The scream echoed throughout the forest. Ichigo's frown got even more pronounced. What the hell...? He shielded his ears with his palms.

"Titan" Kurt said, squinting into the darkness of the forest. The titans were running into the forest.

"That's odd" Armin said. "They don't seem to care anymore!"

"That's a bad thing if I remember!" Ichigo growled and readied his gear. He felt a strong hand on his shoulder. Kurt.

"Orders are orders. We don't have the power to go against that many titans!"

"That's the difference between you and me" Ichigo said. "Your duty exceeds you" and with a shove, he jumped down to the nearest Titan.

It was pretty fast. Ichigo's speed was incredible. He just blazed towards the titan and crossed his arms. He reached the Titan's shoulder unnoticed. With a familiar Slash, the titan crumbled. Without a second's hesitation, he launched himself in the air, latching himself high enough on a tree. He looked at the remaining squad.

"Are you just going to stand there?" He looked at Mikasa for this one. "Would you just stand there and do nothing while your world withers away?!"

Mikasa stared at him with those dark eyes. This wasn't the boy she had fought in the barracks...without a word, she and half of the squad got on their gear.

"Ha!" Connie said as he sawed a Titan's hand in half. Jean finished the job, slicing the nape of the neck. They were only slowing down the inevitable.

"They're too fast!" Armin said. He was right, even Ichigo had come to that grim conclusion. That was when he felt it. It was small, but it was definitely there. Reiatsu.

He screamed in frustration as a torrent of thoughts attacked his mind. What the hell was happening? It was like those movies that showed the life of an amnesiac. Except, Ichigo wasn't an amnesiac. There were images in his memory...images he didn't quite understand. They showed the head captain talking to an old lady, something about creating a portal. The voices sounded like they were coming from further away. He couldn't quite make out the exact meaning.

"Damn it..." He swore as he got on a branch. It was like the images were getting worse. He couldn't comprehend a single thing. That was when the lightning struck the ground. Or, what Ichigo perceived to be lightning. Everyone else knew exactly what it was.

"Eren must have transformed" Armin said, as he reached the branch Ichigo stood on. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah" Ichigo lied. What the hell were these visions? They just stood there in silence. The titans were returning towards the forest. It was almost...orderly. Not something anyone would expect from Titans. They just assumed their usual gnawing and acted as stupid as ever.

"I don't understand any of this!" Jean said. "This is all bullshit"

Such words of wisdom. Ichigo had to agree though. This was all bullshit. Everything about this screamed that.

That was when another bolt of lightning hit the ground, somewhere towards the middle of the forest.

"Twice?" Ichigo said, rubbing his throbbing head.

"Eren's not alone" Mikasa said, and dashed into the forest.

"No, Mikasa!" Armin protested. He couldn't follow her, however. The titans were climbing the trees. Armin couldn't believe it. They would fail though, they would reach a certain height and fall, but they would eventually try again.

"I'll follow her" Ichigo grunted, and launched his manoeuvre gear.

"We can handle things here" Connie called out. Ichigo didn't respond. Connie grinned, and jumped with fear as a Titan failed its quest of climbing up the tree.

"Maybe not so well" He muttered.

"Speeding ahead without backup isn't going to help!" Ichigo called out.

"You let your duty exceed you" Mikasa said, not slowing down the slightest bit. "I believe you said those exact same words. Tell me, isn't backup waiting. And isn't waiting part of what that captain said?"

Ichigo frowned as he caught up with Mikasa. Something was stirring inside him. It must have something to do with that Reiatsu flair, he told himself.

"Going in alone isn't going to help anyone!"

"I don't care!" Mikasa almost yelled something very unlike her. "I have to protect Eren, no matter what the cost!"

Ichigo stopped moving as he saw Mikasa grow smaller and smaller.

I will protect Eren, no matter what the cost.

She was just like him. She too, needed to protect those dear to her. Ichigo picked up his pace, gliding even faster. He wasn't afraid of gas running out. No, he had something else. He had to help people. A person just like him. He now realised what it was like to be in Rukia's shoes the day she lent him her powers. He had found it. It may not have been as strong as he had believed it to be, but he had found it.

