I don't own Bleach or Tokyo Ghoul

Chapter 1

Ichigo Kurosaki scowled.

If someone else on the bus bothered to look over they would see a young, orange haired teen, scowling at the roof of the bus like it had viciously insulted him.

What they didn't see, was a powerful ex-Shinigami, thinking deeply on the most satisfying way to punch his father the next time he saw him.

Isshin Kurosaki was an annoyance at the best of times but his stupidity frustrated his son to no end. After Ichigo had lost his powers the previous year he had comfortably slipped into normal life again, the worries and problems of the Shinigami didn't trouble him anymore and never again would.

And that would have been fine. It had been what he wanted for a long time.

But at the same time it wasn't.

But as they say, absolute power corrupts absolutely. And Ichigo had been powerful, growing more and more powerful as each battle passed him by. And he got used to it, knowing that he could fulfil his desire to protect.

But even as Ichigo told himself that in his mind, he found the power alluring. That he decided who lived and died on his mercy. That he could swing his blade and reshape the terrain.

He never had the time nor the drive to capitalise on this power, between fighting off hollows and foes that crawled out the woodwork every other week.

That one battle, the peak of their powers. And Ichigo enjoyed it. The stakes, the power that could level mountains at their whim.

But he had to win, at any cost. At to that end, he gave it up. Used all his power in a desperate last attack.

And then it was gone. All the strength.

He was powerless. He couldn't fight sprits anymore, not without it. So Ichigo was left behind. Not intentionally but abandoned all the same. The Shinigami lost interest in him, hollows ignored him. He found that the friends he had brought into the circle, as soon as he stepped out of the circle, they closed it behind him.

He couldn't help them. Not anymore. They reassured him they were still friends, but he hated that feeling when they all disappeared to chase a hollow, and left him behind.

It infuriated him. But he never told anyone. To admit it aloud was to recognise that he had enjoyed his time as a Shinigami. That he had fallen for his power.

Ichigo was bitter. He felt alone. Abandoned.

So, when his father told him that he had gotten him into Kamii University in the 20th ward of Tokyo, he was secretly glad.

A new start, away from the memories and reminders of what he could never reclaim.

Isshin had proposed the idea that Ichigo attend Kamii University and Ichigo had put up the façade of complaining that he'd rather stay at Karakura than leave for Tokyo.

He'd pretended that he'd didn't want to go, faked slowly being convinced and grudgingly accepting.

Ichigo was glad. A way to distance himself from his previous life without upsetting his friends.

So now, here he was, on the bus approaching the area where his new apartment was located. Isshin had agreed to pay the first month of rent while Ichigo got his bearings but he'd have to get a job to continue renting.

Ichigo hid his thoughts behind a scowl.

When he finally disembarked the bus and took in the city, it was a literal breath of fresh air.

The city was a thriving metropolis. Even in the dead of night, the people moved like gears in a machine. Each part living its own existence separately yet dependant on each other.

The neon that appeared so commonly in mega-cities like Tokyo lit the streets with bright, glowing light. The whir and shriek of cars speeding through the streets, the hum of crowd chatter accumulated into a complete nuisance to Ichigo's ears

Unaccustomed to the busy thrum of Tokyo, he wandered through the streets, tightly gripping his suitcase. Ichigo's tall frame led to him having to carefully navigate through the crowd, resisting the urge to roar in frustration and just bowl through the crowds.

He eventually found the apartment, thanks to the streets signs and asking a multitude of different people for directions.

Ichigo set his suitcase down and sat on the dusty mattress of his new apartment. It was small, cramped even but not so that he'd make a fuss about it.

He scowled. Now he just had to find a job.

But that would have to be done tomorrow, right now it was late and he was exhausted. Ichigo slipped from his upright position to lying down. Too tired to bother with covers, he shifted his pillow before settling and closing his eyes, scowl slowly dropping as he was lulled into a light sleep.

