Star Brothers

by GrimmIchiForeva

Ichigo and his four brothers, Kon, Shirosaki, Getsuga, and Mugetsu, are separated one tragic night while they're still so young. Each of them are forced into different orphanages and adopted by strange new families. Eventually they all end up at the same High School-find out just how crazy things get for the five brothers. MainPairings listed inside

25. Ch24: A Kiss Goodbye

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not too many chapters left, but these chapters are going to be very long, so strap in, grab some snacks and a bottle of water. Don't want you to dehydrate before you get the end. Haha

UNBETA'D: PM me if you're interested in editing, because I know I'm going to kick myself for mistakes I find later

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Star Brothers

Chapter24: A Kiss Goodbye

Mugetsu – 21 years old

Shirosaki – 18 years old

Getsuga – 18 years old

Kon – 15 years old

Ichigo – 15 years old

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Gin hummed to himself as he flipped through the life magazine he'd swiped from the waiting room. He liked skipping the boring political nonsense to get to the good shit beneath.

Flipping another page, he took a quick glance at Getsuga's sleeping face. Bandages were wrapped securely all around his head to block the horrific view of the gaping hole that was once his right eye.

Gin sighed and was about to go back to reading when he heard footsteps. Reaching back, he slid thin fingers around the warm metal of the pistol he always kept tucked in the hem of his pants. He quickly stood and readied his weapon once the footsteps paused in front of their room. Gin placed a hand on the door just as it was about to open, blocking entrance to whoever was outside.

"Name." Gin ordered.

"Gin.. it's me-Ryuken. Let me in."

Gin clicked his tongue and slowly stepped away, gun still out and ready for anything.

The familiar white-haired head of Ryuken Ishida peered inside as he opened the door. When he knew it was okay to proceed, Ryuken fully stepped inside. Gin closed the door and then leaned against it to keep anyone else from storming in as he watched Ryuken make his way to the unconscious teen.

"Good to see ya up and about."

Ryuken raised a brow at the man as he replied, "Kisuke makes himself useful when the situation calls for it…"

Gin could tell the man was still exhausted despite his full recovery from Mayuri's poison. Judging by the dark rings under his tired grey eyes–A vast difference from the cold and calculating expression the man normally wore, and his disheveled appearance, he hadn't slept.

"I'm surprised ya came back 'ere so soon. Afta what happened yesterday n'all." Gin ventured as he fiddled with his pistol. "I 'eard that crazy scientist got ya good."

Ryuken turned and watched as Gin popped a bullet from the chamber of his gun and examined it thoughtfully.

"If Mayuri thinks he can scare me away from my own hospital then he's sorely mistaken." Ryuken adjusted his glasses before returning his attention to Getsuga. The teen was shifting restlessly as if he could no longer get comfortable.

"But this 'ain't YOUR hospital…" Gin corrected with a slight smirk. "It's your brother's."

Ryuken sent the man a suspicious glare. "How do you know that?"

Gin just smiled and waved off the glare. "I have my ways~"

Ryuken decided to ignore the man for now, knowing that Gin was just trying to ruffle his feathers. Instead, he focused solely on Getsuga. The boy was still grunting and shifting around the bed.

Ryuken couldn't imagine how much agony the poor boy must be in. He already knew that no amount of morphine could soothe Getsuga because of his mysterious immunity to chemicals.

"It won't be long 'fore Mayuri finds out one o' the Kurosaki kids is 'ere…" Gin ventured aloud as he pocketed the bullet he'd been examining.

"Like I said Gin, it's not Mayuri that scares me…" Ryuken frowned. "I had to blow my cover yesterday... Zangetsu isn't safe anymore either–He had to go into hiding."

Gin was silent for a moment as the atmosphere grew tense.

There was only one person that could make Ryuken this nervous...

"Look… M'sorry for bringing him up, but last I checked your brother was still out of town."

Ryuken let a snarl slip as he turned to pin Gin with a glare. "You can't really think he'd stay away after we reunited the boys?" Ryuken began pacing as he continued, "We should have taken them somewhere else. ANYWHERE else! Why Karakura? This whole town is cursed."

Gin remained silent as the venting man continued to pace for a good minute, only stopping when Getsuga suddenly sat up as if he'd woken from a nightmare. Ryuken was quick to sit beside the boy, and Gin thought it was odd seeing this soft, sweet, bubblegum side of Ryuken, but he supposed it was a good kind of change. Even if it was still kinda creepy.

Getsuga looked around with his one remaining eye, frantically taking everything in as he placed a hand over his injured face, only to hiss in pain and retract immediately after. He reached up and held onto Ryuken's sleeve when the man gently grabbed his shoulders.

"Getsuga. It's okay. You're at the hospital right now," Ryuken saw panic flash in that black on gold eye, "Shh. It's alright. Gin and I will make sure nothing happens to you."

Gin waved from his spot at the door, making sure to hide his pistol from the boy's sight. He didn't want to make the poor kid even more nervous.

This seemed to calm Getsuga and he took a few deep breaths to stop himself from shaking. Once he was back to normal, he gave his foster father a serious look. Ryuken stayed silent as he tried to decipher what exactly his silent ward wanted.

"What is it?" Ryuken asked while motioning with his hands.

Getsuga pointed to his star tattoo and, instead of signing with his hands like he'd usually do, he actually spoke, "Where are my brothers?"

Gin blinked and tilted his head at the teen's deep, demonic voice, but didn't comment. Ryuken seemed especially surprised by this, and he wondered if maybe reuniting with his brothers has given Getsuga the courage to come out of his muted shell.

"We're trying to gather everyone to the sanctuary. So far Kon, Mugetsu, and Shiro have made it. We need to get you there as soon as possible." Ryuken explained as he stood. "Can you walk?"

Getsuga ignored the question to ask his own, "And Ichigo?"

Ryuken and Gin exchanged a nervous glance. When the teen refused to back down, Gin sighed and answered for the doctor, "We know where Ichigo is… But it'll be hell tryin' to get'm out. Howeva, We can't worry 'bout him right now. First we need ta get you away from here." Getsuga didn't react for a good minute. He narrowed his eye and looked like he wanted to argue but instead he slowly nodded and got to his feet, hissing when his skin touched the freezing tiles. That's when he finally noticed that he was dressed in a flimsy hospital gown.

Gin saw the uncomfortable look on the teen's face and gestured to the small pile of clothes beside the bed. "Got those from da shop downstairs. Hopefully they fit."

Getsuga nodded gratefully and didn't hesitate to undress as he reached for the clothes. Gin and Ryuken looked away respectfully until Getsuga was fully clothed and ready to go.

Gin gestured for Ryuken to take his place against the door as he retrieved his cell phone. He quickly dialed a number as he made his way towards the window so he could peer down at the parking lot.

The phone rang twice before a familiar voice answered, "Yes Gin?"

"Aizen. Getsuga is awake. We're ready when you are."

Gin watched from the window as a sleek black car came around the curb and stopped by the front entrance. He saw Aizen step out of the passenger side and look up to lock eyes with him.

"Give us exactly 10 minutes to secure the place then go straight towards the parking lot."

"Yessir."

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"You find anythin' yet?"

Mugetsu glanced up at the soft whisper to lock eyes with shining gold. He frowned at the bored expression on the other teen's face.

"Well…" Mugetsu began, "I think these first couple pictures are what Getsuga was talking about," He explained while showing his brother said photos. It was hard to read some of the writing because it was slightly blurred around the edges, but Mugetsu still got the gist of what it was saying*. It was certainly a lot of information to absorb and sort through, especially when coming to the realization that each of his brothers most likely had a special power similar to the ones mentioned. "Hey Shiro..?" He spoke softly so as not to be overheard by Tsukishima, who had taken over the driver's seat. The other guy, Moe, was driving their own car back to this Sanctuary, or wherever they were going.

Mugetsu was glad that there were so many different people willing to help them. Especially now that he had a better understanding as to WHY they were being chased.

"Yeah?" Shirosaki whispered back.

"There's something that Ichigo said over the phone that's still bothering me…" Mugetsu started and continued once he saw that he had the teen's undivided attention, "He said that you were full of holes. He thought you were dead… Why would he think that?"

Shirosaki clicked his tongue and then double-checked to make sure Tsukishima wasn't listening. The guy seemed focused solely on the road, but it was hard to tell…

Oh well, Fuck it.

"The guy that hurt Getsuga–that one-eyed sadistic bastard–he shot me four times. Two here..." Shiro opened his leather jacket a bit more so he could point to two holes in his blood-crusted shirt right around his stomach; Holes that Mugetsu never really noticed until now. "One here." He shifted his shoulder. "And then one here…" this time he placed a hand on his chest right near his heart. "I don't really 'member much after that."

Mugetsu sat still for a moment. His dark ebony eyes inspecting each spot that was mentioned. He'd searched his brother earlier and he didn't see a single scratch on him.

"Do you think Ichigo was the one that… healed you?" Mugetsu whispered.

Shiro slowly sunk deeper into his seat while looking down to rub at the spot on his chest where he clearly remembered getting shot. He could still feel the burn of the bullet and hear the small click of the chamber before the gun fired.

He thought back and he could've sworn he heard Ichigo's voice. But he couldn't recall what was said.

"There's a good chance it was him. Why?"

"Because in these photos," Mugetsu lifted Getsuga's phone again to show off the documents that were on it, "It explains about an experiment. One that changed people. The subject they experimented on gained strange powers." Mugetsu paused when he saw Shiro's eyes narrow suspiciously. It seemed he already knew where Mugetsu was heading with this. "Powers like ours." Mugetsu whispered urgently.

"Ours? Wait… you 'ave one too?"

