Chapter 14:
Ichigo had lost track of the days. He never left his cell room other than for bathroom trips and each time he was guarded closely. The only upside was that he wasn't bound to his chair anymore, he was free to move around the room at his leisure, although there was nothing but the chair and the blinking red light of the camera.
His kidnapper didn't speak to him, their only interactions was to bring food and bathroom breaks. The man never touched him and the bruises on his face were starting to fade so he knew it had been at least a few days. The only thing that kept Ichigo sane, kept him going was the hope that Grimmjow would find him, just as he had promised. This one ray of hope kept Ichigo grounded as he waited, and waited, and waited.
Then one day things changed, he heard voices outside his door and pressing his ear to it he could make out a few words.
"…dangerous what if he wakes up?"
"Use more sedative…"
"… ready?"
"…needs attaching…"
The door opened with a sudden squeak and Ichigo sprang back, as the door swung open he caught a glimpse of another man wheeling a gurney past. He didn't get to see who was on it because his view was blocked as his capture walked in and Ichigo backed up a few steps. He tried to look innocent, as if he hadn't been listening in but he was sure the man noticed his guilty face.
"You have a partner." Ichigo said, forgoing any pretences. "I thought you worked alone?"
"Just sit in the chair." The man shut the door with a snap.
Rolling his eyes Ichigo sat, knowing no good would come from resisting. After he was fastened in his kidnapper stood to leave. "You gunna chop someone into little pieces out there?"
He stilled at the door, considering maybe what Ichigo had said. "I don't kill people without reason. It's not my actions that will decide your fate."
"It's Grimmjow's right?" Ichigo snorted, leaning back in his chair with a frown. The man didn't respond, he left without another word. Staring at the door, ichigo contemplated what he'd been told.
It was Grimmjow's responsibility to keep him alive? Did that have something to do with the 'rules' his kidnapper had mentioned before? For a fleeting moment, Ichigo felt he'd gotten the better end of the bargain. For all Grimmjow knew he could be dead but Ichigo knew he wasn't going to be killed, at least, not yet anyway. Then Ichigo felt his own pang of worry, what was Grimmjow going through right now?
His thoughts returned to the gurney and an awful thought occurred, what if it was Grimmjow on it? He quickly brushed the thought away. Of course it wasn't him, Grimmjow was probably at work right now. Relaxing at the thought he closed his eyes with a deep sigh. His fingers twitched but tugging at the restrains proved fruitless, until he was released Ichigo was stuck in his chair.
It proved a long and boring night. Ichigo had been sat in the chair for what he thought was several hours no and things didn't look like they'd be changing any time soon. Whatever was going on with the second man and the gurney seemed to be a priority.
At some point Ichigo fell asleep. He was woken by the sound of the door opening and he winced as he tried to lift his head from the stiff position against his shoulder. As his vision focused Ichigo felt a jolt of panic. It was his kidnapper and he was holding a syringe of something. Stiffening in his seat Ichigo tried to break his restraints but of course nothing happened. The man grabbed his arm and Ichigo flinched as the needle pierced his skin.
He felt the coldness of the liquid as it entered his arm, as it traveled to his chest and his eyes began to feel heavy even though he had just been sleeping. The last thing Ichigo felt was his head hitting his shoulder before he passed out.
…
Drip… drip… drip…
Ichigo frowned, his head turning at the sound and opening his eyes slowly a jolt went thought him when he realised he couldn't see. He tried to touch his face but he found his arms were bound, so were his legs. Breathing heavily, ichigo struggled, rocking whatever he was sat on but then something fell and hit the floor with a loud metallic bang.
The sound echoed loudly and Ichigo sat perfectly still as the noise faded somewhere in the distance, it was then he knew he had been moved. He was no longer in his small room where he'd been kept for the past week or so. The silence broke suddenly as there was a thump somewhere close by, followed by the sound of something falling and sliding towards him.
Again ichigo sat perfectly still, not daring to breathe. He wasn't alone, that much was obvious. The question was, who was here with him?
"So can I come in or what?"
At first Ichigo flinched at the sudden noise but then he realised who had spoken and his heart gave a jolt. "Grimmjow?" He asked quietly, hardly daring to hope it really was him.
There was no answering noise outside and just as Ichigo began to fear he'd gotten it wrong, that it wasn't Grimmjow someone ran towards him. "Ichigo!" He smiled, it was definitely Grimmjow. The man moved towards him and he only flinched slightly as the restrains were undone. He squinted as something was removed from his face, the harsh lights blinding but once he saw grimmjow, he smiled. "Come on, let's get you out of here."
