Chapter 4

On the way back Ichigo ignored me, whilst she clung to me like a frightened child. i had said that it would be easier for me to open a portal, but Ichigo was being a stubborn fool and wanted to do things his own way. i wasn't happy about travelling through Hueco Mundo, the possiblity of attack was now greater than usual. So I did what I should've done in the first place, made a portal.

"Ichigo, we are leaving now." we stood next to the opening waiting for him.

"Why?" He looked annoyed. Good I like to annoy idiots.

"The risk of attack is too high at the moment." I decided this was enough of an answer, and I really didn't need to elaborate, he just wasn't worth it.

"I can fight them - they won't stand in our way for long."I sighed, Ichigo was still the annoying idiot. Again. As usual.

I turned back to face him, "Look I know you feel you have to proved yourself, but frankly we don't care. Now you can either swallow your pride and come with us now, or we'll meet you sometime later when you've come through your own portal. Assuming your not dead, that is."

Sullenly Ichigo followed us. I dismantled the portal as soon as we were through, I didn't want all and sundry following us. "Wow, its such a long way down." It was the first time she'd spoken in ages. Her voice was a light in my darkness "Look, there's my house." she pointed downwards. Well that made it easier to find. I looked round, we were on our own, Ichigo had gone. Good, I really can't stand him. But he was just a child, soon he'd grow up and learn that the universe didn't revolve just around him.

We were stood on the roof of her apartment. "They're not here" I said outloud. "Who?" she looked at me questioningly. "The Shinigami". I was right, the place was empty, but they hadn't gone for good, traces of their existance still remained, an excessive amount of empty food wrappers in the bin and the large communications screen in one of the rooms. I stared at it warily, even though the screen was in darkness, were they still watching?

She was rooting in a cupboard in her bedroom, looking for things. "Can you take the mask off?" she asked me. I walked up to her "No, its a part of me, its who I am , to remove it would be like some people cutting off their own arm."

She looked up at me, "Oh, okay, I was trying to make you less obvious, sorry, I didn't mean anything by it." She rummaged some more. "Oh, I still have some of my brothers clothes, they may fit you." She passed the items over to me, a black shirt and a pair of jeans. I removed my blade, placed it on the bed, and took off my coat. She got up and walked towards me, she just stood and stared at me, then spoke.

"Your hollow hole, does it go right through?" I nodded, she looked at it in wonderment. "Can I?" she asked. Again I nodded, unsure of what she was going to do. She ran her fingers around the outside of the hole and I shivered at her touch. "Can you not feel it?" I reached up and grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers. "I feel nothing in the hollow hole, as far as I know none of us do."

I was suddenly aware of a noise in the flat, I quickly redressed in my clothes and put my hand up motioning her to be silent. They had returned. I knew there would be confrontation, there had to be, it was unavoidable. So I walked out into the lounge, she followed behind me.

"You! What are you doing here? Go! You are not wanted here!" I sighed this was becoming repetative. What is it with these Shinigami captains? They think they can walk into any situation and take over.
"Do what you want I quite like it here, I think I'll stay." I sat down on the sofa and put my feet up, but the white haired kid was going at it again.
"STOP!" Orihime stood between the kid and me, her arms stretched wide creating a block. "He's staying here with me," she said firmly.
"But he captured you on Aizen's orders."
She turned her head and looked at me "true... but he did kill Gin to keep me safe."
Hitsugaya stared open mouthed, "Gin's dead?"
"Yeah, he was annoying me, just as you are now." I didn't even look at them as I spoke, "and therefore, I'm here to make sure she's safe. Do you have a problem with that?" I taunted them.
"You can't be here - you're too much of a target, they'll come for you first."
I stood up, "Look you white-haired brat, they'll come for both of us, thats why we're safer together,"
Hitsugaya's face was red with rage. "Brat??!!"
I continued, ignoring him "Now you have two choices - aren't I generous? You can either stay around and assist in the fight when they come, and they will come, in force too. OR you can piss off back to Soul Society and stop bloody annoying me."

TBC