"Yes. I didn't realize it until after the separation though," Mugetsu explained while pulling up one sleeve to reveal his arm, "My skin can't be harmed. It can't be cut, bruised, and even needles can't go through." Mugetsu pinched at his own arm to demonstrate.

"Pfff… That would've come in handy before." Shiro grumbled while rubbing his chest some more. "Can we switch powers for a day…?" Before Mugetsu could reply, Shiro continued, "So what else did you learn with the photos?"

Mugetsu let loose a long, suffering sigh before nodding. "Well… It seems we can't really trust anyone. The documents mention 'Ishida', which–if I remember correctly–Is Getsuga's foster father, Ryuken Ishida… And Zangetsu is also mentioned–I believe he might also be an Ishida. I should've known he was more involved in all this… it was no coincidence that he showed up at that group home as soon as I got admitted to a hospital for my heart condition… It also says here they had a Sister and a Brother so there's no guessing who else we need to look out for." Mugetsu took in a deep breath and locked eyes with his brother before continuing, "And I think this part talks about your foster father."

"What?" Shirosaki snatched the phone from Mugetsu and the older male watched as Shirosaki read through all the information. He flipped back and forth between each page, especially the ones that mentioned 'Dr. Sousuke'. There was a very good chance that it was Aizen being mentioned in these documents.

"That has ta be him." Shirosaki grumbled under his breath. "I knew there was something fishy 'bout him when we heard that rumor in the hospital." He hissed. When Mugetsu raised a brow curiously, Shiro explained, "some bimbo said Aizen used ta be a scientist at that hospital an' then he got banned from the place when he tried ta kill one of the coma patients."

"What?" Mugetsu's nose wrinkled and his brows furrowed in disbelief. "I wonder who he was trying to kill?"

"We actually found the guy." Shirosaki smirked at the amazed look he got. He almost felt proud to get that kind of reaction from Mugetsu.

"So who was it?"

"Eh. Just some scruffy lookin' dude. Looked like he was in his forties maybe? Oo! Wait!" Shirosaki bounced on the seat as he sat up straight. "I just 'membered somethin'!" He turned Getsuga's phone back on and found his way into the recent calls list. He pressed the number at the top of the list and listened to it ring while avoiding Mugetsu's curious gaze.

"Shiro?!"

Said teen had to suppress the smile that wanted to split his face in half. Ichigo sounded so happy to hear from him even though it hadn't even been an hour since they last spoke..

It was fucking adorable.

"Heya Dandelion."

"What's up? Everything okay?"

"Yeah yeah, s'fine. I was actually hopin' you could send me that picture of the old coma guy we found in the hospital yesterday. I wanna show Mugetsu ta see if maybe he recognizes'm. Should be the first pic in the album…" Shiro trailed off when he realized that Ichigo would also come across his… other photos in the process.

He knew Ichigo had already seen them because of Grimmjow (the dickhead), but he really needed that photo. Ichigo went quiet on the other line and Shiro KNEW the orangette wanted to mention the aforementioned photos, but Ichigo was too shy to bring it up.

Shirosaki mentally reached out to Ichigo, surprised at how easy it was to find him. Usually the further away he was, the more strain on his power. Maybe it had something to do with the phone?

He let his consciousness glide soothingly over Ichigo's, and he could tell how frustrated and conflicted the teen was.

Shiro sighed, "Ichigo… look. Aizen said he's gonna pick you up–not sure when, but just sit tight an' we'll see eachother soon... kay?"

"Yeah… then we need to have a long talk, don't we?"

Shirosaki rubbed at his temple and sighed before pressing his forehead to the window. He Let the cold glass sooth his growing headache and watched as the sky grew dark. Stars were beginning to peek through the dark magenta clouds that were still barely visible.

"Yeahhhh. We do."

"Okay. Well. Until then, I'm still happy just knowing you're alive. I'll send you the photo."

"Thanks-" Shiro paused and frowned when he felt a nudge and looked to see Mugetsu had his hand out. Shiro rolled his eyes. "Hold up, Mugetsu wants to ask ya somethin'." He threw the phone to his eldest brother before Ichigo even had a chance to reply.

"Ichigo" Mugetsu began, "I have to ask you something important."

"Uhm. Okay. Anything, Muge."

"Do you have any kind of… gift?" Mugetsu asked warily. He wasn't really sure what to call their abilities or if Ichigo even had one so it was best to approach the subject lightly.

"Gift? You mean like Shiro?"

"Yes! Exactly."

"Well, I actually found out today that I have some weird healing power-I'm pretty sure that's what saved Shiro today and I also saw myself heal instantly. I always knew I could heal a little faster than others, but I've never seen myself just magically regenerate like that before; I mean, shit, I got shot in the fucking legs like 6 times and there're no scars or anything. I'm not sure how it really works though–because I still have that star-shaped scar from when we were kids. And then when I tried to help Shiro today, it didn't seem like it was working at first! That's kinda why I thought he was dead."

Mugetsu silently contemplated this new information. If what Ichigo said was true then he had a very powerful ability that could be put to many different uses. It was no wonder that people were looking for them.

"Hmmm… is there anything else about your power that you've noticed?"

"Not really…" Ichigo replied slowly, "buuut… that one-eyed asshole told me that I was the 'Key to immortality'? Does that make any sense to you?"

Mugetsu and even Shirosaki–whose face was pressed up against Mugetsu's so he could hear what was being said through the phone–had no idea how to reply to that.

"Sorry Ichigo… I wish I did." Mugetsu admitted.

...

"I think I can help fill in some blanks…"

Shiro and Muge looked up at the man driving and then shared a look when they realized they'd been talking a little too loud.

"Was… was that Tsukishima?"

Mugetsu raised a brow and, instead of answering, he put the phone on speaker and brought it up so Ichigo could clearly hear said man.

"Hello Ichigo. It's been a while."

"Not long enough... So how long have you known about my brothers and never bothered to tell me?"

Shirosaki narrowed his eyes and Mugetsu frowned at the guilty look that crossed that skinny, scarred face.

"Ichigo… you should know that I have cut all ties with Ginjou and if I had known what he was doing to you, I would've stopped it in a heartbeat…" When Ichigo remained silent on the other line, Tsukishima decided to continue, "Look, Ichigo. Ginjou asked me to do some digging when he first found you, and I guess I dug a little too deep because then Aizen found me. Turns out that he set up most, if not all, of this whole operation. He and everyone thought it best to wait before reuniting you boys. We knew that as soon as you were brought back together, it would cause a big commotion and then you would be very easy to find afterwards. I don't really have to tell you that though…"

"Yeah, thanks for the recap… So anyway, what do you know about this immortality thing?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know much, but I DO know that you are the one Kurosaki brother that everyone is looking for. Granted, all of you are very important and if any of you were to end up in the wrong hands, then it could end badly. But you, Ichigo… your power is so much more than just healing. Aizen and Ryuken are very tight-lipped about the details, but I overheard them speaking with your cousin, Kaien. They said that if you were to know the true extent of your own power, then there's a chance you could be corrupted like Jin Kariya."

"What…?"

Tsukishima shifted in the smooth leather seat and took a deep breath to gather his thoughts. He then cleared his throat before glancing into the rearview mirror to lock eyes with black-on-gold. "Shirosaki…" Once he knew he had said teen's full attention, he continued, "Do you understand why Kokuto tried to kill you?"

Shirosaki closed his eyes and nodded as he shrunk back into his seat. He wished he didn't have to keep reliving that moment. "He said somethin' 'bout his father knowing about my connection with Ichigo…"

"That's right." Ichigo cut in, "That one-eyed bastard said the same thing while I was kicking his ass. Fucking psycho."

"Wait wait wait." Shirosaki waved his hands and shook his head. "How did he even know what power I had? The only people who knew 'bout it were… my… brothers…." Shirosaki trailed off as a thought pecked away at his mind; A lost memory was slowly making its way back up to the surface, forcing waves of deja vu to wash over his whole body. "Hold up… Can ya describe this Kariya guy? What's he look like?"

"White hair. Red eyes. Scar on his chin. Thick eyebrows." Tsukishima listed and Mugetsu frowned at the familiar description.

"That sounds just like the man in those documents… That could explain why he knew about your power–plus more if these recordings are true." Mugetsu mumbled under his breath as he thought, but Shirosaki was too busy drowning in his memories to pay attention.

He'd seen someone like that before. He'd SEEN him. He could perfectly picture the man that had been described and Shiro wondered why he didn't realize it sooner.

"Ichigo!"

"Yeah?"

"When we first got separated…" Shirosaki paused long enough to smother his emotions. He was not about to get choked up and emotional about this, "I kept escapin' foster care so I could find you." Ichigo remained silent so he wouldn't miss a single word, "I musta escaped that fuckin' place like 20 times, but there was this one time where ya called out for me–I heard you. Ya sounded like you were in so much pain." Shirosaki snatched the phone from Mugetsu and cradled the device to his chest as he curled up to rest his head against his own knees. "I ran all the way across town to get to ya, Ichi. I swear I was comin' ta save you. But that stupid bitch, Yoruichi, stopped me before I could find you… But I was THERE…. I was there**." Shirosaki let out a shaky breath, "She got me just before I could go in and some strange guy came out of the building. He had white hair, red eyes, and a scar."

Mugetsu frowned and placed a hand over Shiro's tense back soothingly. The teen looked like he was about to fall apart.

"What did he do to you, Ichigo?"

"I… I'm so sorry Shiro…" Ichigo's voice wavered as his own emotions thrashed inside him.

"Ichigo. What happened to you?"

"I honestly don't remember."

"Ichi…"

"I swear I don't! I swear Shiro. I only remember being at the orphanage for maybe 2 weeks, and then… nothing. Next thing I know Ginjou had found me and brought me home… I guess that should be for the best though right? If I don't remember then it's probably better if it's forgotten." Ichigo was actually able to talk Shirosaki down and the older teen hesitated before finally returning the phone to Mugetsu.

