A/N: Happy Belated New Year!


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.


10.

They turned behind them. Yadorigi stood on the open door with his hand still on the doorknob. His face was solemn; however, the presence of a black kitten sleeping on top of his head ruined the serious front he was trying to put up.

''Yadorigi-san, could you please repeat that again, I think I misheard you there.'' Uryuu said. His voice was as calm as a lake, yet his heart was like a raging storm. There was no way that he… even in his head he cannot finished that sentence. Uryuu would not bat an eyelash if it were Kurosaki, but him. It was absurd.

''No, Ishida-san, what you heard is correct.'' Yadorigi answered.

''Then, why is everything around me do not vaporise?'' Uryuu inquired. Next to him, the protector had become very quiet. From what Urahara had explained. When Kurosaki become one with Zangetsu(s), had he decided not to use his ultimate technique against Aizen, he will have damned himself to the life of solitude. He could never be able to touch his sisters again — or any living being for that matter —, or else he will burn them.

The physical contact Uryuu had in life — one that did not involved an attempt on his life, — he could counted it in one hand. Uryuu did not mind about it — who wanted him anyway? —, however, after everything the protector had been through, the thoughts of Kurosaki never able to felt the joy of holding his sisters in his arms ever again…

Uryuu was glad to know that fate had limit to her cruelty.

''Should, I repeat my words again?'' Yadorigi inquired in light amusement. ''Ishida-san, you are what Aizen Sosuke failed to be. The "true" one would still be able to interact with the other living being without causing accidental harm to them.'' He said before shifting his gaze passed their shoulders. ''So, Mister Brimstone, have you explain everything to them?''

''Hmm, did you say something Tsubaki?'' Brimstone inquired absently, not looking up from his paperwork.

''Ah, I take that as a no then.'' Sighing, Yadorigi turned to the two and silently ushered them out of the room. They followed Yadorigi out of the door to the narrow, winding staircase that took them to the vast, dark, empty corridor. Brimstone's office reminded Uryuu of vampire movies, but the seemingly endless corridor that they were traversing made him feel as if they were back in the medieval age. The gray, brick stones made up the majority of the walls and the floor. There were no windows to let the light of the celestial bodies enter, the torches that lined up the walls were the only illumination they had to see their path. From the ceiling, Uryuu could hear the faint sound of footsteps wandering around.

They definitely were not in New York anymore.

''Are we in a dungeon?'' Kurosaki inquired.

''Yes, that is correct.'' Yadorigi nodded. ''This place is Mister Brimstone's house, he lend his personal property to Naidruga to use for our office.'' He peered over his shoulder. ''Did you bring the pendants I gave you two?'' He inquired.

''Yes,'' He and Kurosaki showed him the pendants.

Yadorigi nodded. ''That pendants, it hold the ability to transport Naidruga's members to this place. It also works as communication device and to notify you when you are needed on a mission, so please, take good care of it.''

''I see.'' Kurosaki nodded. ''Does the necklace have spying feature?'' He inquired rhetorically.

Smiling, Yadorigi nodded. ''Yes of course.''

''Kurosaki just joking Yadorigi-san'' Uryuu said.

''Yes, but I am not.'' He said. ''Mister Brimstone used the spying feature on the necklaces so he could write an accurate report of the mission the Naidruga's members were working on.'' He said. ''That is why he always bury in the paperwork.''

''Ah, that is… convenient.''

''Indeed it is.'' Yadorigi smiled. ''Mister Brimstone not only sign our paycheck, he also write our report and signing it. He is a very busy man. I wonder if he ever gets a vacation.'' He mumbled the last part absently.

''So, where, are you taking us?'' Uryuu inquired. He forgot to bring his watch, but his internal clock felt like they had been walking for an hour.

''To the training room'' Yadorigi stopped in front of a door and open it. The kitten on his head, opened its eyes and yawned, it jumped to the floor, and stretched it body before following them inside.

At the word 'training room', Uryuu expected a room similar to Urahara's basement or the chamber where Ryuuken had locked him for a week to restore his power. Instead, the intricately decorated dome ceiling, walls and floor, the blood red, velvet drapes hanging from the four poles that circled two half-coaches that stood facing each other on the middle of the room reminded Uryuu of a harem chamber. Compared to the office room and the bland corridor, this room was completely out of place.

''Umm, what kind of training are we going to do?'' He and Kurosaki inquired in unison. They both shared a look before turning to Yadorigi for an answer.

Yadorigi gave them an innocent look of confusion, which quickly morphed into one of realisation. ''Ah, I see this room appearance has mislead you.'' He chuckled sheepishly. ''Well, this room is mean to train one's mind — the room for physical exertion is upstairs. The designer thoughts this room design will help in focusing the mind, but I beg to differ. I prefer a traditional Han design, maybe I should suggest it on the next meeting with auntie…'' Yadorigi said the last part absently. A small, wan smile touched his countenance.

Uryuu did a double take. That smile. Before, he paid no attention to it; however, now that he watched carefully, Yadorigi's smile looked familiar. He remembered seeing that smile, but not on Yadorigi's face. He rummaged through his memories, trying to find another face that held similar smile, but coming out blank. Whose face was it that he had seen holding that smile before? Had he met with one of Yadorigi's relatives in the past?

