Chapter 17: Thank God It's Friday

(Sorry this took so long. I had another story to work on and that needed my attention. But now that I'm done with that, I should be able to work on this story and Lisa Simpson: Animal Avenger back to back for a while. Now, without further ado, let's get on with the story.)

It was morning when Mayuri and his group finally made it to the Seireitei. A Senkaimon was opened for Ichigo to go home and rest and while the Substitute Shinigami was reluctant to do so, wanting to help find Jason, he ultimately realized just how exhausted he was and relented. Rukia watched as Ichigo vanished down the Dangai, bid Mayuri and Nemu farewell and returned to her own squad barracks to rest as well. Mayuri instructed Nemu to begin construction on the device they would need to capture Jason and left for the Squad 1 barracks himself to tell the Head Captain what he learned. Before long, another Captain's meeting was called and once all the captains had arrived, Genryusai began.

"I'm glad you could all make it this morning for there has been an grave development regarding our mission to stop Jason Voorhees." He turned his head toward Mayuri and nodded. "I'll let you tell them, Captain Kurotsuchi."

"Very well." Mayuri cleared his throat and began. "As I'm sure you all know, we at D.A.C.U were tasked collecting as much information about our target as possible, mostly through interviews with his past victims. I also did my part in the research by visiting the Daireishokario and searching for any past run-ins between our target and Shinigami."

"Run-ins?" Retsu asked. "As in, trying to find out if any of our kind have encountered Jason in the past?"

"Did you find anything?" Soifon followed up with.

She became unnerved when Mayuri chuckled loudly. "Oh indeed I did. As it turned out, it was thanks to a Shinigami that Jason rose from the dead in the first place!"

Every captain felt their blood run cold at Mayuri's words. "Wh-What did you just say?" Soifon asked.

"Brought back...by one of our own?" Sajin uttered

"Who would do such a terrible thing?" Jushiro wondered out loud.

"Now, now." Mayuri waved his hands. "Before judgement is passed, I feel the need to explain the entire situation."

And explain it he did. Mayuri told his fellow captains everything. About Akane Watanbe and how she committed the greatest sin in order to save the life of a child. How she was forced back to Crystal Lake on a top secret mission conducted between the Kido Corps and Central 46 and came to learn the awful truth about what that little child had become. How she nearly lost her life to this evil and had to watch others with less fortune than her suffer terrible fates. The other captain's cores became more and more shaken as he went on and once he was finished, it was a solid minute before any of them could think to speak.

"Unbelievable." Rose uttered. "To think such a good intention could backfire so horribly."

"Well if you ask me, it serves her right." Soifon grunted. "This is exactly the kind of thing that happens when someone goes against the rules of Soul Society. That being said, given that all of these Shinigami, including Watanbe, belonging to Squad 5 during Aizen's time, I can't help but think he might have had a hand in this."

"A being like Jason might have acted as a person of interest to Aizen at some point." Sajin agreed. "It's tempting to think that he personally kept the details of this mission away from the rest of the Gotei 13 and falsified the reports of his men's deaths afterwards."

"Those poor bastards." Kensei sighed. "They thought Aizen was relying on them for some important mission but if what you say is true, he was most likely throwing them into the lion's den, expecting them to never return."

"This whole thing smells rotten." Toshiro growled. "I know I don't have a lot of people who will agree with me but I must voice my disdain for this entire plan!" Toshiro turned to the Head Captain. "It's clear now that Jason Voorhees is not just another evil soul that Hell somehow skipped over. He may not have the reality-warping dream powers of Freddy Krueger but he's still a very real danger to Shinigami nevertheless. We would only be inviting disaster if we bring him here! We must destroy him on the spot."

"I agree." Soifon replied.

"Bite your tongues, the both of you." Mayuri growled. "I've worked too hard to this point just for you naysayers to try and derail everything! Besides, Akane Watanbe and Tadashi Kondo were the only seated officers on that mission and 7th seats at that. When we go to Crystal Lake, there will be captains and lieutenants present, myself and Nemu included. Even now as we speak, she's working on a foolproof mechanism to ensure the capture of Jason Voorhees and it'll be ready before evening."

"If that is the case," Genryusai spoke up. "Then the mission to capture Jason Voorhees will commence tonight!"

All eyes fell on the old man. "Head Captain?" Retsu asked.

"Every minute we spend arguing about what to do, Jason becomes one step closer to upsetting the Cycle of Souls. And if it is true that our kind were the ones who brought this evil upon the World of the Living, then that only makes it more urgent that we correct the problem! Jason must be stopped as soon as possible!"

"Old Man Yama," Shunsui uttered. "Never in my life did I expect you of all people to say something like that." A small smile formed on his lips.

"The retrieval team will be comprised of three Captains, their lieutenants and a few select Shinigami." He turned to meet the gaze of each captain he called out. "Captain Soifon! Your squad will be in charge of reconnaissance and surveyance!"

Soifon greeted her teeth in anger but then parted them with a long sigh. "Yes Head Captain."

"Captain Kurotsuchi! Your squad will be responsible for subduing and capturing Jason Voorhees! You must not fail!"

