a/n - G'day, have another 3000 words ;D
"Without using my hands" Layne asked "How in the…"
"It makes sense doesn't it?" Lisa commented "You have both your hands constantly busy… and if you take your hands off your sword for even a moment in time, then you're doing it wrong, especially if you're a master swordsman"
"Point taken"
Layne concentrated hard, focusing on forming the mask over his face, rather than in his hand
"This is a lot harder than in the hand" Layne exclaimed, feeling his effort shatter
"It'd be a lot easier if you shut up and focused"
Layne nodded, and shut up, fragments of mask forming on his face, starting at the three rips on the left side, and gradually forming until his face was covered, and his eyes flashed and turned yellow
"Hell yeah" Layne said, his voice altered somehow, sounding less like a human, and tinging it with hollow
"Very good, it takes too long though; you'll have to work on it"
"Training with Sado isn't as easy as I thought it would be" Joel thought, deflecting one of Chad's energy blasts with a flick of his wrist "He's not as weak as he thinks he is"
Joel deflected another blast by using Way to the Dawn
"Come on Chad, shooting blasts of energy won't get through my defences anytime soon"
"It's a shame we're both only limited to one arm… with two arms we could have a nice brawl"
Layne's mask shattered and fell away, and Layne lay flat on his back, breathing heavily
Lisa clicked her stopwatch off
"I'm amazed… you've improved a whole second in the past 5 hours"
"Your sarcasm. Fails. To amuse me." Layne panted
"Oh I'm not being sarcastic, that's way above what I expected" Lisa said quickly "Especially considering we are just working on how fast you can form it"
"Does that mean. Again?"
Lisa nodded
"Fuck. My Life."
Ichigo's mask shattered and fell away and he fell to one knee, gasping for breath
Hiyori kicked him in the face
"Did I say you could release Hollow Form Baldy!" she screeched at him
"Are you kidding me?" Ichigo shouted back "I would have been in real trouble if I hadn't released it just then!"
"That's the whole point of training, to train until you're in trouble!" Hiyori shouted
"There are bloody noisy" Lisa muttered, glancing over at Ichigo and Hiyori having a shouting match "I wonder if they are actually getting something done though" glancing at Layne, who looked like he was on the verge of passing out, lying flat on his back, staring at the ceiling
"Come on Layne, get up… we're far from done"
"Can't… move" Layne replied "Feeling… weird"
Lisa ignored him and turned around
"I do know how much your exerting, just putting on that mask and holding it for as long as possible… but Ichigo is using far more reiatsu than you, I thought you were supposed to have his back"
Oblivious to Layne getting up behind her, glowing faintly green she continued
"If you can't match him, then how do you expect to have his back?"
"That's enough" Layne said calmly, "I'm ready to go again"
Lisa turned around in amazement as Layne formed his mask in an instant and stared at her
"Impossible… he's literally increasing his maximum reiatsu as I watch him, rather than just refilling the tanks"
Ignoring her look of amazement Layne cracked a grin, his mask splitting jaggedly where his mouth should have been
"How's that?"
"Look at your hand"
Layne looked as his left hand, then his right one
"Holy…"
Layne's right hand wasn't shaped like a hand, more reminiscent of the claws he'd sported during his full hollowfication
"I think…oh hell yes"
Layne pointed his claw at a pillar a few metres away
"Void Eternity"
A dark green Cero fired and reduced the pillar to rubble
"You mean Cero" Lisa said flatly
Layne shrugged "I just felt like calling it Void Eternity… it's pretty apt"
Lisa shook her head
"I should have warned Hachi I was about to release that much reiatsu, I think he shat his pants trying to compensate for it" Layne said idly, his mask shattering, and with it, his claw changing back into a hand
"There it is" Orihime said quietly, staring at the nondescript building that everyone was walking past
Orihime watched a cat walk right past it
"It's like that cat is walking on the very edge of it"
Orihime walked closer to the building and put her hand on the barrier surrounding it
"It feels like my own Shun Shun Rikka shield… I can do this"
"Faster Ichigo! Again!" Hiyori shouted at him
"I know! "
Ichigo reached up to his face, and ripped his mask into existence, just as Hiyori leapt at him
Ichigo blocked Hiyori's kick with the back of his arm
"That hurts" he growled
"You're first move is too slow" Hiyori said "If this battle was decided by the first blow, you'd be dead by now"
Hiyori kicked him with her other foot and sent him flying into a boulder
"He really hasn't increased the duration he can maintain it all has he" Hachi commented
"Well, it's not an easy thing, no matter how well Layne does it" Shinji said
Ichigo's mask shattered, and Kensei, keeping time called out to Shinji "4 seconds!"
