Chapter 22

I own nothing

hello readers, just a quick question on something i might do later, but should i give heller a bankai and if so, what powers should that bankai have. just give me your ideas in the review. thanks and enjoy

It was the next day as Ichigo Heller and Byakuya were heading to a lair to track down Roland. Sabrina had called earlier with the information they needed

Flash back

Heller's phone rang as he sat there telling the 4 that had come from soul society about the different infected and evolved creatures. He had answered and set it to face to face and saw Sabrina Galloway.

She jumped to the point as she said "Heller I found Roland. He's heading to a lair to hide out. You know what I'm talking about when I say lair?"

Heller felt his anger rise at her condescending tone as he said, "Yeah, a big fucking hole full in the ground full of things that want to kill me. I can't wait."

Siberia's eyes narrowed at his sarcastic tone and leaned towards the camera as she said "Will you please take this seriously? The longer this drags out, the more likely mercer will find out about us.

Heller smirked and said "Well shit I sure don't want to make him mad or anything."

He hung up before she could reply as he got the coordinates that Roland was heading to. He and Ichigo began moving to the door as Byakuya stood and said calmly, "I'm coming with you."

Heller said "And why should I let you?" he didn't like Byakuya. The guy was uptight and arrogant, always looking at him and Ichigo like they were dirt on his shoes. And that pissed off Heller to no end.

Byakuya's eyes narrowed as he said "Because I have a considerable amount of battle experience and tactics, and I wasn't asking a question."

Heller sighed. He knew that Byakuya would come anyway. Might as well take the extra fire power.

Present time

The group was flash stepping across the roof tops as Heller's phone rang. When he picked up he heard Roland's voice say "so the pointless chase goes on."

Heller snarled and gripped his phone tightly as he said, "Yeah, don't worry. I'll be seeing you real soon, Roland."

Roland didn't sound worried as he said, "And then what? You'll kill me? And what about after that?'

Heller kept running as he looked around. He saw Byakuya looking at him with narrowed eyes while Ichigo looked concerned. Heller felt his resolve harden as he said, "Then I put an end to this Blackwatch shit, and then I kill Mercer."

Roland let a mocking tone in his voice as he said "I see. And even if you have to kill thousands of people in order to do that? You're quite the hero aren't you?"

Heller stopped on a roof top with the other two as he began to look furious at the comment. He knew he wasn't a hero by any means and snarled in a rage laced voice "I'm no fucking hero, you piece of shit. But I'm sure as hell better then you and the rest of mercer's half assed army."

He hung up as he felt Ichigo put a hand on his shoulder. He looked over to see hardened eyes that also understood. Ichigo had done things he wasn't proud of, like killing the fourth Espada when he hadn't been in control of his body during the fight in Hueco Mundo, but he did it to reach his goal and to do what was right. And from that, he knew what Heller was struggling with.

He said "I know what you're going through, since I was in a similar place. And I'm only going to say, no matter what you do, I'm on your side."

Heller felt some of the anger leave him as he looked at Ichigo. He knew what was going on in Ichigo mind as he looked at him. Ichigo had been more in his few years as a Shinigami then most men in the military would go through in 40 years. And yet he had something to help him get through the day without feeling unduly guilty and help him keep his sanity. And that was his friends. And now thanks to Ichigo, Heller had someone to lean on when he needed to just let out some anger when no one else might understand.

Heller took a deep breath and said, "Thanks, Ichigo. You're a good friend. Now let's go put this bastard in the ground where he belongs."

The group managed to get to a roof top overlooking the lair just as Roland was walking across the street to it. He looked up at them with narrowed eyes. Spotting Heller he shouted, "NO WONDER HE LIKES YOU SO MUCH, YOU'RE AS STUBBORN AS HE IS!"

And with that, Roland turned and ran to the lair before leaping up and diving in feet first. A few seconds later the ground shook and out of the hole came a hydra. It looked up at the group and screeched it's defiance to them

Heller shifted to his blade arm as he said, "Great, lost that dick, gained this dick monster. You guys ready?"

Ichigo and Byakuya nodded as they drew their swords. Heller leapt up wards in an arc towards the hydra, spun once in the air, then plummeted with the blade poised downward to slice the hydra. They hydra leaned to the side so Heller only sliced off a little muscle when he was falling, but it still hurt the hydra and caused blood to flow like a river down its side. The hydra screeched and slammed its head down on the ground, then spun to knock Heller away as he flipped and landed facing the hydra while skidding back on his feet.

