piercing through his skin and body, but it never came. He didn't feel anything at all.
"Fucking berryhead," a familiar voice growled. Ichigo's eyes snapped open.
"…Grimmjow?" Said Espada stood in front of him, with his back facing Ichigo. How could that be? Wasn't he dead? Is this another of Aizen's illusions? As if reading his mind, the Sexta Espada explained, "That dead body of mine was an illusion, ya dimwit. I was still fighting the Exequias before I got here."
Ichigo noticed he sounded choked. That was when his golden eyes looked below and saw the reason. Aizen's zanpakutou was driven through Grimmjow's abdomen and the Arrancar was holding onto the sword, not allowing the self-proclaimed God to withdraw the sword from his already battered body.
"Grimmjow! What the hell are you doing?!" Ichigo yelled, his voice cracked in pain even though he wasn't the one who was stabbed.
"Shut the fuck up and kill this fucker through me!" Grimmjow growled. Ichigo's eyes widened at that order.
"There's no fucking way I'd do that, Grimm-!"
"Don't fucking argue with me, Shinigami! Ya had yer fucking chance just now but because ya fucking spaced out, this will be yer last chance to do it, so JUST. FUCKING. DO IT. NOW!" Grimmjow shouted angrily. Ichigo only stared back at him, expression unknown behind the mask.
"I should have killed you when you first started to get out of hand with your leaving out of Hueco Mundo, Grimmjow," Aizen said angrily. Every fiber of Aizen's being gave off hatred, and the man forcefully twisted his blade in Grimmjow, causing him to cough up more blood and writhing in pain. Grimmjow however, gripped onto his sword harder and pulled the other closer by the collar & Grimmjow gave him his feral grin.
"Fuck you, Aizen," Grimmjow sneered. With that said, a black blade sliced through both the Arrancar and Aizen at the chest. Aizen's face contorted in pain as a glow radiated off his chest – the spot where the Hougyouku had been infused within him. A crack was heard and a shattering sound ensued, signaling it ceased to exist. Blood flowed from the ex-Shinigami's mouth and chest as he muttered an "Impossible" as his power dissipated alongside the Hougyouku, and his eyes slowly faded into a dull shade, empty and lifeless.
The black blade drew away from both bodies which then collapsed to the floor. Grimmjow lay sprawled on the floor, face up and struggling to breathe. His blue eyes were on Ichigo, who wasn't really himself.
"Thanks… for doing it instead of him," Grimmjow said hoarsely. He was sure he had a punctured lung, explaining his difficulty in breathing and speaking.
"No problem," Hichigo replied with the mask still on. "King's being a pussy, ya know… Screamin' and clawin' at me like a woman ta not do it when I was takin' over." Grimmjow tried to laugh, and managed to barely do so. Hichigo shrugged. "Ahh… I'm gonna get screwed later," the Hollow sighed as the mask began to break away. His golden-black eyes lingered on Grimmjow. "Hope ta see ya again, Grimmkitty," Hichigo said with his psychotic grin.
Grimmjow reflected the Hollow with his own grin and growled back almost jokingly, "Fuck you, Hichi."
The mask broke away completely and Ichigo's eyes returned to its normal shade of brown. "Grimm…" Ichigo sank to his knees beside Grimmjow's body. Grimmjow winced at the emotion in the voice. He hated it. "I'm… I'm sorry…"
"…Shut up, Ichi," Grimmjow said, now in a weak whisper. He was starting to wheeze, and his head and body felt light, as if he was about to drift into sleep. But Grimmjow knew that wasn't the case. If he closed his eyes now, he would never wake up. He wanted to look at the berry –his berry – a little longer. He acknowledged his feelings now. For Ichigo. But why, why does the brat have to freaking put on that stupid sad face of his? Grimmjow would have punched him if he could, but he could barely breathe properly now, much less lift a finger. And his eyes felt heavy…
"Grimmjow, don't you fucking die on me, asshole!!" Ichigo yelled, his voice cracked and choked while desperately holding back his sorrow and tears. I will not cry. His hands fisted into the Espada's bloodied jacket, trembling. Ichigo looked up desperately in search of his comrades. His friends at the far end of the hall were fine; it seemed that reinforcements from Soul Society had arrived, and Tousen and Gin seemed to have surrendered. He could see Ishida, Chad and the others being helped up and an extremely pleased (and bloodied) Zaraki watching him. His eyes scanned for the healers. Orihime and Unohana running towards them. Hurry, Orihime! God, please hurry!
CRACK, BAM, CRASH. Sudden loud cracks, noises and crashes startled Ichigo. Ichigo looked around wildly. The ceilings and walls were cracking up and falling apart. "Wh-What?"
"Las Noches…" Grimmjow wheezed, "is self-destructing."
"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime and Unohana arrived.
"Are you alright, Kurosaki-san?" Unohana asked.
"I'm fine! Just heal him!" Ichigo replied almost hysterically, his voice filled with desperation and helplessness. That was when Zaraki, Rukia and Renji arrived and had heard his tone of voice, hands spread gently on the Espada. All of them (except Orihime) looked very confused and surprised at Ichigo's deep concern for the fallen Espada. Ichigo ignored it. The truth would be out sooner or later anyway. "Inoue, heal him quick!" Ichigo pleaded. The girl nodded and sat down to do so but Grimmjow didn't allow it.
"No, get out of here, there's no time," he said weakly. It was true; the building was half-way fully collapsed by now, and still fast collapsing.
"He's right, Ichigo, we have to get out now!" Rukia insisted. Ichigo shot her a glare and she shrank back, looking mightily shocked at his reaction.
"Look, Ichigo. Even if we bring him back to heal him at Soul Society, I doubt he could even survive that long!" Renji barked at him.
"No!" Ichigo shouted stubbornly. He moved to pull Grimmjow up to carry him but again, the Espada resisted.
"Fuck, Ichi, just go!" the teal-haired man snarled. "I won't be… lasting much longer."
"Grimmjow, stop-"
"Sorry, Ichigo," Kenpachi suddenly interrupted and punched Ichigo in the stomach, effectively knocking the Vizard out. The 11th division captain swung the limp body over his shoulder and turned away with a glance of Grimmjow. "Come on, let's move."
Unohana nodded and another group of reinforcement Shinigami arrived, setting up the Garganta. Orihime protested for Ichigo while they stepped into the Garganta; she too was in debt to Grimmjow, but she shut up when she heard Grimmjow murmur, "Stop yer bitchin', woman."
Both made eye contact briefly and Orihime heard him say again with a softened expression and in a softer voice, "…Take care of the berry will ya?" The Espada gave a brief smirk at her and his eyes drooped, the eyelids fluttering close. That was the last thing Orihime saw of the Espada as rubble fell atop of him and the Garganta closed on her.
"Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime looked over to the still unconscious teen. Tears welled up in her eyes and before she knew it, they were running down her face. She knew she really wasn't crying for herself, but for Ichigo's loss. "I'm so sorry, Kurosaki-kun."
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See I told you it's crap. I laughed at my friend (aka superollie!) who beta'd for me 'cause she went "OMG he's dead!... OMG he's alive!!... OMG now he's dead again?!!". Yeah, I know it's funny... My storyline for this chapter I mean though her reaction did make me laugh out loud x) And yes, I know I'm evil for abusing Grimmjow constantly in this fanfic. But worry naught; I'm not that evil to do so… I think… Um, review as you wait for next chapter? Thanks in advance for the support and review you guys... I'm happy!!
