Author's Note: Uhhhh... Okay look. I'm sorry it's been a long time, BUT! I swear I haven't given up on this story. Especially not this one.
Warnings: Some blood and stabbing and general violence as well as a little bit of smut in this chapter. So enjoy~!
UnBeta'd
Star Brothers
Chapter23: Key to immortality or somethin'
Mugetsu – 21 years old
Shirosaki – 18 years old
Getsuga – 18 years old
Kon – 15 years old
Ichigo – 15 years old
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Kon's mind felt heavy and dull, like a thick blanket had been thrown over his senses.
"Release him."
Bleary, golden eyes managed to pry themselves open to see through the haze surrounding his mind. Kon couldn't recognize the voice… but he could pick up on the desperation and worry strained in each word.
"I said release him!"
Kon tried to look around so he could find the source of that voice, but he couldn't see anything.
Nothing.
Just pitch black.
He knew his eyes were open because he could feel himself blinking, and nothing was covering his face. Kon felt panic rise and constrict around his chest, "I-I'm blind!" He wailed helplessly as he tried to struggle from the vice-like grip holding him, but it was no use. A cold hand pressed against his forehead and Kon's body unwillingly relaxed of its own accord. Just before his senses were once again blocked by that persistent haze, he heard the voice call to him once more.
"Don't worry, Ichigo! You'll be okay!"
"M'not… Ich…go..." He didn't even have the strength to finish what he was saying before his consciousness faded.
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Byakuya clenched his fists and tried to keep up his calm facade, a feat that usually came so naturally to him and yet he was finding it hard not to snap when scarred, rough hands tightened their hold on the only person outside Byakuya's family that he honestly cared about.
Scratch that. Ichigo was family.
"Turn away, Byakuya Kuchiki, and I won't be forced to kill you."
Obviously turning away was not an option.
Byakuya had witnessed the initial kidnapping with his own eyes; watched as this man slithered his way through the crowd of teenagers and swept Ichigo up and away from Yoruichi before she could even react. This man was extremely fast.
Byakuya's frown tightened but his eyes remained dull and void of emotion as he replied, "If you know who I am, then you must also know that you won't be able to kill me that easily."
The mysterious man slowly looked up, revealing bright crimson eyes from beneath the shadow of his hood. Then, while still holding the unconscious teen in one arm, he pulled the hood away, purposefully revealing himself to the persistent body-guard. Byakuya took in every detail of the man's face; his hard, chiseled features, a single scar marring his chin and his long, dark eyebrows which contrasted with his white hair.
"Yes. I am well aware that you're the MMA Middleweight Champion." The man smirked and locked eyes with Byakuya's narrowed ones, "Oh and before I forget… I have been meaning to thank you, Mr. Kuchiki," Said man remained silent as he watched Jin lay the teen's limp body onto the cold cement, "For taking such good care of Ichigo. He's like a second son to me after all." He gestured down to the orangette, who still lay unconscious.
"Son?" Byakuya echoed, slightly vexed and extremely offended.
Jin released a soft chuckle, but instead of replying, he widened his eyes and Byakuya could've sworn he saw them flash yellow.
Not wanting to hesitate a moment longer, Byakuya sped forward with practiced ease. He pulled back his right arm and let it fly, his fist barely visible as it snapped directly towards the man's scarred cheek, but then everything suddenly went dark.
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Clip Clop Clip Clop
"Are you sure we're going the right way?"
Clip Clop Clip
"Of course, dear! Have I ever given you reason to doubt me?"
Golden eyes narrowed as wooden clogs continued to collide noisily with the concrete. Clip Clop.
"Well there wassss that one ti-"
"Aha! There he is!" Urahara exclaimed as they rounded the corner to a little bagel shop.
Yoruichi frowned as she spotted a familiar clump of bright orange hair on the ground. Her heart clenched at the sight of Kon's motionless body but before she could even think of running to his side, Urahara clamped a hand down on her shoulder, keeping Yoruichi rooted to the spot.
He knew that his darling wife was normally very calm and level-headed, what with all her training and field experience as a police officer, but he also knew that when it came to Kon-or any of her adopted children-she had a tendency to act first and deal with the consequences later.
Yoruichi understood the message her husband was trying to relay to her when he gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze and forced her gaze away from Kon to survey the area. And that's when she spotted the two other figures.
"Byakuya Kuchiki?" Yoruichi wondered aloud when she recognized the pale skin and long dark hair of her old apprentice, but she received no response from the man. He just stood still, eyes locked forward almost as if he was in a daze.
"Jin Kariya?" Kisuke piped in when he seemed to recognize the other figure. "I was wondering when you'd finally slither your way out of hiding. Of course it would be when all five brothers come together again. How oddly coincidental..."
Crimson eyes snapped up to inspect the two new members of their little party.
"Well, well, if it isn't Kisuke, my favorite scientist. It's been too long."
Yoruichi watched with a raised brow as her husband smiled and flipped out his silly paper fan.
"Favorite? Me?" Kisuke gushed with an embarrassed wave. "And here I thought Mayuri was your favorite."
That name alone transformed whatever strange atmosphere had been forming between the two men into something thick and menacing. Jin's only reaction, however, was a murderous glare directed at Kisuke's jovial face.
The blonde didn't seem perturbed in the least.
"Oh no wait! He couldn't have been your favorite either, because I recall you being very fond of Isshin Kurosaki."
Yoruichi frowned as Jin suddenly snarled and switched his gaze to Byakuya. The man was silent for a moment but then, as if possessed, lunged forward to strike at Kisuke.
Yoruichi saw the movement and reacted on instinct. The incoming fist was quickly twisted away from Kisuke. Yoruichi then slid forward and snapped her palm up under Byakuya's chin, staggering him.
Before she could proceed with the finishing blow, Kisuke stepped between them.
Jin watched closely as the blonde took out a small device and placed it near Byakuya's head. And just like that, his mental hold on the raven-haired man vanished.
"What…" Byakuya blinked and reached up to hold his head. It felt as if he was waking from a deep slumber and his senses were gradually returning. He stumbled a bit until he found purchase against a concrete wall.
"My, oh my! It seems you haven't changed, Mr. Kariya." Kisuke tisked as said man sneered.
"and it seems you've finally invented something of interest for once.."
"Now that's just mean~! All my inventions are interesting."
Yoruichi rolled her eyes when she could hear the pout forming in Kisuke's voice.
"That's enough of the back and forth between you two!" She snapped. "I get it! You both have history! But I'm not going to stand here and listen to you insult each other when Kon is just lying there!" She growled while gesturing to the body by Jin's feet.
That last part seemed to grab both Jin and Byakuya's attention.
"Kon?" They echoed.
Jin quickly bent down and placed a hand atop vibrant, orange hair, making the others tense and ready to lunge forward.
A look of concentration came across the man's scarred face, but he did nothing else. Everything was quiet for a long minute. Yoruichi was just on the verge of snapping when Jin finally stood back to his feet, a look of disdain on his face.
"Hmph…" He huffed and then swept a hand over his coat, smoothing the wrinkles. Without another word, he turned to walk away. Before Byakuya and Yoruichi could stop him, the once unconscious teen popped up with a gasp. His breaths came in short, frantic bursts and tears were already streaming down his face.
"Mommy!?"
Yoruichi instinctively turned to comfort the boy and Byakuya hovered nearby to act as the teen's body guard, still not truly aware that this teen wasn't actually Ichigo. Kon flinched and seemed to shrink away as he was swept up in strong tanned arms, making Yoruichi pause. After a moment, recognition finally seemed to catch up to him.
"Ma..?"
Yoruichi only smiled and gently hugged the boy, pressing him to her body securely.
Byakuya looked away from the scene long enough to watch as Kisuke disappeared to follow Jin.
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Everything was red: Bright, vibrant, glowing red.
All Ichigo could hear was the blood ringing in his ears and the steady beat of his own heart.
But none of that mattered.
Furious, mocha eyes never tore from his fleeing target as he zig-zagged through the crowded sidewalks of Karakura; the school-grounds were long gone by now, but Ichigo didn't care. He hadn't slowed his pace one bit as he chased the fucker down.
