Jason was my son and today is his birthday -Pamela Voorhees.

As Jason marched through the Dangai, his flesh slowly growing over and replacing his spiritual essence, his mind was racing. It was impossible for him to focus on a single thought for more than half a second as image after image flashed into his mind. He couldn't tell which ones were memories and which ones were dreams as he couldn't focus long enough to even try and decipher them. His only constant cognitive action was continuing to walk through this seemingly endless tunnel and even that was more by instinct at this point. The mental pictures were so vivid that they nearly blocked out his view of the path in front of him.

He saw a Shinigami woman trying to comfort him somewhere dark and cold and a horrifying masked monster trying to devour him while he was chained down in the forest of Crystal Lake. He recalled watching his beloved mother lose her head to a young girl, one bred of the same ilk that oh so carelessly allowed him to drown that day and driving a screwdriver into her head in revenge, taking his first life. Images of screaming faces and gore-soaked cabins, more Shinigami challenging him to battle, and the strange swords they used against him. The giant gates that dragged him to hell when he was stabbed with that accursed dagger and the laughing, scheming face of Freddy Krueger when he revealed himself in the Dream Realm. All these things raced through Jason's mind like lightning as his brain was reconfiguring itself back into a material existence.

Part of him was waiting for his mother's voice to break through the mental mess and soothe him as it always did but no matter how long he waited, it would not appear. Had it been drowned out by the cerebral chaos? Was it simply not there anymore? No. Jason refused to believe that. After all, although he could not hear her voice, he could still feel her presence. He first noticed it right before he entered the Senkaimon. He felt tempted to look around and see if she was there but at that moment, the final moment of true clarity Jason enjoyed before entering the Dangai, he convinced himself that it was nothing but a passing dream. His mother, wherever she was, was not in the Seireitei. He was sure of it. Nevertheless, he felt her presence and it brought with it a warmth and comfort that only she could provide.

At last, he saw the light at the end of the tunnel, the gateway back to the World of the Living, back to Crystal Lake. Back home. He quickened his pace and practically fell out of the gateway, the sudden warmth of the Sun sending him into a mild shock. This shock would worsen as it was replaced by the freezing cold of Crystal Lake's waters. For a few moments, Jason trashed about wildly, not enjoying the Deja Vu he was experiencing one little bit. Exhaustion consumed him and Jason knew he would go under if he did not get out soon so he moved forward, one arm at a time. He still wasn't the best swimmer and it took a good three minutes to reach the shoreline. Once he did, he gasped at the feeling of wet sand between his fingers. He pulled himself out of the lake and fell back into the sand face-first. He hardly had time to blink before he heard the all-too-familiar clicks of a gun. Weakly, he lifted his head toward the campsite...

...and found several soldiers with their guns pointed at him.

"Holy shit!" One of them cried. "It's Jason!"

"Where's his mask?" One of the asked.

"What the hell happened to this guy?" Yet another one inquired. "He looks like he's been put through a thresher!"

"Who cares what happened to him?" Upon hearing this voice speak up, the soldiers held their guns to their chests and grew still. The owner of the voice, a gruff black man in a black cowboy hat shambled through the crowd of soldiers, his eyes fixed upon the broken madman before him. "The point is that we now have Jason Voorhees right where we want him! And what's better, it looks like someone went and tenderized his ass just for us." He made sure to lock eyes with the brute before turning to the soldiers. "So let's do our job and get cooking!"

"Right!" The soldiers surrounded Jason in a unified circle and switched out the guns in their hands for the ones remaining in their holsters. Rather than shooting bullets, these guns shot out darts into Jason's skin, pumping the Crystal Lake Slasher with enough tranquilizer to take out a bull elephant. As the tranq began to work its magic on an already exhausted Jason, two of the bigger guards approached the drowsy brute, grabbed his ankles, and locked them in a super strong pair of iron handcuffs. The man in the cowboy hat nodded as the soldiers lifted Jason up to his knees and onto his back. From the trees, another group of soldiers emerged, carrying with them 7 ft of iron chain. One of these newcomers broke off from the group as the rest approached Jason and saluted the man in the cowboy hat. "The helicopter is already being prepped and ready for the suspect, Mr. Duke sir!"

"Good." Creighton said as he took out a cigar from his breast pocket and placed it in his mouth. "Got a light?"

"Oh uh, sure." The soldier took out a lighter from his pocket and lit Creighton's cigar. The former bounty hunter took a big smoke, removed the cigar from his mouth and blew the black smoke at the unprepared soldier who only responded by coughing and trying the wave the smoke away. Creighton chuckled to himself and headed toward the edge of the lake. As the soldiers continued to prep Jason for the coming helicopter, Crieghton took another puff and sighed as he exhaled the resulting smoke. "It's strange. I know for a fact that Jason was dragged to Soul Society and yet, I can't detect a trace of any Shinigami near here. Did he really somehow manage to escape on his own?"

Creighton looked back at Jason whose head lolled to the right as the soldiers propped him up. "And if that wasn't weird enough, Jason's not giving out any trace of spiritual pressure. The last time we were here, Jason's spiritual pressure was through the roof, almost at the level of a Captain-Class Shinigami but now? Nothing. It's as if it's been sealed off completely." Creighton scanned the lake for any sign of the Senkaimon Jason had left through, for any sign of a Shinigami's presence but found none. Try as he might, he couldn't even begin to theorize what the hell just happened in Soul Society that a mindless brute like Jason not only survived but managed to escape all on his own. Giving up, he sighed again and took one more glance at Jason. The helicopter was coming up on the horizon, the wind from its blades blowing in all directions. Crieghton's hat blew off and he grabbed it mere inches from the water. He smiled and chuckled to himself slightly.

"Aw what the hell am I doing agonizing over this for?" He asked himself as he put his hat back on. "Who cares what the hell happened to those idiots? I have a golden opportunity now and I'm not gonna waste it. We're gonna take Jason over to the research center and I'm gonna figure out how to keep that seal of his going. We don't need those jackasses getting ahold of him again, especially that sicko Mayuri."

Creighton took one final puff of his cigar, dropped it, and crushed it underfoot. Placing his hands in his pockets, he continued to watch the lake until Jason was completely settled in the helicopter. During this time, he couldn't help but lament on all the years he's spent in the World of the Living, the life he's built up so far as Creighton Duke, bounty hunter supreme. He recalled his personal discovery of the Fullbring phenomenon and how he used that knowledge to craft the dagger that was supposed to send Jason to hell for good. He would have to find out where that thing was soon. He might need it again.

"I don't know where you are or if you're even still alive," He thought sadly. "But wherever you are, I hope you're at peace." He looked up to the sky as if somehow trying to look into Soul Society itself for his long-lost friend. "We've got everything under control. So please rest easy, Akane."

