Masked Angel

Author Note: Hello there everybody. I'm jedielite and this is my first, but hopefully not last, story to be posted here. That being said this is a crossover story between season 2 of Digimon and Bleach. Thank you for giving me a chance and I hope you don't regret it.

Disclaimer: Characters and story elements from Digimon and Bleach belong to their respective owners. Not me.

Chapter 1: Dying of the Light

There were six of them. Six humans at least. Each one was carrying a strange creature she couldn't identify. They weren't important however, only the humans interested her. They were young, the oldest was sixteen at the most, her favorite prey. So full of energy and life. She'd already missed them once, they disappeared somehow shortly after entering the school. But they were leaving for home now. She watched carefully as they walked, studying each one.

"Now, which one of you should I eat?", she hissed knowing they couldn't hear her. At least so she thought. One of them, a girl, suddenly stopped and started looking around.

"What's this? She can hear me? How interesting." she whispered now, not wanting to give her prey any warning as she prepared to strike.

The girl that heard her was still standing there talking to the strange cat-like creature in her arms. She looked up, saw she was being left behind and started running to catch up.

"I guess that answers my question", the hunter sneered as she stretched out her claw and snatched up her prey.

"Kari?", Hikari Kamiya looked down to her partner in her arms.

"Is something wrong?" Gatomon's voice was laced with concern. Kari had suddenly stopped walking and seemed to be looking for something.

"It's nothing," she replied "I thought I heard something that's all." Gatomon wasn't convinced, Kari usually said stuff like that so she wouldn't worry anyone, but she let it drop.

"Okay, but you'd better hurry up. If you're late for dinner your mom won't let you have dessert!"

"But you always eat my dessert."

"That's why I said 'hurry up!'", Gatomon whined a little to emphasize her point.

"Alright. I'm going, I'm going.", she said with a giggle as she jogged to catch up with the other Digidestined. They were on their way home after a short visit to the Digital World.

It had been barely a year since Malomyotismon's defeat and everything seemed perfect. Kari had started dating TK much to Yolei's delight and Davis' despair. Ken had just placed third in a national chess tournament and Yolei officially started a long distance relationship with Willis in America. Cody started an after school computer club but meetings usually consisted of him telling the members about their adventures, not that he really minded of course, it was still fun. Finally, Davis managed to beat a new horror video game called "Nightmare Motel" in record time, seriously that's it, but in his defense he sulked for a good two months after Kari started going out with TK.

Things were going just as well for the original Digi-crew as well. Sora and Tai started dating a little before Kari and TK. Matt's band released their first album and it went gold only a few weeks later. Davis' sister Jun is still his number one fan and he finally stopped avoiding her. Izzy works part-time at a computer repair store, where the owner has already promised him a partnership when he graduates. Joe was accepted into a top medical school and plans to spend most of summer vacation with his nose in the books. Mimi is still living in America but meets the others in the Digital World whenever she gets the chance. Everything seemed perfect.

"Come on Kari, you're falling behind!", Yolei called as she waved. The others had stopped to wait for Kari to catch up with them. She slowed to a walk when she was just a few feet away.

"Sorry guys." Kari apologized.

"What's up? Why'd ya stop?" Davis' asked.

"Is something the matter?" TK was worried.

"No, really I just-" Kari's excuse was suddenly cut off.

To her friends' horror she collapsed at their feet, her eyes frozen in fear.

"Oh… What happened?", Kari moaned as she tried to push herself up off the ground. It had felt like something actually reached inside her body and pulled her down.

"Kari!?", someone shouted. "Wake up Kari! Come on wake up!" It was TK and he sounded like he was crying.

"Ken hurry and call an ambulance!!" This time it was Yolei. She sounded almost hysterical.

"It's already ringing." Ken sounded calmer but was obviously frightened.

Kari managed to lift herself to into a sitting position and called out to them.

"I'm alright guys. I must have tripped or some…thing." The last word squeaked out as she lifted her head.

The spot she sat was at least twenty feet from her friends. Ken was on his cell phone trying his best to stay composed and not yell at whoever was on the other side. Davis, Cody and the Digimon looked like they were in shock as TK, Yolei and Gatomon desperately tried to revive….her.

