The tear gas cloud was so thick, that neighter Kazui nor Yupa were able to see something. Nor to flee. But they had to flee as they were going to be killed if they not leave immediately. Kazui was not able to transform. The tear gas turned him disabled. After a few seconds, while the SWAT team was passing him, he remembered that it might be a good idea to throw the tear gas canister away, instead into Yupa's hands. His friend meanwhile was lost somewhere in the fog. Yupa could feel that someone, who was bigger than him, crashed into him and smashed him to ground. Kazui meanwhile could feel a very strong Reiatsu aproaching him... until he suddenly got unconscious and faded away...
The members of the SWAT-Team could feel that something was rushing with high-speed threw the shop and dissappeared as fast as it appeared. And so they only found the crying and coughing Yupa, who was laying under the man who just crashed into him and was surprised to find his colleague's son here...
It turned out that Ichika Abarai was the 'windblow' which just safed Kazui out of the shop, but was unaware of Yupa who was still inside. She took him onto the roof of a nearby building where she dropped him to the ground. First she wanted to make a joke about how slow he was and how heroic her action was. But when she saw that Kazui was coughing hardly and was not really awake she was worried. Luckily for her, her parents suddenly appeared...
„Where have you been?" her father asked mad. „You know that you... Hey, isn't that..."
„Kazui?" Rukia recognized the unconscious boy immediately. „What happened with him?"
„I came here after I learned about that all humans are calling the Kurosaki's soul-eaters and I sensed him here. But when I arrived there were this strange armed men with fog-guns." Ichika explained worried.
„Fog-guns?" her parents asked-confused and looked down to the shop. The SWAT-team just left the building again after they found the basement and got afraid that the whole area might be collapse.
„Oh no... The police!" Rukia realized and looked on Kazui. The boy needed medical-treatment. He was coughing hardly, couvered with scratches and bruises and was not able to breath normally. „Let's take Kazui to his father. We can't do anything here now. We take care of it later..."
Together the Abarai's took Kazui back home, while his friend Yupa was carried out of the shop by one of the SWAT-members. After seeing the gigantic basement cave, they didn't waste time and start to evacuate the nearby buildings in fear, the cave could collapse...
Present...
„We didn't know that Yupa was inside the shop, too!" Ichika said ashamed and looked towards Yupa who looked back on her relatively neutral. He knew that it was not her fault.
„And why you didn't resist?" Keigo jr. asked Yupa.
„I was not able to do! Tear gas... is made of o-chlorobenzylidene malonontrile, which is a cyanocarbon that causes a burning sensation of the eyes and burning irritations of mouth, throat and nose." Yupa explained and crossed his arms. Of course he was the 'police-expert' but he forgot that he talked in 'jargon' again.
„Yupa... we don't understand police-jargon!" Masaki interfered.
„Sorry... well I was 'wasted'! Unable to act..." Yupa moaned and looked on Kazui and Ichika. „And that was the last time I saw Kazui..."
At the coast, the Abarai's suddenly remembered the events too...
„Do you remember it, too Renji?" Rukia asked. „Poor Yupa. I we had knew that he was inside... I don't know why, but suddenly I have to think about it."
„We could not have helped him anyway?" Renji said.
„Yupa's name was never mentioned!" Keigo remembered. „Makoto almost aired a picutre of him, too."
„I can't believe that I was once her fan!" Orihime said. „Does this woman have any modesty?"
„Well, I know her a little bit better than anyone of you." Keigo said and looked on his friends. „For her whole life, everyone she knew let her feel that she has nothing to tell and that she is a nobody. That turned her into a harsh woman with a urge to expose the truth, seeking for justice and so on. I was not able to persuade her to stop."
„Why?" Mizuiro asked.
„Don't ask me!" Keigo said and pointed on the window. „Ask her!"
Suddenly Keigo realized that he really pointed on the window and was shocked when he realized that the soul he could feel outside was realy close and it was someone he knew.
Due to the power-failure, it was dark inside the house. Just three candles were on. And so they could see outside, a woman sitting in the branches of a tree. She was wearing a dark green rain-coat, that made her hard to find in the tree, while she watched the group with field glasses. Keigo jumped off and rushed towards the window to face her. And of course the woman was shocked that she was discovered. And that by a friend, who is dead for over 10 years now.
