Redemption of a Rogue Pt. 1(solo)

     Felix sat on the riverside looking up at the stars his sword laid out beside him as he gazed up at the stars, his thoughts wondering to the reason of why he is where he is now. It had been three weeks since he left Ren with nothing more than a note telling her to not try and find him. He had decided it was time to move on so that he wouldn’t hurt her if he lost control again, he still couldn’t forgive himself for breaking his promise to not hurt her yet in an instant he had done so without a second thought. Maybe I am more like them than I want to admit maybe I am nothing more than a soldier like the rest. Felix raised his hand looking at it against the starry sky above him, is that all I really am is a soldier? Nothing more than a trained grunt meant to kill the monsters that lurk at the edges of mortal imaginations?

     Felix sat up looking out across the river it was a still night and the stars were reflected perfectly; he could even see his reflection looking back at him as if to ask “Would it really be that bad if you went back to serve the Soul Society?” With a shout of anger Felix grabbed a softball size rock and tossed it at his reflection as he stood grabbing his sword before he stalked off towards the heart of the city, in hopes of running into some mindless hollows. “If I kill enough to draw attention someone should take notice then let come what may.” As he opened his senses back to the world at large Felix was surprised at the smell of death and decay, hollows were thick in the streets yet at most he could only sense a handful of reapers desperately fighting a losing battle against the swarm.

     Drawing his blade he could almost see the dark aura surrounding the city’s skyline he held the sheath and blade in opposite hands. Today I make my stand, either I go back to the Soul Society and stop hiding from my destiny or I die in a blaze of glory. Either way I won’t ever hurt my friends again. He tossed the sheath to the wind coming ever deeper into the hollow infested city, “I will protect them from now on…I will protect them to my dying breath.” A look of vengeance matched Felix’s tone as the darkness swelled behind him.

     “Little reaper I wouldn’t be so hasty to make oaths of your dying breath when it is to come so soon.” The hollow called from the darkness as a snake like tongue shot forward out of the void whistling through the air, as Felix turned just in time to catch it across the face and send him sprawling into the street ahead of him. “You can’t even protect yourself child and you expect to protect your friends?” The hollow stalked forward slowly coming into the light.

     From Felix’s vantage point he could only describe it like a cross between a wolf, rat, bat, and viper; it stood on four canine like legs with two wings folded up behind its forelegs two rat like ears stood up behind the creatures mask as the thing that hit him was darting in and out of the mouth. Black fur covered its body and a tail looking like the same bone as the mask swung idly behind him touching the ground each time it passed with a gentle click as it hit the pavement.

     “What’s the matter little Shinigami can’t move did my little tap kill you already before the fun really begins?” The hollow mocked as it stalked closer to Felix’s unmoving body the sword still clutched in his hand for dear life, his ragged breathing was evident as he lay on the ground. “Well I guess I better end the poor thing’s suffering.” The tongue shot forward again splitting the air as it screamed towards Felix’s head.

     Felix barely manage to roll out of the way as the as the tongue shattered the pavement where his head had sat just moments before. He surged to his feet, grim determination evident on his face; he couldn’t see anything as the blood flowed from the lash across his face. I don’t think I can take another hit, that tongue packs a bite like a flail and had no problem cutting into my flesh with just a single, quick snap. He reached up to wipe the blood from his face but for some reason the wound wouldn’t stop bleeding or even slow, and the surprise must have shown evident on his face as the beast began to laugh as it started circling the would be prey.

     “Oh so you noticed my surprise haven’t you little shinigami?” The hollow chuckled, if it could be called that the gravelly sound echoed from his throat. “Every time I cut you with my tongue my own special poison keeps the iron in your blood from clotting and stopping the blood flow. You are actually lucky I missed my true target that first time because now you have forty-five minutes to kill me before you bleed out instead of the fifteen seconds you would have had if I had it that delicious looking throat of yours.”

     Felix started to charge the beast win a gust of wind shot right past his ear, the hollows tongue had shot past him so fast that he couldn’t even comprehend it till it crashed into the building behind him. He tried to grab the tongue but it was like holding a razor blade by the edge as it bit into his hand. “Your fast beast, but if all you can do is make me bleed this match is over before it began.” Felix raised his hand two fingers pointed at the beast, focusing his spiritual energy Felix’s aura was like black fire over his body. “Hado Number four: White Lightning!”