He could almost taste the panic and frustration pouring off the person as they shoved their way passed a random group of teens.
"Hey! Watch it asshole!"
"The fuck, jerk!? What's the hurry?"
"Ah! That guy just stepped all over my new shoes! … ! O-oh my gosh.. Is that blood?!"
Everyone was ignored though as the two males continued sprinting.
Kokuto growled under his breath as he glanced over his shoulder, only to see that the teen was still right on his heels. He wouldn't be able to keep up this pace forever so he was gonna have to shake him. Kokuto ran alongside a chain-link fence and waited until the end before snapping his hand out. Using his hold on the fence, he jerked himself around the next corner and straight into some random Skate-Park.
Ichigo wasn't expecting the turn and nearly ran face-first into the entrance. With a snarl, he quickly pushed himself off the wall, cutting his palms open on the rough concrete. He barely noticed the twinge of pain because it was gone in an instant—along with the scratches themselves.
Ichigo bolted into the park but then paused when he realized he'd lost sight of the hooded figure.
Narrowed mocha eyes scoured the park, but all he saw were groups of teens and young kids riding their skateboards. Frantic, Ichigo kept moving forward, hoping that maybe he was going the right way. He quickly weaved his way through the park; jumping over grind rails and barely dodging passing skaters who were too focused on their new trick to notice him.
"Shit" he cursed under his breath.
He was about to throw up his hands in frustration, but then he heard loud shouts come from the other side of the square. He quickly whirled around to see that his prey was laying face down on the ground. A young skater had managed to collide with the hooded figure and was now flat on his back-poor kid looked like he was unconscious.
The stranger groaned and winced at the twinge in his side. "Fuckin' kid…" He growled under his breath. Panting, he looked around and quickly jumped to his feet when noticed the orange blur heading straight for him. "DAMMIT!" Then he was up and running once again with Ichigo right on his heels.
Neither of them noticed the large group of skaters that had gathered around the poor knocked out kid.
"Woah… He's out cold!" One of them chuckled as they nudged the kid's shoulder.
"Idiot. Don't do that. Help me get him over to a bench'r somethin'."
"Yeah, yeah…" As they started lifting the younger teen, another of the skaters noticed something shiny hidden beneath the kid's upturned skateboard. Before anyone else could notice it, the skater quickly snatched it up and hid it in one of the many large pockets of his army-print cargo pants. Then, while everyone else was going back to what they were doing before, he set off on his skateboard to catch up with the two runners that had caused the commotion.
"Get back here, asshole!" Ichigo roared. He couldn't believe that this guy was still able to run so fast! Ichigo wasn't out of breath either, but that was only thanks to Kenpachi's crazy endurance training!
Ichigo faltered and frowned when he heard the loud, gritty sound of a skateboard coming up behind him, but he tried to ignore it.
"Yo! Berry! What's your hurry?"
Ichigo resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
Of-fucking-course…
"Get lost, Bazz-B." He growled, only sparing the older teen a small glare before returning his attention to the hooded stranger.
Bazz-B smirked in excitement at the hostility aimed at him (Call him twisted, but he enjoyed riling the teen up). He hummed as he kept pace with the orangette by gliding forward on his extra-long skateboard.
"Ya maybe want some help?" He offered with another smirk as he gestured towards the stranger, who seemed to be picking up speed.
Ichigo was about ready to push Bazz-B right off his board and into the bushes, but then he thought better of it when he saw that the fleeing figure was about to disappear into another crowded plaza.
"Fuck! Fine!" Ichigo snarled, hating the fact that he had to ask Bazz-B, of all people, for help.
Bazz-B's smirk couldn't get any bigger as he leaned forward to whisper, "You owe me one, Princess~"
Ichigo snapped his eyes to the older teen long enough to scorch him with rage-filled eyes, but Bazz-B didn't waver beneath the gaze. Ichigo was about to take back his plea for help, but then he panicked when he saw his target disappear into the crowd.
"Whatever! Just help me catch that fucker!" Ichigo snapped.
Bazz-B didn't hesitate as he pushed himself forward, ducking down to expertly weave through the crowd. It was easy to follow the path the man had unconsciously created as he pushed people out of his way.
It didn't take too long for Bazz-B to catch up. Once he did, he ducked low with both feet planted on the board while lifting his arms to help keep balance. He waited until he was just ahead of the guy before suddenly drifting sideways to trip him. The man yelped as he fell flat on his face.
Ichigo wasted no time once he caught up by quickly grabbing the man by the back of his hood to haul him into the nearest alley.
Bazz-B raised a brow at the rough treatment but didn't say a word as he snapped up his skateboard, tucked it beneath his arm, and followed them.
Once they were hidden away from the curious gazes of Karakura's pedestrians, Bazz-B leaned up against a nearby dumpster and watched as Ichigo wrestled the hooded stranger into the furthest corner of the alley. Ichigo didn't stop until he had the man pressed up against the chain-link fence.
"Okay asshole." Ichigo hissed as he pinned the stranger by his throat. "Time to see who the fuck you are," then quickly yanked the hood away.
Both Ichigo and Bazz-B blinked in surprise when they finally got a good look at the guy.
"Dude… Your face." Bazz-B said in slight awe at the scarred and rough skin covering half the stranger's head. And then there was also the gaping hole where an eye used to be.
Kokuto bristled at the unblinking stares and quickly shoved Ichigo away so there was at least some distance between them.
"Tch… I didn't want to waste anymore bullets on you brats, but it seems I have no choice now that you've seen me…" Kokuto sneered as he reached into his jacket to pull out his gun, only to frown when he felt nothing but the hard material of his jacket "Shit!" He cursed under his breath as he frantically searched his other pockets, but all he had left was the small dagger and Getsuga's eye in a jar.
"Lookin' for this?" Bazz-B sang as he pulled out the item he'd found at the skate-park earlier.
Kokuto narrowed his eye at the sight of his gun in another's grasp and frowned when the magenta-haired teen sent him a smug grin.
"Hmmm… Seems you've got me." Kokuto conceded with a shrug and then he smirked when a certain orange-haired teen took a step towards him, looking positively livid. "So what're you gonna do now, Kon?" A dark chuckle fell from mutilated lips. Both Bazz-B and Ichigo shared a curious glance but neither one corrected the man as he continued to rant, "Guess it doesn't really matter what you do with me. Now that Shirosaki's out of the picture, my job's done. And father should have your twin by now."
The knowledge that this really was the man who shot Shirosaki only fueled the swirling emotions whipping around inside Ichigo, making them spike to new levels.
"Why?" Ichigo demanded in a voice so dark and laced with malice that it had even Bazz-B taking a small step back.
Kokuto shifted on his feet to hide the nervous shiver that crawled across his skin. He'd heard that Kon was a complete cry-baby-wimp. Not this… this monster standing before him. Not even Getsuga, with his eerie looks and evil glares, could compare to the killer-intent rolling off this teen.
That's when it clicked.
"You're Ichigo…" Kokuto groaned and pulled at his ash-colored hair in frustration. "Father's gonna fucking kill me for mixing you guys up."
"Not if I kill you first." Without any hesitation, Ichigo shot his fist forward, ramming it straight into the good side of Kokuto's face. He repeated the action again and again until the man finally managed to pull himself away, making the last punch go straight into the wall.
Bazz-B winced when he heard the sickening crack of knuckles breaking against solid brick, but Ichigo didn't even seem to notice.
Kokuto quickly reached into his pocket to retrieve his dagger, still slick with Getsuga's blood, and grinned when Ichigo raised his bloodied fist to strike again. Without a second-thought, Kokuto plunged the weapon straight into Ichigo's side, making the teen finally wince in pain.
"Woah woah! What the fuck!" Bazz-B was about to step in and help, but Ichigo's sharp glare had him throwing up his hands and backing away.
Ichigo turned back to Kokuto with a hiss and struck the man one last time before finally stepping back. Then, using the same swift and fluid movements that Byakuya had taught him, Ichigo swept Kokuto's legs right out from under him while he was busy spitting out mouthfuls of blood.
