Flirting With Death part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Megaman X or any of its characters. I'm not that fortunate.

As i said before this is a Mega man X and BLEACH crossover. Just to clarify, Zero said his last name was Light because there was a man famous for creating the first reploids that went by the name doctor Thomas Light. Since he was basically the father of modern Reploids Zero decided to use his last name. However Zero technically doesn't have a last name. Sorry there are no drunk people in this chapter. I had to push that to the fourth one. But Zero pisses Byakuya off so that should be lots of fun.

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Summary: Zero from Megaman X series dies and wakes up in the Soul Society. Upon his arrival Rukia and Shuhei arrest him in order to determine whether he is a threat or not. After careful consideration the central 46 decides Zero is non-threatening and makes preparations to adapt the former reploid into the ranks of the 13 court guard squads. Meanwhile Zero tries to figure out what the hell he's got himself mixed up in.
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Chapter 2: And so You Give a Knife to a Stranger...

"Captain Kuchiki, I've brought Zero Light," Announced Abarai from the other side of the paper doors of Byakuya's office.

"You may enter." Came the stoic reply.

Renji pulled open the door while standing to the side so Zero could enter. Zero shot Renji a malicious smile and walked into the office. Renji sported a worried expression in response and wondered what the newcomer was up to.

"Captain Kuchiki." Zero half bowed in respect as he entered the room.

Byakuya nodded to him and set aside his paperwork. "I trust you've been given adequate accommodations?"

"Yes sir," said Zero. He proceeded to reach down and grab his pant leg. "So what keeps these things from flying up while you fight and stuff?"

"Zero!" Renji hissed from the hall.

Byakuya ignored this and instead asked. "Have you considered joining one of the 13 court guard squads?"

"It's crossed my mind a time or two. It seems a favorable course of action. Considering the benefits."

Byakuya fixed him with a serious glare. "So what kind of experience do you have? Fighting and otherwise."

"Lets see." Zero pretended to ponder this for a moment before answering. "In the living world I was a reploid. A robot created to replicate humans. I was designed as a combat model so my forte resides in fighting and sword play. I am familiar with all terrain, and weather conditions. I can also perform stealth and reconnaissance missions. My former occupation was a bounty hunter of sorts called a Maverick Hunter. Mavericks were reploids that went mad or malfunctioned. But the most common cause was rebellion against our human creators." Zero paused for a moment to take a breath. "Outside of fighting I'm not much use. I can fill out documents and paper work as well as heavy lifting. but nothing specific."

Byakuya took a moment before nodding. Zero doubted if his explanation made any sense to the Captain.

"So I'm not really good with this interview stuff, y'know being a combat model and all." Zero raised his hands and shrugged.

Byakuya gave him an unamused look, then let out a sigh. The captain clasped his hands together trying to remain impassive.

"So that Rukia woman. She's something else isn't she? Never have I seen such legs on a girl before reploid or human. And her personality, She's got a bite that makes a man curious what she'd be like in-"

"RENJI!" Byakuya screamed. "GET HIM OUT OF MY OFFICE. NOW!"

"Well I thought it was damn hilarious," said Zero as he unrolled his futon.

Renji stood in the doorway while rubbing his temples. "Hilarious, yes. Out of line and very inappropriate, HELL YEAH. What do you want the captain to murder you in your sleep?"

"Psh." Zero dismissed Renji. "The man needs to grow a sense of humor." 'If they'd give back my Z saber I wouldn't have to worry about being murdered in my sleep.' he thought to himself. "So who has the honors of staring at my God-sent body while I sleep? Do I get a lady reaper this time?" Zero shot Renji a hopeful look.

"You really abhor the watching thing don't you?"

"No I ENJOY feeling like a convicted criminal." Zero answered sarcastically. "Nothing like stalking to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside."

Renji responded with a groan and shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you. Orders are orders."

"And tolls are tolls and rolls are rolls. And If we don't get no tolls we don't eat no rolls."

"Very funny." Renji groaned again. "Someone will be by to get you in the morning."

That night Zero slept dreamlessly. As a reploid he was known to suffer frequent nightmares followed with severe headaches. It was unusual for him to have a peaceful night of sleep. But morning came all to soon and Zero found himself waking to someone calling his name.

"Zero! Zero Light! Time to get up."