"So quick" Shinji said
"You never told me why you reversed your stance on Trell-kun"
"At first I was convinced that Aizen had control of him somehow, but Layne freely said that Aizen said that Layne was one of his creations"
"And that didn't trigger any warning bells"
"I was still opposed to it; Lisa's been the only one on that kids side from the start, I'll be honest… after that cero I'm seeing what she sees in him, but I'm still not entirely sure"
"Then why nearly get yourself killed fighting with his hollow before?"
"I trust Lisa, and I trust Ichigo" Shinji said "I don't trust him, but two outta three isn't too bad"
"Hey" Mashiro "Why do Berry-tan and Roady-tan have do this"
"Its practice, so they can maintain their hollow forms for longer periods of time, you had to do it to" Kensei replied with a frown
"No I didn't"
"You lying?"
"It's true" Shinji cut in "Mashiro could hold it for fifteen hours from her first go, she didn't have to do it at all"
"I'd forgotten about that" Kensei growled
Hachi looked up and around in alarm suddenly, startling everyone
"What's up Hachi?" Layne asked, after his mask shattered
"Someone has slipped through my barrier"
All the Vizards within earshot reacted with alarm
"Shinigami?" Love asked
"No… it would be impossible for a Shinigami to get through this barrier, I designed it myself after our hollowfication"
"Then it's a Vizard?" Kensei asked
"Just being a Vizard wouldn't allow you to just slip through the barrier, another Vizard would have had to destroy it"
"Then what manner of creature is it?" Kensei asked, pulling out Tachikaze and spinning it around "And do we need to kill it?"
Layne and the Vizards turned to look at the stairs, where footsteps could be heard
"Here it comes" Kensei said cautiously, Layne summoned his mask, painfully aware that both of his zanpakuto were buried in the ground a hundred metres away
Orihime appeared at the top of the steps
"A human?" The Vizards exclaimed collectively
"Ummm hi" Orihime said awkwardly "Where's the bathroom?.. Just kidding"
Layne watched Kensei's veins nearly pop out of his head
"Huh" he growled loudly
"She said just kidding… don't kill her Kensei" Lisa warned
"If I was in her situation… I don't think I could say just kidding" Love commented
Layne burst out in laughter, cackling evil laughter because his mask still hadn't worn off
Ichigo and Hiyori, who had been paying no heed to the conversation we're still fighting, and Ichigo crashed next to the stairs
"What are you doing Ichigo?" Hiyori shouted
"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime exclaimed
Layne's mask chose that moment to expire, with him still in the middle of laughing
"Trell-kun!"