"Wait up!" He yelled, as he lunged towards Mikasa. He was a fast learner, and this showed. He had already reached Mikasa, who hadn't slowed down. "Let me help you!"

The black haired girl gave Ichigo a sideway glance. Why was this boy so adamant? She was a stranger to him. And he was weak. Oh boy he was weak. But, now that she looked at him, she felt something different. It was like an ember had sparked inside him. There was burning in his eyes she hadn't seen when they had fought.

"Fine"

Ichigo grinned slightly. The grin faded as they reached the tremors issued from deep within the forest. It showed the female titan's kick hovering over the body of Eren's titan form. The titan swooped lower, and looked at Eren, almost with a hunger. It was...eating Eren? It was gnawing at the flesh, until Ichigo saw what it had been chomping for. Eren's body. In one bite, it took Eren and stood erect. It started...running.

"Eren!" Mikasa yelled, as she rushed towards the Titan. Ichigo was about to follow when a figure swooped in and stopped Mikasa. Upon closer inspection, it was Corporal Levi.

"Stop. Look at the direction it is running in. Its movements are slower. We should follow it till it is more worn out" he noticed Ichigo and if possible, he frowned. Of course, a frown was what Levi usually wore, but it seemed more pronounced now that he looked at Ichigo. Ichigo, knowing it was common courtesy, frowned back. Without another word, the three of them launched themselves into the air, staying a considerable distance away from the female titan. Its movements were much slower now. That was good.

"We approach from behind" Mikasa said.

"Too predictable" Levi and Ichigo said at the same time. They glanced at each other, and Ichigo looked straight ahead. "It knows how 3-D manoeuvre works. We approach from the sides. Shinigami, distract it. You, approach from the left while I approach it from the right"

Ichigo moved towards the right, and got further in front of the titan. He had caught its attention. He dived in, and spin-sliced its left arm. It glared at him as he went for the left hand. It aimed a punch at him, but Ichigo manoeuvred himself above the punch. Mikasa and Levi appeared at either side of the titan and aimed for the neck. Of course, the titan brought its non-severed arm behind its neck and hardened it.

"Damn it..." Ichigo growled, as he aimed for the Titans stomach. He caused a terrible gash, and dodged being stepped on. That was when it happened. His eyes glowed again. In less than an instant, he was on top of the titan. He slashed at her hand, and watched as she fell down. His gear wasn't holding him. He was floating in air. Of course, Levi wasn't satisfied. Eren was inside that titan, and he needed it immobile. So, he proceeded further and slashed down the length of its stomach, forming a cross to Ichigo's previous slash. The titans hand fell down...

"Ha!" Mikasa said, and aimed for the neck. Levi noticed the titans' slight movement.

"No!" He said, but Ichigo had already realised the mistake. He appeared right in front of Mikasa, and grasped her by the hip.

"What?!" Mikasa yelled. She realised her mistake as the Titan lifted its hand in weak defence.

"Careful" his eyes still glowed. They flickered, and the tawny eyes returned as he landed on the branch of a tree nearby. The titan opened its mouth, and there was Eren. He was in some kind of yellowish goo. Levi dived in and scooped the limp body of the fallen titan-shifter.

"We move. Now. With an involuntary person, it is stupid to try and fight this titan" he said. Ichigo groggily got up, and looked at the titan. He watched as tears streamed down its cheeks. He almost felt pity. Almost once again, being a key-word. This titan had just slaughtered members of Levi's elite squad. That thing didn't deserve the pity he felt. With that, he followed Levi and Mikasa.

"The female titan is not Annie!" Eren protested, banging his balled fist on the table of the conference. "You've got it wrong! Annie is strong...There is no way in HELL she's the titan..."

"Right now, we can't take any risks..." Levi said, as calm as always. "If Armin is right, we should check. Just to be sure" Levi had become well acquainted with Armin. The same could not be said for the ginger.

"Just to be sure? Do you hear yourself?" Eren spat. "I'm telling you, Annie is not the female tita-."

