Chapter 10: The Search!
"Alright then, let's look for the others!" Ichigo shouted after everyone ate.
"Do you even know where they are?" Renji asked, confused.
"It doesn't matter; we will find them," Ichigo resolutely stated.
"How can you find them if you don't know where they are?"
"It doesn't matter; they'll turn up!" Ichigo shouted.
"Well we need to know where to look!"
"We'll have Trace show us where they are!"
"Are you sure he even knows whey they are?" Renji countered.
"No, I am not even sure that I want them to come with us!" Ichigo shot back.
"Why not? Afraid that they are too powerful?"
"No! Shut up!"
"You're an idiot!" Renji yelled.
"You're a moron!"
"Bastard!"
"Asshole!"
"Stop fighting!" Rukia screamed as she knocked their heads together.
"Are you guys always this lively?" Trace asked.
"No, sometimes we're even more," Orihime confessed.
"I see, well at least things stay interesting," Trace chuckled.
"Renji and Ichigo brought up a good point though," Rukia pointed out.
"Which one?" Shuhei asked.
"Would you be able to locate them?" asked Rukia.
"Yeah, it's no problem; we're all friends. I know them in person and in their grim reaper forms, so they'll be easy to track," Trace answered.
"So, how will you convince them?" Shuhei asked.
"Well Hisagi, that's not my job I'm afraid. The responsibly lies on you," Trace pointed out.
"What do you mean?" Shuhei asked.
"Well just because I agreed, doesn't mean they will. Wasn't it your mission to convince them to join?" Trace inquired.
"It's true," Shuhei sighed, "But will you help us out?"
"Of course," he replied.
"What the hell did you bring up all that shit then?" Ichigo asked, rubbing his head.
"The fact is-" Trace started.
"Just leave him alone Ichigo," Rukia ordered.
"He's just acting like an idiot!" Ichigo shouted. "Look here, you will take us to your friends, you will help us convince them to come with us, and you will do it with a goddamn smile!" Ichigo commanded.
"I don't like your tone," Trace pointed out.
"What does that mean?" Ichigo asked.
"It means, Force Push!" Thomas raised his palm to Ichigo's chest and sent a force of energy (think of it like a psychic blast) and sent him flying across the room.
"What was that for?" Ichigo asked.
"For pissing me off! I am offering my help and everything for you guys, but you have to fight me every step of the way Ichigo," Trace explained.
"Please forgive the action of my fellow comrades," Shuhei offered.
"It's okay, I was just making my point," Trace stated, "Wait here, I have something for you guys."
"What is it?" Orihemi asked.
"Just wait, I'll be right back," He informed them.
"I wonder what it could be." Orihime wondered.
"I bet it's something stupid!" Ichigo shouted hoping that Trace could hear him.
"Show some respect!" Rukia shouted at him as she slapped him across the face.
"That idiot will never learn," Renji sighed.
"I think he's got something that will help us out," Shuhei thought.
Everyone waited in silence for a few minutes waiting for their host to return. They grew impatient waiting and for a moment they thought that he had pulled a fast on them.
"Here we are," Trace announced as he came back into the room and put a small box on the table.
"What the hell is in there?" Ichigo asked what everyone was thinking.
"They're grim reaper supplies that may help you guys out while you're here," he responded.
"I don't really get it," Renji muttered as he scratched his head.
"Is it like that ones that Urahara sells at his shop?" Rukia asked.
"I don't know how to answer that," Trace confessed as he scratched the back of his head. Who was this Urahara guy?
"That's right, you wouldn't know who he is," Renji pointed out.
"Well that doesn't matter, I just want to see what is in the mystery box," Orihime shuttered with anticipation.
"Who wants to be my first victim?" Trace asked.
"I do!" Orihime shouted as everyone looked at her.
"Well this should be interesting," Shuhei sighed. Trace reached in the box and moved his hand around for a minute. He finally pulled out a gold heart. Yes it is as stupid and as cheesy as it sounds.
"Oh it's so pretty…what is it?" Orihime asked innocently.
"It's a EMO (Emotional Modification Overdrive) broach. It allows you to change your emotions at will, but it is mainly used for battle. Since your power is based on your emotions, it's perfect," Trace explained as simply as he could.
"Wow, I didn't know there were such things as that," Rukia gasped.
"I wonder what he has in stored for us." Renji pondered.
"So then, that leaves you 'soul reaper'. I bet you guys wonder what I have," Trace smirked as he pulled out a weird looking belt from the box.
"What is it?" Ichigo asked.
"A belt. Somehow it found its way into this box," the sarcastic host stated as he threw it to the side. Ichigo turned red with anger.
"It is my understanding that your powers come and go in this country, am I correct?" Trace inquired.
"Yeah, what of it?" Ichigo asked in a condescending manner.
"Well, originally I was going to give you an exercising badge, but it seems pointless right now," the spiky haired host trailed off.
"Wait, if it's not that, what the hell is it?" Renji asked.
"I'll give you one guess," the raven head male smiled as he held some weird looking candy.
"MOD souls," Shuhei muttered.
"Exactly, although these aren't your ordinary MOD souls. Each one has a name and ability, and once inside," Trace started to monologue before being cut off yet again.
"We know how MOD souls work, so just get to the point already," Ichigo ordered.
"Fine, each one has a name and ability, and your "soul reaper" kimono will be Americanized as long as you're here," Trace finished with a slight hint of anger in his voice.
"Interesting," Shuhei mumbled, "so now we get to use our powers again?"
"In theory, yes," Trace sighed.
"What does that mean?" Ichigo asked.
"I think he's trying to say he doesn't know how it would react with your bodies," Orihime explained. Wow, she actually picked up on something fast.
"I see, that does make a lot of sense," Renji stated.
