A/N - i'm alive!111
Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated, but not by much in some of these past days
The heat needs to gtfo and go die, before i sweat my entire bodies watercontent out and become some dry sack of human matter... unpleasant thought yeah?
anyway, here's a chapter
Layne punched the ground, releasing some of his frustration and busting a knuckle in the process
Cursing softly and cradling his busted hollowfied hand, which was already beginning to mend the broken bone, he resumed watching Ichigo pedal on that damned walker, which he'd been pedalling for about four days now, since Shinji had set him to it
He settled back and placed his head back in his hands staring at the broken ceiling
Unfortunately for Layne, his four days had been spent in boredom, doing jack all, initially Layne had blessed his good fortune that he was avoiding unnecessary physical exertion, but now, he'd rather do anything except sit around doing shit all.
He wasn't sure why they weren't making him do anything, although it may have had something to do with the fact that Lisa was the only one among them that seemed to acknowledge his existence at all
He'd learned who the other six Vizards names as well, discounting Lisa and Shinji, The Blond Girl that kicked the crap out of Ichigo originally was Hiyori, and she had a bad attitude to everyone in general, Afro was Love, Blondie was Rose, Combat Boots was Kensei, The green haired girl was Mashiro, and the large, pink haired guy preferred to be known as Hachi
Ichigo, on the other hand, had been pedalling on this damned walker for the past four days, and didn't feel a bit different to when he stepped on the thing four days ago, that and the fact that everyone else in the warehouse seemed to be lazing around
"Man, lunch is late" Shinji complained, not even bothering to look from the ground, with his head rested on his hand "Hiyori, go put on the kettle or something"
"You bald jerk" she replied dismissively "Why do I have to be the one to make something? I wouldn't give you anything even if I could be bothered"
"Love?" Rose asked "Have you listened to the new Prince of Darkness CD that just came out?"
Love was currently in a fit of tears
"More importantly Rose" he choked, in between his laughter "Have you read this week's Jump?"
"No" Rose replied curtly, "You never let me"
"It's so cool" Love continued, still laughing his head off
"Lisa, you're on duty today right?" Kensei asked, rewrapping the bandages he kept on his fists most of the time "Make sure you're taking care of those Shinigami punks"
"I am keeping an eye on them, so piss off" she replied irritably, her face buried deep in a book
"The only thing you're keeping an eye on is that porno magazine"
"Man I could really go for some porn right now" Layne thought wistfully "Too bad Urahara didn't bring the shed where i kept my stash hidden from Moll through that portal with the rest of my house"
"Shut up, Piss off and leave me be" Lisa said, snapping a glance at him quickly, and then back to the book "I just have to help him keep count anyway, so here I go"
With the combination of the walker, Lisa counting his steps, Love's laughter, Rose twanging on his guitar, and Shinji and Hiyori bickering, Ichigo was done
Layne sat up after the walker went flying over his head and Ichigo yelled
"I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"
The walker would have hit Hiyori, who Ichigo had aimed at in his rage, but she grabbed the back of Shinji's shirt and dragged him across into the walker's path
"Rough" muttered Layne
"What the hell are you doing?" Hiyori yelled at Ichigo, dropped Shinji's shirt so he fell to the ground "Do another thing like that and I'll break your balls, baldy!"
"That's..my line" Shinji groaned, slightly muffled from his face being in contact with the floor
"No, that's my line dammit!" Ichigo yelled back at Hiyori "What's with making spend more than a day on this homemade piece of shit exercise machine, even though you said all that cool shit about suppressing my hollow"
Layne got up and stretched, how come Ichigo got to freak out first?
"Is it because you're all stupid? Or is it because I'm and idiot for going along with what you guys say?" Ichigo continued to shout
"That's right! You're an idiot, you're the one and only idiot here, and you're bald!" Hiyori screeched back "We've been trying to train you and you've done nothing but whinge and bitch about it!"
"I'm hoome~" Mashiro called quietly, as she entered the warehouse with Hachi, bearing plastic bags with food in them
"Enough with the baldy shit fang-face, just where is the training in this!"
"When I say baldy, I'm not talking about the hairs on your head, im talking about the hairs on your balls!"
"I brought lunch" Mashiro said cheerfully, and everyone except Shinji, Ichigo and Hiyori ran over to Mashiro and mobbed her for the food
"What's up with Berry-tan? He's making a real fuss" she asked after everyone was eating
"Well…" Love said, swallowing his mouthful of rice
"He doesn't like the 'Super Hiyori Walker'" Layne said sarcastically, tossing another piece of meat into his mouth
"It took him that long?"
"Personally, I don't think she explained the Super Hiyori walker very well" Hachi said curtly
"I feel the same way" Kensei agreed "She only ever says one or two words about it"
"Enough already" Hiyori muttered, lifting the discarded walker and flinging it "Quit your bitching and walk until you pass out!"
