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

26. Ch25: That Self Sacrificing Idiot!

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.

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

Star Brothers

Chapter25: That Self-Sacrificing Idiot!

Mugetsu – 21 years old

Shirosaki – 18 years old

Getsuga – 18 years old

Kon – 15 years old

Ichigo – 15 years old

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Crimson eyes, hooded in boredom, watched as Ichigo continued to thrash against the restraints keeping him glued to the folding metal chair. Yhwach said nothing as he let the teen wear himself out. It took longer than expected—but that was to be expected; Knowing who this boy's parents were, he'd be surprised if Ichigo ever stopped.

"Stubborn…Emotional… abrasive… Troublesome…" Yhwach listed under his breath just loud enough to catch the teen's attention. Ichigo paused to send the man a seething glare before resuming his useless struggle.

Jugram, who had been quietly judging from a distance, brushed a long strand of blonde hair from his face with an impatient huff. "Father," He waited until Yhwach locked eyes with him before continuing, "Do we really have the time for this? Kenpachi is already here and-" His voice died in his throat when crimson eyes narrowed but Yhwach said nothing as he returned his attention to the hysterical orange-haired brat sitting before them. They had managed to strap his wrists to the armrests with thick leather belts and, to be safe, they also tied his ankles together but Ichigo seemed convinced that he could somehow flex and bust out. Yhwach waited for another long minute before a sigh managed to slip through his frowning lips.

Perhaps Jugram was right, time was of the essence.

"Ichigo."

Said teen didn't seem to hear him, or refused to acknowledge him—either reason being enough to irritate the man.

Clkk.

That finally seemed to get Ichigo's attention. Chestnut orbs peeked open and then widened when he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. The same gun that had just killed Bazz-B and Grimmjow.

With that thought, Ichigo's glare returned with force and all fear evaporated from his expression. Just to prove that this man didn't scare him, Ichigo pressed forward until the gun was digging into his forehead.

A tiny smirk quirked at the corner of Yhwach's lips and Ichigo could've sworn the man almost seemed… proud. The smirk remained, even as he lowered his hand and turned the safety switch back on the weapon. "Now then…" He placed the gun gently on the glass table to his right before bringing his hands together. Long fingers laced together to cradle his chin as he leaned forward. "If you're quite finished-" Before Ichigo could continue struggling out of spite, Yhwach continued, "I'll make you a deal."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes but stayed quiet to show that he was listening.

"Our transportation won't be here for another 30 minutes… If you can keep a lid on your emotions then I will answer any questions you have." Crimson eyes flashed and the small smirk spread victoriously when Ichigo actually sagged into the chair. "After everything that's happened in the last 36 hours... you must be teeming with questions," Yhwach added when it looked like Ichigo was still debating.

"Tch…" Ichigo gritted his teeth and yanked his wrists up in one last attempt to escape before finally relenting. "Fine," He growled.

Yhwach, satisfied, let himself fall back against the cushions of his expensive leather sofa. He folded his hands atop his lap before giving Ichigo his undivided attention. "Excellent. Now ask your questions."

The glare was back on Ichigo's face, but he kept his voice neutral as he asked, "Why did you have to kill them…?"

"Hm?" Yhwach lifted a hand to inspect his nails. "Kill who?"

Ichigo felt anger bubble and boil inside his chest at how nonchalant this man was being.

"Grimmjow! And Bazz-B—Your SON!?" Ichigo tried to keep the anger bottled up, he really did—but Yhwach frowned at the hiss directed at him. "For fuckssake! You killed your own flesh and blood!"

The man in question raised a dark brow but otherwise remained unfazed.

"You are a very emotional boy… I can see why you don't have full control over it yet."

"What…?" Ichigo blanched, but then he shook his head, "Don't change the subject, asshole. You said you'd answer my questions!"

"Correction: I said I would answer your questions when you've calmed yourself."

