Chapter 21

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hey dear readers, i want to thank you for reading my story and following it, but i really need some reviews if i can keep this up, i can't keep coming up with these twists without some help. thanks.

After the group had got back in a settled, Heller and the rest of the group had filled them in on what had happened since they had arrived. Most of it they knew from chad and Uryū, though they were slightly surprised when they told them about the evolved and how they had been guarding the white light cure.

Afterwards the group had been told how the number of souls had been on the rise for the past few months (time in souls society flows 7 times faster than in the human world. The group's been in NYZ for a month, so it's been 7 in soul society.) Due to that, the commander had sent Kenpachi and Byakuya as reinforcements, with Kisuke and Yoruichi volunteering to go with. After they had the updates done, Kisuke had asked Heller about his abilities, to which Heller provided what he could do. He decided to retain that he had the ability to use Getsuga Tensho for now. He didn't know why exactly, something just told him not to tell them. After he had explained his abilities Kenpachi said "Well, now we defiantly need to fight, I want to see this in action."

Heller sighed and said "We can't here, there's no place to go without showing your hear and letting Blackwatch know. Also, innocent people might be hurt, and that I won't tolerate."

Ichigo spoke up and said "There might be a way to make it so you can fight without those, but only if you want to Heller."

Heller thought about it. He knew from Ichigo that Kenpachi wouldn't stop trying to fight him until he did, and that might prove t be a hindrance. Might as well get it out of the way now.

"Sure. What did you have in mind?"

Ichigo grinned before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. he pictured the Hykogen in the space before him, and then the usual black space with the Hykogen resting in the blackness appeared. He ignored the unbelieving looks and grabbed it out, which caused the hole to close and vanish. Ichigo held the ball as it said "What is your wish master?"

Ichigo spoke clearly and said "I want a alternate space where the people currently in this room can go to and leave at any time to train and fight, without anybody else getting hurt or aware of our presence while in said room."

"Yes, master"

As the group watched, the Hykogen glowed with a soft light before opening as doorway in midair and opening to show an area that looked similar to the one Kisuke had built under his shop.

Ichigo put the Hykogen back and then lead the way into the training area as the group walked through, the door closing and vanishing as the last person walked through. As they looked around, Heller nodded and said "This'll do. You guys might want to get back, this might get ugly."

Everyone moved back while Kenpachi simply grinned like a mad man and got ready, holding his sword diagonally across his chest in preparation. Heller shifted his arms to claws as he got into his stance in preparation. He and Kenpachi simply watched each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Then Kenpachi relaxed his stance and put his sword on his shoulder and said "You can go first. Let's see what you can do."

Heller narrowed his eyes, expecting a trick, but what did he have to lose? So he used flash step to close the distance and swung his claws across Kenpachi's chest with a good chunk of his considerable strength. So he was understandably shocked when that did nothing, not even a scratch on his skin.

"What the hell's going on?"

Kenpachi seemed disappointed as he said "That's all you have? That kind of blow won't even pierce the spirit energy I unconsciously release. Shame," he said as he brought back out his sword, making Heller jump back in preparation, "I was looking forward to fighting you. Guess it's my move now."

And with that, he rushed forward and dealt a down ward slash that Heller barely managed to dodge with flash step. A small crater was formed around the sword as Kenpachi continued his strikes, Heller parrying most, but feeling like he was knocking aside a boulder for every strike.

"HA, LOOKS LIKE YOU CAN AT LEAST KEEP UP WITH ME LIKE THIS!" Kenpachi yelled as he kept up the assault. Heller didn't bother replying as he had to block and parry

"LETS TAKE IT UP A STEP!" Kenpachi yelled as he vanished. Heller stopped for a second when he heard a small ching behind him. He flipped backwards and slashed, forcing Kenpachi to block as he ginned manically.

"Seems you can at least hear the bell. That'll make this enjoyable."

Heller disengaged and skidded back as he stood ready, "So the bell and the eye patch are to make the battle more enjoyable?" he stated.

"Of course. Battle is meant to be enjoyed like any other endeavor in life. If you don't give weaklings any chance you don't get any enjoyment."

Heller felt his anger rise at being called weak and snarled "If it's battle you want I'll gladly oblige."

