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04 - The Repentance Cell's Prisoner
Ichigo stood in horror, his eyes wide with shock. Everyone was silent. A cool wind swept around them, Urahara watching the orange haired boy with sympathy. Uryu was beside Kurosaki, almost as aghast as he was. Tatsuki was still slumped against the wall, looking up at the moon, her eyes wet with tears.
'Orihime…where the hell did you go?' she thought to herself, gritting her teeth. Ichigo fumbled with the sword in his hand before looking around. He looked first at the Quincy, then at the shopkeeper, then down at Tatsuki. Finally, he dropped his sword on the ground. It fell slowly, the ringing of metal against the floor echoing loudly throughout the town. Ichigo didn't fall with it. Instead, he simply turned away, his coat drifting in the air behind him. Urahara looked up suddenly, his eye visible beneath the rim of his hat.
'Kurosaki-san…?' he whispered.
'How do you know this, Urahara-san?' Ichigo spoke bluntly, his back to the man.
'I was on my way to see how you were. You seemed so estranged that night, so I made my way to your house. But…when I arrived, your sisters were gone.' Kisuke explained, Ichigo nodding.
'Ulquiorra…' he whispered darkly, gripping his fist. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and instantly he relaxed, Urahara standing behind him. The man was looking at him straight in the eye, a twinkle in the shopkeeper's pupil.
'I do have some information for you though.' the man went on, Ichigo turning to listen easier. 'I immediately did a search of your house. I am aware that Espada returned to Karakura tonight. However…' the man continued, looking into the boy's eyes, a small grin on his face. '…there wasn't a trace of his reiatsu in your house.' Ichigo gasped, Uryu looking up sharply.
'So…he didn't take them?' Ishida chuckled, looking back at Ichigo. Urahara shook his head.
'No he didn't. But, it would appear he did take Miss Inoue. I would argue that right now she is the safer of the two.' Urahara explained, Ichigo grabbing him by the collar rashly.
'Then what do we do? And how do you know that? Now that Aizen isn't around, Ulquiorra has no reason to keep her alive!' Ichigo barked, Urahara holding his hand up in front of the substitute Shinigami.
'So why kidnap her? If he truly wanted her dead he could have just killed her here and now. I am more curious about your sisters. Whoever wanted to kidnap them must want to get close to you. They themselves have no real value, no real power. It must be to do with you.' the man said coldly. Ichigo pushed away from him, cursing.
'I could have guessed that one.' he snarled. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he thought of something. Urahara nodded when, in a darting movement, he pulled his hat down over his eyes and span his cane around, summoning a brilliant Senkaimon behind them.
'Funny…I think I just figured out who to talk to.' Kisuke chuckled. They turned to look for Tatsuki, but she was already walking down the alleyway.
'Arisawa-san…' Uryu called after her, but she kept walking.
'Ichigo…' she muttered, not looking back, the boy's eyes staring at her. '…if you bring Inoue back, then maybe I'll forgive you.' she said softly, before turning round a corner. Uryu was poised to follow her, but Kisuke placed a hand in front of the boy.
'She's tougher than she looks, and she looks tough anyway.' Urahara winked. 'She'll be fine. Now…!' he cried, turning to the enormous wooden door hanging in the sky. He opened his arms out, the wind from the doorway billowing his green haori. From behind, Ichigo stood, Uryu approaching him.
'Kurosaki…' he whispered, Ichigo looking down at him. The boy was holding Zangetsu, it's wide, curved edge gleaming in the moonlight. '…I think this is yours.' Ichigo didn't say a word. Instead, he merely took the weapon by its hilt and flung it across his shoulder, staring forwards into the door. Urahara turned to them both, gesturing towards the doorway.
'Shall we?' he asked before stepping into the light, his body turning to speckles, shimmering in the light, Uryu following. Ichigo looked around one last time before taking a step into the doorway, the light exploding around him as he was the final person to climb through, the doors closing in before vanishing into thin air. From behind a wall, not five metres away, a figure watched silently before slipping away into the shadows.
It was the middle of the day in Seireitei and two guards stood, manning the colossal gateway. As the doors creaked open, light flooded in, the men preparing themselves. From the smoke, Urahara stepped in, waving his fan in front of his mouth.
