-flashback-
Ichigo sighed and rubbed his nose. It was like what, the fourth hollow within in the same damned hour? It seems that they liked to drop by in every minute. Like an international cafe designed for hollows. Oh, how much cursed the cursed the moment when he "agreed" to help out the American Deathgod Association...
"They are in a kind of loss in Deathgods," said the head captain. He raised an eyebrow.
"So?"
"So they asked us whether we could lend some of our own. You'd be one of those."
"And what if I say no? I have a life, you know."
"It seems like I have to remind you again, Kurosaki, that you're not a Substitute Shinigami, but the appointed captain of Squad Three. You have to follow your orders, acting to your future title."
So he's here. In the middle of who knows where. Okay, in America, but he has never been abroad before, not counting Soul Society or Hueco Mundo.
He let his breath out again and looked up at the not-so-starry-sky-because-of-the-lights. Who knew that Byakuya, along with Kenpachi, Kyoraku, Ukitake, Toushiro and Soi Fon would appoint him as captain? Because though five years had passed by, he still had no idea how most of the things are working in Serietei. True, he wasn't the same hot-headed brat he was before. Well, not that much hot-headed. But then there was kidou. All of the captains - save for Kenpachi - were experienced kidou users, and never messed up at it. For him, though, it was almost impossible to control the energy he put into them. It's not like he was bad at it - he always could get the incantation and the result right - but it took Unohana and Mayuri two whole days to remove the lowest level binding spell from Hanatarou because of the uncontrolled energy he put into it. And then there was Hakudou. With a simple Byakurai he managed to destroy half of the houses and their surrounding area belonging to the Kuchiki family down. He still could feel where did those damned flower petals cut him. If it wasn't for his Bankai (and as much he hated to admit, but his Hollows composure, since he fainted from the explosion) he'd be dead by now. Well, dead-er.
That was not a memory he liked. Who knew that after all those fighting after becoming a Shinigami he'd die in a train accident? (Well, his body.) After it the thing that once contained his soul did not looked like something that was good to remember. And he had hundreds of souls to perform konsou on. It wasn't very amusing.
And then there was his family's reaction. Karin's reaction was quite strange - to know your brother is dead, yet he's still there is not very pleasant. That kick into the guts wasn't, either. For Yuzu, she cried. A lot. After all, however she can feel, she cannot see or touch them. He rather not remembered for his father.
Urahara, as "always", was helpful and lent him a gigai, which is mostly looked like his original body, so he could finish his school as Kurosaki's cousin. Only the false body had black hair. After Rukia saw it, it took three hours to find her with the help of Uryuu, Chad, Inoue and Yoruichi, and she was crying.
He grimaced as his next memory popped into his mind. He did not even want to think about that.
Beeping broke the silence. He took out his cellphone and sighed. (Again.) A Hollow. And not anywhere further than the other side of the city.
A Vasto Lorde. Shit. And a quite strong and poisonous on the top on that. With a scorpion-like tail. It seems like he has the crappiest luck in the universe.
"Done already, Deathgod?" asked more than probably a he, in a bored tone.
"Not exactly," Ichigo raised Zangetsu. "Bankai!"
"Oh? Interesting. You did not seem to be anything else than a little insect."
"Sorry to dissapoint you."
"No. Actually... I was hoping for a fight like this!" The oreangehead lifted his sword again and prepared himself to attack. At least wanted to. Because somebody grabbed his collar from behind and threw him backwards. He hit the ground. Hard.
"Get out of the way."
"Spike!" He heard a woman yell. She helped him up. "Sorry. Sometimes he's like this."
"Ready, Angelica?"
"Told you not to call me that." Joined another man, too, and threw a katana-like sword to the blonde, then unsheathed his own. "Fred, take him away."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"We talking about you," said the blonde, pointing at him (and not realizing that his partner was already fighting with the hollow). "Going away. With her."
"Like hell I will! Do you even know what that thing is beside you?"
"No, but that's exactly why we need it."
"I would be grateful for a little help over here!" said the brunette avoiding the Vasto Lorde's tail. Ichigo growled, tore himself out the hands of the woman and launched towards them on a great speed. For some reason he felt satisfied at the expression of shock on the blonde's face.
"Getsuga Tenshou!" he yelled as he sent a wave of razor sharp energy towards the monster, almost hitting the other man.
"Hey! If we're right, you want to kill him, not me!" He shouted.
"One does not make impossible the other." He tossed away the thing's sting just to meet his claws.
"Thanks goodness. Those little insects mad me quite annoyed."
"Can't tell whether it's a good or bad thing. Sorry." He jumped up into the lifted Zangetsu, and sent another Getsuga Tenshou towards the Hollow. At least he wanted to. That damned fair haired man jumped in front of him, just blocking the way to the Vasto Lorde. He quickly pulled back the attack.
"You're playing with your life, blonde!"
"Whatever you say!" the other yelled, jumping backwards.
"Damn." He grimaced. He has to cut this short. Which left him no opinion. Black energy swirled and the mask appeared on his face, darted towards the two, and kicked the man out of his way.
"Oh, now we're talking, boy!" Cried out the Hollow in cheer, when he saw the golden - black eyes full of killing intent. Ichigo lifted his hand.
"Cero." Red light flashed, tearing the Vasto Lorde's tail into two.
"You little brat..." Growled the thing, less with one weapons.
"Now I'm a brat, am I not? I would say to be careful. That wasn't even the strongest I'm capable of. Hey! What the hell are you doing!" He yelled at the brown haired man who jumped onto the Hollow's back from behind.
"Run away!"