And with that, he shifted his biomass to his legs and arms, and then pushed off, leaving a cloud of dust and a small crater as he began to fight to his full strength. Kenpachi never stopped grinning as he fought Heller, dealing and taking slices across his body, which caused blood to go flying as they dealt blows to each other and dodged with as much grace as wild animals in a brawl.

Heller disengaged as he stood panting to look over his work. His own wounds were healing as he looked over Kenpachi. He had dealt him several blows and slices that should have had him at least wincing from the pain, but he simply stood there laughing and rose his hand to his eye saying "NOW, THIS IS A BATTLE! I THINK I'LL TAKE IT UP TO THE LAST LEVEL!"

Ichigo and his friend's eyes widened when the captain said that. Having fought Kenpachi, Ichigo knew what was coming next.

"HELLER, HE'S TAKING OFF HIS EYEPATCH!"

Heller thought "Shit!" he had been told what happened when Kenpachi took of his eye patch, and it wasn't good.

As he watched Kenpachi removed his eye patch and looked at Heller with glee in his eye as a golden yellow blast of spirit energy came out of his body, causing a pillar of light to shoot upward and winds to come blasting Heller, giving him a hard time seeing and maintaining his balance.

"So this is his true power. This isn't going to be pretty!"

As he thought this, Kenpachi appeared before him and slashed, forcing Heller back as he dodged several blow from Kenpachi, each on causing a shockwave and crater when they hit the ground or missed.

Then Heller felt the sword slice through his right arm and sever it as he jumped back, panting and looking at his right side as blood came flowing out of the wound.

"Feh, that was pathetic. Guess the funs over." Kenpachi said as he out his sword back on his shoulder and began walking away.

"HEY, WE'RE NOT DONE YET!" Heller yelled as he approached his severed arm.

Kenpachi sent a bored look over his shoulder and said, "What are you talking about? A fight with an opponent missing an arm is no fun."

Heller smirked as he thought up a movie line and said as he picked up his arm and put the severed arm back to the stump, "It's a flesh wound."

Kenpachi watched as several tendrils came out of the stump and reattach Heller's arm without a scratch. He grinned as he turned and said "Well, maybe you aren't so weak after all. Not many people can heal an injury like that."

Heller said as he shifted his arm to blade form, "Then it's a good thing I'm not most people. Now have a taste of a little move I've recently learned."

Heller focused what he now knew was his spirit energy on the edge of his blade, causing it to glow red. But this time he put in as much as he could into his arm, causing the glow to spread to the rest of his arm then his body and shake the ground as he power began to rise to match Ichigo in his Shikai state.

Everyone looked at Heller's arm with wide eyes as he looked up at Kenpachi with glowing red eyes and then slashed his sword arm yelling "GETSUGA TENSHO!"

As Heller swung his arm forward, he let out a blast of energy that raced towards Kenpachi, slicing through the ground like a knife through butter. Kenpachi flared his spirit energy to its max as he stood watching the attack come at him with a grin that looked like it would split his head. As they watched, his aura of spirit energy took the shape a human skull while Heller's took the form of something that resembled a roaring tiger, with the fangs gleaming and glowing red, but it was bigger and seemed more…sinister.

As they watched Kenpachi swung and met the attack head on, causing a explosion of dust and boulders, quickly prompting Orihime and Ichigo to form a barrier around them. The dust took several minutes to settle and when it did, there was a deep crater with Heller and Kenpachi laying at the bottom of it, Heller panting and sweating while Kenpachi was laughing and covered in dust and blood with his sword arm frozen.

Heller's P.O.V

I panted like I had never breathed and was unable to move. Doing that move with that much power had drained me enormously, feeling like I had been running for all my life and could only now stop. I listened to the laughing of Kenpachi and as the group came into the crater to check on us while I couldn't move a inch. I felt something at the back of my mind and thought I heard a whisper. As I focused I heard the faint sound of something that sounded like "…say….my….name…"

I tried to listen closer but then the presence slipped away before I could, leaving me to wonder if I had really heard it or if I was just tired after that fight. As I looked up at the cloudy sky, Ichigo appeared in my line of view and said, "you all right Heller?"

I chuckled as I said between gasps "I…feel…like…crap."