Back in the helicopter, Jason was soundly losing his battle against the tranquilizers and slipping into a deep sleep. All the images he saw in the Dangai, memories and dreams alike, were fading into the black. What would he remember, he wondered. Would he be able to recall the Shinigami when he woke up? Would he remember the face of the man who defeated him? Even as he thought this, Kenpachi Zaraki's vicious sneer began to lose shape in the encroaching darkness. It wasn't just his vision either. The voices of the soldiers talking around him, incomprehensible to begin with, were growing fainter and fainter by the second. As Jason slowly slipped into a long dreamless sleep, there was only one sound he could make out in his mind. His mother's voice echoed through his mind, repeating the same sentence over and over again. Try as he might, Jason could not tell if this sentence was from a long-buried memory or a forgotten dream. All he knew was that it comforted him and made him feel as if his mother was right by his side, holding him close and reassuring him that no matter what happened next, he would be alright.

"Be safe Jason. And remember, no matter how many years, decades or even centuries go by, Mommy will always love you."

A single tear escaped Jason's good eye as the lid began to close.

"I love you too Mommy."

Ki Ki Ki, Ma Ma Ma.

"Erm...Gh...We...We have to stop Pamela!"

Ichigo shot out from the bed so fast that he reopened a few of his wounds, causing him to grit his teeth in agony. He slumped down again and scanned the room, realizing his was now in the Squad 4 barracks. He looked down at himself and lifted up his blanket. His torso was completely covered in bloodied bandages and to the right of his bed, he noticed Zangetsu leaning against the bedpost. He noticed that his arms were also bandaged up and felt even more wrapped around his head. Having managed to get his bearings, Ichigo exhaled and sank back down, relieved as him being here most likely meant that the battle was over. Still, what did happen to Pamela...

"Hey Ichigo! You awake yet?"

"Yeah," Ichigo answered, still too caught up in wondering about Pamela to fully recognize the voice speaking to him. Nonetheless, he turned toward the direction that it came from. "I just woke up. Say does anyon-

He found himself staring right into the hungry glare of a wounded but still very much bloodthirsty Kenpachi Zaraki. From the monstrous grin plastered on his face, Ichigo knew he was itching to fight and responded the only way he could think to respond: Screaming in sheer terror.

"K-K-Kenpachi!? What the hell are you doing in my hospital room?"

"Huh?" Kenpachi tilted his head slightly while still wearing his sadistic grin. "You idiot! This is my room too."

Ichigo felt a shiver crawl down his spine as he realized that Kenpachi was right. The Squad 11 captain was laying in a bed just as he was. There were twice as many bandages on his body and all of them were soaked in blood. This did nothing to stop Kenpachi from rising out from his bed and grabbing his sword which, like Ichigo's was also leaning against the bedpost. "Yeah!" Kenpachi purred. "I'm awake and wirring to go! Let's settle our rematch once and for all, Ichigo! Right here and right now!"

"Are you insane!?" Ichigo screamed. "I'm in no condition to fight right now and the same could be said for you! You're covered in bandages!"

"Huh?" Kenpachi raised his chin as if to look down on Ichigo even further. "You're really gonna use these injuries of ours as an excuse to not fight? You must have been knocked on the head a couple of times, Ichigo!" Kenpachi took a battle stance to show off his readiness for a rematch. "I don't know about you but I'm complete-

Kenpachi suddenly threw up a geyser of blood as Ichigo screamed. The Squad 11 captain slumped to the floor with blood still leaking from his mouth while Ichigo called for help. "Captain Unohana! Lieutenant Kotetsu! Hantaro!? Somebody help Kenpachi before he dies!"

At once, Retsu appeared in the doorway, Rukia, Orihime, Sado and Uryu all right behind her. "Don not fear Ichigo! I'm right here!" Her sudden appearance startled Ichigo and caused him to scream again. It took him a few seconds to recognize her but once he did, he calmed down. "C-Captain Unohana? Guys?"

"Ichigo!" Orihime ran up and embraced Ichigo, crying softly into his shoulder. The substitute Shinigami was surprised and winced at the agony caused by her sudden affections but he fought through the pain and smiled warmly at his friend. "Orihime."

"Ichigo!" Orihime sniffed. "Rukia told us everything! I was so worried!"

"Everything?" Ichigo turned to the Squad 13 lieutenant. "How long was I out? What happened?"

Rukia seemed somewhat uncomfortable which already told Ichigo that whatever news she had wasn't good. Behind him, Retsu helped Kenpachi back into his bed, smiling politely even as the Squad 11 Captain grumbled about wanting to fight. "Ichigo," Rukia said as she walked up to his bedside and next to Orhimie. "Jason Voorhees...escaped."

Ichigo's eyes widened as Rukia finished speaking. "Escaped? What do you mean escaped? How?"

"Take it easy Ichigo!" Uryu warned. "I understand your frustration but you're still heavily wounded! You need to rest!"

"There's no time for that!" Ichigo forced himself out of Orhime's embrace and sat cross-legged on his bed. Putting his hands together as if he were in prayer, he bowed to Orihime and said. "Orihime, please reject my injuries so I can go find Jason!"

"Wha!?" Orihime was flabbergasted at Ichigo's request.

"Don't do it Orihime!" Rukia warned. "This idiot will just get himself hurt again if you comply with his request! I know it's hard for you to say no to Ichigo but you must resist!"

"Come on Orihime! Ichigo pleaded. "We can't just let Jason escape after everything we've been through! I promise I'll be careful!"

"Hey!" Kenpachi shouted from his bed. "If you're fixing up Ichigo so he can chase after Voorhees, then heal me up too!" He grinned. "I wanna fight them both at the same time!"

"Orihime please!" Ichigo pleaded.

Orihime looked as if she was on the verge of tears. Finally, with a pouty look of defense, she turned away from Ichigo and crossed her arms. "I'm sorry Ichigo but Rukia's right! I'm not gonna fix you up if you're just gonna get yourself hurt again!"

"Orihime!" Ichigo turned to Rukia with a death glare. The Squad 13 lieutenant's only response was to stick her tongue out in mockery. "Damn you Rukia! When I get out of here I'm gonna-

Ichigo's threat stopped mid-sentence. Rukia's playful expression took on a fearful undertone and Orihime, while still maintaining her defiant arm cross, broke out into a cold sweat. Even Uryu and Sado quivered where they stood as Retsu's murderous aura engulfed the entire room. "This is a place of recovery, not a theater. I would appreciate you keeping all shinanigans to yourself during your stay here." She warned in a motherly yet cold voice.

All anyone could bring themselves to do in response was nod slowly.

