Chapter 21

The next day

The morning was beautiful, the sun was up and the birds were singing and the trees let out a few leaves that danced by. Adam woke up a few minutes before and enjoyed the scenery... except when angry footsteps made their way in a bedroom. Inside the room, Adam started wondering what the noise was, then he heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs in a slow and scary way. Adam then knew that everything he knew was about to be gone and the Apocalypse would appear.

"ADAM MCGUIRE MARTINEZ!"

"H... Hi auntie..." Adam muttered with a small wave to his aunt who barged through the door.

Later

After a few minutes, Adam learned that Ichigo and the others brought him home last night, Adam was then punished from going missing a whole day yesterday and she went pretty over protective and said that he was hanging around with kids that were a bad influence, all Adam could do was simply roll his eyes at the comment which angered her even more and had grounded for weeks.

Adam was at the balcony and was watching the clouds go by, Adam told Urahara he couldn't help right now since he was on punishment and was also told that Ichigo and the others were searching for their Quincy friend. Adam hoped he was alright but something in his gut told him that somewhere he was fine, Adam don't know why but he agreed with the feeling and relaxed but still on guard. Ajax was out with Urahara and Yoruichi searching for clues and information about the Bounts and what they were up to, whatever it was... it couldn't be good for the rest of the human or soul world.

"... Bored... Bored out of my mind..." Adam muttered as he leaned on the rail of his balcony.

Besides the fact that Adam was grounded, he became sick from the rain and cold last night, Adam couldn't remember what happened after the Bounts were defeated. All Ichigo told him was that everyone was on the run after the Bount died trying to find their friend.

"Achoo!"

"Bless you."

Adam looked back and surprised to see his uncle standing there with hot tea on a plate, Adam smiled and turned towards him while leaning on the rail as he leaned on the door frame of the sliding door that led to his room. Adam turned his head and narrowed his eyes, sighing as the boredom got to him, Adam turned and grabbed the cup while still leaning on the rail.

"You're in a pretty harsh punishment, hm?"

"Yeah, i guess she's still majorly mad at me."

"Well she's worried about you all the time."

"... Yeah but I can take care of myself, I got friends and I've been busy lately."

"Busy with what?"

"You know, school work and going around town doing some errands for school."

"Ah, I see. And do these errands involve you getting constantly hurt?"

"... Er... This town can get pretty tough sometimes." Adam laugh nervously.

"You're right about that."

"Hey Unc..."

"Hm?"

"... I always wondered what life would've been like if I had never met Ichigo and the others."

"... Then the sword of fate would have never existed."

Adam's eyes widen and he look back towards his uncle to see him walking back into his room and out down the hall. Adam stared at the door before turning his head back to the sky and drinking his tea, Adam kept thinking over and over about what his uncle said to him. Adam looked into his empty room, Cy had left to assist the others at the Bount problem and looking for Uryu.

"Sword of fate huh?"

Meanwhile

Ichigo made his way towards Adam's house, his hands in fists and his eyes narrowed, he had almost completely forgot about to ask the guy about what that Bount woman told Adam to make him go silent and have the Twin Bounts after him, he could tell Uryu was just as suspicious that day.

Finally he made it to the house, Ichigo looked up to see Adam sitting around at his balcony, looking bored and in his boxers and huge t-shirt, he saw him took a huge sneeze, he didn't look so good, probably caught a cold from the water and rain. He walked towards the house, Adan finally spotted him, probably day dreaming and gave him a small wave.

"Hiya moron..." he greeted.

"Don't call me that... So you're in trouble huh?"

"Yep."

"Your aunt and uncle?."

"Oh yeah-Achoo!"

"Got sick too eh?"

"Shut up..."

"... Why are the Bounts after you?"

Adam was surprised from the question but his surprised look turns emotionless and his eyes darted elsewhere, not daring to look at Ichigo's direction. He leaned more on the rail of his balcony, shoving his face more his arms. Something wasn't right about him, when Ichigo asked him, he reacted strangely and probably wished their was a wall between them or probably wanting to change the subject.

