And screaming / Are we we are/ Are we we are the waiting

[silent_pantera]

WHO: Grimmjow & Ichigo
WHERE: Top of the George Washington Bridge lol.
WHEN: Evening
WARNINGS: Ichigo & Grimmjow's Mobile Swear Word Zone, and some violence
SUMMARY: Deal with the arrancat means Grimmy is beating the Berry into shape.
FORMAT: Para to start, then probably quick log?

Comments

[hollowish]

It didn't take long for Ichigo to get to the location Grimmjow had told him to meet at. It was impossible to mistake the espada's reiatsu, even for someone who was numb to such things as Ichigo could be, and since he had felt Grimmjow's spiritual pressure before he'd never mistake his for anybody else's.

After a few quick flash steps, Ichigo stood a few yards away from the arrancar, clad in his shinigami outfit and Zangetsu wrapped up on his back.

He didn't know why he was doing this. Why would he have ever asked one of the espada to help him defeat Aizen, the man they were supposed to serve? To make it even worse, it was Grimmjow, the person that pissed him off more than anybody he'd ever fought before. He could say that he hated Grimmjow. He hated the way that the other acted, how he viewed fighting, and most of all how he acted like he understood the shinigami, as if they were the same type of person at their very cores. There was absolutely no reason that Ichigo should have been going to him, of all people, for help.

But really, there wasn't much other choice in a place like this. He'd been completely defeated by Aizen in the Soul Society, and he wasn't going to be able to beat him just by waiting around and playing pretend normal life in a place like this. There was nobody here who understood Aizen better or, in Ichigo's opinion, was stronger than Grimmjow, even though he was reluctant to admit that. Lastly, he'd fought with the espada twice before now, and if they really were similar, which he'd never accept, but if Grimmjow understood him even just a little bit, then the espada was the best choice to train him and pick apart every weakness he had.

"I didn't keep you waiting long, did I?" He smirked, but on the inside he was a bit nervous. He was going to be fighting Grimmjow completely on his own this time. Shiro or the mask weren't available this time, so if the espada got bored, then he could easily overpower Ichigo.

[silent_pantera]

He only bothered taking one hand from the "pocket" of his hakama, and though speaking over his shoulder, he didn't turn as he slid Pantera - saya, and all - out of his belt.

"Keh. As if I'd wait around on some shinigami brat." It's token banter at best, but Ichigo could hardly expect less. Besides, the former Espada could practically taste the nervousness lacing Ichigo's reiatsu.
Pointedly crouching to lay Pantera down on the bridge, electric blue eyes cut back to Ichigo.

"No Casper, eh? Hope ya got your girlfriend on speed dial, cuz I ain't gonna go easy on ya, kid."

[hollowish]

"Good. Then I don't have to feel bad about being late and kicking your ass again." It was all talk, and Ichigo knew it, but his pride wasn't going to let him act the way that his reiatsu felt.

He didn't respond to the comment about Inoue. Ichigo hadn't told her about this, and if he could help it, she wouldn't have to. He new that he was going to lose this fight, that there was no way he'd walk away from it unharmed, but she didn't need to know about it, she didn't need to be worried about him, and if he couldn't at least stay alive in these exercises, then any hope of beating Aizen was futile.

"You'll see." He reaches for Zangetsu's hilt, the wrapping around the sword loosening and unraveling around the blade as he moves into stance. "I won't even need the hollow anymore when this is over."

[silent_pantera]

"'Tch. I had you inside of five minutes the first time, the second time, and the last time."

Rolling his eyes once. And then, he's a blueish blur, using a single step of Sonido to close with Ichigo barehanded. Well, barehanded as in slapping the ridiculously oversized blade out of the way, and throwing a vicious right hook.

He wasn't kidding about not taking it easy. If Ichigo was still upright, and walking away from this, then Grimmjow was doing a piss poor job as an Arrancar. He wasn't about to let that happen.
Baiting Ichigo verbally was also purposeful. While Grimmjow isn't anything close to the master of manipulation that Aizen is, he knows that Ichigo has more triggers than most, and those would just be potential weaknesses later on.

Best to cut them out of the kid as soon as possible, then.

[hollowish]

Ichigo didn't have a chance to respond when, before he even saw it, Grimmjow had already appeared before him, knocked Zangetsu aside and clocked him hard in the jaw, knocking him back a few feet, skidding to a halt midair, as he used his sword to keep him up.

Shit. That really hurt, and Ichigo was used to taking punches, but after school fights were nothing like this, and even without his sword or his resurrecion, Grimmjow packed one hell of a punch. Lifting a hand to his mouth to wipe away the blood, when he looked at Grimmjow, he was actually smirking still.

"That was good. I didn't expect anything less, but I was a bit worried, you know. I never did have a training partner that new how to hold back."

Instead of doing the smart thing and using bankai, Ichigo actually returned Zangetsu to it's place on the shinigami's back. He was fully aware that he couldn't beat Grimmjow without his bankai, and even then, he probably couldn't without the mask, but if Grimmjow was going to fight barehanded, then Ichigo would too for now, not wanting to fight with a handicap.