„MAKOTO?!" Keigo screamed shocked.
„Oh oh..." was everything Makoto was able to say, before Keigo used his super-speed to approach her, to catch her and to bring her inside.
Everyone was shocked. Of course. Now that the woman who was 'at least a bit' responsible for everything, was with them. Keigo used her rain-coat to tie her up and now she sat surrounded by everyone in the middle of the room. She was completely wet and despite her situation surprisingly calm...
„It's nice to see you again, too." she said calmly. „But you know that this is false imprisonment, right?"
„What do you do here?" Keigo asked shocked and looked on her.
„Don't worry, I am not here because I want to expose you again. On the contrary, I want to find out more about the whole stuff."
„You can see me, right?" Keigo, who was not in a Gigai, asked. „And you remember everything, don't you?"
„Yes! Maybe two months after you attacked the Kurosaki's in thier house and they locked me up in thier boxroom, I found some footage in the archive..."
Makoto carefully used her free hand to pull out her smartphone. Ichigo grabled it and launched a video, she mentioned. It showed Keigo's and Makoto's conversation in the visitors-room of the prison a few minutes before the broadcast when Keigo was talking to Kazui and Ichika. They both thought that the cameras were off but they were running for a sound-test. And so thier conversation was filmed.
„After seeing this... I suddenly remembered everything. The Kurosaki's, the Shinigami, you and your Hollow-twin, everything..." Makoto said. She was peace itself. She didn't seem to be afraid with the Shinigami around her. „By the way, the death becomes you, Keigo!"
„Oh, thank you..." of course Keigo was suddenly distracted. „eh... ehm... don't change the topic!"
„Now that you are here..." Orihime suddenly interfered. „10 years ago... I would have said that it is an honor to meet you! But now... after you denounced me as a witch in TV..."
„HEY! I never told you a witch, by myself!" Makoto said with a harsh voice. „KEIGO... You never told them about our conversation in the boxroom...?"
10 years ago...
Keigo walked up and down in front of Makoto and tried to avoid to cry. Makoto saw that she hit a nerve. But as a full-blood journalist she knew how to handle with people who try to hide the truth.
"Keigo... I know everything. But I didn't mentioned your name because I knew that you always avoid to talk about your past." she said. „I tried to talk to you but you were busy. You know that I would never publish something without beeing sure that it is really true. I have douzens of statements, police-reports and so many other stuff... Keigo, please! I know you are involved!"
"I am NOT!" Keigo yelled.
"I can see that you lie!"
"No, you can't!"
"Yes, I can!" she protested.
„Makoto, please... Stop! Do you have any idea about the consequences?" Keigo asked and now Makoto could see that his eyes were full of tears. „This is not something you can air in TV! This is not supposed to be known by the society! You understand that this could change the way the people see the world?"
„Keigo, is it possible that they jinxed you?" now Makoto was a little bit afraid. "Your former classmates told me some stories that you..."
„NO!" he screamed angrily and took a light bulb from the shelve to shatter it on the ground before he turned away again.
„Okay... Keigo, now I ask you as your friend and not as a journalist... The report is over. I won't publish anything we talk about here. Did you know that Kurosaki is a Soul Eater and his wife has magical-powers?"
Keigo looked on her. He was afraid. Of course he could deny it but she really recognizes it when someone lies. And he was a really bad liar. But when he tells her the truth he would betray his friends. He never imagined to be in a situation like this. Was this a test? Did someone in the Soul Society think they have to test his ability to keep this secret? And if yes, will they kill him instantly when he speaks? But he knew that this couldn't be a test. The whole country knew the Kurosaki's family-secret now and it would be a matter of time before the rest of the world figures out. It was already out of control. And it was his fault! If he listened to her before he went to the studio, maybe he would have had a chance to prevent it. Now it was too late. But maybe there was a chance for damage limitation...
"He does not 'eat' souls!" Keigo suddenly began. "And Orihime is not a witch or else like that! I don't know how they got thier powers but I know that they were pulled into that mess."
"And how, you figured out?"