As soon as the fucker's back collided with the ground and the breath was knocked from his lungs, Ichigo's foot came down hard on Kokuto's throat, cutting off his air supply.
Now that he had the man pinned to the ground and gasping for breath, Ichigo took a brief moment to inspect his side; the dagger was stuck right beneath his second rib and had torn right through the muscles to puncture a lung.
With a grunt, he pulled the knife free and watched as the wound healed almost instantly. He'd never seen himself heal so quickly before. Glancing at his knuckles, Ichigo blinked when he realized that those were also good as new.
Ichigo's attention was brought back to the ground when he felt Kokuto squirm and struggle beneath him. The teen lightened his foot just enough for the man to breathe.
"Look… I'm only going to ask you one more time. Why did you shoot my brother?" Ichigo hissed and Bazz-B blinked in surprise at that.
"Woah, wait, what? This guy shot your brother?" He was ignored though as the two enemies glared at one another.
Kokuto's lip rose in a snarl. For a second it looked like he wouldn't answer but then he released a long, worn-out sigh when Ichigo continued to sear him with that furious gaze.
"Alright." He choked out. "I'll tell you… Just lemme up."
Ichigo tightened his grip on the dagger now in his possession and hesitated. He didn't trust this man for an instant but curiosity overcame Ichigo's sense of danger. He removed his foot.
Kokuto pursed his lips and locked eyes with Ichigo for a long moment as he slowly got to his feet. He made sure not to make any sudden movements because he knew it wouldn't take much at this point for Ichigo to just stab him. Kokuto carefully dusted himself off as he thought of the best way to start.
"Well… It's kinda complicated… But okay. Uh—My Name's Kokuto by the way—and my father was the one who told me to kill your brother" He broke out into a cold sweat when Ichigo snarled at that, but continued talking, "We had ta get rid a' him because of his ability to track you. You were supposed to be the one in the cafeteria today… And when I pulled the fire-alarm to get most of you outside, father was gonna grab you and run for it. But obviously that backfired."
Smoldering mocha-brown eyes narrowed at the man's aloof attitude as well as his piss-poor explanation. He then tossed the dagger aside, letting it clatter to the cement floor, before turning to hold out his hand to Bazz-B.
The older teen frowned but didn't argue as he placed the gun in the orangette's waiting palm.
Ichigo instantly clicked the safety off and made sure the chamber was loaded before pointing the weapon towards a now very nervous Kokuto.
"Ha! I didn't know you could handle guns~ S'kinda hot~" Bazz-B whispered to Ichigo as he shifted closer to the teen, but Ichigo shrugged him off.
"Keep talking, Kokuto. Why are you and your father so interested in me?" Ichigo snapped while keeping the gun steadily trained on his target.
Kokuto pouted and slowly raised his hands in an innocent manner before continuing, "Okay, okay. Well, ya see… Like I said—it's hard to explain. But all of this" He gestured with his hands, "Everything that's going on, is because you're the key to immortality-or somethin' crazy like that. I don't know—I never really paid attention when father tried to explain this shit."
"What…?" Ichigo was absolutely baffled and before he could force Kokuto to explain further, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed around the alley.
"AHA! There ya are!"
All three heads turned to see a familiar teen with light-blue hair making his way towards them, having to pause every few steps to climb over random piles of garbage.
"Grimmjow…" Ichigo blinked in surprise. He had no idea the other teen had chased after him.
Kokuto smirked when he saw his opening. He took advantage of the distraction by lunging forward and twisting the gun from Ichigo's grasp. The teen grunted when his trigger finger was nearly ripped from its socket, and growled as he was pushed back into Bazz-B, making them both tumble to the ground.
Without hesitation, Kokuto unloaded the rest of his bullets into Ichigo's legs. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! He then bolted back towards the crowded streets of Karakura, barely dodging the heavy fist aiming straight for his head.
"MotherFucker!" Grimmjow spat, and he was about to give chase, but his whole body froze when he heard a soft, pained whine. He instantly turned to see that Bazz-B was sitting up with Ichigo propped up between his legs. He was trying to tilt the injured teen so he could get a better look at his damaged legs, but Ichigo's panicked breathing made him hesitate. Grimmjow clicked his tongue and moved to the teen's side.
"Don't move him." He grunted to Bazz-B.
Grimmjow waited a moment before trying to inspect the wounds, but Ichigo kept pushing him away.
"Don't…. Just... Just wait a few minutes. Okay?" Ichigo said between quick, frantic breaths. He unconsciously leaned back into Bazz-B as he tried to swallow the pain, but it wasn't as easy now that the rage and adrenaline had evaporated.
All that was left was desperation and grief.
The only thoughts that echoed in his mind were:
Shirosaki died because of me….
Shirosaki died because of me.
Shirosaki is fucking dead!
Ichigo choked on a sob and arched his back as his legs shook.
Bazz-B winced when long fingers dug into his thighs, but he didn't complain. Instead, he found himself wrapping his arms around the teen to hold him closer, pressing Ichigo's shivering back into his chest. He had no idea what was going on, nor did he understand why in the world he cared, but he just couldn't stand seeing and hearing the sorrow that poured from the teen in his arms.
That same feeling washed over Grimmjow; it was an overwhelming urge—no, need—to comfort and force all that grief to fade away. That in itself was a surprise, because Grimmjow didn't know he even cared that much about the teen. He couldn't remember ever having an urge to… comfort anyone.
"Hey… c'mon. Let's get you out of here.. okay..?" Grimmjow said in a hushed voice. Ichigo looked up at him with huge, chestnut eyes, and the bluenette felt like his heart would crumble from the sight alone.
"But… We have to go after that guy. He—"
"Shouldn't we call an ambulance?" Bazz-B cut in.
"No!" Ichigo shouted. There was no way he was going back to that hospital with the creepy-ass scientists.
Bazz-B let out a pained hiss when fingers dug into him with bruising force. "Okay! okay! No ambulance!"
Grimmjow frowned and sighed. He really wasn't sure what to do in this situation, but he knew that he at least had to get Ichigo away from here in case that one-eyed asshole returned with backup or something.
"C'mon, man. Let's get you up." He grumbled as he tried shifting Ichigo without moving his legs too much.
"I can't let that fucker get away!" Ichigo growled, not caring if he was being irrational. He just wanted to beat Kokuto's face in!
"No, Berry. Let's go—People will have heard the gunshots, so let's get you to my place down the street before anythin' else happens." Bazz-B said as he helped Grimmjow slowly pull Ichigo upright. They each wrapped one of the teen's arms around their shoulders and straightened, letting Ichigo dangle between them.
Bazz-B led the two down the back so that they wouldn't be seen by the other residents of Karakura. They trudged their way behind abandoned markets and empty parking lots. By the time they were halfway there, Ichigo was able walk on his own again, but he didn't stop limping until they finally made it to Bazz-B's house.
Ichigo recognized the house instantly because of the party last year. That alone was enough to bring back some unpleasant memories. He glanced sideways to give Bazz-B a curious look; he couldn't understand why the guy was being so nice all of a sudden, especially after the stunt he pulled yesterday with the pink dress… But Ichigo wasn't about to complain.
"So uh…" Bazz-B said while unlocking the door. "There's a first-aide kit in the upstairs restroom… Will you be able to make it up the stairs or…?" He gestured towards Ichigo's legs with one hand as he scratched the corner of his Mohawk nervously. Ichigo rolled his eyes and pushed his way passed Bazz-B so he could head towards the restroom.
"You sure you don't need help…?" He asked just as Ichigo was about to make the first step but he was completely ignored.
Grimmjow smirked in amusement while Bazz pouted at the treatment and they both watched as Ichigo made his way up the stairs with no problem. Once the teen was out of sight, Bazz-B turned to face the other.
"Hey so… Uh... are you Strawberry's boyfriend or somethin'?"
