This story belong to scapheap, please don't steal. The characters within belong to someone else called Tite Kubo. Prototype belong to Radical Entertainment.

Beta by sanddrake111

Hollow 2.0

Chapter 12: Distillation.


Beneath a bloody sky, Alex Mercer jumped from skyscraper to skyscraper. The city he travelled through was a copy of Manhattan with miles of black growth covering everything. To a normal person, this was a hellish vision of the end of time. To Mercer, it was home.

It had taken a long and difficult time to dive into his own soul, but he managed it. The space around him felt so welcoming. The shell of Alex Mercer, was just a shell, confining. Sure, he felt connected to Dana and for as short as it was, his 'friendship' for lack of a better word to Captain Robert Cross was something he would treasure till his last days, but they were human to his Blacklight.

Here, there was only Blacklight, sure it was just him, but as only member of his race, not counting the hybrid that was his 'son' and whatever that teenager had become, it was a nice feeling. Quite an odd emotion for a creature of blood and battle like him.

Then again, it wasn't just him here, spying an armoured figure on the streets below. 'Yes', Mercer thought as he leapt, 'lets meet the tenant'.

Landing before the 'knight', Mercer studied the being. It was a blue knight for the most part, with a unicorn head design for a helm, complete with a horn. The boots of the armour were a little long, ending in a single claw and the image of an eye in the chest was a little off putting, but all in all, a fine suit of armour. Until you reach the right arm. It seems the smith that made it was then taken by a series of restless nights, for only from the worst nightmares could that arm possible come from. The whole arm seem to be made out of a fleshy metal and it had three long fingers at the end and if that wasn't enough, a damn toothy mouth instead of a shoulder. The glowing red dots out of the helm for eyes seem to be a finishing touch to the 'I am evil' theme of the knight.

"And who are you, mortal?" The being asked. "Mortal? I'm a year older then you." 'You're quoting children's television again, Mercer.' he thought to himself "I am Alex Mercer, monster of Manhattan, slayer of ten thousand men, the Redlight destroyer, survivor of a god-damn nuke and at this moment, your landlord! Now, how about you, little miss 'body count of a mere eighty-seven'?" Alex challenged back to the knight.

"It seem that you are made of stronger stuff then the usually riff-raff, the fact that I can't seem to take you over is the biggest sign. However, it also clear that you are untested." the knight intoned.

Alex looked slightly confused "Untested? I was born in battle, how I am untested?" the knight gave a sound like dying screams of people under a collapsing metal building.

"That was my name. It clear that you can't hear it at all. I will not deny your experience of physical battle, but spiritually, you are a novice." A large fleshly blade with an eye forms in the knight's hand "But I see potential. Come, landlord, show me you are worthy of those titles!" The knight charged Mercer.

Mercer sighs "Man, you are really slo-" suddenly he was other side of his soul on his back "-I lie corrected." Getting to his feet, he saw that the building between him and the approaching knight had him-shaped holes "This is going to su-"

000

Artemis woke up. Instead of the tarmac of the road she was heading towards, she woke up in, judging by the window, Urahara's shop. The Blacklight copy grimaced, her head felt like she drunk a bottle of sodium hypochlorite.

A dull thud drew her attention to a large Mexican boy holding his nose and a large breasted girl. Her borrowed memoires told her they were Sado Yasutora or Chad to his friends and Orihime Inoue. It seem as Orihime bumped Sado's nose waking up.

Orihime looked in her direction "Tatsuki?" she noticed Artemis's inhuman eyes "No...who are you?" there was no menace in her voice unlike most that asked an imposter.

"I am Artemis, the physical manifestation of Tatsuki's power and indirectly, sister. Pleased to meet you." she politely introduce herself.

"Powers?" Asked Chad "Sister?" Came Orihime's confused reply.

"Well...hm..." Artemis struggled for an explanation. Her immature mind hadn't worked out a way to explain herself since she was rarely far from Tatsuki, who handled the thinking.

"It looks like you two finally woke up." a cheerful voice made its way into the room. The owner of the voice was Urahara, sporting a carefree smile.

"Who's that?" Orihime asked, distracted from Artemis for the moment.

"I don't know, either." Chad supplied. "He's Kisuke Urahara, owner of Urahara Shop, of course. Humble sweet seller and hollow hunting gear supplier, like cats. A friend of Tatsuki's mother, an enemy of Tatsuki's father, quite fond of Tatsuki herself, uncomfortable around me, but hides it well." Artemis continued.

