It's been way too long since I updated so I decided to give you a dose of metal and crack all rolled into one. Enjoy and please review. Your support keeps this story alive.
Track 14: Indestructible
The noise was intense, a wall of sound which threatened to knock down the crowd, as well as the wounded up on-stage. Lights flashed and burned brightly through the darkness until it was borderline seizure inducing. The crowd moved in ways the performers could not, but it did not matter, for the mere gesture of performing under such conditions was a feat in itself.
Ichigo roared and growled until his throat was hoarse and even then he continued to push himself to finish the song. Rukia's arms had gone slack but still she drove on through her solo, her bruised fingers slamming against the neck of her in a frenzy of adrenaline-charged joy. Grimmjow was forced to sit down on a stool for his knees had gone out about twenty minutes into their set. But even if his legs failed him his hands were still useful and he clawed away at his bass, wincing from his shredded fingers and wrist cramps but storming through nonetheless.
Kaylee and Yoshi kept it all together, being the only healthy people on-stage. When Rukia couldn't play as fast then they slowed down for them and if she couldn't manage her solo then Yoshi would improvise and fill up the space. Their job was rather difficult but at least there was no pain for them.
Still, the set came together again as it approached its end. After nine songs and watching first-hand the way Soul reaper were breaking down the crowd feared the worst, especially when Ichigo suggested they take five. He limped backstage and the others followed close behind.
Yoshi placed a hand firmly on Ichigo's shoulder. "Are you alright? If you want to stop then we can stop-"
Ichigo smirked arrogantly. "I'm not stopping. I just needed to show you something. Rukia, tell her what to do."
Yoshi spun around and watched Rukia play an unfamiliar riff. She wasn't sure why she was doing it but then she caught on that it was a new song. She hastily picked up her guitar and tried to follow along but it was too difficult to grasp in so little time. Nerves tore away at her concentration and she screwed up again. She cursed and attempted to play it once more. When she finally got the grasp of it she nodded to the other guitarist and then looked to Ichigo who was explaining to Kaylee what to do.
The fill-in drummer nodded and grinned.
"Alright," Ichigo rasped, his voice sounding worse than a chain smoker on his deathbed. "Let's give 'em one last song before we retire to the emergency ward. Give it your all!"
Everyone cheered as the injured war heroes returned to the stage. While everyone set up Ichigo gulped down an entire bottle of water and polished off half of another. Much of it spilled down his front and he wiped it away from his chin with the back of his sleeve before snarling into the microphone. Satisfied with the demonic vibe he got from it he stepped back and howled.
"Anyone else tired?" he asked the crowd. "Because we are. But before we lapse into a coma we want to give you a taste of a song we wrote recently. It is called...'Immortal!'" He bowed his head and the lights dimmed.
After a moment of silence Rukia hit a chilling and utterly bizarre chord which rang out through the oversized amps. The shrill wailing continued on for a moment before it was cut short by an abrupt and heavy power chord. That chord was then repeated in a rhythmic palm muted riff while Ichigo breathed heavily into the mic.
While Yoshi continued the rhythm section Rukia burst out in a spectacular lead break which would have made Dragonforce look like 'Smoke on the Water'. A round of "Holy shit!" ran through the crowd and cheers rose up in a near deafening chorus which threatened to overpower the blasting speakers.
As the guitars and crowd escalated they both exploded into a furious battle, the crowd forming circle pits in an instant while the main riff roared out from the guitars. A frenetic drum roll built up in speed and intensity for a few seconds and then finished at the same moment that Ichigo screamed so loud that the speakers crackled, only adding to the spectacle. His hoarse tone was cured and now he sounded just like his normal self.
Although no-one in the crowd knew the lyrics at the start, by the second chorus they memorized some of it and were yelling alongside their heroes.
"You crush me! You stab me! But I'll keep crawling back! Can't kill me! Can't escape! For I...Am...IMMORTAL!" Ichigo growled with the same intensity he could manage while healthy, if not more. "You drown me! You hurt me! You kill and kill again! No matter how hard you try...I will not ever die. For I...Am...IMMORTAL!" The final word stretched on in a guttural roar so fierce it brought chills down every spine.