"Good." Retsu exhaled as she allowed her aura of death to dissipate, which in turn allowed everyone else to catch their breath. Once order was restored to the room, Retsu began to speak. "Ichigo, I think it's important for you to know the full story from what we've pieced together. "First of all, I'm sure you're already aware of Pamela Voorhees and Roy Burn's involvement in yesterday's debacle."

"Yesterday?" Ichigo asked. "So I've been out since yesterday?" He shook his head, kicking himself for worrying about something so trivial. "I mean, yes I do know about Roy and Pamela! I fought them! What happened to them!? Is Roy okay? I-

Retsu raised a hand to silence Ichigo. He complied and stopped himself from continuing his endless tirade of questions. "As I'm sure you already know, it was Pamela who turned Jason loose on the Seireitei. She had been masquerading as a Shinigami this entire time and had already set her plan into motion even before our mission to Crystal Lake. Likewise, Roy Burns had been living in the Rukongai, just under our noses, and helped her in her schemes." She took a moment to study Ichigo and make sure he was paying attention. Once she was sure that he was, she continued. "Ichigo, both Pamela and Roy are deceased."

Ichigo didn't respond right away. He just sat looking down at himself. Deep down, as much as he didn't want to admit it, he already knew Roy was dead. He had seen it with his own eyes. Hell, he experienced what Roy's final conscious moments were like and while no one could contest such a fate fitted a murderer like Roy, Ichigo still couldn't help but feel forlorn in his failure to save him. Even now, he could see Roy's crying face as he pleaded for the safety of his son and the souls of those whose lives he took.

"Will you please make sure that the kids are safe? That my Joey stays safe even if I can't return to him?"

It was then that it really dawned on Ichigo that Roy's truest fear had come to pass. He would never see his son again and unless someone did something about it, Joey and the other children under his care would never know what became of the man that they depended on. Ichigo felt frozen inside. The battle had been won but with Roy dead and Jason escaped, it hardly felt like a victory.

Suddenly, Ichigo felt a soft grip on his right shoulder and turned to see Rukia. Clearly, she sensed Ichigo's mental turmoil and wanted to comfort him. She gave him a small smile of reassurance and although his heart still felt heavy, Ichigo returned the favor. Behind Rukia, Sado, Uryu and Orihime also smiled although Orihime's smile carried an tint of sadness in it.

"Unfortunately, as Miss Kuchiki just told you, Jason Voorhees was able to escape before we could get the situation fully under control." Retsu continued. "We already have the Stealth Force combing Crystal Lake as we speak but so far, they have found nothing. Meanwhile, Captain Kurotsuichi is doing some digging of his own through the Squad 12 archives. Once, Zaraki fully recovers, there'll be a meeting to discuss what has transpired and how to move forward." Retsu was speaking in her usual calm voice but her eyes held worry within them. "I can only hope we can find what we're looking for by then."

The room remained silent for a moment as Ichigo and his friends processed all that they had heard. This silence was broken by a monotonous knock to the wall near the doorway. All eyes fell to Byakuya and Renji standing outside the room, the former with a basket of bananas in his hands. "Ichigo Kurosaki, I see you are alive. Congratulations."

"Um...thanks?" Ichigo replied uneasily as Byakuya walked in and placed the bananas on his bed.

"We felt your spiritual pressure all the way from the compound," Renji commented. "That old lady Pamela must have been quite the fighter to beat your ass like that!" The lieutenant of Squad 6 burst into laughter as Ichigo growled.

"Hey! Her Shikai was no joke alright! That thing was a literal nightmare!"

"Oh I'm sure it was!" Renji agreed mockingly.

"Why you!"

As the far side of the room was absorbed in peaceful chaos, Retsu turned to Kenpachi and fixed up his bandages.

"Hey aren't you gonna stop them?" He asked in a slightly annoyed voice. "They're getting loud again."

"I think I'll let them converse just this once." Retsu replied. "After all, the full recovery of one's self after a dangerous situation is always cause for celebration, don't you think?"

"Tsk!" Kenpachi muttered and turned away as Retsu giggled and continued to work on him. For a few minutes, it was silent among the two captains as Retsu worked. Finally, as she was nearing the end and all of Kenpachi's bandages had been replaced, she spoke once more. "So, this Shikai of yours, how powerful would you say it is?"

That sentence alone was enough to catch Kenpachi off-guard. "What are you? Stupid?" He grinned. "It's powerful beyond words! It was able to take down Voorhees in a single strike. And the power, the rush I felt from just lugging it around." Kenpachi laughed to himself. "I hadn't felt that alive in years!'

"Is that so? Well I'm glad to hear that!" Retsu fixed the last of the bandages in place and turned to work on Ichigo. She only managed to take a single step before Kenpachi spoke. "It's coming soon, you know that right?" Had Retsu bothered to turn back around, she would have seen Kenpachi's grin gone and his head downcast, a serious stony expression on his face.

Instead, she simply closed her eyes and sighed once more. "I do. It has been coming for a long while."

"I'm looking forward to it, especially now that I have Shikai!"

"Oh my," Retsu placed a hand over her mouth. "Are you saying that you've been scared to move forward with this all this time because you lacked a Shikai?" She giggled as Kenpachi growled.

"What the hell? Of course not! Don't be stupid!" Kenpachi stared at his sword. "I'm just saying when that day comes, it'll be the battle to end all battles."

"I couldn't agree more," Retsu responded as she opened her eyes. "But for now, I have patients to attend to and you have wounds to mend. Get some rest, Zaraki. The sooner you recover, the sooner the meeting can get underway."

"Yeah, yeah." Kenpachi laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes, not to sleep but simply to conserve as much energy as possible. Retsu made her way to Ichigo's bedside, her mind heavy with thought. "Yes, it is coming soon isn't it Zaraki? The day we have waited years for, a day I have thought of every day with both dread and anticipation."

Her own mind was flooding with memories now, memories of the day she first fought that young savage boy. The only man who could make her happy.

"The final battle of the Kenpachi. A battle where one of us is fated to die." Retsu stopped in her tracks and turned toward Kenpachi one last time. "I could only hope that it isn't you who perishes."

As expected, it didn't take long at all for Kenpachi's wounds to heal enough for him to attend the Captain's meeting. He was still covered in bloodied bandages underneath his clothes but his upright stature and his trademark menacing grin told indicated he was more than ready to return to his duties. At the other side of the room, Toshiro also stood ready to participate. He had just woken up the day before the meeting and insisted on taking part despite how badly he had been injured. By this time, the bodies of the deceased Shinigami were located and buried. Well, the ones with bodies still left to bury anyway.