Grimmjow's smirk fell into a tight frown at that. He folded his arms and leaned back against the front door as he looked the other teen up and down, sizing him up. Bazz-B's automatic response was to square his shoulders and stand taller, like some animal being threatened.
"Keh." Grimmjow scratched his chin, "Why's it matter? You his Ex?"
Bazz-B crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the other male. "Ya didn't answer my question, dickhead."
"Aw… I see~ Ya got a lil' crush on Berry-head, dontcha?"
"That's it." Bazz-B was the first to swing, but—you see—Grimmjow has long since mastered the art of getting others to snap first. "Dammit!" Bazz-B hissed when his fist collided with the door instead of the other's smirking face. He shook his hand until the pain subsided then glared.
Grimmjow just barked a laugh and began making his way upstairs to check on Ichigo. Bazz-B frowned before running up past the other, hoping to get to Ichigo first.
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"What are you two doing?" Ichigo sighed as he opened the door to the restroom. He heard the commotion outside, but he really didn't expect to find Grimmjow and Bazz-B wrestling around on the floor.
The two morons didn't seem to hear him as they growled at each other, and Ichigo just rolled his eyes. "Why am I attracted to buffoons…" He mumbled under his breath with a sigh as he watched them wrestle each other all the way to the other end of the hall.
Deciding to finally ignore them, Ichigo looked down to inspect 4 of the bullets that had been lodged in his legs not even 30 minutes ago. He recalled being shot 6 times, but two of the bullets must have gone straight through him. The remaining bullets in his hand were small and the tips were smashed inward, showing how much impact they'd taken. With another sigh, Ichigo shoved the bullets into his pocket and then made his way to Bazz-B's room. He tried not to think about what happened the last time he was here as he closed and locked the door behind him.
"Fuck! That hurt, dickhead!"
Ichigo shook his head when he heard Grimmjow laugh.
At least someone could laugh after everything that's happened today. Ichigo couldn't muster even a single emotion except frustration and disappointment.
Shaking it off, Ichigo stepped up to what he assumed was Bazz-B's closet.
He then rummaged through the different clothes hanging inside until he found something that wouldn't hang off him too much: Just simple black cargo shorts and a light-yellow t-shirt that looked like it might be too small on Bazz-B but fit Ichigo perfectly.
He glanced down at the pile of torn and blood-soaked clothes that belonged to his twin.
Kon was going to be pissed.
Oh well, he'd just buy him a new outfit or something...
'If he's even still alive.'
Ichigo felt tears well up and sting at the thought. He really didn't know if any of his other brothers were okay.
Not only were those creepy scientists from the hospital after them, but now this Kokuto guy and his father were hunting them down. And, if Ichigo recalled correctly, there was an actual bounty on them.
Ichigo wanted to find his brothers, but he didn't even know where to start looking. If only he had a phone to call—wait… He does have a phone!
Quickly wiping the silly tears from his face, Ichigo bent down to dig Shirosaki's cellphone from the jeans. He ignored that tight twinge in his heart when he remembered that Shiro would never get to use the device again and pressed a button to open the home-screen. He waited a full three seconds for it to flash on, but the screen remained black.
"Shit." The battery was dead.
Ichigo huffed and nearly jumped out of his skin when there was a loud knock on the bedroom door.
"Yo! Ichi! You in there!?" Grimmjow sounded slightly out of breath as he said that; they must've just finished their stupid wrestling match.
"Yeah…" Ichigo called as he unlocked the door. Both teens instantly pushed their way inside.
Bazz-B blinked and raised a brow when he caught sight of the berry. "Did you raid my closet?"
Ichigo was tempted to roll his eyes, but he was able to resist.
"I wasn't about to walk around in blood-soaked clothes the rest of the day," Before Bazz-B could respond, Ichigo continued, "You guys wouldn't happen to have a power cord for this would you?" Ichigo ventured as he revealed Shiro's phone. Bazz-B raised a brow and snatched the phone from Ichigo, much to the teen's chagrin.
"Hmmm… I might. Hold on." He replaced the phone back into Ichigo's waiting palm and disappeared into his closet. Grimmjow ducked out of the way when Bazz-B began throwing random objects out of it until there was a large pile of miscellaneous shit in the middle of the room.
"Hoarder alert…" Grimmjow mumbled and Ichigo couldn't help but snort in amusement.
"Aha!" Bazz-B howled in triumph when he finally returned from 'Narnia's Junkyard' with a black cord in his hand. "See if this one works."
Ichigo took it with a grateful nod and was about to do so, but he and the others tensed when they heard the front door open and slam shut. Ichigo got especially nervous when he saw the confused look that crossed Bazz-B's face.
"Um…. I think that's the cleaning-lady. Uh… You guys can chill up here for a bit I guess." He grumbled as he marched out of his room and closed the door behind him.
Grimmjow shrugged. "sounds good ta me…" He then kicked off his shoes before falling back onto the other's bed to make himself comfy.
"Are you always so… calm?" Ichigo wondered aloud as he plugged Shiro's phone into the nearest outlet.
Grimmjow scratched his ear as he shrugged, eyes closed and legs sprawled out leisurely. "Eh. I guess so. The only person who could really get a rise outta me was… uhm… is Shiro…" Grimmjow said somewhat hesitantly, understanding that maybe the pale-skinned teen was a sensitive subject for Ichigo right now.
Grimmjow peeked one blue eye open to watch as Ichigo's shoulders slumped.
The orangette looked miserable; sitting on the floor, facing the wall with his legs crossed, eyes locked on the cell phone in his hands like his life depended on it. Sad brown eyes never left the damned thing as he waited for it to show any sign of life.
"Ya know… The ambulances were there takin' care a'him and Getsuga before I left. So there's a good chance they're still alive."
Ichigo snapped his head up at that and pinned Grimmjow with wide eyes.
"Wait. You saw Getsuga?"
Grimmjow frowned at that. "Well yeah. He was right inside the Vice Principle's Office…" He debated whether or not to say anything more. It was probably best he didn't know.
"Was he okay? Did he get shot too?" Ichigo interrogated. He wanted to know—no, he needed to know! He growled when Grimmjow refused to speak. The older teen just frowned and went back to relaxing on the bed with his eyes closed.
"Don't ignore me, asshole!" Ichigo was up in an instant and ready to punch the information out of Grimmjow if necessary, but the bluenette was fast. He quickly grabbed Ichigo's arm and flipped him onto the bed.
"Oof!" Ichigo huffed when he landed on his back. The mattress bounced with the impact and Grimmjow used the momentum to turn over so he landed on top of the teen.
Ichigo's face turned bright red from both embarrassment and anger when he realized the position they were in. Just as he was about to start a tantrum, Grimmjow hushed him with a very serious look on his face.
"If ya really wanna know then I'll tell ya. But I 'ain't gonna lie—you won't like what I'm gonna say and I'd rather not tell you."
Ichigo shrunk back into the comforter and gnawed on his bottom lip nervously, but kept his eyes locked with Grimmjow's. "Tell me…" He whispered. Grimmjow had to take a deep, steadying breath before he could open his mouth.
"He really didn't look good, Ichigo. There was a bullet wound in his shoulder and he…" Grimmjow paused when it already looked like the teen was about to break down in tears. "He's missing an eye."
It took a few seconds for that last part to really sink in.
Ichigo's hands flew to his mouth as revulsion and astonishment pierced through him. "What!?"
"But the good thing is that he was movin' 'round when I saw 'im. There's no way he's dead, so you'll see him again soon." Ichigo seemed to relax at the thought, but he was still obviously in shock.
Why the fuck would someone take his brother's eye!? It had to've been that one-eyed fucker, Kokuto!
"Grimmjow… I don't know what to do… I don't understand what's going on and I'm… I'm really fucking scared." Ichigo admitted openly. His pride raged and howled, 'traitor!' but he pushed it aside.
Grimmjow frowned as he hovered over the teen. He let his gaze roam across the other's face until he locked eyes with those big amber jewels sparkling with unshed tears. Grimmjow felt his insides melt but he tried to shove the feeling down into the darkest depths of his soul.
