Hahaha remember me? lol sorry for the long lack of updation. It's the dreaded 5th chapter. I can never do it. But now i have! huzzah! tell me what you think, love y'all!

Ch5

I reached the carnival and walked into Riggsby's tent. He looked up at me from behind a newspaper, the fat cigar between his lips.

"You're late"

I shrugged and sat down opposite him, folding my arms

"I woke up late"

He folded the paper and set it down. He rubbed the bridge of his nose.

" Make sure doesn't happen again."

I shrugged again and leant back into the chair, folding my arms behind my head.

"What's the deal for today then? Same thing?"

Riggsby nodded and scratched his bristled jaw.

"Mm, draw the fights out longer, pick people with women or who are around friends, use humiliation, don't kill anyone, don't break anyone's arm in two, you gotit?"

I noticed dark rings around his eyes, and his apprehensive behaviour. He wasn't letting on everything. He was stressed about something. I looked at him down my nose, evaluating.

His eyes snapped on me and he sneered

"Well, go on, get out there! Money doesn't grow on trees!"

I stood up slowly, brushing my self off before sauntering out of the tent.

It was bright and clear outside. Fresh, after the dingy Smokey tent. Fellow carnies were setting up their equipment, food cooking, ride testing.

I stretched my arms out in front of me and pushed them up high, bending my body sideways. I felt the ache of my muscles and my back clicked several times.

That bitch Tatsuki, ruined my beautiful bod.

I was still stretching when I heard a voice behind me.

"Hey, handsome"

I turned and saw a woman, older than me. Dark blue make up around her eyes, bright red hair pulled up on top of her head. Beads and jewels hung from her neck and wrists. She was leaning on a signpost that read 'fortune telling'

I glanced at it then back at her.

She pulled a thin long cigarette to her thin red lips and took a drag.

"You're new here" she said, more than asked.

Her voice was low and husky from so many cigarettes.

I nodded anyway, folding my arms into another stretch. She smirked and sauntered over to me, long black dress dragging behind her. She moved her hips too much when she walked. As she got closer I saw she was a lot older than I'd thought (stupid shit Gigai eyesight) she had thin wrinkly arms and her face was plastered in white foundation. Trying to fill in the cracks but it only made them worse.

"So you're the guy everyone's been talking about. The mad man with blue hair and eyes to match. They say you're a predator and that you like to play rough. So do I."

I felt my skin crawling as this old hag tried to come on to me.

"Aren't you a little too old to be playing the field?" I spat and her smile thinned.

"touchy, touchy"

She pulled my hand out of my stretch and turned it over, studying my palm

"Get off me" i snapped

"What, don't you want to know your fortune for free?"

I paused

"My fortune?"

"Your future."

I remained quiet and she ran her fingers over the lines of my palm.

"Ohh"

"Hmm"

"Oh I see"

I found myself becoming irritated

"What? What does it say?"

"You're very strong. Very determined and passionate"

"Tch. Thanks for telling me something I already knew."

She smiled wryly and continued.

"You've faced a great loss. There's a break in your life line. Something happened that's changed your life. For the worse. My guess is that you're still recovering."

I frowned. I was sceptical. But it seemed accurate to a point.

"I know all of that. What's going to happen?"

"This is your heat line. It's faint, but it gets deeper by here," She tapped my palm.

"So what does that mean?"

"You're going to fall in love. Or you already have."

"Pfft!"

I pulled my hand out of grasp and laughed harshly.

"Love? Me? Pah hah ha!"

She folded her arms gracefully and nodded

"You're crazy, lady. A little senile perhaps. You've got it all wrong"

She frowned and dropped her cigarette to the floor, stepping on it quickly

"That's not all I saw. There's something else. Something big is coming. Something dangerous."

I laughed again, clutching my sides. She turned and left, a deep frown etched into her features.

What an idiot.

Love

Hah!

If she were any good, she would have seen that I'm not exactly a fucking human. I haven't lived my life out through these hands. Moron.

The day progressed slowly before the public started walking around. I taunted and teased but nobody was taking my bait. I was angry, pent up emotions. I wanted to kick and hit and bite, I hadn't had my daily dose and I could tell Riggsby was frustrated too. He poked his head out every now and then, heavy waves rolling off him. He seemed pretty edgy, his eyes jumped from person to person, as if he was looking for someone. Or someone was looking for him.

Eventually someone took enough interest that I could actually use; I could push them into fighting me. At this point I was desperate to feel flesh against my fists, but I had to control myself enough to make the fight last, and to not break anything major. I pushed him around a bit, kicked the back of his legs, and slapped his cheek. He was getting frustrated, but so was I.