"Eren" Mikasa said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Remember. Even you know it was Annie. The kick she used, you must have recognised it" her words were soft, but they had a girt to them. Eren pushed Mikasa's hand away.

"Shut up! It can't be Annie...It just can't"

"It has to be..." Ichigo chose this moment to speak. "If I remember correctly, which I'm not too sure about; Annie was there when you came out the Titan's carcass the first time..."

"And Annie has blonde hair. So does the female titan. The facts just aren't adding up"

"If you knew Annie, you would know!"

"Do you know Annie, Eren?" Mikasa said. "Where is she from? Her age?"

"I...I..." it was as if Eren had suddenly lost the ability to talk.

"Face it Eren, it's her. And besides, so what if we're wrong? It's not going to affect Annie in anyway" Armin said. Eren didn't reply. He just sat down in disbelief.

"Well then. Our plan is to lure her to the underground. If she chooses to transform there, she will be quite segregated. If she chooses to transform before then, we will have to rely on your titan powers"

"And my Shinigami abilities" Ichigo reminded. He frowned. Had he just said that? No, he couldn't have. But he had. Erwin stared at him

"If I remember correctly, you were 'showing off your moves'" That might have been the only time Erwin ever used the slang. "at the barracks. Your sword disappeared, along with your shinigami powers and form. You are currently as useful as a normal soldier. I suggest you not get cocky"

It was Ichigo's turn to sit down in mock defeat. Something was different about him...the month he had stayed here, he indulged himself in training. Only training. It was like his fighting style had changed...he held his hands to his temples. Eren wasn't the only one under mental insecurity. And then there had been the part where he had mentioned Reishi was absorbed from the surroundings...had he really said that? He gripped his orange hair. He was on the brink of insanity. Zangetsu and his hollow didn't seem to even bother. Something was wrong...something was definitely wrong.

"This meeting is thus adjourned. It is already in our best interests that your friend Jean will be disguised to look as you for the 'trip' to the inner walls" Erwin got up, and everybody left the room. Everyone but Eren, Mikasa, Armin and Ichigo. Ichigo suddenly felt weak in the legs...What the hell was happening to him? All of this had to have been something Juha Bach had done. He could almost hear his hollow saying 'No shit'.

"Ichigo" Ichigo looked up to see Armin staring at him with concerned eyes. "Are you alright?"

Ichigo nodded. "F-fine" second time he had lied about that. He exited the room, clutching his head...Why did it hurt this badly?
He walked out the door into the darkness of the night. The moon illuminating the walls. He groggily wandered the roads like a drunken man. He had no idea where he was going. He was going wherever his legs would take him...after what seemed like hours, he hit his head against something. As if from a trance, he looked at what he had hit. He was right next to the white walls.

"What the hell..." He muttered, rubbing his head. The pain was dulling, but it was definitely there. It was more of an irritation than a pain. He felt Reiatsu again. Except, it wasn't an external source. It was coming from...him? That was impossible. There was no Reishi in the surroundings.

Goddamn it, my Reishi has nothing to do with the surroundings!

If this was true, why was he having visions of Yoruichi and Urahara lecturing him on the subject? He was crucifying himself. The more he thought about his past life, the more it hurt his head. A roar filled the sky. Ichigo looked at the top of the walls.

"That's just great. Freaking great" he muttered. He saw...a titan. The titan's head hovered over the walls, its skin a sickly red. He heard the alarms going off. He didn't have his gear with him. He swore and jumped back. Something had happened. Something had struck the wall. Realisation dawned on Ichigo. This was the colossal titan Armin had been telling him about. He stared at it in disgust. But if his memory sufficed, it had taken down the outer wall with nothing but a kick. Why was it struggling now? The material was the same.

Run. Run away. Run away from this spot.

Something urged him. Ichigo didn't take lightly to voices in his mind. A certain voice in his head was a pain the ass. But, Ichigo followed it nonetheless. What was taking the Corps so long? He watched as people rushed out their homes, screaming. He ran past priests preaching about the walls giving them strength. That was long as the walls were there, no harm would befall mankind.

