TTGL: Brothers to the End.
Omake Issue 1: Another Day.
A/N: Welcome one and all to the first omake of this story. This weeks winner was 'That Guy' so this is dedicated to him. Its far larger than I intended so don't get used to the bumper size.
P.S. In answer to 'That Guy' question, Avocado Dusk is a pseudonym for my favourite band: Green Day. Avocados are green and dusk is a time if day.
Hope you all enjoy.
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"Whadda ya mean there's no more sake?" snorted Kittan to the bartender through an alcohol fuelled haze. "This is a bar, alcohol just comes from those taps. How do taps run out?"
The bartender sighed and tried to explain to the drunken man. "You and your friends drink like fish in water. Beer runs out very fast. We can only store so much."
Kittan grabbed the lever that poured the alcohol and a look of strain came to his face. He grunted with effort despite the fact that he wasn't moving.
"Hey Kittan, what the hell you playin' at?" hiccupped Kidd.
"Well, if fighting spirit can fuel a universe sized mecha then surely it can get a beer tap to work." Kittan reasoned.
"You sir, are a genius." complimented Zorthy.
"Yeah! Fighting spirit solve all problems!" added the twins loudly.
Kidd, Iraak, Zorthy and the twins all crowded around Kittan, mirroring his look of stain as they added their efforts to his. The bartender and Makken shared a look with each other and shrugged dismissively.
The door to the bar opened and a tall man with spiky ginger hair entered. Captain Ichigo Kurosaki approached the bar, frowning at the chaos that was brewing around it.
"Zorthy, Iraak, Kid, get your asses into gear." he ordered briskly, snapping them back to reality. "As highly seated officers in my division I would have expected more from you three. I've been in this bar for a full minute now and not one of you have bought me a drink." he smirked.
Zorthy and Iraak quickly turned to Kidd, who seeing no way out, relented and went to buy another drink. A sharp look from the bar tender reminded him that there were none left.
"Err, captain. They're all out."
Ichigo's frown deepened. "Well that won't do. Hmm. I think that Renji's got a good stash of sake. It's poker night too." mused the captain. "Hey Kittan, you ready to pay your captain a visit?"
"Nah. 'Fraid I can't. I'm meeting up with Rangiku. This was just a little drink to bolster my courage, you know." said Kittan as he staggered towards the door.
"That still going strong then?" asked Ichigo as he and the others left the bar to head to the Third Division barracks.
"Yeah. The great lug hasn't messed it up yet." grunted Zorthy as he breathed out a cloud of smoke. "He still can't believe his luck. For all his bluster, he still acts like a kid when faced with a woman."
Kidd burst out laughing. "Like you can talk. I haven't seen you with a woman for ages."
Zorthy rolled his cigarette agitatedly around his mouth. "Some of us like to do things properly. You've gotta treat the ladies right, you know, romance them. Not like you."
"What's that?" growled Kidd angrily. "I don't need to waste time making them like me. They flock to me!"
"That why I saw you singing up to a certain young lady the other day, dressed in your best." added Iraak with a sly smile. Kidd turned bright red and floundered impudently with his words.
Makken suddenly stopped. He always fell into the background but the group was instantly alerted by his action. "Trouble." he stated bluntly, always cutting straight to the point.
The others fell silent and now could hear the commotion too. Raised voices shouted angrily and there were a series of loud crashes. As one the shinigami changed course and headed off towards the ruckus. It was close by and only took a few turns to reach the scene of chaos.
Ten men in gaudy red clothes accosted a broad shouldered man clad in green. A large boar stood nearby, a pink ribbon that didn't suit the animal was tied atop its head.
"Damn you, Shiba!" seethed one of the men in red. "This is your last day as top gang leader in these parts! From now on, I, Gakai Ishiburo, will be top dog."
"Ha!" snorted the green garbed man. "It'll take more than some little whelp like you to defeat the great Ganju Shiba!"
Ichigo sighed and turned away. "Its only him. Damned idiot."
"Shouldn't we help him?" asked Kidd.
"Leave him. Ganju is too much of a slippery bastard to get cornered."
Reluctantly, the members of Team Dai-Gurren stood back and watched. The men in red stomped threateningly towards Ganju. He didn't move, simply waiting as they drew close. The red clad gangers drew their swords and Ganju struck. He wasn't aiming at any of their number though. His muscled fist hit the ground, turning the hard dirt into a soft sand in an instant. The ten men fell into it, sinking up to their ugly heads.
Ganju laughed in triumph. "The Rukongai is mine. I am the shinigami representative round here so I have complete authority."
It was at this point that Ganju noticed the group of shinigami watching him. He waved at them. "Hey! Ichigo! You here for that rematch?"
"Me punching you through a wall is not a draw." commented Ichigo wearily, as though he had pointed this out numerous times before.
"It was a cheap shot and you know it!"
Ichigo ignored him. "You managing to keep things in check here?"