Ichigo took the direct approach, flash stepping to the base of the hydra and began hacking at it, causing the hydra to simply screech like nails on a chalkboard in pain. Ichigo was forced to leap back as the hydra tried to crush him, and then shouted, "Hadō #31. Shakkahō!" as a ball of red light flew forward from his open right palm and exploded like a missile against the hydra, blowing a hole in its side. The hydra was wearing down and close to dead as Ichigo shouted "HELLER, DOUBLE SLASH ON MY MARK!"

Heller nodded and Ichigo quickly charged up a Getsuga Tensho but kept it in his blade to increase the slashing power of his sword. Seeing what he was doing, Heller charged up his own Getsuga Tensho and did the same. Ichigo shouted "NOW!" and flash stepped towards the hydra, appearing in the air and slashing through one side of the beast while Heller did the same on the opposite side. The clash of energy caused a slight shockwave of red and blue as the hydra was sliced from its base and fell to the ground twitching while the other half sunk back into the lair, allowing access to it.

Heller and Ichigo looked at each other with a grin and nodded their appreciation for the teamwork. Byakuya had simply watched, seeing how the two together might present a unstoppable force. And how that might be a problem depending on where they were directed.

Heller then leapt in feet first into the hole with the other two right behind him.

As they landed on the ground below, they could see several abounded platforms that were covered with blood, tendrils, and broken science equipment. As they looked around for where Roland had gone, they heard over Heller's phone, "Well here it is. Your big moment."

The voice was ignored as they went running down a hallway, Ichigo and Heller slashing through the walkers in the way while Byakuya simply followed.

"So who told you about me anyway? Galloway?"

He got no response back as the group came into a larger room. In the center was a mosh pit that was filled with walkers and in the center was several tendrils that rose up to the ceiling, looking like some tree sprung straight from hell. The group looked around and saw Roland on the opposite side, his cloths in that of a Blackwatch guard, while he watched with bored looking eyes and said, "Maybe you and your friends need more time to think about this."

Heller was about to flash step forward and slash at him when 3 juggernauts suddenly appeared, stomping down the hallway from behind Roland. He jumped past them while they stood blocking the way to him and bellowed while smashing their fist into the ground, producing a shockwave that caused the earth to shake slightly.

Heller looked the juggernauts and muttered, "Bitch. Can't wait to beat you to death with those fat bastards' bloody arms."

Heller then spoke up and said, "Let's each take one. Ichigo, you have any way to clear the pit?"

Ichigo was about to speak up when Byakuya stepped forward with his sword drawn and said, "Allow me."

Byakuya held his blade up in vertical before his face and close his eyes while saying, "Scatter, Senbonzakura."

As Heller watched, the blade began to glow bright pink before seeming to fall away like a thousand flower petals, leaving only the swords hilt in Byakuya's hand. As Heller watched, the flower petals seemed to swirl around Byakuya like they had been caught in the wind before he swung the handle of his blade at the pit, causing them to fly forward and begin to fly through the walkers without trouble.

Heller knew from talking to Ichigo that in its Shikai state, Byakuya's sword turned into a thousand slender blades that were too small for the eye alone to see, but the light flashing off them could cause them to look like cherry blossom petals that he could control by swinging the sword hilt. He also knew they were extremely sharp and could move at high speeds, which was why they could slice through the walkers like they weren't even three. As he watched, Byakuya managed to clear the entire mosh pit of walkers except for the bloodied and mutilated corpses. Byakuya then returned the blades to him and said, "Well, shall we begin?"

Heller made no attempt to reply as he jumped into the pit, a juggernaut moving to intercept him while Byakuya and Ichigo each moved to their own space to battle.

Heller's P.O.V

I watched as the juggernaut jumped after me, moving a surprising distance considering its size and bulk. And it land, it sent up a cloud of dust and crushed the cut bodies underneath it like a bug under a child's shoe. I prepared my blade arm and said "let's get this party started."

The juggernaut bellowed and slammed its fists into the ground, causing a shockwave and spikes to come shooting out of the ground towards me. I quickly leapt out of the way as I thought, "This guy's a walking earthquake!"

The juggernaut began trying to crush me using his fists and pierce me with spikes. My flash step had improved recently thanks to training with Ichigo and Yoruichi and I decided to put that to some use. I began to use a high speed technique that made clones that looked solid and could even bleed like they had been hit, but really nothing had happened to me at all. I could keep up this level of speed for about 30 seconds so I had to work fast.

