Chapter 39

Well readers, I am back and raring to go. time to enjoy a little fight scene. And this is where chuckles and Soi Fon are about to (to quote a favorite manga of mine. And kudos to however knows it.) Know their place. Well, let's get going!

10 minutes after Heller's been cured

Heller said "and that's the plan. Any objections?"

He was sitting with the others in the living room outlining his plan for how to deal with Soi Fon and Mayuri trying to poison him, and with the commander ordering it. The other's, minus Kisuke having gone back to soul society before he was missed, and Ragland, who had left for the same reason, though at the hospital he was helping out at,were looking down at the ground thinking, but Ichigo shook his head and said "I don't. While I may be friends with most of the captains, or at least neutral with them, Soi Fon and Mayuri need to pay. But don't hurt them too much. The last thing any of us need is the commander coming here to kill us."

Dana shook her head, but said nothing. Then something crossed Heller's mind. He asked Dana "hey, got a question. Where did Nemu go, I haven't seen her since I beat chuckles."

Dana shrugged her shoulders saying "she left after helping her father set up his 'lab'. Open a portal or whatever those things are back to soul society and left after doing that."

Heller shook his head, then said "okay, let's move those two. Ichigo, you get Soi Fon and I'll get chuckles. Once we're in the training area, remove the kido and wake them up. Oh, and make sure to bring Soi Fon's sword. I want to see the look on her face when I can use her blade"

Training area, 5 minutes later

Ichigo and Heller dumped Soi Fon and chuckles on the ground. It had been easy moving them, but Ichigo had asked the Hykogen to not let them out of the training area unless they allowed it. Now they had nowhere to run.

"okay, first I'll cloak your body and spirit energy so they can't see or sense you but you can see and sense them. You can easily tear it off just by thinking it," Ichigo said as he gathered his energy to cast the kido.

Heller nodded and said "I'll take it off once they mention me. I can't wait until they see their little bug failed."

Ichigo muttered "I can," but then gathered his energy into his hand and put it on Heller's chest, then said "Bakudō #26, Kyokkō (Bent Light)."

His spirit energy spread through his hand, moving to cover Heller's body in rainbow colors like a cloak before it faded, and Heller faded with it. When it was done, Heller was gone.

Ichigo nodded, then turned to the two and dispelled the binding kido on the two, causing them to shatter like shards of light. That done, Ichigo then drew Zangetsu, stabbed it into the ground tip first and dispelled the kido keeping them unconscious.

Both of them instantly snapped their eyes open and bolted upright, looking around wildly until both their eyes landed on Ichigo. Upon spotting him, both of them frowned, standing up while keeping their eyes on Ichigo.

Soi Fon was the first to talk, saying "what's the meaning of this Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Chuckles looked around, then said "I don't see your abomination of a friend."

Soi Fon looked around as well, expanding her senses to their limit, then grinned evilly as she said "no. I can't sense him at all. I take it the anti-bodies worked then. He's dead."

"Am I?"

Heller took that exact moment to talk, ripping of the kido like a thin layer of skin that fluttered to the ground while vanishing into nothing.

Now shocked would technically be the right term for the expressions on Soi Fon and chuckles faces, but that just doesn't sound right. Their jaws were almost touching the ground while their eyes were bigger then dinner plates.

Chuckles spoke first, narrowing his eyes and grounding his teeth as he hissed out "how are you alive? I ran those simulations countless times. I planned for everything. YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!" he shouted at the end, looking, in a few words, pissed off.

Heller chuckled, looking at ease though inside him burned the white hot flames of anger, saying "I'll give you credit, you almost did kill me. But you forgot one thing, and didn't know two others."

"And what might that be?" Soi Fon asked, ready to move at the slightest sign while looking for an opening, but couldn't find one.

"The first was this." Heller said, reaching up and putting his hand to the right side of his head, then pulling out his mask, just enough for them to see it, causing their eyes to bulge again, before dispelling it again.

"Was that…?"

"A hollow mask? Yes. Yes it was. As I'm sure you know, I gained a boost in power from fighting a phase 2 Orion. When I did, I also had a hollow begin forming in my soul. Eventually, I fought it and beat it down, giving me the mask. That saved me, since the anti-bodies were made to feed off of my Shinigami spirit energy, not hollow. I gained an hour from putting on my mask and maintaining it."

Chuckles said "that may have slowed them, but I spent a good amount of time and effort giving those cells the ability to adapt to circumstances, and that wouldn't have stopped them."

