Death of Innocence: Battle Between Kings
Written by étoilefilante07
Pairings: So far? Just GrimmxIchi
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Language, sexual situations between males, violence, and possibly more that will be noted as this fanfic grows on.
A/N: There might be some slip ups with terms used commonly in Bleach and so please forgive me on that aspect, as I am working without a beta. T-T Gomen. Also this is definitely AU and takes place not too far after Inoue Orihime is led to Hueco Mundo and brings back Grimmjow's arm, which he uses to totally pwn Luppi or whatever his name is. Anyhoo, if homosexuality isn't your cup of tea, then please hit the back button and don't read this. Flames will not be appreciated. All of Bleach is (c) to Kubo Tite sensai! Here we go! Please don't forget to review! ;

Chapter 1

Kurosaki Ichigo felt his arms weakening and numbing against the relentless attacks by the sexta espada. The teal-haired arrancar had caught him by surprise---he had been on his way back home after another hollow attack in the middle of the night when he heard that frustratingly familiar voice call out his name in a challenge. He barely had time to change from shikai to bankai---the lone espada's sonido was too quick for even a second's worth of a pause.

The furious flurry of attacks from the sexta espada were going to break his defense. What the substitute shinigami needed was just a little time---just enough to call his mask, to catch his breath.

"GETSUGA TENSHOU!"

"Shit," Ichigo muttered as his attack finally shoved the insane arrancar off of him. He panted heavily---he had been hard pressed to parry all of the feral espada's attacks. All he needed were a couple of seconds to call his mask and they'd be on equal footing---

Ichigo barely raised his blade in time to block a strike that would have easily cut any ordinary shinigami in half.

"Too fucking slow, shinigami!" howled Grimmjow with a maniacal grin. A strong hand grabbed the youth by the front of his black robes. A powerful punch to the gut left the orange-haired death god winded, allowing Grimmjow to land another kick on Ichigo. Ichigo's limp body hurtled to the earth below, crashing through the roof of an abandoned warehouse, just out of city limits.

The youth grunted at all the new aches as he swayed, struggling to rise from the debris on the ground floor of the abandoned warehouse. A gaping hole marred the ceiling of the bottom floor, and the two floors above it. Something wet, warm, and sticky began to slowly run from his scalp---a familiar sensation.

Blood.

He placed his hand in front of his face to call his mask, only to find that he hadn't the strength to summon and harness its power. And he couldn't count on the Vaizard or Urahara-san to save his ass again. No one would reach him in time.

Kurosaki Ichigo realized he was fucked.

He hadn't had time to come up with a new plan of attack before the sexta espada arrived, gloating and mocking the youth. The teal-haired arrancar swung down his jagged blade, only to meet Ichigo's black blade, the crazed grin plastered on his face. The clash of reiatsu sparked between the two fighters. The orange-haired shinigami knew that it would only be so long until his strength would give out and the cobalt-eyed psycho would cut him down with ease.

If he let Grimmjow cut him down now, he wouldn't be able to help his friends. He wouldn't be able to protect his little sisters, Karin and Yuzu. He wouldn't be able to repay Rukia for everything she had done for him. He wouldn't be able to defeat Aizen or any of the other espada… If he let Grimmjow cut him down now---

NO! I WON'T LET HIM!!!

"Those are good eyes, shinigami," murmured Grimmjow softly with a predator's gleam in those cobalt eyes. "Fierce and full of resolve," he whispered, grabbing the substitute shinigami by the collar with his left hand. Ichigo's chocolate eyes widened at the physical contact but swiftly countered with another swipe at the arrancar---only to have it skillfully parried away. The black blade flew from the substitute shinigami's hand and landed with metallic clunks several meters away.

If he had thought that he had been fucked before, then he was definitely going to be screwed six ways to Sunday here unless he did something about it.

"Shit," he cursed as his mind frantically ran through ideas to preserve his life. Disinterested, Grimmjow scoffed at the youth's situation as he raised his blade for the final blow. Ichigo's eyes brightened at a sudden memory and for a second, time stood still.

Swift hands strengthened by determination struck the momentarily stunned arrancar. The substitute shinigami's left hand had forcefully struck the inside of wrist of Grimmjow's sword hand just as it swung down, momentarily paralyzing it and rendering it useless, while the other landed an upper cut to the teal-haired espada's jaw, knocking Grimmjow back.

Another blade joined Tensa Zangetsu, abandoned on the floor of the abandoned warehouse.

Grimmjow nursed his jaw several meters away from a panting Kurosaki Ichigo, who stared icily at him through fiery eyes. Chocolate eyes that were darkened with a burning fury to survive, to win…

And to fight.

Those eyes, they piss the hell out of me…

The sexta espada never would have thought that tonight, of all nights, he'd ever feel anything else but hatred towards the young shinigami substitute.

…because it's like looking in a goddamn mirror…

However, now with liquid adrenaline trickling throughout his system at the possibility of a heated hand-to-hand battle with the ferocious orange-haired youth---something told him otherwise. He was all about satisfying his desires. And Grimmjow didn't care about who gave a fuck about it.

He lived for this kind of shit.

And now the cobalt-eyed espada felt a wicked urge to seriously mess with the teenager's head. This was going to be fun.

"What's wrong, shinigami? Cat got your tongue?"

The scowl darkened at the taunt. Grimmjow's lips curved into malicious grin.

"Do you have any more tricks up your sleeve, now that you don't have your zanpakutou?"

Ichigo's lips tightened into a tense frown as he readied his body into an unarmed fighting stance---something he hadn't done since he had become a shinigami. Grimmjow was just as fast as he was, possibly faster, and definitely physically stronger than he was. This was going to be a tough fight.

Tense lips finally twisted into a smile.

"Let's go, Grimmjow."