So far he hadn't even made a move towards me. He faced me, fists raised as if to strike, yet nothing.

"Come on!" I yelled, "Hit me!"

I woke with a start. I blinked, my eyes feeling thick and sticky. My clothes were damp, my bum completely numb. I looked around, having momentarily lost my memory. Grass, cliff, town, tree, name.

Tatsuki Arisawa

Ahh

My confrontation with Ichigo rushed through my head and my body felt heavy. I sighed and rubbed my eyes slowly. I felt bad, but not for saying it to him, I knew it was true, that's what hurt. We weren't friends any more. We couldn't be. We are too different. He's out of my reach now, and he's taking Orihime with him. Or she's following him of her own accord. I frowned to myself then shook my head.

Nope

Stop thinking like this.

I yawned and realised I had no idea what the time was. Well, it was still light, although the sky was darkening a little.

I stood up slowly, and my legs burned.

Ouch

I forgot about that. The fact that my body was completely destroyed. Stupid Grimmjow.

There was a loud, piercing scream and my blood went cold.

I turned slowly and saw a thing, a monster. Its skin was scaled stark white and it had a snake like body but with long, thin legs. Three sets of black eyes sat on either side of its head. Deep claws sunk into the soft ground and a heavy growl rang through its chest.

I felt my breath catching in my throat. Everything about this-this thing screamed pain and panic and death and predator. And I couldn't run. I couldn't move. I was scared. Petrified. Me. Tatsuki Arisawa. Scared.

The thing hissed at me, its voice soft but loud.

"what a morsel, what a snack!" it's jaws were open and I saw 3 sets of thin white needle like teeth, ready to bury into my flesh.

I managed to swallow, and then I felt like I could move again. I turned around fully. My hands were shaking.

"w-what are you?" I managed to stammer

"Ohhooo, you can see me? Delightful!" Its body shook, as if some scaly laughter rippled through it.

"What are you?" I asked, more strongly this time. My whole body was tense, fists clenched at my sides. It was fight or flight. Right now the latter seemed more likely.

"I am a hollow. A devourer of souls."

I shuddered and my legs felt weak.

I'd seen things. They'd been occurring more and more, but I just didn't want to believe them. Something big, really big flying in the sky, or I'd hear a deep roar somewhere. People too. There seemed to be more people around. Sometimes I wasn't sure if they were real or if I was hallucinating. I could have sworn that man had died. I'd just pushed these things aside, convinced myself I hadn't drunk enough water that day. It was all flooding back to me now.

The thing shifted in front of me.

"You want to eat my soul?"

It chuckled silently to itself again, "yes. You smell delicious. You must have some shinigami friends…" it trailed off.

My brows shot down

"Shinigami?"

The monster, hollow, shifted and something unfurled from under its front legs. Another long, serpentine head appeared and shook out its scales, which rattled loudly

"Shut up! I'm not here for idle conversation!" it snapped at the other head, which drew back in defence.

The new head turned to me and it roared its shrill cry again.

"I'm here to eat you!"

The claws dug into the ground before it pounced at me.

I hit the guy square in the jaw. I'd long since grown tired of his little waiting game. I pushed him away then I heard something that sent a chill right through me.

A hollow roar.

I spun around, looking in every direction. I was close. I could smell it. It was so hungry.

Why hadn't I noticed it before?

I closed my eyes and focussed. I just needed to find its position, and then I could go over there and destroy it and satisfy my need to kill.

Arms were around my neck and legs pinned my arms to my sides.

"What the fuck?" My eyes opened and that weak ass piece of shit kid had jumped me.

"Get the fuck off me!" I growled, trying to get free, but trying to find the hollow at the same time. If I missed this opportunity because of this fucking kid, I swear, I would rip his fucking skin off and stuff it down his throat.

"Haha! I've analysed all your moves, Grimmjow, and now I will defeat you!" his arms squeezed around my neck and I struggled against his hold.

"You're fucking kidding me! Let go, I need to go!"

Images flashed around in my head. People and places, slowly getting closer to the hollow. I squeezed my eyes shut to try and focus. I saw my perch in my mind and my body flared, like it was close. Almost there.

I drew in a staggered breath; this kid was crushing my windpipe.

"I don't think so; I will be today's glorious champion!"

The tree was hot in my mind, and then Tatsuki's face was there. The fuck.

It was there, right there and I could sense her, I could feel her and my body was hot, it burned. And I could feel her. And she was scared and she was fighting and then I felt that roar through her body.

She was fighting the hollow.

She was losing.