The juggernaut became confused as I began this technique and roared in frustration as I made 20 clones surrounding him,

"Sorry," all of me said at the same time while shifting our right arms to blade form. "But I'm afraid this battle is over."'

And with that, we charged forward. The juggernaut slammed his fist into 2 of the clones in front of him, blowing them backwards, but the rest began to slice and dice. The juggernauts arms were the first to be cut off, and then the body was dug in from all sides and consumed as I got back my strength and stopped using the high speed technique. I appeared as my true body, panting slightly. Using that technique drained my energy and though I had consumed the juggernaut, I still felt like I had been running nonstop for a couple miles. Though as my arms began to shift, I felt better and grinned as my arms became the size of boulders with spikes coming out from all sides, especially the front, feeling heavy and cumbersome, but as I slammed my arms down, I created a shockwave and a wave of spikes that skewered the dead walker bodies into shreds.

I shifted my arms back and chuckled as I said, "Just try and stop me now, mercer."

General P.O.V

Heller looked around as he finished shifting back and consuming some walker bodies to get back some strength. Ichigo finished his battle with a slash to the juggernauts head, unleashing a spray of blood as the body hit the ground with a heavy thud a split second before the head hit. Ichigo turned looking a little tired and covered in blood, but otherwise okay.

"Saw you use that high speed technique we taught you. Way to go man." Ichigo said as he held out hand to fist bump.

Heller gladly obliged as he said, "Got you and Yoruichi to thank for teaching me that. That was a big help, but man, is it a drain on my energy."

Ichigo was about to respond when he heard a small explosion. He and Heller turned to see Byakuya looking at the juggernaut in slight disgust as he looked at the hole he had just blown through its body with his Shikai. The juggernaut bellowed in pain and attempted a last ditch attack by unleashing one last wave of spikes at Byakuya. He simply flash stepped behind the juggernaut and swung his sword hilt at it, causing the blades to concentrate into a ball and then fly at the head like they were caught in a high wind, slicing it into deli meat.

The body fell to the ground while Byakuya's blade became its sealed state again and he sheathed it. He turned and said, "Well, shall we go track down some vermin?"

Heller looked over the body of the juggernaut and saw that it looked like it had been put through a wood chipper, having dozens of small straight cuts on its body from the blades swarming it. Clearly Byakuya had more experience with that blade then he let on. And it could be dangerous if he decided to us it on anyone who pissed him off.

"Best idea I've heard all day. Bastard would have run for the surface. Let's go."

And with that they flash stepped to the entrance again and leaped out. Heller instantly saw several tanks and armed Blackwatch patrols standing with their sights locked on to Heller and the group. Just as the commander yelled to open fire, Heller shifted his arms to hammer fists and leapt upwards while Byakuya and Ichigo flash stepped out of the way. Heller charged up biomass into his arms and then used a burst of it to fly to the ground like a meteor, hitting the ground with devastating force while a circle of black and red spikes came out of the ground on skewered most of the patrols and causing a few tanks to explode.

Heller looked up from the small crater he had made while the spikes retracted and a heavily armed tank rolled up and announced of its system in Roland's voice, "good to see you again Heller."

Heller snarled as he yelled "ROLAND! COME OUT AND FIGHT ME! OR ARE YOU TOO SCARED TO SHOW YOUR SHIT FACE!"

Roland laughed as he lined up the main barrel with Heller, "You're wrong if you think I'm hiding from you. I'm just waiting for you to tire yourself out."

Wasting no more words, Roland fired the barrel at Heller, but he simply used flash step to dodge, appearing behind the tank. Ichigo and Byakuya began taking care of the other tanks and guards while Heller charged up a spike wave and fired, dealing several deep scratches in the tanks armor and hurting the mobility.

The tank swung around the barrels again and began to fire several missiles and machine guns, but Heller sent back a few missiles with his shields before playing a game of cat and mouse with the rest and the machine guns. Roland was getting frustrated as he shouted "HOW THE HELL CAN YOU MOVE SO FAST!?"

Heller smirked as he sifted his arms to back to normal then flash stepped back to the top of the tank, grabbed the main barrel and pulled it off. He leapt of and swung down the top part like a club while yelling "THAT'S FOR ME TO KNOW AND YOU TO NEVER FIND OUT BASTARD!"