"Thank you." Ichigo said as Grimmjow helped him off the hospital cot he'd been sat on. Once he was standing Ichigo looked around the room to see it was definitely a hospital room but it looked as if it hadn't been touched in at least ten years. As he turned to look at Grimmjow again he noticed a device on his his arm and his eyes widened in alarm. "What is that?"
He reached out to touch it but Grimmjow grabbed his hand. "Don't touch it, that sets it off." Ichigo frowned and was about to asked what exactly that mean but Grimmjow fell forward with a grunt of pain, grabbing the cot to remain standing and ichigo grabbed him to help keep him upright.
"Are you alright?" Stupid question he knew, but Ichigo was so worried about him, it looked as if he was in a lot of pain.
Grimmjow laughed, the sound putting him at ease slightly. "I should be asking you that." Turning to look at Ichigo, he smiled weakly. "I'm going to get you out of here, I promise."
Ichigo smiled and hugged him tightly. He didn't realise just how much he'd missed Grimmjow until now. Of course Grimmjow would get him out of here, wherever 'here' was. Although he would never say it aloud, the fact that Grimmjow was worried about him only made him love the man more. "I'm fine." Ichigo reassured him. "He didn't do much just the bruises. He took some photos afterwards but he hasn't touched me since. I'm not the one he's trying to hurt right?"
"You're more perceptive than I thought." Ichigo only rolled his eyes but Grimmjow smiled, pressing their foreheads together. "He took you because of me, it's my fault you're in this mess." Then he cleared his throat and pulled away. "We'll talk later ok?"
Ichigo nodded. "Ok." He understood perfectly well. This was not the place to get emotional, they were probably still in danger. No way his kidnapper would just hand him over like this and let them walk away freely, especially with whatever was on Grimmjow's arm. He gave the device a nasty look, resisting the urge to try and yank it off. Grimmjow had bent down to grab something, his gun and Ichigo realised that was what he'd heard before sliding across the room. Looking around his eyes landed on something on the desk. "Wait a moment." He grabbed it and smiled, a flashlight. Turning it on he spun around, blinding Grimmjow in the process. "Oh sorry!"
He turned the beam away and showed it to Grimmjow who nodded in approval. "Keep that ready and stay behind me." Nodding Ichigo got in position behind him as they started down a long corridor. "Did you see his face?"
After a moment he realised Grimmjow was talking about his kidnapper and felt a pang of guilt. "No, sorry."
"Don't worry about it, I wasn't expecting you to say yes but I might as well ask. This guy is smart he wouldn't leave any loose ends." Suddenly he held out an arm and Ichigo stopped abruptly. They had reached a set of double doors. Holding back as Grimmjow checked the room, Ichigo peered over his should anxiously. "It's clear."
They started crossing the room but again Grimmjow stopped, this time Ichigo almost crashing into him. "What's wrong?"
"Shine your light over there." Grabbing his hand Grimmjow lead the light into one of the corners of the room. "Look a camera." Ichigo could see the blinking red light and nodded. "He's been watching everything."
A sudden rage filled Ichigo. "Are you enjoying the show you sick psycho!" He yelled at the camera, his voice shattering the silence.
"Ichigo!" Grimmjow had hissed but then he collapsed to his knees and Ichigo felt the anger disappear as quickly as it had come. Grabbing the man's arm Ichigo knew what had happened, the device was active.
"Grimmjow!" he said in alarm, but received no response. Grimmjow's eyes were unfocused. Panicking Ichigo grabbed the back of his shirt and gave him a sharp shake. "Grimmjow come on!" Grimmjow shook his head and Ichigo stopped, sighing in relief when he focused on him. "Has it stopped?"
He nodded and attempted to stand but Ichigo forced him to sit. Grimmjow was still pale and Ichigo feared he would collapse if he tried to stand so soon. "We have to keep going." Grimmjow's voice was weak, raspy and it only made Ichigo more determined to keep him seated. "Let's go."
"No." ichigo replied firmly, pushing Grimmjow down as he tried again to stand. "Rest for a minute." Without even so much as glare Grimmjow slumped down next to an overturned table. It was a mark of how exhausted he was that he didn't fight back and that only made Ichigo more worried. They sat in silence for a long time, but the guilt was eating at Ichigo. "I'm sorry." He finally said, not daring to look at Grimmjow.
"Why?"
"That was my fault. I yelled at him and he set that thing off." He waved a hand at the device, giving it a nasty look. "He can control it… I hurt you." That was the real reason he felt guilty. He had caused the last activation. If he had just kept his mouth shut, Grimmjow wouldn't be in so much pain right now.
"Shut up Ichigo." The sentence surprised him and he looked up as Grimmjow reached out to touch his cheek. It was then he realised the man had never looked so old, the lines in his face seemed to be carved deeper in the faded light from the flashlight, the pale colour of his skin. Ichigo had never really been aware of their age gap, but it was showing now. "It's my fault. You wouldn't be here if it weren't for me so don't blame yourself."
