"What the hell was he talking about?" Ichigo murmurs to himself, washing his hands under the sink of the office bathroom. He is still agitated by the incident Shiro pulled even though they had cleaned the blood from the floor Shiro lied on and apprehended him. They locked Shiro into a cell at least four hours ago, but Ichigo can't help but feel disturbed by it all. He rubs his face and looks into the mirror. "He's just trying to fuck with us," Ichigo says to himself. "He's saying all this confusing shit to get under our skin." The detective shakes his head and takes a deep breath then exhales as if he's trying to push out the unnerving feeling out with his breath.

To Ichigo it seems like Shirosaki has been messing with them on purpose; to hide a true reason behind why he has given himself in so easily. For a time it seemed Shiro had disappeared, like he never existed in the first place, and Ichigo would have loved that. However, after Shiro's sudden and dramatic appearance, Ichigo is sure that there is a bigger reason here, but it's hidden under Shiro's actions and the strange things he has said to Ichigo and the task force.

Ichigo leaves the bathroom, walking through the hall towards the offices of where the rest of the task force work. Ichigo reassures himself that Shiro is in a cell that nothing is going to go wrong. The only thing left is to figure out what it is exactly Shiro is finished with and the reasoning to why he's given himself in. When Ichigo reaches the area, he comes across Renji sitting on his chair, Grimmjow leaning on the desk across from him, and Byakuya telling them off.

"Do you understand what will happen if this gets out? Imagine the press or someone seeing this man covered in blood gets the word out," Byakuya crosses his arms over his chest with a stern look on his face.

"I don't think anyone has seen him," Renji says, although he still looks slightly worried. "And we've set out a perimeter to look for any victims, or bodies that could be related to why Shiro was covered in blood like that." Renji informs. "We've also sent samples of the blood off to be examined so we know who or what it belongs to."

"Good, but we need answers now. Forensics will take some time," Byakuya says.

"Well I can go interrogate that prick right now," Grimmjow says, folding his arms over his broad chest as he leans against the desk.

"No," Ichigo says firmly. He stops once he reaches the others. "I need to talk to him myself."

"Are you serious, Ichi?" Grimmjow says, looking at Ichigo seriously. "After everything he's done to ya?"

Byakuya sighs, "I want answers from him specifically. Interrogate him and get the information out of him. Thanks to this man I've got more paperwork to prepare," he grumbles but keeps his cool as he walks past Ichigo without a sideways glance. He signals for Renji. The red head stands, gathering his own paperwork and following behind Byakuya leaving Ichigo and Grimmjow to face each other alone.

Ichigo sighs, crossing his arms over his stomach. He looks at the floor for a moment, a frown etching over his face before his brown eyes flick up to look into Grimmjow's icy blue ones.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fucking serious, Grimmjow. I don't…I don't care what he's done to me." But Ichigo's voice quivers towards the end of his sentence and he immediately stops talking, feeling ashamed and uncertain of himself. He looks away from Grimmjow, having difficulty in communicating what else he has on his mind to them.

"You shouldn't see him," Grimmjow confirms.

"Why? I'm fine. There's nothing wrong with me. I just think he'll-"

"He'll what?" Grimmjow interrupts Ichigo, his tone darker than what Ichigo expects to hear directed at him. All Ichigo can do at this point is remain silent, listening to what Grimmjow has to say next.

"Don't you see yourself? Just look at you. Shiro's fucked you up that much that he's got you thinking you're okay, but clearly not, kid."

"Oh fuck you!" Ichigo growls, Grimmjow's words having a negative effect on him. "Do you think I'm weak, Grimmjow? You have no idea what he's done to me, and I'm not going to start telling you now." He turns to walk out of the room and does so quickly enough to avoid Grimmjow coming after him.


Shiro is apprehended and put into a cell. They change his clothes, making him wear a plain white top and bottom, replacing the white clothes he originally came in with covered in vibrant blood to clean white unworn clothing. Shiro looks sinister in blood covered clothing, but looking at him now, the members of the task force feel rather rattled by his presence. Shiro can make white; the shade of innocence into something deranged and monstrous without even trying. The members watch him carefully, making sure he doesn't try anything even in his cell. Although all the members have come around to see Shiro again after he's changed, Ichigo still doesn't feel ready to see Shiro again. Even the thought of coming face to face with the man who brought a town and the task force to its knees makes the young detective feel sick to his stomach.

Shirosaki is purely a different kind of killer. Now it doesn't seem to matter how many killers and mass murderers, deranged men and women Ichigo has come across and solved numerous of these strange and truly frightening cases on. There's one thing Shiro did, was capable of and still does that frightens the young detective. Shirosaki had the chance to kill Ichigo, and to do it with much brutality and disrespect similar to his other victims earlier on in this strange case. It's a horrid thought that runs through Ichigo's mind. Shiro not only had this opportunity once; but twice. The first was when he managed to kidnap, torture and rape Ichigo. The second time is when Shiro walked into the officers building like it was walking into his own home. It wasn't long until Ichigo decided he couldn't avoid Shiro's presence any longer, and to just go and see this man and hear what he has to say from within the interrogation room.