"Inoue?" Ichigo asked in amazement
"So that's how it is" Ichigo said, sitting with Orihime and Layne away from the Vizards, Orihime having just finished the explanation
"I'll admit dude, this makes our suicide assault against Kira look easy" Layne said "I don't have an idea what it's all about though"
"You two… don't really seem shocked"
"Oh I'm shocked… but it hasn't really sunk in" Layne said
"Wipe that worried look off your face Inoue" Ichigo assured her "I'll stop Aizen"
"Don't worry about it, I owe that bastard for this" Layne said, pointed at his hand "If saving Karakura factors into it, then icing on the cake"
"Damn right" Ichigo agreed
"Oi Lisa, lets go again!" Layne called out, walking off
"Thanks for coming to tell us, we'll get stronger… I can still get a lot stronger, and that's all I need to know" Ichigo said, also getting up and calling out to Hiyori
"Oi Orihime" Layne called back "Tell Joel that he's welcome to tap the stash while he's here… if he can remember where it is"
Orihime nodded and smiled, watching the two of them walk off
"That's it… they aren't shocked because it hasn't sunk in yet, but because they are getting stronger, Ichigo doesn't care what the enemy will do, or why, but just where he is at and where he needs to be… he really is… getting stronger, and it's not thick and scary like before… oh yeah, I need to get stronger too"
Orihime sprinted off, and up the stairs
"Just what the hell was with that woman?" Kensei growled
"She seemed to know Layne and Ichigo" Lisa pointed out "She just talked to them, and then hightailed it"
"That's Orihime-chan…" Shinji began "She was my first love"
"Oh not this bullshit again" Kensei growled
"Shinji, you say that to all the cute girls… you've even said it about me" Lisa said disdainfully
"OH, you say it to all the cute girls do you Shinji?" Hiyori yelled "How come I don't remember ya saying it to me!"
"Cause I didn't"
"Don't look away!" Ichigo shouted, nearly slicing Hiyori in two
"Hachi?" Love asked
"Yes?"
"Your barriers are perfect, there is no doubting that… so how did that Orihime girl get in?"
"From inspecting her reiatsu up close, it appears that she has similar barrier abilities to my own, and that makes it so she, and only she can find and get in… it's a little troubling that a human has such abilities however"
"Yoruichi-san!" Orihime exclaimed in surprise, as Yoruichi appeared right in front of her
"Ah, there you are Inoue" Yoruichi said "I was looking for you, because Kisuke wanted me to take you to the underground room"
"Hellooo Inoue-san" Urahara greeted, both enthusiastically, and creepy as all hell "It's been hell watching these three filithy men, surely having a young lady around will brighten the mood"
"I showered, thank you very much" Joel replied acerbically "It's Renji's turn today anyway"
"Only three filithy men?" Yoruichi asked "If I don't qualify as a woman to you Kisuke, then maybe I'll move into Layne's house, I'm sure he'll appreciate my femininity"
"Which reminds me, Layne is out of 4 different types of alcohol… I may or may not have tapped the stash without asking" Joel mused
"Anyway" Urahara said, turning serious "Matsumoto-san of Squad 10 came around recently… and the upshot is that both us, and Soul Society will require much more offensive power this time around"
"I understand" Orihime replied stoutly "I want to get stronger"
"I want you" Urahara said, turning around "To stay out of the battle this time around"
Orihime was shocked, so were Renji, Chad and Joel, who all stopped what they were doing and started paying attention to Urahara
"Since Tsubaki was destroyed, and you haven't been able to rebuild him, you've lost your only source of offensive power"
"But Inoue has Defensive and healing powers, those are far more important than attack!" Chad insisted loudly
"Santen Kesshun isn't strong enough, and for healing, Squad 4 are battle trained are far more suited to the front lines…. This will be a war, not one small engagement, but a full blown war, and in war… a soldier without strength will only get in the way"
"This is stupid" Layne muttered, looking upside down at Lisa "Why did you make me learn to stand on my head… and form a mask"
"Mostly for kicks" she replied, moving closer
"Aye! Don't move close or I'll be looking up your ski…"
Lisa pushed him over and his mask shattered
"Keep focus" she admonished him "If you can't subconsciously keep the mask on during something like that, then how do you expect to keep it on in the middle of a fight"
"You…skirt…upside down head" Layne countered feebly, rolling over and sitting up
"Would you like me to give you head upside down?"
"WHAT!" Layne exclaimed, going tomato red, with faint wisps of smoke emerging from his ears
"Isn't that what you just said?"