"So let's try them and find out," Ichigo said and was about to pop the pill in his mouth.
"Now is not the time, we have to track the others first," Shuhei commanded. Everyone nodded in agreement with some hesitation. They knew he was right, the mission came first; besides, they had a lot of time to try out the objects later. They left the house in search of the others, hoping they would be easy to find, and more importantly, easy to convince to join. They all decided that they should ask Courtney first; after all, she was the first one they "encountered".
"So how long have you known the other reapers?" Rukia questioned.
"About a year and a half," Trace answered.
"Wow, they way you raved about them, it would seem longer than that," Shuhei commented.
"Yeah, when we all met, we just sort of clicked," the host chuckled as he thought back to how they all met.
It was about two years ago, during the second week of September. Almost every one of them have been ousted by a group of people because they just didn't belong. Trace, Rachel, and Manikha all knew each other the year before because they met under unusual circumstances, while Courtney and Corey lived around each other and just started to randomly talk to each other on the bus. They all had the same lunch period and needed a place to sit. There was this open space out side in the court yard. There were a few benches and trees that no one seemed to sit by. They all just casually encountered each other in that spot and became friends instantly. It was quite weird, but they didn't question it; they just let things happen as they came, and next thing they knew, they were a team.
"Hey, you alright there?" Ichigo asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Trace answered.
"You just kind of spaced out there, I was worried," Ichigo informed him.
"You were worried?" Trace asked in a smug mocking manner.
"Yes, wait no. Not in that way. Not whatever you were thinking!" Ichigo panicked and turned red.
"Chill out, I was kidding," Trace sighed.
"You have to watch what you say around that idiot," Renji started explaining, "He always jumps to the wrong conclusions."
"What is that suppose to mean?" Ichigo asked.
"It means you're an idiot," Renji told him.
"Well if I'm an idiot, that makes you a moron," Ichigo taunted.
"Well I'd rather be an moron than a dumbass," Renji mocked.
"They're the same thing, so you are a dumbass," Ichigo stated in a mimic tone.
"Watch it or I'll kick your dumb ass," Renji warned.
"We all know, a punk ass bastard like yourself couldn't hope of defeating me," Ichigo mocked yet again.
"Quit flirting you two!" a female voice in the distance shouted.
"What did you say?" Ichigo asked at the same time Renji was asking, "Who are you?" The voice came closer and it was none other than Courtney. She was wearing her tan pants with a black shirt that had a blood red pentagram on it.
"I said quit flirting. If you lovers are going to fight, do it where no one will watch you," she explained to them as they looked around and saw many faces turned their way.
"I'm so embarrassed," was the thought that was going through everyone's mind.
"Well, shall we go some place more private?" Trace asked. Everyone nodded; this wasn't the place to talk about anything.
The two American teens took them to a park. Sure it was a public park, but no one had come here in years. They all sat down on a semi-old swing set and Shuhei began to explain their mission. Courtney nodded every once in a while to let him know that she was actually understanding what he was saying. He reached the end of his explanation which took about fifteen minutes and she got up.
"Sounds fun, count me in," she commented as Shuhei's face lit up with joy.
"Thank you, this really means a lot to me," Shuhei confessed.
"There is one condition though," Courtney added at the last minute.
"Anything," Shuhei told her, but as soon as he said it, he regretted it.
"I want one of you guys to fight me," Courtney told them.
"Fight you?" Rukia inquired as to what she meant.
"I want to see what kind of power they have across the ocean," Courtney explained.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ichigo asked.
"It's simple: I want someone to fight me, or I'll assume that you guys are weak and take back my offer, " she explained.
"Then don't forget about my conditions as well," Trace added.
"I'll fight you," Shuhei told her.
"Hisagi, don't," Trace advised him.
"Why not?" he asked.
"I'm sure the other guys are itching to fight since they first arrived," the teen explained.
"I'll do it," Rukia offered.
"What? Why?" Orihime asked her.
"Well, Ichigo and Renji are going to fight about who gets to fight her, and that may take a while," she explained.
"You have a point there," everyone agreed.
"Well this should be fun," Courtney commented as she popped her MOD soul, "you know the drill Razeo!" Courtney grim reaper form separated from her body and the MOD soul took over.
"Yes, but I want to fight this time," Razeo in Courtney's body argued.
"Sorry, not this time," Courtney told him. Yes it is a guy MOD soul in her body.
"I really want to," he pleaded with her.
"Don't argue with me, your time will come," she told him in a strict tone of voice.
"Yes ma'am," he backed down.
"Okay, it's my turn!" Rukia shouted as she popped her MOD soul, but nothing happened. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked.
"Well since it is your first American MOD soul, it will take a few moments," Trace explained as she was finally forced out of her body. Rukia was wearing the standard grim reaper uniform (by now I know you guys can tell the girls apart from the boys) only she had a snow white trimming, white socks, and a white ribbon tied around the collar.
"What, I thought you had to personalize it yourself," she pointed out.
"You can. But the first time, it is just supposed to reflect your soul," Courtney explained. Rukia and Courtney exchanged battle glance with each other, and they were both ready to rumble.
"My name is Bunny," Rukia's MOD soul interrupted to introduce herself to Rukia.
"It's nice to meet you," she smiled at her.
"My ability is jump. I can jump high in the air and land back on the ground with no damage to me," Bunny informed her.
"That's nice, but can we do this later? I'm kind of in the middle of something," Rukia told her.
"Sure thing boss," Bunny smiled and rushed to be with Ichigo and the group.
Preview for Chapter 11:
The battle between Courtney and Rukia starts and neither of them are holding back. What was the point of the battle? Who will win? Who would be the next one they encounter? Does the author actually have a story and plot line to continue past the main point of this?