The walker hit Ichigo on the base of the chin and bounced off
"You bitch!" Ichigo growled
"Hold your horses Ichigo" Shinji said, having recovered from his earlier tango with a flying walker "That shit Hiyori walker is the basis of all future training, we base your level on how long you can keep pedalling on it, I hate to agree with Hiyori, but it's like she said, quit pissing around and pedal on the damn thing until you pass out, we'll teach you, when you can go for three more straight days"
"Oh give me a break!" Ichigo replied, his voice still raised, "It's obvious that I can do it for three more days, I could do it for another week!"
"I could tell after just one day, that it sucks up a lot of reiatsu" Ichigo continued "If your goal is to measure how much reiatsu I have, then there's no point because I could pedal that thing for a more than seven days, Teach me! Teach Me how to control the hollow, I don't have time to play around with you Vizards!"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Shinji exploded
Judging from the looks of shock on all the other Vizards faces, Layne assumed that Shinji didn't explode very often
"Don't have time…" Shinji said "That's rich coming from someone who has no idea how long the Hogyoku takes to awaken"
Ichigo was silent
"Hold up a second…what did you just say"
"I said you know nothing about the Hogyoku, Arrancar, Hollowfication, or Aizen Sosuke and his betrayal" Shinji said, glancing at Layne, then back at Ichigo "So you should quit bitching"
"Now why would he look at me when he mentions betrayal?" Layne wondered
"How do you know about the hogyoku and all the other stuff" Ichigo muttered
"I've known for many years now" Shinji said, appearing directly in front of Ichigo and holding a hand over his face
"The whole story will have to wait, I was thinking it would be good if we gave you time to get used to our methods…but now that I think about it, you…both of you have obtained Shinigami Powers and Bankai, with incredible speed, so hurrying up and teaching you… might suit your styles more"
"What…" Ichigo said, trying to back away from Shinji's outstretched hand
"Here we go Ichigo… don't waste it"
Ichigo crumpled to the floor
"What the hell?" Layne exclaimed, standing up in shock "What did you do to him?"
"Don't worry" Shinji said "I haven't forgotten about you"
Love picked up Ichigo, slinging him over his shoulder, and Shinji closed Ichigo's eyelids
"Hachi, create a double dislocation barrier"
"Yes, Sir" Hachi said, waving his arms in a series of complicated motions
Mashiro sniffed the air
"What's that hollow smell?"
"I don't know" Kensei said sarcastically "It couldn't be one of us could it"
"It doesn't smell like any of our hollows though" Mashiro complained, stamping her feet and sticking her tongue out at Kensei
Seeing Kensei about ready to stab Mashiro, Layne raised his hand in acceptance
"Guilty, you knocked out the source of reiatsu I've always hidden behind"
"Doesn't matter" Shinji said curtly, kicking the ground, so a massive cinderblock of floor lifted into the air, revealing a staircase beneath it
"What is it with everyone and secret rooms?" Layne wondered, thinking of Urahara's basement
All of the Vizards walked down the staircase, and beckoned Layne to follow him
Shinji was muttering, and Layne had to strain his ears to hear what he was saying
"Can you hear me Ichigo? You're going to turn into a full hollow soon, don't get devoured by him, consume him, if you get destroyed, then it's all over"
"What the hell?" Ichigo muttered as he stood up and looked around, instantly recognizing where he was
The Sideways Skyscrapers of his inner world
Ichigo half expected Old Man Zangetsu to pop out of nowhere, balanced on that pole he seemed to spring from everywhere
Instead, crouched over away from Ichigo, was the Hollow
"Sup" The Hollow drawled "It's been a while…your majesty"
Love placed Ichigo face down on the ground, in the huge underground cavern
"Hacchi" Shinji said curtly "Put another barrier here"
"Ehhhh?" Hachi said, trying to sound surprised
"Don't give me that ehhhh shit" Shinji replied "There's absolutely nothing cute about an old man saying ehhhh"
Shinji took a breath while Hachi made the barrier, and then continued
"And bind Ichigo's arms and legs"
"Understood" Hachi replied, jamming his hands together, which created a small flash of light
"Walls of iron sand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end". Hachi intoned, causeing the light to split into four little bubbles,( which Layne swore blind looked like sperm)
"Bakudo 75, Gochu Tekkan"
The little bubbles of light sperm transformed into 5 very tall, and very heavy looking pillars which landed on Ichigo's arms, legs, and the top his spine
"Hahaha, Light sperm… I like that" Layne thought, making a mental note to use it somewhere In the future
"What's wrong?" Hollow Ichigo taunted "You look awfully depressed"
Ichigo glanced left and right with his eyes
"Where is Old Man Zangetsu?"
Hollow Ichigo leered at Ichigo, which just pissed him off
"Bastard" Ichigo growled, unsheathing Zangetsu from his back
"I don't get it" Hollow Ichigo said pointing at Ichigo "When you say Zangetsu, do you mean the one you have…or the one I'm holding?"
He unsheathed his sword, an exact mirror of Zangetsu, except with the colours reversed, echoing the difference between Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo
"A white Zangetsu?" Ichigo thought in shock
"You asked me where Zangetsu is?" Hollow Ichigo said, appearing without warning, directly above Ichigo "I'll tell you, I am Zangetsu!"
