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The appeal from the hostage thunder, reverberated threw out the near silent lecture hall. The soft pitter patter, of dime sized rain drops sounding from the roof. The student’s heads, bent double as if giving a prayer, but beneath them were math books.

The professor stood at the podium, eyes as piercing as a hunting hawk’s, looking for that one student who had the unlucky habit of speaking to him or her self during the test.

“X^2+12x-9 equals…”

“Jefferson!”

The teacher’s voice, whipped out with a near physical intensity. The sharp town could be felt in the mind, making the students shiver, as if someone, anyone had whipped them across the back leaving welts. The hopeless victim slowly stood, his voice having a slight tremor to it.

“uh…yes m-m-mam?”

“Did I not say, that any talking would be labeled as cheating, which would result in a zero?”

“Y-y-ye…”

“And did you not talk any way?”

“Bu…”

“Get out of my sight, and March yourself down to the office now!”

Her piercing gaze leveled around the hall, attempting to spy out more perpetrators. Her glance fell on a girl, sitting near the back. The girl wore a sweater that had a familiar skater symbol upon it; even though, the temperature out side was much to warm for such apparel. The girl was chewing on her pen, hardly concentrating on the test at all.

“Hmmmmm…No more friends…now that Jess has turned on me like that…One week of finals left, but…its not worth the trouble…I’m just going to drop out…” were the hardly complex thoughts running threw out her head. She suddenly stood up, her eyes flipping up to the professor.

“Miss Hamton, what on earth do you think your doing?” The instructor’s voice lashed out, but seemed to have no effect…On the contrary, it seemed to make the girls day.

“I, you old fucking hag, am dropping out of high school, as a seventeen year old. You, and all the other old bastards in this school!” here, she picked up her book. “Can shove these books up your tight as fuck ass holes!” and with that, the book sailed up, up, and then down…and even farther down before clattering in to the professors face.

A cheer erupted, from the students gathered there, until the old hag had regained her feet and roared in a supercilious way.

“Ha! Thank you Lisa Hamton, the police will be knocking on your door in two hours, on charges of assault! Don’t think I won’t press charges young lady, for my broken nose!” The teachers face was turning red from the anger, as she pressed one hand to her perfectly fine, unblemished nose. Lisa smiled, letting her teeth show in a snarl.

“Oh, why did you hit that book with your nose? Is the book okay?”

With that, Lisa spun, kicked over the desk…which, considering her height was a rather impressive achievement, and strolled quickly out of the lecture hall.

As Lisa penetrated the out doors, her hair quickly became damp and stuck to her face. Now that she had exploded with her feelings, she had little motivation to do much else. A feeling of impending doom was quickly smothering her, and filling her heart with hopelessness.

Her hands were tucked in to her sleeves, which were quickly pushed deep in to her pockets. She had not brought anything to school with her but that book, now which lay at the feet of her most loathed instructor. She could not believe that she had been pushed to such a display, but considering the pressure that had been building beneath her over the last few weeks, it was little surprise.

Over the three weeks senior ditch-day, Lisa had lost nearly all her friends, her boyfriend, perspective boy friends, and even the respect of her family. Her grades were the only thing not to suffer from the tremendous social blow.

It all began, on Saturday, May fifteenth…A quite sunny day, and for that area of California, not really all that surprising…

Lisa had been sitting out doors, like normal with her friends, her boyfriend, and her family enjoying a picnic. A person, seemed to step out of a tree, and she jumped. She, not knowing that almost no one else could see it, mentioned it to her boyfriend, and then when told she was seeing things told her friends, and then most of her family.

Do to her insistence on a presence not there; they began to find her creepy, and rather drag, more then a bit insecure, and an attention whore. Slowly, but surely they all began to abandon her.

Her mother attempted one day to talk to her, when she noticed how distraught she was.

“Lisa dear, what’s wrong?” at the time, her mothers voice seemed to be full of malice, but in retrospect it was filled with concern.