'Wow, it's hot today…!' he said, flustered, wiping the sweat from his brow, the sun glaring down from above them. Uryu stepped out behind him, Ichigo following suit, the boy's eyes dark as he looked away restlessly. Together, they stepped forwards, looking up at the skyline. Towering over them was the Repentance Cell. It was a grand sight, the building almost scraped the clouds, the sunlight rising above it. But all it reminded Ichigo of, was a curling, thick, purple vine, twisting and crushing around it. Urahara carried on, Shunsui Kyoraku, Retsu Unohana and Jushiro Ukitake appearing before them, landing neatly on the ground. Unohana stepped in front of the two, bowing to Kisuke as he stepped forwards, the man doing the same.
'It is an honour, Lady Unohana. Or should I say, Captain Commander?' the man said simply. Unohana smiled warmly.
'The three of us share that honour. Now that Head Captain Yamamoto has passed away…' she whispered.
'He fought gallantly. It was worthy of his title.' Kisuke reassured her, the woman smiling through the sadness. Turning, the group made for the tower. Trailing in front of them, Kisuke walked alongside the three leading Shinigami, Shunsui removing his hat and running a hand across his hair.
'So, Urahara-san…I hear there's something going on with you and the doorway? More experiments knowing you?' the man asked, Urahara waving him off defensively.
'Oh no no…! Merely educational on my behalf.' the man laughed meekly. Shunsui simply smiled lightly and they carried on, the Shinigami stopping at the base of the tower. Urahara looked up, whistling. 'Well I never. I don't remember it being so tall! Shouldn't be too much trouble.'
'Let's hope you're not too rusty, Kisuke-san.' Ukitake chuckled heartily, rubbing the back of his head. Uryu stepped up behind them, the two of them finally caught up.
'Erm…what are you talking about?' he asked bluntly, Urahara turning to him.
'What, you've never climbed a building like this before?' the man smiled. Unohana closed her eyes and vanished in a flash, Kyoraku and Jushiro following fast, Urahara doing the same, dust and smoke blasting out from under their feet as they left, Ichigo and Uryu covering their eyes as the torrent of power surged past. Looking up, they were left dazzled at the sight before them.
'Well…guess we're going up.' Uryu sighed, looking at Ichigo. The orange haired Shinigami was already placing his hand on the bone white wall and closing his eyes. Nodding, Ishida understood. There wasn't the time to be waiting around. With that, they exploded upwards, Shunpo and Hirenkyaku propelling them upwards. The ground was blasted away from them, the sky coming in dangerously fast. All around the two of them was just a whirlwind of dust. The bridge connecting the cell to the Seireitei was coming in quick. Suddenly, Ichigo jolted and missed a step, the boy hurtling downwards.
'Damn it!' he cursed, looking around him as the floor came rattling towards him, the only sound he could hear now was the howling wind. Then, from nowhere, a hand reached out through the dust, Uryu grappling with Ichigo's kimono.
'You never were good with…controlling reiatsu…were you?' he grunted, hauling Ichigo upwards, the two flinging themselves into the air, propelled again by both their reiatsu until finally they crashed down onto the bridge. Ichigo slammed into the railing and spat, rolling backwards onto the wood whilst Uryu hit the path hard, skidding to the edge of the bridge. Looking up, the two clutched their heads, Urahara chuckling away at them.
'Come on you two, get up.' he said. Unohana approached him slowly, her eyes focused on the daunting cell in front of them.
'Are you sure you want to take him in there? I take it you are meeting him after all. Ichigo-kun may not be so well prepared.' Retsu said worriedly, casting her motherly gaze over at the orange haired boy.
'Well…whether he is or isn't, he certainly wants some answers.' the shopkeeper explained.
'You think he of all people will give Ichigo answers?' she asked the man, Urahara shrugging, narrowing his eyes at the door at the end of the bridge.
'Only one way to find out…' he whispered darkly. He turned to call Ichigo over, but the boy was already moving down the bridge. The substitute Shinigami trudged across the bridge, the thin walkway dangling precariously over the chasm that was the height of the Seireitei. Looking over the side, Ichigo tilted his head, the buildings so far down that they looked like nothing more than drawings etched onto a map. The wind caught his kimono and it fluttered around him, the boy never looking back. Everyone waited at the opposite end, watching him walk. Ishida attempted to follow, but Kisuke held him back.
'Leave him. If we are to get anything out of this, we shouldn't be present.' the man said, Uryu simply watching Ichigo disappear into the door.
The door closed slowly behind the boy as he stepped into the room. It was totally black inside and he couldn't see anything. Nothing at all. Looking around, he tried to visualise what the room looked like. However, he stumbled over what felt like a chair and it clattered across the room before striking metal. Then, he heard a shuffling sound coming from somewhere in front of him. He squinted to try and see through the darkness, but nothing was giving itself to him. Suddenly, out of nowhere, lights exploded into life above him, the room illuminating sharply.