"I hereby call this meeting of the Gotei 13 to discuss the recent events that have shaken our Seireitei and to plan out our actions going forward." Genryusai began. "First, I will call upon Squads 2 and 12 for their reports concerning Jason Voorhees and his mother Pamela who we now know is responsible for this disaster."

A look of bitter disappointment decorated each and every captain's face. They all knew what they were going to hear. They knew what the score was. The reports were nothing but a formality designed to remind them of their failure. Soifon, in particular, fought the urge to groan in frustration as she spoke her piece.

"Sorry as I am to say, the Stealth Force was unable to locate Jason Voorhees. We've combed the entirety of Crystal Lake and all surrounding areas. I even sent Marechiyo to lead a small team in New York on the off chance Jason had returned there. But despite our best efforts, we have yet to even locate his spiritual pressure." Soifon lowered her head in shame, clearly disappointed in herself more than anyone. "I just don't understand it. His Reiatsu was at the level of a captain's! We all felt it when he escaped! How could it just vanish like that!?"

"That...would be my fault." Mayuri spoke up. All eyes fell on the Squad 12 captain as he cleared his throat and began speaking. "As I'm sure you are all already aware, Pamela Voorhees had somehow become a Shinigami and was masquerading as a loyal member of the Department of Research and Development for quite some time. During her tenure with us, she was able to gather a lot of serious intel that she then used against us in a bid to save her son. She even learned how to send the security system into overdrive, trapping us inside our own labs while she turned Jason loose on the Seireitei. After performing a hard reboot and reinstalling my data on the computer, I was able to uncover quite a few disturbing facts, particularly a number of prototypes that had gone missing over the years."

"Am I to presume Pamela had taken these prototypes and used them for her nefarious scheme?" Genryusai asked.

"Indeed," Mayuri confirmed. "Among the missing items were my soul searchers, the written instructions for an experimental Kido meant to seal a Zanpakuto in place if it's user dies and another one to force the Zanpakuto to obey a new master. A Kido barrier which you so carelessly destroyed, Head Captain."

Genryusai only scoffed in response, not caring about Mayuri's lost experiments.

"And finally, the most important prototype of all and the reason the Stealth Force has been unable to find Jason."

Soifon looked up.

"Fu Tamashi no Kona or the Soul-Sealing Orb. When crushed and combine with a soul entering a Gigai or otherwise entering the World of the Living, it completely seals their spiritual pressure off, rendering them untraceable to Hollows or Shinigami. Pamela must have used it on Jason right before he stepped into the Senkaimon, knowing that in the chaos caused by Jason and Roy, her son would have ample time to escape."

"I see," Genryusai replied. "And how long will the sealing effect of this Soul-Sealing Orb last?"

"It's hard to say," Mayuri admitted. "I had actually lost interest in it a long time ago so my memory's spotty. It can last anywhere from 100 to 100,000 years." Mayuri turned his gaze downward, the closest to ashamed any of the other captains had seen him. "I do know this, as long as the Fu Tamashi no Kona is in effect, for as long as he remains in the World of the Living, any and all attempts to track down Jason will be useless."

The other captain's gazes also fell to the floor, their disappointment increasing tenfold. Despite everything they've done, every precaution they took, Jason still slipped from their fingers because of one impossible oversight. Now he was back in the World of the Living, most likely destroying more human lives and stronger than ever.

"I can see we are all in the same boat so to speak," Genryusai said. "We have suffered a disappointing and crushing blow. Even though both Roy and Pamela have been neutralized, Jason remains alive and an active threat to the Cycle of Souls. You all have every right to be disappointed."

Silence swept the room and reigned supreme for several minutes. It was Mayuri who broke the silence by asking. "So what was the Central 46's verdict on D.A.C.U? I imagine we'll have to cancel operations after this resounding failure." His voice betrayed his regret and bitterness.

Genryusai remained silent for a few moments more, as if trying to find the right words to convey the Squad 12 captain's inquiry. At last, he opened his mouth and said, "You imagine wrong, Captain Kurotsuichi!"

"What!?" Mayrui shouted. The other captains looked up at Genryusai with equal looks of shock on their faces.

"While it is true that we failed to neutralize Jason Voorhees and it is true that Central 46 clearly disapproves of D.A.C.U, this experience has only shown us why it is so crucial to track down and destroy these murderous beings! There is no telling how many entities like Freddy and Jason walk the World of the Living as we speak and the longer they are allowed to exist as they are, the more of a threat they pose to the Cycle of Souls and to our reality! This incident may have ended in failure but there is one fortunate thing to come out of this ordeal and that is that despite their clear hesitation on the matter, Central 46 has given the go-ahead on Project D.A.C.U on the grounds we no longer bring any of these entities into the Seireitei!"

A round of collective gasps escaped the other captains as they processed this new turn of events. Mayuri seemed stunned at first, his wide eyes staring into nothing. Then he uttered a short giggle, followed by another one and finally a full-on roar of laughter. "This is amazing!" He shouted. "Finally those imbeciles at Central 46 make the right call!"

"I don't believe it," Toshiro whispered. "In spite of our failure to stop Jason from escaping, D.A.C.U is still being approved?"

"It's not as surprising an outcome as you might think, Captain Hitsugaya." Toshiro looked up to Retsu as she spoke, her gaze still fixed on the Head Captain. "It's clear that Central 46 has been shaken up badly by not only this recent disaster but by Krueger's attack a few months ago. As much as they must despise us for forming this operation without their approval, they know better than anyone who actually has to go into battle should either of those beings return or should another like them emerge." Only then did she turn to the Squad 10 captain. "And who would be left defenseless if we were to fail."

Toshiro didn't say anything nor did he have to. The look of quiet discomfort on his face relayed all that he felt about the situation. He wasn't happy but he wasn't about to complain either. The life of a captain of the Gotei 13 was never meant to be easy either way. This was the new status quo now and he would learn to live with it.

Shunsui sighed as he fixed his hat. "Well, I guess there's no helping it."

Kenpachi smiled. "Works for me! I'm just dying to try out Nozarashi on some fresh meat!"

"From this day forward, Captain Kurotsuichi will lead the D.A.C.U on the search for more beings like Freddy and Jason. They will learn all they can about them, how they arise and ultimately, how to destroy them. To that end, the rest of the Gotei 13 will remain vigilant! This is especially important considering a soul like Pamela Voorhees somehow managed to enter Soul Society and become a Shinigami! Who knows how many more serpents hide in the grass, waiting for the perfect moment to strike!?"

Soifon winced at the idea that more Hell-bound souls could be posing as Shinigami right as this meeting was underway.

"Henceforth, in addition to sniffing out these anomalies, the D.A.C.U will also be charged with discovering how these souls can escape Hell in the first place!" He turned to Mayuri. "I trust you can handle this task, Captain Kurotsuichi?"