Keep praying, and we're going to die!

Finally, the military arrived. He met up with squad he was familiar with.

"Where's Eren?" Ichigo demanded, noticing the hot-head was missing.

"We can't risk having him here" Armin said. "And you don't have gear"

"We need Eren" Ichigo said. "Look at that thing!"

"This is under commander Erwin's orders" Armin said.

"What is it with you guys and ord-."

Boom.

The titan had stopped kicking the walls, so what the hell was that noise? Ichigo turned around, and saw two seven-metre class titans running towards the livestock of humans.

"What the hell?!" Ichigo said, and watched as Jean cut one of the titans before it could reach the humans. The other titan however, reached the humans and started devouring. Another boom. Two more titans. That was when Ichigo realised what was happening. Up. The colossal titan was dropping the smaller ones. It couldn't destroy the wall, so it now resorted to hurling Titans from those heights. The titans didn't seem to be affected by the fall. More of the military arrived. Ichigo felt useless, without gear. More and more titans were falling. It was raining titans.

"As long as the walls stand, no evil shall harm u-." The priest never finished his sentence. A titan had swallowed him whole. Ichigo ran to the barracks as fast as possible and donned his gear. He was already late. He ran out to the building, and beheld a sight too gory to comprehend in a second. The titans were mercilessly slaughtering the humans. Ichigo steeled himself, and got ready to work. He made a promise in that instant.

Every last one of them is going to die. They're going to be slaughtered!

He reached a titan, and with astonishing speed brought it down. He slaughtered up to ten of the titans terrorising the human live stock. The military was doing a good job keeping the titans busy. They were falling quickly though. Ichigo reached the walls.

"We need to get that titan" Jean yelled.

"You think, Jean?" Connie spat as he and Sasha killed a Titan.

"I'll do it!" Ichigo volunteered, and without a word, used his gear to reach the top of the wall. The titan's arms were huge. Huge enough for it to just crouch and scoop up titans. Taking the opportunity, Ichigo leaped onto the titans shoulders, swords in his hand.

The steam blinded him for second, but that didn't stop him. He might not be in his Shinigami form, he might have lost it that day at the barracks, but that wasn't going to stop him from slaughtering the titans. Ichigo lunged for its neck and brought his swords down. With a crack, his swords broke. He swore and swerved his way towards the walls. The titan wasn't going to be scooping up any other titans. Ichigo had caught its attention. Good. That was a starter. Now equipped with nothing but broken swords, he stared at the titan with a malevolent gaze.

He felt the abnormality. Even the titan felt it. He looked right above the titan. A rip appeared in the sky. A Garganta. Ichigo's heart beat faster. The titan looked at it with great curiosity.

"Dance, Sode No Shirayuki!" a voice screamed from behind the titan. Not from the Garganta. Ichigo recognised that voice. He watched as the titan's hands began to freeze. Apparently, the titan noticed as well. It tried moving its hands fast enough, but it was too slow. With great heights, came a great disability for mobility it seemed.

That was when the Garganta opened fully. Ichigo was high enough to notice that brown coat with a green shirt anywhere.

"Awaken, Benihime!" A red torrent of energy struck the titan with such intensity that the titan staggered. It had lost its footing.

"Well?" The voice which had issued from behind the titan spoke up. "Are you just going to stand there, Ichigo?"

Ichigo felt himself grin.

"Kisuke! Rukia!"

Now, I think I have to explain quite a lot, so bear with meh D:
First off, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS!
Secondly, I hear the one thing that keeps reappearing is the fact that Mikasa beat Ichigo. I think I've given you a hint for that. Notice how Ichigo fights Mikasa and Eren. I'm very, very biased to Ichigo. I mean, I'm the type of guy who thinks Ichigo can beat Goku(even though I know he can't)That little episode will be explained sooner.
And thirdly, ...I've got nothing...-_-

Anyways, thanks for the review! Since most of you feel the last chapter was rushed, I took my time with this one...Hope you guys enjoy!

-TDR