Ichigo woke early the next morning, sitting up quickly, before relaxing slightly. He stood from the bed, shaking the stiffness from his muscles and joints.

Checked the time and stretched. 6:47, it was Sunday, so it was best that he find a job before his time at Kamii started. Ichigo yawned as he pulled his toothbrush out before going through the mundane morning rituals, changing out of his clothes from yesterday and slipping on comfortable casual wear.

He left the apartment, absently strolling down the streets of Tokyo, inspecting any and all businesses.

To his aggravation and growing frustration, he couldn't find a single place offering a job. Ichigo scowled, he didn't know what to look for or where he should be looking. He just knew he needed a job to pay the rent.

But the large population in Tokyo made finding an unoccupied position incredibly difficult.

After hours of mindless wandering and mentally cursing to himself, Ichigo decided he needed a break. His father had told him before he left that he'd better get used to caffeine, whatever that meant, so Ichigo decided to head to the nearest café.

Asking a local residents for directions before jogging down the indicated street until he reached the café.

Anteiku.

It was quaint, he supposed, small but warm. Pleasant and homely. Ichigo fought to keep the displeasure on his face, refusing to acknowledge the comfortable atmosphere.

"Welcome!" An equally pleasant voice called out as he swung the door open, accompanied by a tiny jingle. "Can I get you anything?"

"Uh, yeah, coffee, I guess." Ichigo replied, somewhat off-put by the polite voice, which he now knew belonged to the purple haired girl standing in front of him, dressed in what he assumed was the uniform of Anteiku, with her purple hair covering her right eye from view. The café was empty besides Ichigo, the waitress and a waiter at the counter.

"Cappuccino? Latte?" She asked patiently as she guided Ichigo to a table seat by the window.

Ichigo shrugged, he had very little experience drinking coffee. "What's the best coffee you have?"

The waitress was beginning to get annoyed, but she didn't let it show. That would be bad for business, instead she forced a smile. "I'll ask the manager."

As the waitress turned and left to consult this manager Ichigo relaxed in his seat.

"Hey kid." Ichigo looked over to the counter where the waiter was leaning over the counter and smiling, his brown hair styled into a pompadour that bounced slightly as he leaned forwards. "I haven't seen you around before, you knew in the 20th ward?"

"Yeah, I just got here yesterday." Ichigo replied, slightly hesitant to engage in conversation with the friendly stranger.

"Are you studying at Kamii University? One of our waiters, Kaneki, studies there."

Ichigo nodded as the waitress reappeared and whispered something to the waiter before leaving the near empty café. The waiter set about brewing the coffee as Ichigo watched his experienced hands expertly handle the coffee machine, delicately handling the beans.

"What are you studying?" The waiter continued the conversation as he worked.

"Medicine."

The waiter raised an eyebrow. "Medicine? No offence, but you don't exactly look like a medical student."

Ichigo reaffirmed his scowl and grunted slightly in possible agreement. "My father's a doctor, we've got a family clinic back home. I thought I might as well."

"Back home? You're not from another ward?"

"No, I'm from Karakura town. It's kinda far."

The waiter stroked his chin. "So you're staying away from home, in an apartment, right?" Ichigo nodded and the waiter hummed as he poured the fresh coffee into a porcelain mug, before walking over and handing it Ichigo. "You need a job to pay the rent, from the looks of you, you've just been job hunting, right?"

Ichigo scowled deeper. "Yeah, I've been looking for hours, but I can't find anywhere." The waiter chuckled as Ichigo complained.

"Believe me, we've all been there. It can be a nightmare out there." The waiter leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially. "But hey, maybe I can help you get a job here, if you're interested that is."

Ichigo grunted. "I'll take whatever I can get."

"Great! I'll have a chat with Mr Yoshimura, maybe he'll agree to interview you, he probably will, he's a bleeding heart like that." The waiter slapped him in the back and laughed, wandering off into the recesses of the café.