"But of course!" Mayuri beamed. "It will require a few more tests and a more advanced form of the interrogation we performed on Jason's victims. Not to mention a thorough background check on the entire student body of the Shino Acadamy but in time, we will find the source of this dilemma!" Unable to hold his excitement in any longer, Mayuri once again cackled. "This is going to be so much fun! I even already have an umbrella term picked out for these beings!"

"Oh," Genryusai raised one of his bushy eyebrows. "And what might that be?"

Mayuri sneered. "As director of the D.A.C.U, I hereby dub Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and all other entities like them Surrassha!"

A few more days passed since the captain's meeting and to say that things were hectic in the Seireitei would have been the understatement of the year. The D.A.C.U was interviewing Rukongai residents left and right, mainly concerning the details of their deaths. Hardly any of these residents wanted to talk openly about the nature of their demise but with someone like Mayuri leading the charge, there was no room for argument or compromise. At the same time, several Shinigami of each Squad were investigating the Shino academy for any sign of suspicious activity. The background checks were a slow but steady process and they had yet to uncover someone who by all rights should have gone to Hell.

In the midst of this chaos, Ichigo Kurosaki was eaten up by something else entirely. Despite his friend's best efforts to convince him otherwise, he still felt responsible for Akane Watanbe's demise as well as his failure to stop Jason or bring in Roy. Roy's fate in particular haunted Ichigo because of the teens that were living under his care, utterly unaware that he was the one who sent most of them to Soul Society in the first place. Tired of seeing Ichigo like this, Rukia headed to the Squad 12 barracks and after a little convincing, managed to track down where Joey and the others lived in the Rukongai. And thus, Ichigo and Rukia found themselves walking through the almost endless array of shops and houses while the river ran next to them.

"So they're really here?" Ichigo asked. "Roy's kids?"

"That's what Rin told me," Rukia replied. "Although with how long Roy's been gone, there is a chance they've already moved on in search of him."

"Yeah, I guess that's a possibility," Ichigo muttered.

"If it's not prying too much, might I ask just what you're planning to do if we do find them? You're not thinking of adopting them are you?"

"Of course not!" Ichigo suddenly shouted, taken aback but what Rukia had just asked.

"Are you sure? Because I'm certain your father could be convinced to take in the girls at least." She said this with an impish smile and narrowed eyes.

"What the hell's wrong with you!?" Ichigo snapped. "It's bad enough having to live under the same roof as my old man! I don't want a bunch of weirdos living inside my closet!" Ichigo seemed to compose himself and looked right into Rukia's eyes as he said. "One was enough!"

Rukia gasped. "Ichigo! You big jerk!" She playfully shoved him and they both burst into laughter. This laughter lasted a few minutes and turned quite a few heads in their direction but they hardly noticed. Once it had finally subsided, they both sighed and continued their journey silently. This would not last long as Ichigo spoke up again, his smile fading before it could even fully form. "If I'm going to be perfectly honest, I have no idea what I can do. I doubt any of these kids have the Reiatsu to become Shinigami and now that Roy's gone..."

He tried to stop himself but Rukia was quick to catch on. She gently grabbed his shoulder and pulled until he turned to her.

"There's something else bothering you, isn't there Ichigo?"

Ichigo looked down to the ground, grunted and answered Rukia's inquiry. "It's just...All these kids...all of them were Roy's victims back when he was alive. The only exception is his own son Joey. And there's no way we can tell them what happened to Roy without..." He broke off again, prompting Rukia to vocalize his remaining thoughts.

"You're afraid of what their reaction will be upon discovering that Roy was their killer." She stated. Not asked, Stated. Ichigo could only nod in reply. "I admit it's not an ideal scenario but we must face the facts. Roy Burns was a murderer and as befitting of a murderer, was cut down by the blade of another. Nii-sama suggested we cook up a cover story concerning Roy's demise so as to keep from stressing these souls out further but deep down, I think we both know they deserve the whole truth. Especially his son."

Ichigo nodded again. "Yeah, you're right."

Suddenly, a voice shouted from up ahead. "Hey! It's Shinigami!" Both Ichigo and Rukia stopped in their tracks as a tubby young man with curly hair and a blue kimono ran up to them. Joining him was a young girl with whiteish-blonde hair and a black kimono. The soles of their bare feet were covered in mud and the boy seemed to wheeze as he ran. The two Shinigami waited patiently as the young teens came up to them and the boy fought for his breath back.

"You...(gasp)...you guys are...(wheeze)..S-Shinigami right?"

"That's right." Ichigo confirmed. Out of habit, he felt tempted to confess he was a substitute but decided to let it slide. In this particular situation, such a title made little difference.

"Listen, have you seen my...(gasp).old man around?" The boy asked he went with one of y'all about two weeks ago and still hasn't come back."

"Your old man?" Ichigo got a sinking feeling in his chest and as he turned to Rukia and saw her widened eyes, he could tell she felt the same. "Listen kid, you're old man...his name wouldn't happen to be Roy Burns would it?"

The boy brightened up. "Yeah! Yeah! That's his name! Kind of a grumpy fella but he's still pretty nice. He left with that scary Shinigami lady, the one with blonde hair!"

"Pamela," Rukia whispered under her breath.

"Do you know where he is? He said he'd be back soon but he's been missing for two weeks now."

"You already said that," The girl muttered, her arms crossed and her eyes rolling.

"Oh, sorry." The boy uttered.

"N-No it's fine." Ichigo said. His mind was scrambled as he tried to find the right words to convey Roy's fate to his son. "That's actually why we're here. We...We understand there's others with you as well."

The girl became unnerved and stepped back, clearly afraid of Ichigo's intentions. The boy, Joey, on the other hand, brightened up again. "Oh sure! Everyone else is at the hut, I can take you over there!"

"Joey! What are you doing?" The girl hissed. "Are you nuts!?"

"It's alright Violet!" Joey reassured her. "I don't think these Shinigami guys are here to hurt us." He turned to Rukia, "You're not here to hurt us are ya?"

"Of course not," Rukia replied. "We simply have some news concerning Roy that we need to share with you and the others under his care." Although she tried to hide it, there was a tone of sadness in her voice that made Ichigo wince. Both Joey and Violet's eyes darkened as if they could already sense what was to come. Nevertheless, Joey inhaled sharply to clear his nostrils and beckoned the Shinigami to follow him. "Come on! I'll take you to the hut!"

Joey ran back from wince he came as Violet followed, shouting at him to wait for her. Ichigo and Rukia exchanged an uneasy glance, neither of them thrilled about what was to come next and followed the two teens back to their hut. It was a modest thing as were most of the huts in the area and possess no door at the entrance. Joey and Violet vanished into the darkness inside and after taking a few more seconds to mentally prep themselves, Ichigo and Rukia followed.