After another incredible solo the chorus returned and now the entire crowd was screaming along with Ichigo. A solo played underneath them and everyone pushed on towards the home stretch. Everyone was hurting but it did not stop them. They all endured...
"For I...Am...IMMORTAL!"
The music cut off and the lights went out as everyone on-stage bowed their heads and slumped over. Dead silence followed for a few seconds before the raucous cheers swelled up out of the crowd. Soul Reaper took a bow and then made their departure inside the hospital.
They returned to their rooms and those who didn't pass out whimpered in pain while no-one was watching.
It was not for a week until they were released from hospital. Rukia's arm was in a sling and she still had bandages wrapped around her. Renji's right hand was in a cast and a splint was attached to keep his fractured wrist from moving. The others merely had a few bandages and that was all.
As soon as they gathered outside Ichigo grabbed Nnoitra by the collar and slammed him into the side of their van.
"What the fuck were you doing back there? Are you trying to kill yourself?"
Nnoitra frowned. "What are you-?"
"You fucking overdosed! Don't you remember? We literally busted our asses trying to get you to hospital you know!"
"You sound angry...You need the cure."
"What?"
Nnoitra grinned wickedly. "The cure helps for everything."
"The cure? That's not..." Ichigo looked back to the others who all wore grave expressions. They all seemed to have the same idea. Ichigo took a deep breath and stared straight at his drummer. "Where is it? I want to have the cure."
"Oh you can have some, but not all. I need it."
"Whatever man, just give it to me." Ichigo held his hand out expectantly and almost had a heart-attack when their drug-addicted drummer reached into his eye-socket and retrieved a bag full of white powder. Ichigo never knew that the eye patch was to cover up a missing eye; he just thought it was a gimmick or that he might have been blind. When he was done staring slack-jawed at his eye Ichigo then turned his attention to the bag.
Rukia stepped forward with a motherly smile on her face. "Nnoitra, how much do you have?"
"Lots." The madman said with a wide beaming smile.
The others all looked at the bag and frowned. "Oh shit..."
While they asked Nnoitra to pack their stuff into the van the others assembled out the front of the hospital. "What are we gonna do? We can't let him keep taking the stuff."
"Should we have an intervention?" Renji suggested.
"Or we can beat some sense into him." Grimmjow pitched.
"What the fuck is this anyway?" Ichigo held up the bag. "Should we hand it to the police or something? Wait, do they even have police here?"
"Where are Ichigo's family?" Rukia asked, changing the subject.
"Huh?"
Rukia sighed and repeated herself. "Your family. I haven't seen them ever since we started the first trial."
Everyone fell silent for a moment, their heads bowed and deep in thought.
"Great, we've got two problems on our hands now. Way to make us feel worse Rukia." Ichigo groaned.
"Well they are my in-laws now. I have to care for them. And besides, if there are drug rings running in this place I think we should warn them. Oh and kids are good for interventions. If we can make Nnoitra cry then I think he'll give up the stuff."
Everyone clapped. "Good thinking...You manipulative- Oww!" Renji suffered a sharp kick to the face and was thrown into the wall. He crawled back and apologised.
"So...An intervention then. We'll have to do it soon, but I think we should wait for just a little while. He's only out of hospital and I think he needs some rest first.
"Rest? I doubt it." Stan appeared out of nowhere, startling everyone. "You have your next trial right now."
"Right now? We have to perform right now?" Rukia gasped.
"No, no, no performance. This trial is merely a test of your mental strength. All you have to do is pass into the next ring and you will have completed your trial."
"Are you serious?" Grimmjow asked. "We just walk through a gate and we're done? That's awesome!"
"Oh, I don't think it is as easy as it sounds. You see as a band you are able to get anywhere without any hassles, but what of regular fans? They must get past security, bouncers, guards, the whole lot."
"Bouncers?" The group sweat-dropped.
"Indeed. For once you will experience the bouncer treatment, but lose your temper and you will fail. Anger is best kept for the stage. Good luck."
