Chapter 36:

"Two are missing?" Soi Fon asked Isane after hearing the news. According to their earlier meeting, the blood drive was a huge success with every pack accounted for. Until after the meeting, anyway. Isane realized that two packs never made it into the vault after being collected and labeled at the blood drive.

"This happened during the blood drive?" asked Nanao, cataloging everything in her notebook. "Out in the open?"

Isane nodded. "Well, I didn't see it, but according to our records, that's the only time it could have happened."

Soi Fon gritted her teeth in anger. "Those idiots..!"

"Now, now," said Nanao to Soi Fon. "This isn't your men's fault. The locker wasn't broken into. They weren't at the blood drive so they weren't there to protect it. This is a first, though. Two packs being stolen from the blood drive during the day with everyone around. How odd. And bold of the one responsible."

"Not that," said Soi Fon. "Both Ikkaku and Renji confessed do doing the deed and now there's more. The two of them have been locked up since yesterday. They couldn't have done this. Which means they lied."

"Why would they do that?" asked Isane.

"That's what I'd like to know."

"Well, Ikkaku couldn't have but what about Renji? Didn't you say he was locked up later in the day?"

"Let's see the records of the blood drive from yesterday." Soi Fon took the book from Isane and looked it up along with the other two women. "Ah, see. According to this, the missing packs were taken in late afternoon. I put Renji in a cell an hour before. He couldn't have done it."

"But both Ikkaku and Renji confessed? Hmm," said Nanao. "They might not be responsible but they could be working together on this. How did their confessions sound? Did they say the same thing? Did it sound rehearsed?"

"It sounded like bull crap," said Soi Fon, vexed. "I didn't believe a word of it."

"You think they're covering for whoever did it?" asked Isane.

"That's what Omaeda said but I doubt it. I can't see either of them doing it."

"Think someone's controlling them? Or they're imposters?"

"They both seemed themselves to me."

Nanao looked at her notebook, comparing it to the one Isane kept with all the blood pack records which included when the blood was taken, who handled it and when it was placed in the blood bank. The records were very thorough. This made knowing when one was stolen even easier to track.

"I'll look into this," she said to the others. "This can't keep happening."

"Maybe the blood got misplaced?" asked Isane, now thinking it was an error on their part.

"Don't go retracting that and waste our time," scolded Soi Fon, making Isane cringe.

Nanao sighed. "I'll take a look around the sickbay and interview the nurses who were at the blood drive. I'll start with the one who drew the blood and labeled it and go from there. We'll figure this out no matter how long it takes.

Shinji was right about Ichigo sleeping most of the day. Hitsugaya, figuring no one would look in a Captain's room without permission, decided to allow Ichigo to stay there while the sun was out. When he went to check on him in the afternoon, Ichigo was still sleeping comfortably.

However, there was a problem.

"We can't give him our blood," said Hitsugaya. "It's too dangerous. There's no telling what kind of effects werewolf blood will have on a vampire. Or a human. Or just Ichigo and whatever the hell he is now."

"I get that," said Akon with an IV in his arm. "But why do I have to be the one to donate? Can't Shinji just swipe a couple of packs like he did last time?"

"A lot of good that did us in the long run. Everyone's being questioned in the sickbay and Nanao has taken a personal interest, not to mention how Soi Fon's handling this. It's one thing for the vampire slaves to take the blame and get locked up but not one of my werewolves. We can't risk losing anyone on our side."

"Even for the greater good?"

"Who says that's what this is?"

Akon pulled the needle out of his arm and covered the entry wound with a bandage and some cotton. The only reason he had the equipment on hand was because of the work they did in the lab. It often required blood samples and experimental injections.

"Here," he said, tossing the packet to Hitsugaya. "It's all I can give that won't affect my work. I need to think straight if I'm going to make a cure for you guys."

"Thanks."

"I suggest you look for other means of feeding him, though. There's only so much blood I can donate and some of these guys here in the lab are questionable at best. Even if Ichigo weren't a picky eater, I wouldn't recommend it."

Hitsugaya nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

By the time Hitsugaya got the blood to his room, Ichigo was already long gone.

