AN ODE TO MY SHITTY LAPTOP
Ch. 4
Constantine felt the chill of the Dangai slip off him as he exited the Garganta into the Hollows' home realm, Hueco Mundo. His pupil, Ichigo Kurosaki, stood to his left, garbed in a shihakusho that blurred his outline against the pitch darkness of Hueco Mundo's horizon; and to Constantine's right were Ichigo's friends, Uryu Ishida and Sado "Chad" Yasutaro, both of whom held airs of caution next to their Visored companion. It was very clear that the two of them did not trust him, but their trust was not his concern, and neither was Orihime's rescue; Dell's only concern was that of Ichigo Kurosaki's safety. The four of them stood for a few moments in silence as they surveyed their surroundings. Dell found the endless sand dunes uncanny as they stretched far beyond the horizon, with only the occasional crooked mockery of a tree breaking up the monotony of the desert. Next to the unnerving atmosphere, he noticed that there was nothing else; not a single notable landmark stood against the horizon to guide the four in any way.
"Well, Ichigo. Did you have a plan for after stepping through the magic portal?" Dell said. Ichigo shot his mentor with an annoyed glare and turned towards the distant hills.
"Sure, I do. We pick a direction and start walking till we find Orihime." Ichigo replied as he pointed towards the horizon and began walking, Uryu and Chad following closely as Ichigo marched ahead with no plan of action but a goal in mind.
"I don't like this plan." Constantine muttered as he meandered behind his three companions. It was strange to Dell just how much loyalty Ichigo had to his friends, but that would be expected from someone such as him—a good friend, a great brother, and a staunch ally. Characteristics most Shinigami lacked: friends weren't something a Death God made often, and it was even less likely those friendships lasted; almost all Shinigami had no memory of their families, and even if they did, they would never see them again after attending the academy; and that last attribute? Well, Constantine had learned that you should never place too much trust in another Shinigami when that trust could be put to better use in your zanpakuto.
"You are a pitiable creature, Dell Constantine." Akuma's words echoed faintly in Dell's consciousness. At times, Dell forgot that Akuma and himself shared his body; their souls were inseparably intertwined; their emotions broadcasted to one another like radio frequencies. "You place too little trust in your comrades and too much in yourself."
"And what makes you the supreme authority on trustworthiness? Hollows aren't exactly the type to make long-lasting friendships, Akuma." Dell broadcast his thoughts as he followed behind Ichigo and his friends.
"Despite my presence, you still know so little of my kind. Even the most debased of us desire kinship."
"I'll believe it when I see it."
"So slow to adapt; even after the century we have spent in each other's company, you still see Hollows as mere beasts. And the Soul Society wonders why we fight so fiercely to annihilate them." Akuma's tone was tinted with hate, probably not noticeable if one was simply listening to the Hollow speak, but it was clear as crystal to Dell since he felt the same hatred welling up inside himself as Akuma spoke.
"Scary. You're not going to turncoat all of a sudden, are you? Remember, we're here to keep Ichigo alive, not to dismantle the Gotei or something."
"Of course, Young Kurosaki's safety takes precedence."
"It's good to know you've got your priorities."
Silence held the group for a few moments after the exchange had ended, but it did not last as a small figure came over the horizon in a sprint. A shout followed as three more figures, more monstrous in appearance, chased the smaller one. Constantine was content to not interfere in the chase, as it was the natural order in Hueco Mundo, but it would seem Ichigo and his friends were not as willing as Constantine to ignore the chase. The three of them charged into the fray, weapons drawn, prepared to engage the larger hollows in defense of the smaller one. Dell stayed close behind them but did not engage, watching as the three would-be heroes attacked; he wouldn't be able to stay out of it completely, however, as the small Hollow ran to him with tears in their eyes as they began to plead for him to stop his comrades. Despite his initial disinterest in the Hollows, Dell found this one's plight sympathetic, and so, hefting them onto his shoulders, he shouted to his allies.