My eyes flew open and I jumped up and fell down onto my back. I dug my elbows in and they made a sweet contact with this kid's stomach. He groaned his grip loosened. And I was gone, running as fast as I could out of there

I heard Riggsby urgently shouting my name somewhere behind me. I briefly saw that psychic hag in my peripheral vision. I growled and focussed on getting there in time.

My body hit the ground again and this time I struggled to get up. Deep cuts that oozed blood covered my body. I stared up wide eyed to the monster as it loomed above me.

"You've done well to survive this long, weakling." It hissed. I growled and tried to stand up, to defend myself. I'd managed to land a few blows to it, but they had done nothing but evoke amusement from the beast.

"But your time is over" It placed a taloned paw over my legs, the claws cutting deep into my muscles

I gritted my teeth, but tears leaked from my eyes. Suddenly, its jaws clamped around my torso, the needle like teeth easily sinking into my flesh. I screamed, the pain was unlike anything I'd ever felt before. It burned and seared white hot but it was like ice. I writhed under its bite and felt myself becoming weaker.

Everything began to blur, so I'm not sure what it was, but something made it stop. Something made it let go. Luckily, it released me, and didn't tear a chunk out of my shoulder. But that's all I knew. Something made it god.

Thank god.

My vision went black.

I smelt it. The hollow.

Then I saw it. The big ass fucking snake with two heads and claws holding her down and then it bit her in fucking half and she screamed so loud. So much pain. I felt her pain and I ran right through me. I had to make it stop.

I charged at the hollow and punched it as hard as I could in the side. The force made a few scales shatter and fall off, and it was enough to draw the beast's attention to me. It withdrew its fangs from her body and they were coated in blood. It turned both its ugly heads towards me and I glared at it

"Who's this?" one head asked

"Another mortal. A tastier one."

"It looks familiar"

I growled and yelled

"You're looking at the Sexta Espada Grimmjow Jaeggerjacquez!"

Both of them wore expressions of surprise

"Grimmjow Jaeggerjacquez?"

"Don't you mean Ex-ta Espada?" the one with a blood coated jaw asked wryly. My blood boiled as they both hissed and snickered. They were looking down on me. Me? Just like everyone else.

I jumped onto the snake's body and ran up it's spine to one of its heads. I grabbed the scales and started to pull them off, smashing with my other hand.

The hollow hissed and shook its head. Its brother started snapping at me, its jaws narrowly missing each time I dodged.

I glanced over to Tatsuki's body. She had passed out, but the pool of blood around her was growing larger by the second.

I crouched on the snake's head as it shook and tried to toss me off. I waited and its brother snapped again. At the last second, I jumped and its long fangs pierced its brother's head. I jumped to the other's head. Its jaws were firmly sunk into the other hollow's head. It tried to shake the now dead head off, but it couldn't.

I started hitting the snake's forehead, smashing into it with all my might. The scales shattered and splintered but it seemed to nothing but aggravate the hollow. It screamed and shook its head. Eventually it managed to shake the other snake off. I held on tight as it spun and tried to scratch me off with its talons. I felt its claws dig deep into my back and I hissed.

This fucking gigai body and those fucking shinigami. I roared at the monster and smashed my hand into its head. This time I actually pierced its skin, but it was still only a shallow cut. I needed claws. I needed a sword. I needed something. It swung its head around and I lost my grip on the scale, my hands slippery from its dark blood.

I fell and landed against the base of a tree. I spat on the floor and pushed myself to my feet, a pain shooting through my spine.

"You…you made me kill my brother!" the hollow hissed and its scales shivered in anger. It charged towards me, but its body was weighed down by the lifeless, it tripped a little then roared in frustration. It shook its scales then began to hack and bite at the neck of the dead snake. The teeth pierced the scales and skin with ease. The lifeless head fell to the dirt with a heavy thud and the beast turned its six eyes to me. And rage rolled off it in waves.

I grinned and crouched, getting ready

"Come on then!"

It screamed and ran at me, its heavy gait making the ground tremble and its tail swung back and forth violently behind it.

It snapped at me, it was fast, but I was faster. It tore out great chunks of earth and spat them at me.

I ran and ducked, sliding under the hollow's belly and I rolled and landed by the discarded head. The hollow hissed and turned, its tail swooping in a powerful arc behind it.

I clawed at the jaws of the dead snake, and managed to pull out some of its needle teeth.

"I'll make you regret the day you crossed my path!" it hissed as it charged forwards.

I stood my ground, fists at the ready.

It snapped its jaws down over my body and I thrust my hands up.

For a moment everything slowed down and became intense. I saw the hollow's movements before it made them, and then the blood running down my arm felt red hot.