In a fluid motion, he'd flash stepped just before Grimmjow, feinting with his jab, while his hook aimed low to the arrancar's side, just under his ribs. Ichigo's movements like this were adept, probably more refined that he was with a sword due to his years of getting into fights before he even because a shinigami, but obviously they were lacking in the same power that Zangetsu had.

[silent_pantera]

Oh, Ichigo. That was...foolish.

The moment Grimmjow realized Ichigo has let go of his sword - still in shikai at that - and...what the hell was Kurosaki doing, anyway? Scrapping like kids on the playground?
Anger flared through Grimmjow hard, and fast, and he snarled at the redhead.

Taking the hit to his side ( and indeed, not seeming to really notice it ) Grimmjow grabbed the wrist attached to that fist, and yanked Ichigo forward into a brutal T-bone kick across the boy's gut. The intent was pain, which is even more compounded by Grimmjow striking downward, his elbow going for the middle of the boy's back.
Then, it's just a matter of throwing Ichigo away, and down at the bridge's pylon.

"The fuck are you doin'?! Ya think this is some kinda game, don't ya! Why the fuck did ya even call me for, if ya ain't taken this shit seriously!"

[hollowish]

In the back of his head, Ichigo knew that this wouldn't work, that he would need bankai to even stand a chance against someone like Grimmjow even before the arrancar went into his released state. However, this was supposed to be training, it hadn't fully clicked for Ichigo yet that this was still just as much a fight for his life than any other time he'd fought Grimmjow.

He wanted to test himself, but he wasn't really surprised when his punch went pretty much ignored. What did catch him off guard was the force of the kick to his stomach, which completely knocked the wind out of him, only to be followed with another blow to his back, leaving him only to be tossed aside.

It took a surprising amount of effort to stop himself before he crashed into the bridge, falling to one knee as he gasped to try an replenish the air that had been knocked out of his lungs. Surprisingly enough though, when Ichigo stands back up and looks up towards Grimmjow, he's still got that cocky smile.

"Sorry about that, I just wanted to see..." He pulls Zangetsu, off his back, holding it out in front of him. "How far apart we really were.

"Bankai!" Ichigo's reiatsu flares and surrounds him, black energy swirling and compressing around him and Zangetsu's form changes in his hands, and before the smoke has cleared, he's flash stepped up to Grimmjow once again, this time much faster than before as he swings the black Tensa Zangetsu to cut across the arrancar's chest.

[silent_pantera]

Should he be reading more into that? Maybe, since the slash is aimed at crossing the heavy keloid scar bisecting Grimmjow's chest. A scar from this very same kid.

"Keh! Without your mask, ya don't got a snowflake's chance in hell!"

Supremely annoyed by that stupid, arrogant smirk, Grimmjow didn't bother with letting Kurosaki get a decent hit, or two in. Instead he grabbed hold of the ebony blade, wrenching outwards, and nailing Ichigo in the ribs with fist.

"I thought ya wanted ta get stronger. What is this half-assed shit, Kurosaki?!"

[hollowish]

That fact was quickly sinking in, the smirk dropping as Grimmjow easily caught his blade, open-handed no less.

He didn't pull back this time around though, instead, black energy emanating from Tensa Zangetsu. He might not have been able to beat Grimmjow without his mask, difficult to accept as that might have been, but he wasn't going to just back down and lose, that wasn't the point of this. If he couldn't even scratch through the espada's hierro, there there was no chance at all.

"Getsuga Tenshou"

[silent_pantera]

There wasn't time to let go of the blade before black energy erupted under Grimmjow's palm. Using a bit of sonido to back up, the former Sexta flexed his hand experimentally. It feels like nothing but a stump of raw pain, but it was still attached. 'Tch. His left hand, too. The irony made him grin like a psycho at Ichigo.

"Ain't gonna answer me, eh? Fine. Then how 'bout this; how the fuck do ya expect ta take on Aizen if the best ya can do is give me a bad sunburn?"

Granted, the injury was worse than that, but the point still remains.

"An' what ya see with Aizen, ain't what ya get. He can make ya swear up, an' down ya just fried your best friend. Or your little girlfriend."

Darting down, under Ichigo with one echo-step, Grimmjow didn't even pause as he reached out with his good hand, and grabbed the boy's ankle. Then? Threw Ichigo into the bridge's pylon so hard it left an impact crater, debris raining down on the traffic far below.

[hollowish]

Even though it wasn't even a significant wound, it did leave Ichigo with a vaguely proud and optimistic feeling, that he was able to at least somewhat disable Grimmjow. He couldn't win this way still, the espada still hadn't released his zanpakutou, but at least for the moment he didn't have to worry about any attacks from the other's left.

He didn't reply to the comment about taking on Aizen at this level because, for him, the answer was obvious, he was going to fight Aizen because he had to, no matter how different in power or ability they were.