Tsukishima seemed to be the only one stable enough to speak at that point, "Ichigo, as soon as I get your brothers to the sanctuary, we'll come for you. Just stay low and let us know if anything happens."

"... Fine. But you still have a lot of explaining to do and I owe you a punch."

Tsukishima smiled fondly at the forgiveness he heard in Ichigo's voice. "Sure thing. Just not the face."

"No promises…" Ichigo grumbled, earning him a soft chuckle, "So we'll hash out all the details in person then… that includes you too Shiro!"

"Yeahhh yeah."

"Yup. We'll give you a call when we're on our way to pick you up." Mugetsu ignored the stern look he received after saying 'we'. Tsukishima obviously assumed Mugetsu and Shiro would stay in the sanctuary willingly.

"Okay guys. Stay safe and call me again in a bit. I know Shiro will be thinking of me in about an hour anyway." Ichigo finished with a somewhat forced laugh and then hung up before Shiro could defend himself.

"Tch. Dumbass."

Not even 10 seconds later Mugetsu looked down at the cell phone when it vibrated.

1 new photo.

Shiro leaned over as the message was opened to reveal that coma guy from yesterday.

Onyx eyes widened and Muge's fingers tightened around the case when he recognized exactly who it was in the photo.

"That's… it can't be." He whispered so that Tsukishima wouldn't overhear them this time. Shiro frowned and looked back and forth between his brother and the image.

"You recognize him?"

Mugetsu pried his eyes away long enough to lock eyes with the other. Without saying a word, Mugetsu reached into his jacket and pulled out the small family photo that he carried around. He then pointed to the dark haired male smiling back at them. Shiro leaned in and glanced back and forth between each photo until he was slowly able to connect the dots in the different features of his face. It really was the same guy! Of course his beard was much shorter, cleaner and he was grinning from ear to ear in the older photo, but it was still him.

"But wait… if that's… then Aizen had tried to kill our own father?" Shirosaki hissed under his breath.

"Are you absolutely sure that he was trying to kill him?" Mugetsu shot back, hoping that maybe it was some mistake. He really wanted to trust these people that were working so hard to help them.

"Well… I dunno. That chick did seem kinda gossipy. I guess there's a chance it's not true."

"Then for now we'll just stay on our toes. If these documents Getsuga found are true then we can't even trust my own foster father at this point. Or even Kaien for that matter."

"We can't trust anyone except each other, Muge… and that's how it shoulda always been."

Mugetsu pursed his lips as he stared at the lifeless, bearded man in the recent picture. That wasn't the same energetic, ebullient man he remembered at all.

What have these people done to him?

His thoughts were interrupted when he realized that the car had stopped moving.

"We're here." Tsukishima announced and he didn't even look back before exiting the car.

Mugetsu was about to follow, but he paused when he noticed Shirosaki had yet to move. The teen was staring down at his own pale hands and seemed lost in thought.

"Shiro…?" Mugetsu whispered gently while placing a large, warm hand on his shoulder. That seemed to snap him out of it. Inverted eyes blinked and then shifted to Mugetsu's face. "We can get out of the car now…"

Nodding, Shiro did as told and Mugetsu actually scooched his way across the seat so he could climb out the same side. Once they were outside, Mugetsu snatched up his younger brother in a tight hug. He knew Shiro wasn't usually the hug-it-out type, but it was worth a shot.

Shirosaki tensed at the sudden embrace but then gradually relaxed until he practically melted into the other's chest. He lifted his own arms and clutched the back of Muge's jacket so he could press closer and smoosh his face into the other's powerful shoulder.

"Listen Shiro. Everything that happened to us as kids was always out of our control. We were too young to do anything, so you can't blame yourself." Mugetsu pulled away just enough to lightly grasp the back of Shiro's neck and force him to look up. Muge looked straight into the other's defeated gaze with his own determined expression, "but we're not little kids anymore, Shirosaki. We're not going to let these assholes tear us apart again." Mugetsu smiled when he finally saw that energetic fire burn inside the younger teen.

A wide smirk spread across pale lips. "Yer right. There's no fuckin' way we'll be seperated again-not if I'm still fuckin' breathin'."

The two brothers parted with a hard couple backslaps to get the testosterone flowing. They'd been hugging too long for it to still look manly.

Mugetsu smiled and patted the side of Shiro's neck affectionately. "Damn right."

"Thanks for the pep-talk, coach." Shiro joked with a playful punch to the other's arm.

"Not a problem, sport." Mugetsu retaliated with a quick elbow nudge. They both smirked and turned to start making their way towards the small building standing before them. Tsukishima and Moe were both waiting patiently by the front door-well, Tsukishima was being patient at least.

"You guys finally done bromancing?" Moe sneered, his arms crossed and expression bored.

"Nope. In fact, I think I still need another hug." Shirosaki grinned while spreading his arms out towards the smaller male.

Moe's eyes widened and he quickly retreated backwards to stay out of reach. "Don't you fuckin' touch me, ya fruit."

"Aw come on, don't be like that~!" Shirosaki cackled when Moe tripped over a wooden chair that had been right behind him. "That's what ya get, shorty." Shiro smirked but then ignored Moe's seething glare when he heard the door open.

Tsukishima had to unlock the entrance with a card after punching something into the keypad right beside the knob. The keycard looked like something from a fancy motel. It was smooth, black and inscribed in the corner was the word 'Xcution'.

"This way." Tsukishima motioned the others to go through as he held the door open.

The brothers stepped inside while Moe took up the rear after patting the dirt from his jeans.

Tsukishima caught up quickly and took the lead as they passed a few doorways that led to different parts of the building; He skipped right by them and continued until he got to the end of the hall. One last door and another keypad stood in their way. Tsukishima unlocked the door with ease then opened the door and stood aside once more for the brothers.

Mugetsu allowed Shiro to jump ahead of him and they both paused once they were on the other side.

There were a lot more people than they had expected to find inside. What was most surprising was the fact that all of the faces they found were familiar.

It looked like just about everyone was here. Mugetsu even spotted Kaien standing in the back.

All eyes had turned to the newcomers and a quiet had settled on the large group until a familiar orange head quickly zig-zagged towards them.

"Guys! I'm so glad to see you're okay!" Kon hopped in place excitedly in front of his brothers.

"Hey Kon! It's good to see you too. You aren't hurt, are you?" Mugetsu smiled when Kon shook his head and scooted next to Mugetsu to lock arms with him.

"I'm fine thanks to that guy over there."

Mugetsu looked to the direction Kon was pointing and nearly choked on his next breath. Standing all the way on the other side of the bar-like room was the gorgeous man he'd met earlier today: Byakuya Kuchiki. Mugetsu felt his whole face heat up and he tried to turn and walk in a different direction, but Kon insistently pulled him forward. Mugetsu felt his chest tighten and his fragile heart pumped faster and faster the closer he got to the man.

Shirosaki was about to follow his brothers, but he was stopped by a gentle hand on his elbow. He turned and let a small smirk dance across his face when he came face to face with Neliel. "Hey guys." He greeted while nodding to his other foster-siblings who had gathered behind her.

"You okay?" Halibel was the first to speak as she made her way forward to stand on the other side of him.

Shirosaki shrugged and placed an arm over her tanned shoulders, having to slightly go on his tip-toes because she just had to be wearing high-heels. "I'll be alright." When it looked like he was about to get interrogated for answers, Shiro quickly added, "There any food 'ere? I'm fuckin' starving."

Neliel giggled and patted his stomach affectionately. "Alright, alright! We get it-food first. We'll bug you for answers later~"

While Shirosaki was being dragged towards the small kitchen behind the bar, Mugetsu was on the verge of another damn heart attack. He was now face to face with Byakuya and he had no idea what to say.

Good thing Kon was a natural-born chatterbox.

"This is Byakuya Kuchiki! He chased down the guy that kidnapped me and stopped him long enough for ma and pop to find me." Kon explained while gesturing towards the taller man.

Byakuya raised a brow and resisted the urge to chuckle when he noticed how red Mugetsu's face was. Poor guy had been caught completely off guard.

"We actually met this morning." Byakuya explained to the hyperactive orangette, his dark onyx eyes never straying from Mugetsu.

"Oh…" Kon paused to look back and forth between the dark-haired males, "Okay then. Well… I'll just leave you guys alone then…" Kon mumbled, but his words seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. "Tch." Kon rolled his eyes but shrugged it off. He left the two twitterpated men to their own devices as he went to look for Yoruichi. After what happened earlier, he didn't like straying too far from her. She made him feel safe.

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"Hey…"

Auburn eyes glanced up to lock with deep blue.

"Yes Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked, a small frown still plastered on his face from his little heart to heart with Shiro.

"I'm so fucking boredddd."

Ichigo rolled his eyes as he spun in the computer chair. Honestly, he was also pretty bored himself and any distraction that could make him stop trying to remember his dark past would be great right now.

"I don't know what you want me to do about it…" Ichigo grumbled with a raised brow.

Grimmjow smirked as he turned onto his side. He pressed a hand to the sheets and made slow circles as if inviting Ichigo to come closer. "Oh I can think of a few things we can do ta pass the time~."

Ichigo scoffed and scowled at the infuriating teen. This was the fifth time he's tried to get back into Ichigo's pants after their little escapade.

"Yeah right. I don't think I'd live up to your expectations..." Ichigo grumbled as he thought back to his apparently failed attempt at a blowjob. He really thought he'd been doing a good job but then Grimmjow just pushed him off...

