"Captain Soifon is in critical condition."
"W-what? Now it's captains?" Ichigo gripped the door frame to the Thirteenth Division office. Rukia nodded gravely.
"Worse, he got three members before she intervened and he nearly killed her."
Ichigo's fingers tightened. That made sixteen—sixteen seated officers slaughtered without warning since this new enemy emerged. "And you still have no idea who it is?"
"He's never left anyone alive before—until now, and honestly, it doesn't look good."
"What?" Not Soifon, she was invincible.
"Ichigo this is serious. My squad is investigating but there's nothing to find until he comes again."
"I understand, I'll stay. When he comes, I'll fight him."
"He's fast."
"So I am I."
"He's ruthless."
"I'll do what it takes, Rukia. I won't let more people die. There's been too much of that already."
He started at her touch to the back of his hand. She looked up at him with serious eyes. "This war has taken too many," she agreed. "But that's war, and it's not your fault—none of it. And since your battle in Hueco Mundo the Vandenreich have been in hiding."
"Yeah, but this has to be them right? Some new attack strategy?"
"It's unconfirmed, but I would say that was a safe bet. Unless we want to face the possibility of there being some other threat out there."
"Mmm." Ichigo eased himself away from the door. "So we wait then?"
"It's the only thing we can do."
"Fine. Then I'm staying with you."
She didn't bother pretending it annoyed her. She knew he couldn't lose anyone else to this war—and she knew if she were to face this new enemy, she stood little chance.
Ichigo took a seat on the couch in the squad room. Rukia returned to her paperwork. In silence, they waited.
….
"Lieutenant!"
The cry startled them both. Ichigo had been half asleep on the couch where he'd spent the entire night and morning and Rukia had just finished making tea. Her cup spilled over her papers but she paid no attention and instead followed right out after her subordinate, needing nothing but his desperate cry to alert her to what was wrong.
"Ichigo!" They spotted the assailant at once. He was in the courtyard, less than a hundred metres from them. How hadn't they felt him, seen him?
"What's he doing?"
He wasn't doing anything. He was just standing. Waiting. He was wearing all white—a clear indication he was with the Vandenreich. But he wasn't wearing the classis cut uniform of the regular soldiers. His was plain: white pants, a white sleeveless shirt that covered his torso but additionally had a hood that masked his face. The handle of a katana poked over his shoulder.
"Is that a Zanpakuto?" Ichigo whispered.
"It looks like it."
"Who is he?"
"I think we're about to find out."
Rukia drew her weapon. Ichigo did too. He planted his foot.
Suddenly the court yard was empty.
"What the Hell?" He waited for the blow to come but the assailant hadn't gone for them. Judging by the cries, he'd gone toward the manor near-by.
"Captain!" Rukia cried.
"Shit." Ichigo's flashstep was faster. He arrived ahead of her, skidding through the shattered door of Captain Ukitake's home. It didn't take him long to zero in on the sputtering sound of lungs filling with blood.
"NO!" Rukia arrived just as he launched himself on the attacker.
Blood whipped across Ichigo's face. It took him a second to realize it came from Ukitake's internal organs as the enemy yanked his blade back out. The captain collapsed. Ichigo met steel.
His soul shook. His whole body tensed. Zangetsu had met this blade before.
But they broke apart before he could see the man's face or pinpoint the familiarity of that sword. The ceiling shattered around him and he jumped through the hole in pursuit, leaving Rukia to take care of her captain.
"Get back here, asshole."
No sooner had he spoken the words than that blade was on him again. He barely countered and the force sent him back to the ground, his feet leaving deep impressions in Ukitake's tranquility garden. He made to jump back up but the man was already on him.
"Fuck." He staggered back from the knee to his ribs. He barely dodged a swift follow up. He was done with this game. He had the speed to counter this guy and he would use it.
His hand swept over his face, yellow orbs replaced his irises, and he was able to get the next strike in. To his surprise though, he didn't completely gain the advantage. It took a moment but the other quickly adjusted his own speed, matching him.
"What the hell?"
He lost sight of the man when he was served a backhand but caught his wrist on the next strike.
Then he saw it: the deep blue colour of his hilt, the square guard.
"No…"
His arm ripped open. He fell to one knee from the terrible gash that bit all the way through his bicep to the bone. But he wasn't feeling that pain now—no, it wasn't something much worse awakening in his soul.
"It can't be you…" he whispered up as the blade came beneath his chin.
Slowly, agonizingly, he lifted his eyes up the body before him. He knew already, but every detail confirmed it. His size, his stance, his sharp nailed hands and muscular arms. But there was no mistake when he faced him dead on, the hood hiding nothing at this angle. That striking jawline, that bone mask, those deadly blues eyes.
"Grimmjow."
"You must be Kurosaki. They warned me out you."
"What do you mean?"
"They said you'd be a threat. I guess they were wrong."
Searing pain cut through his neck. He'd been too stunned to try anything, and now he was going to die here, at the feet of man he'd thought dead.
"SIX!"
A call bellowed from the sky. Ichigo blinked past the blood loss but couldn't see who it was. He only saw Grimmjow turn away from him.
"It's not time to kill him yet. Come."
Ichigo watched him tense to leave but on instinct reached out, grabbed him around the ankle, his red blood smearing over white pants.
"Grimmjow…"
For a moment, the espada hesitated, then he kicked Ichigo's hand away.
Dirt sprayed back in Ichigo's face. He stared at his own outstretched hand a moment, then became conscious of the gentle heat spreading all down his front. He let his head fall forward. Grimmjow was gone.
This story jumps between the present and the past, during the war, showing an alliance that was slowly forged between Ichigo, Grimmjow and Nel, and everything that happens to bring them to this moment. I would like to go back to this but as I often do, I tend to sort of forget about one idea once another one pops into my head.