"Would never even dream of it!" Mayuri thrilled. "Not when I have so much potential research material at stake! Kukuku!"

"And finally, Captain Kenpachi." Genryusai matched his gaze with that of the Squad 11 captain. "Your men will be responsible for safeguarding the other squads and if need be, aid in the subduing of Jason Voorhees."

"What!?" Mayuri shouted "But Head Captain-

"Is that right?" Kenpachi interrupted. He smiled a toothy grin that nearly covered the bottom half of his face. "So if things go right, I get to actually fight this Jason guy?"

"Now see here, you overzealous barbarian!" Mayuri pointed at him. "If you damage Jason past the point of usefulness before my squad can get ahold of him, the consequences will be dire!"

"Yeah, yeah." Kenpachi croaked, his mind already replaying his brief but exciting battle with Freddy Krueger a few months ago. "This Jason guy managed is strong enough to go toe-to-toe with a Dream Demon like Freddy despite not having any powers." His smile somehow grew wider. "This is gonna be fun!"

"Captains Soifon, Kurotsuchi and Kenpachi are to prepare for tonight's mission! I cannot stress this enough, failure is not an option! At all cost, Jason Voorhees must be captured!" He whacked his cane onto the floor. "Dismissed!"

At once, the captains all flash-stepped out of the room and after a few seconds, lieutenant Sasakibe walked in.

"Ah Chojiro!" Genryusai greeted. "How did the discussion with the Kido Corps go?"

"Surprisingly well." Chojiro said. "Although they seemed reluctant, they eventually agreed to prepare a Senkaimon for Crystal Lake. Although," He approached the Head Captain, "given what I overheard out in the hall, it would seem their reluctance had some reasoning behind it."

"It can't be helped." Genryusai. "All that matters now is capturing and destroying Jason Voorhees for the good of the Cycle of Souls." He turned toward the pavilion and walked toward the ledge overlooking the Seireitei. Chojiro joined him and the wind blew through both men, the loose parts of their garments flapping behind them.

"Central 46 will find out Captain." Chojiro warned. "And I'm certain that they will not be pleased to know that we, the Stealth Force and Kido Corps went behind their backs like this."

"And I will talk with them." Genryusai assured his lieutenant. "They will be made to understand the importance of what we are trying to do. It will not be easy, of course. They are still shaken up by Freddy's attack a few months ago but regardless, we must serve our duty as Shinigami and protect the balance."

The wind stopped.

"Come on, come on, come on, and let me take you home tonight!" The brown-haired young man sang.

"Oh my God Ben! Can you please stop!?" The blonde beauty to his right pleaded through her laughter. "You know you can't sing good!"

"It's not about singing good, Sarah." Ben turned the radio down. "It's about singing as loud and as obnoxiously as possible. That's one of the great many American traditions of road trips!"

"Shut up!" Sarah slapped Ben playfully on the shoulder, earning a mock "ow!" from him. The two had been driving since midnight and soon the Sun would be up as evident by the blue tint of the sky above them. Ben noticed the stop sign a few feet above them and pulled the beat-up blue Sedan they were riding in to a stop. He opened the mirror in front of his seat and pulled out a map which he then opened. "Let's see here. According to the map, this should be the final turn before we make it to the old Higgins Place."

"I still can't believe that Rachel sent us to inspect it before the sorority comes to greenify it." Sarah mused.

"You don't sound unhappy." Ben said.

"N-No! I'm not!" Sarah laughed. "It's just...it's been a while since I've stepped foot outside the campus, you know?"

"And that's exactly why Rachel picked you!" Ben said. "She knew you could use the fresh air!"

"That still doesn't explain why she let you come." Sarah raised an eyebrow. "After all, Rachel isn't too fond of anyone outside the sorority, especially if they happen to be doing it with one of her sisters."

"Maybe she just realized how lonely you'd be by yourself." Ben planted a kiss on Sarah's lips and she responded it kind.

"I suppose." Sarah agreed and turned to face the road as Ben started up the Sedan again and made a right turn toward the old house and barn that once belonged to the Higgins family. As they drove down the road, Sarah felt the urge to relieve herself and asked Ben to pull over. He did so, moving the Sedan off the road and near the edge of the forest and watched as his girlfriend vanished into the trees.

"You're right Sarah." Ben sighed as he reached into his pocket. "Rachel doesn't like any of her sisters sleeping around with guys like me." He pulled a small purple box and cracked it open, revealing a golden ring with a small diamond at its center. "That's why I gotta make a honest woman out of you." He smiled and quickly closed the box and placed it back in his pocket.

After a few minutes, Sarah returned and the two continued on their way.

Night was getting ready to take place in the Soul Society and under the waning light of the Sun, the Kido Corps prepared their first Senkaimon to Crystal Lake in years. Some of them continued to complain about being forced to act behind Central 46's back but they were quieted by the senior officer among them. He had been there on that night that Akane Watanbe and the others ventured to the lake and saw firsthand, the horrific damage Jason was able to inflict on a Shinigami. "Whatever it takes to destroy that damn monster." He muttered as helped to prepare the Senkaimon.

"Head Captain, I implore you, please allow me and Squad 4 to go along on this mission." Retsu asked. "We have no idea just how dangerous this Jason fellow is and it would be wise to have medical aid on the field."