“Nothing…goes away…”

Her mom was not to be put off though, pushing in on her daughters sulking time, like any respectable mother would do for their child, no matter the age of that child.

“Tell me now Lisa Mary Hampton.”

Do to her mother’s rather sharp tone of voice, she relented. Her eyes, filling full of tears she began to spill out what had been bothering her.

“Its really nothing…its just…I mean…well…you’re going to think I am crazy but…At the picnic last weekend, I had seen what I thought was a person step out of a tree…then it observed us, and I told everyone…and they thought I was crazy and belonged in an insane asylum, and now everyone has abandoned me, and mom, I don’t want to be crazy…please, don’t let me be crazy!” she began to wale, and clutch at her mother tears rolling down her face, her make-up smudging under her eyes.

Her mother began to rock her gently, patting her back and speaking quietly.

“Lisa baby…You’re not crazy…I should have told you years ago…You, are a special girl.” To this, Lisa began to cry harder, thinking her mother meant crazy. “You are a Quincy; you can see ghosts, demons, angels, and the like.”

“Demons and angels? So, they are real?”

“Demons are, we call them hollows. Angels, we have not seen; however, there are a race of being’s, named soul reapers who help guide the souls of the ghosts to heaven…”

“Hollows… wait; you said I was a Quincy? What on earth is that…?”

“A quincy is a human, with a duty. Using the energy provided, we channel it threw our weapons and obliterate the demons…we banish them for good, making damn sure they do not eat anymore innocent souls. It is our job. Here wait one moment alright?”

Her mother quickly stood, brushing off her pants before retreating to the back of the house. With in a few moments, she returned with a box. Kneeling down in front of Lisa, she smiled up at her.

“For your seventeenth birthday present baby, here you go.” She extended her hands, forever changing her daughter’s life.

Lisa took the box, and opened it slowly. Peering down inside of it she saw three items, only two making any sense to her.

First, was a cross, a religious simble of her own, that she held precious. She thought she had lost it, but she now realized that her mother had taken it. The cross, was a silver color, and fit in the palm of her hand. Now, where it had been empty before sat a gym, a deep lustrous blue, which reflected the light.

“That is your quincy cross. You must ware it at all times, and believe in it. As long as you do so, your power will never fade. Different from the normal cross, that gym in the center of it…You can observe Energy and fire it in a beam if you ever are disarmed.”

Lisa rapped the silver chain around her throat, letting the cross dangle between her breasts. She reached down, lifting the second object from the box. This was a standard pocket knife. She looked over it, to see if it had any other functions other then a knife.

“It is a standard pocket knife, easily bought at any convenient store. You never know when you will need a sharp tool, to cut your way out of a tight bind.”

The third and final object was rather strange. It looked like two pipes formed together, with a handle that spanned the whole thing, with another large gym in the center of the guard. Lisa could not make any since of this contraption, and looked to her mom for help.

“That Lisa is your most powerful weapon. It has been in our family for generations, and is a sealed shnider…or, to be honest two of them, sealed together to make a single weapon. Never, and I mean never let that go when you carry it around. Someday, your life may depend upon it.”

Lisa snapped back to the current situation. That talk had enlightened her in one way. It had made sure, to tell herself that her mother was in fact crazy. Ghosts, demons, and angels? Come on, that was a children’s tail all rapped in to one big bundle.

With out looking, she stepped out in to the street. A car horn, a screeching, and a curse was all she heard, and only that vaguely as she continued home. She needed to get her crap, and get the heck out of dodge. She may have decided to drop out, but that did not mean that she wished to be arrested. She planned to go on a cross country trip, to only god new ware, all she new was any ware but home.

As she reached her home, her clothes now thurally and completely drenched from the rain she shoved open the door. She walked in silently, glancing about. Nothing, absolutely nothing was in the house.

This was actually quite shocking. She had expected her mother to be home, or even her father…but no, there was no one and no sound…but no, that was not right.

