Disclaimer:I do NOT own Bleach! You hear me, I don't! *sniff sniff*

Okay so First Bleach Fan Fic! I hope it's okay. Enjoy!

Chapter 1-Appearance Of the Strong Hollow

It was another late night job, the dim moonlight cascaded over the park, lighting it up slightly.

Ichigo's robes fluttered in the remaining breeze from the finishing blow as the hollow he had just defeated dissolved into thin air. His hand reached over to his face wiping away the red splattered locks from his eyes. He sighed deeply, taking a moment to enjoy the peace and quiet of his surroundings. But the silence didn't last long when he heard small footsteps heading in his direction. He whipped around quickly to see an unhappy Rukia running towards him. She stopped a few yards from him with a stern look plastered on her face.

"Idiot!" she yelled "Why do you always have to get yourself injured every time you get into a fight?"

Ichigo's eyes widened innocently. He was taken back from her sudden outburst. "Relax, it barely a scratch."

"A scratch? Dammit Ichigo! There's a hole in your shoulder!"

"It doesn't even hurt!"

Rukia scowled deeply, she stomped up beside him. "Doesn't hurt huh?" she mocked bitterly, poking his wound with her index finger harshly causing the corner of Ichigo's mouth to twitch and his fists to ball up so tightly that his fingernails were digging into his skin. He didn't wince, because he knew reactions like that will only prove that she was right and he wasn't going to let that happen…

"D-didn't even hurt" he muttered through his clenched jaw, the pain so obvious in his face.

Rukia sighed crossing her arms across her chest, "stubborn idiot," she thought. She glanced over at him; she stared at his facial expression and watched as he tried to pretend that he was fine. She couldn't help but to smile a little, after all he was only saying that so not to make her worry. She sighed and put her hand on his arm.

"Well, at least let me heal your wound" she said, her voice slightly softer then before bit still stern. She raised her hand up ready to heal him, but before her hand reached his wound, he grabbed her wrist firmly and pulled her hand away from his shoulder.

"No" he replied, letting go of her wrist "your powers haven't fully recovered yet Rukia." His voice was soothing and gentile, "Don't waste your energy-" he pointed his thumb at his wound, "healing a small wound like this" Rukia sighed, but she did as he asked. Ichigo turned his head to her, "Besides," he added, "like I said, it doesn't even hurt"

Rukia was sure she felt a vein pop.

"Idiot..." she thought, looking at the oozing hole in his shoulder. She frowned "If that's what he calls a small wound-" she shook her head, thinking of the good points of Ichigos idiocy "Always worrying about anyone other than himself." She looked over at him, he had his back turned to her and was staring off into the distance muttering to himself. She smiled again.

Ichigo, feeling a sudden change in her mood, turned around noticed her staring at him. He gave her a slightly puzzled look. "Rukia..?"

His voice broke her out of her trance "Ichigo!" she said rather startled, "I..urrr-"

She was cut off by the sudden beeping of her soul pager.

Beep beep beep….

Rukia reached into her pocket pulling out her soul pager quickly, causing her chappy keychain to jerk slightly in the air. She flipped it open, the bright screen made her face light up slightly. She stared at it for a few moments, the corner of her mouth then twitched slightly in frustration

"Is it a hollow?" Ichigo asked impatiently, grabbing the hilt of Zangetsu ready to pull him out.

"Yea-" she paused for a moment, looking over the reading she had received, "-buts there's something peculiar about the readings I've received." she said as she continued to read over the order again.

Ichigo released his grasp of his zanpakutō "What do you mean?"

"Well, normally" she explained "when I receive an order, it rates the hollow on a scale of one to ten depending on how powerful it is. One being the weakest and ten meaning the strongest"

Ichigo scowled and ran his hand through his orange locks, "So?" he muttered, "What's your point?"

"My point is that with this order it is unable to pick up just how strong this hollow is." her frown deepened. She stared at the screen some more. She stayed silent, Ichigo started to tap his foot on the floor impatiently.

"Staring at it isn't going to fix it!" Ichigo yelled, feeling his patience growing thin.

Rukia shot him a death look before she looked back at the phone, "This stupid thing must be broken," she said shaking the phone in frustration "...again"

Suddenly they both felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up on the ends.

"Ichigo-!"

She was cut off by a blood-curdling howl echoing throughout Karakura town. Ichigo eyes widened, the spiritual pressure of this hollow was indeed impressive, far different from the other hollows he had fought against before.

So this hollow wasn't your average day hollow after all.

"I better go after it." Ichigo growled, grasping Zangetsu by the hilt, the cloth unraveled itself reveling the rather large, long blade and then the cloth shrunk down into a more manageable size at the end. "Stay here, Rukia!" he yelled as he ran off in the direction where the screeching was coming from. He turned his head to look at her and gave her a smug look, "I don't want you getting in the way!"