"The medical expertise of you and your squad is invaluable." Genryusai agreed. "And that is precisely why you mustn't go on this mission. We cannot risk losing members of your squad to this evil." He turned his attention back to the Senkaimon. "The Kido Corps have agreed to reopen the Senkaimon every 30 minutes to allow the injured to be brought back here. You and your squad are to remain in this area and tend to them as they arrive."

Retsu sighed but did not argue. "Very well Head Captain."

"Besides," Genryusai continued. "According to Captain Kurotsuichi, it is likely that Jason will be able to sense the spiritual pressure of Shinigami. We must keep the number of soldiers at Crystal Lake short or we may give him an unintended head start."

"I suppose." Retsu sighed. She agreed with the Head Captain's logic but in the back of her mind, she held thoughts of her own. "Of course, such a strict restriction is only necessary because Captain Kurotsuchi wished to capture Jason rather than exterminate him immediately." She glanced over to where the captain of Squad 12 was speaking to his men, a large object hidden underneath a tarp behind them. "I hope you know what you are doing, Captain Kurotsuchi and may no good men die because of your greed."

"Alright men," Soifon shouted. "As much as I wish this was an extermination mission, our objective tonight will be to assist in the capture of Jason Voorhees. Nevertheless, the code of the Onmitsukido remains the same. You are to lay down your lives if necessary and place completing the mission above all else! Is that understood?"

"Yes Captain!" The men shouted without even the slightest bit of hesitation. In front of them, however, Marechiyo started shaking like a leaf. This display of fear did not go unnoticed by Soifon who caused him to yelp in surprise when she shoved her finger into his face. "Omaeda! Get a grip!"

"S-Sorry Captain." Marechiyo apologized.

Soifon studied his face for a moment before putting her arm down and continuing with her speech. Marechiyo exhaled in relief, his thoughts once again racing. "This is bullcrap!" He thought. "I had to fight harder than I ever did before against that bastard Krueger and now I'm being thrown at this Voorhees guy? This is no way to treat someone of the noble Omeada clan!"

Out of earshot of both groups, Squad 11 discussed their plans.

"You know the drill." Kenpachi spoke. "We have to play body guard to Kurotsuchi and his little lab partners while Soifon and her men search for Jason." He tapped his Zanpakuto against his shoulder as he continued. "But why let Squads 12 and 2 have all the fun? I've decided that we'll be searching for Jason ourselves and if we find him first, it's fight on sight!"

"Sounds good to me, Captain." Ikkaku agreed. "I'd sure like to know what this Jason guy is made out of!"

"As much as I agree with the sentiment," Yumichika butted in. "I don't think the other squads will appreciate us going behind their backs like this."

"Ah who the hell cares what they think?" Kenpachi replied. "We're Squad 11 and we live for fighting! Nothing else matters!"

His men shouted in agreement and rose their Zanpakuto in the air in excitement. Yachiru, who had been eating from a candy bag Jushiro gifted her earlier, whispered in Kenpachi's ear. "Admit it Kenny. You're really hoping you're the one that finds Jay-Jay!"

Kenpachi's only response was to smile viciously.

"Alright everyone!" The Kido commander called. "The Senkaimon is ready! It'll drop you all off right on the shores of Camp Crystal Lake! We will be sending a scout to check in every 30 minutes as well as to pick up any wounded. We wish you all the best of luck!"

"Squads, get in your places!" Genryusai bellowed. Squads 2, 11, and 12 all formed a single file line with their Captains at the head. "First, the Stealth Force will perform reconnaissance to ensure there is no present danger at the shoreline."

"Right!" Soifon led her men into the open Senkaimon as the others watched. A few minutes passed and a Jigokucho flew back into the Seireitei and landed on Genryusai's shoulder.

"Captain Soifon has given the all clear. Next, Squad 11 will led Squad 12 through the Senkaimon! Remember, you are to protect them and not let them out of your sight!"

"Yeah, yeah." Kenpachi muttered, already planning on searching for Jason the second he was in the World of the Living.

"And Captain Kurotsuchi," The Head Captain turned to the scientist. "I repeat, do not fail!"

"Of course." Mayuri replied. "This will not take long. Soon, Jason Voorhees will be within our grasp."

"Let's go already!" Kenpachi barked, already leading his men through the Senkaimon.

"Tsk. So impatient." Mayuri snapped his fingers. "Nemu, grabbed the supplies."

"Yes, Master Mayuri." Nemu grabbed the giant covered object, tossed it in the air, and allowed it to fall on her back with a thud.

Mayuri laughed to himself as he followed Squad 11 into the Senkaimon. "Oh I'm practically salivating over all the experiments I have planned for you Jason! You and I are going to have so much fun together!"

"Karin! Oh my beloved sweetheart! I heard your team won the big soccer match today!" Isshin beamed. It was evening at the Kurosaki household and the family was enjoying a dinner of curry and rice. As always, Isshin was a little too rowdy than his children cared for, save for Yuzu who simply laughed at his antics.

"It wasn't a big deal." Karin argued as she lifted up a spoonful of curry to her lips. "It was just a match with some kids from the neighborhood."