A whimpering could be heard, not far away…Just around the corner…was that coming from the kitchen>? Could it be…?

“Mom?”

She moved quietly back to her room, grabbing up the weapon she had been given, along with the pocket knife. The knife went in to her pocket, Fr wear else would it go? She moved out slowly, to the kitchen. When she entered, she saw something that paralyzed her soul, quite literally.

“Mom…no, this…mom!”

There, under the splintered table lay Lisa’s mother. Blood, in a pool around her mangled body…throat ripped cleanly and neatly from the body. Words written above the body that read, “Run little girl…”

Lisa was shocked. When she read the words, it took her more then a few moments to react. A serial killer must be losing, in her house…but ware, and why had they killed her mother. Her mom had said, that they were Quincy…but, that was a fable, a falsity to make her feel better. This was quite unusual and more then a little impossible. She stepped in to the room, and froze again. A deep, soul wrenching howl split the air a sunder, shaking the houses foundations.

Lisa glanced up, eyes riveted upon the wall. Both her hands were trembling, but she felt something…she didn’t under stand it, not at all…She could feel a building pressure, coming directly behind that wall. She reached her left hand up, wiping a bead of sweat, from entering her eye. She gritted her teeth, and moved towards her mother’s body. Just as she Tooke her third step, the wall, and her world exploded, and was ripped asunder.

Fragments from the wall whistled past her head, the sealing, no was that a wall? No, it must be the floor…no, the sealing…she lay flat on her back in a jumble of wall pieces, and limns. Her mothers body was no longer visible, though the raining sky was now, straight threw the wall, no …the former wall of the kitchen. Then, even the sky was blotted out. A giant shape appeared in the way. It filled the entire space where the wall had been, having a face that was sort of like a skeletons scull. It spoke, its voice sort of like Mickey Mouse’s, or TheadoreRosavelt…which, was actually kind of funny and even brought a smile to Lisa’s lips.

“Ha! I found another one of you little bastards! Now quincy meet your dooom!”

“Um…not to be rude or anything, but what the fuck are you? You look like …well, you look like hell…and not in a good way…and you smell horrible…ugh!” Lisa clamp her right hand over her nose, glaring at the hollow in discuss. The hollow, intern was shocked, and disgruntled. No prey of his had ever just shaken off his threats like they were nothing. Adopting a tone of voice, that indicated superiority, he began to speak.

“I am a hollow. I live, in what some humans would refer to as hell, and others would refer as purgatory. I eat souls, for a diet. You are a Quincy and I am going to eat yo…”

“Um… you do realize you do not exist right?” Lisa was staring now quite rudely at the hollow, hands on her hips no longer frightened of it.

“What! What do you mean, I do not exist…I are right in front of you you stupid quinc…”

“Stop calling me a Quincy! I don’t even know what the hell that means!”

She began to stomp her foot angrily in the direction of the hollow. Her hands were bunched at her sides, her sealed shnider to one side, nearly forgotten in the chaos.

The fuck is I doing? Arguing with a Quincy…bah! I will eat your soul!” and with that, the giant mass of the hollow, that resembled a squid attempted to shove its way down inside of the house.

The roofs timbers groaned, and the walls shifted before bulging outwards. Out side, car alarms began to shriek in protest. A little bird, maybe half grown if that took flight looking down at its former home in startled meant. To that birds mind, its nest was not, under any circumstance to bend like that… with a huff, and a shuffling of its feathers it flew off to find a new home…

The house exploded, just as Lisa threw herself to one side grabbing up her weapon. She was thrown; twenty feet backwards threw walls, luckily made out of dry-wall. She landed in a crumpled heap, the hollow standing above her. She gazed up, her breath coming fast.

“Am I real now, little brat?” the voice rumbled out, filling Lisa with despair.

“Work… you piece of shit, work!” she was holding her sealed shnider in one hand, her cross in the other. Neither were doing what her mother had promised they would…But why? If they didn’t, she would die!

The hollow bent down slowly, opening its mouth as it began to laugh.