Ichigo barely brought up Zangetsu in time to block W. Zangetsu
A massive reiatsu hit everyone in the basement at the same time
Layne stared in shock, as Ichigo's hands began to curl, ripping at the dirt they were pressed against
"It's here" muttered Shinji
"Hey, shouldn't we take away his zanpakuto?" Mashiro asked, a trace of worry colouring his voice
"No point" Love told her calmly "Would just increase the radius of destruction needlessly"
They were all sitting around the barrier Hachi had erected, waiting for some signs of life, and it was here, and Layne sure as hell was not prepared
"Illidan was fucking right, but not about Black Temple" Layne thought wryly
Ichigo held his head up, half covered in his hollow mask, and pushed himself up, breaking Hachi's bakudo with ease
Lisa stood up and began walking to the barrier wall
"Sit down Lisa" Shinji said, pointing at Layne "You're first"
"First for what?" Layne asked in confusion
"Survive ten minutes in there against Ichigo, and we'll suppress your hollow as well, if you fail..well then it saves us disposing of ya when you turn full hollow yourself"
"Shinji!" Lisa said, outraged "Are you crazy?"
"Maybe, but you know I'm right Lisa"
Layne had no earthly idea why Lisa was defending him, and although he was grateful, he didn't think Shinji would ever take him seriously unless he did this
"If that's what it takes"
Layne got up and unsheathed both of his zanpakuto, and walked towards the wall
"Open it up then, Hachi"
A part of the yellow wall in front of Layne shimmered and vanished, reappearing behind him
"Drift, Roxas" he muttered, tossing his zanpakuto to the side and having Oathkeeper and Oblivion appear in their place
Ichigo eyed him for a split second before grabbing Zangetsu and leaping forwards
Layne felt the murderous intent in the reiatsu that the hollow was radiating so carelessly and despite himself, sweated a little, readying his zanpakuto for one hell of a fight
"Don't worry Ichigo…I'll still be around to stop Aizen with you…so I can't let you kill me here"
Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo traded a few more blows and then leapt apart
"Bastard, what did you do with Zangetsu?" Ichigo shouted
"Don't make me say it again!" Hollow Ichigo shouted back, resuming his assault "I am Zangetsu!"
As Hollow Ichigo said Zangetsu, he swung his sword in a powerful arc which Ichigo managed to block, but sent him flying to the side
"I'm not sure if you were aware of this" Hollow Ichigo said, bursting into a monologue as Ichigo picked himself up "But Zangetsu and I were originally one being, both he and I being the source of your power, and I was a part of him. Although we share one physical body, if the master and servant change places, then the form changes as well, When life rules the body, the body is wrapped in flesh, when death rules, the body becomes bone, the same logic applies. My power grew, and Zangetsu became a part of me, so the more you try to draw out Zangetsu's power, the easier it gets for me to take over your soul"
"Oh yeah?" Ichigo growled "Well I guess if I defeat you here, then Old man Zangetsu will take over once again"
Hollow Ichigo snorted "You, beat me? Ain't gonna happen"
In one fluid motion Ichigo stood up and took his Bankai stance
"Say that, after you see this"
Hollow Ichigo cocked an eyebrow
"You just, don't get it do you, I told you it ain't going to happen"
Hollow Ichigo mirrored Ichigo's stance, and Ichigo hesitated, then clenched his teeth
"BANKAI!" Both Ichigo's shouted in unison
Layne deflected another of Ichigo's blows and followed through with a solid punch directly to his face cracking Ichigo's half mask slightly, having been forced to drop Oblivion earlier
Ichigo did nothing, and from the increase in reiatsu, Layne could tell something was up
Rather than get cocky, or wait to see what happened, he took the chance to pick up Oblivion and waited for the worst
Outside, Shinji smiled unemotionally
"Now the real fun begins"
A hole appeared in Ichigo's chest and he began moving again
Layne's right hand pulsed uncomfortably, and he glanced at it just in time to see Ichigo approaching from behind
"Shit!" he exclaimed, rolling to the side, narrowly avoiding being decapitated
Ichigo was relentless however, and suddenly Layne was staring at the point of a sword that was…moving in slow motion?
Layne moved his head to the side at normal speed, and for good measure, charged a Rain which sent Ichigo flying
When he got up, he was moving at normal speed again, and he looked pissed, insofar as you can looked pissed off when your face is a grinning visage which isn't supposed to move at all
He lunged at Layne again, but Lisa appeared in front of him, and intercepted him
"Time's up" she said curtly "Get going"
a/n - hope that was a good read, sorry for making you wait for so long, i broke my fingers doing something stupid and couldn't write for a bit, and then i forgot to after my fingers mended... yeah GG v1r1d1an, jackass
Obligatory R&R Goes Here
It's amazing how much gaming you can do with broken fingers though, especially when it doesn't affect your clicking fingers XD
So i finished Mass Effect 2, great game btw, so pumped for Mass Effect 3 next year
and im playing in a League of Legends Australian Tourney next week, i'm nothing special but it'd be cool to go past first round XD
anyway, catchyas next one, i'll be writing in between matches