"I am not authorized to give you any statement!" Keigo said. "But Ichigo Kurosaki is not a Soul Eater! If he is a Soul Eater, he would have swallowed mine already years ago!"
"You don't have the best relationship, don't you?"
"I am not authorized to..." Keigo began but Makoto cut him off.
"Keigo, please stop. I talked with your former classmates. Everyone told me that you were 'officially friends' but that they treated you like trash. I know more about your past than you can imagine. And I have confirmed background informations about the whole group. You won't believe what I found out. Normally all of them should have been in prision already."
"What for? Is there a law that prohibits to send souls to the afterlife?"
"Afterlife?" now Makoto was curious. "Okay Keigo, I have enough! I was considerate of you but now I demand clear answers. Or the report we prepared for the prime-time broadcast will contain you!"
"NO! PLEASE! Makoto, you won't air anymore about the Kurosakis, Shinigami or what ever... And especially not in the prime-time! This is way too hot for you. You will just burn yourself!"
"You should know me well enough to know that nothing is too hot for me!" Makoto said. And she was true, Keigo was well aware of that. Makoto was a petite, handsome woman who looked like the innoncence in person. But she was equipped with an immeasurable amount of self-confidence and willpower. "Keigo, please show me that your classmates are not true and that you are not votary... and tell me the truth!"
Keigo looked on her. Makoto had two faces: the friendly woman who offers you to share lunch and the cold-blooded investigative journalist that can destroy your life with just a single word.
„If... I... tell... whatever I tell you, won't leave this room!" Keigo suddenly had an idea to limit the damage. "And I want to see... your evidence. I want to know who send it to you and how he or she got it!"
„Okay, I accept you wish!" Makoto said and crossed her arms. „So... I listen..."
Keigo took a deep breath. He knew it was a risk. But that was the only way to prevent her from turning the Kurosakis into monsters. "It... was in our first year in High-School. He got the powers of a Soul-reaper from a Shinigami that suddenly appeared in his house..."
"Rukia Kuchiki!" Makoto said. "The mysterious on-off exchange student your classmates told me about. A girl without past and without life. No birth-certificate, no adress, no tax-nummber, nothing..."
Keigo was not surprised that she already figured out Rukia's name. "Ichigo... is a human. His sisters are humans and his father... well... and his mother was human. Orihime is human, thier son is a human and everyone else, too. They don't feed from souls and they don't kill people to get thier souls. It's difficult to explain."
„Why?"
„Well... when I was told about they only showed me some sketches from a preschooler to explain the whole 'Soul-circle'..."
Present...
"I made that sketches!" Rukia said offended and shaked her head. Keigo only grinned innoncently. "Preschooler?"
Ichigo had to laugh. He knew that Keigo's description matched perfectly.
10 years ago...
"You know more than you tell me!" Makoto said.
"Yes and it is way more than I want to know." Keigo wailed and turned away again. "Believe me... I saw things I really want to forget. I had to experience things I wouldn't even wish my worst enemy..."
"How you became able to see to see them?"
"It... is contaigous, I think!" Keigo explained. "I don't know how it happend."
„Contaigous?" now Makoto was much more curious. "Are you contaigous, too?"
"No! I don't think so! Please, stop questioning Makoto. I don't want to talk about this. I left Karakura for a reason..."
"To run away from the bullys?"
"NO!" Keigo screamed mad and start to cry again. He had to deliver a quick-witted answer. But the words struck in his throat. "I... I... AWWWW... Makoto, I swear you... you opened 'Pandora's box'! If anyone gets hurt, it will be your fault!"
„Who should get hurt?"
Present...
„Our son got hurt!" Ichigo and Orihime said madly and remembered.
10 years ago...
Kazui was too much affected by the tear gas to respond. But he realized that the Abarai's were with him and that Ichika just safed him from the SWAT-team, while his friend Yupa was carried into an waiting ambulance to get him to the nearest hospital. Both boys got injured but luckily for Kazui, he was not with his friend now. Because everyone thought that Yupa was jinxed or obsessed or something. The Abarais took him away to get him to his parents as quick as possible.
In front of the clinic, the situation got more and more difficult. Isshin was now completely out of patience...
"OKAY... I GO NOW AND CALL THE POLICE!" he shouted angrily on the people. "And I will prosecute everyone of you..."