“Your soul is mine for the slurping!”

"Just to get by try to stay high it's a good life end of discussion hours like sand holes in my hand I'm a good soul, Martyr me." Rufus sang happily as he cruised down the Pacific coast highway in his V2 Volkswagon Van. The cool seabreeze swept through the open window as he glanced at the sunset. He could feel a strong Reaustu pressure that resembled a hallow. Shit.... I'm a good 10 miles away.. I hope I get there before it is too late Rufus said to himself as he sped towards Lisa's house.

He arrived in about 7 minutes and could see a large hole that the hallow had made in the house. Shit... The fucking thing is already attacking someone. he thought to himself as he immediately got out of the car and ran towards the house and entered through the large gaping hole the hallow had made in the right side of the house.

He eventually came upon the foul creature as it was about to eat the girl. He swiftly raised his right arm and activated his Quincy cross causing a bow to form. He formed an Arrow out of Reishi and pulled it back against the the string of his spirit bow.

"Heh not today you ugly fuck." he said cockily as he released the arrow. It pierced the hallow right through the side of it's head killing it instantly. His bow quickly faded as he rushed over to the girl to make sure she was okay.

"Hey are you okay?" he asked with concern as he offered her his right hand to help her up. A cross dangling from his wrist that looked eerily similar to the one her mom had given her accept it was a bit different and resembled a Celtic cross.

Lisa gazed at the man, mouth half agape. She had no idea where he had come from, nor what he had done to the monster. One moment it was there, next a blinding flash and it was gone. As he spoke to her, she began to shake, after effects of the quick action. She was clearly in shock, but she was not sure if the man new how to deal with it.

“What…who…the fuck…ahhh!”

She blacked out, just as she started to rise, falling back towards the ground in a heap.

"God damn it...." he said with a sigh as the girl passed out from the shock of what happened. Crap what am I going to to do... I can't just leav... Wait what is that? No.... could it be that is a Quincy cross? he thought to himself as he observed the charm around the girls wrist. After he examined it more closely he confirmed that it was in fact a Quincy cross but would have been bothering him was if she was a Quincy why didn't she defend herself. Well I can't just leave her here... I guess I could take her back to my van and wait for her to wake up... That way I can find out what happened. he thought to himself as he picked the girl up and carried her back to his V2. He opened to side door and layed her on his bed. He calmly sat near the opening of his rear door and reached over to turn his stereo on. He rummaged through his ipod until he came across a song that he hadn't herd in awhile he hit play and reached into his cooler for a beer.



As the song began to play he cracked open his beer and stared up at the night sky reflecting on the days events. Poor girl... Losing her mother like that... I wish I would of gotten there sooner.. He took a sip of his beer and leaned back enjoying his night and wondering what he would tell the girl. I mean if she had never heard of a Quincy she would surely think he was crazy and would probably theaten to call the cops on him. "Well hopefully things will get better then last time." he said with a laugh as he took another sip of his beer.

Just as the man popped the tab on his beer can, a siren split the air. Halling ass down the street, to the left of the man’s vehicle came an old fashion black and white, blue and red lights a flashin’. With a screech, the car came to a stop, two cops jumping out and slamming the doors.

Cop1: “Go check out the house; see if she is in side!”
Cop2: alright, you check the car parked over there!”

The second cop ran, gun pulled out, ducking low as he approached the house. Just as he was entering the front door, a part of the house fell in, causing him to throw himself back words to avoid the falling portion. The first cop approached the car, with the music playing. He knocked on the side, and called out in a voice.

“Hello in there, did you happen to see what happened, or a girl? She is under arrest for assault.”

Rufus turned the volume on the radio down and stepped out of the van. "Evening officer and what has just happened? A woman was assaulted near here... My God that is horrible.." he said in a shocked tone.