Ichigo sighed, letting his scowl drop slightly. He peered down into the steaming beverage, gently swirling round in the cup. He raised the mug to his lips and sipped.

Blinking at the taste, he took another sip. It was fantastic coffee, it wasn't like he was an expert but even Ichigo could tell it was well made. The heat didn't bother him, he'd felt hotter before.

Soon enough, Ichigo was staring into the bottom of the empty cup, wondering mournfully where the drink had disappeared to.

"Hey!" Ichigo looked up. It was the waiter again, gesturing to the door which he held open. Ichigo stood and walked through the door.

The waiter led Ichigo through to a small room. He stepped inside and the door was closed behind him.

The room was rather plain, but still retained that homely vibe that the whole building generated. A wall of the room was covered in lockers. The window was covered by shutters, and in front of the window, with his back to Ichigo, stood a man.

Ichigo presumed this was the manager. He stood as tall as Ichigo, head held high and arms behind his back with a posture that belonged more on a soldier than a café manager. With his back turned Ichigo could only make out the man's white hair and wrinkled hands.

"So" The manager spoke without turning. "Koma tells me you're interested in a position here at Anteiku. Is that correct?" Ichigo guessed that was the name of the waiter earlier.

"Yeah, that's right." Ichigo replied casually. The man turned then and Ichigo could see his face.

He was smiling, in that kind old grandfatherly way that Ichigo had only ever seen from a distance, and never directed towards him. Yoshimura's eyes were mostly closed but partially open as he looked directly at him. As he thought, Yoshimura was elderly, wrinkled and white hair.

"Hm. Well, I don't see why not. The more the merrier and we'll need extra hands for the cold season." Ichigo was surprised, but then again, Koma did say he was kind, so it wasn't too much of a surprise.

"Thank you, uh sir." Ichigo bowed slightly.

They discussed his part-time hours between attending Kamii and working at Anteiku, and Ichigo left, satisfied with the coffee and his new part-time job.

The day of exploring the streets soon came and went and Ichigo returned to his apartment to retire.

The next day went rather well, Ichigo arrived at University in time, textbooks in order and prepared. Soon enough, Ichigo was dismissed from the classroom and went to go have lunch.

He decided a drop by Anteiku wasn't a bad idea, perhaps meet his new co-workers.

So he felt slight déjà vu when he pushed the door open, a small jingle and "Welcome!" sounded.

"Oh, it's you again. Koma told me you'll be working here now." The purple haired waitress appraised him with her uncovered eye and nodded grudgingly. "Touka, Touka Kirishima."

He nodded back. "Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Yo! Touka!" A voice called from behind him and Ichigo turned. "Hey, I remember you! You're the new kid, right?"

The voice belonged to a person who Ichigo would normally label: to be avoided. Grinning cheerfully, he held himself loosely with a casual, even informal posture. He reminded Ichigo of Kisuke, the mad shinigami shop owner from Karakura, so that was immediately points against him.

His bright yellow and black jacket with green shorts was a mess of colour. His strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes did nothing to help his situation.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at his question. "Yeah, and you are?"

He grinned wider and Ichigo scowled wider. "Hideyoshi Nagachika." He stuck out his hand. "But you can call me Hide." Hide seemed unperturbed when Ichigo didn't return the hand. "Since you're new, I'll buy you coffee, my treat."

Ichigo shrugged. "Sure." And they sat at a seat by the window. Hide soon pulled another chair over, though Ichigo wasn't sure why, there wasn't anyone accompanying Hide. They ordered coffee and light lunch.

"So, you're new in the 20th ward, right? I mean, it would be pretty hard to miss you with that orange hair!" Hide laughed and Ichigo twitched, quips about his hair followed him wherever he went.

"Yeah." Ichigo replied laconically, refusing to engage in the conversation fully, slightly unnerved by Hide's friendliness. Their lunch arrived and Hide continued the conversation as they drank their coffee.