Jugram resisted the urge to roll his eyes when he saw the amusement simmering beneath his father's flippant attitude. Yhwach was taking too much pleasure in pressing this teen's buttons. Although… Jugram could understand the appeal. He smirked when steam practically rose from bright orange hair, then he felt a small rush of arousal at the sight of tan skin flushed pink; as if anger was literally boiling the blood beneath it. But then Jugram's smirk flipped to a frown when his gut clenched in worry.

Worry!?

Jugram never cared for anyone except his father, but now all of a sudden he was feeling sympathy well up in his chest. He even had the urge to release the teen when he saw the leather of the belt bite at Ichigo's skin. Emotions that Jugram never even knew how to feel ten minutes ago were rushing through him.

While Jugram was trying to keep a straight face during his mini breakdown, another minute passed before Ichigo managed to finally get a hold of himself. He released a long breath and locked eyes with shining crimson before nodding to the man. Yhwach hummed but then nodded in return.

"I killed the blue-haired boy to prove a point and I killed Bazz-B because he made it clear that he would just get in my way. I tolerated his insubordination long enough."

Ichigo's face scrunched in confusion and he had to focus on keeping the anger out of his voice, "'Insubordination'...? You make it seem like he was just an employee and not your son…"

"Sharing blood is no excuse for betrayal. That boy has been nothing but a disappointment since he was born. His mother was no better." Yhwach waved a hand dismissively and shrugged as if that answered everything.

"But—"

"Enough about that labrat. You only have 20 more minutes, Ichigo. I would use this time wisely…" Yhwach leaned to the side and rested his chin in a palm as he crossed his legs. He looked like the epitome of boredom which only served to piss Ichigo off more. "After all, this might be your last chance to have the answers you want…"

He had a point.

"I..." Ichigo racked his brain as a million questions suddenly pressed forward. His gaze then began to wander as he tried to think of what to ask first. He locked eyes with Jugram, who was leaning back against the exit from what he could only assume was a basement/lab. Ichigo quickly looked away when the blonde raised a brow expectantly at him and swallowed the lump in his throat. He looked back around, only stopping when something finally caught his eye. Ichigo looked over at the table where Yhwach's gun rested ominously and then behind the weapon where a picture frame stood.

A familiar tingle itched at the corner of Ichigo's memory and it took him a moment to realize it was the same picture he'd seen at Bazz-B's party; The one with Yhwach and his siblings when they were younger. Knowing what he knew now, he realized the dark haired teen with the sunglasses must have been Zangetsu while the boy with silver hair bore a striking resemblance to Getsuga's foster father, Ryuken.

Ichigo felt himself deflate and his gaze softened when he got a good look at the girl smiling in the photo. It was unmistakable now. Why didn't he see it before?

"Is that… my mom?" He had to be sure.

Yhwach glanced to see what had caught the teen's attention and felt his lips tug into a frown.

"Yes… Masaki Ishida."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Ishida… So she's really your sister?!" Both Jugram and Yhwach winced at the high-pitched squeal of metal against linoleum when Ichigo pushed himself as far as he could from the man, nearly toppling the chair over in his haste. "You're my UNCLE?!" Ichigo didn't even wait for a reply, "Then that means Bazz-B was my cousin? And Zangetsu is your twin…? And so he's also my uncle. And Ryuken as well?"

"Yes." Yhwach answered, "I think we've established how the family tree works."

Ichigo was about to start another rampage, but he quickly shook off the emotions. He looked down at his lap and tried to bottle up his temper but it was hard to focus.

He had so many things he wanted to ask about their family, but he also knew he was on a time limit and there were other things bothering him.

"What…" Ichigo paused as he thought of how best to word his next question. "Does… Is… Well-Uhm... Am I… the key to immortality?"

Yhwach's lips spread as the smirk grew and Ichigo felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Now we're getting somewhere."

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"Don't you trust us to get Ichigo back?" Yoruichi was the first to break the tension. Her golden eyes were wide and pleading as she locked gazes with Kon. Usually the boy would be the first to agree with her, but he seemed hesitant.