"Your task force barged into my home but I only walked into your building." Shiro clearly tells Grimmjow in the interrogation room and Ichigo hears and sees this. He doesn't have to be in the same room as Shiro to feel a shiver run down his spine.

It's been at least an hour and a half since Ichigo had stormed away from Grimmjow. Now here Ichigo was, standing outside the interrogation room, in the adjoining room that allows fellow detectives who are not in the room with Shirosaki to hear what he is saying to Grimmjow who sits across from him, the table between them.

The major thought running through Ichigo's mind as he listens to the interview is the opportunity for Shirosaki to cause more harm even though he is under heavy watch by the task force. Ichigo scans the room with his brown eyes to the others inside. Renji sits at the desk listening to Grimmjow's questions and Shiro's answers to them. He has a note pad before him, a pen in his hand and is taking notes. Byakuya stands next to Renji, his arms folded over his chest as he's looking directly forwards into the interrogation room.

"Well," Grimmjow says, leaning back on his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. "Last time I checked, you kidnapped one of our detective's." He is irritated with Shiro but regains his cool with the cover up of a laid back, unfazed manner. But Ichigo isn't fooled by Grimmjow's behaviour. He's known his partner long enough in the field (and outside of it) to understand why Grimmjow puts on such a front to people he interrogates. Simply put: he's just a good detective, and understands how much killers want to get under their victims skin. And in this case, Shirosaki happens to be someone who thoroughly enjoys doing just that. Tormenting his victims in a psychological way through choice of words and extremely violent physical actions makes Grimmjow stare Shiro in the eyes harshly, as if telling Shiro without using words that he can't overpower the detective.

Shirosaki shrugs and Grimmjow's bright blue eyes bore harsher into yellow.

The silence is intimidating, but Grimmjow doesn't let Shiro's silence, or stare manipulate him.

"You're really a little fuck, you know that?" Grimmjow abuses. Shiro laughs at him.

"I wonder, detective," he smiles, "I wonder if Ichigo is in there…" Shirosaki turns his head to face the mirror from within the interrogation room. To shiro, he would be looking at himself in the mirror. But the mirror is really only there to disguise the fact that there are people in the adjoining room watching in. A tingle of dread, disgust, and the shakes slide through Ichigo as he stares back into Shiro's eyes.

Grimmjow clicks his fingers in front of Shirosaki's face to make him stop looking the other way. Shiro keeps staring at the mirror, as if he stares long enough, the mirror and everything between Ichigo and Shiro, protecting Ichigo from having Shiro really see him will collapse.

"Hey! Over here, asshole," Grimmjow says, clicking his fingers until Shirosaki finally turns his head and looks dead into Grimmjow's eyes once again.

"Oh I know he's in there," Shiro confirms with himself. "I know because he's not one to leave a case, especially one like this, right?"

"You think ya know everything," Grimmjow says.

"And you think you do, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow doesn't say anything, so Shirosaki continues, "If you think you're goin' to get information from me, then yer wrong. You and your task force can figure it out for yerselves."

After that, no matter how many more questions Grimmjow asked Shirosaki went by unanswered. Shiro decided to stick to his word. It seems that he really does mean it when he says that Ichigo, Grimmjow and the task force can solve Shirosaki's reasoning for themselves.


Late that night forensics came back with information on the blood that had stained Shirosaki's white shirt earlier that morning. Ichigo and Grimmjow walk into the office, meeting with Renji and Byakuya in one of the secluded rooms. Ichigo didn't find the need to say anything to Grimmjow and it was the same on Grimmjow's behalf with the younger detective.

"It turns out that Shiro didn't kill another person before giving himself in. But forensics reports say the blood stained on him was actually from an animal." Renji says, dropping the file on the desk and swivelling around in his chair to face the others.

Grimmjow scoffs.

Ichigo, still avoiding Grimmjow's gaze, sighs.

"Ichigo, I think he was just talking bullshit the whole time, trying to get under your skin." Renji states.

"Well he does a good job of it."

"Not only that. This guy is…strange. He hasn't said a word since we took him in. Looks like the only person he'll want to talk to is you, Ichigo."

Ichigo rubs his temples with the tips of his fingers, silent as he thinks about Shiro's motives and the possible meaning to all of this.

"Shiro could have said all those things to confuse us, to get under our skin and piss us off," Ichigo finally starts, the others listening to him intently. "But he wouldn't just give himself in so easily. He told me that he would only give himself in when he was finished. With what exactly; I don't know."

"Yeah, and so long as he doesn't say anything, then it's goin' to take a while to find out what." Grimmjow grumbles.

A brief silence settles over the four men.

"I'm going to see him in the morning," Ichigo finally says, breaking the silence.

Grimmjow remains quiet, his eyes locking on with Ichigo's silently, the blue orbs flashing with disapproval but he doesn't say anything otherwise. But the effect has an eerie feeling running over Ichigo regardless. He feels nervous to face Shirosaki even though it's going to be in the morning.


A/N: Short chapter but I wanted to get something out. The last chapter was a bit confusing, but I hope this chapter has at least shed some light on the situation. Thanks for reviewing and still reading this fic!