Grimmjow nearly groaned at that. "Nahhh Berry! It 'ain't like that. It felt fuckin' amazing. I just didn't wanna cum all over yer face~"

Ichigo felt his cheeks heat up, but he kept scowling as he spun the chair around so he wouldn't have to look at the other's smirking face. "I said no."

"Damn… So cold…"

They sat in silence for a while after that, each trying to think of something they could do.

Ichigo jumped a little when Grimmjow suddenly grabbed his chair and spun him away from the desk. It took him a moment to stop the world from swirling around him so he could glare at the bluenette.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ichigo asked while trying not to be too loud. "The fuck? Are you snooping?"

Grimmjow ignored him as he rummaged through Bazz-B's desk. He shuffled through papers and opened each drawer in turn until finally-

"Score~!" Grimmjow exclaimed as he held up what looked like a small pipe. He carelessly slammed the drawer closed as he made his way back towards the bed. Ichigo frowned and watched as the teen dug out a plastic bag from his pocket. Inside the bag were little green lumps that looked soft to the touch. Grimmjow opened the bag without hesitation and a potent smell wafted across the room and straight up Ichigo's sensitive nose.

"The fuck is that?" The orangette asked while scooting closer to get a better look.

Grimmjow looked to the teen with that insufferable smirk plastered to his face, "It's motherfuckin' weed, dumbass."

Ichigo nearly growled and snapped, "No shit! I know that! I meant-what the fuck kinda weed is it? It smells really strong."

Grimmjow snickered as he started breaking apart some of the clumps into tiny pieces. He then stuffed the pieces into the pipe. "This stuff's 'aight. You ever smoke before?"

Ichigo felt his cheeks redden as he shifted uncomfortably. He'd never really confessed to anyone that he smoked once before. The only other person who knew about it was Renji and that's because he was the one that bought it and tried it with him; Renji wanted to see if it would help with Ichigo's gloomy mood-swings.

"Uhmm…. Once… A while ago. But it didn't really do anything."

Grimmjow snorted and winked as he offered up the pipe. The younger teen stared at it for a while and reached up to take it but he kept pulling back.

He must have hesitated for too long because Grimmjow shrugged and brought the pipe to his own lips. "Suit yourself Berry~"

Ichigo gnawed on his bottom lip as he watched Grimmjow flick a lighter that he'd also fished from his pocket. He brought the flame up towards the green clumps residing in the pipe and took a deep breath in, never once taking his eyes off Ichigo.

Grimmjow smirked and placed the pipe down as he motioned for Ichigo to come closer. The teen hesitated again, but shook off his nervousness to scooch forward in the chair. Grimmjow dug his fingers in bright orange locks as he pulled the teen the rest of the way down. Ichigo closed his eyes and felt his face burn when smooth lips pressed to his own. He opened his mouth willingly, already guessing what Grimmjow wanted to do. Ichigo didn't pull away until he could feel the smoke blow straight down into his lungs.

Whatever that stuff was-it was definitely stronger than what Renji got.

Grimmjow laughed against Ichigo's lips as the teen spluttered and hacked, but he took it like a champ.

"There ya go~ Now just sit back and relax for a bit~."

Ichigo did just that. He slumped back, making the chair tilt dangerously, and stared up at the ceiling as he waited for something-anything to happen. After about 5 minutes of nothing, Ichigo was starting to wonder if he was immune to weed or something… Maybe it was because of his healing abilities? Was that possible?

"Want another?" Grimmjow asked when he noticed the disappointed look on the other's face.

"Fuck it." Ichigo shrugged and leaned forward to plant both feet on the ground, making the chair squeal in protest. If he was immune to it, then there was no harm in trying it again.

Grimmjow looked like the chesire cat as he grinned and took another quick hit from the pipe. He motioned Ichigo closer and grabbed the younger's chin while he pressed their lips together once more. Just as he started blowing into Ichigo's mouth, the doorknob suddenly turned, surprising both teens. Grimmjow pulled away too quick and Ichigo coughed when smoke got blown into his face and up his nose. "Gah! Fuck!"

Once he was able to breathe properly again, Ichigo turned in the chair, expecting to see Bazz-B but instead of garish pink hair they were met with long blonde locks and a hard stare.

The tall, slender stranger leaned against the doorframe as he inspected both teenagers with a raised brow.

"Uhmm…Hi?" Ichigo wondered aloud when it seemed like the stranger wasn't in a hurry to introduce himself.

The older looking male stared at them for an uncomfortably long minute before finally opening his mouth, "Who are you?" he said in a deep, sultry voice that had goosebumps crawling across Ichigo's skin. The orangette looked back and rolled his eyes when he found Grimmjow looking the stranger up and down hungrily.

'Figures…'

"We… uh… we're Bazz-B's friends?" Ichigo said. He didn't mean for it to sound like a question but he couldn't help it. He never really considered himself friends with the knucklehead even after being so helpful today.

The stranger continued to stare at Ichigo intensely, only sparing Grimmjow a quick glance and completely ignoring the flirtatious wink sent his way. He seemed to be contemplating something as he tilted his head and looked down to inspect the blood-soaked clothes still lumped by the closet. He gave Ichigo another once over before finally speaking, "Your name wouldn't happen to be Ichigo Kurosaki, would it?"

Said teen frowned and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at that. For a second he wondered if maybe Bazz-B told this guy about him at some point–which was fine–but if that were true then he would be known as Ichigo Kugo… not Kurosaki…

The stranger seemed to take Ichigo's silence as a "yes" And nodded once before quickly retreating from the doorway.

"I've got a real bad feelin' 'bout this…" Grimmjow whispered as he slowly got to his feet. "Grab your stuff." Grimmjow ordered, sounding the most serious Ichigo's ever heard him. Instead of butting heads for being ordered around, Ichigo actually did as he was told. He quickly snatched Shiro's phone from the wall and scooped up the bloodied clothes lying in a heap on the floor. The hairs on his arms stood on end and his heart thudded against his chest when he heard footsteps rushing back down the hall.

Both teens were preparing themselves for an all out fight when the door slammed open but they relaxed at the sight of magenta hair.

"Jeez… who the fuck was…" Ichigo trailed off and tensed when Bazz-B slammed the door closed, flicked the lock, and started dragging his desk until it was pressed up against the sturdy wooden door. "What's going on?" Ichigo asked, thankful that his voice didn't give away how anxious he was.

"My fucking brother, Jugram, went and told father that you were here." Bazz-B growled as he stomped towards the window. "You guys need to leave right now before they-"

Knock. Knock. Knock.

All three teens jumped and looked towards the door with wide eyes.

"Bazz-B," a deep, foreboding voice spoke clearly from the other side of the door, "I wasn't aware that we had guests…"

Ichigo felt his blood freeze. Something about that voice had waves of deja vu assaulting his mind, tickling the very edges of his memory. But Ichigo could not remember where he'd heard it before.

And, of course, it didn't help that the weed was finally starting to kick in: the world around him tilted, putting him off balance. It was hard to focus through the fog that slowly flooded his head and surrounded his senses. He rubbed his eyes when they suddenly felt dry and itchy.

"I don't know what that lil' faggot told you, but there's no one else in here, Pop!" Bazz growled back, hoping his father would just go away-but he knew better.

"Grimm…" Ichigo whispered, instantly gaining the bluenette's attention. "I… don't feel so good…"

"Shit." Grimmjow cursed under his breath when he realized what was happening. He quickly grasped Ichigo's shoulders as the teen started swaying a little too much. "Ya fuckin' lightweight…"

Bazz-B stepped forward to get a better look at Ichigo. He scoffed when he saw how red and glazed his eyes were, "is he fuckin' high?" He scolded.

Both older teens blinked in surprise when Ichigo just giggled in response.

Fucking giggled!

"Bazz-B. Open this door."

Bazz raised his middle finger to the door while grinning and replied "I know you can't see it, but I'm flippin' you off right now!" A huge-ass smirk stretched across his face when he could practically feel his father's glare through the door.

Usually Bazz-B would've backed down by now. He knew not to trifle with his father for too long, but Ichigo's presence seemed to pump him full of energy, a dash of courage, as well as a pinch of stupidity.

"Have it your way then…" was his father's response.

All three teens panicked when there was a loud SLAM! The force was so powerful that the wood of the door creaked on its hinges.

"Fuck! We gotta get him outta here." Bazz-B whispered to Grimmjow. "Father can NOT find him."

"You aren't gonna tell us what's going on are you?" Ichigo deadpanned, disappointment and frustration clear on his face. Even as the world tilted and swayed beneath his feet, he still understood what was going on around him-he just couldn't keep his vision from jerking.

Bazz-B paused and debated whether or not he could give the teen a short explanation, but he shook his head when another SLAM came from the door. "I only just found out today what my father's been searching for. There's just no time to explain… I'll tell ya later." He then ushered the two teens towards the window. "You first, blue, then I'll lower him down to you. kay?"

Grimmjow just nodded as he squeezed his way through the window. He didn't even hesitate as he jumped down and rolled over his shoulder to soften the impact from the ground. He did it so smoothly and so gracefully that Ichigo wondered how many times Grimmjow has jumped from a two-story window before.

"Your turn, Princess." Bazz-B said, making Ichigo shift on his feet.

"Okay." Ichigo turned to face the window but squeaked when Bazz suddenly spun him back around only to pull him close.

"But first~ this is for helping you catch that one-eyed freak before." Bazz pulled Ichigo closer and pressed his lips firmly against the other's. he lightly nibbled at that smooth bottom lip and flicked his tongue around Ichigo's teasingly. Bazz chuckled when he heard and felt a gasp caress his own lips.

"Would you fuckin' quit sticking your goddamn tongue down my throat!" Ichigo tried to yell against the lips insistently pressing against his own.

Before Ichigo could decide to punch him, Bazz stepped back with this shit-eating grin on his face. Probably a wise choice on his part, because that's exactly what Ichigo planned to do.