"Oi! Hold your fire, ladies!" All involved parties turned sharply towards Dell. "They're friends of this little one here."
"Yeah!" The Hollow agreed. "They're Nel's friends!"
Ichigo, Uryu, Chad, and the duo of Hollows all stopped and turned to look at Dell and the little Hollow on his shoulders. Dell walked over to the group and set Nel down. She stomped towards Ichigo, armed with a pout and a furrowed brow.
"How could you attack Nel's friends like that?" She chastised. "You could have really hurt them!" Ichigo obviously struggled to understand the situation, but it was clear to him that he had made a mistake, so he knelt to bring himself closer to Nel's height.
"We're sorry for attacking your friends," Ichigo apologized. "We thought you were in danger and wanted to help."
"That's okay! You smell good! Nel thinks you smell like strawberries." Dell smirked and was prepared to make a snarky remark, but Nel cut him off. "Nel likes you too! You smell like Dondochakka and Pesche!"
"That's nice," Dell said, trying his damnedest to not make his offense obvious, "but we've actually got somewhere to be so..." Dell looked to Ichigo to end the conversation so that the rescue could continue without further delay. Dell could swear that if he were in this godforsaken realm any longer, he'd be sick.
"He's right," Ichigo said to Nel, "we're looking for our friend. She was kidnapped and brought here. She's got bright orange hair, like mine. Maybe you've seen her?" Dell resisted the urge to slap Ichigo for not just ending the conversation and being on his way.
"Nel hasn't seen anyone else with orange hair, but we can help you get where she might be!" Nel turned away from the group and cupped her hands over her mouth. "Bawabawa!"
A moment of silent anticipation followed Nel's cry. Soon the ground began to shake and the sands shifted as a loud groan echoed across the dunes; a massive creature beneath the sands sped towards them at a breakneck pace from its resting place far off. Uryu and Chad tensed up, but Ichigo and Dell remained calm and awaited Nel's new friend. Once it broke the surface of the sands, Bawabawa revealed itself as an immense serpent like Hollow, easily one of the largest without being a Gillian. Nel approached the creature confidently and patted it as she turned back to the group.
"We'll ride Bawabawa to Los Noches. That's where the biggest and strongest Hollows are; your friend is probably there."
"Oh, joy," Dell said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You know, perhaps Orihime isn't in that big of a pickle. She may have escaped already, for all we know."
Dell's desperate attempt to sway Ichigo was met with a menacing glare that left him with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Despite Constantine's disinterest in Orihime's security and desire to not fight "the biggest and strongest Hollows," he did as the others did and climbed onto Bawabawa's back. Together, Ichigo's allies and Nel's small family of misfit Hollows made for Los Noches, where Orihime was being guarded by the most dangerous Arrancar in Hueco Mundo. Dell, for one, was not going to sit and wait for hours in silence, so he concentrated and gave the wheel to Akuma; the Hollow mask forming did not go unnoticed as Uryu pulled his bow, Ginrei Kojaku, on the Visored. Ichigo and Chad intervened, trying their best to disarm the situation.
"Uryu, what're you doing?" Ichigo demanded as he stood between Akuma and Uryu's notched arrow.
"Get out of my way, Kurosaki!" Uryu demanded. "That bastard's going to turn on us; I know it."
"What on Earth makes you think that?"
"He pulled his mask without any warning. Ichigo, he didn't even use his hand! He's a danger to Orihime!" Ichigo chewed on Uryu's words for a moment before looking over his shoulder at Dell.
"I trust Dell, Uryu. We may not be friends, but he is my teacher, and I know he wouldn't hurt Orihime." Akuma felt pride well up in his chest as his pupil defended him from Uryu's accusations. Ishida held his bow for a moment before giving a frustrated huff and lowering his weapon. After Uryu's scene was finished, everyone returned to their seats on Bawabawa's back: Uryu next to Chad and Ichigo next to Akuma.
"Thank you, Kurosaki." Akuma said, his gratefulness barely audible through his sandpaper voice.
