Hello! My greatest apologies for the suuuuuuper long delay in chapter updates. Basically, my grandma died of cancer, then my grades started to fall, and i had a crapload of finals, and then... I kinda forgot about the story (I'm sorry! don't kill me! T.T) things are peachy in Minnesota now, so i'll update more often, enjoy! OH! one more thing, I've got a surprise at the end of this chapter, leave your answer in a review or private message!

Chapter 5

When the scientist opened the glass case, all hell broke loose.

A hole ripped itself open in my chest as the dark energy exploded from the case. The different mask fragments began to liquify and fly over to me, being absorbed into my body. The full mask attached itself to my face, flooding my mind with the pure instinctual desire to fight and the overwhelming power to feed that desire. The dark desire came off as pure black energy traveling off of my body in waves, making me want to laugh as I crushed Kurosutchi like the ant he is. Only, the pain was too great and all I could let out was a choked scream. The innocence flew over as well, sending out veins of white energy to try and overpower the liquified masks, now pouring from my eyes and the gaping hole In my chest. These pure white icy veins moved like tentacles, creeping their way up my body, through the hole in my chest and forcing their way into my mouth, down my screaming throat.

The two power sources fought for dominance over my body. I could barely scream as my entire body was filled with pain. The dark matter burned like the very foundation of hell had become my skin and the combating innocence tried its hardest to freeze my hell over.

The few moments spent with this power felt like an eternity until I could see the grand doors open up a crack. Light spilled across the room, illuminating my battered, war-torn form. Just as Alma and Kanda's heads became visible through the door, they flashed in front of my struggling form with the scientist pressing a long sword at their throats.

"Shiro! Are you ok? What's going on?" Alma shouted. Kanda said nothing, but his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and his features portrayed total shock.

"silence, brats," the scientist spat out. He turned to me with a venomous smile, "my my, we've got a predicament here. If you don't do well in this experiment, I'm going to have to use these other creatures like you as a substitute. You wouldn't like that, would you Shiro? Or should I say... Ichigo Kurosaki?"

That final question pushed my power over the edge. With the swirling power sources around me I tried to land some sort of blow on this monster. It was no use. The scientist seemed to simply disappear each time I came within striking distance and reappear in another spot. My punches became faster and more frantic as time continued. It couldn't be like this! I wouldn't let him take them!

However, as I fought, my body was so battered and abused that the pain became far too much. As I wildly threw another punch I collapsed onto the floor. My wrist making a painful /snap/ as I made my decent. I began to cough up blood on the floor from where I lay. Why won't anyone help me? I can't let him take my only friends. I can't... but how can I? I can't hold on any longer... Damn it... Hold... on... It Hurts... so... Exhausted. I finally passed out in puddle of my own blood, the innocence and dark matter retiring to their original forms with a clatter on the hard ground.

I let out another sigh at Alma's crazy antics. After passing out my first time "training", I was taken back to my hole and allowed to recover. It's been almost 3 months since that time and I've been training every day since. Not just training to be compatible with innocence, but also dark matter. Sadly, none of the other scientists know about. or can save me from the dark matter. When I'm done being battered by that stupid, feather-sprouting crystal, I'm whisked away by the one and only creepy Kurosutchi into a dark room to try and get the stupid masks to give me their power. Day in and day out it's the same thing: get woken up by alma's chattering, get nearly choked to death by the damned crystal, nearly burn to death by the stupid masks, collapse from exhaustion in my hole, only to be fully healed in the morning, and repeat the cycle.

I don't even know why I bother with this anymore.

It helps to have Alma and Kanda here though. Even though they don't have the extra "training", they still try to sympathize and comfort me in any way they can. We've all become each other's lifelines. I don't know how I'd be able to survive without them here. And I still have absolutely no clue in heaven how Alma stays so happy-go-lucky through it all. However, I can feel him starting to slip. It worries me, I hope he can regain some sense of humanity. If we have to go through any more training even Alma will be ready to kill somebody! Could you Imagine?

But, what's that noise? I heard some footsteps coming this way from down the corridor. They were the same clicks on the hard floor as the scientists' boots. I was proven correct as some scientists turned the corner into our sleeping room. I wonder why they were here, it's not time for training yet. Did we do something wrong?

"The council requires your presence", one of the larger scientists said in a deep throaty voice. Without any time for me to object, I was roughly picked up by my arms and hauled out into the never ending maze of hallways. After a good ten minutes of twists and turns we arrived at a council room of sorts. The silver star of the black order was high on the stone walls and a panel of black robed officials sat peering down through hooded eyes. "Shiro," the middle councilman began, "You have failed to meet our basic progress standards". A deep sense of dread started to fill me and my knees began to shake. "It has been 3 months since your arrival, and not even once has you innocence responded after your first day," the second councilman continued. My heartbeat raced and my throughout clamped up.I was nervous beyond belief, I couldn't let them take me away! Who would be there to protect Kanda and Alma? I would be able to save them from the dark matter testing if they took me away! I began to feel frantic. And all at once, the feeling was gone, replaced with startling calm.

The calm before the storm... the eve of battle.

...

"that's only what I've led you to believe , Mr. councilman"

"What! What are you blabbering about boy?" the councilman spit out, taken aback by my indifference.

"Why don't you let me show you?"

HAHA! I'm evil, I know. BUT! i wanted to hear from my wonderful readers before we get into the good stuff. What do you want Ichigo(shiro)'s innocence to be?

I have a few ideas but i want to see how you guys think the story should go! No suggestion is too extreme. Leave your suggestion in a review or private message, and don't forget that if you don't tell me, I can't put your desires into concideration.

Until next time,

ME