The tank crumpled like a soda can in a giants fist before exploding. Roland leapt out of the flaming mess, his wounds healing and him looking at Heller in irritation while shifting his arms to ax blades. He said in a loud arrogant voice, "If you had just joined me and mercer, we wouldn't have to deal with this silly bickering."

Heller simply smirked while having his right arm become blade and his left hand claws while Ichigo and Byakuya appeared beside him, having dealt with the other Blackwatch forces.

"Sorry, but I joined better people then mercer could ever hope to have." Heller said while he readied his arms.

Ichigo got into his Bankai stance while saying, "And besides, you bastards need to be put down. Now let's go, BANKAI!"

Ichigo was covered in the usual cloud of dust and power. When he was revealed, Roland narrowed his eyes at Ichigo's new form and said, "Oh please, am I supposed to be scared?"

Byakuya answered in his calm tone as he held his sword vertically before him and said, "No, you're supposed to be dead. Scatter, Senbonzakura."

Roland still didn't look impressed as Byakuya's blade became its Shikai state. He simply snorted before rushing at Ichigo, who simply blocked all of Roland's hits, not even breaking a sweat while Roland used all of the strength and speed he had. He heard a zing a split second before Heller's blade arm sliced through Roland's back, forcing him to hiss and jump back from Ichigo to get some distance. He was in the air when he saw Byakuya swing his sword hilt at him, causing the petals to go flying at Roland, who was defenseless as they flew past him, dealing slices all over his body that took a few seconds to heal, but still hurt like hell.

Roland landed on the ground looking over the group as his wounds finished healing. He knew that he couldn't win like this and needed an escape plan. Before he could make up his mind though, he heard a sword swing through the air behind him and turned to see Heller and Ichigo swinging their blades at Roland, forcing him to quickly leap in a back flip. He landed on his knees and swung his blades at them while saying, "Nice try!"

Though he was understandable shocked as his blades sliced nothing but air as the two of them disappeared in a blur and appeared 10 feet away standing next to Byakuya, looking bored as they looked him over.

Heller spoke up and said "I'm taking him down. Thanks for the help anyways guys."

Ichigo nodded and reverted back to Shikai state as he said, "No problem man. Kick his ass."

Byakuya said nothing as he reverted his sword back to its sealed state. Heller walked towards Roland who was standing in a defensive stance and looking over Heller with caution and something that made Heller smirk. Fear.

Heller simply stood their relaxed as he began to raise his spirit energy until it was flaring around him as a red aura and shouted, "Still think you can beat me Roland?!

Roland began shaking as he felt the power Heller had begun rising to levels he couldn't believe. This power was on par with mercer, yet Heller looked like he wasn't even aware of that as he looked at Roland with disgust. As Roland watched, Heller held his sword arm out and began to concentrate his power into it, causing the blade to begin glowing red and the aura around Heller taking the form of a roaring tigers head that was looking at Roland with so much power and hatred as Roland turned and began to run as fast as his biomass enhanced legs could carry him. He didn't get far as Heller appeared in front of him and charged, sliding on his knees while he swung his sword yelling "GETSUGA TENSHO!"

The blade cut off Roland's legs like they weren't even there while he fell to the ground in pain and tried to pull himself away with just his arms while Heller reined in his power and stood. He turned back to Roland and walked to him while Roland rolled over and looked at Heller in a panic while shouting, "I'M SORRY! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME, I'LL TELL YOU ANYTHING!"

Heller simply shifted both arms to claws as he raised them and said, "Show me what you got."

And with that, Heller sliced off Roland's head and consumed the body as he was pulled into his memories.

Roland was looking at mercer's shadowed face as he said, "No problems then?"

Roland shook his head as he said proudly, "None Mr. Mercer, my transport lines effectively move around all Blackwatch security measures."

"So the whole stores of white light are leaving the green zone." Mercer stared while he looked off to the side, seemingly deep in thought.

Roland nodded his head again as he said, "Yes sir. The entire operation can begin at your command." That was the last thing Heller heard as he was pulled back out into the real world

Heller shook his head as he shifted his arms back to normal and walked back to his friends

Byakuya spoke up first and said, "Any useful information?"

Heller shook his head again and said "I'm not sure. Roland was talking to Mercer about the whitelight stores, something about how his transport lines moved around any Blackwatch security measures."

Ichigo thought about for a few seconds before shaking his head and saying, "Let's go back to the apartment. We should let everyone else know; maybe have father and Kisuke try digging up some information."

Heller nodded as he and the rest of the group flash stepped back to the apartment.