The van driver honked the horn which instead came out as a loud scream as opposed to a 'honk'. The group filed in and were driven all the way towards a great looming gate, almost like a castle. An endless serpentine line of people stretched on for eternity. They were dropped off at least a few kilometres short of the gate, right at the back of the line.
"Are they serious? We have to get past security and then we're onto the next trial?" Ichigo asked astounded.
"Humph, how hard can it be? We're famous. We can get in anywhere. Just watch." Renji pushed ahead into the monstrous line, pushing through them as if he were a faith healer, unfortunately rather than knock them down with the power of gullibility they swarmed around him and threw him back to the end.
Renji hit the ground hard, landing on his face. When he crawled back to his feet he was bleeding from his nose and his lip was swollen. One eye was ringed in black and the skin on his forehead was grazed.
"Whoa! Are you alright?" Rukia asked, a hand over her mouth in shock.
Renji swayed on his feet and coughed up dust and a tooth or two. "Ok...Maybe I was wrong..."
Grimmjow suddenly stepped forward, a light bulb dangling above his head. (It was a very low street light.) "Hold on! I know what to do! What is the one secret to getting into night clubs?"
"Windows?" Ichigo mused.
Grimmjow looked past him and stared straight at Rukia. "No...Its women. If we found a hot girl to join us we would be able to get past with ease!"
Rukia grinned wickedly and laughed. "I think I get what you're saying." She undid several buttons on her top and let her hair down. She then followed up with a seductive glance and a girly giggle.
Grimmjow watched her with wide eyes and then burst out laughing. "Ha! Oh my god! I said a hot girl! Ha ha ha!"
Rukia's confidence was shattered. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" She asked indignantly.
"Well," Grimmjow murmured, eying her up and down, "You ain't no supermodel."
"What? You wanted to marry some time ago!"
"That was the past. You've let yourself go..." Grimmjow turned his nose up at her.
Rukia's cheeks burned red and for a moment steam was billowing out of her ears. "You son of a bitch! I'll-" Ichigo stepped in front of her and prevented any further argument between the two.
"Hey! We can't get angry, that was the challenge, remember? We have to remain calm." The two bickering band-mates both looked away from each other and stood there in silence. Eventually Ichigo broke it with a bombshell. "But you know Grimmjow's right. You have let yourself go..."
Rukia didn't get angry that time. Instead her eyes went all shiny and a thick flood of tears gushed down her face as she wailed like a lost child at a shopping mall. It was then that another idea came to mind.
Ichigo grabbed Rukia by the shoulders and pushed her forward into the queue as if she were a human bulldozer. "Make way! Coming through. Crying child. Please excuse me. Crying child." The other members of Soul Reaper caught on and started moving people out of their path, yelling out in a similar fashion. It only took six hours but eventually they reached the front of the queue and were stopped by a burly bouncer who looked more like an ogre than anything else.
The bouncer crossed his arms and scowled at them. "Names?"
Ichigo puffed his chest out and smirked. "We are Soul Reaper. I'm pretty sure we're on the list."
The bouncer did not break his gaze from Ichigo. "Nope. I don't see it."
"What? But it has to be-"
"No." The guard repeated, stressing the word to make it sound like a threat.
The band huddled together and had a strategy meeting. "Let's try Rukia. It might work?"
And so Rukia stepped forward, leaning forward and grinning sheepishly. "So, would you let a pretty young girl through that door?"
The guard spat to one side. "I would...But you ain't no supermodel."
Rukia gasped. The others gasped. Grimmjow smiled. "I was right."
Another huddle ensued. "Now what?"
"I don't know...I think we've met our match."
"How can he say that about me? I'm pretty!"
"Yeah, this may be the end. What do you think Nnoitra? Nnoitra?" Ichigo looked around and spotted their drummer standing before the guard, handing him a small bag of white powder. The bouncer gave a salute and then high-fived him before letting him pass through.
Everyone stared at him in stunned awe. In perfect unison they all exclaimed, "Damn!"
Once again, the cure worked.
But seriously kids: Drugs are bad! Anyway I hope you liked it, please review!