Ichigo bent down and got Heller's arm around his shoulder then stood up, helping Heller to stand and see the crater he was in. he looked across and saw the others crowed around Kenpachi while Orihime healed him with her powers. Ichigo helped Heller walk over and look. The captain was rapidly healing but he saw the damage the blast had taken, as well as the ice around his sword arm that was slowly melting. Everyone looked at him in awe as he watched. He saw Byakuya was looking at him shrewdly with narrowed eyes, while Kisuke looked simply curios and concerned for Heller as he said "That was quite surprising. Tell me Heller, how did you learn that attack?"

Heller was starting to feel better and breathing easier as he said "During the time we we're trying to shut down the Orion project, I consumed the phase 2 solider that they had managed to create with a few ingredients. They had used my DNA and also managed to replicate the powers given off by Rukia and Ichigo. As for the Getsuga Tensho, Ichigo introduced me to Zangetsu and his hollow. When me and the hollow were fighting, I felt something shift and then I found I was able to fire off the Getsuga Tensho attack. This was just before you four arrived."

Kisuke narrowed his eyes as he processed this. Byakuya seemed to be thinking as well while Renji smirked and said "Well, looks like you're going to be getting some interesting powers. If you want, I'd be more than happy to spar with you."

Heller was feeling stronger now and stood by himself as he said, "Thanks, but I think I'll have enough training with the evolved."

Kenpachi had been healed and now was standing with a grin on his face as he said, "Maybe, but I'm going to want to fight. I haven't had that much fun since Ichigo invaded soul society."

General P.O.V

Heller shook his head and said, "Maybe. In any case, we better get back, father might have something."

And with that, they visualized the door again and came back out to the living room, where father was tapping at a laptop. He looked up and said, "About time you came out. I've found Galloway."

Heller was instantly ready as he said "Where?"

"At an old abandoned skyscraper in the green zone in the closest area to the red zone. It's been empty since the zones were formed, but security cameras still work and I managed to hack in. she's on the east side of the building, 40th floor. I'll send you the coordinates."

Ichigo said, "I'm coming with."

Heller nodded as he and Ichigo moved to the door. They opened it and left while the rest of the group simply waited.

With Heller and Ichigo

Heller and Ichigo had arrived at the building with no problem. Getting was easy as the door was open. As they walked through to the room father had highlighted in the buildings plans, they saw scattered pappers and overturned desks the clearly showed that everyone had left in a hurry. They then got to the room with the door closed.

Heller turned to Ichigo and mouthed, "Ready?"

Ichigo nodded and held Zangetsu at the ready as Heller held up three fingers, went 3, 2, 1, then kicked in the door, shattering it in the frame. As they walked through they saw that Galloway was standing behind a desk looking at them with slight apprehension. She looked like her photo, but was wearing a business suit and she was tensed as they walked towards her. She spoke up and said, "James Heller right? I'm Sabrina Galloway. I've heard a lot about you. I know you and your friend…" here she took a good look at Ichigo, especially his sword "… can kill me, but hear me out first. I can help you."

Heller narrowed his eyes as he stopped a few feet from the desk, Ichigo beside him as he said "and what makes you say that? For that matter, what makes you think I want your help?"

"You're not like the other evolved, right? We can agree on that? Well neither am I."

Heller snorted and said "Yeah, you actually seem to think I won't kill you."

"Not exactly. The others, they do what mercer wants without question, but you don't. And neither do I."

Heller again snorted as he took in her figure. She was attractive enough, but that meant nothing to him. "I can think as to why. But let's stop pretending this isn't all bullshit shall we?"

"I'll prove it." She walked to the floor to ceiling windows looking out into the night and said "I can track the other evolved. It's a gift I gained after I became evolved."

Ichigo watched closely as he said "some gift. We caught you here off guard."

"Yes. But that makes you special. I can't track Heller or you." She looked over Ichigo again and said "you don't have the look of evolved at all. And that sword is defiantly not a weapon you made. What on earth are you?"

Ichigo said nothing, just watched her till she sighed and said, "Oh well. Can't blame a girl for trying. But there's one other evolved I can't track. He goes by the name of Roland."

"And why do we give a shit?" Heller growled as he looked at her. She was too relaxed, like she knew she would get her way, and that pissed him off to no end. She turned to look at them with an arrogant look in her eyes and smile on her face.

"Roland is mercer's right hand man. And besides, do you really want one of us, totally untraceable, to be watching you and your friends every move? Then giving mercer all that information?"

Ichigo growled at the thought and Heller got up in her face snarling, "Bitch, I want to see all of you dead. And I'm not picky about who goes first."