Bazz-B smirked as he dodged the clumsy punch aimed at his cheek and lightly pushed Ichigo so he stumbled back into the window.

"Woah." Ichigo steadied himself by placing both hands up against the wooden frame. The world tilted beneath his feet once more.

"HEY BLUE! CATCH!"

Just as Ichigo went to push himself upright, Bazz ducked down, grabbed the teen's ankles, and yanked up.

"You sonuva-" Ichigo choked on his next breath when his hold on the window slipped and he felt himself falling.

Ichigo wasn't sure if it was the marijuana or if this is what usually happened during life and death situations, but time itself seemed to slow down. He felt like he was stuck falling for 10 long seconds when he should've hit the ground by now. He even had time to watch as the window he'd just fallen from got further and further away. He braced himself for impact with the lawn but nearly sigh in relief when he fell into long, sturdy arms instead.

Ichigo blinked and then slowly looked up.

It took him a moment to realize that the person holding him was NOT Grimmjow and panic flooded his body. He squirmed and struggled to free himself.

Once he was back on his own two feet, Ichigo took a second to look and see that the person who caught him was Bazz-B's older brother, Jugram. Behind him were three well-muscled men who looked eerily similar to the assholes that shot Zangetsu and chased them out of the hospital yesterday. Two out of the three were holding Grimmjow down against the concrete. The bluenette growled and cursed when one of them grabbed his wrists and twisted his arms around behind his back, then he hissed in pain when they yanked up on his wrists until his fingers touched his shoulder blades.

"Let him go!" Ichigo snarled and jumped forward to help, but Jugram got in his way.

Ichigo blocked the punch aimed at his temple and countered by swinging his elbow around right into Jugram's throat. The third guard that had been watching from the side stepped forward.

Ichigo hopped back and took a deep breath to calm himself. The fall from the window had done a good job sobering him and now he felt much more alert. Ichigo concentrated on remembering the techniques that Byakuya and Kenpachi drilled into him and waited patiently for them to strike first. He ducked from the punch soaring towards his cheek then grabbed the man's arm to throw him off balance and dislocate his shoulder. Ichigo ducked to sweep the man's legs out from under him. Once the larger male was flat on his back and groaning in pain, Ichigo turned to see one of the other guards that had been holding Grimmjow was now rushing him. The teen tried to sidestep the attack but the guy had a long reach. Ichigo's next breath was knocked from his lungs as he was tackled like a fucking football player.

Ichigo tried to breathe but it was nearly impossible with the giant man pressing all his weight down on him.

"That's enough."

Ichigo froze and all fight left his body when he saw the flash of a gun. His blood then began to boil as he watched the weapon press against Grimmjow's temple.

Ichigo growled under his breath but didn't struggle as he was pulled to his knees.

"Fine. What now? What the FUCK do you fuckers even want with us?" Grimmjow snapped, seemingly unaffected by the deadly weapon digging into his face.

Jugram glared down at the loudmouthed teen but chose to ignore him and looked towards the door instead–As if he was waiting for something.

Ichigo stared at the house and then glanced up towards the window he'd fallen from. He flinched when he heard a crash. Bazz-B's voice, shouting and swearing, poured out from inside. Then silence consumed the house.

A whole minute passed before the back door finally opened.

Out walked Bazz-B; His face bruised and bloody, and his once majestic mohawk was in complete disarray. He clenched his teeth and growled when he was shoved forward.

A deep frown slowly curled Ichigo's lips as he got a good look at the man walking just behind Bazz-B. He was quite tall and had long black hair that was chaotic and shaggy. The corner of his lips were hidden by an impressive mustache and his eyes were cold and calculating. The most prominent thing about him-and the reason why Ichigo felt so wary-was the fact that he looked strikingly similar to Mugetsu's foster father, Zangetsu.

The strange man pushed Bazz-B until he was standing alongside Ichigo and forced him to his knees. He then motioned for Grimmjow to be placed next to the teen as well. He remained silent and calm until all three were knelt before him.

Ichigo felt his whole body tremble. His heart slammed against his chest, adrenaline pumped through his veins, and fear clutched at his heart because… with the way all three of them were lined up, it felt like they were about to be executed.

"Jugram," the Zangetsu lookalike said in his deep, commanding voice, "your gun."

Jugram handed over his weapon without missing a beat and all three teens tensed when the gun was aimed in their direction. Ichigo cringed and shut his eyes at the sound of footsteps heading straight towards him. When nothing but silence followed, he hesitantly opened his eyes one at a time and the first thing he saw was the man's shiny leather shoes. Ichigo let his chocolate gaze travel up the freshly pleated suit until he could see the man's face.

Ichigo felt like he was the smallest person in the world when he was forced to crane his neck so he could look into those glowing crimson eyes.

The man stared back down at Ichigo for a long moment, just soaking in the teen's features. He scoffed before finally stowing his gun away into the holster inside his suit jacket.

"You look a lot like your mother, but you're as clumsy as your father." The man said, making Ichigo scrunch his face in confusion. This guy knew his parents?

Come to think of it–Ichigo hadn't thought of his mother or father in a long time. He couldn't even remember what they looked like… just that his mother had light hair and a warm smile.

"You're… not going to kill me?" Ichigo dared to ask. As much as he wanted to interrogate this guy about his parents, he decided now wasn't really the best time.

The man chuckled and took a few steps back. "No… Not yet." Ichigo felt fear claw at his insides but he dared not move. His heart felt like it was about to slam right through his chest.

Before the man could continue speaking he was interrupted by the screech of a guitar solo. Ichigo looked down at his pocket to see that Shiro's phone was going off. He didn't dare touch it though. Instead, he looked back up to lock eyes with amused crimson ones.

Once the music finally died, the man resumed speaking, "Do you know my name?" He asked, his eyes never straying from Ichigo's.

"... No."

"Ah… Well that's too bad. My name is Yhwach Juha Ishida. Head of the Quincy household."

"Ishida…?" Ichigo echoed curiously. He knew Getsuga's foster father, Ryuken, also had the same last name 'Ishida'. It couldn't just be a coincidence. And what was that about being head Quincy?

"Yes. I-" The man was once again interrupted by Shiro's loud ringtone. "Grab his phone." Yhwach ordered with a sigh to the lackey on his right. Ichigo shifted uncomfortably when the large man, who had practically squashed him earlier, dug around his pocket to retrieve the device. Ichigo managed to see the screen flash Getsuga before Yhwach turned it off. "Now then… where was I?"

...

"You were just getting ready to apologize and let us go." Bazz-B joked.

Grimmjow snickered while Ichigo looked at the teen like he'd lost his mind. Yhwach didn't seem amused in the least and snapped his fingers. Apparently that was Jugram's signal to punch Bazz-B in the face.

Bazz's smirk never left his face even as blood pooled in his mouth and spilled passed his lips. Silence fell heavily on them when he spat the mouthful of blood at his father's feet, staining his perfectly polished dress shoes.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, assuming Jugram would punch him again but that thought slowly died when the blonde took a few steps back and Bazz-B gave Ichigo a sad smile.

Ichigo didn't understand the true meaning behind that smile until he looked up to see that Yhwach looked absolutely furious. Ichigo quickly glanced back towards Bazz-B, mouth open and ready to call him a dumbass and order him to apologize, but his voice malfunctioned and his eyes went wide when a loud BANG resounded across the yard.

Ichigo watched as Bazz-B, with that damned smile still on his fucking face, fell backwards. Blood sluggishly leaked from the hole in his forehead and soaked straight into his long magenta hair.

"H-Holy shit!" Ichigo stuttered out. He turned to glare up at Yhwach with fiery auburn eyes. "He was your SON! How could you do something like that! What kind of monster are–"

Jugram backhanded Ichigo across the mouth, effectively shutting him up. Instead of retaliating though, Ichigo quickly crawled to Bazz-B's side.

Maybe he can still save him like he did with Shiro!

Ichigo pressed his hands to the sides of Bazz-B's face. His skin was still warm to the touch, but that was quickly fading. Ichigo felt determination pulse through his heart as he tried to think positive. 'I can do this, I can do this,' he chanted in his head.

"Jugram…" Yhwach warned when the blonde was about to pull Ichigo away, "Leave him be."

'Shit shit shit.' Ichigo felt what little hope he had dwindle when Bazz-B still didn't respond. It wasn't working! Ichigo tried to think back to how he saved Shiro. He remembered giving him a kiss… but did he have to? Was that how it worked?

Too engrossed in his thoughts, Ichigo failed to see Yhwach watching him like a hawk. The man waited patiently as Ichigo prodded and held onto Bazz-B–almost as if there was an actual chance to save him.

~You and me baby 'ain't nothin' but mammals!~

All eyes, except Ichigo, turned to Grimmjow when 'The Bad Touch' started playing through his pocket.

~So let's do it like they do on the discovery channel!~

"Would one of you grab that..." Yhwach ordered with a sigh, as if he was bored. Once the phone was in his hand he glanced down and saw that it was flashing the same number that had been calling the previous phone.

Instead of turning it off, Yhwach decided to answer it.

"Hello?"

"... uh… You 'ain't Grimmjow…"

"If you're referring to the boy with blue hair then no–I'm not."

While everyone was distracted by the conversation, Ichigo placed a quick kiss on Bazz-B's lips and waited with bated breath, but the teen was still unresponsive…

"Who da fuck are you? And where's Grimm? And Ichigo! That smurf-fucker better not've ditched him!"

"To who am I speaking?" Yhwach asked, as if he was talking to some dumb telemarketer.

Ichigo could tell that it was Shiro on the line and he really hoped his moronic older brother would shut up before he pissed off the trigger happy asshole. If Yhwach could kill his own son without even batting an eye then lord knew what he'd do to them.

