Chapter 1: After life there is death!

"Hey what's up! Oh, my names Grayson by the way. You may be wondering what the hell is going on right now, but don't worry. I'm thinking the exact same thing."

"Like why the hell is there a group of crazy monsters chasing me!!!"

"The last thing I remember I was on my way to work, and that's pretty much where it goes blank. Next, think I knew, no one could see or hear me, and I have a freaking chain attached to my chest!"

"As I said, my name is Grayson. I'm twenty-five and manage a successful global video game company in London."

"You're right to ask yourself what's going on right now. Hell, I don't even know that myself. So, in order for you to understand, I'll start at the beginning..."

"Beep-Beep-Beep-Beep"

Grayson rolled over and hit the snooze button on his phone, checking the time through his weary eyes.

After a long stretch, he finally dragged himself out of bed, sitting on the edged of it as he let his mind wake up.

After a hot shower and some breakfast, Grayson found himself looking in the mirror as he proceeded to fix his tie around his neck.

Grayson was a good looking man, with dark blue eyes and wavy brown hair that he kept well-groomed. All in all, he took care of himself and exercised regularly.

"Ok, good to go!" He said giving himself a wink in the mirror as he finished playing with his hair.

Grayson pulled on his grey blazer and grabbed his phone and keys before he headed out of his flat, joining the busy streets of London below.

The weather was surprisingly nice today with the sun shining across the concert jungle. Grayson, like most other people these days, walked while looking at or talking into his phone.

He had been doing it for so long now he rarely had to look up to know where he was. His place of work wasn't far and as usual, he would stop for his morning coffee along the way.

"Welcome to Starbucks what can I get for you?" The lady at the till asked.

"Yeah hi. Can I get a vanilla latte?" He asked.

"Of course sir." The woman said, telling him the price.

Grayson paid and was soon on his way with his overpriced coffee, skipping merely across the road as he took his first sip.

"Umm, that's good." He thought as he licked his lips.

The street was certainly busy today. Road works were taking place with traffic being blocked up as usual, with cars beeping their horns in an attempt to feel as if it will achieve something, but to no end.

-Phone ringing-

"Ah, shit, who's this?" Grayson said as he juggled his coffee and phone in his hand, doing his best to answer the call as he dodged through the busy street.

"Yeah, hello?" He asked over the sound of the traffic.

"Hello, I can't hear you!" He said, still not being able to hear anything.

"Mumbling sound and static"

Grayson pulled his phone away from his ear so he could see the caller ID, but it was blank.

"Hey, mister look out!" Somebody shouted, getting his attention.

"Huh?" Grayson thought as he looked at the panicking stranger.

"What the hell is his problem..."

-Sound of a car skidding and crashing noises!-

Grayson suddenly sat up, rubbing his head as he took a look around to see what had happened.

He had felt a slight burning sensation in his lower back before everything had turned black.

"Why the hell am I lying down on the street? Did I fall?" He thought as he stood up.

"Oh my God!"

"Argghhh!"

Grayson looked over to see people screaming and panicking as they gathered around.

"An accident? What the hell happened?" He asked as he gathered around with the surrounding crowd.

"Was somebody hurt?" He asked, speaking to a woman next to him.

He was a little surprised when she didn't answer him and asked her again.

"Hello? What's going on?" He asked still getting no response.

"Oh my God, he's dead!" Somebody said, interrupting Grayson.

He looked over another person's shoulder to take a peek.

"Hold on a second..." He said as his eyes opened wide.

"T-That's me!" He shouted as he went to push through the crowd, only for his body to pass right through them.

Grayson fell to his knees from the force he had used, not expecting zero resistance. He looked up slowly, noticing that his body was covered in a pool of blood, his back looked twisted and his legs broken.

"What is this... What the hell is going on!" He shouted as he continued to look at his double before finally reaching its face.

"That's me... I'm... What in the hell is happening!!!" He screamed, his mind unable to process what was going on right now.

"Please somebody help me!" He shouted turning to look at the crowd of people that had gathered.

"Anybody, please!" He shouted again, but to no avail.

"Why won't anybody help me!" He said with tears welling up in his eyes.

Grayson slammed his fists onto the ground in anger, sobbing a little as he realised that he must be dead.

"How did this happen?" He said leaning back on his knees to look into the sky.

Grayson heard the sound of a chain rattling as he moved a little. The sound rang in his ears again as he looked down to see where it was coming from.

"What is this?" He said realizing he had a chain attached to his chest.

Grayson grabbed it noticing that it had snapped at the end.

"I don't understand..." He said as he tugged at it, causing a burning pain in his chest.

"Agh." He winced, letting go of the chain after he pulled it again to confirm that it hurt.

The sound of sirens in the distance caught his attention. Standing to get a better look he could see that it was an ambulance.

"H-Hey!" He shouted.

"Maybe they can save me... Maybe they can..." He thought before taking another look at his body.

"No..." He then said knowing that it was too late.

Grayson watched as the paramedics pulled a sheet over his body before the police arrive and moved everyone away from the scene.

Grayson watched the whole thing. After all, he was dead and nobody could see him.