"Do I look like I have to run away? Goddamnit!" His own hollow started laughing in the back of his mind. ("And you, stop laughing!")
("As you wish, my master!")
A puzzled look sat on the man's face, as he struggled with the Vasto Lorde.
"But..."
"No 'but's! Get down, and let me finish him!"
"Fine." He jumped and the blade just missed his neck, as it slashed through the hollows body. The Vasto Lorde faded into nothing. "Hey! Be careful! You almost beheaded me!"
"You shouldn't be on the back of the hollow at first place!"
"I cannot protest against that one." Ichigo put his sword onto his shoulder.
"Now tell me, who are you people, why are you here, and how can you see me?"
"Hey, hey," raise his hands a newcomer also with brown hair. "One questions at once but in short: that's Spike, Angel and Winnifred Burkle and I'm Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. We're working for an organisation called Wolfram&Hart, and sensed strange magical activities here. As for your last question... Why would we not see you?"
"Well, you see... Normal people usually can't see me."
"That's where the problem lies - we're not normal people."
"Spike! He's not supposed to know that!"
"Does he seem like a normal people to you? With all that flying and twinkling effects?"
"Twinkling... Effects?" Ichigo gripped the handle of Zangetsu, hardly restraining himself to slay the man in that very moment.
"Anyway," Said the brown haired man again. "We would appreciate if you'd accompany us on our way back, and we could probably talk about what that creature was at our place."
"I do not think that's such a good idea."
"Then think it of this way: you must come with us, or we'll use force." Said the blonde. Ichigo gave him a glare.
-flashback-ends-
So now here he was, currently sitting in front of the Chairman and his Team Angel. The "boss" nodded.
"Then now we'd like to ask you about that demon you were fighting."
"That wasn't a demon."
"Seemed like one to me." Said the blonde vampire.
"Spike, please. Shut up. I'm listening, Mr. Kurosaki." Ichigo sighed.
"He was a Vasto Lorde, a high level Hollow. They are human souls turned into beasts because of different reasons. After a time they start to eat each other and turn into something else, and so on. There are different levels, which I would rather not explain to you now."
"I see... Mr. Kurosaki, I saw a mask on your face similar to that... Hollows. Would you explain why?"
"No. And do not even ask for it again." The man nodded, understanding.
"Okay. Fred?" The woman stepped forwards.
"I don't know how to say it, but... Would you let us to run some test on you?"
"Like what?"
"Like... What is your body made of, your powers and things like that. All of them is perfectly safe."
"No way."
"What?" The woman looked a bit puzzled at his harsh answer.
"I have enough experience with scientists and their tests. When they say 'perfectly safe', they mean that 'you probably won't die'."
"Ah... Well. Then... What about you, Lorne?"
"Darling, I only can read in somebody's future, not their mind."
"Yes. True."
"Let's make a deal, Mr. Kurosaki." Said Angel. Ichigo blinked.
"Well, you let us do the tests. In exchange you can ask anything from us."
"Like what?"
"Like how is this organization works, or to do things like helping you out with your job." Ichigo frowned.
"From what I earlier saw you're not very experienced with hollows."
"But we've dealt with demons before. And we've been pretty good at it."
"Let me guess. You attack head on and kick or punch it until it gives out?"
"Usually, but it worked fine until now." Nodded the blonde.
"Well, that won't work here. As I said they're dead souls. They need to be purified and not to be beaten into a bloody pile of bodies."
"We could probably solve that, too."
"Well, we have holy water, which probably is..." Ichigo bursted out in laughter, cutting Fred's monolog into half.
"You... You cannot possibly think that it works?"
"Ah, it does. Personal experience." Winced Angel.
"Probably on the so called vampires, but not on them. That was the best joke I've heard lately!"
"How do you know that it wouldn't work?"
"I once had to fight with them in a church. After one of them kicked Zangetsu out of my hand.."
"Who?"
"My sword. So, then, I had to defend myself with something. And the closest thing that was to me is a bowl full of holy water. Well, if they'd be able to feel anything than sheer anger and hunger, they would roll on the floor, laughing."
"Okay, then no holy water. But I'm sure that we'd be able to find something out with your help. Like capturing them and then you'd purify them."
"Wouldn't work. They would open a Garganta in the very same minute they woke up."
"I just said it as an example." Ichigo grinned.
"Yeah. I'm sure you did."
A/N:
Some things I want to say now, in case I would forgot later.
Spike and Wesley speak Japanese, while, as you may have found out, Ichigo speaks English.
Ichigo still not totally believes in vampires and demons, even they're in front of him. He just calls them that for the "fun" of it.
He is the appointed captain of Squad Three. I'm a bit tired that I always read fanfics where he's the captain of Squad Five. Though I wanted him to be Hisagi's captain, but since their squad has special jobes that I cannot really see him doing...
He is dead, but still visits his family. Actually, he was responsible for Karakura until he had to left to LA. After him, Hanatarou took over his place, and he does a very good job.
Rukia is a vice captain, and she gained Bankai. (Thanks to Yoruichi, Ichigo, Byakuya and Renji. And let's not forget Soi Fon.)Now she's the appointed captain of Squad Nine.
As for why do I write Soi Fon as Soi Fon? Because that's my favourite version. There are other varieties like Sui Fon, Sui Feng (or something like that) and it goes on like that.
And it seems like I'll continue this story, too, just like Goblet of Fire, which has the next chapter on paper, but I was lazy to type it in yet. And I know that this has pleeeeenty of errors, but I have to rewatch Angel to get most of it right. Anyway, it seems like I wrote a lot in Author's Notes, am I not? :) Have a good day, everybody!