All eyes switched to Shirosaki when he scoffed.

"I don't trust a single goddamn one a' ya!" He snarled, teeth bared and inverted eyes narrowed. "Grimmjow said they were being held at gunpoint by Yhwach Ishida." He noticed how Ryuken seemed to deflate but Aizen placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"This isn't the time, Shiro. All will be explained soon, but you have to be patient." Aizen said with finality, hoping that would be the end of the discussion. He even turned on his heel and motioned for his team to follow as he started towards the exit.

Shirosaki felt his blood boil and his face burn with frustration. "FUCK YOU!" Shirosaki took a step forward with a sneer, his speech suffering the more pissed off he became, "You've 'ad 10 YEARS ta tell me the truth! I'm sick a' bein' patient! For all we know you guys're the ones after Ichigo! Tell me—would ya've bothered ta adopt any a' us if ya knew where Ichigo was first!?" He shouted while motioning towards himself and then to his foster siblings who were silently watching everything unfold from the sidelines. Shiro stood his ground when serious, chestnut eyes snapped towards him.

Instead of answering, however, Aizen merely frowned and turned to Gin. He nodded towards the silver-haired man and then continued out of the building without a single word. He was followed closely by Ryuken, Tsukishima, and Moe while Kaien, Yoruichi, and Byakuya followed a little more reluctantly. Byakuya even gave Mugetsu's shoulder a reassuring squeeze as he passed, but the younger refused to meet his gaze. Mugetsu was just as frustrated as his siblings.

The brothers wanted to follow, but Gin had placed himself right in front of the door with his arms crossed as if to say 'If you want to get out then you'll have to get passed me'.

Shirosaki felt his temper explode and he charged towards the door, determined to go with them whether they liked it or not. Getsuga was right on his heels, encouraging the older twin.

"Wait!" Mugetsu called when he saw Gin reach into his suit jacket, but it was too late. With that creepy smile still planted on his face, Gin pulled out two round objects and threw them to the ground. Smoke immediately filled the room, clouding their vision and nearly suffocating them. Mugetsu pulled his shirt over his face to try and block out the smoke, but it was no use. The only one unaffected was Getsuga but all he could do was watch as, one by one, his brothers collapsed to their knees, hands over their faces as they coughed uncontrollably.

'Fuck.'

It was frustrating not being able to help. He watched with fists clenched as everyone else in the room also began to collapse. By the time the smoke dissipated completely, Getsuga and Gin were the only ones left standing.

"Oooo… Scary~" Gin cooed when Getsuga sent a seething glare towards him. His single gold eye flashed as the teen shifted and then lunged at the man. Gin dodged the punch aimed at his cheek and ducked towards the left. Getsuga turned to keep track of the man, but Gin was doing a good job of staying on his blind side. Frustrated, Getsuga lunged to swing again but regretted it immediately when he realized Gin was waiting for it. He hissed in pain and choked on his next breath when he was swept off his feet and slammed into the ground. The bulletwound in his shoulder screamed in protest when his arm was twisted behind his back. He snarled as a knee dug into his tailbone and tried to claw at the man's leg so he could roll over. He pulled and thrashed and fought to free himself, not caring that his wounds were bleeding once more. Getsuga ignored the throbbing where his face had been mutilated and kept struggling even when he felt his shoulder tear.

Gin frowned as he struggled to hold the teen down. He leaned heavily on the boy to keep him still but paused when he noticed the blood. It dripped and pooled on the floorboards, staining the wood crimson.

"You boys would really die for him, wouldn't you?" Gin mumbled with a long sigh, but Getsuga ignored him. With another sigh, Gin finally put the poor teen out of his misery by grabbing his throat. Getsuga's eye widened when he thought the man was about to strangle him, but Gin only applied enough pressure around the sides to cut off his circulation. Getsuga was unconscious within seven seconds.

Gin slowly stood to his full height and then looked up to find himself staring into bored grey eyes.