He woke up earlier than expected and started wandering around in search of food. He stayed in the shadows as much as possible, hoping to find a stray animal to munch on. His journey took him to the sickbay where the strong scent of blood filled the air. The blood-soaked bandages from injured Soul Reapers on beds had his mouth watering. When he picked up a discarded bandage from the trash, a nurse screamed at him and he ran, the woman yelling how disgusting that was on his part.

Ichigo hid for sometime in the sickbay. He didn't know for how long but when he did, things were a lot quieter. He wandered around hoping to find more bandages he could suck on. When he saw a nurse coming his way, he ducked into an unlocked room.

This room. It was the blood bank. He saw the locker with the padlock on it.

Hunger drove him forward. The kido surrounding it broke when Ichigo walked through it with his hand out before him. He jiggled the lock on the door then pulled, amazed by how easily it broke. The doors swung open and Ichigo gave a small cry of astonishment.

It was a pantry of treats just for him. Ichigo grabbed one blood pack and sucked it down. He grabbed another and repeated this, overjoyed. He was able to gorge himself, eating as much as he wanted. He was elated.

Blood tasted so good.

After interviewing the last person and giving a quick sweep of the sickbay, Nanao had one place left to check before going home. She wanted to verify the condition of the blood bank to be sure everything was as it should be.

The more Ichigo drank, the redder his eyes became.

He stopped himself after the fifth pack but he still had room for more. He wanted to take some with him. He had already devoured five. A few more wouldn't make a difference.

The door behind him opened and he froze, hand on the blood packs.

Nanao stopped and stared at him is disbelief. "Ichigo Kurosaki?"

He had blood dripping down his chin, empty blood packs around his feet and a full one in his hand, the blood bank locker wide open.

"You," she said angrily. "You're the one."

Ichigo shook his head. "No, I…"

Nanao bound him with kido before moving to alert the others.

"Wait," Ichigo told her. "Just wait."

His eyes started to glow. Something was telling him to do something. To act.

Ichigo broke the kido and jumped in front of her, closing the door with his hand. He kept it there as he turned his body to face her.

"Ichigo, stand aside," she ordered but he could detect the fear in her voice.

Bite her. Bite her.

Something wanted him to do this.

If he did, she would be his to command, as Shinji said.

If he did, Ichigo wouldn't be the same.

"I'm sorry," he said and pounced on Nanao, knocking her backwards and biting her neck.

Using both hands, she pushed against Ichigo's shoulders but he was too strong. Feeling the pain in her neck, she started punching the side of his skull, demanding he release her. She screamed and Ichigo stuck his hand over her mouth. She bit the skin of his palm but he didn't pull away, pressing into her. It was hard to breathe. She wailed and kicked but there was nothing she could do.

Ichigo's throat pulsed, gulping down the blood.

If he could see himself in a mirror, he would only be able to describe himself as a monster.

Here he was, pinning a woman to the floor, covering her mouth with his hand as she screamed and fought. He was on top of her, biting her neck, drinking her blood. Blood and saliva covered his mouth and chin, eyes gleaming red.

What else could he be but a monster?

Ichigo stopped himself once he felt Nanao give up and pulled away from her neck, long threads of saliva linking them. Nanao was staring vacantly at a corner, unmoving. Ichigo wiped his face off on the back of his hand as he got off her.

He should leave her here, shouldn't he? This was the sickbay. It was the best place for her to be.

He wanted to take her with him, though. No real reason, he just felt like it. He didn't want to leave her here to be found either. It seemed like a bad idea. Being discovered like this…

Ichigo threw Nanao over his shoulder and carried her out the window, shutting the blood bank door after swiping a few more packs before leaving.

"This is horrible!" exclaimed Isane. "Even more are missing. How could this have happened?"

"Nanao was interviewing nurses. Someone must have taken advantage of that and broke in."

"I would think that would have been harder with so many people around and her going into every room."

"Didn't she say she was going to check on the blood bank before leaving? Maybe she surprised the person."

"No, she would have reported it. She said she was checking it before going home. It must have been fine, so she left. The theft must have happened after."