"Listen 'ere, fuckface–" both Grimmjow and Ichigo winced at that, "If I find out you hurt either of 'em, I'm gonna make you fuckin' wish you were dead."

"..." Ywach didn't respond.

Grimmjow and Ichigo–who was still trying to heal Bazz-B–braced themselves for the worst.

"... Heh… Heheh… Huahahaha!" Yhwach laughed and then surprised both teens by tossing the phone back to Grimmjow. The bluenette caught it easily and pressed it to his ear.

"Snowflake! Reaaaally not a good idea man." Grimmjow hissed while staring back and forth between the gun and Bazz-B's lifeless body still leaking next to him. He cringed when he felt the pool of blood finally reach his knees–Not that his jeans weren't already ruined from Shirosaki's blood earlier.

"Mudkip? What the fuck's goin' on?"

"Uhmmm… not really sure I can say…" Grimmjow ventured and raised a brow when Yhwach didn't say anything against it or make a move to stop him.

"Where is Ichigo? Is he okay? I know there's somethin' goin' on-I can tell he's freakin' out right now."

Grimmjow hesitated. He knew he was gonna regret this…

"We're bein' held at gunpoint by Yhwach Ishida and h-"

BANG!

Grimmjow coughed and choked as blood splurted up his throat and dripped down his chin. He lowered his head to watch as the small red spot on his chest grew larger; blood soaked right through his shirt and dripped down to his jeans. The pain and heat was intense and yet Grimmjow managed to flip Yhwach his middle finger before falling.

"No!" Ichigo lunged towards Grimmjow. He managed to catch the larger teen and gently laid him the rest of the way down. Ichigo ripped the bloodied shirt down the middle so he could get a better look at the wound. Blood squirted and gushed from bursted veins but Ichigo didn't even hesitate to place both hands over it to apply pressure. "Grimmjow! Don't you dare fucking die!" Ichigo felt his chest tighten as he watched Grimmjow choke and gag on his own blood.

While Ichigo was trying desperately to keep Grimmjow alive, Yhwach slowly made his way forward. He took his sweet time bending down to retrieve the forgotten phone. He wiped some of the blood off it using Jugram's shirt and then calmly pressed the phone to his ear.

"I hope you heard all of that." Yhwach said while walking circles around Ichigo like a hungry vulture. He didn't receive any kind of response except the hard, erratic breaths that crackled through the speaker. "Now that I have your attention, fuckface... I know that Aizen is watching me right now and I know that he is planning to raid my house to retrieve the boy. Tell both him, and Ryuken, that if they come within 20 feet of this house then I will gladly hand over the boy… piece by piece…" He didn't wait for a response as he hung-up and tossed the phone aside.

Ichigo began to hyperventilate. This was too much! He couldn't handle it! He was going to fucking die!

"Hey…"

Ichigo slowly looked down into deep blue eyes and felt himself gradually relax when he saw that familiar smirk.

"Yeah?" Ichigo asked, feeling hopeful. Maybe his ability was starting to work its magic.

"You not gonna gimme a kiss goodbye?"

Ichigo gritted his teeth and glared down at the teen. "You are not going anywhere," Ichigo snapped but then quickly ducked down to grant the teen's dying wish.

Ichigo ignored the blood that spilt from Grimmjow's lips as he deepened the kiss.

He felt so fucking useless!

"Enough." Yhwach growled, clearly growing impatient. "Bring the boy inside." He directed the order to Jugram, who nodded and bent down to drag Ichigo away, but the orangette was definitely not about to go willingly. While Jugram was busy wrestling Ichigo into the house, Yhwach turned to his bodyguards. "I want one of you to dispose of these bodies and the rest of you to stay posted outside. If you see anything then I want to know immediately." He ordered. When all three nodded, he turned to help Jugram manhandle the hysterical orangette inside.

…

..

.

..

…

Mugetsu gnawed on his lip and could only watch as Shirosaki completely fell apart. He was yelling and snarling and scratching and biting and trying to claw his way out, but Kon and Yoruichi were doing a damned good job blocking his path.

Mugetsu knew that he should probably help calm his younger brother down, but it was hard enough to keep himself calm when he knew what kind of danger Ichigo was in. Even their cousin, Kaien, looked like he was about ready to rip someone's head off. Mugetsu took a quick glance at Byakuya to see that beneath his icy exterior, murderous intent simmered beneath his onyx eyes.

"Get outta my way!" Shirosaki snarled and Mugetsu couldn't help but cringe at the desperation in his voice. This wasn't only about Ichigo; From Shiro's perspective, he was losing two brothers.

"Shiro! Look! I know it's difficult but you have to remain calm!"

"Fuck! You!" Shirosaki spat, teeth bared and nostrils flaring.

It seemed that Yoruichi had run out of patience for Shiro. She let out a frustrated growl and then grabbed the teen by the nape of his neck so she could throw him, face first, into the nearest couch before pinning him down with one elbow pressed into his spine.

"Would you fucking use your head for once, Shiro! Rushing in like that will not only endanger yourself but also Ichigo! If you want him back then you have got to get a hold of yourself!" She tried to reason with the stubborn teen.

"You stupid bitch! Why're you always stoppin' me from gettin' to him!?" Shirosaki roared, making Yoruichi falter long enough for him to roll her off and onto the ground. He quickly climbed over and trapped her with a hand over her throat. He didn't squeeze hard enough to choke her, just enough to make sure she stayed still. "Every fuckin' time! You–" Shirosaki felt the breath rush from his lungs as a leg suddenly flew right into his chest and he was sent soaring back into the couch. Shiro hissed and rubbed at his sternum where a dark bruise was already beginning to form.

"Don't you dare touch her…"

Mugetsu felt his eyebrows raise at how serious Kon sounded. He wanted to feel proud that his younger brother was finally standing up to Shirosaki, but on the other hand... Mugetsu really wanted to help Shiro find Ichigo as soon as possible.

Before Shirosaki could even snarl at Kon, the younger teen was racing towards him. With Yoruichi's help, they managed to wrestle Shiro back down onto the couch. If it wasn't for Kon's unnatural strength, then Shiro probably would've slipped passed them by now.

"Shiro," Kon started, "We're gonna need your help to find Ichigo, but you won't be able to join us if you can't control your temper. How is you gettin' all worked up gonna help anyone?"

At first it didn't seem like Shirosaki had heard anything and continued to struggle with all his might. It took a while, but eventually his thrashes grew weaker and each limb began to feel heavy. He fought until he finally wore himself out and just lay there panting.

Kon pursed his lips and crossed his arms as he knelt to be eye level with his older brother. As much as Shiro scared him, he knew that the teen cared deeply for all of his brothers. He also knew that Shiro's mental connection with Ichigo must make this 10 times harder for him.

Shirosaki took in deep breaths through his nose and locked eyes with Kon until he felt his emotions deflate back to a stable level. Shiro was still livid, of course, but he wasn't about to go on a rampage anymore.

Yoruichi, satisfied that Shiro was back to a reasonable state of mind, slowly backed away.

"Fine." Shirosaki spat before pushing himself up until he was seated comfortably in the leather cushions. "What's the plan then?"

Before Yoruichi could answer, the heavy entrance door opened.

Mugetsu leaned forward and rested his arms across the long, marble bar as he watched Aizen, Ryuken, Gin, and Getsuga come through the door. It was great to see Getsuga up and about, but the cloth patch covering his eye made Mugetsu's stomach twist in both pity and anger.

Just wait until Mugetsu got his hands on the bastard responsible.

It seemed that almost everyone was here now, save Grimmjow, Ichigo, Kisuke and Zangetsu, who, according to Tsukishima, has been MIA ever since he got patched up from his gunshot wounds. Even Mugetsu's foster brother, Tensa, was present and sitting just a few stools away.

Mugetsu took another look around their 'Sanctuary' as the newcomers made their way inside. It was large and there was plenty of room for them to fit comfortably. Couches and cushioned-chairs lined the walls and circled the stage that took up one third of the room. Mugetsu was seated on the opposite side at the bar. There was no bartender but the shelves were lined with different drinks. Not all were alcoholic though-Mugetsu happened to find the espresso machine, much to his delight.

"Aizen…" Yoruichi greeted as she rushed towards said man, "We need to talk. " She didn't bother waiting for a reply as she explained the situation, "Yhwach is back. Shiro was able to get Ichigo on the phone. He has Ichigo and, from the sound of it, Grimmjow was shot. We're not sure of his condition…"

Aizen slowly closed the door as he soaked in the information. He nodded and then flattened the collar of his suit to help keep his emotions under control.

"I see… Then we need to get this meeting done and over with. As much as it pains me to say, our priority right now is Ichigo. We'll get to Grimmjow if the opportunity presents itself. But, knowing the man who has him, that poor kid is already dead." He paused when he heard the chorus of pained gasps and looked to see his other foster children had crowded around him; Nel looked especially mortified by the news but there was nothing he could say to make her feel better. Aizen gently laid a comforting hand against her cheek and thumbed away a stray tear before returning his attention to the others gathered, "Kenpachi and his team are on their way to stake out the house. Yhwach will eventually have to transport Ichigo to the hospital; We still have time, but Ichigo must NOT make it to that hospital. Yhwach can only do so much to the boy without Mayuri and his equipment." Aizen gradually made his way to the middle of the room so he was clearly visible to everyone inside. "I've also received word from Kisuke that Jin Kariya is getting ready to make a move, so we can't stay long. However, before we can go anywhere, there's a few things you all need to know..." Once everyone had settled back down, Aizen motioned to someone who had been hiding behind the stage.

Mugetsu frowned but then smirked when he heard the growls and hisses that erupted across the room. Shirosaki and Getsuga were especially hostile, even jumping up to glare daggers at the man when they finally realized who it was..