"You mind helpin' me move them?" Gin asked with that smile still on his face, but it shrunk when Ginjou ignored him only to turn and grab another bottle from the bar's topmost shelf. He took a nice long swig of it before disappearing back into the kitchen.

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"SHIT!" Ichigo gritted his teeth and suppressed the urge to scream as the knife that had just stabbed through his leg twisted. Without even a hint of sympathy, Yhwach removed the blade and then wiped the serrated metal against Ichigo's borrowed shorts to clean it of any blood. He inspected the knife before reholstering it within his jacket. Lord knew how many other weapons he had hidden away.

"W-why?" Ichigo choked on his next breath as pain lanced up his leg.

"To observe." was all Yhwach said and then he watched, fascinated, as the deep gash stitched itself back together slowly. "Hmmm…" Yhwach leaned forward to peer closer.

Ichigo winced as the wound throbbed one last time before healing completely.

Before yesterday, wounds like that would've taken a whole day to heal, but Ichigo wasn't willing to divulge that kind of information. He still wasn't sure what exactly this man was after.

"You still haven't answered my question… about immortality."

Yhwach settled himself back into the couch before replying, "I wanted to be sure it was truly you first, Ichigo…" He motioned to where he'd just stabbed the boy but all that was left behind was a small splatter of blood. "But in short—yes. You are the key to immortality."

Ichigo felt like the ground beneath him tilted and his vision spun. "W-what…? How?"

"To save on time I will give you the short version: Your… power… If you would like to call it that—is the result of a scientific breakthrough that we encountered while trying to discover a cure for my illness." When Ichigo still looked lost, Yhwach realized he'd probably have to explain with much more detail, "You might not know this, but heart diseases run in our family. I was born with Barth Syndrome: a degenerative disease that weakens your heart and shortens your lifespan. Surgery didn't work and no amount of medicine could help, and it was getting progressively worse. My sister—your mother, Masaki… She volunteered to test our most recent success at the time: Hero Project 2.0. For some reason the project stayed dormant inside her, never activating until it passed to you and your brothers. It would seem each of you only received a small portion of the vaccine though." He paused when it looked like Ichigo was getting a little overwhelmed by the information. But before he could ask anything else, Yhwach continued, "Due to an incident caused by your father, our previous lab was destroyed. The only traces left of our discovery were Ryuken's personal notes and Masaki herself."

A long silence followed the story as Ichigo willed his brain to catch up.

"So…" Ichigo began. Words came to him slowly as they scrambled and fought over which should go first. "You were able to recreate the Vaccine then..?"

Yhwach clicked his tongue in irritation as he answered, "Think boy—would I go to all these lengths to capture you if I did? No. Ryuken's notes were only enough to create half of it. And… Masaki ran away with Isshin the night the lab burned down. She betrayed her own brothers for that… that..." Yhwach snapped his jaw shut and readjusted his collar to help compose himself. He then took a quick look at the silver watch on his wrist, eyes narrowing at the time. "You have 6 minutes left. Be quick."

Ichigo blinked and gritted his teeth in frustration. There were too many mysteries… and too much information being held back because of the time restraints.

"So that's why you need me? To complete the other half of the vaccine?"

Yhwach nodded while waving a hand dismissively. "Yes, yes. Your portion of the vaccine is the last piece to the puzzle. You see, you're not immune to death without the entire project. You, by yourself, aren't completely immortal—Granted, you heal much faster than most subjects I've seen before, but I assume it's due to your level of emotions."

Ichigo felt his face scrunch in confusion, "What do you mean?" He also wanted to ask about the other 'subjects' that were tested on to see if it had anything to do with those poor mutated animals he'd seen at Mayuri's lab—but there just wasn't time for that.

Yhwach leaned forward and almost seemed excited at a chance to explain his creation.

"Your power isn't magic, my dear boy. There are scientific explanations to it all—your healing is based on chemical reactions from your own body. Thus the importance of containing your emotions."