Her breathing sped up slightly as she looked on but it felt like she wasn't getting any air at all. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. There she was sprawled out on the sidewalk several feet away from where she was now.

"W…What's…happening? How can I be-", she stopped short when her eyes caught sight of something strange. On the ground infront of her was a long silver chain. Cautiously she reached out and picked it up. She pulled on it slightly and felt a sharp pain in her chest. When she looked down she saw that one end of the chain was attached to the front of her shirt, but judging from the pain she guessed it went through to the skin. Starting from the part she held she followed the chain and saw the other end was attached to the other her on the ground.

"What's going on here? What is all this!?", she screamed the last part praying someone would hear her. Unfortunately, someone did.

"My, My. Aren't we the curious one?", a voice chuckled close behind her.

Shaking now, Kari felt as though she was back in the Dark Ocean. There was something very evil right behind her, she could almost feel it's breath on her neck.

"Come on now, let ol' Spindle have a look at you." The voice spoke again, it sounded like it was smiling.

Very slowly Kari turned her head and looked behind her. When she finally saw it she was too scared to even scream. It was a monster, there was no other word to describe it. The thing was the size of a small truck with four thin legs holding up it's red crab-like body. On top of that body was what looked like a human torso with a pair of snapping claws instead of arms and a large hole where stomach should be. It's head was the worst part. It's face was covered with as large white mask that resembled a bleached dinosaur skull and its eyes were glowing red.

"Oh, you're a pretty one aren't you?" The monster spoke again, it sounded like an old woman who'd smoked half her life.

"Wha…What are you?", Kari tried not to sound scared. "Did you do this?"

"That's right. You see it's much easier to get at your soul if I remove it from your body first."

"My…soul?" The fear had returned to Kari's voice. She looked back to her friends and saw that they were still trying to wake her up. She realized they couldn't see her or the monster.

"You mean I'm..", she felt her eyes tear up, "…dead?"

"Correct. You catch on pretty quick." Kari didn't respond, she could hardly breathe.

I'm dead. This was all she could think about.

"How'd you like to play a game with me, little one?" The strange question snapped Kari out of her shock.

"What do you mean, 'game'?" she tried not to panic as the monster, Spindle it called itself, leaned forward until it's was an arm's length away.

"The rules are simple: I close my eyes and count to ten while you run away. If I can't catch you after ten minutes I'll return you to your body safe and sound." Kari's widened, she couldn't believe it. Would this monster really let her go? She doubted it.

"And," Kari gulped before continuing, "if you catch me before that?" Spindle started chuckling.

"Why, then I'd get to eat you of course." The panic Kari had held back broke through.

"Eat me!? B-But why give me the chance to escape?" She'd jumped to her feet, suddenly finding her strength.

"For two reasons: One, I like to play with my food."

"Th-That's a bad habit you know." Kari tried to stall and think of a way out of this, but Spindle ignored her.

"And two," Kari could tell it was grinning beneath it's mask. "I highly doubt you'll last two minutes."

Kari felt the blood drain from her face as Spindle slowly covered her masked face with her claw.

"Oooone….Twoooo," Kari turned and ran at the second count, trying to put as much distance between her and the monster as possible. Her clear head finally returning.

If it's after me, then I don't think it'll hurt the others, she reasoned. She saw the ambulance approaching from the end of the street.

If nothing else maybe it won't attack if there are too many people around. She frowned at the thought, it attacked her after all and her friends were right there. She shook her head and dropped the thought.

No, it could've eaten me right there if it wanted. I just have to believe that I'm it's only target. Besides this is my one chance to survive this. She picked up the pace not even realizing how fast she was running. She let one last tear fall as she turned into the next street.

"Eiiiight..", Spindle had moved right next to where the paramedics were lifting Kari's body into the ambulance.

"Niiiine…", Slowly she lifted one of her legs moved it over the chain of fate.

"TEN!!", and brought it down, breaking the chain beneath it.

"Ready or not, here I come little one." She scuttled after her prey, the hunt was on.

There you have it, the first chapter of my first story. How was it, Questions? Comments? Requests, Ideas? Just let me know. I'm already working on the next chapter so please be patient.