'What…the?' he spluttered, covering his eyes with his hand.
'Well well…' hissed a voice, Ichigo's eyes widening. Turning, the boy looked behind him, the tall, steel bars of the single cell standing staunchly were intimidating. But not as intimidating as the beast they contained. Ichigo rested his hands around the bars, a figure standing up against the back wall, strung up by his arms with solid chains, their ghoulish rattling coursing through the stone. Lifting his head, the man's purple hair dropped slightly across his face, but it wasn't enough to hide his devilish smile, his squinty eyes piercing into Ichigo's soul, feeding on his fears.
'…not such a long time no see, ey, Kurosaki Ichigo-kun?' Gin chuckled. Ichigo stepped back, the snake like man tilting his head at the boy. 'Somethin' the matter?'
'What are you doing in here? Urahara-san told me on the way here there would be someone who could give me answers, but…' Kurosaki blurted, Ichimaru leering at the boy from behind his cell.
'Ah I see…' the man whispered dangerously. Ichigo stepped forwards again, grasping the bars in his grip.
'But what are you doing in here? You helped us defeat Aizen in the end!' the boy exclaimed, but Gin looked at him darkly, a vicious grin on his cold, thin face.
'Ichigo-kun…you don't get off bein' a traitor jus' by stabbin' someone in the back. They said they'd spare me the death sentence fer now. Heh…it won't last. At least I got Rangiku-san on my side.' he sniggered, looking back at Ichigo. 'But back to you. You wanted answers?'
'Yeah…my sisters, they were kidnapped…also…' Ichigo began to trail off, clenching his fist. '…somehow, Ulquiorra is alive.' he said, Ichimaru's attention on him completely now.
'Alive ya say? Interestin'. I may have some answers for ya. But…ya are gonna have to work for them.' the traitor suggested, Ichigo shaking his head.
'I don't have time, Karin and Yuzu…' he began, Gin rattling the chains on the walls incessantly. Ichigo stopped speaking, instead waiting for Ichimaru to continue.
'…listen. Just get the guards ter take these chains off of me. How am I gonna get outta here? It's not like I could just wrench the place apart. These things are tearin' at my wrists.' Ichigo thought about it for a moment and then nodded, opening the door and gesturing for a guard to enter. The man walked in and unlocked the bars, Ichigo keeping his eyes on Gin the whole time as the man removed his shackles, the traitor landing softly on the floor as he rubbed his wrists. The guard left the room silently, closing the door shut behind him.
'Is that it?' Ichigo asked. 'Will you please tell me about my sisters?' he pleaded, Gin looking up at him.
'Yer desperate ain't ya?' he wondered, Ichigo cursing and punching the wall violently, chunks of brick and stone spurting out around his hand.
'TELL ME!' he roared, clasping the bars and pulling himself forwards, Gin not even flinching as Kurosaki thrashed at them, before finally stopping and sinking down into the chair in front of the cell. Gin looked down at him, smirking nastily.
'Y'know…' he purred, stepping up to the bars, Ichigo flustered, sitting wearily on the chair. '…Rangiku's told me an awful lot about ya. About how ya can't sleep. About how ya have those dreams about yer dad an' yer friend. About how ya…' the man hissed manipulatively, the wind seeping through the window and running through his billowing white coat. '…hate yer friends.'
'That's not true.' Ichigo growled, his head down.
'Oh? Then why do ya distance yerself from them? Why don't ya…listen to them?' the man asked, Ichigo quiet again. 'You don't want their help…do ya? Ya want to do things independently. Is that why Zangetsu wouldn't Bankai for ya?'
'How the hell do you know all this!' Ichigo shouted, Gin constantly smiling that unwavering smile.
'Yer time is almost up here, Ichigo-kun.' Gin noted, looking out of the window at the captains strolling down the bridge towards them. 'Let me tell ya one thing before ya go…' the man hissed, Ichigo leaning in close, the villain bringing his mouth to Ichigo's ear. '…ya should really check in Kisuke Urahara's basement. It'll be a shame if ya never do. 'Cause then you'll never find out why daddy ain't comin' back.' Ichigo's eyes shot open and he threw himself at the bars, scrabbling for Gin, the man chuckling darkly as he slipped away into the shadows.
'I'LL KILL YOU!' Ichigo screamed, unsheathing his zanpakuto when suddenly Urahara burst in, the doors slamming against the walls as he grappled with the orange haired Shinigami's wrist, Kurosaki cursing the man over and over when, all of a sudden, he blacked out. He didn't see anything after he hit the floor.