"I don't understand.. what—"

"When you're happy, a natural chemical called Serotonin floods your brain. It's what gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling inside." Jugram, who was still silently watching from the door, rolled his eyes at the way his father explained, as if he were talking to a ten year old.

"The Serotonin combines with the vaccine and is released through various means. If you're depressed or… unmotivated, then it lowers Dopamine levels—which is what slows or stops your power all together."

"Huh…" Ichigo sunk back into the chair in thought. That could explain why his healing drastically changed after reuniting with his brothers. He'd been depressed the last 11 years without them, not including the brief moments of happiness with Renji or even Jackie.

"And feelings like…" Yhwach shrugged as he waved a hand around carelessly, "excitement or... love… they raise Serotonin, Dopamine, and Oxytocin levels. I won't know what kind of reaction they cause until we get you back to the lab to test your full potential." Yhwach watched with interest as Ichigo's expression turned sour and the hard glare was back on his face.

Ichigo had to swallow the angry lump in his throat before speaking, "You mean that lab at the hospital? Where that psycho scientist is?"

"The hospital will be the first place Aizen and the others look—so no, we won't be going there. You'll be taken somewhere else." Yhwach took another look at his watch as he continued answering, "And if you're referring to Dr. Mayuri, then yes. You'll be seeing him again shortly."

"Why are—"

"Time's up, Ichigo…"

Chestnut eyes widened and Ichigo felt his fists clench, "But—" he snapped his mouth shut and reeled in his temper. He saw how Yhwach noticed the effort and actually paused.

"My, my. Fast learner, aren't you?" The man let a small smile play at his lips and he motioned for the teen to speak. "Fine. One last question."

Ichigo frowned so deep it looked more like a pout, but he stayed quiet as he skimmed through all the questions in his head until one finally stood out to him.

"Is my father dead…?"

Fleeting memories of that night where everything happened were starting to piece themselves together. The night his whole world was turned upside down. He could recall Yoruichi's face. She was the police woman who told them about their mom being dead and how they would be living with Kaien and then in an orphanage if their father wasn't found.

Ichigo felt his skin crawl when he heard a dark chuckle. His chin was then grabbed by a hand with skin so soft that it made goosebumps erupt across Ichigo's own tanned flesh. He was forced to look straight at the most sinister smirk he'd ever seen.

"No. Your father's not dead."

"Then—"

"Tell you what," Yhwach interrupted while standing to his feet and then finally releasing Ichigo's face, "Come to the lab with us willingly and I will answer every little question until you are satisfied." When defiance still sparked behind that chestnut gaze, he added, "I'll even call off the search for your brothers and cancel their bounties. The Kurosaki hunt would be over—no more hiding."

That seemed to make the orangette deflate. Yhwach let a small victorious smile crawl across his face when Ichigo looked away with a sigh of defeat. His fists clenched in frustration and he tugged at the restraints, but nodded nonetheless.

Jugram finally moved from his spot when his father motioned to Ichigo's restraints. The blonde quickly undid the belts, only pausing when he saw how raw and scratched the boy's wrists were, but then they were healed before he even finished blinking. This power really was quite remarkable; Jugram could see now why his father was so hellbent on finding it.

He helped Ichigo to his feet and remained by his side in case the teen decided to run.

Ichigo's first instinct was to bolt for the door, but then an image of Shirosaki bleeding to death on the school's floor flashed across his mind. White, porcelain skin splashed with crimson just like the cold tiles he lay on. His brother's chest rises and then falls, rises, falls, but then doesn't come back up...

KNOCK KNOCK

Ichigo was popped out of his morbid thoughts and all three turned towards the door.

"Sir!" A voice called "You should REALLY come see this!"

Yhwach didn't reply to whoever was on the other side. He just stared at the exit for a few seconds, seemingly contemplating something. Before Jugram could interrogate his father, the man quickly headed towards Ichigo.

The sudden movement made him tense and the teen had to force himself not to take a step back.

"I need your assurance that you are choosing to come with us."

