Babylon's Guardian
Chapter 2: I HATE IPX/Two Princesses
Recap: Ichigo Kurosaki is trying to settle into life on Babylon 5 while trying to find a way back to his time. Rukia Kuchiki continued to try to get back into his good graces, due to her feelings for him, but Ichigo's moodiness, Hollows and the general chaos of Babylon 5 continue to get in the way, although the first one is quickly disappearing. Little does Ichigo know that an old friend is coming to visit, and that chaos is just around the corner.
"For a place only operational for a year or so, this place has a LOT of Hollows."
Rukia nodded. Ichigo was right: Babylon 5 had only 250000 people, (Karakura had two times that many in 2008) and there were at least 20 Hollows a day on B5!
Of all the people on the station, only 50 people had spiritual awareness, and those included Sinclair, Ivanova, Garibaldi, (they were found out during an incident involving Londo Mollari a week earlier) G'Kar of the Narn Regime, Kosh Naranek and Delenn.
Of them, only Sinclair had enough spiritual pressure to attract Hollows, and even then, barely that.
It made no sense for any kind of Hollow to just pop up from Hueco Mundo: it simply wasn't worth it. Even if it were illogical, the Hollows were extremely strong, although they were not Menos Grande.
The Gotai 13 had something to deal with spaceborne Gillian-Class Menos, although they had not been used.
In this case, they were sending a member of the 13th Division to help them deal with the extra Hollows. She (yes, she) would arrive in a few days unless someone decided to try and blow up the station.
Again.
Babylon 5: Medlab 1
Franklin scanned one of the artifacts his old teacher brought in. It was organic technology: one of the few tricks humanity had yet to unlock. (AN: They've got Ichigo, so they've got everyone beat on spiritual firepower)
Sure, he was curious as to HOW they got on the station, but Vance claimed they were put through quarantine on Proxima 3.
"So, will you help us?"
He looked at Vance.
"It's the chance of a lifetime, and you always said that you wanted to go down in history."
Franklin nodded.
"I'll do it."
Babylon 5: Green 1, Level 5, 2 hours later
Ichigo and Rukia were playing an old card game: Uno.
Ichigo, despite not playing it since his mother died, was whooping Rukia's ass.
"Uno."
"How the hell are you winning?! Did you stack the deck or something?!"
"Rukia, YOU shuffled the cards."
Rukia was trying to cheer him up, and it seemed to be working, as Ichigo was actually smiling.
Ichigo's substitute badge started sending out its' warnings again.
"Really? He placed his last card on the table.
"Cero. I win. We got a Hollow to kill."
Rukia put the cards on the table and opened her pager.
"Reading's coming from Medlab. I really hate this place."
Babylon 5: Medlab 1
Franklin and Vance Hendricks were working on the artifacts when Ichigo and Rukia arrived. No sign of a Hollow, but the artifacts had spiritual energy signatures.
"Think their version of Urahara made these things?"
Rukia noted their odd shapes and agreed with Ichigo that the Ikarran Urahara made the devices.
"We should keep an eye on them, in case they-"
Ichigo came up with an answer.
"Blow up Babylon 5?"
"That, too, Ichigo."
Babylon 5: Command and Control
"Any more trouble in Gray Sector?"
Garibaldi shook his head.
"Random crap like floating in midair, but that's it. Gravity control's a little screwy in Gray and Yellow Sectors, anyways."
Sinclair looked at Ivanova.
"The night shift's taking over, isn't it, Lt. Commander?"
"We're been getting odd energy readings for the past 6 hours. If it appears again, we might have a problem."
"Could be a problem with the scanners."
Ivanova shook her head.
"They're in perfect working order."
Sinclair got up from his seat.
"Tell the night shift personnel to keep an eye out for it."
Ivanova smirked.
"Already done."
7 hours later
Ichigo just got up when his badge went off.
"AGAIN?!"
Rukia groggily looked at him from her cot. (She refused to use the bed, being used to being in his closet when they stayed together)
"Another Hollow?"
He fumbled with Rukia's Soul Pager to find out where it was.
"Brown Sector: looks like it's in Downbelow."
Rukia downed the soul pill and got into her shinigami form.
"Let's kill the damned thing. I want to sleep in today."
Ichigo tapped the badge and left his body. "Where in Downbelow is it?"
"Gray 13, Level 2. A few flash steps'll get us there."