This kinda thing was never supposed to happen to him, dammit! Catching feelings was the worst thing that could happen right now.
All at once, that overwhelming need to comfort Ichigo crashed over him again.
He didn't say anything—whether it was because he didn't know what to say or he just didn't want to say something stupid—he couldn't tell, but it didn't matter. Grimmjow gently pressed his body down until he was fully draped against the other. Closing his eyes, he brushed his lips with Ichigo's in a way that made the teen's own trembling edges part in welcome.
Ichigo's eyelids fell and he allowed his mind to go completely blank. For the moment he was able to forget all his fears and sorrow. He focused solely on the feel and taste of Grimmjow when a tongue suddenly dipped down to flick against his own.
Intense heat, like smoldering embers, spread throughout Ichigo's body and soaked down into his core. Every slow grind of Grimmjow's hips and quiet groan that passed his lips would ignite the embers until they glowed bright-red.
Cool fingers slid up to caress heated skin and Grimmjow gladly swallowed up Ichigo's surprised gasp.
"Nn.." Ichigo felt his body tremble in excitement when those same fingers pressed against his chest and then kneaded their way down, massaging every little tense muscle until they were gripping his waist. Ichigo reached up to slip his own fingers into Grimmjow's thick hair. He tugged on the silky strands caught within his grasp and smirked when he heard Grimmjow's deep groan of approval. Ichigo felt his cock slowly stiffen and twitch in anticipation at the growl vibrating against his chest.
Ichigo's breath hitched in excitement when Grimmjow suddenly pushed his legs apart and settled between them. The older teen then rocked his hips, revealing to Ichigo just how aroused he was.
With another small whimper, Ichigo sunk his fingers into Grimmjow's back. He could feel the muscles tensing and moving beneath as the teen's whole body rubbed against him, creating delicious friction.
Ichigo stopped himself from moaning out loud by sinking his teeth into Grimmjow's shoulder, wrenching a pleasured hiss from the older teen. Ichigo gasped and choked on another moan when he felt fingers grip his hair firmly and then pull back until he was forced to release Grimmjow's shoulder and look up into blazing blue eyes.
The smirk he saw on Grimmjow's lips this time was different from all of the others he'd seen before; this one was less playful and more a promise of wicked things to come. Eager shivers rolled up and down Ichigo's spine.
"So ya like to bite people, huh?" Grimmjow whispered. All Ichigo could do in response was swallow. "Ya like it a lil' rough?" The word was punctuated by a strong rock of his hips and Ichigo answered with a nod followed by a groan of pleasure. Grimmjow continued to tug on the teen's hair until Ichigo was looking back at the headboard. "I can't hear ya, Ichi." Grimmjow chuckled at the whimper he received and then playfully nipped at the long throat presented to him. "I said… do you like it rough?"
"God dammit, yes! Okay? YES! So just ahhhhhssssonuva bitch." Ichigo's rant trailed off into a long moan when sharp teeth latched onto his throat, just above his Adam's apple. It wasn't enough to break skin, but it still had Ichigo's legs wrapping up and around Grimmjow's hips so he could thrust up and grind their arousals together.
With an animal-like growl, Grimmjow tore himself away to reach down and undo Ichigo's shorts. The orangette lifted his hips without much thought, letting them slide off. He shuddered in pleasure and let out a soft moan that sounded a lot more like a whine when, without warning, a large hand wrapped around his dick—no ease into it or anything. "Fuuckkking fuckkk." Ichigo huffed. Trying to distract himself, Ichigo reached up and grabbed the other by the back of the neck so he could pull him down into a soul-sucking kiss. While Grimmjow was preoccupied with that, Ichigo slid his own hand down the hard, well-muscled torso hovering above him. He ever-so-slowly continued the path down until he finally reached the other's jeans and hesitated for only a second before plunging in. Ichigo gripped the hard, pulsing dick he found within as he playfully nipped at the bluenette's bottom lip.
Without missing a beat, Grimmjow shifted so he could continue pleasuring Ichigo while discreetly reaching back into his own pocket to pull out his cellphone. He waited to make sure Ichigo wasn't paying attention before placing the phone nearby. Grimmjow then unbuttoned his own pants and kicked them away, allowing Ichigo more room to explore.
"Damn." Ichigo's cursed in awe. From their position, he couldn't really see it, but when he lightly brushed his fingers up and down Grimmjow's length he could tell just how well-endowed the other male was. It wasn't big in a monstrous sort of way, but it was nothing to scoff at either. At least now Ichigo knew where the teen's overbearing confidence came from. Ichigo smirked and lightly chuckled at the thought.
"What're you laughin' at?" Grimmjow snarled as he grazed his teeth over Ichigo's jugular, feeling the rapid pulse beneath his lips.
Ichigo responded by reaching down with both hands to fully grip the bluenette, earning him a grunt of approval.
Grimmjow playfully pinched the tip of Ichigo's phallus in retaliation, making the teen's breath hitch. He then began to pump in a slow, agonizing rhythm as he pressed his thumb down onto the very tip, smearing the precum that trickled out. Ichigo threw his head back and gulped, his own strokes faltering. Grimmjow caught the reaction and smirked. He continued to press down with his thumb until he had Ichigo arching his back and gasping for breath.
Grimmjow hummed in satisfaction then sat up so he could really appreciate the view. Ichigo was a writhing mess and looked very close to bursting. So Grimmjow, wanting to prolong the teen's pleasure, slowed his strokes a bit more. That immediately earned him a seething glare, but he just grinned in response.
"Grimmjow, if you don't—" Whatever Ichigo was about to say next went flying out the window when said bluenette suddenly shifted and then ducked down.
Ichigo's mouth fell open and a tiny gasp fell from his lips when slick warmth completely enveloped his pulsing arousal.
"Yesssss~" The orangette hissed and dug his fingers into Grimmjow's vibrant hair.
He was already so close to the edge that just three slow bobs of the head and a gentle squeeze to the balls was all he needed.
Grimmjow chuckled as he kept his mouth wrapped around Ichigo's dick to swallow each little spurt of warm cum.
"Thought maybe you had a little more stamina than that…" He teased once he released Ichigo with a wet 'pop'.
"Shuddup…" Ichigo grumbled as he threw an arm over his eyes, body still vibrating from the aftermath. He found himself actually enjoying the post-orgasm tingle that was wrapping itself around his body as his dick took its sweet time going down.
"Hey. We 'ain't done yet."
Ichigo lifted his arm just enough to peek down and see that Grimmjow had shifted his way up so that his knees were now on either side Ichigo's shoulders. Ichigo then gulped nervously as he eyed the thick, veiny cock bouncing in front of his face.
"C'mon, berry~" Grimmjow smirked and lifted his hips a little as he grabbed the base of his cock to place the tip against Ichigo's lips.
All the teen had to do was open up~
But Ichigo hesitated.
The last time he had a dick near his mouth—which, ironically, happened to be in this very room—it didn't end well…
...Butttt... looking at the positive side, Ichigo knew he wasn't drugged and this wasn't Bazz-B's dick.
Before Ichigo could regret his decision, he let his lips part and closed his eyes when hot flesh slid inside.
Ichigo's cheeks heated bashfully at the pleased groan he received. The sound was encouraging and Ichigo actually found himself getting into it. He pulled Grimmjow's hand away, which had been lightly stroking the base, and took over with his own hands.
It was an awkward position. Ichigo could already feel his neck straining as he lifted his head up to take in as much as he could, but he ignored it.
While the orangette was busy concentrating on sucking him off, Grimmjow slowly reached back to grab his cellphone, blue eyes never leaving that head of orange as it hesitantly moved back and forth. Grimmjow hissed in pleasure when Ichigo experimentally flicked his tongue and pressed up to massage the underside of his dick. Then his brain completely malfunctioned when Ichigo pulled his head back until only the tip remained in his mouth and, with one hand still wrapped around the base, pulled so that fingers slid over the wet trail of saliva left behind. Ichigo twisted his wrists and started pumping faster while he let his tongue tease the slit.