"I'm not so sure." he replied.

"Adam! Who are you talking to?" shouted the angry voice of Adam's aunt.

"Oh shi-get outta here or else I'm gonna get whipped with a belt." Adam hissed.

Ichigo's eyes turned wide before he turned his body quickly and ran for it, Ichigo saw Ajax had walked in through the gates and was surprised to see him running off out of the yard and down the streets.

Back with Adam

He watched with a small hint of amusement when Ichigo put on a panicked face after hearing what he told him and watched as he ran off in such a fast haste. Adam also took notice of Ajax coming back to the house but also surprised when Ichigo just rushed past the dog before turning back and resuming his walk towards the house.

"Adam!"

"Sorry auntie, coming! Achoo!"

Adam turned back and headed downstairs to see his aunt cutting tomatoes furiously, probably getting prepared for dinner before his uncle came home for the office where he started teaching students the many way of art and from selling his famous master pieces that had the richest person in the world to want for their own.

"I need some help."

"Sure."

Adam helped around with his aunt, making sure not to anger the older woman, she had short fuse but she always had that sweet side of her that most people are drawn to her. Adam always wondered what his uncle saw in her and married him for that but kinda had trouble when she was in a bad mood and nothing was pretty when she was pissed.

"Achoo!" Adam sneezed quickly in another direction, careful not sneeze on the food.

"Did you get a cold while you were out?"

"Yeah, kinda, don't worry auntie."

"Hey auntie-"

"WHAT?" she snapped angrily.

"I-I'm s-sorry, I didn't mean to break your concentration." Adam stuttered.

She had that evil look, dark look in her eyes before she returned to working, Adam sighed quietly, he knew that she was at the boiling point and it scared him to talk to her or be near her, especially with a kitchen knife in her hand and how furiously she chopped the veggies and other continents that would go with dinner.

Adam just stared and watched her silently as her hard eyes started turn softly but slowly, her eye lids lowered slightly and her furious chopping slowly ceased the speed before it came to a stop. She turned towards Adam with her soft emerald eyes, the same eyes he's seen ever since he was a baby, she reached her hand out and grabbed the back of his head and made him come to her and his head landed on her shoulder and she leaned her head on his head.

"My nephew's growing up and growing so farther away from me." she whispered.

"... Don't worry auntie, I won't wander off too far." Adam whispered back softly.

"I'll give your punishment a few hours. Get some sleep."

She gave Adam a small peck on the forehead before letting him go, Adam made a small smile before heading upstairs, she made a sad smile as she watched him before her sad smile turned into a light frown, she looked back towards the large screen windows to see it was getting a little dark and her husband was no here yet, she sighed, it was only a matter of time when he would come back and things would get complicated.

At night

Adam had felt the scent of a Hollow in the distance only to disappear, Adam probably knew that the Afro Soul-Reaper took care of it, it was the only explanation of it, the dude came after Rukia was taken from her duties of watching over this town to face her execution by illegally passing her power to Ichigo and all these chain of events happened.

It made Adam wonder... What would have happened if he never went out for that walk? Would he still be the same normal teenager who was locking his emotions away because of his loss? Then those words came to Adam out of nowhere.

'Then the sword of fate would have never existed.'

It was dark already, Adam sighed and laid down in bed and tried to get some rest by closing his eyes but then there was this feeling he couldn't shake off, Adam shot straight up from his bed and looked towards the window, something was wrong and it was bugging the hell out of him. Adam looked towards the door before grabbing his Hollow badge and pushed it to his chest and was separated from his body.

Adam fixed the body to bed to make it look like he was sleeping, Adam opened and closed the sliding window and jumped on the rail of the balcony, he jumped down and crouched when he landed and just when as he was about to run off, Adam heard something behind , he looked back and his eyes widen to see none other than his uncle.

"..."

He was looking directly at Adam, Adam gulped and knew that he had a lot of explaining to do but stop when he noticed that his uncle wasn't looking really looking at him but seemed as if he was looking through him! Adam saw him smoke his pipe and so tricks with the smoke he puffed out, he only did that when no one was around meaning...