"Ichigo, the fucking station is 5 miles long."
"And we're just one from Brown Sector."
Rukia sighed.
She loved the fact that he infuriated her at times: it made her prove she was still human, which was something Byakuya tried to drill out of her.
A unseated officer referred to Rukia as a tsundare, which wasn't entirely false, as she loved Ichigo and hated Ichigo at the same damn time. (AN: It seems I like anime featuring tsundares: NGE, Bleach, etc)
Babylon 5: Medlab 1
"Is there any news on Steven's condition?"
"They're checking him out over at Medlab 4: he took a pretty bad hit!"
Sinclair was pissed. Franklin was attacked by Hendricks' assistant, Nelson, who was covered in bio-organic armor of some kind.
He was OK and trying to get back to work, but he was getting tired of getting run around in circles.
"According to Dr. Franklin, before it fired, it said something about 'Protect'. Do you think it might be the key to its' program?"
Garibaldi mulled it around in his head for a few seconds.
"Maybe. But the question is, protect who? And from what?"
"That information might be contained in the remaining artifacts, if I can assist Dr. Franklin in decoding them. If I am responsible for starting this, the least I can do is help finish it."
Sinclair nodded.
"Done."
Babylon 5: Gray 13, Level 2
Ichigo and Rukia arrived in Gray Sector and barely dodged a shot from an armored man.
"What the hell?!"
The left arm was turned into
some kind of arm cannon, and it was pumped full of spiritual energy.
"Great, an alien Fullbringer!"
"What the hell's a Fullbringer?!"
Rukia looked at Ichigo.
"Chad was a Fullbringer!"
"Oh. Well, this bastard's pulling a Samus out of its' ass!"
Rukia gave him a look, but had to dodge another shot form the arm cannon-using artificial Fullbringer. Rukia tapped the deck four times.
"Some no mai, Tsukishiro!"
The icy attack enveloped the alien Fullbringer, but didn't kill him.
"Getsuga Tensho!"
Ichigo swung the huge Shikaied Zangetsu toward Nelson, destroying the ice and hopefully killing the ancient weapon.
"I think we got him."
Ichigo was hit with a full power beam, knocking him to the deck.
"Ichigo!"
The controlled Nelson stood up, missing most of his clothing and now almost completely covered in armor. Ichigo, although hurt, wasn't down or out.
"Bankai!"
He rushed at Nelson, forcing the bio-weapon to guard against Tensa Zangetsu with the arm cannon. "Getsuga Tensho!"
Black and red energy hit the alien Fullbringer, forcing him back.
It retreated deeper into the station's bowels.
Rukia checked up on Ichigo, who after his attack, had collapsed onto the deck.
"Are you OK?"
"No."
She sighed, then chuckled.
"Zangetsu's healing powers are enhanced by Tensa Zangetsu, if I remember correctly."
"That's why I had to Bankai. Bastard's got one hell of a punch."
Rukia shook her head.
"Who needed to make artificial Fullbringers? This makes no sense."
Ichigo used Tensa Zangetsu to prop himself up.
"Don't know. Don't really care, either."
He looked at Rukia.
"I think we were promised backup, so where is it?!"
Babylon 5: Green 1, Level 5
"They're in Gray Sector?"
The shinigami rolled her eyes.
"Alright. I'll go to them."
She shunpo'ed out.
Babylon 5: Grey 5, Level 4
"Garibaldi, Ichigo and Rukia forced him towards you. Don't know how, but they did it."
Garibaldi had a large security team with him, and they planned to kick the bastard's ass. The bastard was now completely covered in armor, and was scarred from whatever Ichigo and Rukia did to hurt it. "Take him down!"
They opened fire, pounding the walking weapon with PPG fire.
It didn't even scratch the damned thing.
"Protect!"
It opened fire, nearly hitting the security team before it turned to burn through a bulkhead.
"Son of a bitch!"
Garibaldi tapped his link.
"Commander, he burned through a bulkhead into a sub-level! Unable to pursue!"
"The shielding in the bulkheads will make it difficult to locate. We won't know where it is until he fires."
"Konton no Hi!"
The voice of a girl echoed through the station, and Garibaldi felt heat from the bulkhead that wasn't from the weapon burning through it.
Another orange haired girl was fighting that damned thing, and she wore the same uniform as Ichigo and Rukia.