The needles sliced easily through the top of the hollow's jaw.

It stilled, before the creature became limp and its body collapsed to the floor.

I pulled my hands out of its head and shook the blood off of them.

Disgusting.

I grimaced, looking at my hands.

It wasn't the blood that made me feel sick.

It was how weak I was.

How weak I had become.

This fucking gigai.

If I was in my true body- if I wasn't

If I wasn't a fucking prisoner of war.

I ducked out of the hollow's mouth and wiped my hands on my jeans.

I saw red in my vision

Fuck!

I ran over to Tatsuki's body

A crumpled heap on the ground, body covered in deep gashes and puncture marks that arced from her right shoulder to her left hip.

I leaned over her face and searched her eyes urgently, they were wide open, wet leaking from the sides.

"Hey, tatsuki!"

I put my head to her chest and I felt her heart beat slowly.

She was still alive but I couldn't feel her reiatsu at all.

I growled to myself. Where's a fucking shinigami when you need one?

I ran my hand through my hair and looked down at her again.

Her eyes were moving, quickly. The tiniest amount of movement, like she was trying to keep up with watching something.

"Hey, hey!" I clicked my fingers in front of her, but she wouldn't focus on it.

I felt a surge of something and then I was kicked out of the way. I saw orange.

"Kurosaki" I growled and sat up.

Ichigo was bent over Tatsuki

"Shit shit shit Tatsuki!"

"Santen kesshun –I reject!"

I saw the orange light cover Tatsuki's body, and then I saw Orihime through the haze of the glow.

I stood up and walked over to them, I saw the wounds on her body stitch themselves back together, the blood disappeared.

I felt myself release a breath I didn't realise I have been holding.

Ichigo turned on me like that.

His hands were at my collar, his face in mine. My brows furrowed instantly and I grabbed his neck in response.

"What the FUCK have you done?" he growled at me.

"Me? What have I done?"

If the situation wasn't so grave I would have laughed

"This is your fucking fault, not mine." I spat, my hands digging into his skin.

"My fault?" he retorted, his head drawing back quickly, hands loosening my collar. I pulled out of his grip and jabbed him in the chest.

"If you actually did your fucking job and turned up on time, you could have killed this fucking piece of shit weak ass hollow and none of this would have happened. If you had told Tatsuki the truth from the beginning she would know what a fucking hollow was and would have known to not try and fight it." I spat. I could tell my words were cutting into him.

"She tried to fight it?"

"Of course she would have. Don't you even know her?" I said lowly, my face a deep sneer.

"This is your fault."

Ichigo's eyes widened as he realised I was right and he ran his hand through his hair, staring at a spot on the ground.

"Ichigo-"

We both turned to look at Orihime.

The shield had died down and Ichigo rushed over, kneeling by Tatsuki's side.

"Is she okay?" he asked

Orihime nodded slightly, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Most of the damage is gone, but... I just can't get rid of the bite. It'll leave a scar, there's reiatsu in it I can't reject."

I sighed through my nose.

"Are you gonna heal me?"

They both looked up at me in surprise, as if they had forgotten about me for a second.

Orihime looked me up and down, looking for my injury. I turned around and showed her the deep scratches down my back.

I felt the warm glow surround me and I breathed in deeply.

"If I wasn't in this gigai, I could have killed it like that." I snapped my fingers.

"If you weren't in that gigai, you'd be imprisoned in soul society" Ichigo retorted and I sneered.

The warmth disappeared and I stretched out my arms. My body felt good. Better than it had done in ages. I turned around and both of them were looking at me, weird expressions on their faces. I scowled and pushed past them to Tatsuki.

I got a good look at her up close. All the bruising on her face that I'd caused was gone. Her legs were fine, no scratches.

Although her Jumper was back together again, I guessed there were still marks from the hollow bite underneath.

I bent down and picked her up, her torso hanging down my back as I held on to her legs.

They were on me like that

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Don't carry her like that!"

I blinked and rubbed my forehead in exasperation.

"I'm not going to fucking kill her. If I wanted to I would have done it by now. I'm taking her home."

Ichigo looked at me like I'd grown another head.

"Please don't hold her like that, Grimmjow, It could put strain on her injuries." Orihime piped up.

I huffed and pulled her shoulder down, holding her close to my body, with my other hand cupping under her knees.

Orihime's cheeks tinted pink.

"Happy now?" I grumbled

"No" Ichigo scowled.

I rolled my eyes and pushed past him, making for Tatsuki's house.

aaaaahhhhhhhhh , yeah, i'm not sure about it but lemme know, yeah? 3

reviews make my face go all smiley and shit :)