Adam backed away slowly before turning away and jumping over the gates and heading off down the street where the growing uneasy feeling would be. As he disappeared around the corner of some building towards where trouble would be, Ray Martinez let out another puff of smoke to form a circle before letting out a sigh.

"Ahhh, well looks like another night of excitement..."

It was dark by then as Adam reached the source of all his troubles, Adam could also sense the others were far and coming but they would be late if this troubling feeling did not last long. Adam panted as he stopped and looked ahead to see an abandoned building with one lights.

"Fire!"

Adam jumped on a nearby tree and jumped on the building's wall before running up on it before finally reaching the top and surprised to see Goethe firing his attacks on something small and black which possible would be another doll. A guy with orange Mohawk and plump body was watching, he was the Bount that controlled the doll, Adam was surprised when the black weird doll made Goethe retreat leaving Yoshino and Uryu defenseless and open and Uryu tried to fight back but the damn doll struck him down badly.

'Uryu!'

Before the black doll could attack Uryu, Adam jumped a long jump and drew Koutei at the damn thing that dared to do harm on your Quincy friend.

"MUGEN HAKAI!"

Suddenly something weird happen, instead of five bright tigers, blue tigers with flames flashed out, Adam was dumbfounded at what had just happened. Either way it was doing some damage and what was weird was that the blue fire was making the doll freeze and turning it into some sort of Popsicle and finally Adam landed to join the injured Quincy and the Bount woman, Yoshino.

"You okay?" Adam asked.

"Adam? what are you doing here?" asked Uryu, surprised.

"I'm here to... too... too... ACHOO!"

"You're sick?"

"... A little..."

"Adam, what was that? I thought your attacks could act as fire." Uryu tells him.

"I dunno, another trick I discovered I gue-Achoo!"

"... Wait a minute... Your sickness!"

"What about it?"

"You're sick meaning... meaning you're tigers turned into ice!"

"... Oh... Sweet..." Adam smile.

"Oh, nice trick, Soul-Reaper."

Adam, Uryu, and Yoshino looked back to see the doll had escaped from the ice cage and looked frosted and blue. Adam stood up and stood in front of Uryu and Yoshino to protect them from the doll. The doll started firing some ice ball-like bullets from it's body, Adam grabbed Uryu and Yoshino and ran from the firing bullets.

"Goethe!" cried Yoshino.

Goethe appeared and attacked the doll but the doll maneuvered and attacked Goethe leaving him occupied but the bullets finally came their way, Yoshino and Adam were hit badly. The force of the bullets that painfully hit his body made him crash through the water tower and the water splashed out and Yoshino collapsed from the pain.

"Adam! Yoshino!" shouted Uryu.

"Dalk, finish her."

Adam closed his eyes as he laid inside the water tower, tired and almost falling into unconsciousness of the pain but Adam couldn't give up now! Adam snapped his eyes open and painfully stood up, Adam jumped out and raised your blade towards the doll known as Dalk.

"MUGEN HAKAI!"

A giant blue tiger erupted from the blade and formed into a monstrous wave of energy and the bitter cold frosting and aiming towards the doll who was surprised as well as the Bount man but to Adam's surprise, he stopped when the Bount man lunged at him and knocked him down with a huge punch in the stomach.

"Gah!" Adam coughed and dropped making Koutei drop from his hands and the attack disappeared.

Adam's vision was turning black, his brown eyes watched a surprised Uryu and an injured Yoshino, Uryu watched him with wide eyes and Adam moved his eyes back towards the larger man as he had his arms crossed and looking down at Adam.

"So,your the Soul-Reaper Yoshino told us about.""

Adam blacked out before he could hear him finish his sentence, Adam wondered as he crawled into the depth of darkness where the voice beckons and calls for him to come to.

Ichigo and the others finally reached the place where the scent of the Bount would be where Cy and the mod souls pointed out but once coming here, he sensed another presence that had been here,

"Adam!"

