Silent Hill Extreme
Chapter 08: The Panther
"You know we're being followed, right?"
Yoruichi looked up to Isshin who had a serious expression in his face for a change "I didn't get as far as I am without picking up things like that. I was the leader of the special forces after all…"
"I know; will you take care of him?"
"Nope, too much work"
The serious expression melted from Isshin's face as he face faulted "Come on! Do I have to do everything?! I had to open the Senkaimon myself!"
"That's because I left my Zanpakuto at Kisuke's" Yoruichi shrugged with a teasing smirk "I could not do anything about it…"
"Damn…" Isshin muttered as he stopped and walked toward the alley behind them.
Upon walking in, he spotted the man who's been following them since the beginning. The man's eyes widened at being discovered so easily "Guess I have no way ta run away, ne?"
Isshin, seeing the man trying to sweet talk him, put his arm against the wall, effectively blocking the man's way out "Who are you?"
Locking eyes with Isshin proved to be a mistake as the man flinched from the ferocity of the Shinigami's stare. Gathering his bearings, he pulled out his officer badge and showed it to the man "My name's Brandt, Police Officer from Augusta, Maine. I should be asking who you are, Foreigner"
Isshin studied the man until he sighed "I'm sorry for that, but I've been under a lot of pressure and stress lately"
"I get it" Brandt waved him off "You're Japanese… you're related to Ichigo, right?"
Now Isshin's eyes widened and he rapidly asked "You've seen my son!?"
"That I did, good lad that one" Brandt replied as he walked out of the alley "He was with his sister looking around the place"
Isshin looked visibly relieved. Before he could say anything else, his cell phone rang out. Pulling it out, he saw the number was Ichigo's. "What?"
He opened his phone and answered but only heard static from it. Ending the call, he tried to call back. This time, he heard his son's voice.
"Ichigo, what the hell happened!?" Isshin said catching the attention of Brandt and Yoruichi.
"Dad …*Bzzzt*… lost her"
"What are you talking about?!" Lost? Thinking on that, Brandt only mentioned a sister…
"Yuzu …*Bzzzt*…!" Isshin could hear his son sobbing about something… Lost? Yuzu? No… "They're here…"
"Who is there? Ichigo!?" He only heard the buzzing sound of the cell phone and then the call was cut.
"Was it them?" Brandt asked him.
"Yes" Isshin said as he clenched his fists "It seems that Yuzu got lost"
Yoruichi cupped her chin in thought "So Ichigo and Karin are looking for her around here?"
Brandt chuckled at hearing them "More like kidnapped"
Isshin rounded on him and picked him up from the floor in a strong grip "WHAT DO YOU KNOW!?"
"That Yuzu was kidnapped by a religious cult and that your children are on one of their games!" Brandt replied calmly.
Isshin dropped him and walked away.
Seeing this, Yoruichi tried to stop him "Isshin! Where are you going?"
"I'm going to find my children" He said in a deadly tone.
Seeing him walking away, Yoruichi followed after him, but before long, they heard something clatter in the floor.
Looking down they had no time to react for what came.
It was a metal cylinder that expelled a grey gas from it. Isshin, Yoruichi and Brandt couldn't help but feel sleepy until they fell down to the unforgiving floor.
Before falling to the effects of the gas, Isshin managed to distinguish the voice of a man "Well… aren't these three an inconvenience? I guess I'll be taking them with me, for now…"
-SHE-
?:?:? Hs
-SHE-
A cloaked figure walked under the heavy rain that poured on Midwich Elementary School. Rather than covering her body, Karin used it to cover the flame from the rain.
It did the trick; she was walking among SchoolChildren like nothing. They seemed to back away from her something that made Karin feel smug about it.
As a measure against them, Karin decided to leave a candle in front of the door that led to the stairs. The front side of the school was filled with the bastards.
Now she was walking slowly as to not disturb the shimmering flame.
Looking around the place she noted that there used to be a clock tower, most likely. There was a corner or the schoolyard that had rubble and debris threw around.
Deciding that this place was her best bet, Karin set to work. First, to manoeuvre easier, she decided to set the candle under a piece of wood which had two stone pillars at its sides.
Then she got to look around…
It was difficult, taking in account that there was mud and that it was terribly dark. If it wasn't for the candle that was barely resisting, she would be in the dark.
Karin dipped her hand in the mud and started searching for the key.