"Ginjou." Aizen called, getting the man's attention. "If you'd please…" He then motioned for Ginjou to stand beside him.

Said man slowly lifted his head from the floorboards and hesitated before taking a step forward. Not that Mugetsu could blame him. It was like he was crawling out of the trenches to be surrounded by enemies in a battlefield, and one wrong move could set off a mine.

Ginjou switched his gaze from Aizen to lock eyes with his old friend Tsukishima, but all he received was a blank, emotionless stare.

"Yes?" Ginjou said as he limped his way to the man in charge, his voice rough and gravelly.

"Please repeat to everyone what you told me yesterday after the incident with Ichigo.***"

Ginjou clicked his tongue and narrowed his eyes at the guilt-trip, but nodded nonetheless. "Well.. a few of you already know this, but I never officially adopted Ichigo. I found him in some alley at the edge of Karakura. I didn't know Ichigo was… special. Or maybe I just kept convincing myself that it was just coincidence... Anyway, you see, before I met Ichigo, my wife and I couldn't conceive. But then one night I found Jackie hysterically crying in Ichigo's room. She swore up and down that the kid had 'fixed' her. And it was true-she was actually pregnant." This wasn't really new information for Shiro and Mugetsu, but everyone else seemed quite shocked by the revelation. Ichigo's healing ability was already assumed, but they had no idea that his power could affect others as well.

At this point, Ginjou paused to lock eyes with Tsukishima again. He had never told his friend the whole story of that horrid night, and now he was about to admit it to a whole roomful of people who hated his guts. "Uhm…"

"Go on, Ginjou. No one here is going to act against you and anything you say will not leave this room." Aizen offered quietly while placing a calming hand on his shoulder.

Despite Ginjou's hate for the man putting him in this situation, the reassurance actually seemed to help.

"Yes… Well… You see… The story you heard yesterday wasn't exactly true****... I told you that it was just some guy that was working for his boss and trying to get Ichigo back… But… truth is-

---

Knock. Knock. Knock…

"Honey!" the sweet, melodic voice of his wife, Jackie, rang from upstairs. "Can you get the door!?"

Ginjou raised a brow and shifted on the couch so he could reach the remote.

"Just as this episode was finally gettin' good…" He grumbled under his breath before replying, "Sure thing, bootsie!" With a soft grunt, Ginjou hefted himself from the comfort of his couch. As he shuffled his way towards the door, he paused at one of the front windows to peer through the blinds. From here he had a good view of the front porch and he could see the person standing by the doorway. Unfortunately, they were wearing a long coat and a hood was pulled over their face, so it was impossible to distinguish any features from this angle.

It was drizzling outside, so the hood wasn't suspicious, but Ginjou couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. Ginjou knew to trust his gut, so he quickly went to the hallway closet and pulled one of his guns from the hidden compartment by the doorframe. He chose the semi-auto pistol with a sound suppressor already screwed on. He didn't want to alert his noisy neighbors.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

"Ginjou! The door!" Jackie shouted down the stairs, her voice a little less melodic this time and more of a verbal-smack to his ears.

"I'm on it!" Ginjou yelled back. He didn't want to worry Jackie until he was sure the person outside was an actual threat, because there was always the chance that he was just being paranoid.

Ginjou quickly made sure the gun was loaded before quickly making his way to the door. He unlocked it one bolt at a time and made sure his weapon was hidden securely behind his back before finally pulling it open. Ginjou tried to get a better look at the stranger, but the hood covered half of his face so all he could see was the guy's thin lips and scarred chin. Now that he was up close, Ginjou could safely assume the person was male-or an otherwise very tall and muscular woman with a flat chest. Hey, ya never know.

"Can I help you?" Ginjou asked, trying not to sound too hostile, but his grip on the gun unconsciously tightened when the man chuckled in response.

"Well I sure hope so." Yep, definitely male. His voice was deep and had a sinister edge to it that made Ginjou's skin crawl. Just as he was about to slam the door shut, the stranger finally lifted his head just enough to peer out from under the hood. Ginjou found himself locking eyes with bright crimson irises and he could only watch, mesmerized, as the crimson color began to swirl and change into bright gold. "Now… I would like you to go back inside and bring me the child, Ichigo Kurosaki. You did well to hide him for this long, but I know he's here."

Ginjou practically gasped when he felt his body move of its own accord. It was like his own mind had been shoved to the side and all he could do was watch from the sidelines. He felt like a stranger in his own damn body!

'Stop!' He shouted mentally as he tried to retake control, but a heavy fog was beginning to surround his consciousness. 'STOP!' His mouth couldn't move to form any words, but he knew the bastard could hear him! The fucker just smirked at Ginjou's pathetic attempts to push him aside.

…

Jackie hummed to herself as she reached into the laundry hamper to retrieve the last clean item. She giggled when she realized it was Ichigo's favorite superman shirt. She gently folded it and placed it in the correct drawer before smiling triumphantly. All the laundry was finally done! Now she could relax and put her feet up until it was time to prepare for dinner.

Jackie smiled as she absently rubbed her stomach. Growing a person inside you was more tiring than she imagined; She could barely get through her normal chores around the house anymore. Thankfully little Ichigo was always eager to fetch things for her and Ginjou was normally within earshot in case she needed help—Assuming he wasn't too engrossed in that new stupid series on TV.

"Where is Ichigo?"

Jackie nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice in the doorway. She relaxed when she realized it was only her husband.

"Jeez! You scared the snot out of me!" Jackie hissed playfully, "I didn't even hear you come up the stairs." She smiled up at Ginjou before realizing he'd asked her a question. "Ichigo? He asked if he could go play up in the attic. I told him it was alright as long as he stayed out of your toolboxes." Jackie explained while placing the empty hamper in the corner of the room, "So who was at the door?" She looked up when there was no response. Ginjou didn't even acknowledge her as he turned and started making his way to the unfolded ladder that led to the attic.

Jackie felt her gut twist uneasily. Something wasn't right…

"Ginjou?" She called, but there was still no response… And that's when she noticed the flash of metal in his right hand. "Ginjou… What are doing with a gun?" She hissed urgently, but he still didn't respond.

Something was DEFINITELY wrong.

Jackie rushed forward on frantic feet and quickly unhooked the ladder so that it could fold up and closed the attic door just before Ginjou reached it. She turned to glare at her husband with her arms crossed.

"What in the world are you doing?!" She demanded, only to bristle when he still wouldn't respond. He just stood there, staring at her, face completely void of emotion.

It was unnerving.

Anger turned to confusion and then confusion turned to panic as she watched the gun slowly rise until it was aimed straight at her.

Ginjou felt all his emotions burst forth and he struggled with all his might to pull away-to turn-to run-ANYTHING! He pushed and thrashed and used every ounce of energy he could muster in order to move. Fear, rage, and desperation whipped inside him and burned away at the control that had him mentally cuffed.

'NNOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

His voice finally broke through the heavy fog… but it was too late.

Just before he managed to free himself, the bastard in control had pulled the trigger. The silencer did well to suppress the shot, so the only sound to echo through the halls was the thud of Jackie's body as it dropped to the wooden floorboards.

…

Ginjou saw it all happen.

And he couldn't do a damn thing to stop it.

He couldn't even use his own voice to warn her-to tell her to run and get as far away from him as she could. Ginjou felt his fingers go numb as the weight of the weapon in his hand grew heavy. He let it fall from his grasp, not caring that it landed on its top and bent the scope. Ginjou collapsed to his knees when his whole body shook. He crawled forward slowly and reached out to touch her, but he hesitated. Jackie was still alive but her breaths were shallow; Ginjou could already tell that she only had a handful of breaths left in her, so even if he called the ambulance, she would be gone by the time they'd arrive. Ginjou scooched forward until he could cradle her face in his hands. Jackie's eyelids were beginning to droop, and her skin was already paling from bloodloss.

"Ginj…" She started only to hiss in pain as the bullet in her stomach twisted and turned inside her.

"Shhh, Bootsie… It's okay. You're alright." Ginjou forced himself to choke out as he lightly pet her hair. "Everything's gonna be fine..." His hand shook unsteadily as he placed it over the gushing wound in her stomach, right where their unborn child had been resting peacefully.

"You were always… A terrible liar…" Jackie grinned to reassure him, but all it did was make his heart twist and ache all the more. "Hey…" She reached up slowly and used what little energy she had left to lightly trace the side of Ginjou's face. "Promise me that you'll look after Ichigo… Don't let anything happen to him... "

Ginjou felt his body tense and he closed his eyes with a hiss. "Jackie…" He said in a strained voice. "I…." He couldn't bring himself to continue. His tongue felt heavy and his throat was tight.

"That innocent little boy… doesn't deserve this… Ginjou." She continued only once he finally looked her in the eye, "Promise me."

Ginjou still couldn't find his voice, but he slowly nodded, and that seemed to satisfy her. Jackie breathed deeply through her nose and a tiny smile graced her lips when the last breath left her body. Ginjou reluctantly released her face from between his hands. He sat there and stared at his wife's smiling face until he heard the thud of footsteps making its way up the stairs.

Every emotion that had been swirling and raging inside him died in that instant and a calm settled over his mind. He felt more alert and awake than he'd ever felt before.

Ginjou closed his eyes and took in a deep, calming breath. He waited until he could feel the man's presence behind himself before finally standing to his feet. Ginjou turned to face the man. The hood was gone now and Ginjou could clearly see the snow-white hair, chiseled features, and scarred chin, but Ginjou refused to look him in the eye.

"You have a strong will to break my connection like that…" The man said, his voice deep and bone-chilling, "but it wasn't quite strong enough, was it?" He hummed and nodded towards Jackie's dead body. Ginjou felt his muscles tense, but he forced himself to remain calm. He wasn't going to let this fucker get under his skin.