"Me and my girlfriend were just on our way to the cochella music festival and thought here would be a nice place to stay the night as it seemed like a nice neighborhood.. I guess we were wrong.. Well I will keep my eyes peeled for anything suspicious officer." he said calmly as he shut the right rear door of his van. He the walked towards the driver side door and turned to look at the officer.

"Well we are going to get out of here officer as this place is obviously not safe.. I wish you the best of luck in finding the girl and hope everything works out." he said calmly as he opened the door and climbed into the drivers seat.

Just as the man shut his door, the other cop came running around the corner. His hat was off, and his gun waving wildly. His eyes had a look in them, of pure fear.

“Bob!” he shouted

The first cop looked over, and turned back to the man in the car.

“What is in the back? Hey! Get out of the car, you’re under arrest!”

He drew his gun, aiming at the man in the care, unwilling or unable to fire his gun yet.

The second cop ran up, screaming historically.

“There seems to be an explosion in the rear of the house, and a mangled body…like someone ripped the fucking thing to shreds! I think he probably has something to do with it!”

His gun fired off, sending a bullet winging in to the back of the vehicle, leaving a perfect circle shape on each side of the car.

From just above the house a subtle crack appeared followed by a loud crash as the sky itself seemed to have broken. The dimension gate, known as a garganta, appeared just above the roof of the house.

"Ah there he is... Nal would you be so kind as to take our friend Jini down to the ground?" Zahlee asked but instead of it being a request it was more of a demand as Zhalee flashed away appearing behind the officers as they continued to light up the van. Not wanting anyone to get "damaged" from the gun fire, Zahlee lifts up his right arm bringing his hand to his abdomen then drop it down in a straight line.

"Bakudo #1 Sai" he said with an eerily calm voice. The police men, who until this moment had been firing the remainder of their bullets at the van, collapsed to the ground howling in pain as their arms bent in odd ways behind their backs. Seeing the coast was clear Nal, who seemed to be straddling something on his back, leaped from the garganta and landed directly in front of the van causing the ground to shake along with a small crater to appear from his massive weight.

"Damn it... That hole is going to be tiresome to fix." he said with a sigh as he was about ready to incapacitate the officers but in an instant they were already bound. To his surprise he saw that he was bound by a soul reaper that appeared to be traveling with a hallow of some sorts. This made him a bit uneasy as he killed hallows and didn't think to much of the shinigami as they almost wiped out his people a couple centuries ago. I wonder what the hell these two want... Fucking hallow I should just kill this walking abomination already.. No I shouldn't.. I guess I could find out what they want. Rufus thought to himself as he casually stepped out of his van.

" I wonder what Shinigami and a monstrosity want with little ole me? Shouldn't you be out arriving late to the scene of a hallow attack and shouldn't your monster friend be out eating whatever he can in a vain attempt to fill the emptiness of his soul? I apologize if I'm a bit crass but its not everyday that two of your least favorite groups show up in-front of you." he said coldly as a fake smile crept across his young face and made apparent of the two Quincy crosses that dangled from his wrists. One was the shape of Celtic cross and was decorated in silver with a sapphire in the middle. The other was just a simple cross with two metal locks on each point and appeared to be worn a bit.

"Now then what do you two want?" he asked bluntly to the shinigami totally ignoring the hallow. To him it was a monster that didn't deserve the time of day. He also figured that the shinigami was probably the leader of this odd duo.

"Wow.... I see you were right Nal.... They have little respect for anyone. Even those who save their lives or in this case a run down old van." The voice came from behind the hollow which drew your attention to the "monstrosity" as you so happy called it was taken back as you saw Jini appear from behind him.

"Now now, Jini. There is no need to be rude to our acquaintance." Nal spoke as he placed a protective hand, or rather claw in this instance, around the girl. As you look the girl over you realize that a Quincy cross hangs loosely on her right wrist. Jini, who took on a disgusted look, turns to the shinigami.

"Do I really have to stay with him? Can't YOU teach me how to use my powers?" her voice was strained as if the question held what last little bit of hope she had left.

