Pistolero

"I can't believe we got kicked out," the pretty young woman drunkenly slurred up at him.

"No biggie," Yumichika said as he stumbled through the empty street, one of the girls from the bar tucked under his arm. "I've been kicked out of nicer fuckin' bars than that. Prettier ones, too."

"Why do you keep doing that?" the girl asked with an intoxicated giggle. "Why do you keep calling things 'ugly' or 'beautiful' all the time?"

"I call it like I see it," he chuckled out.

She pushed him down a side street and pinned him up against a wall. She brought her face close to his, her firm body pressing against his chest.

"So which one am I?"

He was about to tell her the truth, that she had only been the best of his choices at the bar, that he'd definitelyhad better looking girls than her. But before he could say anything, she jabbed her lips against his. He was glad she'd distracted him; he'd had a few too many drinks and was about to speak his mind, which would have probably prevented him from getting laid. Fortunately, his inebriated delay and her drunken eagerness had saved the night. He was just lucky she didn't ask him her name. He definitely wouldn't have been able to answer that question.

Much to his surprise, and delight, the young woman began to undo his belt right there in the alley, her hands blindly working against the buckle as her mouth trailed itself along his neck. Yumichika leaned his head back in pleasure as the girl unzipped his pants, his eyes lazily looking up at the night sky.

Just in time to see the bala headed straight for him.

"Shit," he hissed, pushing the girl away from him as he threw his hands up above his head. "Hadou 54,"he yelled out as the red blast rocketed itself down towards the duo. "Haien!"

A pair of pink fireballs flew out from his open palms and crashed into the Hollow's surprise attack. The alleyway lit up with the explosion, the newly formed winds scattering the garbage that littered the asphalt. Yumichika's eyes searched the sky for his assailant, his violet irises darting back and forth through the darkness.

"What the hell was that?" the nameless young woman asked from the ground, her voice trembling in fear.

"Don't worry about it," Yumichika said sharply without taking his eyes off the air above them, his hand pulling out his gikongan dispenser. "Go home and sleep."

Without any further explanation, Ayasegawa Yumichika popped the small green pill into his mouth and ejected his soul from the gigai. He knew that the chick would probably wonder why he'd just gone comatose in front of her, but he could care less; a sleeping gikongan was far more preferable than one that could answer questions. Maybe, if he was lucky, she'd faint from fear.

Or get blown up or something.

Yumichika leapt up into the air, bouncing from wall to wall until he emerged above the top of the buildings he'd been in between. Another balaimmediately shot out at him, this time striking him directly in the chest and sending him flying across the rooftops. Yumichika landed on his side, skidding along the top of another building.

Suddenly the Arrancar was upon him, the broad metal of his zanpakuto gleaming in the moonlight as it was swung down.

The blade struck the gravel flooring of the roof, its intended target vanishing into thin air.

Yumichika reappeared in a flash, his foot striking out and driving into the Arrancar's ribs. With a pained gasp, the enemy leapt away and glared at Yumichika from a distance. He was taller than Yumichika by almost an entire foot, his head topped with wavy brown hair that fell down to his cheeks. His body was covered completely by a tight fitting, single-pieced white suit, a think black line reaching up from his crotch to the base of his neck where the cloth stopped, the black obicreating the image of an inverted cross upon his torso. The remainder of his Hollow mask was a simple ivory band that stretched out and covered his right eyebrow before jutting out in a spike from the side of his face, the white fragment of bone standing out against his olive skin. He was lanky, his legs making up most of his height, his white-gloved hands hanging well below his waist.

"Sorry to surprise you like that, Shinigami," he said, his voice thick with both a flavorful accent and dry sarcasm. "But if I was supposed to be killing a drunken fool, I'd rather get it over with quickly."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Arrancar," Yumichika said snarkily, "but I'm not nearly drunk enough to get wacked by such an ugly sneak-attack."