"Ah, I remember being the new kid in town. It sucks, y'know?" Ichigo did know. "I assume you don't know anyone in town right? They'd probably be with you if you did." Hide smiled and looked over Ichigo's shoulder, waving to someone behind him. "Yo! Kaneki!"

Ichigo turned to the door, watching as the newcomer approached the table where Hide had pushed the third chair out for him.

Kaneki seemed average enough at first glance, dark hair and eyes, skinny figure, light blue hoodie. But little things stood out, the most prominent being the eyepatch slung across Kaneki's left eye.

He looked nervous, shifting his weight from foot to foot uneasily, fiddling with the worn spine of the book he held.

"O-oh, uh, hi Hide and um-"

Hide slapped him on the back. Ichigo's eye twitched. It was starting to annoy him, first Koma now Hide.

"This is Ichigo! He's a new student at the University and I heard he's going to be working here at Anteiku."

Kaneki looked slightly distressed when Hide brought up his new employment, reaching up to adjust his eyepatch and looking away. "Oh, really? That's, um, that's great." Kaneki's false cheer didn't fool Ichigo, he doubted it fooled Hide.

Hide turned towards Ichigo. "Kaneki and I are old friends." He smiled fondly. "He still can't get his head of a book."

"Right. I need to get going, Hide. I guess I'll see you at work, Kaneki." Ichigo pushed his chair out and stood, nodding to them before he turned and left.

Kaneki let go of the shiver he held in as Ichigo left. He released a deep breath through his mouth. He sat down at Hide's prompting. He glanced over his shoulder again.

"You okay, Kaneki?" Hide asked, barely keeping his concern from showing.

Kaneki wasn't okay. Not one bit. There was something about that guy, Ichigo that triggered something. He couldn't put his finger on it, it felt instinctive. The hair on the back of neck stood up and he felt like if he didn't bolt out that door right now he'd be dead.

And he didn't know why.

Kaneki had been afraid before, fear wasn't a new concept to him, more so in recent days since he became a half-ghoul. He'd been afraid when Rize tried to kill him, been afraid when Touka threatened him.

But this was more than fear. And Kaneki didn't understand why. He considered that perhaps Ichigo was ghoul, but he'd never felt anything like this without said ghoul revealing their inhuman abilities. Before that point, ghouls seemed pretty human.

He'd have to ask Yoshimura later, but for now he needed to relax.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kaneki lied and Hide hummed, accepting but sceptical. "I think it's time I got going, Hide. I'll see you later."

"Eh? But you just got here!" Hide complained, pouting childishly.

Kaneki sheepishly scratched his head. "Sorry, Hide."

He left, hurrying down the streets and praying he didn't encounter Ichigo again.

Ichigo left the classroom, turning down the unfamiliar streets to reach Anteiku. He was welcomed inside for his shift, handed a uniform and led to a restroom to change.

It was incredibly boring, it was quiet evening and only a few customers trickled into the café before retreating. Ichigo was glad when Touka came and told him his shift was over.

He changed into casual clothes, a black shirt and jeans, and set off into the night with a casual wave over his shoulder.

Ichigo was never afraid of the night. He had always seen the ghosts that lurked, confident in the knowledge that they couldn't hurt him. Even when he knew about the dark spirits that also hid in the shadows, he knew he could fight them.

He still wasn't scared. Hollows didn't bother him since he lost his powers. He was just another human.

That didn't stop the uneasiness he felt.

In hind-sight, he really shouldn't have taken a shortcut, but he really just wanted to hurry home.

The alley was ominously dark, as any other alley was at night. Puddles and bins lined the walls on either side, vermin and rodents watching him pass through their territory. His steps splashed miniature waves in his wake.

Ichigo saw someone approaching from the other side of the alley, he tensed. It would be okay, he knew martial arts, he could fight off a mugger, and it wasn't like he had anything of value on him anyway.