''Ishida-san'' Yadorigi voice snapped Uryuu out of his thought. Blinking, he turned to his left where Kurosaki was standing, only to found he was not there anymore. Where did he go?

Panic well up in his chest, Uryuu's eyes scanned the room, turning his gaze to the right, then to the left before it landed on the half-coach, which was occupied by the man he was looking.

''Ishida-san'' Yadorigi touched his shoulder. Uryuu turned to him. The longhaired man shared an identical concern look with the redhead. ''Are you all right?'' He inquired.

Pushing the glasses up the bridge of his nose, Uryuu nodded. ''Yes, I am find.'' Yadorigi did not seemed to believe him — he was always a bad liar — but much to his relieve, the longhaired man did not pressed him about it. The same could not be saying for the other one however.

Yadorigi asked Uryuu to sit on the half-coach on the right, and then asked them to wait there before leaving the room.

Uryuu did as he told, leaning his back against the coach, — the material was so soft and fluffy, Uryuu made a mental note to ask where they purchased it — and wait patiently for Yadorigi to return.

Yadorigi's black kitten waddled to the centre of the room between the half-coaches, and curled itself into a ball of fur. Uryuu stared at it through half-lidded eyes, wandering idly, if the cat can turned into a woman like Yoruichi.

''So,'' Kurosaki started. ''What is that all about?''

''Can you elaborate your question Kurosaki.''

''You space out staring at Yadorigi-san.'' He stated matter-of-factly.

Uryuu blinked. ''I did?''

''Yes,'' Kurosaki nodded.

Ah, he did not realise that. Feeling his cheeks warmed up, Uryuu pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. How should he answer Kurosaki's question without the protector drawing the wrong conclusion?

Uryuu sighed inwardly. Ever since the shooting, Kurosaki had become overly protective around him. Despite his best effort of being subtle about it, the way he walked closed to him when they were in public and watched him and everything around them, was liked a mother hen guarding her chicks from a hawk — or a shooter, in his case. It was awkward, and unfortunately, Uryuu was not the only who noticed. He heard from Parker, who heard it from Stacy that one of the students had nicknamed Kurosaki as 'Uryuu's daddy' or 'Papa Wolf'.

''Hey Uryuu''

''Yes, Kurosaki''

''Answer my question.'' Kurosaki demanded.

He sighed. What should he say? What should he say? What should he say…?

''Yadorigi-san have a pretty smile.'' The moment Uryuu said that, he heard the door creaked open. He felt horror dawning up over him. Slowly, Uryuu turned his gaze to the door.

Yadorigi stood in threshold, seemingly frozen with a half-blooming smile on his face.

Uryuu held the urged to bang his head on the nearest wall. 'Did he hear me complimenting his smile?' He thought horrified. If it made the older man think that, he was hitting on him… This will be more awkward than Kurosaki going all Papa Wolf on him.

Speaking of which, the air had suddenly grew thicker with the protector's reiatsu.

A childish giggled caught his attention. Uryuu turned his head to the source of the voice.

The black kitten was gone, on its place, was a girl somewhere in her thirteen. She had short, curly black hair, and dress in short, black frilly skirt, black jacket with puffed up sleeves and black, thick, sole boots.

Uryuu stared at the girl. 'Is there no normal black cat anymore in this world?' He thought.

Yadorigi cleared his throat loudly and walked into the room, his expression neutral. On his hands, he held two pillows, which he then handed one to each of them.

Uryuu felt a warm, thrum of energy flowing within the pillow. ''These are not an ordinary pillows.'' Uryuu stated.

Yadorigi bit his lower lips; he turned away, covered his lower face with his hand and coughed. ''Yes, you are correct Ishida-san; these pair of pillows are the only two of a kind. It has the ability to connect two psyches together.'' He said, reaching into his robe, he pulled out two crystal phials filled with clear liquid from his pocket and handed it to them.

''Before we could start with physical training, we must straighten the connection between you two.'' He said. ''Kurosaki-san existence is an anchor that grounded Ishida-san humanity. However, that bond could still be severe, and overusing your power is one of the probable cause.'' He said grimly. ''Once the bond is cut, it can never be mends again. That is why, you two have to straighten your bond to each other using those pillows.''

''So, how do we straighten our bond and what is in the phials?'' Kurosaki inquired.

''Your inner world's residents will help you with the bond, as for what is in the phials, it is just a simple sleeping potion.'' Yadorigi said, gesturing for them to drink the phials and started the training.

He and Kurosaki stared at each other. Sapphires locked with topazes. In perfect synch, they both put the pillows downs on the coach, uncapped the phials, tilting their heads up and drank down the sleeping potion in one draught. The potion held no peculiar flavour or texture; one would have easily mistaking it as water.

Uryuu took his glasses off and lay down on the half-coach.

The painting on the ceiling depicted a lone white, serpentine dragon on the azure skies. White on blue, the colours of the Quincy, it was so beautiful. The sleeping potion worked quicker than he expected. The white dragon blinked its sapphire eyes, then, moved in a circle before taking off into the horizon. Uryuu wondered where it would go. His eyelids felt so heavy and after blinking once, twice, thrice, he let himself fall into the darkness's embrace.


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.