"But the point is, you won right!?" Isshin suddenly developed tears. "Life is so full of misery at times so you got to hang on to every little victory you can get your hands on!" He slammed his face against the table and bawled like an infant.

"D-Dad?" Yuzu asked in concern.

"Just let it go Yuzu," Karin sighed after swallowing her curry. "He's beyond help." Her gaze shifted to her oldest brother Ichigo as he ate silently, completely ignoring his father's antics. He had arrived home not but a few hours ago and when pressed on where he had been all this time, the answer was simply a friend's house. Karin, of course, didn't buy it but figured that she'd best not pry into her big brother's business. He was still the oldest of the family after all and what adolescent angst he might be going through right now wouldn't affect her for quite some time. Still, she couldn't help but feel as if something was wrong. Ichigo didn't seem sad or anything but she could tell from the look on his face that he was lost in thought. As if mentally wrestling with something she couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"May I please be excused?" Ichigo asked quietly. Karin felt herself stiffen at his words as they came so abruptly from the otherwise silent boy.

Yuka and Isshin also stared at Ichigo in surprise, the latter blinking twice before answering "Sure."

"Thank you." Ichigo said politely as he grabbed his nearly empty plate, washed it in the sink, and headed to his room. The dining room remained silent for a few moments still before it was finally broken by Yuzu.

"Poor Ichigo. I wonder what's eating him?"

"Probably got his heart broken by a wicked woman!" Isshin declared in his usual buoyant tone, slamming one foot on the table and holding his fist in the air. "As his father, it's my sacred duty to-

"Give it a rest!" Karin jump-kicked her father's face, forcing him to literally roll back into the living room before crashing into the wall. A vase, which was resting next to where he stopped, proceeded to fall and break right over his head.

"Oh father!" Yuzu cried.

"Let it go, Yuzu." Karin sighed. "Maybe that blow will finally knock some sense into him."

As Karin and Yuzu finished their supper, Isshin slowly rose from the wall, allowing the pieces of the vase to fall away from his head and shoulders. A large lump formed on his head yet his face expressed that of serious contemplation. "Kisuke told me everything." He thought. "About that Krueger guy that attacked the Soul Society not too long ago and about how they're now after one of his buddies. Jackson was it? Or was it Josh?" Isshin shook his head and got back up. "Whatever the name was, that menace is causing my boy some grief."

Isshin sighed heavily and walked back toward the dinner table.

...

Ichigo lay on his bed, arms resting underneath his head as he stared at the ceiling. Over and over, the events of last night kept replaying in his mind. The horrible state of Akane's body as she limped through the hut's door. The horrific details that went into describing her friend's deaths at the hands of the monster known as Jason and the unfathomable sadness in her voice as she relayed the fact that this monster was born of her own two hands.

"You really mean it, don't you? You're really gonna destroy Jason?"

"Please grant me this one request. Before you destroy him, tell Jason that I'm sorry for bringing him back to such a lonely world, that I deprived him of the chance to see his mother again and condemned him to a life of solitude in the forest!"

"Dammit!" Ichigo groaned. "I should be there right now. I should be fighting alongside the others and stopping Jason once and for all!" He couldn't shake Akane's mournful gaze from his memory. Never had he felt such pity for someone. "Dammit! I feel so useless! Right now the others are risking their lives and I'm just sitting here like a dumbass! Why'd I outta-"

Then he stopped. The sensation of a familiar spiritual pressure encompassed him. Slowly, he climbed out of bed and walked toward the window where it was emanating from and opened it. Floating a few feet away from him was a short raven-haired Shinigami with a small smile on her lips and friendly concern in her eyes. "Hello Ichigo. May I come in?"

"Rukia?" Ichigo breathed.

Through the rolling clouds, the Sun shone brightly over Crystal Lake and on the other side of the great body of water, otherworld forces were in frantic search for an unnatural evil. But of course, such things could not be known to Ben White and Sarah Locke. Instead. they were preoccupied with searching the old Higgins place, top to bottom and then after that, the old farmhouse. The hay inside, once bought every year for a horse that never came, had rotted and become home to many a mouse or rat. One of the furry little creatures scurried in front of Sarah's feet as she walked, causing her to emit a loud shriek.

"Hahahaha!" Ben wiped a tear from his eye. "That was cliché as fuck!"

"Oh fuck you!" Sarah moaned, her cheeks slightly pink from such a girlish display. "I think it's safe to say that this barn as a rat problem. We'll have to bring some traps out here."

"Won't those take a while to work?" Ben asked. "Why not just get some poison and be done with it?"

"No way!" Sarah protested. "Poison's bad for the environment. Do you want to accidently kill a squirrel?"

"Alright, alright." Ben playfully surrendered. "Traps it is." Both collage-goers giggled as they made their way out of the barn and toward the nearby docks. As they walked, Sarah looked around and admired the forest as it surrounded the lake like the protective arms of a mother over her newborn child. "It's so beautiful here." She whispered. "To think such a place of beauty could have something so awful-

Ben placed a hand on Sarah's shoulder. "Don't even mention that. That was years ago and that has nothing to do with us."

