Chapter 10: Behind Closed Doors

Now in the
White flames of burning flags
We found a world worth dying for, yeah
We've been battered so hard that
We don't feel anymore

District 78.

A place that was worse then hell, where fighting and bloodshed was a constant, a place where one carried their zanpakutou closely to their bodies and where no one questioned you. It was the perfect place to have a meeting.

Shunsui yawned lazily as he slumped into his chair within a run down bar. He was not wearing his usual flamboyant attire, no; he had to trade those off for a dull green haori and hakama to fit into the atmosphere. Beside him Matsumoto who looked bored off her ass and not really liking her blue attire she had on with her hair pulled to one side. She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

"They are late, you think they made it?" She asked the older man with a bored look. Shunsui smiled, "Well of course." He chuckled, "I am sure something came up though." It was almost like it was on que, the bar doors opened and four people filed into the bar. Ikkaku was at the lead followed by Renji, then Isane, finally entered Ukitake.

The four individuals joined the table of Matsumoto and Shunsui. Silence filled the table before finally one spoke. "So," said Ukitake, "Look's like we are all accounted for just about, minus a few others but I am sure their representative will spread the word." Renji, Ikkaku, Isane, and Matsumoto nodded. "As we know, Kurosaki Ichigo is currently in the hands of the 12th, the General will appear there tomorrow when Rukia and her child show up."

"Taiki." Ikkaku corrected with some pride.

Ukitake smiled; of course Ikkaku was going to have a big head because Rukia choose to name the boy the name Ikkaku had mentioned. "Taiki," Ukitake corrected himself with a small nod.

"The two will be transported into the hands of the 12th Division at three o'clock in the afternoon. I have arranged for Momo to go with the group that will be leading the transport." Ukitake paused for a moment as he saw Matsumoto twitch, "She will not take any action on her own, she will merely follow and do her best to remember where Rukia, Taiki, and Ichigo are being held and the best place and time for us to plan some kind of action.

"We will be unable to do anything until Rukia is transported and Momo returns with the information."

A pause.

"What about our new high and mighty leader?" asked Ikkaku with a idle spin of his finger. Everyone turned his or her eyes to Ukitake. The sickly man sighed and shook his head; "I am uncertain what to do about him at the moment, but Mayuri, the man is a bit unpredictable. But a confrontation will happen at some point, he isn't going to let us walk out with Koursaki or the child. The 48 are just now starting to reform and I got the feeling they will allow Kurotsuchi Mayuri to remain at the head for a very long time." Ukitake raised a fist to his lips in thought, he wasn't stupid, he knew that if they could get Ichigo out, there was no way Mayuri was going to stay top dog.

The man closed his eyes, "Once again, as soon as Momo returns, we will work on a plan and put it into action instantly. Leaving Kurosaki with Mayuri is just asking for trouble on more then one level."

They all nodded softly with Ikkaku and Renji looked at one another for a moment.

"Um, Taicho." Ikkaku started. "I have heard that there is another child, what should be done if that is true?"

"It is, but the daughter is in safe hands with another. As long as Seireitei does not find out about her then we have nothing to worry about." Everyone nodded once again and Matsumoto could not help but grin, "I wonder if she looks like Ichigo as well…."

--

Chad looked at Kon, Kon looked at Isshin and Isshin looked at Chad.

Three men and a baby.

How interesting.

"So," said Kon as he looked down at the little girl with a tuff of orange on her head. "Um, what do we do now?" he inquired slowly as Chad looked at the baby now, "I suppose we just make sure she will be alright."

"Right." Said Kon.

"So then." Kon started again, "What do we call her?"

Silence.

Kon and Chad looked towards Isshin who was scratching his chin. "I don't know, I just keep calling her Sweet Heart and Grandpa's Princess." He snickered. Kon put a hand over his face and moaned.

Speaking of Grandpa's Princess, the girl stirred and instantly started to cry. Kon blinked and took three steps back. Chad cleared his throat and Isshin instantly picked up the little girl and rocked her, "Aww, what's wrong with Grandpa's little Princess? Huh? Oh…seems someone made a stinky!" He giggled.

"Whose turn is it to change my little Princess!" Isshin asked as he turned to look at the two men but saw nothing but a dotted outline of where they once stood. He blinked and tilted his head.

"Sissy's."

--

Ichigo moaned as he was moved back to his cell, rather, he was dragged because he had no strength to lift his feet on his own account. The young man was lying on his side with a hand over his face. His body shook in pain, he felt like his whole body was sit on fire.

They had tried to force his mask out into the world by injecting him with some weird blue substance they put into his system. It caused him to scream and his eyes had turned colors to the amber on black but his mask did not appear. Instead he had felt his hollow and before he knew it he was shouting remarks at them in an echoed voice. He was Ichigo and yet he wasn't.

Steam had erupted from his eyes as if the steam itself was trying to turn into bone to form on his face but it did nothing but make him uncomfortable and feel as if he was lit on fire within his mind. They had installed some kind of metallic device within his right hand but he had no clue what it was for. It reminded him of a spider with its wire wrapping around the middle of his fingers like legs and it so called body latched into his skin on the top of his hand.

He had been poked and prodded, stabbed and jabbed with so much things that he could not remember all of it.

The boy dropped his hand, huffing and puffing. His eyes where still that of a hollow and finally, he could hear his hollow speaking. Was he regaining strength or was the hollow forced to resurface?

"We'll show them King." It said, "Don't worry, they won't have you or our woman and offspring. We will get them. Just wait. Just wait."The hollow repeated as he broke into a weak laughter. Ichigo could almost swear that he saw the hollow behind his eyes with his back to him, hand clenched into fist of rage.

"They try to take our mask, my face. Well King, maybe we should let them."

Where was Zangetsu? Ichigo wondered this, if he could see his hollows back, shouldn't he be able to see Zangetsu. Shouldn't he feel his reiatsu, shouldn't he be able to fight?

"Just wait, King. The perfect time will come. Just wait, wait until we see her. When we see her we know it will be time." The voice of the hollow said as he slowly started to look over his ghostly shoulder.

"But first…" The hollow started as he disappeared from behind Ichigo's eyes and seemed to have vanished.

"CALL ME!"

Ichigo screamed as he put both hands to his face as he felt claws strike at the back of his eyes. Like someone was trying to break loose, the voice had roared in his mind, echoing on every plane. He could have sworn he saw a pair of shades even though his hollow was the one that shouted.

But even though his inner beings shouted at him, he understood what they meant.

Do nothing until you see Rukia.

Do nothing until you see the child.

Do everything when you do!

Then take out all of Seireitei for taking your world away!

A smirk came to Ichigo's lips and he snickered.

He had a plan.

[A/N Wow, that was my shortest chapter in a while. I will try hard to make the next one much longer and better. Getting home everyday at 6:30 due to class is making it hard to sit down and just write. But no problem, I will still write my story! I think you all will enjoy the next chapter. Rukia and Ichigo will be reunited! But what will happen and what on earth is Ichigo thinking? I also hope that you are enjoying the story as much as I do when writing it all out. Hehe, I finally found the Bleach: Live Bankai Musical show and its highly amusing. I love it!