Reconstitution

There was only darkness and he was thankful for it. Even he needs a break from time to time, even if at the most inopportune of times like this. What he needs more than anything is to collect himself, something that is more difficult to accomplish he has noticed when it concerns his young, unofficial charge. So this absence of stimuli is appreciated, particularly away from that hollow he had put him there. If only this could only manage to last for a while.

But it never did.

From the recesses of his consciousness he can hear an all too familiar voice. It's not Ichigo's hollow still managing to penetrate the dark haze of his unconsciousness; no it's something closer to home instead. It's a voice he hears off and on, a voice that is as hair raising as it is soothing to him. Not so fortunately for him that voice is not happy, in fact she sounds downright furious.

"When did you become so pathetically weak?" The seething bit of verbiage but to his ears is scarcely more than a whisper in volume. It poses a curious question. When did he get so weak?

Perhaps when Sousuke had managed to best him years ago now. Or better yet when he got himself banished and barely escaped with his powers with only the assistance of Yoruichi. Those were terrible signs of weakness. Still hadn't he held back, kept himself sane all this time waiting and wanting for nothing more than to see someone pay? Though these days he felt more tired than vengeful. What was the point of vengeance after all? Couldn't Sousuke just show Soul Society how foolish they were after all? Who knew it could be an improvement in the long run for things to finally change in that horribly backwards and unchanging realm.

"Since when do you encourage your enemies goals? He betrayed you as well. He had you accused falsely. Had you banished."

Hearing that makes a part of Urahara ache. His home was a place he could never return to now even if his status as traitor was redeemed. No one would ever look at him the same again, he would never be welcomed again. None of them would. Though they may never care to admit it something about it was upsetting even now, even after having time to try and wash the taste of that reality from their mouths. The living world was their new home, like it or not. Not that this place was all bad, it could be tolerable or even pleasant at times. But there would always be things missing.

So why should he let Sousuke just go ahead and push the shinigami aside? He shouldn't. Even the part of him that wanted to see them pay for their abandonment of the few who could help them, said it was not right. Despite what people thought he did happen to have a conscience. It just happened to be rather selective.

Aizen should be stopped. Hirako and the others would want that. They deserved that for what he had done to them. Soul Society needed to change and that could still happen. There was hope.

"You want revenge too. You want to be there."

And he did. The bitter part of him wanted to see Sousuke crash into the water and drown in the sea for his hubris, for thinking he could become a god. He wanted to just be angry without having to be logical as well but there was never much time for that for him. Moments where he could humor himself in such childish ways were few and far between when he had this and that to take care of.

"You want blood. We want blood."

Yes, he did. For their pain and suffering he wanted some of theirs. Not all of it, but enough to compensate for the fate that had befallen them. That had put them all into lives that involved making the best of what they had in a way so many were ignorant. He wanted the truth too. Not for him, he knew the story too well, but for everyone else. It had been a long time since he had thought about that detail and it brought a kind of heat to his own blood.

He still had things to do. Many things to do.

"Then move. Move or die!" The whisper of her voice became a shout then. Not about to invoke her anger further, Kisuke obeyed and moved.

The weightless feeling was the first thing to leave him and shortly after that the darkness was gone as well. Groggily his body obeyed the command issued to him, that shout was resounding in his skull.

Eyes open again and ignoring the various aches all over his body the blond pushed himself to roll to the side and none too soon either. A thin blade was buried in the dirt where he had been laying. Assessing the situation the man let his eyes travel up over the blade to see the curled hilt which was really the top of a cane. Before he could entirely process what it meant he was forced to flatten himself out over the ground again to avoid being beheaded at worst and at least having an artery severed.

It was all coming back to him quickly enough, but recollecting and keeping alive at once is a wearisome process for someone just having regained consciousness from being beaten unconscious.

"So you are still alive." A flat statement, no indication if either was better or worse from the other.

Urahara turned his attention up to the lanky teenage body regarding him without the same disinterest and felt some of his earlier apprehension. There was a nice bruise on Ichigo's face from what he had done earlier. He had done that, himself and he could not undo it.

"For now. Too bad you were so disappointing in the end." The hollow glancing to the blade in his hand briefly and raised it planning to effectively kill the man for good. That the man was making such a pathetic face only made it easier for him really.

The blond was picking himself up to his feet and was just as shocked as the hollow seemed to be when the blade stopped the essentially rest against his throat instead of cut through it. He could feel the sharp edge wavering in the arm wielding it. It was hesitation or it appeared to be at first glance. The borrowed arm was shaking not in fear or anxiety but in resistance.

"Tch, doing him a favor there horse." Though there was a definite note of annoyance in the address.

Kisuke decided not to put Ichigo's effort to waste and reached for the thoughtlessly discarded lower half of his cane. It had just been dropped carelessly and rested not far away, close enough he could get it with the tips of his fingers by leaning over.

It was all about who was faster now and the younger body has distinct advantages at the moment.

The hollow was drawing back to swing again with more force, determined. Those gold eyes blazing while looking down at him finally to see the exile not just sitting there in his own head, feeling sorry for himself.

The boy is quick, but for now Kisuke is still faster.

In haste, certainly not gently, the end of the cane hit the redhead in the stomach effectively doing what he wanted in the scenario, forcing the soul from the body. Though there is also the added bonus to his actions that it only leaves Kisuke with a scratch from the attack instead of something likely more fatal. The force jolts the soul and body back away from him giving him enough room get to his feet, snatching Benihime from the crumpled, empty form.

Still fighting against the clock Kisuke ejects himself from his gigai as well because someone of this boy's caliber he cannot handle in it any longer. It will get one of them hurt so he just lets it fall like dead weight and manages to raise his zanapkutou to hold the larger Zangetsu at bay. The manic grin between the clash is more concerning to him, however.