"I know." Sarah sighed. "I just can't help it. Ever since I was a kid, whenever I would learn about some great horrible tragedy, I would get depressed thinking about all the people who lost their lives in it. Mom says its because I'm an empathic person."

"You are and it's one of the most beautiful things about you." Ben kissed Sarah on the cheek. By now, the couple had made it to the docks and were walking across the wooden surface toward the lake. Sarah's breath was nearly stolen by the alluring reflection of the stormy clouds upon the lake's surface. It was like something out of the nature calendrer her Mom had hanging back in her kitchen, most likely paired with some inspiring quote. Ben, in turn, was captivated by the way the lake's surface reflected in Sarah's eyes. Coupled with her already natural beauty, it made Ben feel as if he was in the presence of a Goddess.

"It's time." He thought as he moved behind Sarah and reached into his pocket. "Sarah, I have to ask you something. Something really important."

"What is it?" She droned, her gaze still enslaved by the natural beauty of Crystal Lake.

Ben pulled the ring out, inhaled sharply and let it out in a long sigh. "We've been together for four years now and every day just seems to get better and better. You've picked me up when I'm down and you've held me back when I was about to do something stupid."

"Ben, what are you talking ab-" Sarah turned to her boyfriend as she spoke, just in time to see him bend down on one knee and present a small box. "B-Ben?"

"I know now." He continued. "Sarah Locke. You are the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with."

"Oh Ben!" Tears streamed down Sarah's face as she pressed both hands against her mouth.

"Will you-

But Ben White would never get to complete his sentence. Perhaps they were too enamored, Sarah by the lake, Ben by Sarah, to notice the footsteps. Too focused on each other to notice the large shadow looming over them. What they did notice was the sharp tip of a rusty machete as it exploded through Ben's chest and the resulting spray of blood that hit Sarah in the face, stripping her vision of every color but red.

Ben groaned and dropped the box which fell through a tiny crack in the docks into the water below. Sarah whimpered as she wiped the blood from her eyes and through a horrid scarlet filter, saw Ben reaching out to her, blood trickling from his mouth and a gurgling sound uttering from his throat. Sarah slowly raised her hand toward him, unsure of how she could even help him in this situation. As if to further empathize how helpless she really was, the blade protruding from Ben's chest shot up at horrific speed, slicing through his skull as it ascended. Sarah couldn't move. She couldn't breathe or cry out. All she could do was watch in horror as the upper half of Ben White, the boy she had lost her virginity to, the boy who had defended her and lifted her up through the worst times of her life, the boy who was just about to make himself her fiancé, split into two.

Had Sarah screamed, the otherworldly beings on the other side of the lake might have heard her and come rushing to her aid. But she didn't She sank down to her knees at the end of the docks, unable to make any sound aside from a feeble whimper. With her boyfriend's body slumped to the floor and no longer blocking her view, Sarah was finally able to see his killer. It appeared to be a hulking man, at least two feet taller than Ben. He was clad in a green jacket, brown under shirt and black pants, all of which were wet and rotted. The black gloves on his hands and the black boots on his feet were only in slightly better shape. The machete he had used to kill Ben still dripped with blood, forming a small puddle next to the killer's feet. On his face, the killer wore a well-worn hockey mask. Only one droopy eye could be seen from the left eye hole, the other was pitch black, as is nothing was there.

The stench of mildew and carrion assaulted Sarah's nostrils and she fought the urge to lean over the dock and vomit. A single thunderous footstep ceased her gagging and dragged her attention back to the man who then slowly raised his bloody weapon.

"Oh no...Oh God no please!" Sarah looked desperately for a way out but couldn't find one. Instinctively, she backed away from the monstrous murderer and nearly fell over the dock. She looked behind herself, her own horrified expression staring back at her from the lake's rippling surface. Realizing that it could very well be her only way out, Sarah took one last look at the encroaching killer to ensure she would have enough distance, and dived headfirst into the lake.

The shock of the freezing water nearly paralyzed Sarah as she sank under the surface. She forced her eyes open but it hardly made a difference in terms of sight. The forgien particles in the water stung her eyes and forced them shut. Sarah swam as fast as she could, unsure of what direction she was going. She dare not raise to the surface while that monster was still out there. She briefly considered swimming across to the other side of the lake then decided that it simply wasn't possible. She was not a strong swimmer. She'd never make it. She turned around and swam back alongside the dock, hoping to make it to the shore before the killer and run like hell.

Sarah gasped as she jumped through the lake's surface and frantically crawled to shore. She felt the wet sand slide into her fingernails as she dug her hands into the bank but paid it no mind. Her clothes were soaking wet and as she puller her feet out of the water, she realized she had lost a shoe. Knowing that this would create a potentially lethal imbalance in her running, she quickly pulled off the other shoe as well as her soaked socks and tossed them aside. Now barefoot, she stood back up and scanned the area for any sign of the killer.

That sign came in the form of another heavy footstep behind her. Sarah hardly had time to turn around before she felt a slicing hot pain across her left shoulder and fell on her backside. The killer was looming before her now, raising his machete and ready to bring it down on her head.

