A/N: I am Sorry, it was not my best. :(

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, The Avengers or (Sam Raimi) Spider Man. Any concept you do not recognise may or may not belong to me, however.


8.

The alarm clock went off, stirring the redheaded protector away from his dream. Cracking an eye open, he looked at the wecker on the nightstand and then at the window to see the sunray peering through.

Slowly, propped himself up on the bed and stretched, feeling his spine popping. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Ichigo rose up from the bed and walked over to the closet to grab his towel and clean clothes for the day.

Picking up the white box lay on his study desk, Ichigo made his way out of his bedroom toward the bathroom. He grabbed the doorknob and turned it, but it would not budge. Ichigo knocked on the door. ''Hey Ishida, hurry up will you? You are not the only one need to use the bathroom.''

TTT

Uryuu pressed his forehead against the cold tiled walls. The hot scalding water raining down upon him felt so well against his skins. Sighing, he turned around, pressing his back against the walls. Rising his right hand to his line of vision, he willed the reishi around him to cover his hand all the way to his elbow.

The light died down. Uryuu held his breath.

Was this really his hand?

''Hey Ishida, hurry up will you? You are not the only one need to use the bathroom.'' Kurosaki voice rang out from behind the door.

Not the only one

Uryuu smiled. 'Is that so?' He thought, balling his hand into fist. 'Yes, this is my hand.' Everything will be all right.

Yet for now, Kurosaki did not need to know.

Turning the water off, Uryuu stepped out of the shower. Out of habit, his hand reached out to the empty space on the sink where his glasses used to lay. He sighed. He really missed his glasses. He did not need it anymore; his eyesight was perfect now. Still, thinking of how much sacrificed he made to buy those glasses, he wished it could survived the unfortunate event several months ago.

Well, at least he still breathing that should count for something.

A knock on the door grew more insistent. Tucking the white stripes alongside his dark ones behind his ear, he grabbed his towel from the rack and wrapped it around his waist, then, opened the door.

Kurosaki scowled in confusion. ''Why, are you smiling?'' He inquired.

''Nothing'' Uryuu said, lifting his hand up to his face before stopping halfway. He sighed in exasperation. ''It is nothing Kurosaki.''

He made his way to his bedroom, but Kurosaki firmed gripped on his wrist, stopped him on his step.

Uryuu looked over his shoulder, brow furrowed. ''What is it Kurosaki?''

''That new habit of yours is annoying.'' Kurosaki said and placed a white box in his hand before entering the bathroom and shut the door.

Uryuu opened the box.

He blinked.

His mouth curved upward. 'Tonight dinner is chicken curry.' He thought, putting the glasses on his face and walked over to his bedroom.

Everything will be all right indeed.

TTT

''Good morrow Mister Morgan'' Yadorigi greeted him with a subdued tone.

Ben glanced at his co-worker. ''Well, that was quick.''

Yadorigi frowned at him. ''One month and a half is to long Mister Morgan.''

''That was sarcasm Yadorigi-san, sarcasm.'' He said, rising up from the chair he sat on and disappeared into his bedroom. A moment later, he emerged with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, and without words, he and Yadorigi walked out of his apartment, a large white wolf trailing them from behind.

Entering the elevator, Ben pressed the button for the basement and they began their descent, accompanied by the soft tune playing in the background. Yadorigi did not humming along with it.

The elevator stopped with a soft ding, its doors slide open and the two men stepped into the underground parking lot where Ben's car was.

Ben entered the driver seat, and after helping Yadorigi with the seatbelt; he started the engine and drove out of the parking lot toward the airport. Their journey filled with Yadorigi reading to him the history of Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryuu. From the day, they were born to their current life. Brimstone was thorough in gathering his info.

Ben frowned at the section about Kurosaki Ichigo fought against all assortments of opponents when he was only fifteen. It started with a fish and spider to his friend deceased older brother and a serial killer. His mother's murder, a blood knight, two overly prideful idiots, another blood knight, Bruce Wayne's evil counterparts, a silver fox, and end with Clark Kent's evil counterparts that turned into a butterfly.

Yadorigi's great-great grandson was not a slouch either. He suffered and endured many humiliation and misery without any emotional support from his father.

''Kumori will have a fit if she ever hear about this.''

Yadorigi shuddered. ''She definitely will not please.''

Understatement

''So,'' Yadorigi started. ''Do you know what we should tell them?''

''Yes''

''And what is that?''

''The truth, all of it''

Yadorigi's brow furrowed. ''Mister Morgan, is it really a good idea to load them with those information all at once?''

''They had seen many things that kids their age should have not. I am sure they will handle it, eventually.''

''Sticks and stones may break my bone but words… may break the rest.''

''If they did break, all they need to do is just pick up the pieces and put themselves together.''