"No problem, Akuma. Sorry about him. I don't know what made him go off the rails like that."
"There is no need. Your friend is right to be distrustful of me," Akuma said, looking into the distance, his eyes barely visible beneath the tiger-esc mask. "I am a Hollow, after all."
"I still find that hard to believe."
"What?"
"That Dell just gives you control," Ichigo said, turning his full attention to Akuma, "and then he can just take it back."
"You misunderstand mine and Constantine's arrangement, Kurosaki." Akuma said. The Hollow leaned over the edge of Bawabawa, grabbed a fistful of sand, and let it fall between his fingers. His eyes closed as he focused on the sensation. "When you came to the Visored initially, you had to battle the Hollow within to gain control. You made it submit to your will."
"Yeah, and it was a hard fight too. I'm glad I'll never have to deal with that slimy bastard again." Akuma gave Ichigo a hearty laugh. "What?" Ichigo asked, confused.
"Your demons are far more persistent than you realize, Kurosaki, but that is for another day. Every Visored beat the Hollow in their soul into submission, as you did, but Constantine failed where they succeeded. He and I battled in the depths of his soul for three days. Both of us were so exhausted that we could not move from where we lay, so we were forced to speak."
"So you two had a nice chat?" Ichigo asked, barely able to believe the words coming from his mentor's mouth. Akuma winced.
"I would not call it nice." Akuma said. "We negotiated for hours before we came to a satisfactory agreement. I would grant him the power he sought in my defeat, but, in exchange, I would have control of his body." Ichigo took in these words and thought about the times he had been booted out of his own body by his Hollow, how losing control had felt, and wondered if Dell felt the same way when he put on his mask.
"How does Dell take back control?"
"He does not. He trusts that, when the time comes, I will return control to him, and I honor that trust by doing so."
Ichigo was taken aback by the nature of Dell's arrangement with Akuma. Could he have done the same thing? He hadn't even known that talking to his father was an option. Maybe it hadn't been? Akuma looked at Ichigo and chuckled at the look of awe on his face.
"You have many questions; I can see that, but there are much more pressing matters at the moment." Akuma stood. "We have reached Los Noches."
Ichigo turned around and saw that Akuma spoke true; in front of them was what looked like a concrete dome that stretched indefinitely in either direction. The massive structure inspired terror and awe, like a castle; it sent a clear message to everyone who saw it: "We are strong; oppose us and die." Ichigo wasn't deterred, however. There was one of his closest friends in there, and she needed his help. Ichigo wouldn't let anything stop him from saving Orihime. He stood and jumped off of Bawabawa, followed by Uryu and Chad, as well as Nel and her friends, but Akuma hadn't followed. Ichigo turned and found that Akuma had taken his leave when the young Shinigami was hit with Dell's accent.
"Oh, this is just grand." Dell said. "You expect me to follow you into Hell, and then you ask me to walk right up to Satan's doorstep and ring the bell?"
"You've got one thing wrong, Dell." Ichigo said as his mentor hopped from Bawabawa's back, "I wasn't asking." He said it with a smirk. A look of surprise washed over Dell's face at Ichigo's snark, but it was quickly replaced with a smile of his own.
"Well, look at you! You've gained a sense of humor; maybe you have learned something from me after all." Ichigo turned towards Nel.
"Now," he began, "how do we get in there, Nel?" Nel looked up at Ichigo, her eyes blank and somewhat glazed.
"Nel doesn't know." She said. Dell spun around and scurried towards the small Hollow with his arms out in a pleading gesture.
"No, no, no, no. No, please, do not tell me you brought us all this way without knowing how to get in." He begged. His groveling wouldn't last very long, however, as he was interrupted by the ground beneath them's violent shaking; the sands opened beneath them, and the group was sent flying by the appearance of a new foe. Nel and her friends fled behind their allies, who tried desperately to stand in the constantly shifting sands of Hueco Mundo.