The Arrancar smirked and lifted his sword up into a striking position. "Well, then. I guess I'll have to fight you head-on."

"If you want to make that mistake," Yumichika said flippantly, "be my guest."

The Arrancar suddenly vanished into thin air, causing Yumichika's eyes to widen in shock. He's fast, was all the Shinigami could think before spinning around and raising his zanpakuto to block the incoming strike of his opponent's. The two blades crashed against each other harshly, the Hollow's wide sword pinning the lieutenant's as it slid halfway out of the scabbard. The Arrancar smirked again as a red ball of energy began to form in his free hand. Yumichika's eyes widened at the sight of the ceroand he thrust against his attacker's blade before vanishing in a swift burst. The ceroroared out harmlessly into the night air, barely missing him.

"Bloom, Fuji Kujaku!" Yumichika called out as he quickly reappeared directly behind the Arrancar, slashing out with his sickle-like shikai.The four blades swung down at the surprised man's head, but the Hollow managed to move his face to the left at the last second. Instead of splitting his skull in two, the scythes cut the tip off the spike of his mask fragment and raked themselves down the Arrancar's chest. Crimson blood sprayed out of the wound, the red liquid raining down on Yumichika's face.

The tall Arrancar stumbled backwards, a hand jutting up to the gash in his flesh. Yumichika rushed at him once more, the curved zanpakuto lashing out harshly as he began to drive his opponent back. The white-clad man blocked each of these strikes with accuracy, his form and ability showing no hint of the carelessness that had allowed the Shinigami to draw first blood.

With a quick duck, the Arrancar escaped Yumichika's driving attacks, the Shinigami's blades swiping into the air above his head harmlessly. Using this newfound opening, the Hollow thrust his zanpakuto forward at his enemy's gut. Yumichika twisted his body, the broad sword only leaving a shallow slice in the skin of his stomach. He brought Fuji Kujakudown harshly upon the Hollow's blade, forcing the tip of the zanpakuto to crash into the floor. Yumichika immediately slid his own sword up his opponent's blade, sparks showering as the scythes scraped up toward the torso of the Arrancar.

The white-clad warrior reached out and grabbed Yumichika's blades with his gloved hand, his fist tightening against them. The Shinigami uttered a sound of shock as a small trail of blood began to trickle from his opponent's fist. With a smile, the lanky Arrancar threw a foot towards Yumichika's torso, the kick landing with a painful thud in his ribs. The lieutenant flew backwards, but landed softly on one foot as though nothing happened. A little snarl from across the rooftop served as the only proof that the kick had even hurt him.

"Not bad, Shinigami," the Arrancar said, his soft voice taunting as his fingers gingerly touching the blood that was flowing out of his wounded chest. "Care to give me your name?"

"Ayasegawa Yumichika," he replied dryly, "lieutenant of the eleventh division."

"You can simply call me Vuulpin," the Hollow responded with an air of arrogance. His prideful look fell away quickly, his smile changing into a sharp scowl. "It's a shame that my orders are to kill you as quickly as possible; I would love to have toyed around with you a bit more, Lieutenant Ayasegawa. You seem to have some skill. However…"

Vuulpin lifted his sword into the air as it began to glow a soft shade of purple.

"Thresh, Zorro Ojón."

Yumichika smiled as his opponent's form began to change. He'd been cooped up behind his desk in the eleventh for so long that he felt like it would have been a real shame to kill this Arrancar without a good fight. Kicking the shit out of fifth seats had long since lost its appeal to him

As the violet light faded from around the Arrancar's body, Yumichika's eyes widened as he looked at empty air. His opponent had completely vanished.

A sudden kick to the side of the face sent him flying into the water tank that was on the top of the building, his lean body crashing through the wooden planks and into the liquid reserves inside. A massive torrent of water rushed out over the rooftop as the reservoir's structure collapsed, the Shinigami coughing up water as he struggled to emerge from the wreckage.