Babylon 5: Brown 2
Ichigo and Rukia arrived just as they saw a long haired girl fighting the damned thing.
"Rukia, is that who I think it is?!"
"Koten Zanshun, I reject!"
Orihime Inoue was fighting an ancient alien weapon that channeled both normal and spirit energy to attack spiritual and living beings with her trademark Shun Shin Rikka and an foreign-looking zanpakutō. (AN: Yes, it's Nephthys: I'm recycling a lot of shit from White Sun Rising, as I am writing this at the same time)
It ran off, retreating deeper into the station. Orihime sheathed her zanpakutō.
"Is that you, Orihime?"
"Oh, hello, Ichigo. I heard you were alive, so I volunteered to help you deal with the Hollows!"
"But...you're not a shinigami."
Rukia sighed.
Of COURSE he didn't know.
"She went to the Academy after she died, Ichigo. She's a unique one, but she's still a shinigami."
It was then he noticed the zanpakutō.
"Nice sword. Not as pretty as Rukia's, but..."
Rukia had the decency to blush, but Ichigo wasn't looking at her, instead looking at Orihime's weapon.
"Oh, this? Her name's Nephthys. She says she's an Egyptian khepesh."
Ichigo knew little about specialty swords, but the Egyptian sickle sword was a prominent one in his mind, as Yumichika's zanpakutō in its' Shikai state looked like a thinner version of one when all the blades were together.
Unlike the beauty-obsessed Fifth Seat's weapon, however, Nephthys was a true khepesh: a solid blade that was roughly the same size as a katana in terms of length.
A little long compared to a real one, but who was he to talk with Zangetsu being a giant meat clever/trench knife? (AN: A real khepesh is actually shorter then a katana and closer to a wakizashi or ninjato in size)
"Well, it's good to see you again, but we have bigger problems."
"Yeah, that thing. Good thing I have my Bankai."
"Wait, what?"
Babylon 5: Brown Sector Central Corridor
Sinclair had joined the security team on the line, and he had a plan: use the weapon's programming against it.
The shinigami were kicking the thing's ass, but it simply wasn't dying.
The weapon arrived a few seconds later, bearing a few new scars.
The arm cannon was covered in ice, and it had more of a limp then before.
It appeared Ichigo and Rukia had done enough damage to slow it down.
"Not yet: I want it point blank!"
The weapon approached them.
"Now!"
They opened fire, but it didn't do a damned thing. Smoke shrouded the bio-weapon, and it fell to a lower level.
"Damn it!"
Rukia and Ichigo shunpo'ed over to the new hole and jumped down it, following the weapon.
"We're going to need to blow out the hull just to kill that damn thing!"
"Then that's what we're going to do: blow out the hull!"
Sinclair got ready to follow the two shinigami.
"Where are you going?!"
"I'm going to lure it to the docking bay: on my signal, you blow out the hull!"
"Great, but how the hell are you going to get in there?!"
Sinclair looked at Garibaldi.
"By going straight to it's personality matrix: I'm going to make it mad!"
He jumped down, following the weapon.
"Make it mad?! Are you nuts?! COMMANDER!"
With Ichigo and Rukia
Ichigo had finally had enough with the Fullbringer Nelson.
He put on the Hollow mask, then fired a Getsuga Tensho at the artificial Fullbringer.
"You did NOT need to do that!"
He removed the mask.
"I was pissed off and not in the mood!"
"Tularr! Tularr of Ikarra 7!"
Ichigo raised an eyebrow.
"What the hell is Sinclair thinking?"
Nelson recovered from the Getsuga, then looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.
"My name. My name! Who knows my name? WHO KNOWS MY NAME?!"
"You name is DEAD, Tularr. Your WORLD is dead!"
"Sinclair is insane."
Considering Ichigo said that, that was saying something.
The Fullbringer was angry: angry enough to ignore the two shinigami.
"Ikarra lives! Ikarra must be protected!"
Rukia saw Sinclair moving around, and noted the smile on his face.
"You failed! You've failed in your mission! Ikarra is dead: by your own hand!"
He looked up for a moment before rubbing salt on the wound.
"You and others like you!"
The Fullbringer kept looking for Sinclair.
"That is a lie! It is a lie!"
Sinclair left his cover, then armed his PPG rifle.
"Ikarra is dead!"
He fired three times, but it did nothing.
Nelson pointed the arm cannon at him and fired.
"Getsuga Tensho!"