''…''

TTT

The sound of the doorbell echoed within the apartment. Instinctively, Uryuu reached out with his senses to the hallway. He frowned. He detected no presence from the other side of the door, despite the insistent ringing of the doorbell said otherwise. Uryuu wondered what kind of person could conceal their presence so perfectly without using Urahara's reiatsu cloaking devices.

Well, whoever was at the door, it was nothing that he or Kurosaki could not handle. They meant no harm anyway, therefore he not need to worry.

''Hey Ishida, are you going to answer the door or not?'' Kurosaki annoyed voice rang out from the bathroom. Uryuu shook his head, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose; he rose up from the couch and walked over to the front door.

''You look so much like your mother.'' The olive-haired man said unexpectedly, taking him off guard ''Excuse me?''

The man jolted. ''Ah, I apologies for what I said.'' He said. ''I must have surprise you with that unexpected comment.'' He chuckled sheepishly. ''It is true however; that you do look so much liked her. However, she preferred to comb her bang to the right side.'' He murmured the last part absentmindedly, while tracing his own long tresses.

Uryuu's brow furrowed. ''Who are you? How, did you know my mother?'' He inquired. The olive-haired man seemed familiar, but where did he had seen him before?

Wait.

''I saw you outside the university a few month ago.'' Uryuu stated.

The longhaired man smiled and inclined his head. ''The name Yadorigi Tsubaki, I am very please to meet you.''

''Hey Ishida, whose at the door?''

''The person that you kept on asking me about''

''Oh, is that so?'' He felt Kurosaki's reiatsu flared up and quickly wrapped itself around him in a possessive protectiveness as it owner waddled to his side. The protector tried to appear casual, however, the way his topazes assessing the olive-haired man like a predator ruined his effort tremendously.

Uryuu expected the longhaired man to take offend to Kurosaki's brash, protective display. On the contrary, however, he seemed amused by it.

Was he imagining the approval in his eyes?

Yadorigi held his hands up in placating gesture. ''We mean no harm Ur— Ishida-san and Kurosaki-san, there is no need for you to be on guard. My partner and I are here just to talk to the two of you.''

''Partner,'' Kurosaki inquired.

''Right here'' At the cold voice, they turned their gaze behind Yadorigi.

A tall blond-haired man clad in all black was standing with his back against the wall. He was taller than Kurosaki or an average American for that matter and just like Yadorigi, except for his sight, Uryuu felt nothing from the blond man that indicated he was standing in front of them.

''Gemischt Quincy Ishida Uryuu and Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo'' They both tensed. ''The names Ben Morgan,'' The blond man inclined his head, still speaking in that flat tone of voice, which Uryuu began to suspect, was his default speaking-tone. ''There is a matter that we must share with you two, and this hall is not the best place to discuss it.'' He said. ''So do you mind if we move inside?''

He and Kurosaki looked at each other. Uryuu raised his brow. Should we let them in?

Ichigo shrugged. I do not see the problem. They did tell us they just wanted to talk.

Uryuu frowned. These people are dangerous Kurosaki, what if they are lying about their purpose.

Ichigo tilted his head to the side. If they did lie, it is not as if we cannot handle them.

Uryuu's eyes narrowed behind his glasses. What make you so sure we could handle them?

Ichigo somehow managed the tricked of rising his brow while still maintaining his scowl. Instincts

Uryuu's brow furrowed, then, he sighed. Fine, then.

He turned to their guests. ''Please come inside.'' Uryuu said politely, moving to the side to let them in and lead them to the living room.

''Would, you like something to drink?'' Uryuu inquired politely.

''No, thank you, we will not be long.'' Ben said, managing to be toneless and polite at the same time.

After they settled down on the two white couches opposite each other — Uryuu sat on Ichigo left side, facing Yadorigi — Morgan decided to go straight to the point. ''The reason for our visit here is that, we want to recruit you two to join our organization Naidruga.'' He said as Yadorigi put down two white cards on the table.

He and Kurosaki picked the cards and inspected it. There were no numbers or words printed on the white piece of paper.

An idea came to him. Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, Uryuu send a small jolt of his reiatsu into the blank card. A symbol of the golden sun half-eclipse by the silver moon started to emerge on its surface. Uryuu pushed his glasses up again. ''May I ask what is the purpose of your organization?''

''And why we never heard of you before?'' Kurosaki added.

''Naidruga has many branches specialising in wide variety of areas. Hunting down criminals that went above the law is one of them.'' Yadorigi smiled. ''As to why you never heard about us, it is because we running our operation in secret for safety reason.''

''I see.'' Uryuu nodded. ''What if, we decline the offer?'' He inquired.