The place was a real mess with salvaged comic books and other trash covering the floor. There was also what appeared to be a makeshift couch, a misshapen thing that most likely comprised of cotton cheaply wrapped in fabric. On this sorry excuse for a couch were two teens, both wearing yellow robes. They were staring at Ichigo and Rukia and hugging each other close. One of them, a young girl with black hair, whispered something to the other one, a young man with brown hair. She broke into a quiet sob on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her while glaring at the newcomers. Rukia deduced that the young couple must have had a bad run-in with Shinigami in the past which only served to make her feel more guilty.

Near the edge of the room sat two other teenagers, a girl with orange hair and a pink kimono and a bespeckled boy in a baby blue kimono. They both were reading old comics when Ichigo and Rukia walked in and as with the couple on the "couch" stared at them, the girl with caution in her eyes and the boy with nervousness. Ichigo and Rukia felt unwelcome in this place.

"So these are the teens Roy killed?" He thought. He didn't even want to think about how they would react to the revelation that the man that had been caring for them was not only dead again but the very same monster that took their original lives away. Just as he was about to contemplate making up a story, he heard a door slam shut from the back of the house, followed by a trio of footsteps approaching. From the darkened hallway, possibly the only real extension within the hut, Joey and Violet emerged with a man closer to Roy's age in tow. He had brown hair and wore a green kimono with faded yellow flowers on it. His face betrayed a tired expression as if he had just been woken up from a much-needed nap. Upon seeing the Shinigami however, his weary eyes brightened as they blinked the fatigue out of themselves.

"Well I'll be damned," He said. "It really is the Shinigami."

"See? I told you!" Joey said. "They said they have news about my Pop!"

The older man walked up to Ichigo and Rukia and looked as if he was about to burst into tears. "I can't thank you enough for what you've done! Thank you so much!" He bowed his head, causing the two confused Shinigami to step back.

"I-I'm sorry but...do I know you?" Ichigo asked.

"Ichigo!" Rukia sharply jabbed him in the ribs. "Don't be so rude!"

"Gah!" He turned to Rukia with dagger eyes and gritted teeth. "Why you!"

Rukia sighed and turned to the man. "I'm sorry. My friend here was never taught proper etiquette."

"What was that?" Ichigo growled. Before the argument could escalate any further, the man raised his hand to break up the fight.

"There's no need to apologize. I'm the one that should say sorry for not clarifying things." The man stood upright and cleared his throat. "My name is John Shepard. I died at Crystal Lake back in 70's. I was trapped underneath the water for God knows how long before one of your kind saved me, a young woman with black hair like yours. B-But she had a white overcoat."

Rukia's eyes widened. "Captain Soifon! Excuse me sir but would you say you were rescued about two weeks ago?"

"Y-Yeah. I think so." John confirmed.

She turned to Ichigo," He must have been konsoed during the search for Jason!"

John nodded. "After that Captain Soifon freed me, I found myself here in the Rukongai." He wearily turned to Joey and Violet. "These kids took me in and explained everything to me. Apparently, their caretaker was taken by another Shinigami shortly before I got here."

Ichigo wanted to set the record straight. He wanted so badly to tell them that Pamela had taken their caretaker under false pretenses. But would they even understand what had happened? It hardly made sense to Ichigo himself and he had lived through it.

"That's right! So do you know where my father is?" Joey asked Rukia. At this point, all eyes were on the lieutenant of Squad 13 and Rukia wanted to disappear. She gulped as she struggled to find the words to say, the least damaging sentence she could use to convey to Joey and the others that Roy would never return. She opened her mouth, unsure if anything was going to come out before-

"He's gone." Ichigo stated, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. Rukia turned to him, her eyes full of fear and surprise. "Ichigo?" She whispered.

Ichigo ignored her and continued. "The Shinigami that took your father was actually Pamela Voorhees, the mother of Jason Voorhees. She forced him to help her save her son when the Gotei 13 came after him. By now, Pamela's been dealt with but Roy...he's gone too." Ichigo looked down to the ground, unable to look Joey or the others in the eye.

Joey looked distraught, his lips trembling and his eyes on the verge of tears. The other teens in the room beheld similar expressions on their faces. Even Violet had to fight back a sob. Both Ichigo and Rukia waited for the cries of protest insisting that Roy was alive, that the Shinigami were somehow mistaken and the eventual blame when it became undeniable that Roy was gone. Instead, much to their surprise, Joey uttered a chuckle through his tears as he leaned his head against John's chest. "Man, does it stink being right or what?" He sniffled as he wiped his nose with his sleeve. John placed a hand on the boy's head and patted him gently.

"What do you mean? Are you saying you knew?" Rukia asked.

"It's more like he had a hunch," Violet said as she rubbed Joey's back. "When a couple of days passed and the old man was still gone, Joey got everyone together and said he was afraid he might have died. There's just no way he would stay away that long, you know. Of course, we denied it. Didn't want to believe it but..." Violet trailed off sadly as she looked down. "I guess we can't do that anymore."

"We're sorry for your loss," Rukia said. "The pain of losing someone close to you is never easy to go through."

"Yeah," Ichigo thought back to his mother as he said this.

The other teens shared their sentiments as well. On the couch, the young girl buried herself in the arms of her boyfriend and sobbed. The boy with glasses stuttered to himself while the girl beside him sighed heavily. "It figures. I'm finally find out the bastard killed us and he goes and dies before he can answer for it!"

Ichigo and Rukia's jaws practically dropped to the floor. "Hold on! You knew about that too!?"

"Once again, it was a hunch." The girl turned to Joey. "You must be psychic or something Joey."

"That's not it," Joey replied gumly. "It's just that Pops was so adamant about finding you guys and whenever I asked him why, he-he would just get this guilty look on his face and dodge the question." He stepped away from John's embrace and faced Ichigo directly. "I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed but I could tell he was hiding something from me and when we found these guys and they told me how that Jason guy killed them, I got to thinking that maybe it wasn't Jason after all."

Violet stepped beside Joey, facing Rukia. "The night after we took in John, when Joey was talking about Roy, he brought up the possibility that it was really him behind the mask. Of course, none of us wanted to believe that either but the more I thought about those final moments, as that man was digging into my stomach with his knife." She rubbed her stomach thoughtfully as she said this. "The more I realized that Joey might have been right."

"I-I always thought that R-Roy seemed familiar," The boy in the blue kimono said. "N-Never realized until that night that it was because he f-f-fucking snuffed me out."

Ichigo and Rukia could only stare blankly at the lackluster reaction the kids were having to this news.

"H-Hey!" Joey waved his hands in front of Ichigo. "Are you alright?"