"Sigue así, Berry~ Chupalo*" Grimmjow growled in a deep, lustful voice as he thrusted himself into the willing mouth. A soft hiss slipped past his lips when he felt wet fingers slide off his dick to caress his sensitive sac instead.
Ichigo closed his eyes and smirked at the positive noises he could hear falling from the other's lips. It was definitely a stroke to his ego.
Grimmjow let the teen continue for a minute before finally remembering what he'd been trying to do before. With practiced ease, he swiped his thumb across the cellphone behind his back. He thumbed his way through the menu without taking his eyes off slick, reddened lips.
Once he knew he was at the camera's screen, he quickly snapped a shot-only pausing long enough to let the Camera's lens focus so he could get a clear photo. He tossed the phone behind himself just as large chestnut eyes snapped up to lock with his own. The swirling emotions trapped inside had Grimmjow hypnotized.
'Dammit.' He mentally cursed with a frown.
This wasn't just some guy that he could get a point from… This was Shirosaki's little brother… The realization finally seemed to sink in and Grimmjow just couldn't shake the thought away.
"I 'ain't got time for your fuckin' games, Grimm! Anythin' happens ta him…" Shiro's voice echoed inside his lust-clouded mind and for the first time in a very long time, Grimmjow felt actual guilt.
And it was a real fuckin' turn-off.
Ichigo blinked in surprise when Grimmjow gently gripped his hair and pulled until his mouth was no longer wrapped around the hot, pulsing flesh. He frowned and looked back up at the bluenette, only to find that the playful smirk was gone. All he saw was this uncharacteristically blank look.
Ichigo licked his lips nervously and shifted beneath the bluenette, not really sure what to expect.
"Did I do something wrong?" He whispered, a deep blush attacking his cheeks and spreading to his neck and ears. "Sorry I'm not very good at this kinda… thing… It's kind of my first time giving a blowjob." Ichigo explained in a soft voice, hoping Grimmjow would understand.
'Dammittttt… Why does he have to be so fucking innocent.' The Bluenette grumbled internally while biting the inside of his cheek to keep from cumming right in the berry's face.
Ichigo frowned when he didn't get a reply. He really thought Grimmjow had been enjoying himself, what with the sounds he'd been making-but maybe Ichigo accidentally hurt him when he twisted his fingers?
Ichigo gnawed on his bottom lip when Grimmjow stepped off and then started redressing with a sigh.
"Was it really that bad?" He prodded, but all he got was the silent treatment.
Ichigo didn't move from his spot until he heard footsteps heading upstairs. Quick as a flash, he got up and stepped back into Bazz-B's shorts.
Thankfully, they were both presentable when the door opened to reveal the pink-haired asshole himself. and Bazz-B seemed a little too peeved and distracted to even notice Ichigo's flushed cheeks and heavy breathing.
"That was my old man… He uh… He needs me to help him with somethin'." Bazz-B mumbled as he sifted through his desk.
"Everything okay?" Ichigo ventured curiously.
Grimmjow narrowed his eyes when he saw the slight flinch, but Bazz-B shrugged it off and waved his hand with a shrug. "Yeah, it's all good. My pops just never really comes home, so it's kinda rare to see him here."
"Should we leave?" Grimmjow asked, eyes still narrowed suspiciously.
Bazz-B paused at that and turned around to look back and forth between the two teens.
"Uhm… Well. I didn't really tell my pops that anyone was over…" He seemed to be debating his options but one look at the pile of blood-soaked clothes still laying in the middle of the floor, and Bazz-B caved. "Look-I have to go downstairs before he gets suspicious. Just don't make too much noise and use the window if ya need to leave. Or you guys can stay if ya really want, I really don't care." Bazz-B waved it off as he shoved what looked like a phone into his pocket. Just as he was about to leave, he paused and turned to look Ichigo in the eye. His expression was unnervingly serious. "Hey…" He started, making Ichigo raise a brow in question, "That guy, Kokuko or whatever his name was… When he mentioned that stuff about immortality-was it true…?"
Ichigo thought about that for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. He honestly had no idea. He was just getting used to the fact that he might have healing powers-and could even heal other people, from what Grimmjow had observed, but if that were possible then Shirosaki would still be alive…
So to think that he was the 'key to immortality' was a bunch of bullshit.
"I think that guy was full of it, honestly. But I don't know…" Ichigo finally said, hoping Bazz-B wouldn't push the subject. The older teen glanced down at the floor and seemed to be contemplating something as he ran his fingers through that thick magenta mohawk, but then he shrugged it off.
"Okay. I was just curious. Later." And then he was gone.
Ichigo waited until he heard the footsteps fade before daring to speak.
"Why the fuck is Bazz being so nice?" he huffed to no one in particular. An uneasy feeling was beginning to spread, but he snapped out of his thoughts when a bright flash came from the corner of the room. He turned and saw that Shiro's phone was finally charged. Acting quickly, Ichigo snatched it up and scrolled through his brother's contacts to see if there were any familiar names.
He rolled his eyes when he realized that most of the contacts were labeled by nicknames: Asshole, Big Tits, Bigger Tits, Blondie, Blowjob, Cock Blocker, Cock Slobber, Cock Whore, Crybaby, Cunt Bag… and the list goes on.
Hmm… but maybe Crybaby was Kon.
Ichigo hesitantly clicked on the name and put the phone to his ear. It rang and rang for a whole minute before eventually going to voicemail. 'Hey! You've reached the badass hotline' Ichigo scoffed but smiled when he recognized Kon's obnoxious voice 'Leave your number and your breast-size and I might call ya back~' BEEP!
"Hey Kon, this is Ichigo. I just wanted to see if you were okay. Call me back on Shiro's phone when you get this message, okay?"
Ichigo sighed as he ended the call and began sifting through the rest of the contacts. He paused when he finally came across an actual name.
Getsuga!
But… Getsuga didn't like to talk, so would he even answer the phone?
Plus, he was injured so would he even be able to answer?
Ichigo shrugged and whispered, "Worth a shot…"
…
..
.
..
…
::In 10 miles, take exit 32::**
Shirosaki watched the road with eyes half-lidded from exhaustion.
'Cause, ya know… almost dying takes a lot outta you.
Or did he actually die and come back to life?
Shiro wasn't sure anymore. He could barely even remember what happened.
Everything was just a mess.
And the biggest thing that was driving Shiro absolutely nuts was the fact that he had no idea if Ichigo was okay. He had reached out mentally for his little brother earlier, but as soon as he found the teen it felt like he'd jumped head-first into a furnace. The closer he got mentally, the more his brain seemed like it was melting.
Shiro wanted to try seeking Ichigo again, but he was too weak to try and reach him-or any of his brothers right now—except Mugetsu of course…
"Hey, did you find what Getsuga had in his phone?" Inverted eyes blinked back to awareness and looked around until they locked with the familiar tan face of Mugetsu. Shiro then looked down to see that he was still holding Getsuga's cell.
"No." Shirosaki grumbled and then immediately went to do just that.
Thankfully, Getsuga's phone didn't have a lock on it and Shiro was able to go straight to the photos.
The eldest brother quickly glanced sideways to see that Shirosaki was gripping Getsuga's phone with bruising force and his face was dark with frustration.
"Shiro…" Mugetsu started, gaining said teen's attention, but he paused when Getsuga's phone began to ring. "Huh… Could you check to see who it is? But don't answer it. Gin said we shouldn't talk to anyone."
Shiro rolled his eyes but did as he was told.
What he saw made him frown and his eyes narrow with hostility. The caller ID read: Shirosaki.
Without wasting another second, Shiro answered and pressed the phone to his ear with a snarl. "Who the fuck is this?"
Mugetsu narrowed his eyes and punched Shirosaki in the arm without looking away from the road. "What did I just say!?" Mugetsu hissed in a hushed voice. Shiro grunted in slight pain from the punch and sent a glare, but otherwise ignored him.
Whoever was on the other line hadn't said anything yet, but Shiro knew there was someone there because he could hear them breathing.
Before he could say anything else, the line went dead.