"Why blood packs? This is insane!"

No one knew the truth which left them to fill in the blanket themselves. Many theories were farfetched at best while others were plausible.

Word began to spread about the two Soul Reapers who had confessed to the crime and, given that the thefts were still happening, believed they were covering for someone. Since it seemed to revolve around Byakuya, rumors began to spread. Most didn't believe it, knowing the kind of person Byakuya was and believed someone was trying to frame him. Others thought the pieces fit too well to be anything else.

The nurse loyal to Byakuya overheard the gossip and wanted to alert him as soon as possible, thinking he was in danger.

"They didn't do it, so why not let them go?" asked Omaeda, having heard what had happened.

"Why else would they confess if they didn't know anything?" asked Iba. "They can stay there until we get something out of them we can actually believe."

"What if they make something up we end up believing because the truth is too weird?"

Iba sighed in annoyance. "I know they know something and until they start talking, they're staying there. I don't care how long it takes."

Omaeda frowned. "Is it even worth talking to them?" he asked. "I went to check on them earlier and they seem a little… yeesh."

"What's that mean?"

"I don't know. It's like they didn't mind being in a cell. Like nothing bothers them. It creeped me out." Omaeda wrinkled his nose at the memory. "They don't seem right to me."

"More reason we need to keep them there." Iba was suspicious of the same thing. He knew both men well and didn't believe they would do something like this. Not as a prank and not to take the fall for someone. Something else was going on, he was sure of it.

"I couldn't find Ichigo last night," said Hitsugaya to the others. "Something must have happened."

"Maybe he went home," offered Momo.

"I doubt that." Hitsugaya glared at Shinji. "Why did you convince me to let him stay? It's one problem after another."

Ichigo opened the office door and shut it behind himself, avoiding going near the windows now that it was morning.

Everyone stood up when they saw him.

"Ichigo, you're alright."

"Where the hell were you?"

"What happened?"

Ichigo looked tired. "I got hungry and went to the sickbay for blood packs."

"I was bringing you blood if you had just wait a minute," complained Hitsugaya.

Shinji looked annoyed. "The sickbay? You didn't make a scene, did you?"

"Of course not."

"No one knew you were there?"

Ichigo avoided his eyes. "Not exactly."

Hitsugaya's eye twitched. "What did you do?"

"It's fine," Ichigo said through a yawn. "I took care of it. Mind if I sleep here? Seems a pain to go back to your place in the daylight."

"What did you do?" Hitsugaya demanded.

"I left before there was a problem," said Ichigo. "I'm really tired. Can we pick this up later?"

"Ichigo this is important," Hitsugaya ranted as Ichigo wordlessly made his way over to the couch and made himself comfortable next to Hisagi who got up to give Ichigo the whole thing, uncomfortable. "We have to make sure no one's aware of the situation otherwise we'll all be in danger. Byakuya's spies are everywhere. We need to be careful. Are you sure no one saw you or knew you specifically were there? You can probably use your power to make people forget. Have you learned how to do that yet? Is that what you did? Ichigo?"

He was already snoring.

"Wake up!"

"Leave him alone," said Shinji. "As long as he's sleeping, he can't bother anyone."

"Can't bother anyone? He's in my office in plain sight when he should be hidden. How is this not-"

"If he went to the sickbay, that means more blood is missing, which means people are going to be freaking out," said Momo.

The men looked at each other. She wasn't wrong.

Soi Fon was furious at her men, demanding to know why they couldn't prevent these thefts. "This thief is getting bolder and you're not doing your jobs. I doubt it's because the enemy is too good. I think you're not taking this seriously. Get results!"

"Yes, Captain!"

In truth, one had been doing his job. Soi Fon had positioned a man at the window to keep an eye on the vault day and night after the last incident. He was at his post but didn't guard it, knowing Byakuya liked to steal from it on occasion.

When Ichigo broke into the blood bank, the guard was there. He didn't witness Ichigo drinking blood, but he did see Ichigo flee out the window with Nanao on his back.

He reported this to Byakuya as soon as he could. His master found it quite interesting.