Unfortunately, she came out with nothing "Damn… I can't find it…"
In a fit of anger, Karin punched the mud which splashed everywhere, but it had a reward as she hit something hard in the ground.
"What's this… can it be!?" She dug further until she reached a wood box which she took out and opened "It's here!"
While Karin mentally cheered, she did not note that when she punched the ground, mud splattered on the candle.
The candle went out…
"It's a bit dark here…" Karin turned around and stared in horror as the SchoolChildren came after her "Wait a minute… the candle… damn it!"
She broke in a run towards safety. The monster children came after her, though never came close to her, she was faster. That is until she tripped in the mud and fell to the floor.
"Shit!" She tried to crawl to the gateway where the candle stood, her salvation as of now, but SchoolChildren caught her by her ankle.
Feeling the same pain from before, Karin reacted quickly and smacked the wood box on the monster's head which made it let go, letting Karin crawl to safety.
The candle did the trick and the bastards retreated away from the warm light.
Now she had the key that most likely took her to the medallion.
-SHE-
?:?:? Hs
-SHE-
Isshin blearily opened his eyes and rapidly noted that he could not move his arms.
"Isshin you in there?"
It was Yoruichi's voice. At least she was with him. "Yes I'm here. You okay?"
Yoruichi snorted into the darkness and retorted "I'm having the time of my life" She drawled sarcastically "I can't move my hands, I was put to sleep by a gas that should have not affected me and finally this Gigai does not let me get out of these bindings… stupid weak body"
"I wonder why the hell we came with those…" Isshin wondered aloud, questioning his previous intentions.
"Ya now we can't talk with people in spirit form, right?"
"Err… I already knew that…"
". . ."
". . ."
"Anyway… any smart idea?"
Isshin put a thoughtful expression, not that Yoruichi could see, and nodded satisfied with the results "Nope"
"Isshin…" She said menacingly.
"Do you fit through the bars of that window?"
Looking up Yoruichi nodded, telling him she agreed with him, and Isshin proceeded to help her up. She took the chance to escape what she realized was a cell, most likely in a police station.
"Isshin I'll be back with help, this place feels strange"
"Be safe"
Just when she left, the door to the cell was opened by a man Isshin could not see…
"It seems someone is missing…" The voice sang mockingly. The man turned the light on and was revealed to be Norman. "It's your turn, foreigner"
Norman pulled out a pad which a red button and pressed it. In that moment, electricity coursed through Isshin's body, causing him severe pain.
"This is what expects you if you try to break free… the woman is now out of my range… I shouldn't have left that way of escape so easy for you two" Norman said in an over dramatically way.
"What have you done to my children?"
It was barely above a whisper, but Norman heard it well "The Japanese brats eh? They're doing an errand for me… I assume you're their father, right?"
Isshin simply glared at the man.
"The innocent one though is in one of our enclaves…"
Now Isshin tried to stand up to strangle the man, key word tried.
"It's no use, but I think I will get some interesting information from you, like I did with the police officer" Norman grinned as he pulled from the man's hair to drag him.
All the while, Isshin seethed in anger 'Come back soon, Yoruichi!'
-SHE-
?:?:? Hs
-SHE-
Karin breathed slowly as she stood in front of a door.
This was the door that would take her to the roof. It wasn't difficult to manoeuvre her way to the stairs that led there. She took the last of the 'Healthy Drink' healing the frozen leg that the SchoolChildren gave her. Now she was looking at the door she just unlocked with the key she found earlier. This was the easy part.
The difficult part was what Ichigo told her…
"Karin, listen well!" Ichigo saw the ice slowly cover him; by now it was by his waist. "You're going to the other world! Look for the medallion! Use your guns consciously! Remember there must be a big monster out there! Kill it and come back!"
Karin clenched her hands in her guns. The only reason she didn't blast those bastards head off was Ichigo's piece of advice. This was nerve wrecking. She didn't know what to expect. She only had one thing in mind as of now, something Ichigo remarked clearly.
"Stay alive!"
"Don't worry, Ichigo… I'll come out of this and we will find Yuzu"
As she opened the door, she said one last thought out loud.
"I'll stand beside you, Ichigo"
-SHE-
?:?:? Hs
-SHE-
It was pitiful; the way people lived and died.
It was something her father instilled in her since she was young.
Another thing the man indoctrinated her in, was the ways of the cult. It was because of that, that she was willing to go so in deep like this.
