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Chapter 2 An explanation (Sort of)

Urahara's shop was squashed between two larger buildings. Rukia laced her fingers with Ichigo's and looked mildly nervous.

Ichigo gave her a small smile, "I can't make any promises Ru but this girl needs our help."

Rukia nodded, "I know."

Yoko looked around the store with poorly hidden amazement.

Jinta glanced up from where he was sitting on the counter and waved, "The boss is in the back."

Ichigo nodded, "Thanks. Keep an eye on the kid would ya."

Jinta shrugged, "Sure thing berry head."

Ichigo threw him a mock glower and headed off to locate the eccentric shopkeeper."

Urahara Kisuke was sitting in the kitchen babbling away excitedly to Yoruichi. The black cat didn't seem to interested but had its head cocked to one side any way. Kisuke adjusted his stripy hat a grinned at Ichigo, "What can I do for you this time?"

Ichigo sighed, "Well it goes some think a bit like this. This man Kato Tsunami turned up on my doorstep with this little girl and told me that Uryuu sent him and that the kid can talk to hollows, zanpakuto and can some how access all the records in the Goti 13."

Kisuke blinked at him and Yoruichi collapsed in hysterical laughter, "Y...you have got to be kidding me!"

Ichigo glowered, "He said it not me," he complained gesturing at the man behind him.

Kisuke nodded slowly, "Fascinating," he murmured, "Were is the girl?"

"We left her with Jinta," Rukia told him.

Kisuke nodded, "Jinta," he called?

"What," echoed back threw the shop?

"Could you bring the little one in here!"

Jinta arrived a few moments later with Yoko clutching his hand. She looked around the small kitchen then at the man with the green and white stripy hat and the dated clothing.

"Your dressed funny," she stated.

Kiuke beamed, "Yes I am, why what an observant girl you are."

"Kisuke," Yoruichi admonished.

Kisuke pouted.

Yoko stared at the cat, "You spoke. Can you fly too?"

Yourichi snorted, "After a fashion."

"Kurosaki-kun here tells me you have an amazing talent," Kisuke said smiling at the little girl.

Yoko bounced from one foot to the other, "Kinda. Do you want me t' speak t' your lady?"

"By `my lady` I am assuming that you are not referring to the cat."

Yoko nodded, "Nope, I mean tha one who's in red an' white an' is really grumpy."

"Grumpy," Kisuke asked? "I guess you caught her on a good day."

Yoko giggled, "She says you'll be lucky."

Kisuke spluttered indigently, "Dose she now?"

Yoko nodded still giggling, "An' she wants you t' let her out she thinks it's borin' bein' stuck in your head."

Kisuke frowned, "That'll be the day" he told Benihime, "You are staying right were you are."

Yoko winced in synchronisation as the furious zanpakuto screamed in rage.

"Well," Yoruichi said into the silence, "I suppose she can talk to zanpakuto's."

Ichigo nodded, "She spoke t' my hollow to."

Kisuke nodded and glanced over at Tsunami, "You said Uryuu sent you?"

Tsunami nodded, "Some one is collecting unusual people. People like Yoko who have unusual abilities. Uryuu was trying to stop them."

"Is he mad," Ichigo groaned, "He can't take them on by him self."

Tsunami shrugged, "He didn't want to involve you or the Inoue woman because you're both on the list."

"List," Rukai asked, "What list?"

"The list of individuals that the organisation are after," Tsunami replied, "They are looking for glitches in the system," he turned to Ichigo, "Like you."

Ichigo blinked, "So I'm a glitch or some thing now?"

Tsunami shrugged, "Some thing like that."

"I wish you'd come up with some thing different to say," Ichigo grumbled.

Tsunami just gave him a grin.

Kisuke frowned processing the new information, "Were is Ishida-kun now?"

"Still in the city. He sent Yoko away when the organisation found out about her," Tsunami replied.

Ichigo swore, "Idiot, stupid stupid moron! Hat an' clogs man I'm gonna need a favour."

"I knew you might," The shopkeeper grinned.

"We'll keep an eye on the refugees," Yoruichi told the orange head, "You go give that damnable quincy a thump from me."

Ichigo grinned, "Yes sir."

Rukia glanced up at him, "I'm coming to."

Ichigo nodded, "Wouldn't dream of leaving ya."