Everyone reached the top floor to see fire and water spilled around and a damaged water tower and to everyone's unfortune, there wasn't anyone there. Everyone looked around and Cy was on the ground and saw something shining.

"Guys, look what i found!"

Everyone turned towards the tiger plushie, everyone walked over and Orihime saw it and picked up to see a chain necklace. Ichigo picked up Cy and wondered how he found it.

"Damn, he probably came here before we would to find Uryu and tried to fight whatever was attacking but got himself hurt and captured." Renji theorized.

"Great, now what?"

In the Soul-Society

"The Department of Technology has found something."

Inside the room of the 12th Division building, 4 Captains and 1 Lieutenant gathered and to be specific, Juushiro Ukitake, Kyouraku Shunsui, Toushiro Hitsugaya, Mayuri Kurosuchi, and Nemu Kurosuchi. All were gathered in front of a computer that Nemu took seat in occupying and took instructions for her father/captian as all captains watched the screen of the computer littered with numerous data that Mayuri had successfully recovered after breaking through some locked information.

"What is that?" asked Hitsugaya.

"Something I borrowed." answered Mayuri. "There is no such thing as data that I may not access here in the Department of Technology. I undid the lock, though it took some time. Now then, let me explain. Nemu."

"Yes."

Nemu tapped the numerous keyboards, after a few seconds of typing whatever she needed to put on the screen to access information she needed, the information that they all awaited for came into view, pictures of the Bounts came into the eyes of the captains.

"These are all the Bounts that are causing chaos in the material world. They are a clan that appear to be human and eat souls to lengthen their life-span... You're too slow!" he explained but later scolded Nemu when the other information took too long.

"Yes."

Then pictures of Quincy's appeared on the screen covering the picture of the Bounts.

"At one point in the past, these two clans, the Quincy and Bount, had battled each other."

The screen turned dark before it turned into a film where something was being filmed taking the scene into a forest and then voices shouting and dark figures moving into the forest. The scene changed into another location when Hollows appeared along with Bounts and lunged towards a group of Quincies, the Quincies fired their attacks and killed some Hollows but a few Hollows of course attacked and killed the few Quincies and the Bounts finishing off the rest of the last Quincies.

"As you can see, the Bount were targeting the Quincies." Mayuri commented as the screen went black and no more footage displayed.

"And the rest?" asked Kyouraku.

"There isn't any. It is old, after all." Mayuri answered. "This is all we have."

"Hm... It's to be continued huh? I'm interested in what happens next." Kyouraku said.

"I don't know if the Bount have the Quincy or not. But if you look at the big picture... Nemu! Continue!"

"Yes. It seems after this fight they continued to absorb human souls."

"What?" asked a surprised Hitsugaya.

"Originally, the Bount supposedly had a law that said they were never absorb the anything but a deceased human's soul. However, for a short period after the incident, they continued to absorb human souls. The data concerning for the amount of damage does-"

"Don't say unnecessary things!" snapped Mayuri.

"What happened after that?" asked Ukitake.

"I don't know. But, whenever they do something big, they break their clan's law and attack living beings. On top of this, for some reason they need the special human Quincy clan."

Mayuri had already finished explaining the three captains of the last information that Bount were planning, the plan of them to continue to attack humans, living humans! This was going to be of course a problem then there was something that clicked in the back of Mayuri's mind that he had almost forgot and turned towards Nemu.

"Nemu, did you retrieve the item that I sent you to locate?" asked Mayuri.

"Yes, i did."

She took out a small disk from her shihakushou and passed it towards her captian, the three captains watched curiously, the disk seemed to be covered in tags that said top secret. Kyouraku raised a brow, Juushiro blinked with narrowed eyes, and Hitsugaya was suspicious of what this disk held, it was unlike any disk, it was Grey and it gave off an aura of trouble.

"What is that Mayuri?" asked Juushiro.

"Something I discovered from just a month ago that caught my interest and this seems to have a connection with someone. Histugaya."

"Hm?" Histugaya blinked.

"Tell me, you were the one to have fought Adam Martinez yes?"