The shot hit him, making Nelson focus on Ichigo.
This gave Sinclair time to get the hell out of there.
Ichigo and Rukia used shunpo to avoid the artificial Fullbringer's attacks, then rejoined Sinclair. "You're crazy."
"Don't have much of a choice. Any way you can help?"
"We can survive in a vacuum. I think."
"We're souls, Ichigo: we don't need air."
Ichigo sighed.
"Then all we need to do is make it focus on us rather then you, Commander. We lure it in, you blow it into space and we get back to work."
Rukia chuckled.
"It's so insane, it just might work."
Rukia noticed the Fullbringer approach.
"Some no Mai, Tsukishiro!"
She trapped it for a brief moment while Ichigo forced Sinclair to get the fuck out of there.
Ichigo shot a wordless Getsuga at the alien Fullbringer, then entered the docking bay.
Stunned, badly damaged and thoroughly pissed off, Nelson followed Ichigo into the bay.
Sinclair gave the order to seal the hatch as soon as they were clear.
Ivanova pushed the button in C&C and blow the fucker into space, as unlike Ichigo, it was still alive. He watched as it flew out the airlock hatch, screaming all the while.
Ichigo passed through the wall, then sealed his zanpakutō back to its' Shikai state.
"The next time this happens, shoot me. I am not dealing with that again."
He hated killing almost as much as he hated rain.
And he really hated killing.
Rain was still at the top of his shit list, though, and it was never leaving its' position.
Having your mother die while it was raining would do that.
3 hours later
Nelson's body was recovered 30 minutes after he was blown into space, and his employer was arrested.
Ichigo and Rukia were in the Zocalo having dinner when they noticed Franklin and Ivanova being told that Earthforce was taking the artifacts, including the one that made Nelson an artificial Fullbringer.
Out of all the organic artifacts, that one was the only one that had any spiritual properties.
THAT would be dealt with by the Fleet Division.
Rukia knew almost nothing about them, but they had one job: killing spaceborne Hollows and destroying pain in the ass spiritual artifacts that were not of Terran origin.
"Great. They're going to unleash that thing on Earth."
"Not for long, if I have any say about it."
The next day
Two shuttles left Babylon 5, heading straight for the jumpgate.
It was at that point when a jump point opened and spat out an Earthforce Omega-Class destroyer: the EAS Yuzu Kurosaki, to be exact, named for Earthforce's 17th Chief of Staff and great-granddaughter of Karin Kurosaki, who was in charge during the Dilgar War.
It targeted the trailing shuttle and fired a single shot from her 57mm forward pulse cannons.
It destroyed the shuttle and the Fullbring-inducing artifact.
It opened a jump point and quickly left before anyone could react.
What no one knew is that the Yuzu Kurosaki was actually a part of the Fleet Division of the Soul Society, named in fact for Ichigo Kurosaki's younger, gentler sister.
(Ending Theme 2: Sakura by Ikimono Gakari)
Well, with Hollows popping up in space, you have to have a ship dealing with them. Their weapons, of course, were modified by the 12th Division to act like zanpakutō when they kill Hollows.
The Fleet Division only have five capital ships, all Omega-Class, mostly named for the Kurosaki family as of 2002-2008, which are:
Soul Society Destroyer (SSD) Ichigo Kurosaki (flagship status, due to Ichigo's fame for killing Aizen)
Karin Kurosaki
Yuzu Kurosaki
Masaki Kurosaki
Gin Ichimaru (named in honor of his attempt to kill Aizen)
They have two more Omega-Class ships in the works, but they won't build any more then that, as they'll switch to the more powerful Warlock-Class Destroyers, and even then, they'll only build four or five.
As for fighters, they'll be using modified Thunderbolts: modified, as they only have one seat rather then being twin-seat fighters, which makes them a bit smaller. Seriously, I know two people reduces the workload, but if you get shot down, that's two dead people. One is bad enough.
They will get involved in the war with Clark and the Shadows, as this is too big for them to stay out of it. The Shadows and Vorlons are spiritually powerful beings, after all.
Commander of the Fleet Division is Anton Stark, who was once Coyote Starrk, Primara Espada prior to getting killed (and thus, purified) during the Winter War. Still a lazy bastard, but he knows what he's doing.
Next Time on Babylon's Guardian: Ichigo is asked that infamous question: What do you want?
Ja Ne!