He lent forward, kissing Ichigo chastely but as he pulled away Ichigo leaned forward to kiss him again. Age gap or not, he couldn't deny the rush of warmth he felt whenever Grimmjow touched him, especially when he kissed him. It was undeniable and it had been so long since they'd kissed. Threading a hand in Grimmjow's hair to keep him close Ichigo deepened the kiss, happy when it was reciprocated.
Trying to move closer, Ichigo accidentally kicked the table and it fell over, breaking them apart with a crash. Grimmjow smiled and pulled away. "Maybe later, once we're out of here."
Ichigo could only laugh in reply. It was so stupid. Of all places to make out, this was not on his list of favourite places. "Ok." Standing, he helped Grimmjow to his feet. Handing him the gun Ichigo grabbed the flashlight and scanned the room, the beam falling on another set of double doors. "This way?"
"Yeah." They set off again but Ichigo smiled as Grimmjow grabbed his hand firmly knowing the reason. This time, they wouldn't be separated no matter what.
He followed Grimmjow's lead as they walked through corridor after corridor, down winding staircases and through a few deserted rooms . Ichigo started to feel uneasy. Wherever they went he could always see the red blinking lights of cameras, bur resisted the urge to yell at them, he just held Grimmjow's hand tighter, hoping the older man knew where he was going, or at least had some idea where an exit was.
The device on Grimmjow's arm activated five more times as far as Ichigo could tell. Each time they had to stop and he had to hold Grimmjow upright to stop him collapsing. And each time Grimmjow's recovery was a little slower. Bu the fifth time Ichigo was having to support him as they walked.
"Any idea where an exit is?" Grimmjow finally asked and Ichigo's heart sank. They has stopped in another corridor, for all Ichigo knew they had been here before because everything looked the same. Windows boarded up, paint peeling from the walls and a thick layer of dust on the floor. "God damn it!" Grimmjow yelled and Ichigo flinched as he kicked out at a chair. "Where is the fucking exit?!"
"We'll find it." Ichigo replied reassuringly and he gripped grimmjow shirt tighter. "I believe in you." He meant it. All this time he had been waiting for Grimmjow and he still believed the man would be the one to help him escape. Without Grimmjow, he didn't know if he could do it alone.
Grimmjow just snorted, his lips forming a small smile. "I'm no superhero Ichigo."
"You came to my rescue didn't you?" He paused, shaking his head, this wasn't the time to argue especially over something that didn't matter. "I wasn't saying you were. What I'm trying to say is I know you'll get us out of here because I'll be damned if you're not the best Detective that Karakura's got. You found me didn't you?"
Meeting Grimmjow's eyes he held his gaze, trying to convey that he meant it and after a moment the man smiled back. "You're right. Come on we'll find the exit soon." Looking around the room Grimmjow suddenly pointed at the wall. "Follow that." Ichigo looked and could just make out a strip of green paint running along the wall and nodded, helping Grimmjow to his feet.
They followed the green line for what Ichigo though was half an hour before they came to a large room. With a flood of replied Ichigo saw the green sign above a set of doors. It read 'EXIT'. With a laugh Ichigo grinned at Grimmjow. "Told you so!"
Dragging Grimmjow over to the doors he carefully set him down before trying to open them. His smile faded when nothing happened. He tried to turn the handles and still nothing happened. "What's wrong?" Ichigo didn't answer at first, he threw his whole weight against the door and it didn't budge.
"They're locked."
"They can't be." Grimmjow got up unsteadily and stumbled to the doors. Ichigo stepped back to allow him to try as well. "Damn it!" He hit the doors, sighing heavily as his head pressed against one of the doors. "What are we going to do?"
Ichigo looked away. Watching Grimmjow was heartbreaking, seeing him giving up like this. However his eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat when he looked across the room and saw a gas spreading towards them. "Grimmjow?"
The man turned, taking in the sight and his ace paled. "Go!" He yelled, pointing at the door they had entered and Ichigo ran to it. His heart dropped when he found it wouldn't open.
"It's locked!" Ichigo turned back to Grimmjow who was only halfway across the room and ran back to him. They returned to the exit doors, both of them throwing their full weight at the doors but neither budged.
"Fuck!" Grimmjow cursed, slamming a fist into the door. Suddenly he fell to his knees with a choked gasp and Ichigo grabbed his shoulders, helping him to his feet again.
"Grimmjow?!" He asked, hearing the panic rising in his voice as he gave the older man a shake. "Come on don't you dare leave me!"