"Right you are." Heller said, still talking like they were discussing the weather, not how he had managed to survive the attempt to kill him. "The one thing you forgot was I have your Zanpakutō. The Zanpakutō that is just as brilliant as you, but left you to be wielded by me. He came up with the way to save me and kill the anti-bodies."

"And the last thing you forgot was I have my own Zanpakutō. One with an ability you've never seen. But enough talking, I didn't bring you hear to run my mouth."

"Then why did you bring us here?" Soi Fon asked, drawing her sword and having it ready.

"To teach you your place. Rip Ashisogi Jizō!"

Heller's aura blasted up as Ashisogi Jizō formed in its new Shikai state.

"First one up is you, chuckles. And Soi Fon is next." Heller growled as he flash stepped, grabbed Mayuri by his robes, then flash stepped again a fair distance away before throwing Mayuri 20 yards away, where he landed on his feet. Chuckles snarled "you may have my blade, but I've long since become immune to its chemical effects. You can't hurt me with that."

Heller smiled and thought "Ashisogi Jizō, get ready. We're going all out!"

"Then I'll have to kick it up a step. BANKAI!"

Heller disappeared in a cloud of smoke and his energy skyrocketed and something large hit the ground, causing it to shake. When it cleared, Heller had his normal sword arm while behind him was the Bankai, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō (Golden Leg-Cutting Jizō). The Bankai's form was huge and slightly twisted as it was a giant creature with the body of a caterpillar in a red cape, with a grotesque golden baby's head and arms, and a silver halo hovering around its head. Near the back of the halo floating above its head were 4 bells, with 2 on each side.

Heller noticed the look on Mayuri's face, which was annoyed, and said "I hope you enjoy the brief time you have. Because now it's time for you to go down. GO!" He shouted as the creature opened its mouth wide before blowing out a red mist, directly at Maruyi's who quickly used flash step to get above it. He laughed out loud before shouting "FOOL! I AM COMPLETELY IMMUNE TO THE POISON OF MY OWN BANKAI! AND IF I'M NOT IMMUNE TO THIS PATICULAR BLEND, I CAN EASILY MAKE ANTIDOTE IN SECONDS! YOU CAN NOT WIN HUMAN!"

Heller didn't respond, mealy hopped on the Bankai's head before shouting "UP!" prompting it to cry like a baby before turning its face skyward then raising of the ground, moving rapidly towards Mayuri. As it approached, several 10 foot long blades came shooting out of its chest, curling under its chin and pointing directly in front towards Mayuri. He quickly flash stepped again, but the Bankai suddenly moved fast, facing where he was and blowing a cloud of poison at him, enveloping him in the cloud of red.

Mayuri shouted "YOU IDIOT, I'M IMMUNE TO…THIS…" he trailed off as he felt his limbs growing numb. As he looked down, he tried to move his right arm, but it didn't even twitch. Then suddenly it swung up and punched himself in the face, breaking his nose.

Heller chuckled. "Stop hitting yourself." TWACK "stop hitting yourself." TWACH "stop hitting yourself."

Mayuri got over his shock, after it cost him 2 black eyes and a bleeding lip, then said "how are you doing this!?"

Heller said "simple. When I was chosen by your sword and gained its power, I also slightly modified it. Now I can freely modify the chemical composition of the poison, working around any immunity my targets might have, and highjack their nerves, like so."

Mayuri's hand rose above his head, then stop, as Heller said "well fun as this was, time to wrap it up."

Then Mayuri's hand clenched into a fist before it swung down and literately hit him 'below the belt'

Mayuri screamed in pain as his 'family jewels' were crushed, before passing out from pain. His body stayed upright though, as Heller still controlled his nerves.

Heller said "oh boy, that was satisfying. Now to deal with Soi Fon." And had Mayuri flash step back to the location, then sealed the Bankai, cutting off its controlling effects.

Back with them, Heller saw Mayuri was lying on the ground, with SoiFon looking at Heller shocked, and Ichigo with interest. He hadn't expected that Heller was capable of Bankai release, but it made sense. Heller turned to Soi Fon and said "your turn."

Then flash stepped to grab her, flash step away about a mile and shouted "HA!"

Soi Fon went flying, then vanished, appearing behind Heller with her sword drawn as she slashed. Heller shifted to claws and blocked, then shifted his other arm to tendril and shot out a few, trying to tangle her, but she quickly used flash step again. Heller looked over at her, about 10 yards away, and shouted "NOT BAD SPEED. BUT YOU MIGHT WANT TO BRING IT UP A NOTCH!"