"Wow, poor guy." one of the coppers said.

"Yeah, must have died on impact." One of the paramedics said as they finished writing the report.

They had moved Grayson's body into the ambulance for transportation. Grayson had watched the entire process not knowing what he was supposed to do now.

"Should I follow? Should I stay with my body?" He thought.

"I don't know what to do..." He said as he placed his head into his hands.

"Anyway, we will take it from here, see you later." The paramedics said as they bid the police farewell.

Grayson watched as they shut the ambulance doors and hopped back into the cab.

"W-Wait..." He said as he stood up.

"No, wait!" He shouted as the ambulance started to drive away.

He tried to run after it, but it was no use as he soon lost sight of it.

Grayson was now left alone on the streets of London with no idea what to do or where to go.

The ever-present rattling of his chain in the breeze reminding him that he was dead, over and over again.

"What am I supposed to do now..." He thought as he looked into the sky.

"Somebody tell me! Just what the hell am I supposed to do!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

-Hollow howling in the distance!-

Grayson was alerted to the cry, feeling a sense of fear pass over his body as the screeching of the howl echoed through his body.

"What the hell was that?" He said, knowing he had never heard anything like it in his life.

The howl sounded again, this time closer than before.

"Again, what in the world is happening?" He said, feeling the intense fear wash over his body like a wave.

"I can't stay here..." He said. No, he knew.

"I need to get out of here..." He thought as he turned around.

-Sound of a hollow howling-

This time the howl came from behind him, causing the fear he felt to double as if the wave had now crashed upon him, rendering him almost unable to move.

Grayson turned his head slowly to see what it was. After all, it was human nature to be curious.

Grayson was shocked to see a large monster with eight legs like a spider. Its body was black with red lines cutting across it.

But its head was what stood out to him the most. A large white mask, with razor-sharp teeth, gleaming in the sunlight as the monsters red eyes locked onto his.

The hollow gave a loud screech once more as it started running towards Grayson.

He knew better than to stand still and watch as a monster ran towards him with a hungry look in its eye.

Grayson's body suddenly became full of life as it seemed to carry him like the wind, running faster than he knew he could.

"Argghhh!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, running as quick as his legs would carry him.

"What the hell is that thing!" He shouted as he turned the corner of a busy street, using a lamp post to aid his sudden change of direction.

The monster followed, crushing a car bonnet as it gave chase, smashing everything out of its way as it continued to howl.

"Somebody help me!" Grayson screamed as he tried to run faster.

He looked left and right, trying his best to find somewhere, anywhere he could go.

"There has to be a way!" He thought before he clocked something coming up.

Grayson had spotted a busy shopping centre, thinking that if he could make it in time, perhaps he could lose the monster inside.

Grayson dashed for the entrance. The automatic doors were only small enough for people after all, with the building being made of solid stone and brick.

"Come on!" He screamed as the monster was getting closer to him.

"Come on, you can make it!" He said again as he could almost feel the hollow's breath on the back of his neck.

"Get out of the way!" He yelled as he dived through the doorway, giving it all he had to make it in time.

The hollow crashed into the building head first as it has been close enough to talk a bite out of Grayson.

Thankfully the brick and stone had held up and the monster had crashed off of it, falling to the ground, howling in pain.

Grayson didn't have time to celebrate though as he quickly picked himself up and started running past the people that had gathered.

"Run! Everyone run it's a monster!" He shouted as he waved his arms.

Nobody could hear him or see him or the monster he realized.

"What are you doing, get out of here!" He tried again.

"What was that?"

"Was it an earthquake?" Somebody asked.

Grayson bit his lip hard enough to make it bleed.

"You idiots!" He shouted as he took a small step forwards before stopping.

"What's the point. They can't hear or see me..." He then thought as he watched all of them head over to see what was going on.

"Your all fools." He said.

Suddenly the doors exploded and the brick and stone that surround them were flung into the air, crushing anyone who was too close.

-Hollow howling-

The monster had smashed its way inside of the building and this time it wasn't alone.

Another that stood on two legs with large muscles and hands looked at Grayson as it opened its mouth, its white mask and red eyes burning as it stared.

"Oh, shit..." Grayson thought as he took a small step back before he burst into a full sprint.

Both of the hollows howled and gave chase to him as he ran.

The big one was quick and jumped high into the air, bouncing off the roof before it crashed to the ground landing in front of Grayson.

He skidding to a halt, his smooth oxford shoes having very little grip on them.

Grayson was surrounded as both hollows stopped on either side of him, growling as they watched him.

They weren't alone now as Grayson suddenly noticed more of them had appeared. Smaller hollows had shown up, getting a sense of whatever was going on.

"Why me... Why is this happening to me?" He thought as he took a look around.

He was surrounded on all sides now by monsters of all shapes and sizes. The only thing they shared in common was their red eyes and white masks with no two being the same.

"So this is it eh..." He said to himself.

"I must have been a shitty person for things to turn out like this eh? He said as he looked up.

Grayson looked down at his chain and could see that the ends of it were eating themselves, gnawing away at itself causing the chain to become shorter in length.