"Father calm down! I go and call the police..." Ichigo said and went inside again. Leaving his father and the around 10 people alone. One of them filmed everything with a camcorder.
Yuzu left the treatment room and went closer to him to whisper into his ear: "Ichigo, Ogawa starts to get nervous. Please, we should get rid of her before she realizes what's going on here..."
"I know... but we can't call anyone because the people are blocking all lines... Does Ogawa has her smartphone with her?"
"No! She forgot it at home..." Yuzu told.
Ogawa's parents realized that, too. And both were afraid, because they had now no chance to warn thier daughter that her soul might be in danger. In fear her mother raced back to the clinic and almost overrun some of the people who stood in front of the clinic.
„WHERE IS MY DAUGHER?!" she shouted.
„Ahh... Ogawa-san! It's good to see you! Your daughter is well, but she needs to be operated at the general hospital. She is ready to be picked up..." Isshin said innoncently and was relieved that Ogawa's mother was back. So at least she would be out of the house.
"WOAH... wait wait wait... A few minutes ago the other woman was the mother of your patient!" a man remembered.
"That was Tatsuki Arisawa! She belongs to them..." a woman said a little bit mad.
Isshin realized that the situation was slowly going to get out of control. They had some devices at home to replace memories but slowly more and more people arrived. Especially after they saw the latest video of Isshin in TV...
Meanwhile another woman in the group was able to see a floating boy in the small alley between the clinic and the neigbour's house. At least of a split second...
"What the..." she yelled.
"What?" her husband asked.
"Did you see that?" she asked and turned towards her husband. „I could swear that I just saw a flying kid there!"
It was Kazui who was carried by Renji, who was along with Rukia and Ichika not in a Gigai and invisible for the humans.
"ICHIGO!" Rukia yelled when she and her family were able to open the window to the living-room and entered the house. „ICHIGO, WHERE ARE YOU!"
When Ichigo heared her, he rushed to the living-room immediately. He was shocked when he saw his Shinigami-friends and his unconscious son, who coughed so hard that it sound like he is dying.
"Oh my gosh, Kazui! What happened with him?"
"We don't know!" Renji said and handed Kazui to his father who rushed with him back to the clinic. "Ichika found him in this condition in the Urahara Shop right when the police was there..."
"What did he did in the Urahara Shop? Did you said the police was there?" Ichigo asked when he carried his son into the other treatment-room.
Kazui felt the presence of his father but he was unable to answer. The pain in his eyes and his throat was too strong. The only thing he could do was coughing.
„KAZUI!" Orihime screamed when she entered the room too and saw her injuried son. "What happened?"
"The police stormed into the Urahara Shop when he was there. And they used some white-fog that paralyzed him." Rukia explained.
"Oh, my gosh... the police uses tear gas against us..." Orihime screamed paniced.
In the other room Ogawa got curious. "What's that screaming?"
Mizuiro was in the kitchen to get her something to drink. So she was alone. Everyone was focused on Kazui and so nobody realized that she opened the door just in that moment Orihime activated her healing powers to safe her son...
Threw the open door of the treatment room, and the open main-entrace (Isshin opened to get inside), Ogawa and the people outside got a perfect demonstration of Orihime's healing powers. Seeing her standing in front of the yellow shining shield that covered her son, to heal him from his injuries. Seeing the bright light, she and other people were in awe. Suddenly she forgot the pain in her hand. The light looked so wonderful. She wanted to touch it with her burned hand, she had this urgent need to do this. It was hypnotizing...
Everyone was shocked when they realized that Ogawa just crashed into the room. Orihime didn't mentioned her because she was too focused on her son. She ignored the screams of the people around her and outside. The man with the camcorder zoomed in, to get everything on video. Kazui finally opened his eyes again,...
"Hello... Ogawa-san..." he murmured dazed when he recognized Ogawa.
Orihime was surprised. When she turned, she saw that Michiru was going to touch the bright shining healing shield...
"Ogawa..."
Michiru's burned hand touched the shield and immediately a bright light start to blend everyone, while Michiru start to scream in fear...
"OH MY GOSH... SHE IS A WITCH!" a woman outside screamed when Michiru start to scream inside...
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