"What is that thing?" Uryu cried over the creature's roars.
"It doesn't matter," Ichigo responded, "just start shooting." And Ishida obliged. The arrows, unfortunately, were not doing much of anything as they sank harmlessly into the Hollow. Dell, Ichigo, and Chad charged in to attack but found that their swings did just as little, if not less, than Uryu's shots.
"How do you expect us to kill something we can't hit?" Dell yelled, his voice thick with frustration.
The Hollow bellowed and dragged its massive fist across the battlefield, launching its opponents away and into the wall of Los Noches. Dell felt pain course through his body as he made contact with the wall and struggled to get up afterward. He looked over to his comrades in hopes that they were faring better, but found that they were struggling to keep steady as well after such a ferocious attack. It almost felt hopeless seeing the Hollow's ominous frame, even half submerged in the dunes, tower over them, and they couldn't even touch the damned thing. Time slowed down as Dell readied to try and deflect the inevitable follow-up; the Hollow reared its fist, prepared to pummel the Visored, and Dell tensed, preparing himself for the coming pain. As the fist came crashing towards him, Dell flinched and waited, but the blow never came, and the air had become inexplicably colder.
"Some No Mai, Tsukishiro!" Dell turned and saw that the Hollow had been completely frozen through, in mid-swing, and beyond that stood two Shinigami.
"Rukia!" Ichigo yelled. "Renji!" He ran towards the two with his arms open in thanks. Rukia delivered a swift jab to his chin, and Renji followed with a left hook to Ichigo's jaw. Dell knelt down to his pupil, who now lay flat on the sand, and inspected the injuries. He muttered something to himself about missing teeth but was interrupted by Rukia's screeching.
"Idiot!" She cried. "Why'd you come to Hueco Mundo without me?"
"With the way you left, I wasn't sure you'd ever come back.
"Of course I was going to come back!" Rukia interjected. "That was the plan from the start! You should've waited for us!" She knelt down to be level with the now-seated Ichigo. "Don't you have any faith in us? We're friends, aren't we?" Ichigo sat in stunned silence for a moment before speaking.
"Yeah…" He said it, his voice barely above a whisper. "You are."
"I hate to impose," Dell announced as he placed himself between Ichigo and Rukia, "but we still don't know how to get into the massive Fortress of DeathTM." Rukia glared at him for a moment before addressing Ichigo.
"Who's he?" Her bluntness cut Dell's ego deep, but he didn't get to say much of anything with how much he was stumbling over his own words in his offended stupor. Ichigo cut him off and turned to Rukia.
"I'll explain later, but right now he's right. We need to get inside Los Noches." Rukia nodded, approached the wall, and pressed her hand against it. She focused for a moment and announced that the wall didn't seem to be made of spirit-diminishing stone, and while she no doubt was formulating a proper plan to get through, Renji had his own ideas.
"If it's not spirit-diminishing," he said, "that means we can go all out!"
Renji and Ichigo walked up to the wall with wicked smiles and eager eyes. They unsheathed their zanpakutos and swung, and the wall crumbled under the stress of their blows, sending shrapnel flying in all directions. They quickly entered through the new hole they had made in Los Noches' defenses and were quickly followed by their friends and allies. Now, the ever-expanding rescue team found themselves in a large chamber with three enormous entrances going in different directions.
"Well, Ichigo, which direction are we picking this time?" Dell snarked.
"This is unexpected," Orihime jumped at Ulquiorra's voice, "you're looking rather good, for a prisoner that is."
"How long have you been there?" She shouted.
"I only just got here, and, please, don't make such a fuss; it's annoying." The ghastly pale Arrancar wandered closer to his captive, his stoic demeanor portraying no emotion. "I have news for you. Your friends have come to Hueco Mundo; in fact, they're here in Los Noches as we speak."
"Why?"
"Why?" Ulquiorra repeated the question to himself and turned to Orihime with an incredulous look, asking, "Do you even need to ask? In order to rescue you, for them, there is no reason other than that."