"... Yes."

"Did you notice something anything wrong with... his reiatsu."

"... It was suspicious, unlike any other I've felt."

"I see."

Mayuri turned away from the young, small captian that stood in wonder of what that disk was holding if these questions were anything related to that very disk, it confused the two captains even more than they were now.

"What are you trying to say?" asked Kyouraku.

"You have heard haven't you? Rukia Kuchiki had reported something that she had learned from Urahara Kisuke saying that Adam was titled... a half-breed."

"Half-breed?"

"What do you mean? If you're saying he's half human-"

"He's not even half human."

Everyone stood there shocked when those words escaped from Mayuri's lips. Mayuri instantly knew what they were thinking as he simply rolled his eyes and turned towards the three to further explain what he was meaning before things turned ugly and the lab room they stood would come into a destructive state if the captains grew angry, especially Juushiro.

"What are you saying?" demanded Juushiro, angered.

"Not what you're thinking. Urahara had also said so himself. He reported Adam Martinez having the ability to see through the illusions that his own created mod souls had casted upon the three when having them being tested. He also was able to see through who was the real person and who was not and such other things."

"Now that you have mentioned, I have heard those reports." Kyouraku commented.

"There is something about this boy that is not even human but it make himself only half Soul-Reaper, his abilities are sounding very familiar to what is contianed in this disk and that is why I went through all the trouble to get this disk in my hands."

The disk was inserted into the computer and the once bright screen turned black, the captains stood in silence as they watched the black screen before a scene came where there was a small troop of Soul-Reapers making their way around in the material world and judging by the buildings and people this was in ancient japan around the feudal era.

That's when the Soul-Reapers on their patrol had came into an ambush, attacked by something that the other Soul-Reapers did not expect would exist...

Urahara's Shop

Ichigo and the others returned with a win, but felt defeat since they couldn't find their missing friend, it was unknown to Urahara if Adam was alright, all he told them was that he would try and find him. Cy sat down in silence, he was depressed by having his friend next to him and was resting on Orihime's lap who stroked him in comfort but this did not at all comfort him and he was not the only one feeling the depression but of course the person wasn't gonna show it.

"Are you sure?" asked Ichigo towards Yoruichi, everyone was gathered around.

"Yes, from what Juushiro has told me, there is no doubt." Yoruichi nods.

"So... Jin Kariya is planning on using the Quincy power to open in a hole in Hueco Mundo?" asked Rukia. "Perhaps the souls of a living person is necessary for this. Finally, the operation requires the Quincy abilities."

"Right now we are just gathering together some information." Yoruichi replied. "We can't make decisions lightly."

Rukia nods.

"At any rate, we need to find out what they're up to and stop Kariya from seriously attacking the living humans-"

"Yoruichi." called Ichigo.

"What is it?" she asks.

"There's two things I don't understand... Absorbing living human souls, building up their power and using the Quincy's power, then going to the Hollow's world... Why are they...? Why is Kariya...?"

"If we knew that, we wouldn't be working so hard." she tells him.

"... When I confronted Kariya... He said that Adam would be used for something."

"Hm?" Urahara blinked and leaned in with a serious face. "What did he tell you Ichigo?"

Ichigo and the others blinked in surprise of the tone Urahara used, it sounded demanding and eager to what Ichigo just said, Ichigo nods to continue the information he gathered from what Kariya had told him.

"He said he wanted to use another soul soul that no one can reach, the soul that came from the other side of the gates ."

"The other side of the gates...?"

"Urahara... IS there another kind of gate?" asked Ichigo.

"... There probably is one more... Though I'm just theorizing."

"W-what is it?" Ichigo leaned in as well at the others.

"As we all know, there is the Soul Society and of Hueco Mundo between the material world, correct?"

"Yeah that's right." nods.

"Yes, one soul that is cleansed and the other that is tainted going into separate worlds." Yoruichi commented.

"But, there are others, one's that we go to when are defeated as Soul-Reapers, and another that can be opened."

"... What are you getting at?" asked Renji.