"Are you-... That fucker just hung up on me!" Shirosaki growled and he was debating on whether or not to redial the number, but there was no need; Shiro looked down to see his own damn name flashing on the screen again. He quickly answered it, this time trying not to shout.
"Okay, look 'ere, asshole. I don't know where ya got my phone and I don't know how the fuck ya managed to unlock it, but I will find you and I will cut your fuckin' balls o—"
"Shiro?"
Aforementioned white-haired teen choked as he felt his chest tighten.
"ICHIGO!?"
"S-SHIRO!?"
"ICHIGO!?"
"Oh my fucking god! SHIRO!? You're fucking alive!? ARE YOU OKAY!? Where the FUCK are you!?"
"Where the fuck am I?! Where the fuck are YOU?"
"I fucking asked you first, you fucker! I'm gonna fucking kill you! I've been over here thinking you were fucking DEAD, and then you pop up out of fucking nowhere! You sonuva—"*** Shirosaki didn't get to hear what the teen said next because Mugetsu had snatched the phone away. All he could hear was the high-pitched static that resembled Ichigo's voice as Mugetsu pressed the device to his ear. Shiro could almost make out the numerous 'fuck's, 'fucking's, and 'fucker's that spilled from the speaker.
"Ichigo." Mugetsu called after a moment and the teen finally trailed off into silence. Mugetsu smiled when he heard Ichigo take a deep, calming breath.
"Mugetsu?"
"Yes. It's me, little brother."
"Okay… Am I going crazy or did I just talk to Shirosaki?"
"You're not crazy, Ichigo." Mugetsu said and he grinned when he could practically feel the pure happiness radiating through the device.
Shirosaki leaned closer so he could listen in on the conversation, resembling a toddler as he bounced around in his seat excitedly.
"Is he okay? I mean—last time I saw him he was practically drowning in his own blood! Please tell me he's okay."
"Shhh, Ichi. He's perfectly fine." Mugetsu assured soothingly "There's not a single scratch on him."
"What…?"
"He's not hurt at all." Mugetsu reiterated "I think the blood on him was probably from Getsuga."
"No… Shirosaki had holes in his body. He stopped breathing. Holy shit!" It sounded like Ichigo pulled the phone away for a moment to yell, "You were right, Grimmjow. Haha! Shirosaki's okay! Not a scratch on him!"
"Told ya." Came a gruff reply from further away.
Shirosaki felt his happy emotions turn sour in an instant.
Mugetsu let out an irritated huff when the phone was ripped from his hand.
"Ichigo!" Shiro called and he had to fight the warm feeling rising up when he heard the teen's laugh.
"Shiro! I'm so glad you're okay! You really have no fucking idea how happy I am right now!"
"And I'm happy ta hear you're okay, too—was drivin' me nuts—but listen, Dandelion, I got a question for ya."
"Yeah? What's up?" Ichigo chirped.
Shirosaki frowned and hesitated. Ichigo seemed like he was in such a good mood… He didn't want to do anything to ruin it. "Tch… Uhm… Ya know what. Put Mudkip on the phone for me."
"Uh…." Ichigo hesitated. "You mean Grimmjow? Uhm. Sure. Okay."
There was some shuffling on the other end of the line before the familiar voice of his foster-brother came through.
"So you 'aint dead yet, Snowflake?" There was a smacking noise followed by a pained hiss. Shiro hoped that meant Ichigo had punched Grimmjow for that. "Dammit, Berry. Fuckin' hurt."
"Grimmjow." Shiro snapped, gaining the guy's attention. "Why does Ichigo have my phone?" He demanded and then bristled with anger when his response was an amused chuckle.
"Oh yeah. Funny story actually. Ya see, a friend of mine wanted ta play dirty this morning," Shiro knew that Grimmjow was referring to him and the leather outfit he wore today, "So I just evened out the playing field a lil'. It had all kinds of goodies inside." Shiro also knew Grimmjow was using 'goodies' to refer to the many, many sexual images stored inside his phone.
"You fu—"
"And it worked wonders, by the way~"
Shirosaki felt like his heart was about to fall from his chest. "You-... He didn't."
Another chuckle, "Well, you'll probably be happy ta know, I was only able ta get ½ a point****."
Mugetsu frowned when Getsuga's poor phone creaked beneath Shiro's fingers.
"Ah here—Ichi wants to talk to ya."
Shirosaki didn't bother responding to him and just passed the phone back to Mugetsu. he was too pissed off to speak properly to Ichigo without snapping at him.
Muge took it with a frown, not really sure what was going on.
"Hello? Shiro?"
Mugetsu hesitated before answering, "No. It's Mugetsu."
"Oh… Okay."
Muge snorted at the slight disappointment he heard. "Love you too, Ichi."
"Oh!" Ichigo gulped, "I didn't mean it like that—"
"It's fineee." Mugetsu interrupted with a laugh. "I understand. Anyway, you haven't told us where you are."
"Oh yeah. I'm at Bazz-B's-don't really remember the exact address though."
Mugetsu cringed at that. "You're with Bazz-B?" He raised a brow when he noticed Shirosaki's fists clench but then rolled his eyes.
::In a quarter mile, take exit 32:: Siri said abruptly, making Mugetsu blink in surprise. He then prepared to make his way over to the right side of the highway.
"Yeahhh. I know, I know. But he kinda helped me out when I was chasing down that Kokuto guy."
"Kokuto?"
"Yeah, he's the fuckhead that attacked Shirosaki and Getsuga. I had the guy too! I was getting ready to kick his ass, but then Grimmjow showed up, and then the guy shot me in the legs-"
"WHAT!?"
::Take exit 32::
Mugetsu's mind malfunctioned from what Ichigo just said and caused him to accidentally miss the turn.
::Recalculating route…::
"Yeah he—"
"Hold on, hold on! Look. I can't process this while I'm driving. Let me call you back, okay?"
"Uhm. Yeah sure. First can you just tell me if you've heard from Getsuga or Kon?"
"I haven't seen Kon yet, but his foster parents are tracking him down, so I wouldn't worry about him too much. Getsuga is at Karakura Hospital, but don't worry about him either. Gin is watching over him."
"Gin? As in Gin Ichimaru?"
"Yup."
"Huh... Okay then. Drive safe. Love you guys."
Mugetsu felt his chest fill with warmth and he couldn't help but smile. "Love you too, Ichi." He said and sneaked a glance just in time to see Shiro frown stubbornly.
"Tch.. Yeah, whatever." The grumpy teen mumbled.
Luckily, Ichigo didn't seem to hear that and ended the call with a small chuckle.
Mugetsu handed the phone back to Shirosaki before coughing to get the teen's full attention.
"Sooo? Care to explain?" He probed gently. He wasn't going to break Shiro's arm for answers, because he didn't really want to be caught in the middle of drama. But curiosity was a persistent bitch.
Shiro frowned and crossed his arms. "Explain what?" He feigned ignorance, but Mugetsu saw right through it.
"Well let's see…" Mugetsu began as he turned off onto the next exit. "You and Ichigo were all lovey-dovey until Grimmjow got on the phone." When he didn't get a response, he continued, "Look, I understand you both like Ichigo, but is there maybe something I should know?"
Shirosaki clicked his tongue in irritation then turned to stare out the window as he thought of what to say next. Honestly, he didn't want to explain the situation to Mugetsu-of all people, because Muge was probably the only person Shiro actually respected; Not even Aizen was held in such regards. He could give a flying fuck what anybody thought of him. Except Mugetsu.
Just as Shirosaki was about to open his mouth a small PING same from Getsuga's phone. Shiro snatched it up to open the new text message and instantly regretted it. There were no words in the text, just a single picture.
A picture that happened to be of Ichigo with his mouth wrapped around someone's dick. His delicate nose was buried in light-blue pubic hair and his mocha eyes were closed, as if he was really trying to concentrate on not choking. Shirosaki felt his skin burn from the pure rage that boiled in his veins.
"It's… complicated." Shirosaki finally snarled when he realized Mugetsu was still waiting on a response. He could tell that Mugetsu wanted to ask more, but the man thankfully kept his mouth shut.