     The energy crackled through the air as it blazed bright towards the hollow, shadows danced like an excited audience to the violent concert. The blast spilt and fractured when it hit its target causing dust and debris to cloud the air as Felix stood his free hand still raised as the blood finally started to slow from the cut on his face. “Good riddance.” He said in a pant as he lowered his arm, but as the dust started to clear he could see a shape still silhouetted in the debris.

     “What was that little shinigami? Are you holding out on me?” The hollows voice laughed as it strode forward not a mark on it from the blast marred the beasts body, its tail still swaying back and forth with a “click, click, click” it had picked up pace as if the beast was more excited when it realized that its prey was not nearly as helpless as it had first perceived. “That little blast may have done me in if you had more of a punch but as it stands right now you are too slow and much too weak to do me in for good.” The hollow leaped forward its claws outstretched ready to end the game of cat and mouse.

     Sparks flew as blade and claw collided; laugh spewed forth from the hollow’s jaw as Felix cried out from the strain on his arms holding back the beast. He is heavy despite his size, it feels as if I am holding back an ox from plowing forward. The ground started to crack and crater at his feet as he was forcefully brought to his knees by the hollow; for just an instant Felix thought of letting the blade loose and excepting that fate wanted him to die. NO! I made a promise to protect those I care about till my dying breath and now I just want to die? I won’t take the easy way out; I have never had anything easy in my life or even in my afterlife why should now be any different? With a yell and a sudden burst of spiritual energy Felix surged to his feet forcing the hollow back as its hind claws dug into the pavement in a desperate attempt to keep its ground.

     The hollow laughed a bit as it looked into its prey’s eyes seeing the hope that it might overcome him, the creature of nightmares. “Oh so you still do have a bit of fight left in you?” The hollow teased as it bore down on its front claws, yet again trying to force the shinigami to his knees. “I grow bored of the little game reaper, why don’t we finish this here and now?” It spoke as the masks jaws opened wide blasting Felix the same white hot energy from his maw that he had blasted the hollow with earlier, shattering the ground all around Felix as he took the full brunt of the blast.

     Felix lay motionless on the ground his body burned and bruised badly from the blast as his mind tried to comprehend what had just happened. A Cero…a low level hollow like that has a cero? No…that wasn’t a cero; what the hell was it? Pain rocked up Felix’s spine as he struggled back to his feet his thoughts still in chaos as he tried to figure out the blast that had just hit him. That felt like the same kido I used on the beast, but how? How can a hollow use kido? Was it even the same thing?

     Felix shook his head trying to bring some semblance of order to his thoughts the same stubborn look on his face as he had when he first started on his war path. The blood had stopped flowing completely from the cut on his face, apparently cauterized in the blast from the hollow. I am positive that whatever that blast was it was identical to my White Lighting that hit that monster earlier; the question remains how could a hollow utilize my own kido?

     The creature was amazed that the shinigami could even stand after taking his own kido at close range, his tail hand stopped moving all together but still the click remained slower now that it had been but still faster that it was at first. So I didn’t use all of the energy I got from that kido, but I don’t have near enough to fire another blast to finish this pest. If I would of known this meal would put up a fight I would have killed him with the first strike. The hollow growled in anger, outraged by the fact that it had grown tired of playing with its meal and now just wanted to eat however the meal had other plans.

     Felix watched the beast as it circled him ever closing the gap between them as he tried to figure out how he could end this, I can’t get to close otherwise that tongue will rip me to shreds and if I use what little kido I know it will just fire it back at me so that is out of the question. He stepped back as the hollow stepped closer his foot touching the edge of the crater as he stumbled a bit, but quickly recovered not taking the luxury to avert his eyes from the fearsome beast.

     “What’s the matter little reaper are you scared of me? How can you call yourself a shinigami when you cannot even conquer your of a hollow?” The hollow chuckled the anger it previously showed disappearing as it teased the reaper. “Why don’t you run home shinigami and bring back a few friends? You by yourself will make a good meal but, I am working up an appetite fighting you, so why not come bring me some dessert.” The hollow guttural laugh echoed as its maw opened once more sending its tongue flying towards Felix’s shoulder with deadly speed.

(OOC: end part 1)