Bleach: The Western Reapers
Ichigo was in a deep and pleasant sleep, dreaming blissful dreams and entirely free of the hardships of his life. He first awoke when the slight noise of the house phone ringing in a far off room, but he easily drifted back into his cozy dreams when his father picked up the phone, but it would not last. Moments later, Ichigo's father opened the door with the phone in his hands. The dim light of the hallway blinded Ichigo as he slowly sat up and shielded his eyes while they adjusted. Looking to the clock on a small nightstand, he let out his frustration in a soft tone as to not wake Rukia, "It's three in the morning on a Saturday, who the hell calls at that time?"
"I'm not sure who's on the phone, but he claims to be a person staying at your friend Orihime Inoue's abode. He asked to talk with you personally and immediately." Isshin walked over to the bed and handed the phone to Ichigo and then left.
"This better be good." Ichigo whispered into the phone.
"No, it is very, very bad. It's Madarame. I thought I had the wrong number when your Dad picked up." The man sounded genuinely nervous and distracted, which concerned Ichigo since he never knew Ikkaku to be easily shaken.
"What happened?" Ichigo was now fully awake and speaking in a more serious tone.
"Uh… Yeah… Rangiku, she's… She's gone Ichigo."
"What? What do you mean gone?" Ichigo raised his voice when he replied, undoubtedly waking Rukia.
"I'm sorry okay! We're all sorry! We were all sleeping, and none us noticed it when it happened… A bunch of guys broke in without making a sound, and they took her. I mean they had to be professionals or something I don't know. Orihime's at Urahara's shop because she's scared out of her wits, I mean they slept on opposite sides of the same room and she kept saying she was a light sleeper. Hitsugaya's turning over every rock in the damn city looking for her, and Yumichika and I are just tired of sitting on our hands, but nobody can get close to the Captain to so much as console him."
"Go to Urahara's shop, we'll coordinate from there."
"Just make sure… Be careful Kurosaki." Ichigo hung up just before the closet door slid open and a groggy Rukia Kuchiki hopped down from her bed.
"What's going on? Who's gone?" She asked, rubbing an eye.
"Somebody just kidnapped Rangiku. We need to get to Urahara's place." Rukia became fully alert when she heard the news. Immediately turning for the door, Isshin reappeared and blocked the doorway once more.
"Oh there you are Rukia, I wondered where you were since you never sleep in the bed Ichigo's sisters and I made for you. Hey… You weren't sleeping next to him when I came in were you?" He let out a perverse giggle at the end of his sentence
"No, why do you ask?"
"Think about it Rukia." Ichigo added, which was only answered by a shudder.
"I overheard most of your conversation." Rukia and Ichigo froze, unaware of how much information was actually made available to him through a single phone conversation, "If you miss breakfast, then that's on you." They gave Isshin a single nod of gratitude and ran for the door, taking their leave in whatever attire they were sleeping in and a pair of shoes.
It was no more that five or six minutes walk to Urahara's shop, and in the light of the sparse but bright street lights, his cozy cottage looked to be a welcoming sight in this time of crisis.
"Ichigo!" Orihime was sitting in a corner with a hot cup of tea and a box of tissues, most of which were used and crumpled, scattered around her. Upon first entering the shop she jumped up and sprinted to him, squeezing as hard as she could and didn't seem to even think of letting go. "Thank goodness you're all right. I was worried so much! So much! So much! So much!" Squeezing tighter, Ichigo tried to set the girl down on the floor, but she only seemed to loosen her grip on her over time.
"Come on, get inside." Urahara walked out into the main store from a second set of doors opposite the front entrance. His oil lantern lit his barely shaven face in a grim and serious manner, matching his expression and tone of voice. Walking inside, they found Urahara's three aides, Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and a very reluctant Captain Hitsugaya.
"Take a seat, and tell us what happened." Urahara set the lantern at the center of the table, and then allowed the two guests to take the two open seats next to his own at the very low circular table.
"We don't know anything other than what Madarame said on the phone, they could probably elaborate." Ichigo replied.
"Ikakku and I were enjoying ourselves, quietly watching one of those British television shows until about midnight. We were positive that everyone was accounted for at that time, but somehow it happened." Yumichika began to recall his perspective of the evening's events.
"What exactly transpired? How do you know she was abducted?" Rukia asked.
"None of us can say for sure exactly what really happened, but we know she was abducted. Whoever did left this card on her bed." Ikkaku pulled an index card from his pants pocket and put it in the center of the table, in black marker a neatly written message filled the card reading, 'You will not see her again.' On one side it was written in English and on the other side the same message was written in Japanese characters.
"The house was in a degree of disarray when we awoke, the assailants, and we assume there were more than one, looked through all of our possessions except Orihime's and took quite a few things. They took our phones which recently were outfitted with the Hollow tracking system, and among other things they almost wanted to take our Zanpakuto. We found them moved to the table in Orihime's dining room, as if they studied them for a few minutes and then decided not to take them." Yumichika continued, he seemed to be the most calm and unfazed out of the group, at least from the outside.
"They didn't make a sound while they did this? That's kind of hard to believe." Kisuke pondered this while rubbing his chin, "What could you tell from their reiatsu?"
"They were humans, there's no doubt in that." Hitsugaya added while holding his head low and clenching both of his fists, "I should be out there looking for her they could not have gotten far. It's only been half an hour!"
"Wait, you lost track of her reiatsu completely after such a short period? Oh damn, they're good. Well I have good news and bad news." Urahara raised a few skulking heads when he spoke, "The bad news I may know who kidnapped Lieutenant Matsumoto, and if I'm right it could be very bad unless we act quickly. The good news is that I know just who to talk to who's an expert on the matter."
"You mean Captain Ukitake, do you not?" Rukia asked.
"He is the foremost liaison to the Soul Reapers who keep watch over the world. He has extensive reports from his numerous underlings and could most likely help us. I'll go contact the Soul Society and the Captain, why doesn't everyone get some rest and continue in the morning."
"Captain, it's been a while." Urahara pleasantly spoke into the phone with his old friend.
"Not as long as you would like to think. Now that Ichigo's around there's always something going on in that quiet town."
"That's Isshin's son for you." Kisuke whispered this as discreetly as possible, unaware of any who could be listening, "Just as much a troublemaker as his father ever was."
"This isn't about Isshin, is it?"
"No, it's actually something quite serious… Hitsugaya's Lieutenant has been abducted." There was a short but emotional pause.
"…How long ago?" Ukitake quivered as the words came out of his mouth.
"No more than half an hour ago."
"And you thought to call me first because… Is there really that much evidence?"
"Enough to tell it was the people your boys out west have been tracking down for months."
"I'll be in the human world in no more than an hour. But, could you do me a favor and dial the number I wrote down for you a few months ago? Just keep in mind it's a long distance number to Philadelphia, PA."
"Oh, I remember Marcus. He'll be here about a day after you arrive though."