Ichigo frowned and took a look towards the exit. With Jugram not leaning against it, the way out looked so easy. He could just walk away right now, find Byakuya, and then spend time with his long-lost brothers.

But for how long…?

This man, if you could really call him that, obviously wasn't giving up. He was allowing Ichigo a choice today—in this moment—for whatever reason—but Ichigo could already tell that this… monster's patience was already beginning to wear thin.

And then who would be his first target to reach Ichigo? How many of his brothers would get shot and/or killed before Yhwach finally got what he wanted..?

Ichigo would rather skip that part entirely.

"If you swear to leave my brothers alone for good then I'll say yes."

Yhwach kept his face void of emotion, even the smirk was gone from his face as he nodded. "With you by our side then I have no further use for them. But if it will make you feel better, then I swear to leave your brothers alone."

Ichigo's lips pursed as he stared the man down, but all he could do was hope and trust that Yhwach would keep his word.

"It's a deal then…"

He really fucking hoped he wasn't making a mistake.

Yhwach closed his eyes and when they opened back up, instead of crimson irises, Ichigo found himself staring into the same golden color that three of his brothers shared. He felt a small bit of comfort in that thought before his vision went dark and his subconscious was forced to the back of his mind.

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BAM!

BAM!

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Huff… huff…

BAM!

"Kon! Knock it off already!"

BAM!

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Bleary, black on gold eyes blinked open slowly.

"What the hell! Is this door made of mythril?!"

BAM!

"The fuck…?" Shirosaki rolled to his side, vision still blurry as he pushed himself to his knees. He rubbed at his eyes and continued to blink until his surroundings cleared.

BAMM!

Shiro raised a brow when he finally turned to see what the hell was going on. First thing he noticed was Kon. The teen was crouched in the middle of the room and staring straight towards a large metal door. Mugetsu stood off to the side with a look of exasperation, but he didn't lift a finger to stop Kon as the teen bolted forward and jumped so that both his feet connected with the door.

BAM!

But all it did was add another dent to the misshapen mess it had become.

Kon shouted in frustration when the door remained standing and then slammed his fists against the metal, but still nothing happened.

Mugetsu shook his head and sighed when Kon slowly slid to his knees and leaned his sweating forehead against the object of his frustration.

"How long've you guys been up?" Shirosaki rasped, catching their attention. Kon perked up at his voice but then resumed his moping, while Mugetsu rushed to his side to check up on him.

"Kon was the first to wake up and he's been at it for 15 minutes now. So we weren't out for too long…" Mugetsu frowned as he inspected Shiro's face. "How are you feeling?"

"Pissed off." Was the albino teen's instant reply. He looked passed Mugetsu to the windows that lined the left wall. Most of them were cracked and dented on the surface but were still intact. Out of curiosity, Shiro went to stand up and peer through the glass, but his legs still felt wobbly and he about fell on his face. Mugetsu caught him before he could fall and helped his younger sibling stand.

"Where's Getsu..?" Shirosaki asked once he was completely on his feet, but his question was answered when he finally got a good look through the webbed cracks in the window.

Laying facedown on a table was his unconscious twin. His shirt was gone and they could clearly see the stitched up wound on his shoulder. Blood was smeared across his back and arms, but the wound itself was clean—meaning it had been worked on recently. Shiro could only imagine how much that must hurt, so it was probably good that Getsuga wasn't awake to feel it.

"Why's he out there?"

Mugetsu shrugged but then it was Kon that actually had an answer.

"When I first woke up, Gin was restitching his injury. I don't think he wanted to move Getsuga in here since I was awake cuz I might try to escape." Kon didn't turn away from the door as he continued, "I tried to ask him questions, but he just ignored me…"

"This is fucked." Shiro hissed under his breath, but what could they do? "You tried breaking the glass?" He asked while jabbing a thumb towards the cracked window.