"Yeah yeah. Give me a moment." The former reploid sat up and pushed his long blond hair out of his face. He took a moment to stare unenthusiastically at his hair. 'This is going to be a bitch to brush out.' Subsequently his thoughts drifted back to his friends. He wondered what X was doing right now. The naive little Maverick hunter depended on Zero for everything. How must he be coping without his partner and best friend? And Axl. The spunky child-like former assassin must be causing all sorts of ruckus without Zero to keep him in line. 'Can I really be dead? And if I am can't they just put me back together? And restart my systems?'

"Zero. Please hurry. You'll be late."

"Alright! I'm coming."

After several minutes and lots of cursing Zero Got his uniform on and managed to brush out his hair and tie it back with string. He then pushed open the door and got a good look at the reaper outside. And let out an irritated sigh. 'Just great. Overly happy elaborate eyebrows Renji impersonator again. yaaay...'

"Since you're here.." said Zero. "I'd like to ask you a favor."

The reaper looked at him with a happy eager expression.

"Renji informed me yesterday that I was tying this wrong." Zero held up the ends of his sash. "So if you'll give me a hand." 'This is embarrassing. I can't even tie my own pants.'

"Sure!" the reaper proceeded to quickly knot Zero's sash for him.

"Thanks."

"If you are ready, the evaluation will be held in the squad 11 training grounds. so it's a little bit of a walk. This way Zero sir."

"Call me sir again and I'll shave off your real eyebrows."

The reaper gulped audibly. "Sorry... um Zero."

"That's better."

Letting the cheerful eyebrows reaper lead the way, they made their way out of the squad 6 division and over to the 11th division. The walk was long and they passed many other reapers along the way. Most of which gawked at Zero and his hair. One thing Zero could be proud of was his god-awfully long blond hair. Said hair was currently tied back in a ponytail and the end of it managed to reach the back of his knees.

Zero was not a tall man. In fact he was short compared to Renji or Shuhei. While only slightly taller than his current escort Zero felt sort of dwarfed by some of the reapers around him. His looks however were a different story. Being a former reploid Zero had been designed with a flawless appearance, strong but slender jaw line, curved sharp nose, a set of piercing blue eyes, and defined arched eyebrows. Zero also sported a sleek body with defined muscles and a lithe appearance. It was little surprise that Zero could turn the head of many females.

It was a little over a half an hour before Zero and his guide reached the 11th squad training grounds. Captain Kuchiki was not present at the evaluation, which didn't surprise Zero in the least. However there were a handful of new reapers that Zero had yet to become acquainted with. One soul reaper stood out with both his monstrous size and the flamboyant hairstyle he sported. Not only that, but the man was loud. Zero could hear him bellowing even from all the way across the training ground.

"That's Captain Kenpachi Zaraki" Overly cheerful elaborate eyebrows reaper informed him. "He's captain of squad 11."

"The combat orientated squad." Zero clarified to himself.

Zero started across the open area of the training ground toward the group of reapers. As he approached the group turned and Zero quickly picked out Shuhei from the crowd.

"When Do we get to the fun stuff?" Zero hollered. "And who's ass do I get to whoop?"

"I like this one." Said captain Zaraki. "Let's draft him."

"Captain Zaraki, you're forgetting that we have to give him a series of tests first," informed Shuhei.

"And then I can draft him."

"Let's wait until after we witness his abilities to decide that, Captain." said a man with a completely shaven head.

As Zero made it to the group Shuhei stepped forward. "This is Kenpachi Zaraki, captain of squad 11." He gestured to the tall man with the strange hair. "And the bald one is Ikkaku, and joined at his hip is Yumichika, the one with the funky eyelashes. The white haired captain is Toshiro Hitsugaya, and the woman next to him is Rangiku Matsumoto."

"Ladies that can fight are always the most attractive." remarked Zero after giving Rangiku a once over.

"The same applies to men," giggled Rangiku. "Let's hope you can hold up your end."

"Don't worry, I plan to."

"And If we can finish the introductions," interrupted Hitsugaya. "This is Captain Ukitake of squad 13," He motioned toward an older man with long white hair. "And Shuhei is his lieutenant. Now that we've been introduced you can tell us your name and we can get started with the evaluations."

Zero nodded, eager to start. "My name is Zero Light. And I excel in combat."

"Can I give him the first test?" asked Captain Zaraki. "It would be my pleasure."

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes before answering quickly. "No. Your first test will include agility and speed. You will perform this without the use of weapons. Instead your focus will be dodging and avoiding both Yumichika and Ikkaku."

"And I'll get my sword back when? Before or after the Calculus?" inquired the former reploid.