Soi Fon narrowed her eyes, then dropped to a knee and put down her free hand, palm down, then said "Bakudō # 21. Sekienton ( Red Smoke Escape)." Casing a cloud of smoke to appear and cover her and Heller.

Heller quietly bought of his hammer fist arm in place of tendril, carefully looking around and putting on an act. When Soi Fon appeared behind him without a sound, her sword in Shikai and stabbed, he blocked with hammer fist, then whirled and slashed across her chest, dealing slight scratches to the clothes.

"That's more like it." Heller said with a grin. Soi Fon looked pissed as she flash stepped up. Heller followed as they got free of the smoke. Soi Fon said "you're skilled, I'll grant that. But this ends here. SHUNKO!"

With a flare of white energy, Soi Fon was covered in a similar Shunko to Yoruichi's but unlike her's, this one was less powerful and didn't have a blast of white energy contained at the back.

Heller said "big guns huh? Then it's time for mine." He shifted to his sword arm, then shouted "SHIFT IN DESPAIR…!"

Soi Fon's eyes went wide. Heller's Zanpakutō.

"…SHADOW SHIFTER!"

Heller's aura blasted out as his arm withered to from shadow shifter. When it was done, Heller was engulfed in a cloak of red. He looked at Soi Fon, who was still shocked and said "hit it!"

Begin playing prototype fight music

Heller flash stepped forward and tried to punch with hammer fist. Soi Fon met the first head on, colliding with it before sending out a pulse of pure kido energy, causing the hardened skin and bone to crack. Heller met up with a slash from shadow shifter, but Soi Fon blocked with Suzumebachi, while Heller's blade glowed red from the impact. He smirked and shouted "HA!" sending out a pulse of spirit energy to send Soi Fon skidding back. She vanished, but Heller quickly leaped over the hit, firing tendrils to tangle Soi Fon, but they couldn't touch her through her protective aura. Soi Fon spun, and kicked Heller in the gut, sending him upward. He stopped himself and looked down. Soi Fon called "you may be fast and powerful, but apparently your Zanpakutō is worthless."

Heller grinned evilly. He shifted his other arm to normal, then called "oh yeah? Tell me, does this look familiar?! Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!"

Soi Fon looked flabbergasted as Heller's sword glowed bright red, then shrunk and became a gauntlet just like Soi fons, though larger and the red replacing the gold color.

Heller said "you see, my power is to copy my opponents swords and all their abilities. Including their…"

Soi Fon tensed his energy started going nuts as he shouted "…BANKAI!"

Heller's gauntlet glowed red again, then grew larger and larger, until when it vanished, Heller had a red copy of Soi Fon's Bankai, Jakuhō Raikōben. Its appearance was that of a black armor missile launcher base that encased Heller's right arm, and came all the way above his shoulder to form a face shield that was used to cover the right side of his face, with slits in it to aim the missile. The entire missile was a red cylinder twice the size of Heller himself and looked extremely heavy. In fact, Soi Fon could barely move when she used her Bankai.

Heller lifted the missile launcher a few times and said "not a bad weight." Then vanished. The next thing Soi Fon felt was Heller's power and the tip of something in her back, and she slowly turned around to see Heller looking through the slits while the missile was right in her back.

"Now, I'm going to put this in layman's terms. You and chuckles are going to leave the NYZ, tell the commander what happened and give him a personal message. Are you listening?"

She nodded, her mouth feeling dry from the look of anger and hate in his eyes.

"Fuck off."

Heller waited a moment to let the message sink in, then sealed the Bankai back to Shikai.

"Also, I gave chuckles a little something to remember me by. I think I should give you something as well."

Then he slashed her across the arm. It was a small and shallow cut, like that of a small knife cut.

Soi Fon's vision, general P.O.V

Soi Fon immediately felt dizzy as everything started to turn fuzzy. She felt her vision turn dark and herself collapse. The next thing she knew, she was looking at a field of white.

Soifon blinked, then she heard something moaning behind her. She turned and froze, the worst thing possible happening right in front of her. She was looking horror struck at the worst thing to ever happen!

Ichigo was making out with Yoruichi.

I'm not going into detail here, but Yoruichi and Ichigo were clearly lovers in the vision and well, things got a little graphic. And the whole time, Soi Fon watched unable to move as she watched her worst nightmare.

(A/n: if any of you are disappointed or don't like this, I have two words for you… bite me.)

Real world, general P.O.V, 10 minutes later

Heller and Ichigo were looking at Soi Fon and chuckles, both lying side by side, though chuckles was looking pained while Soi Fon was very pale and sweating enough bullets to easily supply a chain gun.