She still looked confident and looked up into his eyes as she calmly said "well, I am. I've got Roland narrowed to three possibilities on his current identity. I'll feed them to you and you take him out. I feed you more and I stay alive. What do you say?"

Heller narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. She was willing to let Heller kill off evolved as long as she got to stay alive. And that disturbed him in a way he couldn't pin down, but he didn't let it show as he said, "Just whose side are you on?"

Here Galloway grinned in an evil way, and that combined with the dim white light from the city light outside, made her look truly evil and beautiful.

"Mine."

The coy answer finally crossed a line and he grabbed her jacket, pulling her into his face and growling like a jungle cat, "One of you bastards already tried to play me. Now there's not even a grease spot of him left. Don't even think for one fucking second I won't hesitate to end you too."

She simply smirked and put a hand on his chest as she said seductively, "don't worry. I think we'll make a great team."

Heller glare into her eyes but the move she had made disoriented him. He slowly let her go and she pulled out three files from the desk drawer, handing them to Heller. He snatched them without a thank you and stormed out of the room. Ichigo carefully looked over Galloway as he left, not sure about this, but they would need her help in order to find Roland. Galloway noticed Ichigo staring and walked up to him, putting an extra sway in her hips and she walked up to him and put a hand on his chest, purring, "Like what you see?"

Ichigo blushed from embarrassment and anger, then stepped back while saying "sorry, I already got a girlfriend."

And with that he walked out after Heller, his sword back on his back while Galloway watched, thinking on how he might be more easily manipulated then Heller. And how he wasn't bad looking himself.

10 minutes later

Heller had taken a look through the files Galloway had given him. The people all were part of a VIP group that a Blackwatch extraction team had been sent to rescue. Sabrina had jotted down the base and several of the soldiers in the group that he could consume and take the place of. She had also written down her cell number for when he needed to get a hold of her.

Heller dialed up father as he and Ichigo stood overlooking the base.

"Father, I found Galloway."

"And?"

Heller looked ticked off as he said "she said if I keep her alive, she'll give me the location of evolved working for mercer. Already gave me one that goes by the name Roland."

Father sounded confused as he said "that's good. What's the problem?"

Heller thought about the look Siberia had given him when threating her. It had been too calm and confident. And he saw something else in them, something that looked like…hunger.

"The bitch is crazy. Can't trust her."

Father said "I hear you James, but does it matter right now? If you can get Roland, you might learn something about mercer's plans."

"Way ahead of you. Me and Ichigo are going to pay him a visit now."

Father wished them luck and hung up. Heller had worked out a plan with Ichigo. Ichigo would follow the group out of sight in case he needed help with Roland while Heller would fight in the group like a Blackwatch solider, and not use any of his powers unless he had no other choice. Heller had consumed a soldier that was part of the group as he headed to the base. Now they were calling for the group to assemble.

Heller shifted to the form and said to Ichigo, "See you in a bit."

20 minutes later

"God that was hell." Heller thought as they finally got to the group they had been sent to extract. He had been forced to play down his strength and use machine guns, missile and grenade launcher instead of his usual weapons and tactics as they fought through the streets of infected and brawlers in order to arrive. Now he was looking at the group. There were a total of five scientists, 3 of which were the ones that Galloway had given him files on.

"Better kill them all to be sure."

And with that, he shifted his arms to claws and consumed the first 2 scientist before the guards could react. Then Heller was forced to use jump and run tactics as the scientist scatter. He killed the next two and the rest of the guards without any problems, but as he jumped and lunged at the last scientist, the scientist sneered and grabbed Heller's arm, turning and whipping Heller in a arc while snarling "traitor!"

Heller slammed into the ground and was knocked out. When he came to, Roland was gone and Ichigo was there, shaking him awake and asking "you okay? He hit you pretty good there."

Heller groaned as he sat up and said "I'm fine. Just a little bit of a head ache. Damn he's strong."

"He's evolved. What did you expect, maybe a brainier, weak pencil pusher?"

Heller didn't reply as he rang up Galloway.

She answered in her usual cocky tone as she said "Heller. Is Roland dead?"

"Slimy fucker got away after he knocked me out."

"Really? Thought you were tougher then that Heller. Well, let's see if I can find him. Again."

He hung up and said, "Bitch."