"Focus please the first test will now begin." said the 10th captain.

Immediately both Ikkaku and Yumichika broke away from the group and drew their swords. Yumichika went to the left while Ikkaku took the right.

"Hey, that's not fair." said Zero. He avoided a slash from Ikkaku. Yumichika followed close behind with a downward swing that Zero rolled away from. "Why do they get to use weapons? This is kinda one sided if you ask me."

"I can make it even more one sided if you want." said Ikkaku taking a swing at Zero's mid section.

Zero leapt back and then jumped to avoid a swipe at his ankles. For a time both Yumichika and Ikkaku struck at Zero but he remained evasive and neither were able to land blows. It wasn't until Ikkaku came in with and overhead attack and Yumichika with a lower one that Zero lost his footing and found himself at the mercy of the bald reaper's blade. Ikkaku swung his sword again, The blow would have hit Zero's shoulder but a sudden blast of light followed by an explosion sent Ikkaku flying. We the dust cleared Zero was still lying on the ground. He hadn't moved at all and it appeared that the blast hadn't affected him.

"Was that kido?" asked Ukitake.

"It can't be Kido." clarified Hitsugaya. "I sense absolutely no spiritual pressure from this man. In order to perform Kido one has to possess spiritual pressure."

"Then what was it?" asked Rangiku.

The group stared at Zero's hand which glowed an eerie blue.

Zero had his eyes clamped shut when Ikkaku's sword had come at him. He had wished damn hard at that moment that he still had his buster, a small canon built into a reploid's arm that fired energy shots. As if in response to his desperate thoughts and explosion formed in front of him and Zero could feel energy form in his hand. It was very much like what his buster would have felt like. Zero could almost feel the mechanism on his arm once more. But as he opened his eyes he saw only bits dissipating energy in his fist and singed uniform. 'Yeah it was too much to hope for. But hey, at least I did something.' The former reploid sat up and flicked his right hand a couple times dispersing the last bits of energy. He glanced around him to see what happened to Ikkaku and was pleased to see that the reaper was more shocked than injured.

"You want to explain how you did that with out so much as an ounce of spirit energy?" Captain Hitsugaya loomed eerily over Zero with a miffed expression.

"Not sure." replied Zero. "I just thought about my former abilities and then BOOM."

The white haired captain gave him a skeptical look. Rangiku and Ukitake remained silent, and Yumichika helped Ikkaku off the ground.

"I suppose that concludes the agility test." said the captain of squad 10. "Let's see what else you've got..."

For the next several hours Zero found himself tested in endurance, hand to hand, jumping, lifting, and anything else that could be related to combat or field work. He even blew away the captains with his ability to sneak around undetected in his stealth evaluation. Because Zero possessed no spiritual pressure he was literally untraceable. Even his new ability to fire shots of energy from his hand gave off no residue. Not a single trace of spirit power.

As the evaluations dwindled down it was time for sword to sword combat. Zero was looking forward to this. His hopes however were immediately dashed when they handed him a average Zanpakuto.

"Where is my Z saber?" He demanded.

"Please understand Zero Light. We don't feel ready to give you back something that could be potentially dangerous." clarified Captain Ukitake.

"Oh, and this katana isn't considered potentially dangerous?" Zero tossed the sword on the ground. "I fight with my Z saber or I'm not fighting at all."

"Be reasonable Light." said Hitsugaya. "We don't even know what this weapon of yours is capable of."

"I can show you." Spat Zero, his face a grimace of irritation.

"I'll fight you." said Kenpachi Zaraki. "And I grant him permission to use his weapon of choice."

"Zaraki! Are you mad?" bellowed Hitsugaya. "You don't even know what this man is capable of!"

"That's the point of the stupid exercise, is it not?" implored Captain Zaraki. "If the boy can't fight to his full potential than this evaluation means nothing." Kenpachi proceeded to snatch Zero's saber away from Captain Ukitake who had been the one in care of the object. Then The 11th captain tossed it to Zero who caught it effortlessly.

"Captain of the combat division. It'll be my honor to fight with you in battle." said Zero.

"Hehehehe." laughed Kenpachi in response. "Just try to keep this interesting."

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Alright so that concludes chapter two. I still don't know who to have Zero romantically involved with so if you could give me Ideas and prepare to discuss them it would be nice. I'm already mulling over several possibilities but I like to be sure when I decide stuff. Please review it would mean lots to me! Next chapter will include fighting as well as some squad four people!
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Saij Spellhart says thanks!