She had blood in her hands; she carried the body of the police officer after all. She killed the officer; he was trying to play the bad cop, something she didn't appreciate. Normally she would play with her victims for more time before executing them, but this man was a special case.
He looked for it.
"I wonder if this cycle will end…" She muttered as she finished closing the bag she put the body in.
"What are you doing now?" The voice, she knew belonged to her father "We have the Japanese one in the interrogation, waiting for you"
"I'm sorry father, I was disposing of the body" She said in a cheery voice. It was sickly sweet, something she did not identify herself with.
"Don't bother with that saccharine act in front of me, our goal is closer than ever" Norman said with glee pouring from his mouth.
She returned to her stoic expression and nodded, but hissed in pain as her belly ached heavily "Ghk"
"You're getting cramps again?" Norman asked, not a bit of worry in his eyes.
Layla stared at the eyes of her father and wondered to herself 'He does not care for me… why I am with him then?' She knew the answer 'I have no one else…' It was true, she was alone since her mother died and her father took a leading role in the cult 'Can't he see me like him…'
-Flashback-
"Yuzu! Karin!" Ichigo shouted as he ran toward the car. Layla stared from a safe distance as the followers of the cult tucked Yuzu in and rapidly left "Karin! Are you alright? Did they do something to you?"
"No, but they have Yuzu! We have to follow them!" The black haired girl shouted most likely hurt for losing her sister.
"Right" they got into the car and Ichigo couldn't make it start up. "What the hell?!" He got out of the car and checked the engine. "They broke it! They made sure we couldn't follow them!"
Layla looked down to her hands and saw the tools she used to break down the car.
Karin looked on the verge of tears while Ichigo started punching and kicking the car.
"DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT ALL!"
The blonde haired girl realised that the Medium's brother really cared for her, something that was alien to her.
After seeing them get into the truck, Layla went inside and called for her father "They're going"
"Good, with luck this one will be the chosen one"
"I made sure of it. The spirits wander around her, she's the one"
"She better be… or else"
The conversation was cut and Layla was left to her own thoughts 'Can someone care for me like he does for her sisters?'
-Flashback End-
"You didn't answer, Layla"
That snapped her out of her line of thoughts "I'm sorry, they're disturbing, but I can still carry my duties"
"No" The man said firmly "It's too risky. I would rather our ticket to Paradise is not killed because of your actions. Go to rest, I'll take care of the interrogations then…"
Layla nodded and left towards her room, silently grateful for this reprieve. This burden was taking its toll on her 'Paradise, that's what father wants… he will only find hell'
-SHE-
?:?:? Hs
-SHE-
Karin stared wide eyed at what was in front of her.
Under the heavy cloak of the rain stood a panther-like monster whose white skin was covered in metal plates in several parts. In the sides of its mouth sat a piece of metal which resembled the bone which would belong in that part.
That did not scare Karin at all.
Its electric blue eyes did. They were cold, calculating, and fierce.
They were merciless.
Karin slowly stepped out in the rain and felt as the water soaked her very being. It was cold, she noted dumbly; she was staring at the eyes of the beast.
They were measuring her.
The standstill went on until the beast seemed to scoff at her.
It was not taking her seriously; Karin knew that much. It annoyed her, but it served in her favour.
She was being underestimated.
Seemingly tired of this standstill, the beast rushed forward toward her and swiped with its claws. Karin dodged to the side by the nick of a hair and pulled her gun and took a shot at its back.
Unfortunately, the bullet lodged itself in the one of the pieces of metal covering the beast.
Slowly the beast turned around to look at her with what looked like a mocking grin, and pounced at her once again.
This time, with adrenaline through her veins, Karin let instincts guide her as she did not know what to consciously do. She fell to the floor and The Panther sailed above her.
From the floor, Karin took several shots at the beast that were either deflected by the plates or were imbedded in the skin.
The beast growled in pain and rapidly turned around to jump into Karin who had not time to get up to dodge properly and got bitten in the end "ARGH!"
Pain throbbed in her right leg as it was munched by the beast over and over. It wasn't until she managed to get a shot to the beast's face that it let go and jumped back in pain.
Trying to bear the pain, Karin looked up to see the panther. It was not faring better than her. Blood dripped from its left eye which was closed for obvious reasons, but with its lonely eye, it glared death toward Karin.