The comment about believing that he could end up killing one of his friends in the fight, however, did throw Ichigo off just long enough become unable to avoid Grimmjow's attack or stop himself from crashing full force into the pylon.

When the dust cleared, Ichigo's body was looking worse for wear, but he was still standing, still holding onto Tensa Zangetsu, but any cockiness or confidence that he had before had almost completely faded, clearly looking shaken by the words more than the attack.

"I'm not going to kill my friends..." He was muttering, because he knew that Grimmjow was right about Aizen. He didn't know that he could avoid that man's illusions, only that they had easily sent the Seireitei into disarray and even without his zanpakutou, Aizen had crushed him like it was nothing...

"I have to stop him. I have to be the one to kill him..." He almost sounded desperate. "And you're going to show me how!" His reiatsu spiked incredibly as his flash stepped up behind Grimmjow, slashing downward to try to cut down from the espada's shoulder across his back, the energy of another Getsuga Tenshou wrapped tightly around the blade but not released.

[silent_pantera]

That's the second shirt of his that's been cut down the back. Thankfully Grimmjow is starting to get wise to Ichigo's moves, so there wasn't much more than a shallow cut beneath singed cloth. Still, he doesn't waste the oppurtunity; using sonido to get only a half step to the side, another vicious kick is aimed at Ichigo's ribs.

"Don't ya get it? Ya won't know the damn difference!"

Still, he's not even trying to get to Pantera. Ichigo was doing better than he had started out with, but still...not the level Grimmjow wanted to fight him at.

"Once ya see Kyouka Suigetsu's shikai, it's all over. You'll swear ya just attacked him, when ya only hit thin air! Where's those pretty little morals a' yours figure inta that, eh? Long as ya willfully cripple yourself, you're just another corpse!"

[hollowish]

Despite Ichigo's quick use of flash step to avoid the kick, he still got caught in it, and even though it seemed to have barely grazed him, the effects of the kick were apparent, as the shinigami buckled down, holding his side, where he was certain at least one, if not more, of his ribs had just been broken.

Trying to stand back up straight, he still keeps his eyes staring defiantly at Grimmjow, not willing to show weakness even when it was so obvious that he was beaten.

He couldn't just accept that there was such a difference in power between him and Grimmjow, and even between him and Aizen. This wasn't a case of wanting to win. He needed to win. There were no other options; it was either win or lose everything.

"So, I just don't look at it, right?" He rasped, his breathing labored. "I'll just have to defeat him before he draws his zanpakutou..."

[silent_pantera]

...He hated that look. Hated the way Kurosaki always looked so damn cocky - even when he was getting his ass kicked. He was beaten before he'd ever even drawn his sword, he was just too stupid to realize it.

"Defeat him before - ya damn idiot! Ya don't get it, do ya? Look at yourself, Kurosaki! Ya can't stand up against me without Casper. So how the fuck do ya expect ta beat Aizen, and do it before he uses his shikai?!"

Two steps of sonido, and Grimmjow is a blur - the momentum used to make the knee to Ichigo's gut that much more painful. Combined with backhanding the boy hard enough to shove him back into the bridge's pylon it's overkill.
But Grimmjow was tired of watching this kid spout his ideas without the will to back it up.

"Get your head oughtta your ass, Kurosaki! In less than a month ya went from gettin' pounded inta the pavement ta bein' able ta give me a good fight. What happened ta those precious little morals then, eh? You're weak like this. And ya ain't worth my fuckin' time."

[holeheart]

Ichigo might have gone flying into the pylon, but the knee to his stomach would have given Grimmjow a much different sensation. There would have been the hardness of bone as opposed to the softness of the abdominal cavity. A crack, like a skull breaking. Of course, there shouldn't be any skulls there. But as Ichigo goes flying into the bridge, a white shape blurs between the flying shinigami and the pylon, and some white and red shards of bone fly out from inside Ichigo's ruined shihakusho; fragments of a mask.

Once the dust clears, it becomes obvious what happened. His Hollow, looking just as ragged and tired as his shinigami counterpart, is holding Ichigo under the back and knees. He looks up at Grimmjow with weary eyes. He's just as tired as Ichigo, feeling just as beaten, without any of the physical wounds.

"Enough of that. I thought this was training, not a damn scheduled assbeating. He's no good if you kill him!"

[silent_pantera]

Snarling at Ichigo's white twin, Grimmjow brushed by the both of them without so much as the courtesy of a glance.

"Trainin' would be where someone listens ta what they are told. If he's too scared a'you, then he ain't. Worth. My. Time."

Gathering up Pantera with the hand not currently burnt to a crisp, he slides it into his hakama-himo, and glances once at Shiro.

"Like this, he's dead anyway. Aizen would break him without ever even usin' his shikai."

And with this obtuse observation, Grimmjow was gone in search of Orihime. A step of sonido later a flash of blue, and white showed up on a further pylon...then was gone, entirely.