Sarah whimpered as hot blood flowed from the fresh wound, creating a giant red stain on her pink shirt. She grabbed a handful of wet sand and tossed it at the killer's mask, causing him to back away as he attempted to wipe it off. This bought her enough time to get back to her feet and bolt toward the forest, screaming "Somebody help me!" as she did so. She was so focused on getting away that she hardly resigtered the first drops of rain as they fell down upon her, the clouds completly swallowing the Sun up ahead.

The killer, whose mask took the bulk of the sand, tightened the grip on his machete.

"Kill her Jason." His mother's voice commanded within his head. "Kill for Mommy."

And Jason would. Just as with all the others, Jason would punish those who sinned in his realm. He stomped toward the forest, his machete thirsting for even more of the girl's blood.

Ki-ki-ki, Ma-ma-ma

"Huh?" Marechiyo was standing by the docks, mindlessly munching on the fish crackers he had brought with him, despite his Captain's protest, when he thought he heard a human screaming. The sound was muffled by the crunching of his crackers as well as the falling rain and so he only partially heard it but it was still enough to give him pause. "Hey, did anyone else hear that?"

"Hear what?" Marechiyo froze up, a chill running down his spine as a familiar voice inquired about the sound he heard. Shaking in fear, Marechiyo slowly turned his head to see Soifon standing behind him, arms crossed and face scowling. "Didn't I tell you to supervise the team searching the lake? Why are you standing there stuffing your face?"

"C-Captain Soifon!?" Marechiyo stammered as he hid the fish crackers behind his back. "I thought I...uh...you see...I heard a..."

"Captain Soifon!" One of the Onmitsukido members suddenly appeared on the docks bowed before Soifon. He was part of a search team sent to sweep the lake for any sign of spiritual pressure that could belong to Jason, the one Marechiyo was supposed to be supervising. "We found something near the shoreline!"

"Where?" Soifon asked, putting aside her beratement of her lieutenant for the time being, much to his relief.

"This way!" The man led Soifon to the the shoreline where the rest of the team had gathered. "Ming has already dived down to investigate." He explained.

Soifon focused her attention to the stretch of water before her and felt for spiritual pressure. Sure enough, there was two of them. One was Ming, a young and skittish but otherwise promising operative that Soifon had been keeping an eye on and the other one, she did not recognize. It didn't seem strong enough to fit the bill of what she's heard about Jason but she could tell that whatever it was, it had been submerged in this lake for a very long time. "Could it be..." She wondered.

Suddenly, the water began to bubble and Soifon as well as her men prepared themselves for battle, every hand gripping the hilt of their swords. From the surface burst forth a blue-haired girl with ruby eyes, screaming her head off.

"Ming?" Soifon asked.

"Get it away! It's after me!" Ming cried as she leapt over Soifon and cowered within her shadow. Her head coverings were missing and she was trembling. Before Soifon could ask her what it was that startled her so bad, another shape leapt out of the water. This one was a man, a giant hole resting where his heart should be. From within this hole grew chains which covered the man, binding him to the lake. His brown hair and face were filthy and as he trashed about near the shoreline, he screamed like a mad man.

"Is he...a Jibakurei?" One of the Stealth Force men asked.

"Looks like it." His comrade agreed. "Poor bastard's probably been under that lake for years now."

"We better put him out of his misery before he gets too dangerous." The men pulled out their swords and cautiously approached the screaming soul.

"Wait!" Soifon demanded, stopping the men in their tracks. She approached the man, unsheathing her own Zanpakuto and didn't stop until she was right in front of him. "Calm yourself." She commanded. "Tell me your name and what you remember."

Upon seeing her sword, the Jibakurei stopped screaming and trashing about, sat on the ground and calmed himself. "M-My name is John Shepard. I'm not sure how I got here. I remember the pavilion coming down on me and trying to get my daughter and..." His face screwed up as he seemed to recover a rather unsavory memory. "I..I remember pulling someone into this lake. Big fella, didn't even look human. More like a corpse and smelled like one too."

"Jason!" Soifon thought back to the file she had borrowed from Squad 12 shortly before the mission and the various sightings of Jason from within. She recalled one eyewitness account from a girl named Tina Shepard that, at the time, came off as rather vague. When the reporter had questioned how Tina and her fellow survivor, Nick Rodgers, had escaped Jason's clutches, she only replied with "We had some help from a guardian angel."

"Could this be what she meant?" Soifon shook her head and continued questioning the Jibakurei. "That man you pulled under. Is he still down there?"

"I..I don't know..." John answered, gripping his head as if it hurt him to think. "I don't remember much after that. Only being in that cold, dark lake."

"Ummm C-Captain Soifon?" Ming squeaked. "I-I didn't feel any other spiritual pressures in the lake aside from his. "I thought he was Jason."

Soifon stared at Ming with a neutral look on her face which, nevertheless, caused the newbie to shake uncontrollably and sweat bullets. "She's gonna scold me for sure!" Ming thought. "I've really messed up this time!" Ming gulped loudly and braced herself to receive the verbal lashing of a lifetime. She was so prepared for it that when Soifon simply replied with a soft. "I see. Thank you Ming." She chocked and fell backward.