''Then, we will not disturb you anymore.'' Yadorigi smiled turned wan. ''Well, that is what we are going to do few months ago however…'' He sighed. ''Something… happened and, it, change everything.''

Uryuu's eyes narrowed behind his glasses. He had a feeling that he knew what this changed was. ''May I ask what have cause the change?''

''You are no longer a human Ishida Uryuu-san.'' Morgan stated flatly to the point. Uryuu breathed hitched. The air grew dense as Kurosaki's reiatsu flared up higher than anti-satellite missiles. The raw, wild reiatsu crushing down upon the archer made him felt as if he was at the bottom of the sea, with a giant rock on top of him.

The archer gripped Kurosaki's wrist, hard, and silently told him to calm down and kept his temper in check, and for Goodness sake, please, stopped suffocating him!

Thankfully, Kurosaki get the messaged. Closing his eyes, the protector took a deep, calming breath, trying to rein in his wild reiatsu.

After a moment, the oppressive reiatsu lifted up slightly. Nevertheless, it was enough for him to breathe again. Uryuu looked at their two guests. They both seemed unaffected by the redhead oppressive reiatsu but…

Why, Yadorigi looked at him like that?

''Can you explain what you mean about that?'' Kurosaki inquired. His calm voice was a stark contrast to his raging reiatsu.

''Ishida-san was shot a few weeks ago.'' Morgan stated. ''The bullets was coated with a catalyst that triggered your conversion.''

''I see,'' Uryuu pushed his glasses up. ''Do you know who behind my shooting and the reason why they did this?''

''Elliot Vos, he is the one who ordered your shooting.'' Morgan said. ''About why he did this, all I have just a personal theory.''

''May I ask about the theory of yours.'' Uryuu inquired.

''That you are just a test subject for whatever goal he have in mind.'' Ben said.

''Is there a way to reverse the change?'' Kurosaki inquired.

Looking down at his hands, Yadorigi shook his head. ''The process was irreversible at this point.''

Uryuu's brow furrowed. Why, Yadorigi acted as if what had happened to him was his fault? Was Yadorigi supposed to capture his shooter? Was that why he felt responsible for the event?

''At this point,'' Kurosaki echoed. ''So, that meant, there is a way to stop it before.''

''Yes, there is a five days deadline to stop the process but by the time we know what happened, we cannot reach you in time.''

Kurosaki and Yadorigi let out an identical sigh. Uryuu raised his brow. It seemed Kurosaki and Yadorigi cut from the same fabric.

''Ishida-san, I assume you are aware of your condition.'' Morgan remarked.

Uryuu inclined his head. ''Yes, I am aware about my changing.'' He ignored the startled looked Kurosaki directed at him. ''I suspect that my shooting was related to it. So, thank you for confirming my suspicion.''

Morgan inclined his head. ''Then, you are aware with the danger your presence put on everyone?''

''Yes''

''Then, will you two join with us? We would provide you a place where you could learn to control your power without risking anyone safety.''

''May I ask you a question?'' Kurosaki inquired.

''You already did.'' Morgan stated.

Kurosaki scowled. ''I understand the reason for your offered to Ishida, but why are you offering me to?''

Morgan stared at Kurosaki. Cold sapphires locked with burning topazes. ''The truth is Kurosaki-san. My employer does not want anything to do with you. However, the unexpected event that happened to Ishida-san makes your very existence important to him.''

''What do you mean about that?'' Kurosaki and Uryuu chorused. They both shared a looked before looking back at their two guests for explanation.

''Uh, should anything happen to Kurosaki-san, Ishida-san will disappear.'' Yadorigi said quietly.

The words hit Uryuu like an avalanche.

''The conversion is not only change Ishida-san's body.'' Morgan said. ''Once it complete, it will also change the core that made Ishida Uryuu-san, Ishida Uryuu-san. However, Kurosaki-san had somehow halted the conversion before it is complete. We do not know how you did it, but now, your souls are bonded to each other.''

Bonded to Kurosaki

Uryuu pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. 'I think am going to get a headache.' He thought, stealing a glance at the protector. 'And it seems I am not the only one who need an aspirin.'

''I think we have explain enough for tonight.'' Morgan said, rising up from the couch. ''It is time for us to take our leave.'' He looked to his partner. ''Yadorigi-san,''

''Ah, yes.'' Yadorigi reached inside his robe and pulled out two ruby pendants in the shaped of a squirrel, and placed them on the table. ''These two will help you find us.'' Yadorigi smiled. ''Goodnight'' He bowed, sending one last looked at the — former — Quincy and then followed his partner to the front door. Leaving the two young men with a lot to thinks about.


Thank you very much for reading! *bow gratefully*

English is not my native language, my Deepest Apologies for any incorrect grammar and tenses you find. Please tell me what you think.