Ichigo made a face and pulled Joey's hand down. "I'm fine! It's just. Well, you're taking this whole living with your murderer thing a lot more lightly than I expected."

"Don't get us wrong," Violet replied. "We're still plenty pissed for getting killed like that and it's not like we forgive Roy. But," She sighed. "The fact is, he did help us find some sense of normalcy in this fucked-up place. Without him, I'd probably still be wandering through the Rukongai all alone.

"I almost got sold into a prostitution ring before Roy showed up," The girl in the pink kimono said flatly. "I suppose living with your killer's better than that."

"And even if he didn't tell me the truth, I know my Pops was really a good man deep down." Joey said, almost smiling. "I think all he really wanted was a second chance to do things right." Joey looked down as if lost in thought and Ichigo could already tell from the look on his face that he was reminiscing about the short time he was able to share with his father in the Soul Society. It made him smile.

Eventually, Joey looked back up. "Listen, Mr, Shinigami sir. If it's not too much trouble, can we at least have my Pop's body back? It would mean the world to us if we could bury him."

"Speak for yourself!" The girl shouted. "I just want to spit on his corpse."

As the teenagers broke into an argument over how Roy's body should be dealt with, Ichigo felt another pang of guilt as, thanks to Pamela, there wasn't even a body to bury anymore," As he opened his mouth to relay the awful news, Rukia slapped her hand over his mouth and beamed. "We'll be happy to deliver Roy's remains back to you! You'll have to wait a few days but it'll happen! Don't you worry!"

"Really!? That's great!"

Ichigo gripped Rukia's tiny wrist, pulled her to the side and whispered, "What the hell are you doing? Don't give them false hope like that!"

"I'm not!" Rukia defended in a hushed voice. "Kisuke is already working on a Gigai of Roy as we speak. Once it's finished, we'll give them that to bury!"

Ichigo was caught off guard. "A fake?"

"It's all we can do for them and after everything they've been through, they deserve to at least bury their caretaker." Rukia smiled which put Ichigo more at ease. The two Shinigami turned back only to find that Joey and Violet and joined in on the argument over Roy's nonexistent remains, leaving John to stand awkwardly by himself. "I.. think they need time to sort things out." He said. "Let's give them some privacy."

The Shinigami nodded and walked with John outside the hut. The Sun was beginning to set, bathing the Rukongai in a peaceful orange light. The trio found themselves staring at the sunset for the next few minutes, all of them reflecting on the recent upheavals of their lives. Ichigo and Rukia's thoughts consisted of Jason's whereabouts, what other abnormal murders or Surrassha as Captain Kurotsuichi called them roamed the World of the Living and how strong they were. John simply thought back to his arrival in the Rukongai and his being taken in by Roy Burn's former charges. This afterlife wasn't what he was expecting, sure, but compared to the decades he spent trapped in the cold dark bottom of Crystal Lake, this was paradise.

"So," Ichigo finally broke the silence. "They know Roy was their killer and that he's not coming back." He turned to Rukia sadly. "Is that it? Is that all we can do for them?"

"I'm afraid so," Rukia admitted. "There's simply too much on our plate at the moment, especially with D.A.C.U leading the search for more Surrassha. We just have to hope that these kids can find new familes to take care of them."

"That won't be necessary," John butted in casually. "After Joey voiced his concerns over his father coming home, I went and got myself a job with a local merchant. The pay's shit but it'll suffice to keeping a roof over our heads and putting food on the table."

"A-Are you saying you'll be taking care of them?" Rukia asked.

John nodded, "These kids helped me when I first got here and now they have nothing. It's the least I can do. Besides," He paused as his gaze shifted to the emerging stars, his eyes mournful and longing. "I messed things up as a father to my own kid and I've paid dearly for it for the longest time. Now it would seem fate has given me a second chance and I intend to do it right this time." He turned to the Shinigami. "For myself, those kids and for my Tina."

Ichigo and Rukia smiled in understanding, pleased to know that Roy's children would be left in good hands. "Thank you," Ichigo said.

Rukia turned her attention back to the sky and the ever-descending Sun. "We better get going Ichigo. There's an inn not far from here that we can stay at."

"An inn huh?" Ichigo cocked an eyebrow. "You're not gonna make me pay for both our rooms like last time right?"

Rukia turned to Ichigo with a shocked, almost offended expression. "You expect a member of the royal Kuchiki clan to pay for her own room!? For shame!" She stuck her tongue out playfully and took off toward the bridge.

"Hey wait a minute! Dammit!" Ichigo rushed after her, leaving John alone in front of the hut. As he watched the two Shinigami vanish over the hill, he turned back to the chaos inside and sighed happily. "I better get dinner started," He said to himself. "That outta pry everyone's hands off their own throats." Before he stepped inside, however, he took one last look at the stars as they overtook the sky "Wherever you are, I hope you're safe sweetheart."

...

"Dammit Rukia! Where'd you go?" Ichigo shouted as he ran through the Rukongai. Somehow, he had lost Rukia in the crowd as they returned to their homes for the night. He sighed as the last of the Sun's light was vanishing and soon it would be too dark to search for the tiny Shinigami. Just when he felt a barrage of curse words coming on, he noticed a familiar shape watching the dying light from the middle of the bridge. "There you are!" Ichigo dashed over, his face screwed up in a comic smile as he stopped near Rukia. "Ha! Looks like I've caught up with you! I don't know where you get off running away like that but if you think you can stick me with the room fee, you've got...another...thing coming?"

As Ichigo opened his eyes to gauge Rukia's annoyed reaction to his taunting, he was surprised to see that she had hardly registered his presence at all. She was looking at what was left of the sunset, her eyes wide with a quiet but very apparent fear.

"Rukia," Ichigo asked. "What's wrong?"

Only then did Rukia finally acknowledge Ichigo, slowly turning her head toward him, "It's Pamela." She said.

"What!? Where?" Ichigo looked around frantically for any sign of the deranged mother but there seemed to be no one but him and Rukia. The lieutenant of Squad 13 noticed this, gritted her teeth in annoyance and kicked Ichigo in the shin. He screamed in pain and held his injured leg while hopping around on one foot. "Dammit! What the hell was that for!? You're the one who said you saw Pamela!"

"That's not what I meant you imbecile!" Rukia shouted, only for her angry expression to revert back to its previous fretful form at an uncomfortable speed.

"Rukia,"

"It's just," Rukia turned back to the sunset. "Throughout my life as a Shinigami, I've always been taught one inevitable truth. That those that kill or commit other unforgivable acts as humans are doomed to fall into Hell. That's the way it's always been and yet," To Ichigo's surprise, Rukia started to shake. "And yet someone like Pamela was able to walk among us! Form a Zanpakuto just like us!"