Soifon turned back to John. "Well, John Shepard. I am a Shinigami of the Gotei 13 and as such it is my responsibility to guide lost souls such as yours to the Soul Society." She flipped her sword in her hand pointed the hilt at John's forehead.

"Wait!" John shouted, stopping the Squad 2 Captain in her tracks. "Please, before I go, I need to know, what's become of my little girl?" Tears streamed down his face. "What's become of my Tina?"

Soifon stared at the weeping spirit before her for a few moment and then, to the surprise of her men and lieutenant, she smiled. "Your daughter is still alive and has friends by her side who will look after her in your absence. You don't need to worry about her anymore."

"R-Really" John sniffed, smiling through his tears. "Are you really sure about that?"

"I am." Soifon bent down to her knees and gently tapped the hilt of her Zanpakuto to John's forehead. "You've spent so much time alone in that lake. But your suffering is over. From now on, you will know peace."

"Thank you...Thank you so much." John said as he glowed a brilliant white light and then vanished, his essence making its way to the Soul Society. Once the last traces of his soul was gone, Soifon sheathed her sword and approached Ming who at that point was starting to recover from her fainting spell. Any relief she might have felt from this, however, was lost once she spotted her Captain coming.

"Gah! I'm so sorry Captain Soifon!" She cried. "I felt a spiritual pressure under the water and I was sure it had to be Jason! I-" Before Ming could vomit out more words of panicked apology, Soifon placed a hand on her head, silencing her.

"You did great Ming." Soifon said. "Keep up the good work."

"C-Captain Soifon." Ming muttered, her face aflame as Soifon patted her head.

From the sidelines, Marechiyo couldn't help but smile as he watched the events unfold. "Man, ever since the battle with Freddy, the Captain's been...well...nicer than before." Marechiyo chuckled to himself as he chewed through another fish cracker. "Probably finally decided to take a page from me and learn to enjoy life! Heheh!"

"Oh dammit! You have got to be kidding me!" The warm moment among the Squad 2 members was disrupted by Mayuri's angry yelling and Soifon flash-stepped to the Squad 12 Captain's side at once. "Mayuri! What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Mayuri repeated angrily. "I'll tell you what's wrong! My squad has finally put the finishing touches on our mechanism for capturing Jason and what do I find once we're done? I find that that idiot barbarian Kenpachi and his men have given us the slip while we were working, no doubt seeking Jason for themselves!"

Soifon looked around the area and scanned for Kenpachi's spiritual pressure. I was present but far away as was the rest of his squad. "Dammit!" She cursed. "You're right! That fool Kenpachi!" She turned to her men sharply, causing Marechiyo to drop his fish crackers in surprise. "Alright men! Listen up! We need to fi-

And then they felt it. A spiritual pressure not belonging to Kenpachi nor any of his men. In fact, it didn't feel like a Shinigami at all. It felt cold and dead. And it was immense, like that of a Gotei Captain.

"This spiritual pressure.." Soifon uttered. "Could it be..?"

Mayuri smiled. "My my, I think our guest of honor has just arrived!"

"This way Kenny!" Yachiru chirped.

"Are you sure?" Kenpachi complained. "That's what you've been saying for the past 10 minutes!"

"I'm sure of it this time Kenny!" She defended. It had been nearly an hour since Kenpachi and his men split up in search of Jason. He had been running through the woods with Yachiru on his shoulder, giving him wrong directions as usual. As he continued to speed through the trees, however, a thought suddenly came to him.

"Wait a minute! How would you know what Jason's spiritual pressure even feels like?"

Yachiru did not respond, despite the smile plastered on her face, a single bead of sweat formed on her forehead.

"Dang it Yachiru!" Kenpachi growled. "How are we supposed to-

A shrill scream rang throughout the forest, silencing Kenpachi. The Squad 11 Captain stopped in his tracks, kicking up leaves and dust as he came to a standstill. Yachiru was nearly bucked off by the sudden halt and tightened her grip on her captain's haori." "Kenny! Did you hear that?" She asked.

"Yeah." Kenpachi whispered. "It sounded like it came from up ahead. Kenpachi felt for spiritual pressure and grunted in surprise when he discovered one frantically approaching him. For a split second, he grew excited as he considered it could be Jason's. As the owner of the the spiritual pressure grew closer however, Kenpachi realized that it belonged to a normal human.

"Oh great." Kenpachi groaned. "It's just some weakling."

"Help me! Somebody help me please! Oh God!" From the shadows of the forest trees emerged a human woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was barefoot and one of her feet was bleeding from a sharp rock she had stepped on not too long ago. This, combined with the blood she had lost from the horrific wound on her left shoulder, had slowed her down considerably. She wasn't running so much as she was hiking as fast as she could. "Somebody help me! Ple-GAH!"

The woman was knocked down by Kenpachi's spiritual pressure. The unimpressed captain watched on as she struggled to get back to her feet and was rewarded for her efforts with a blood-filled coughing fit. "Wha...What's going on?" She rasped. "I...I can't move..." She forced herself to look up at Kenpachi, staring right into his eyes. But because she was but a normal human, all she saw was the forest yawning ahead of her, miles still from any apparent help. Realizing this, the woman began to weep.