Ishida Uryuu had been in a lot of stick situations in his life but this topped all of them. He ached all over and his left leg felt like it was going to give out. He hadn't told them any thing. Not where he'd sent Yoko or where Ichigo or Orihime lived. They had been angry, very angry and he had born the brunt of their anger.

He worked his right shoulder trying to get the knots out of it from sitting to long tied to a chair. He had to get out of here and warn Ichigo. The organisation was building an army of oddities. People who were exceptional I there kind of world. Shinigami that weren't, hollows that weren't and others like Orihime or Chad.

They were plotting to destroy the soul society. Like Aizen had only on a bigger scale. These people had being plotting the soul societies demise for over two hundred and they were going to use Ichigo to do it.

His blood boiled at the thought of his friend being used like that. He had to get free. He limped to the door and inspected the lock. The door was old and rusty and the lock was wonky. If he had a pin or a paper clip he could joggle the catch.

He grinned to him self as he felt the small needle threaded into the seem of is jumper. They had forgotten he was good at sowing. He pushed the needle into the lock and jiggled it trying to get the catch. There was a faint click.

Grinning with triumph he removed the needle and limped into the hall. It was dark with only a few over head lights working. He was in some kind of basement. Uryuu hurried along the corridor as fast as his injured leg would let him.

The lights were getting more and more functional as he moved into the more occupied parts of the basement. He slowed to a walk and tip toed on.

He could here the beefy man who had attacked him grumbling to a friend in the room at the end of the hall and thankfully there was no sign of Hound.

He winced as the large door creaked as he pushed it open. The talking stopped. Uryu froze like a rabbit caught in the headlights and forced his erratic breathing to be silent. He heart thumped in his ears and dread welled up inside him.

After a few terrifying minutes the talking resumed. Uryuu slowly let his breath out again. The door was open far enough so he could slip threw the small gap he had created.

Beyond the door was an old worn staircase. Uryuu hurried up it wincing as he had to put undue pressure on his injured leg. The stairway lead to a well furnished corridor. The hall was lined with glass cases detailing the history of the soul society. Its creation, the beginning of the eight noble families, the first shinigami and so on.

He would have liked to have looked longer but he had to find away out and warn Ichigo. He turned a corner and collided with the Hound. Uryuu swore.

The hound chuckled, "I wandered how long it would take you to get out."

Uryuu picked him self to his feet. There was a window to his left and he could see that he was on the ground floor of the building.

"Its time to go back to your cell unless you're willing to talk," the Hound told him.

Uryuu scowled, the man was standing between him and his escape. "I don't think so."

The Hound laughed, "Such a strong spirit. It would truly be a shame to break it." he stepped forward to grab Uryuu's wrist.

Uryuu felt the cool metal of the needle in his had and smirked as a plan began to form in his head. The Hound lunged for him and Uryuu swung his arm up and jabbed the needle into the man's eye. The Hound staggered back with a squeal of pain. Uryuu didn't waste the opening. He lunged for the window.

He landed on his knees as his injured leg finally gave out in a mess of smashed glass. He stumbled to his feet and forced him self to move. He was bleeding badly but he still manage to make it to the main road dragging his injured leg behind him.

The cars were still whizzing past and the other people just ignored him. People with his kind of injuries were normal in this city. Exhausted and in pain the quincy headed for home.

His apartment had been ransacked. The living room had been turned upside down as had the bedroom. Uryuu picked his way threw the wreckage towards the bathroom. He peeled of his ruined jumper and flung it in the hamper and set about tending his injuries. The small cuts and bruises were easy. Once he'd dealt with them he set about looking at his leg.

It was broken just below the knee and would probably need an operation but he didn't have time for it. He settled for splinting it with a small piece of wood from the wreckage of the living room and bandaged it. He could have his father or some one look at it after he'd warned Ichigo.

Rukia looked grimly up at Ichigo as they stepped of the train. The city was dark and dank and smelt of pollution. Litter covered the pavements and cars shot passed them like bullets.

Ichigo gave her a small kiss on the cheek, "It'll be all right Ru," he assured her."

Rukia nodded, "We should check his apartment first."

Ichigo nodded, "If we knew were it was."

Rukia swatted him, "You can be such a moron some times, follow his reiatsu."

Ichigo grinned, "Oh yeah, forgot about that."

Rukia turned away grinning, "Idiot," she told him affectionately.

Ichigo shrugged, "But you love me for it."

Rukia shook her head, "You are impossible."