"Rukia," Ichigo tried to grab her shoulder but Rukia zipped right back toward him, sheer panic in her eyes.

"How!? How did a soul like hers end up in Soul Society!? How many more are here right now as we speak?"

"Ruki-

"What if it has something to do with the Surassha that have been appearing? What's going on here? What if-

"Rukia!" Ichigo grabbed both of her shoulders and shook her once. The stunned Kuchiki stopped panicking but her eyes were still full of worry and dread as they stared into Ichigo's and her tiny body was still trembling. "Ichigo," She whispered.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo noticed the Moon rising behind Rukia. It was in its waning crescent phase, the rest of its body hidden within the inky blackness of the sky even as the stars shimmered one by one. As Ichigo looked back at the dying sunlight, he was reminded of his dream from the day this whole ordeal with Jason began. "Rukia, do you remember what you said when we were fighting Harekuin?"

"Harekuin?" Rukia repeated. "Freddy's fraction?"

Ichigo nodded. "You said that our resolve was stronger than her power. That not even the power of God would take us down as long as we didn't waver." Ichigo pulled her close. "And you were right. Despite everything they threw at us, we ended up defeating Freddy and his army."

Rukia's lips formed a small smile only for it to falter as she thought back to their most recent ordeal. "But...Jason.."

"We'll find him!" Ichigo reassured her. "We'll find him and every other Surrassha out there and we'll destroy every last one of them! It doesn't matter if they have the power of Heaven or Hell on their side. It doesn't even matter if they weld the power of Death itself! We'll face them head-on and as long as we don't falter, we will win!"

Rukia's eyes widened as she realized something about Ichigo's speech. "He's telling himself this as much as he's telling me!" She thought. "He's making a promise to himself to rid the world of Surrassha and he's strengthening his resolve in order to do it!" Rukia smiled, widely this time. "Hey, aren't those supposed to be my lines?"

Ichigo smiled back. "That's the Rukia I know." He lowered his head toward hers. "From now on, no matter what, our resolve will be iron-clad."

"Yes," Rukia agreed. "It will not be an easy task but we will discover the meaning behind Pamela's entry into Soul Society." Now it was Rukia who stepped closer. "And if our journey should take us into the gaping jaws of Hell itself, there's no one I'd rather have by my side, Ichigo."

The two Shinigami embraced each other and sank into a kiss as the Sun finally relinquished the sky to the Moom completely.

(Ok...Normally I don't go into the finer details of the horror movie sequels but this time, I feel like an explanation is due.

So the tenth movie in the Friday the 13th franchise is Jason X, in which Jason, believe it or not, gets sent into fucking space! Of course, it mostly takes places in the future so I couldn't incorporate it normally into this story, thus the ending of Jason being captured is meant to be a prequel of sorts. I kinda wish it didn't exist so that we could have had Jason go to Hell like Freddy but the arcs need to connect with every existing movie of the franchise in some way, shape or form. That's the rule I came up with for myself and that's helped me to make these arcs more interesting and eventful.

Speaking of Jason going to Hell, yes, Creighton Duke was a Shinigami this entire time. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the character and the movie as a whole. He kinda came off as a Gary-Stu to the point where his actor insists he's still alive despite us seeing Jason break his back. Ok fine. He's alive but only because it was a damn Gigai. And I know Jason being revived by Kido isn't much less different as being brought back as a Deadite but it is what it is.

Finally, to answer NoHorrorYesAnime's inquiry, I am doing a few thing differently than canon in this story. Yachiru is still Kenpachi's Zanpakuto but she won't vanish just yet. She still needs to fight Chucky right? XD

I want to thank everyone who's reviewed, favorited, and followed the story so far. You mean the world to me! Until next time, Chibi out)

"Ma'am?"

"..err..."

"Ma'am?"

"Just five more minutes, ok Giriko?"

"Ma'am!"

"Huh?" Riruka awoke with a start as the flight attendant grabbed her arm. "Gah! What do you want!?" She snapped.

"The flight's over," The attendant said, her voice strained as she clearly struggled with maintaining her work-mandated composure. "You need to exit the plane."

Riruka's snarling mouth became agape with surprise as it dawned on her that she had fallen asleep during her flight. Her cheeks burning with shame, she jumped up from her seat and bowed to the attendant. "I-I'm sorry. Thank you for the service!" She pushed through the attendant and left the plane in a hurry, wanting to get to the baggage claim area as fast as possible. The attendant stared dumbfoundedly at the pink-haired girl as she vanished inside the terminal.

"Tourist." She shook her head.

...

Once she reached the baggage claim area, it didn't take long for Riruka to spot her luggage. She had packed lightly, the only things she had concealed with a bright pink suitcase with the ears and face of a cat and white polka dots. She pulled it away from the conveyer and made her way into the main lobby where she would await a shuttle that would take her to her destination.

To him.

Riruka felt a chill crawl down her spine as she thought about him again. Every muscle, hell, every cell in her body was screaming at her to hop back into that plane, fly back to Japan, and never set foot in this country again. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes, born out of fear rather than sadness. Nevertheless, she forced herself to keep walking until she found a bench to sit on and planted herself. There was a giant poster on the wall across from her that displayed a giant white tower.

Welcome to Springfield! The Capital of Illinois! it read.

Riruka felt a bead of sweat trickle down her temple as she realized she was in the same state as him. The monster that nearly destroyed Xcution. That nearly got her. That nearly..

"No!" She said sharply to herself. "It won't be like last time! No fooling around! No beating around the bush and no room for mercy!" She took out her phone and pulled up the last webpage she had visited before departing on her flight. It was a news article with the headline Medical Examiner Found Dead in Morgue, Body of Maniac Missing!"

"No, it won't be like last time at all!" Riruka promised herself. "This time we'll destroy you for good! You better prepare yourself because this time you're the one being hunted,"

She had to fight through her fear to finish her sentence as she looked back at the poster, seeing past it and into the town that lay miles behind it, where even now, her quarry resided.

"You're the one being hunted, Michael."

Bleach: Jigoku Files: THE UNLUCKY 13 ARC (FINISH)

Up next: THE SHAPE OF EVIL ARC

(Yes! Post-credit scenes for the win! Or I guess in this case, a post-AN scene. Yep, the next arc will feature the Bogeyman himself as our antagonist. Will I be able to upload the first chapter in time for Halloween? Maybe not but I sure as hell am going to try. That being said, I do have a two-part extra story lined up next so stay tuned. I won't say which character it's about but I will give you a hint: Steven King

Once again, thanks to everyone who's shown support for the story, especially NoHorrorYesAnime and MurderMA for their awesome reviews! Until next time, and this time for real, BSC out!)