"Aww!" Yachiru cooed. "What do you think's wrong with her?"

"Hell if I know." Kenpachi muttered as he contemplated whether or not to try and help this woman who seemed to be at death's door anyway.

And then he felt it. A spiritual pressure unlike anything he had felt before. It was intense and gave off the putrid stench of death. Even stranger, it felt closer to the spiritual pressure of a human than that of a Shinigami or a Hollow. And as with the woman, whatever was giving it off was coming closer.

"Kenny!" Yachiru chirped as she watched the shape emerge from the shadows.

"Yeah...I know." Kenpachi grinned.

Standing before them was the very undead being they had been searching for. With his cracked hockey mask, bloody machete, and decayed yet firm build, there was no doubt about it. They had found Jason Voorhees.

The woman, having heard the undead monster's footsteps behind her, turned around and screamed in terror. "Oh God no! Please! Please don't kill me!"

Jason didn't hear her plea. He didn't even see her turn toward him. He was too fixated on the strange man standing before him and the little girl on his shoulder. Something about the way they dressed seemed so out of place in his forest and yet, Jason felt a sense of Deja Vu, nostalgic feelings that he just couldn't grasp. It was as if he was trying to recall a dream from long ago.

"Well well well, you're the infamous Jason Voorhees eh?" The man spoke. "My name's Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of Squad 11 of the Gotei 13."

Jason simply responded with a confused head tilt.

"Not much of a talker eh?" Kenpachi held his jagged sword over his shoulder. "That's fine with me. Frankly, I'm not here for a little chit-chat. I came to fight!"

Jason continued to stare at the man in confusion until his attention was stolen by the pained whimpers of the girl laying between them. Deciding to finish her off before dealing with this rather strange intruder, Jason lifted up his foot and prepared to stomp it on the girl's skull.

"Yachiru." Kenpachi demanded.

"Right!" The pink-haired girl suddenly jumped off from her captain's shoulder to the girl's side, grabbed her, and vanished without a trace just as Jason slammed his foot down. The bewildered slasher's single eye widened in surprise and he searched frantically for the woman but could find no sign of her.

"It's rude to ignore people when they're talking to you!" Kenpachi chastised as he stepped closer to Jason. "Look, I get your whole shtick. You get your kicks slaughtering powerless humans who can't fight back very well. Some of the pansies back home consider you to be a monster but personally, I don't give a rat's ass about what you do in your spare time." Kenpachi swiped his sword to his side. "I just want to see if you're half as fun as your friend Freddy was."

Jason's surprise turned to fear and anger. Freddy. That was not a name he ever hoped to hear again. The sick man who desecrated the image of his precious mother to force him to do his dirty work and then tried to put him down like a dog. Even after all this time, he could still feel the wounds from their battle that night. His rage aflame, Jason tightened the grip on his machete. If this man was related to Freddy somehow, then there's no way his arrival here could be good news. He had to be killed and fast!

"I'm back!" Both Jason and Kenpachi turned to the sound of Yachiru's voice as she landed on a tree overlooking them both. "I put the lady somewhere she won't bother you and Jay-Jay's fight, Kenny!"

"Good!" Kenpachi turned back to Jason and slowly undid his robes. "From what I heard, you were strong enough to give that bastard Freddy a run for his money so I'm expecting a good long fight out of you!" He opened up his robe to reveal a heavily scarred chest. "Tell you what, I'll even let you have the first blow! What do you say?"

Jason seethed. What was this man talking about? Did he think this was some sort of game? He had enough of this. With all of his might, Jason swung his machete at the man, slicing into his chest.

At first, only silence followed. The wind howled and the faraway cry of a loon could be heard. Kenpachi's chest displayed no wound and for a moment, the Squad 11 Captain groaned as he decided that his immense Reriyoku had proven Jason unworthy after all.

And then a giant geyser of blood erupted from his chest Pain spread throughout Kenpachi's body as he found himself sliding back from the impact. His Reiryoku had only delayed Jason's attack but was unable to stop him. The undead killer had wounded him and with nothing but a rusted Human World machete at that. This realization made Kenpachi grin then laugh out loud.

Jason's anger once again gave way to confusion. He had just cut this man's chest open and he was laughing about it. With each second that passed, Jason was reminded more and more of his past foe Freddy and his annoyance grew.

"Alright!" Kenpachi bellowed. "I'm sure of it now! You're strong! This is gonna be great!" A strange energy began to flow from the man as he brandished his sword at Jason. "Do me a favor and make this last as long as possible!"

Jason only responded by cracking his neck and shoulders. He wasn't sure who this man was or what his connection was with Freddy but he was not about to give in to his request. Jason would finish this quickly and place this man's head alongside Freddy and his mother's.

From the tree branch, Yachiru readied herself for quiet the show, licking her lips in anticipation.

Ki ki ki, Ma, ma ma!

(As I've said before, I intend to start working exclusively on this story and Lisa Simpson: Animal Avenger back to back for some time. It's my hope that I can put a dent in both stories before making another Alt Four story. I don't have much to say this time except to watch out for more violence (and Ichiruki) in the next chapter. Until then, See ya!)