"What the fuck no, that's just…no"
"Well, it would really test your concentration… actually; it's not a half bad idea"
"It's a terrible, terrible idea"
"Get on your head, we are doing this"
"You're not seriously considering this are you?" Layne asked "I hope this is a joke… like I'm seriously hoping"
"C'mon Layne" Lisa said playfully, "There's' a lot more to living than just being alive"
"Sure… but there's a proper order to all of this… and this sure as hell ain't it"
"Well you better start running then, because if I catch you… we're going to train the way I want to" Lisa said, smirking evilly
Layne was gone before she finished the word catch
"Holy hell, he's bloody fast even without his mask on"
"That Urahara bastard… said something like that, I'll go kick his ass" Rukia growled
"It's ok" Orihime sniffed "I've calmed down since talking to you… I'm sure its better this way"
Rukia grabbed Orihime's collar and jammed her head against hers
"It is NOT better this way, haven't you fought until now, didn't you march straight into Soul Society and fight? Haven't you been supporting Ichigo so far? Didn't you heal Layne when that Arrancar was right outside your house? Isn't it frustrating, to be cast aside so easily?"
"No…It's not frustrating" Orihime said quietly
"Don't Lie!" Rukia yelled back
"I'm not lying!" Orihime yelled back, before quietly saying "It's just… going to be lonely not being able to fight with everyone… but being lonely is far better than being in the way, if I'm going to be a hindrance to Kurosaki-kun and everyone… then I'd far rather be lonely"
Rukia sighed and knelt down "Inoue… listen, In a battle it isn't those who lack power that are in the way, it's those that lack resolve… in Soul Society, no one lacked resolve and became a hindrance, not Ichigo, not Sado, not Ishida, not Layne, not Moll and not you Inoue… if a single one of you hadn't been in Soul Society, then I wouldn't be here today, there has to be something you can do… let's look for it together
It felt like an earthquake as Hiyori slammed down next to them, breaking off fragments of floor
Rukia and Inoue looked at her in shock
"Hachi wants to see you" she said curtly, grabbing Orihime and leaping off
"What in the world was that?" Rukia exclaimed
"Ouch!" Orihime yelped as Hiyori dropped her on the ground, in front of Hachi
"Hachi is just a nickname, my real name is Ushoda Hachigen" Hachi said calmly, inspecting Orihime
"N..Nice to meet you" she stuttered
"Did Hachi just flashstep while sitting down?" Layne thought "I have got to learn how to do that"
"Pay attention Layne" Lisa shouted, narrowly missing catching Layne
"Why? You haven't caught me yet" Layne asked "That's the closest you've been since we started"
"Then maybe I should stop holding back"
Lisa flashstepped
"Shit" Layne muttered, forming his hollow mask and jerking back, as Lisa's hand flashed past his face
Layne grinned and disappeared
"Playing hard to get huh?" Lisa muttered
"It's a good thing I brought your severed arm back, or they might not have let you back into the Espada" Ulquiorra said noncommittally
Yammi growled, but didn't reply, knowing that Ulquiorra was right
"Aizen-sama called for us"
"You're already dead, that's some deep shit don't you think? To just stop fighting, and inform someone of their own death, when they don't even realize it themselves" Love asked Rose
"Stop spoiling the manga I bought before I read it" Rose replied irritably watching Lisa try and catch Layne, "it's not even that great of a line"
"Has she gotten him yet?"
"Getting close, but just as I think she's about to, he puts on his mask for a burst of speed and puts a lot of distance between them"
"Why doesn't she just use her mask?"
"And run him into the ground? She's not Hiyori, who thinks that beating the stuffing out of Ichigo is training him, Lisa will catch him eventually, but she's going to wait until he's run himself ragged"
"That makes sense, how long is he at?"
Rose's reply was cut off by Kensei clanging on a dish and shouting
"Dinner you bastards, last one here has to do the dishes!"
"Layne" Ichigo asked at dinner
"Yeah?" Layne replied, swallowing his carrot
"Your colours are all fucked up"
"Wut"
"Look at yourself; you've got one white hand with a green letter on it, one normal hand, one brown eye, and one green eye"
"I have one green eye? That's freaking awesome, I haven't looked in a mirror since Orihime restored them"
a/n - far out, nearly 40 chapters, another one inc