"I have no idea what is happening. I don't know what the hell this thing is, I don't know what you monsters want with me either... But I do know. That I'm not dying again!" He shouted as he charged forwards at the big one on two legs.

"If you want me, come and get me!" He shouted as he ran towards it as fast as he could.

The hollow howled as it reached forwards, ready to grab him with its large hand.

"I don't think so!" Grayson shouted as he quickly removed his blazer, using it as a distraction before he slid user the hollows legs.

The large hollow looked confused as it held Grayson's blazer in its hand, watching as he ran off behind it.

"Alright, it worked!" Grayson shouted as he ran for his life.

The monsters didn't waste much time and were soon on his tail again, chasing him as if their life depended on it.

Grayson finally reached the exit to the shopping centre and ran back out into the centre of town.

The hollows bust out of the doors and smashed the entrance to bits, most likely killing more people in their wake.

"And this is where we left off. That's right, your all caught up now. Being chased by a bunch of monsters first thing in the morning isn't what I had planned for today. Neither was dying... But I guess nobody ever really plans to die."

-Hollows howling!-

"Please God, won't you help me!" Grayson shouted as he ran towards a large fountain of water.

That was it, he had spent all of his energy now and had nothing left.

"I can't go on... I need... A quick rest." He said as he tried to catch his breath.

It didn't take long for the hollows to catch up with him and once again he found himself surrounded by hungry eyes.

"Looks like this is really the end." He said, trying to see if he could escape again.

It was no use though, as more and more monsters had shown up to surround him.

The hollows howled again, all of them responding as if they were a pack of wolf's who had cornered their prey.

Grayson didn't have anything left. He was spent from all the running he had already done and decided to sit down on the edge of the fountain.

"So be it." He said as he closed his eyes. Knowing what was about to happen next.

"My, my captain." A voice said.

"So this is where all of that spiritual pressure is coming from." The voice said again.

"It would seem you have gathered a rather large crowd."

Grayson opened his eye to see what was going on, taking in the sight of the new arrivals.

"W-Who are you?" He asked as he looked the men up and down.

The man who stood before him was thin and tall with very sharp features, giving him a skeletal appearance. His hair was an unusual silver colour and his eyes were narrowed into slits.

His clothing was also strange as he wore a black kimono and had a sword that was tied around the white sash of his kimono.

"Yes... What a strange human." Another voice said.

Grayson could almost feel the power coming from this man as he took in his appearance.

A tall man with brown scholarly hair enhanced by square glasses, along with brown eyes. He too wore a black kimono complete with a white overcoat that had writing on the back of it.

The hollows howled at the sight of the two men, causing the one with glasses to frown.

"Gin, take care of this rabble." He said.

"Of course, captain." The silver-haired man said as he drew his sword.

The one known as Gin suddenly pointed his sword as it grew in length, cutting down all of the monsters before it with ease.

Grayson could only watch as he didn't believe his eyes.

"What is your name?" The other man in the white robe asked.

"G-Grayson. My name is Grayson..." He replied feeling a little nervous.

The man pushed his glasses up a little as he looked at Grayson with interest.

"Very interesting." He said.

Gin had finished killing the hollows and sheathed his sword, walking over to join the other.

"Oh my, his spiritual pressure is all over the place, captain Aizen." Gin said smiling as he looked at Grayson.

"I have never seen a plus such as this one," Aizen said.

Gin waved his hands.

"Shall I perform Konsō on it?" He asked.

"Not just yet. I have something else in mind for this one." Aizen said, smiling at Grayson.

Grayson had to say he didn't like the look on this guys face and slowly took a step back.

"Look fellas thanks for saving me and all but whatever this Konsō thing is, I'm good ok." He said putting his hands up.

"My... He thinks he has a choice." Gin said with a small chuckle.

Aizen also smiled as he pointed his finger at Grayson.

"What the hell?" Grayson said as he took another step back.

"Look mister I already told you, I don't want whatever it is your selling.

Aizen's cool expression suddenly shifted to one of surprise.

"What's wrong captain Aizen?" Gin asked also surprised.

"How strange. He resisted my Kyōka Suigetsu." Aizen said looking at Grayson with interest.

"Really?.." Gin said also very surprised.

"No matter," Aizen then said as he waved his hand.

"Sleep."

Grayson looked at Aizen funny before everything started to go black.

Aizen and Gin watched as he fell to the ground unconscious.

"What are you planning to do with him?" Gin asked.

Aizen smiled as he walked over to Grayson, standing over him as he examined him.

"I'd like to run a few tests first." He said as he snapped his fingers, allowing Grayson's body to float.

"Let us return." Aizen then said as he snapped his fingers again, opening a Senkaimon that they would use to return to the soul society.

"My, how interesting indeed." Gin said as he followed Aizen into the bright light that the gate emitted.

Hello and thank you for reading! This is my first Bleach Fanfiction ever! And I have to say that I am really enjoying it! I hope you do too!

Please feel free to leave a comment or review letting me know what you think!

Also please check out my new story. Kobold's ascension to dragon lord!