Urahara raised an eyebrow "You noticed? Impressive…" Artemis sighs "Not really, pure Blacklights are-" 'or would be if there were more than two,' "-masters of body language from birth and while I not 'pure', I retain enough skill from my primary race."

Urahara waved a fan "You Blacklights get odder and odder with each new information I gather about you people." he seem to wave off that train of thought "But we have more important things to talk about now Inoue is awake, to do with your powers and their connection to Ichigo."

Orihime gave a worried look "Kurosaki? What about him?"

000

The bull-like hollow drooled. "So many humans…So few people to protect them hehehehe." His mouth opened to chomped on an unaware human.

If he hadn't been distracted by the feast before him, he may have noticed the buzzsaw that went through him at that moment. Said buzzsaw landed and revealed a clawed female teenager that seem to be surrounded by a purple flame.

Tatsuki looked to the sky. Was it just her or were the cracks converging over the park. Casting a look around the town, she could see an exodus of hollows to the park. "Guess I got to go that way if I don't wish to miss the action then." A shadow passed over her, causing her to look up "And look, here's my ride." she said with a smile that meant nothing good for her current target.

000

In a ring of hollows, two people faced them. "'Back to back? What that?" asked Uryuu with an unbelieving tone "Do you mean an united front of Quincy and Shinigami?"

Ichigo look to the sky "Up until right now. Now it seems to be more Quincy, Shinigami and Blacklight." Uryuu raised an eyebrow "What is a Black-" he stopped, feeling a spirit ribbon that was much closer then he thought.

A bird-like hollow crashed inside the ring and then burst into tendrils. As they withdrew, showing a dark purple flamed Tatsuki who waved "Yo."

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Uryuu sighs "So I guess that red and black means Blacklight." he focused "Regardless, the idea of a Quincy and Shinigami working together is laughable."

Ichigo gave an irritated sigh "You're still talking about that." He grab Uryuu's shirt to move Uryuu out of his slash, taking out a hollow.

Recovering, Uryuu shot a hollow while Tatsuki tossed another like a clay pigeon, arm changing to the Numderbuss to finish the unfortunate Hollow. "Don't misunderstand," Uryuu explain "if I hadn't shot that hollow just now, I would have been killed. It not like I'm cooperating with you." (Anyone else is getting a tsundere vibe?)

Ichigo nodded "That good enough." Uryuu gave a confused look back "What?" Ichigo grinned "It do or die, but it hard to go alone when outnumbered like this so we have no choice but to work together. That a good enough reason."

Moving his feet for a better footing, Ichigo continued "I was originally a human so I don't know much about Shinigami and I don't hold much pride for this job either. I just want to defeat hollows nothing more."

Uryuu tilted his head "Why?" a tightening of Ichigo grip before his reply "My mother was killed by a hollow. Do I want to defeat hollow for that reason? It is part of the reason, but the real reason..."

A breath was let out by Ichigo "-I don't want to suffer the same way I did. When my mother was killed, my dad and sisters went through hard times. I don't think we need any more of that." A swing of his blade claimed a hollow "I don't want to see any more of that. That why I fight." returning to a ready stance, he pick out his next targets "I may not be able to protect everyone, but that doesn't means that I'm satisfied protecting only those around me."

He turned to Uryuu "But we don't have to time. So Uryuu, it's do or die, I don't like the idea of partnering up with you either and would rather beat you up, but I can't protect everyone here with just me and Tatsuki. What about you?"

A shot flew past Ichigo's cheek, destroying a hollow that was about to attack Ichigo "Your story was rather long and I have the feeling that Tatsuki's would also be similarly long winded, but I understand. In brief, if either you or I die here, we can't beat the crap out of each other." Uryuu summed up.

A grin passed between them as Tatsuki grumbled "Men, always wanting to prove they the best. Then again, I'm hunting hollows because I'm hungry. I'm worse than the dick measuring contest over there."

As the three prepared to fight, a loud crack sounded. As one the hollows look up. Tatsuki also had the urge to look up.

The sky folded and a huge hollow that dwarfed the others appeared "What is that?" Ichigo asked "How should I know?" Uryuu replied.

Stolen memories gave the answer to Tatsuki "Menos Grande." she licked her lips "This isn't going to be easy."

XXX

Here's a chapter. Don't have anything clever to say.

Reviews: Phoenixbat: Hello and welcome. Asredwer: Talked about it in PM's about story things that should be talked about later in the story. Zaralann: It's good that you like it. Kithrin: Good catch, I'll fix that if I touch this story up in the future.

Anyway review, flame or lurk.