Karin could not get up; she knew that if she put some weight over her foot, she would double over in pain. Thinking quickly, she pulled out her guns and pointed them at the beast which came lunging at her.
When its maw were wide open, Karin emptied the cartridge into its mouth "DIE!"
The beast fell forward, collapsing over Karin whose eyes widened upon seeing how close she came to its mouth; she was a hair's distance from her doom.
Its eye was open, staring right into her, scaring her greatly, but she could not move away. It was too heavy to move and Karin was injured.
Black spots appeared on her vision as she turned to look to the side where she spotted what looked like the damned medallion.
With the last of her strength, Karin extended her arms toward it, but her vision blacked.
She fell unconscious…
-SHE-
?:?:? Hs
-SHE-
It was daytime and Karin noted that when the sunlight struck her in the eyes. She hated that feeling…
"Up already, Karin?"
That voice…
Looking up, Karin saw her brother's face. He was smiling down at her.
"I'm happy you're alright"
"Ichigo…" Karin muttered as she took in her brother's presence. When she did, she buried her face in his chest. She realized then that she was asleep in her brother's lap "I thought I… You're alright!"
"Yeah I'm fine, I'm proud of you" Ichigo said as he stroked his sister's hair "You did it yourself. Whatever you went against, you beat it"
"Yeah… though my leg…"
Ichigo chuckled at that, irritating Karin a bit "It seems like a theme for you to get your leg injured all the time…" Ichigo pulled out a bottle from his bag and showed it to her "While you were asleep I forced you to drink this, your legs should be fine"
Karin looked at it and wondered "Is that a Healthy Drink?"
"Yeah, I found it on my way up here after the ice melted away, though I had some help"
"Really? Who?"
"WHO ELSE? I, THE GREAT KON-SAMA, HAVE SAVED YOUR-!"
*BANG*
Ichigo deadpanned at Karin who had her gun out, pointed at Kon "What? He was annoying me"
"You're not going to take those things home"
Karin smirked and rested her head on her brother's lap, content for the moment of relative peace they had "Who knows…"
Ichigo smiled and ignored the complaints of the lion plushy.
Checking his phone he was shocked by the time and day it was "Karin… we're leaving now"
Karin looked curiously at her brother and asked back "Why?"
"We have less than ten hours…"
"WHAT!?"
-SHE-
09:48:56HS
-SHE-
-BREAK-
Okay chapter finished…
Took me some time, sorry for that, but I was starting university once again and I had to adapt once again to the rhythm. I made some space to actually write this among all the other homework I have, so be damn grateful!
Now to today events…
Karin bad-ass as ever finishing off a boss!
Yoruichi escapes and Isshin gets shocked!
What about Layla and Norman!?
LESS THAN TEN HOURS!?
I told your beforehand that time fluctuated because of events that are to come…
NOW ONTO REVIEWS!
Only one review and from a guest!
-Guest-
Guest: So now Isshin and Yoruichi comes into play, that was a bit unexpected. Are you going to have their fears play a part in the story? I have to also ask are you going to have alternate endings just like the game? The final question is this story going to go past the town of silent hill since you have been hinting about Yhwach return?
Me: I hope unexpected in a good way haha. I have something thought about but as you see, Yoruichi is going out for help. If it doesn't bother you, I will be borrowing that idea. Until this moment I thought of this more like a story based on a story more than a game. The diverse endings idea is great; I already wrote the basic lines of each ending, Five if you must know, that I will put up as separate chapters, marking which will be the 'cannon' ending for Bleach and Silent Hill respectively. I thought some UFO endings as well haha. About Yhwach, I was just hinting that the man still exists in this world, though it is mentioned that he's not ready for an assault on SS. I will not continue past there as the story will most likely lose the 'crossover' part and would continue normally like in the manga. Thanks for the review!
That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'm sorry to say that this story is going to be put in a VERY short hiatus until I finish Eureka Seven Re-Evolution. It has only two chapters left, eleven and twelve. I'm also considering an epilogue which I'm almost finished with mapping out.
Don't worry about this Hiatus, the story will not be marked as one as it may seem to you like I took too long to update again, which is not strange for me xD
After that I plan to work full time into this one until I finish or I get close to finishing it. Then I will post another story I've been writing every time I had a writer's block :)
Hope you follow, favourite and review! You guys help me grow as an author, so please do so!
BYE BYE!