They made there was across the city tracking the quincy's reiatsu. As they walked the houses became more and more desolate. There paint peeled and the doors hung off there hinges. Rukia pushed one such door open and it fell clean off.

"Oops," she muttered, "Oh well it was broken already."

Ichigo sniggered, "Who needs a pick lock when your around," he teased.

Rukia swatted him again, "Shut up."

They climbed the stairs that were littered with rubbish and other kinds of filth. Graffiti covered every square inch of the walls proclaiming lewd messages.

Rukia shivered, "Who would voluntarily stay in a place like this?"

Ichigo shrugged, "I guess our stuck up quincy learnt a lesson in humility."

"He's going to hit you," Rukia warned.

Ichigo grinned, "Not if I hit him first sweetie."

Rukia shook her head, "Impossible," she muttered under her breath.

Ichigo sniggered and hurried on up the stairs.

"This one," Rukia called pointing to a door hanging of its hinges.

"That one," Ichigo asked incredulously?

Rukia nodded, "Yup."

Ichigo shrugged, "If you say so."

Uryuu froze as faint voices wafted threw from the front door. He swore softly and heaved him self to his feet. Very slowly he willed his quincy bow to materialise in his hand. The blue energy flicker expanding and contracting. Her focused harder. There, the blue white bow shimmered in his grip.

Slowly he crept towards the door wincing every time he put weight on his broken leg. Two shadows stepped over the threshold and Uryuu spun to face them a arrow strung from his bow.

"Whoa," Ichigo exclaimed, "Not expecting friendly visitors it seems."

Uryuu relaxed his grip on the bow and let out a sigh of relief, "Sorry, thought you were some one else."

"That's apparent," Rukia squeaked.

Uryuu sighed and lowered the bow and hobbled back into the living room.

"What happened to your leg," Ichigo asked?

"Stuff," Uryuu replied, "It's not important."

"Not important," Rukia exclaimed? "You must be mad."

Uryuu shrugged, "Kurosaki I need to warn you."

"Warn me," Ichigo asked suspiciously?

"There are people after you."

Ichigo nodded, "Yeah your friend Kato told me that."

Uryuu smiled slightly, "So he got Yoko to you safely?"

Ichigo nodded, "Yeah."

"Who's after Ichigo," Rukia demanded?

"The organisation," Uryuu replied, "There preparing for war."

"War," Rukia asked, "Against who?"

"If that wasn't obvious enough I'll spell it out for you," Uryuu grumbled, "The soul society, who else?"

"What's that got to do with me," Ichigo questioned?

Uryuu eased him self on to the battered sofa, "Your unique Ichigo. No one has ever done the this you have. They want you to fight for them and if you don't agree they will force you to."

"There gonna force me are they," Ichigo scoffed.

Uryuu shook his head, "Not you, your hollow. There going to let him out and control him."

Ichigo laughed, "Good luck to them. Even I have trouble keeping my hollow under control."

"Kurosaki this is serious, they have people who can control him and then we're all done for."

Rukia grabbed Ichigo's hand, "This is bad."

Ichigo glowered, "I'm not going to let them stop me from helping others."

He frowned his head felt muggy, like some one had numbed it.

"Oi King pay attention you git you need to stay in control!"

Ichigo screwed his face up in concentration but he felt so sleepy.

Rukia nudged him anxiously, "Hey Ichigo what's the matter? Talk to me!"

Ichigo wobbled his eyes flashing from brown to gold on black to brown again.

"KING YOU MORON DO YA WANT THE FREEKIN' WORLD T' DIE? PAY A DAMN ATTENTION!"

Ichigo groaned his head hurt from all the shouting.

"Ichigo, he has a point you need to snap out of this," Zangetsu warned.

Huh, wha...Ichigo thought the world was swimming in and out of focus.

Uryuu swore and struggled to get to his feet, "They've already started!"

Rikia's eyes widened and she shook Ichigo, "Come on snap out of it!"

Ichigo's eyes suddenly flickered black and the golden pupils spun in their sockets.

The hollow swayed but caught its self before it fell. Its eyes had a pale film over them and they looked blearily around the room.

"I...Ichigo," Rukia asked hesitantly?

The hollow spun to look at her jerking like a puppet on a string. Its eyes narrowed, "Understood, destroy," it hissed disjointedly.

Uryuu swore, "Oh hell!"

Author's Note

Oh no cliff-hanger!! Sorry couldn't be helped. :)

thanks for reading silvermonkey