"I'm ok." Grimmjow replied in a choked voice and Ichigo sighed in relief, helping him to his feet. 'The door… get the door open…"
Ichigo made sure Grimmjow was ok to stand before trying to open the door again but it was fruitless. Glancing around the panic rose inside him as the gas seeped ever closer. He grabbed Grimmjow's arm determined to keep close to him. Suddenly grimmjow's legs gave out and Ichigo had to catch him and they both fell to the floor.
"Grimmjow…" Ichigo managed to gasp, his arms going around the man to hold him tightly. The gas was almost overwhelming him, he couldn't see anything and he could barely breathe. "Don't leave me…"
Everything was going dark, his eyes were too heavy to keep open. "Promise." Ichigo frowned, it took a moment for him to understand Grimmjow's reply and he laughed, his head dropping onto Grimmjow's shoulder as he passed out.
Ichigo woke up with a pulsing headache. He groaned, slowly sitting up and looked around the unfamiliar room. It took him a moment to realise where he was, still in the abandoned hospital and looking around, he breathed a sigh of relief to find Grimmjow next to him, still unconscious.
"Grimmjow…"
He said slowly, wincing as he leaned closer to the man and shook him. Ichigo jumped violently as the EXIT doors were thrown open with a loud bang, two men wearing armour and gas masks walking in. They stopped, staring at Ichigo who was still clutching Grimmjow's unconscious form tightly.
"That him?" The one on the left asked.
The other swung a flashlight towards Ichigo and he flinched as the beam, hit him in the face. "Yeah, boss wants him back."
They started towards Ichigo who panicked, shaking Grimmjow again. "Grimmjow!"
One of the men had grabbed him, started to pull him away but Ichigo saw Grimmjow's eyes open, fixing on him in confusion. Breaking free from his assailant Ichigo ran back to Grimmjow, dropping down next to him again.
"Grimmjow come on you've got to get up!" shaking him roughly, Ichigo glanced over his shoulder as the man started towards him again. Grimmjow was trying to sit up but fell as Ichigo was grabbed and dragged away. "No get off me!"
The second man hit Grimmjow in the back of the head with the butt of his flashlight and he slumped down unconscious again. Ichigo didn't even have time to call the man's name before there was a sharp blow to the back of his own head and he blacked out again.
…
Ichigo woke up this time to find himself back in his old cell room. Panic surged inside him and he tried to stand but he was bound to his chair. Throwing his head back against the chair Ichigo let out an aggravated huff.
Why was he back here?
The only conclusion Ichigo could make was that his kidnapper had played him, Grimmjow too by letting them think they could escape, only to tear them apart again. At the thought of Grimmjow he felt a pang of sorry, and worry.
Where was Grimmjow know? Was he safe? Was he dead?
Ichigo quickly pushed the thought aside, Grimmjow wasn't dead. At least, not yet. And neither was he apparently. Whatever they had done in that abandoned hospital was what they needed to do. They had passed whatever test his kidnapper had set up, played by his 'rules' or whatever game he was playing with them both.
It had to have been at least a day since Ichigo found himself back in confinement. He had only managed a few hours of fitful sleep in between staring mindlessly at the walls. It was only a matter of time before his kidnapper came to visit him so all he had to do was wait.
But waiting proved to be a difficult task. After being able to roam freely for a while, being able to interact with another person, having freedom again Ichigo felt like a trapped animal being strapped up in this chair. His wrists were red raw because he couldn't stop trying to break free, couldn't strop twisting his arms in their restraints and Ichigo knew soon they would be bleeding if he didn't stop.
The door finally opened after what felt like a lifetime, but instinct told Ichigo had been two days at the most. "You shouldn't do that." The man said, loosening Ichigo's restraints slightly. "You're not supposed to be harmed."
"Why do you care?"
The man grabbed his face suddenly and slammed it back against the chair. Ichigo winced, but glared back at him, refusing to submit. He leaned closer, their faces almost touching and Ichigo saw the man's eyes behind his mask. They were green and very familiar just like his voice, but again Ichigo couldn't place them.
"I know you, don't I." Ichigo said, his eyes not leaving the man's in front of him. "So who are you really?"
"In time, you may know. But for now you know everything you need to." He let go of Ichigo, standing up slowly.
Ichigo lifted his head slowly, wincing at the pain in his neck. "So what's next?" He asked quietly, still glaring at the man stood in front of him. "You've kidnapped me twice now. What's next?"
"Next you wait for your beloved Grimmjow, and then it's up to him."
"What does that mean?" ichigo asked, but he received no response. His restraints were undone and the man was gone. Ichigo rubbed his wrists and frowned at the door. What he had said, about it was up to Grimmjow, it sounded so final. Did that mean things were about to end? Whatever was going to happen, ichigo still felt a slight ray of hope because he knew sooner or later, he would be with Grimmjow again.