"What other places are there other than Soul Society and Hueco Mundo?"

"... Like Heaven and Hell?" Chad asked.

"Eh?" everyone turned towards Chad in shock and surprise, saving Urahara and Yoruichi.

"possibly."

"What?"

Everyone turned towards Urahara with wide eyes, Ichigo stared at him and then something had clicked in his mind when he remembered something, his shocked look turned into a glare which surprised everyone, Ichigo shot up and glared down at the blond.

"Is that why... IS THAT WHY YOU'RE SAYING HE'S NOT HUMAN!" demanded Ichigo.

"... Ichigo, it's logical that he's-"

"SHUT UP! DON'T YOU DARE SAY HE AIN'T HUMAN! I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR SOME TIME AND HE'S NOT SOME KIND OF MONSTER THAT YOU THINK HE IS! YOU DON'T KNOW A DAMN THING ABOUT HIM SO SHUT UP OR I'LL DO IT FOR YOU!"

Everyone watched with wide eyes, he was so defensive about the subject of Adam's difference, his actions, his mysterious awakening from death. Ichigo turned away and slammed the sliding door open in attempt to leave only to stop when a small earthquake erupted and before anyone knew... Ganju Shiba had arrive and crashed through the entrance of Urahara Shop and Ichigo moved aside for the Ganju to crash on the table.

"Ganju!" Orihime gasped in surprise.

"... Aw, you really broke it. Please fix it up later." sighs Urahara.

"Hahahaa! Don't worry about the little stuff!" laughed Ganju.

"Why did you freakin' come here?" asked Renji.

"Why are you here Ganju?" asked Ichigo.

"Because from far off I was hit with some depressing reiatus..."

"Someone open the windows..." Urahara muttered.

"HEY! DON'T SAY THAT LIKE I'M SOME PIECE OF GARBAGE!" shouted Ichigo.

"Same thing! Hey! Old timer! Where's a good place?" asked Ganju.

"Old timer? I may look like this but I'm the same age as your sister. Ah, you can use the basement." Urahara opened the secret mat where the basement is.

"Okay!" Ganju popped out of his gigai after swallowing a pill and grabbing Ichigo.

"Hey! Let go and besides I don't-"

Rukia had her glove on and pushed Ichigo out of his body, Ichigo turned and was about to yell but was caught when Renji, who was out of his gigai as well, had caught him by the arms and Ganju as well caught him by his other arm.

"I'll hang out with you also." Renji nods.

"You'll be a big help." grinned Ganju.

"Let's go Ichigo!"

"Hey! Right now isn't the time! W-w-wait! Hey!"

"Prepare yourself! Take that!"

Uryu and Yoshino

Uryu watched in the dark room as he laid on the futon, recovering from injuries and resting his strength that he would need encase he should ever bump into another Bount. Yoshino lied down near his futon on her own, looking up towards the ceiling.

"... Why is Adam involved in this?

"... I can't tell you."

"Why not? I have a right to know, him and I are friends!"

"... Best friends, yes?"

"If I told you... you would never view him a friend."

Uryu blinked and glanced towards Yoshino with wide eyes, he didn't understand what she meant. There was something not right, something that he knew was going to be bad, he didn't want to know yet at the same time he did, such a confusing and frustrating feeling, he gulped down a lump that formed in his throat and looked up towards the ceiling.

"How... How bad is it to know the other person...?"

"... Bad enough as to look at him as a monster."

Bount Lair

Kariya pushed a piece of large wood that was blocking his path, after kicking to pieces he looked towards his blocked path, a black iron door that he was looking for. Smiling, he opened the hatch as he did so, small blue neon lights flashed from the side of the wall to show where the stairs were that led downward and deep into the basement.

Kariya walked down further and further before reaching the bottom floor and looking around to see nothing but darkness that was so pitch black, no one could their own hand up close. Kariya smiled and took a step forward and suddenly red light flashed in the room and Kariya smiled in satisfaction that the person stuck against the wall was unharmed.

"Finally I meet you in person... Adam Martinez."