Then he disappeared

Rukia watched him go. She didn't bother try to go after him. Heck she wouldn't even be able to catch up to him, well at least while she was stuck in this stupid gigai. "I have a bad feeling about this." She thought. She shut her eyes.

"Be careful…Ichigo…"

He wasn't careful…

Five minutes into the fight Ichigo was already tired out. He was beginning to think he should have let Rukia heal his wounds as he had not yet had a chance to recover from the last fight and the injuries were causing him to slow down and the hollow took full advantage of him.

The hollow was huge in comparison to the other hollow Ichigo had faced before. Its white mask looked like a face of some sort of frog. It had dark black lines in the center of the forehead of the mask. Its body was a grayish colour with some black patches on the sides. It's body was covered in scales, all different sizes.

The hollow raced towards him with another attack, Ichigo cast out his zanpakato blocking the attack and he then spun around, slashing the hollows upper arm. It roared in agony, grabbing it arm with its other hand, but that couldn't stop the flow of blood that has started seeping through it fingers and flowing down its arm. The hollow glared at him, howling once more it charged towards him. It brought its unharmed hand downwards above Ichigo in attempt to crush him. Ichigo was able dodged it, but barely, landing a few meters away from the aggressive hollow.

Ichigo panted, more sticky fluid ran down the side of his face. He lifted his hand and wiped away the unwanted fluid from his face, while the other grasped the blade with more strength. The hollow didn't move from its position and Ichigo toke a chance to look around at his surroundings. A few building were damaged but there were no people present, they must of fled a while ago so at least there was nobody around to get hurt.

It was times like this that he wished he could use his bankai.

But he couldn't,

Not with him lurking in the shadows.

The hollows nostrils flared open, taking the scent of it prey; it took a step closer still smelling the scent of the young substitute shinigami. The hollow snarled, raising its upper lip slightly.

"Well, well well," it hissed, its voice sinking into a low snarl while taking yet another step closer to Ichigo, "You certainly look like a shinigami," The hollow toke two more steeps closer, its nostrils wide open still taking in Ichigos scent "but there's no denying that smell." the hollow sneered, raising its hands and pointing its long, grey, skinny finger at Ichigo "I know that smell all too well! You reek of a hollow!"

Ichigos eyes widened, "Shut up," he growled, his frown deepened, "you don't know what you're talking 'bout!"

The hollow laughed loudly, "Ha! I know full well what I'm talking about, boy" the hollow mocked. "I can smell it, I can smell that fear" The hollow raised it head high into the air, it's nostrils flared open once again, taking in Ichigo's sweet scent.

"You obviously cannot control the power, you fear you will lose control, that your hollow self will take control of your body, use you." the hollows head lowered, its eyes narrowed and its head tilted right "Am I right, boy?"

Ichigo felt his anger boil, "Bastard!" he yelled, gripping his blade tightly as he charged towards the taunting hollow.

The hollow charged forward as well, its mouth wide open ready to devour Ichigo's soul. Ichigo stopped the charging hollow with Zangetsu, holding its mouth open with the long blade. But the hollow was strong and while Ichigo was blocking one attack he came at him with another, hitting him from the side with his large hand sending him flying into the air and then slamming into the pavement.

The hollow laughed, evil twisted laughter echoing throughout the entire city. It's laughter was long and mocking, taunting the orange haired teenager that laid on the ground before him. "Haha! Your weak boy! You will never be able to beat me, not while you're holding back because you're scared that you'll lose control."

Ichigo's fists tightened as he struggled to get up; every movement, every breath caused him to painfully cough up blood. More red fluid trickled down his right arm; Ichigo glanced over to see a deep, long gash going down his whole inner side of his arm. He felt shooting pains run through his head like someone had hit him hard in the inside of his skull. Ichigo tried once more to get up again, he grabbed the hilt of his zanpakato and stuck the point of the blade into the ground and then forcefully, and painfully pushed himself up so he was standing.

The hollow came closer to Ichigo, until he was right in front of him. His larger being towering over Ichigo, a large shadow cast over the injured boy. The hollows hand came down towards the injured Ichigo wrapping his fingers around his broken body and clenched his fingers tightly around him. Ichigo yelped in pain and spat up blood as the hollow continued to tighten his grasp around his body. Blood tricked down his chin as he felt his rib cage crack and break in multiple places.

It felt as if time had slowed down...

Ichigo's vision blurred, he felt his eyelids get steadily heavier. The hollows laughter blurred into white noise in the background. He blinked a few times, trying to get his vision bask into focus but no such luck. And that was when he heard it….

The laughter…

Darkness closed in, Ichigos breathing became fast and unsteady. He felt light headed and dizzy, as if the world around him was spinning out of control. His eyelids began to flicker, his vision completely gone now. His head rolled forward as the hollow brought his limp body toward its waiting mouth.

The laughter came closer,

and closer.

To the surface.

Please review!

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Next Chapter on due 30th April hopefully.

Last edit: 7th/Oct/2010'