The top of Vuulpin's head was now adorned with a smooth white helmet, the back of which curved out and down in a bony crescent. His hands had been replaced with a pair of white spines, each of the long spears touching the floor. He smiled at Yumichika's wet body, revealing a set of jagged teeth.

"Come now, lieutenant" the Arrancar spat, his mellow voice replaced by a metallic growl. "Don't tell me you couldn't see that attack coming?"

Yumichika stood up shakily; the water that pooled around his ankles was now falling over the sides of the building in crashing waves. The truth was that he hadn't been able to see his enemy's movement. The Arrancar had been too fast for him to track; none of the other Arrancar he'd ever fought had been this fast. Whatever power boost the Arrancar had received was extremely evident, and it had caught him completely off guard.

He wasn't about to admit it, though.

"Of course I could see your moves," Yumichika countered verbally, "I was just letting you feel good about yourself. You're going to need much more than that to take me down."

Yumichika darted forward, his feet barely touching the water beneath them as he sped towards his opponent. He slashed out with his scythes, but the Arrancar easily blocked the strike with his sword-like arms. Yumichika vanished quickly, reappearing a moment later to slice at Vuulpin's backside. The Arrancar spun and blocked the sickles once more with his right arm, meanwhile thrusting the sharp point of his left into Yumichika's shoulder.

The Shinigami growled in pain as the white javelin entered his flesh, grimacing as he heard the sound of his shoulder blade shattering as the sharp point exited through his back. Vuulpin began to run forward with Yumichika still skewered upon his spear-like limb, eventually driving the duo off the side of the building. The two plummeted from the rooftop and into a neighboring wall, the pointed tip that protruded from the back of the Shinigami's shoulder ramming into the brick surface. With a shrill laugh, Vuulpin broke off his own left arm and floated back, leaving Yumichika effectively pinned against the wall.

"How very disappointing, Shinigami," the Arrancar's metallic voice called out teasingly, his arrogance implying that he felt no concern or pain at his sacrificed limb. "I was hoping you would have fought more valiantly than that."

Yumichika groaned and grabbed at the pike that kept him flush against the side of the building. The pain in his shoulder was excruciating; he could feel the jagged fragments of bone floating freely within his flesh as he attempted to pull the stake out of his torso. His immobility only elicited another laugh from his opponent.

"I will thank you for making my mission an easy one, however." Vuulpin continued, the crescent-shaped curve of his helmet gleaming under the waning moon. "It seems as though I will be killing you swiftly, after all."

"Oh really?" Yumichika laughed out dryly, his mouth curving up wickedly, his face splattered with his own blood. The Arrancar's prideful smile fell slightly at his opponent's sudden confidence.

"Split and deviate, Ruriiro Kujaku."

The four blades at his side began to glow a vivid shade of green before lashing out quickly at the Arrancar. What were once solid scythes had transformed into dozens of emerald vines at the wielder's command. They wrapped themselves around his ivory-armored body and constricted him, the luminescent ropes immobilizing his movement. The vines began to pulsate in their glowing and small blossoms began to form along their lengths as the Arrancar's energy began to get sapped into them.

A swath of violet light arced viciously through the air, completely severing the vines from the hilt in Yumichika's hand and the Arrancar's body. Yumichika's jaw hung open in surprise as Vuulpin smirked victoriously. A purple ball of light had manifested itself in front of the Arrancar's chest, the sphere swirling and pulsating steadily in the air.

"Did you truly believe that your simple constriction attack would work against me, Lieutenant Ayasegawa?" Vuulpin smirked down at Yumichika, his eyes dancing in a taunting manner. "Behold my resurrección's greatest attack, Tiburón Azotador. Before this indestructible light,I will crush your bones and end this farce."