The shinigami sighs and turns his attention from the Quincy to Jini. "Yes I'm afraid you have to stay. We" He indicated to himself and Nal. "can't teach you how to use your powers and it wouldn't be safe for you to travel with us just yet." as soon as he finished he turned back to you. "Will you train her? If not say so now that way we can be off."

"We do have respect just not for those that tried to destroy us. And I was about to knock them out but then you came and used your kido on them." he said calmly. It was obvious the girl did not know the history of the Quincy or what the hallows are actually capable of. If she knew then she would understand Rufus' feelings about the subject. He was taken a back by the request though as it was a bit odd to see a Shinigami, a Quincy and A hallow palling around. He couldn't let one of his kind hang around with these monsters.

"Well Mr. Shinigami that van is classic.. But I doubt you would know anything about cars. Anyway I will train her, I mean she does need to learn the ways of the Quincy. I just wonder what your ulterior motives are for the girl.. Well I will worry about that later." he said cheerfully. Within an instant he used the Hirenkyaku to appear behind her and put her hand on her shoulder. This would startle both her and the hallow as it was in an instant.

"Well looks like I have a new student! And to be honest I can show you things that the Shingami can't. You do want to get stronger Ms uhhhn I'm sorry but what is your name? I am Rufus Shields." he said cheerfully.

Jini jumped a little by the sudden appearance but Nal seemed unimpressed. It hasn't been hard for him to predict where the Quincy would appear but he tried not to show it. With the Quincy resolved to take Jini in, Nal and Zahlee step back as a similar cracking sound resounds throughout the immediate area. Just behind them a garaganta appears and they disappear into it leaving the two alone to fend for themselves.

-------------------------------------------------------------------


~In the Garganta~


"Do you think she will be alright?" Nal asked questioningly. The worry seemed to flow in his words like a flooding river.

"I believe we can leave her in the hands of her kind for now. I promise I'll keep an eye on her." said Zahlee with a little amusement in his voice as they vanished into the deep darkness.

"Soooo how did you get involved with that lot? Also do you know anything about the Quincy?"he asked curiously as he appeared in front of her again.

"They saved my life, jerk." she shoved past him and walked to the passenger side of the van. After putting on a brave face she grabbed the handle and took a seat on the passengers side and slammed the door shut.

Looks like she has yet to realize that they probably have ulterior motives.. Well I guess I just have to show them of there deception eventually .... Well I might as well I guess it's time to get to know her and see what she is all about he sighed to himself as he used the Hirenkyaku to appear in the driver seat of his van with his arms behind his head.

"Well I did not know that and sorry I am a bit harsh towards them. They have caused quite a bit of suffering to our people. Soo tell me what is your name?" he said causally.

As if waking out a a reverie she is startled when she sees you staring at her. "Wha.... What did you ask? I wasn't paying attention." sadness lined her voice as she began to zone out once again.

"Yeah one thing you should know is I abuse the hell out of the Hirenkyaku, it is such a fun technique to us don't you think." he said with a smile as he put his arms down. He noticed the sadness in her voice and was curious as to whats was the matter.

" I asked what your name is but are you okay? You seem a bit down.."

"What? Oh, nothing is wrong. At least nothing that I'm willing to share with you at the moment. Now are you going to take me to where ever it is you were going to take her? Or should I get out and look for a way to contact my friends?" her tone had changed from worry to irritation and you could tell that she was getting impatient from sitting still so long.

"Well I was traveling around killing hallows, and recruiting fellow quincies. It is the job Alain has tasked me for. Yes we shall get out of here as the last thing I want is the cops to come after me.. Things could get messy." he said playfully as he started up the engine of his van. The radio immediately kicked on and this song started playing

"Ohh my god I love this song!" he said exictedly as he turned the volume and began to back up.

"There must be some word todaaaaayy, from my girlfriend so far away, Please mister postman look and see If there's a letter, a letter for me.Soooooooooooooo patiently for just a card or just a letter saying she's returning home to me." he sang happily as he drove off.