"That's more like it. Took you long enough." The tone on his survival is no longer flat and Kisuke can't help but think that's not such a good thing.

"It's too soon for me to be leaving, I still have things I need to do Hollow-san." Somehow he manages to say it in an amiable tone but the next moment he's half-growling out Benihime's shikai, feeling her change shape in his hand and smoothing some of his still frayed nerves. Still what he needs most at the moment is distance. Relenting some of his ground he draws his blade back a bit to let out a wave of red, sharp note piercing the air. It does what he wants, the other is forced back several paces. Wanting to keep the ground he has gained, Kisuke goes for the throat around the side.

The hollow doesn't seem to be planning to play so nicely any longer because before he can get too close dark reiatsu is on the rise and erupts as the other forces himself to bankai. A bone mask is forming over the familiar tanned face and hiding that sharp grin directed at him. Kisuke pays more mind to the unchanged black and gold eyes watching him.

Tensa Zangetsu is stronger, more sleek but it's not going to be enough to get through his princess. Benihime meets the dark blade strike for strike and holds it at bay. They are both moving steadily more quickly now. That is when Kisuke notices that he really is going to be forced to be cautious to balance his force with method. Ichigo's powers, even in his hollow's possession, are unpolished so that is in his favor but not at the same time. The boy cannot win but it will not make things easy for his teacher.

As if to prove the thought shortly after the hollow is behind him in a quick burst of shunpo and trying to cut him in two down the middle. Kisuke alters his footing to lower himself and kicks at the younger man's legs. It makes enough contact to knock his aggressor back and huff in pain. Wanting to try and end this quickly before it turns into a blood bath between Ichigo's hollow and Benihime he tries to get off a higher level bakudou. Unfortunately with a strong bakudou it is best to recite the incantation but he doesn't have that kind of time as the thin, black blade rushing toward his chest proves before he's even a third of the way into the spell. With so little distance between them he won't have the time to finish it, particularly before he would end up skewered. So he has to change his course of action to just keep himself alive. Reaching with a pale hand he grabs the black katana and forces its course to rise. It cuts into his hand but he just tightens his grip and pushes it up. Instead of the blade driving through his chest it only nicks his shoulder.

"Looks like you're wearing down old man." Gold eyes widen in a sense of delight, focused on the blood running down of a thin but strong wrist.

There is no denying that. Kisuke is fairly sure he's got a broken rib even in his shinigami body, on top of a serious concussion. He hasn't had time to heal himself so it's just something he has to deal with. As a consequence though it is costing him speed and very likely the ability to think clearly on a better solution.

"I am." It's an admission. One that seems to come as a surprise to the hollow based on the way he is being looked at. "But I'm not done yet."

Most would probably call him insane but he stabs Benihime down into the dirt through the dark hakama the other has on before releasing her. With the few options he has to end this peacefully he is going for a desperate effort here. On the bright side it seems like his opponent did not see this coming.

"What...the hell?"

Kisuke doesn't bother to explain, looking down at the shorter, possessed man, he just starts to let his reiatsu pour out. It's thick and heavy and this is something he has not done in years. Normally he's under strict restraint after years of hiding himself ti squash it down and this certainly breaks those rules. It feels good to let go, even in the rather fucked up scenario he's managed to land himself into. The air around him is practically vibrating now and a thinned but bright hue of red energy is expanding out from him. The beast is looking up at him something shocked and possibly just a little fearful.

His eyes shift to the blade still cutting into his hand, though he doesn't really feel it any longer. From that hand he lets more of his reiatsu flow until he can feel the form of the dark zanpakutou give way. The hum and sharp sound from Benihime deafens out the soft sound of cracking. It doesn't take too long before the katana shatters and his hand is left empty.

"You retard I can just-"

But before the hollow can speak further Kisuke's bloodied hand is reaching up with a new target and tearing at that bone mask. It needs to go to help pull Ichigo, the real Ichigo, back. It seems he has gained the upper hand because the white shatters more quickly than Zangetsu had.

Still black and gold eyes stare up at him as the white fragments drop and break further apart, but the black in those eyes is starting to recede already. The hollow says nothing just stares mutely, eyes wide. It's not a detail that Kisuke minds, he prefers it quiet. It doesn't speak again to him as it is forced back into servitude.

Brown eyes are looking up at him soon enough and Kisuke feels the buzz of his earlier high fading. The aches are coming back and one of his sides is really smarting. The look of surprise hasn't faded away from that face and the exile tries to open his mouth to ask what is the matter. His mouth doesn't want to work with him and barely opens as the world starts to teeter from side to side.

The blond is swaying on his feet, the sounds of shouting that come to his exhausted body and mind sound distant.

He cannot see Ichigo trying to pull him up and steady him. He cannot see Hirako and the others running their way. He cannot even feel the blood flowing from his hand. Though he can feel his pulse in a steady, painful way it is calming in an odd manner. The world is fading to black again but this time he doesn't feel panic gripping at him. Instead Urahara just feels damn exhausted. That last thing he sees before it all fades away on him once more is a blur of bright orange that makes him want to apologize, only he cannot seem to speak. All he can do is let himself rest.

AN: And this took forever to write. Considering how short these chapters are that's a bit sad, but what can you do? I apologize for any mistakes because this chapter has not been beta'd. Which is no fault of Hiruma Musouka by any means. I just want to finish this story so I am going to try and power through the rest of it. Really this evolved into something insane considering I only meant for it to be a one-shot or a two-shot. Instead of just leaving it though I want to bring it to some kind of conclusion instead of leaving those who have given me feedback something for their time.