The luminous sphere lashed out then, morphing into a long and tail-like arc. It struck against Yumichika's pinned torso, the powerful blow knocking the wind out of him. It felt as though he'd just been whipped by a belt of sandpaper, both his robes and skin ripping under the force of the attack. The Hollow laughed as the light seemed to act upon its own desires and rain down more lashes upon the Shinigami's body. Yumichika cried out defiantly with each whipping, the clothes over his chest quickly becoming tatters, his exposed skin opening in broad bands of blood.

The onslaught suddenly stopped, leaving Yumichika to simply hang his head in exhaustion.

"To show my disdain for your weakness, Shinigami," Vuulpin said, the purple light reforming into the glowing ball before his chest, "I will not kill you. Instead, I will leave you to rot here and think about how the Hollow have truly become stronger than—"

Yumichika began to laugh weakly but heartily, cutting the Arrancar off as blood dripped from his wounded lips.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Yumichika laughed out in insolence. "You're gonna need to do a lot better than this to kill me off."

The Arrancar's eyes narrowed as the violet sphere began to reshape into its deadly whip, his released form preparing to kill the arrogant Shinigami. But as the vicious lashes prepared to rain down once more, a massive swelling of reiatsu forced the energy belt backwards and caused Vuulpin to widen his eyes in shock at the smirking Shinigami before him.

"Bankai."


"Hiyori!"

Shinji hollered out as the small girl bolted for the door. She turned and shot him an angry look, but stopped nonetheless. She crossed her arms, looking at him impatiently. He said nothing for a moment, instead opting to glare at her sternly.

"What?" she hissed out when he didn't reply for a full minute.

"Where are you going?" he asked casually, his body still naked under the sheets of the motel bed they had, until just recently, been sharing.

"What kind of stupid question is that, dummy?" she growled. "Are you telling me that you can't feel the—"

"Of course I can feel them; the Espada have finally made their move. It still doesn't answer my original question, however." He propped himself up on his elbows, the sheets sliding off his naked torso.

"Do you just want me to stand here and do nothing?" she asked indignantly, her eyes searching for some sort of reason in his stoic features. "Isn't this what we've been waiting for?"

"Yes it is," he said calmly, his relaxed tones practically forcing her to come closer to the bed.

"Then why don't you want me going out to fight?"

Shinji sighed and closed his eyes. He loved Hiyori with all of his heart. Maybe not as a wife, or even as a sister, but he did love her. When the Vizards had first been banished from Soul Society and Kisuke had helped them to contain their inner Hollows, they'd all gone their separate ways. Despite the fact that Shinji had pleaded for all of them to stay together, to create a team, it seemed that they each had wounds they needed to heal on their own.

Hiyori had been the first to come back. And they'd been practically inseparable since.

But regardless of the strong feelings he held for the little blonde firecracker, she could really be obtuse.

"Think about it, Hiyori," he said, standing up from the bed, the sheets falling unabashedly from his lower body. He smirked as he saw her eyes drift down below his waist. "We've done all this planning to create this little alliance of ours; tonight is the first truetest of their abilities." She looked off to the side as he slipped his pants back on.

"Would you go out and help them?" he asked slyly. "Or would you rather wait and see if they sink or swim?"

Hiyori sighed and placed her zanpakuto back up against the wall by the door. The look on her face screamed with resentful understanding as she walked back towards him and sat on the bed. Shinji smiled and sat down next to her, loving how he was always right about everything.

"I'm just so fucking bored,"she said as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

Shinji leaned his head on top of hers and sighed contentedly.

"Just be patient," he said softly, his arm wrapping around her waist and bringing her closer. "After tonight, we get to make our moves."


author's note

and we're back. sorry about the delay in chapters; i was inventing arrancar. you'll see the rest of them soon, i promise.

and i have no idea what my yumichika kick is all about lately, but he's so much fun to write for. and yes, you'll get to see his bankai soon.

for those of you playing the language game, the answer was 'spanish' for this chapter. any guesses on next chapter?

del, i hope you enjoyed?

and i forgot to give a shout-out tofourwallslast time. she roxx.

rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreview!

jta!~

pistolero - juno reactor