Ichigo shook his head. "okay, I saw what you made Mayuri do, and I saw what you did to Soi Fon, but what the hell is up with her right now?"

Heller was sitting in midair behind their heads, watching them both with a blank face, though when he looked at Soi Fon, he smirked evilly, which made Ichigo nervous.

"Oh, just a little vision. She should be waking up in…" he glanced at his phone, then said "…3…2…1…0!"

And right on cue, Soi Fon's eyes snapped open and she shouted a blood curdling scream as she sat bolt upright, hyperventilating ass he she started looking around wildly. When she spotted Ichigo, she screamed again and scrambled away from him. Doing so lead her to slam into Heller, and cause her to turn around, and then fall silent, but looking at him with unrestrained terror.

Heller dispersed his platform in time for him to land feet first, then he leaned forward and said "enjoyed the vision?"

Soi Fon said nothing, but now she looked terrified and like she was about to throw up.

"Now, I've made my point." He said as a statement.

Soi Fon nodded.

"And you're just leaving now."

Again, she nodded.

"And you are never going to bother me again, and be sure to give the commander the message, word for word."

Soi Fon nodded for the third time.

Heller waved his hand and said "get out of my sight."

Soi Fon was all too happy to obey. She opened the Senkaimon, grabbed Mayuri and hauled him on her back, then flash stepped through the gate as fast as she could.

Ichigo blinked as the gate closed and vanished, then he looked at Heller, who was looking very satisfied, and said "what did you…? Never mind, I don't want to know."

Heller, knowing what the question was, shrugged and said, "She might avoid you for the rest of your life and quite possibly hate me even more. Other than that, I'm not telling if you don't want to know."

Heller shook his head and said "I wasted enough time. I have to find rooks before he goes into hiding."

10 minutes later

Finding rooks had been fairly simple. Heller had used his hunter vision and tracked him to a command truck near the edge of the red zone. He had easily killed the two guards at the door, silently, and opened the door to see rooks sitting with his back to the door talking on his phone.

"Oh, things are going okay." Rooks said as Heller quietly stalked forward, his claws out and twitching as he approached rooks.

"Uh, and how'd that go?"

Heller was now right behind rooks and raised his right claw, ready to slice rooks head off. He swung down just as rooks said one sentence that made Heller stop.

"And how's my little girl doing?"

Heller stopped with his claws an inch from rook's neck as his eyes widened.

"No, I'm afraid I don't know when I'll be back. There are a lot of variables." Rooks said, sounding sad as Heller took a quite step back, suddenly feeling ashamed of himself. Rooks had a family. A little girl, just like he did.

"Okay, I love you. Bye." Rooks said as he took away the phone from his head, then hung up, turning the screen black. He glanced in it, then he spun around to see… riley, as Heller had shifted just in time

"RILEY!" rooks shouted, putting a hand to his chest, and taking a breath before glaring at 'riley' and saying "you should wear a fucking bell."

"sorry." Heller said, "But I had an idea on how to get Heller and his friends."

Rooks looked interested as Heller walked over to the computer. He typed rapidly while saying "I just got some intelligence. You remember that girl with the orange hair that protected the church?"

"Yeah."

"Well, some intelligence says that she and Heller's daughter may have been captured by mercer's evolved."

Rooks rubbed his chin as he muttered "would explain why their tearing apart the red zone. So, what, you think they might be looking for them?"

"Like you said, it would explain why they're tearing up the red zone. If we can track down the girls…"

Rooks nodded and said "I'll see what I can dig up on ZUES (A/n: mercer's code name) and his movements over the past few days. I'll contact you with the information as soon as I have it."

Heller nodded, then walked out, rooks eye's tracking him then narrowing as Heller left.

30 minutes later

Heller was pacing the apartment while Ichigo was sitting on the couch, glaring at the floor with so much intensity, one thought it might have a hole burned through it. Dana tried to defuse the tension a few times, but each time failed to until she decided to just stop trying. They were all tense since Heller had told them what happened. Now they were waiting for rooks to call back, the wait making them tenser with every passing second.

The phone rang, causing them all to jump at the unexpected noise. Heller quickly dug it out then shifted to riley as he picked up saying, in Riley's voice, "hello?"

"It's rooks, I got a lead on where the girls might be. Can you meet me on an apartment roof top, on the corner of Nash and 47th street?"

"Roger that."

Heller hung up and said "Ichigo, stay out of sight. I'll handle him and get the info."