::Turn left in 1.5 miles and then your destination will be on the right::
The rest of the ride was silent.
…
10 minutes later
...
"Man… I was expecting a lot of different shit…" Shirosaki started with an amused lilt to his voice, "But there's no fuckin' way that this is the right place."
Mugetsu's face scrunched up in confusion as he looked down at his phone and then back up at the empty baseball field. "Uhm… Well… Siri told me we were here… so… This is it I guess."
"Siri's a lyin' bitch." Shirosaki snorted. "Gimme that." He snatched the phone from Mugetsu to more closely inspect the map.
"I just don't understand." Mugetsu huffed under his breath. There was always a possibility that Gin took them on a wild goose chase, but It was very unlikely considering the situation. "Why would he tell us to come here?"
"Hell if I know. He's your butt buddy." Shirosaki replied, saying the first thing that came to mind and smirking when he got Mugetsu's face to turn bright red.
"He's not my… my... butt buddy. That's just… What the hell?" Mugetsu scolded in a harsh whisper, which only served to amuse Shiro even more.
"Why are you whispering? There's no one else here, dumbass."
Mugetsu went to whap the brat over the head, but both males froze when they heard a deep, unfamiliar chuckle behind them.
Both males whirled around to face the newcomer, fists up and ready to swing if necessary. This only seemed to make the guy, a young teen with a short buzzed mohawk, laugh harder.
Mugetsu narrowed his eyes when it turned out that the laughing teen wasn't alone. Another male, this one much taller with wavy brown hair and a scar over his left eye, stood to the side silently judging them.
"If you're fuckin' done laughin', ya wanna tell us who you fuckers are?" Shirosaki snarled defensively once the shorter guy was finished howling like a goddamn hyena. But it was the taller male that finally spoke.
"Please excuse Moe. His parents didn't raise him properly."
That seemed to sober the younger, now known as Moe, and he glared up at the other. "You're one ta talk." He grumbled, but otherwise seemed to stay silent.
"My name is Tsukishima. Gin contacted me and explained the situation so don't worry. You must be Mugetsu," He said while offering the eldest Kurosaki brother a smile which was reciprocated, "And you must be Shirosaki." The white-haired teen scoffed and frowned at the smiling man.
"Good. Now that introductions're over, can we get to the part where ya explain why the hell we're here."
Moe snorted a laugh, making Shiro bristle angrily, but Tsukishima spoke up before an argument could break out.
"This is just a meeting place to make sure you weren't followed," He paused when Shiro and Mugetsu exchanged nervous glances. "Don't weren't," Tsukishima reassured, "Now, if you'll follow us, we'll take you both to our sanctuary. You'll be safe there, and because the situation got so out of hand today, we will be relocating the rest of your brothers to the sanctuary as well."
Mugetsu nodded and began to follow the two, but he and the others stopped when they realized that Shirosaki hadn't budged. His dark, golden eyes were slitted as he eyed the newcomers suspiciously.
"How do I know we can trust you? Fer all we know, you assholes could be workin' for those crazy scientists at the hospital." He practically snarled and Mugetsu had to stop and ponder that as well.
He'd just met Gin that day, sure, so he was a stranger in every sense of the word. There was really no reason for Mugetsu to trust the man. So driving all the way out here on blind faith was rather stupid on Mugetsu's part.
Tsukishima seemed to understand the emotions playing on both their faces. With a sigh, he slowly reached into his pocket. Shirosaki and Mugetsu tensed and backed away until they realized that he was only pulling out his cell phone. The man dialed a number, put it on speaker, and held it out for everyone to here.
The phone rang twice before a voice finally answered.
"Tsukishima? What is it?"
Shirosaki frowned at the familiar voice.
"Mr. Sousuke." Tsukishima greeted. "I'm here with two of the Kurosaki brothers, Mugetsu and Shirosaki.
"Good. I will relay that to Yoruichi and the others. Kon is already on his way to the sanctuary. I also know that Gin is keeping an eye on Getsuga."
Tsukishima nodded, but then frowned. "You still don't have Ichigo's location?"
Before Aizen could reply, Mugetsu piped in, "He actually called us on the way here. He said he was at Bazz-B's. I'm not sure what the address is though."
Aizen was silent for a moment before replying, "That's enough information. I know exactly where he is then. Did he sound okay? Was he forced to call you?"
Mugetsu seemed to get a little flustered at the question. "Well, he said he was shot by a man named Kokuto, but he sounded fine on the phone. He just wanted to know if we were okay."
Shirosaki grudgingly added, "Plus, Grimmjow's with'm, so I wouldn't worry too much. He's an idiot, but he'll make sure Ichi's okay…"
Aizen hummed through the speaker and then directed his next sentence to Tsukishima. "Make certain that these two get to the sanctuary and keep your phone on you. I may need help extracting Getsuga and Ichigo."
"You got it, boss." Tsukishima said, voice firm. And then the call ended.
"You ready to go now?" Moe scoffed, bored eyes locked with Shirosaki's.
"Lead the way, midget." Shiro shot back, smirking when Moe seemed ready to punch him.
"Not the time, Shiro." Mugetsu huffed before pushing the teen forward as their new acquaintances showed them the way.
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"Father-please don't be angry with me. I didn't mean to mix them up! I swear!"
Jin Kariya frowned down at his offspring, glowing crimson eyes narrowed with distaste. The boy was cowering and sniveling with his head bowed to the ground. Jin didn't say a word as he placed his foot atop the boy's head, pressing bruised cheeks further into the smooth granite tiles.
"Father! Please! I took care of Shirosaki as you asked! A-and I know that Ichigo is with Bazz-B, I even followed them-!" Kokuto panicked and gritted his teeth in pain when his face was pressed further into the floor. They stayed like that for a long moment. Kokuto couldn't even muster the courage to breathe as he awaited his father's rage.
Surprisingly, Jin removed his foot.
Kokuto looked up and watched as Jin made his way towards one of the desks with a frown still plastered on his face. "At least you weren't completely useless then…" He scoffed while sifting through some papers until he found what he'd been looking for. Kokuto let out a sigh of relief, but it stuck in his throat when his father added, "But the next mistake will be your last. Do you understand me, Kokuto?"
Said teen's one remaining eye, now bruised and swollen thanks to Ichigo, hesitantly glanced up to meet his father's gaze. Kokuto nodded. "Yes, sir…" He carefully began to pick himself up from the ground, but paused and cringed when the glass jar in his jacket slid and rolled out onto the tiles with a loud CLUNK.
Jin raised a brow and silently watched as the jar kept rolling forward until it collided with his shoe.
Kokuto nervously shot to his feet when his father picked up the item to inspect it.
What he didn't expect was for the man to smirk and laugh.
"This wouldn't happen to be Getsuga's eye, would it?" Kokuto gulped and nodded, not really sure if he should say anything in response. "Beautiful…" Jin hummed as he turned the jar around and held it up towards the light.
Kokuto stood completely still and tried not to react when his father walked over and grabbed his chin, lifting it in order to inspect the empty eye socket.
"Follow me."
Kokuto did as he was told like a trained pup and tried to keep his heart from beating out of his chest.
"F-father! Are you-... I mean, do you think you can-"
"Yes, but we must be quick. We need to get to Ichigo before anyone else does."
Kokuto's lips spread into a smirk so dark that it mirrored his father's.
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TBC
*Just to let you know, I used google translate, so I have no idea how accurate that is. But in spanish it SHOULD say "Keep going, Berry~ Suck it." [[EDIT]] I want to thank MajestyDickhead for correcting me on this one. I never should have trusted Google Translate-What was I thinking? lmao
**For those of you who use google maps or Siri—can you hear her voice? I heard it while I was typing it. It was creepy
***I curse a lot when I get excited, so I thought I'd use that here. I think it works xD
****For those who probably don't remember, Shiro and Grimm get 1 point for full-out sex, and only ½ a point for Blowjobs.
I love you guys and I love writing this story.
If you guys have any questions or concerns, please feel free to PM me.