The would-be mugger paused as Ichigo drew closer. The man stood in the middle of the alleyway.

Two others stepped out and stop beside him, effectively blocking the alley for Ichigo.

He turned and saw the same thing had happened behind him. Ichigo cursed, probably just some thugs whose territory he had wandered into.

It gave him pause when he saw the masks they wore.

Hockey masks. Was this some kind of joke or did this gang just really like that one horror movie?

"Well well well. Looks like a little birdie walked into our territory." The leading thug said, voice muffled behind his mask.

"I don't want any trouble." Ichigo replied apprehensively. "Just let me pass."

They laughed.

"You don't want trouble? Then I guess it just ain't your night little birdie." The thug cracked his knuckles. "As of today, the 20th ward belongs to the Psychos."

"Good for you. Now get out the way."

He laughed again. "You just don't get it. If we just let punks like you roam freely in our turf, challenging my authority, the Psychos would never be respected."

Ichigo felt dread building.

"If you want money I've got some cash."

The gang guffawed. "You stupid kid? We don't want no cash."

"What do you want then?"

"Do you even know what we are?"

Ichigo realised why these thugs made him feel afraid.

They wore masks for a reason.

One by one, red lights flickered on inside the eyeholes of their mask. Blood red pupils on a black eye.

Ghouls. Every one of them.

He knew about ghouls. Monsters in human skin that walked the streets of Tokyo looking to feed on anyone unlucky enough to cross their path. The 20th ward was supposed to be safest, ghouls didn't bother the people there. Any that did were soon exterminated by the authorities.

Ichigo gulped.

"Yeah, now you get it don't you?" They approached him in formation, slowly narrowing down on him, leaving nowhere to run. "I'm going to enjoy ripping your guts out little birdie."

The lead thug snarled and leaped at Ichigo, hands extended like claws.

He threw himself away with instincts honed from combat on supernatural levels. Despite his tuned reflexes, Ichigo was still just human.

Fingers aimed to pierce his heart instead grazed his shoulder, ripping cloth and spilling blood.

Ichigo screamed in pain as another thug kicked his leg from behind. Another smashed him into the alley wall, grime and filth smearing the back of his shirt.

He narrowly dodged teeth reaching for his throat by tossing himself to the floor.

He could only dodge for so long, his shoulder burned with pain and each movement was agony on his leg.

They were toying with him, Ichigo realised, poking a rat in a cage. There was no escape.

One of the ghouls landed a heavy punch to his abdomen, lifting Ichigo off his feet and colliding with the opposite wall.

He groaned in pain as they formed a circle around him as he fell to his knees.

The lead thug wrapped a meaty hand around his throat, lifting him against the wall.

Ichigo choked in pain as he clawed at his iron grip, his legs flailed and landed kicks. The ghoul grunted in pain as Ichigo viciously attacked him with his feet.

"Quite the kick you got there." The ghoul squeezed his throat and his kicking was forgotten as he panicked.

Ichigo rasped as his throat was slowly crushed.

"N-no. . ." He whispered.

NO! He screamed in his mind. I won't die to you! You can't kill me now! Not after everything I've accomplished!

I CAN'T LOSE NOW.

Ichigo felt his chest burn with pain, his lungs screamed in agony. His blood pumped desperately, burning like liquid fire in his veins.

His hand dug into the ghoul's grip.

"What the hell?" The ghoul muttered under his breath.

"No!" Ichigo screamed. He threw his head back and slammed forwards, smashing his forehead with the ghoul's.

"Agh! Fuck!" The ghoul cursed and dropped him. "I'll make it extra slow and painful just for that!"

Power flowed through Ichigo's body, his heart beat rapidly like it was trying to burst his chest.

He threw his head back and laughed. A deep maniacal laugh.

"Uh, boss I think you broke him."

The head ghoul snarled and his leg shot forwards to smash into Ichigo's head.