Ichigo nodded and Dana said "I'll keep track of Blackwatch movement and chatter, anything in case you might be blown. Good luck."

Both Ichigo and Heller flash stepped away, racing to find where their loved ones were being kept to rescue them, and bring them home.

5 minutes later

Heller was overlooking the street with his back to the door to the roof while Ichigo was hidden by a building a little ways away, and Heller in his disguise while waiting for rooks.

His phone rang, causing Heller to answer. He heard rooks say "riley, are you at the meeting point?"

"Yeah, I'm here. Where are you?" Heller said, looking around for any sign of rooks.

"RIGHT BEHIND YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" rooks shouted as he stormed out of the door after kicking it open. Heller spun around in time for rooks to grab him by the collar while he snarled "who are you working for!?"

"Working for?"

"Don't bullshit me. You think I'm an idiot, not noticing when you disappear all the god damn time, disobeying order!? Who got to you?!"

Rooks lost his grip as tendrils sprouted from Riley's body, then receded to show Heller, in all his glory.

Rooks eye's went wide as he grabbed his gun, holding it steady at Heller as he muttered "oh fuck. That's how you knew, isn't it? Riley's been dead, hasn't he? And all this time… it's been you." Rooks voice rose in volume as he went on.

Heller slowly rose his arms and said "rooks, all me and Ichigo care about is getting Maya and Orihime, then leaving the NYZ."

Rooks looked at him calculatingly, but lowered the gun ever so slightly.

Heller sighed, then looked out at the destruction as he said "trust me rooks, I never wanted all this. I never wanted this power, this destruction, or theses deaths. I just…" he hesitated, then said"…I just want to get Maya and Orihime then leave this place. Just…. Stay out of the way. Please."

He turned around, just as rooks said "tell me something,"

Heller looked behind him, and saw rooks had his gun lowered so it was pointing at an angle downward.

"You've killed hundreds of my men, and never showed any sort of regret. You could've killed me in that command truck. Why didn't you?"

Heller ran a hand over his head, then said "like I told you rooks, I never wanted this power, this curse. I may have killed your men, but they were trying to kill me and I didn't know. But in your case…" he paused then looked back at rooks again and said, with a sad smile on his face, "what kind of man would I be… if I knowingly took a father away from his daughter."

Heller looked away from rooks shocked face, then jumped upwards, gliding away while Ichigo caught up to him.

Ichigo said "I heard what you said. You… really care about us that much?"

Heller chuckled and landed on a roof top, saying "Ichigo, you guys were the first to accept me and help me grow. You gave me a purpose and drive in life when I only had darkness in my heart. How can I feel any other way?"

Ichigo smiled. He took the Heller before him and compared it with the Heller he had met so long ago. Almost nothing remained, because of how much he had grown and expanded. And he was proud to call the man before him his friend.

Heller's phone rang, and he picked up to see it was Dana calling. He put it on speaker and said "what's up Dana?"

"Sorry, my sister is currently unavailable. Can I take a message?"

Ichigo and Heller both froze in shock, then hatred that made their inner sprites, even their hollows, shiver in fear.

"MERCER!" Heller shouted in the phone.

Mercer said mildly "you know Heller, I'm disappointed. I gave you a power many would kill for, and you take all that potential, and turn it into a hindrance to my plans. I thought you and your friend were more reasonable then that.

"Stuff it asshole." Ichigo growled into the phone, his eyes unstably flashing black and white. "What have you done with Dana?"

"I'm afraid that I couldn't let my sister keep helping you. Oh, and I have Galloway to thank for telling me on where you were. Shouldn't have threatened her like that Ichigo."

Heller growled "i will kill you mercer. You will have no place to hide from me."

"Oh I'm scared. If you want your daughter, and if Ichigo wants his little girl friend back… then come get me."

Heller finally crushed his phone into shards. He and Ichigo looked into each other's eyes with raw and unbridled fury in their eyes and they both turned and flash stepped, their self-control finally snapping with one thought in their minds.

Mercer was a fucking dead man.

And scene! Now a few people may be groaning about this, but just think. Now I can dedicate the next chapter entirely to the fight. And you people are in for a HUGE treat; I've been planning this for a long time. Also, for those who were disappointed with the lack of description for Soi Fon's vision, I'm sorry, but I don't write that. I only put in that tidbit because of the sheer humor of the thought. But I digress. I will post by at least Thursday, with the EPIC SHOWDOWN between Heller, Ichigo, and mercer. Hold on to something, the last bit of this ride is going to get crazy.