"Of course I am. I've been the unofficial leader of these parts since before you were born. I don't need any shinigami seal of approval to protect my people." boasted Ganju proudly. He walked toward the group, using the gang members' heads as stepping stones.
"Lemme guess." he continued. "You're heading over to old pineapple head for a free drink?"
"Yeah!" shouted Jorgun and Balinbow happily. "You come too?" asked Balinbow, sensing a fellow meathead.
"Forget that. You lot want to head on to The Golden Sparrow."
"Isn't that where Kittan is?" questioned Zorthy, cocking an eyebrow. "Why should we head there?"
"Well, turns out that the head captain was there too." beamed Ganju. The others stared at him expectantly, sensing a good story. "Him and a few of his high seated officers had come for a quiet meal, your little princess being one of them. The head captain left to use the bathroom. Bad mistake. Rangiku managed to convince Nia to have some sake instead of juice."
The members of Team Dai-Gurren froze. Vivid memories that they had tried to erase returned to their minds. Ichigo stared at them in confusion.
"What's so bad about that?"
Kidd shuddered. "We have to save Kittan."
They ran through the streets until the classy building of The Golden Sparrow came into view. It was already on fire and missing a wall by the time they had skidded to a halt next to its front doors. Jorgun broke them open and they entered into the heart of destruction.
The restaurant was trashed completely and its patrons cowered around the edges of the building or fled through the gaping hole that had replaced a large section of wall. Fires blazed in small spots that were dotted around the room.
Nia stood at the centre of the room, swaying slightly. Her usually pale face was flushed and her shinigami robes looked dishelmed. Her limbs and eyes looked droopy.
Hitsugata stood near by, a look of complete astonishment slapped across his face. Rangiku was gradually slinking away from him, trying to look innocent with Kittan in tow. Kittan looked scared for his life.
"My juice tastes funny." Nia hiccupped loudly. "I feel spinny…" she slurred.
"Damn." moaned Kidd. "Where's Kamina when you need him?" he turned his head. "Why is the waiter embedded in that wall?"
Nia staggered up to the group. "Mister waiter did a good job so I hi-fived him. He then flew away into that wall. He must have been very happy. Then a nasty table tried to trip me up so I told it off." she beamed, pointing up at the roof. Shards of wood were somehow sticking out of it.
"Bagsy not me!" chorused five of the six remaining members of Team Dai-Gurren. Makken looked up at them with injustice burning in his eyes. He hated the bagsy rule.
After a brief moment of meditation, the small man advanced toward Nia. He held out his hand for her to take so she could be dragged to safety. She grabbed his hand and squeezed, shaking his arm in the most violent handshake ever recorded.
"Hello mister Makken! I am so happy to see you!" she giggled as she innocently cracked his bones.
"What's going on?" growled Hitsugaya, who had just joined the group.
Zorthy cleared his throat. "You see, Nia can't hold her alcohol. it's a well known fact that cute, innocent people don't react well to it. We found this out the hard way. Nia is a master of the drunken fist style."
"Err…" started the head captain uncertainly.
"Kidd continued where is brother had stopped. "The only way to stop her is to defeat her in a fight or get her so drunk that she passes out. We sure as hell aint trying to beat her, isn't that right, Jorgun, Balinbow?"
The hulking twins were sat in a corner crying. "Last time she got like this, she threw those two out of a window."
They all turned back to Nia, who was currently chewing on a chair leg. "This sausage is too chewy. Where is the chef?" she proclaimed. A man in a chef's hat ran away screaming.
"How are we suppose to get her to drink more?" asked Hitsugaya the a collective shrug from the others.
At that moment, Rangiku returned. "Nia, do you know what all men like"
Nia cocked her head, nearly falling over as she lost her balance.
"These." the lieutenant said, indicating her cleavage. They captivate men. Drink loads of your juice and yours will grow too." she blatantly lied.
"And then Simon will like me even more? Like super duper?" she asked. Rangiku nodded. "Right, then I will drink all of the juice so Simon can be happy!" she declared happily before chugging a discarded pint. She swayed dangerously on the spot. Her eyes crossed for a moment then fell to the floor with a loud thud.
"Well, that solves that. No harm done so no need for blame." chirped Rangiku with a cheeky smirk. She made to leave quickly but a firm hand grabbed her shoulder. A scowling Hitsugaya was on the other end of it.
"Rangiku." he growled, ice particles forming in the air around him. She laughed nervously. "If she becomes traumatised in any way, I'm placing the blame on your shoulders. Giving her alcohol is bad enough, but telling her something lewd like that…" he broke off, unable to find words to describe it.
Sensing trouble, Kittan acted fast. "Well, we'd better take her home. Enjoy the rest of the night." he said, quickly hoisting Nia into his arms and making for the door.
"Traitor!" called Rangiku at his back.
The other members of Team Dai-Gurren left with him.
"Well, what now?" asked Zorthy.
"Renji's?" offered Ichigo.
"Renji's." agreed the group as one.