The air whistled as his foot flew. Then was abruptly silenced as Ichigo caught his foot.

"Now." He looked up. "I'm going to rip you to pieces."

A bone white mask had spread over his face, covering his head and blocking out his bright orange hair. Razor sharp teeth that looked built into the mask, jutted out as he laughed. Sleek red markings flowed over the forehead and around the jaw like streams of blood.

The eye sockets glowed a sinister golden surrounded by an engulfing void of darkness.

"W-what the hell is that thing?" They all took a step back, their own crimson eyes meeting his golden ones.

In an explosion of movement Ichigo darted forwards. The ghoul didn't have time to scream before Ichigo's fist tore through his chest, puncturing his lungs.

Ichigo held the ghoul up, before laughing as he threw the corpse to the floor.

"Who's next?" His voice was abnormally deep and distorted from his usual tone.

"You bastard!" One of the braver ghoul roared as he lunged at Ichigo, glowing red blades sprouting from his back.

He stood and allowed the ghoul to approach, blades eagerly extended to avenge his comrade.

The ghoul was within a hairs breadth away when Ichigo brought his knee up, colliding into the jaw of the ghoul, who grunted in pain as he was sent upwards before Ichigo brought his fist down.

His clenched hand smashed into the ghoul's neck, slamming him into the floor as his neck audibly cracked.

"W-what the fuck!" One of the ghoul's turned and ran. Ichigo whipped to face him before tearing after him in a sprint.

The ghoul didn't make far before Ichigo grabbed his arm. He heaved and tossed the ghoul into the wall, which cracked under the force as the ghoul collapsed into a bloody heap.

Another ghoul swiped with a crystallised blade forming from his arm at Ichigo's back. The ghoul howled with triumph as his blade bit into his back and tore his clothes.

He grunted as a jagged cut opened on his back. Before turning and smashing his fist into the ghoul's throat.

The last two ghoul's turned and ran as he slowly fought his way through their fellows.

Ichigo lazily chopped one of them in the neck as they desperately retreated, ignoring the body as he leaped over it and grabbed the leading ghoul.

He pinned the ghoul against the wall in a mockery of what the thug had done to him earlier.

"It's funny how quickly the tables turn." He laughed wildly.

"Please! Don't kill me!" Ichigo laughed again.

He pulled his fist back before punching him hard in the abdomen. Then, tossed him to the floor in a murky splash of water.

Ichigo pinned him down by kneeling on the ghoul's chest, he pulled a fist back before smashing it into the helpless ghoul's face. Then again with the other hand.

He brutally pulverised the ghoul, beating his face into a bloody mess.

Ichigo panted as his mask cracked and faded into nothingness, his eyes sinking back into their normal brown. The ghoul was long dead when he finally stopped swinging.

He gasped for breath and stood. Ichigo looked around at his handiwork.

And then vomited.

It was disgustingly brutal. The bodies of his attackers bent into unnatural positions, pools of blood mixing with the filthy puddles of the alleyway.

He turned on his heel, soaked in blood. And ran away.

He soon swung the door open and stepped into his apartment, slamming the door closed behind him.

Ichigo stood there, leaning against the door, panting. Slowly, he slid down till he sat against the door, a trail of blood smeared down the door.

What was that? How did he do that? His powers were gone, that was for sure. Ichigo realised with dread what is was.

His inner hollow.

But he knew was impossible. It couldn't be.

Yet, the mask had appeared. That, he couldn't deny.

The worst part was that he had enjoyed it, being in control again.

It was selfish and just remembering it made him feel guilty. He hadn't even put up a fight, he just accepted it.

But it had been do or die, he had no choice, he didn't stand a chance without it.

Ichigo pulled himself to his feet, dragging himself to the bed, allowing himself to fall asleep.

Trying desperately to forget. To ignore the blood that stained the sheets around him even as he drifted into unconsciousness.

END