The mystery man smirked and tilted his head to try and lock gazes with Ginjou, but like hell he was going to fall for that again!

"Gijo! Jackie! The door's closed! I'm stuck!"

Both men snapped their eyes up towards the attic door. Ginjou felt panic rise to his throat when the smirk on the stranger's face grew twice as big.

Ginjou used the distraction to his advantage and charged forward. He was able to grab the man's arm, but the long coat was still slick and wet from the rain. His fingers slipped but Ginjou managed to get between him and the attic door. Ginjou prepared himself and took another calming breath before lunging.

The man was expecting the vengeful attack and quickly side-stepped, thinking Ginjou would go tumbling straight down the stairway, but the ex-agent was one step ahead of him. Using the railing, Ginjou swung himself up and back around so he would collide right into the other male. He was sturdy and Ginjou had to shove with all his might to force him back.

It wasn't until the man's foot slipped in Jackie's blood that Ginjou was finally able to pin him to the floor. He quickly sat on the man's chest and snatched up the gun that he'd dropped earlier. The very same weapon that killed Jackie. Without hesitation, Ginjou placed the blood-soaked muzzle up under the man's chin. He didn't waste even a second before pulling the trigger.

The bullet had gone right through the man's jaw and the shards bounced around inside his skull before splitting the cranium wide open. Muscle sinew and pieces of brain covered the wooden floorboards.

Ginjou felt nothing as he stared down at the bloody mess. Any anger that had been fueling his movements before was gone now and all that was left was this empty feeling.

"J-Jackie…?"

Ginjou blinked when he heard Ichigo's pitiful voice. Then he sighed.

For a brief moment, Ginjou thought of running away and leaving Ichigo behind. And who could blame him? Scary, mind-controlling assholes were after this kid! He was an agent for godsake and he's seen some fucked up shit, but nothing compared to this… this nightmare. Ginjou took a step down the stairs but then frowned when his limbs froze. Jackie's promise echoed in his ears and made his chest ache. He was positive that, in that moment, Jackie would come back as a ghost and make his life a living hell for just THINKING of leaving the boy.

"Fuuuuck..." He snarled under his breath.

Thinking quickly, he slipped into the nearest bedroom and yanked the covers off to drag them out and over the two dead bodies on the ground. He couldn't cover the large pool of blood completely, but it was good enough. He then reached up to yank the rope to the attic door.

Shf

Ginjou felt his whole body jolt and his instincts had him turning instantly with gun up and pointed in the direction of the noise. His eyes widened when he realized it was the sound of the covers. One of the bodies was moving beneath. He dared to hope that it was Jackie and that she was okay and he'd mistaken the severity of her wounds, Because there was no way that man survived a shot like that through the head… Right?

Ginjou let his arms lower slowly as he thought, but then he jumped back a few steps and readjusted his aim when the shifting body sat up. The covers drooped and slipped down to reveal the white-haired stranger. Ginjou's arms shook and he felt actual fear crawl up his spine as he watched the man's head reconstruct itself.

What. The. FUCK!?

Ginjou, in a panicked frenzy, pulled the trigger over and over and over again. He didn't realize he'd ran out of bullets until he finally came back to reality and heard the soft clicks from the chamber. He let the gun slip from his hand once more and felt his heart slam when he could see the man was still healing himself. Without wasting any time, Ginjou practically ripped the rope from the door when he opened the attic and unfolded the ladder. He climbed up just enough for him to peer through the small entrance. He instantly saw Ichigo sitting cross-legged to his right. The kid blinked up at him with wide eyes and then cowered.

"Sorry I got stuck, Gijo…"

Apparently Ichigo thought the heavy breathing and quick movements Ginjou made were because he was angry, so he tried his best to calm himself down, but there was no time to waste.

"C'mon buddy. We've gotta go." He motioned for the kid to come closer so he could carry him down.

Ichigo frowned at that, "But I'm not done reading…" He showed off the superman comic he'd found today.

"It's fine. You can read in the car. You can even have these, but we really have to go now." Ginjou tried to keep the impatience out of his voice as he snatched up the other comics piled to his left. He then grabbed Ichigo and cradled him so that his small head was tucked beneath his chin. He made sure to block the gory sight on the ground with his shoulder as he stepped down the ladder and then made his way to the stairs.

---

"I never got to bury Jackie, but I sent an anonymous call to the police so that she wouldn't just rot there…"

The room grew completely silent as Ginjou's voice faded. Nothing else needed to be said, and he felt that he'd shared enough.

"Holy shit…"

Shirosaki glanced to his right when he heard Nel's soft, horror-stricken whisper. She was right, it was absolutely horrible and it made sense why Ginjou had eventually snapped, but Shirosaki wasn't ready to pity the man. He was still the asshole that laid his hands on Ichigo.

"Thank you, Ginjou. You can have a seat now." Aizen said while patting said man's shoulder. Ginjou huffed and shrugged off the hand before limping his way towards the bar. Everyone quietly moved out of his way and didn't say a word as he circled the bar. Once he was close enough, Ginjou reached for the nearest bottle of whiskey. He didn't look up and see the pity on Tsukishima's face until he had made his way to the kitchen door.

Ginjou narrowed his eyes at his old friend and purposefully pried the bottle open to take a nice long swig before finally breaking eye contact. Without a sound, and without a single glance back, he disappeared into the kitchen, the door slamming shut behind him.

Shirosaki tilted his head side to side when he felt the tension in his neck and shoulders. He was anxious and tired of waiting around. While Ginjou was telling his whole sob story, Ichigo's been with this Yhwach guy, having god-knows-what done to him. Shiro looked over to Mugetsu and was glad to see that he wasn't the only one growing impatient.

"So Ichigo has healing powers?" Of course Kon was the one to break the heavy silence that clung to the air.

Aizen nodded, "So it would seem. It's a little different than we anticipated, but we'll get back to that at a later time. I want to go ahead and explain why Ginjou's story is important. The man he encountered is very dangerous. His name is Jin Kariya." At this Shiro and Mugetsu locked eyes knowingly. "We don't have time to discuss the details, but I am going to hand out a device to each of you. You press the switch on the side and place it in your ear. Kisuke invented it to cancel out Jin's control." Aizen explained as he started passing out the small earpieces. He walked around the room to help some people make sure it was turned on.

"How do we know they'll work?" Tensa asked as he eyed the device suspiciously. Mugetsu shrugged as he adjusted the piece in his ear so it wasn't poking him.

"I was under some kind of hypnosis earlier today but Kisuke used a machine to snap me out of it. If he's the one who made these, then I'd imagine they work fine." Byakuya added helpfully. Mugetsu and Tensa both looked to see that the man already had the piece in and was leaning over the bar.

"You were attacked like Ginjou? Was it the same guy?" Mugetsu blurted without thinking, but Byakuya didn't seem to mind the questioning.

"Yes, it was Jin Kariya. But it didn't happen the same way… I actually couldn't see anything. It was like I was wearing a thick bag over my head. I couldn't really hear anything either." Byakuya explained as he thought back to that void he'd been thrown into. "I couldn't imagine having to witness what that horrible man forced me to do with my own hands."

Tensa placed the device in his ear without another thought as he imagined himself going through something like that. "So what you're saying is that Jin let him watch everything on purpose?" Byakuya closed his eyes as he nodded once.

"That sick, sadistic, piece of-" Mugetsu's angry rant was cut short when Aizen finally got back to the middle of the room and addressed the group.

"Now that everyone has the earpiece, I need your attention." He waited until all eyes were on him before continuing, "Yoruichi, Gin, Byakuya, Tsukishima, Moe, Kaien, and Ryuken. Please come with me. We have to leave now to get Ichigo. We're out of time." The mentioned people stood to their feet and began walking forward.

"Hold up! There's no way you're leaving without us!" Shirosaki snapped and lunged forward with Getsuga right on his heels. The twins both looked livid.

"No!" Aizen's voice boomed, freezing Shiro in his tracks and forcing Getsuga to bump into him, almost making them trip forward. "We are not taking any more risks. You're here now, so I expect you to stay here." He frowned when he saw the rebellious gleam in his foster child's inverted eyes.

"Shirosaki can tell you exactly where Ichigo is. So wouldn't he be useful?" Mugetsu stood up for his brother, hoping that he could at least convince them to take Shiro if not all of them.

"We know where he is thanks to you boys, but you're not coming with us."

"But Ma said we could!" Kon moved to stand beside his brothers. Aizen raised a brow at Yoruichi when she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Kon… This was before I knew the extent of the situation. Just hang tight and we'll be right back with Ichigo, okay?"

Mugetsu pressed forward with his arms crossed. "We're not just going to sit around when our family is in trouble."

Aizen released a small sigh before glancing at his comrades. He saw the worried and reluctant looks on their faces and tightened his frown before addressing the Kurosaki children, "Then you leave us no choice."

.

..

...

TBC

…

..

.

Dun! Dun! DUNNNN!

Longest… fucking… chapter… EVER.

And I know it was a little dry compared to the last chapter, but there was a lot of information to sort through.

Pretty much everything that's happened in this story is connected, so I referenced A LOT of the previous chapters in this one and because it's been a while between updates (sry about that)... I listed the chapters mentioned in case you wanted a refresher without having to read the whole damn story again xD haha.

* Ch.22: If you'd like to refresh on what exactly the documents said, it's found around halfway through the chapter in italics

** Ch.21: In case you guys wanted to reread what Shirosaki is talking about It's in the beginning

*** Ch.17: About halfway is when Ginjou and Ichigo duke it out.

**** Ch.10 Ginjou is referencing the conversation near the end of the chapter.