"Won't break… bulletproof I guess—Could even be made of Anti-Kon material for all I fuckin' know." Kon snipped, obviously frustrated. "How could they take us out so easily—aren't we supposed to be the ones with the badass powers!? And what was with the orbs Gin had?! How much smoke could even fit in those little things?"

Silence consumed the room for the next few minutes while each Kurosaki tried to think of something—anything useful they could do.

"...I just wish I knew if Ichigo was okay…" Mugetsu whispered but the others heard him clearly in the empty room; There weren't even any chairs or blankets to sit on.

Shirosaki shifted and tucked a palm under his chin in thought. Maybe he could try and reach Ichigo mentally?

Mugetsu and Kon watched as Shirosaki stretched his arms and legs real quick before laying down on his back. He closed his eyes and focused his thoughts purely on his little brother.

But nothing came to him.

"What…?"

It was strange. Not even Mugetsu or Kon were showing up. Everything was blank.

"My power is… gone?" Shirosaki felt a small bit of panic rise in his chest before it was replaced by anger.

"Hold up," Mugetsu waved his hand to get Shiro's attention before the teen blew up, "Take out that earpiece Aizen gave us. If it can block Kariya's mental abilities then it might suppress yours too." He explained in a calming voice.

Shirosaki took a moment to breathe before practically ripping the device from his ear. He glared at the tiny thing, wondering if Aizen and Urahara, who had created it, knew that it would negate his own powers, but he paused when he realized he still couldn't feel his brothers.

"I still can't—..." A lump of emotion caught in his throat and his voice died mid sentence, but Kon and Mugetsu knew what he was trying to say.

"Then I don't know… it could've been the drug smoke that Kon mentioned, but then wouldn't our powers be gone too?" Mugetsu hummed to himself in thought, "or maybe it's this room. It's possible they used the same technology from the ear pieces but just made a larger version?"

"DING DING DING! We haaaave a winner."

All eyes snapped to the window to see Ginjou Kugo in all his drunken glory; cheeks flushed pink and a stupid grin was on his face. He leaned heavily against the glass while nursing a large bottle of absinthe—which only had a few shots left inside.

"The fuck do you want?" Kon snapped and nearly rolled his eyes at the pout he received.

"Wellllllll, I was gonna letchya outta 'ere, but now I'm thinkin—"

"YES! Sorry! Nonono—please let us out." Kon immediately begged while pressing his face and hands to the window.

"Ha!" Ginjou snorted then he took a finger and poked it where Kon's nose was pressed against the glass, making golden eyes cross. "Boop!"

Kon jumped back and then looked to his brothers in disbelief while gesturing to the overly intoxicated man with arms and fingers stretched out. Mugetsu and Shiro seemed just as confused at the behavior.

"Ginjou..? What are you doing here?" The voice was slightly muffled since it came from Ginjou and Getsuga's side of the glass, but it still caught everyone's attention.

The man in question had to turn all the way around and he frowned when he saw Gin Ichimaru standing in the open archway leading out of the room.

"Ah… just seein' how the kiddos are doin'." He shrugged, but Gin didn't seem to believe a word. "They might be gettin' hungry, don'tcha shink?" Ginjou's lips were beginning to drag behind, slurring his words.

"Mhmm… They should be fine until Aizen returns." Before Ginjou or the brothers could argue, Gin continued, "Plus! I'm about to finish dressin' Getsuga's injury."

Ginjou stepped forward, a little wobbly but still standing, "I'll help." He practically burped the words as he bent to place the bottle down by his boot clad feet.

Gin looked like he wanted to protest, but he relented when Ginjou gently lifted the unconscious teen and rotated him so that Gin could wrap the bandages around his entire shoulder and torso.

"Is this the kinda weird, creepy shit that Ichigo had to deal with? I'm surprised he didn't just run away from the asshole or SOMETHIN'." It was actually Kon who hissed that under his breath but Shirosaki and Mugetsu were both thinking the exact same thing.

"What a trainwreck…" Mugetsu added with a small sigh.

Gin finished the final layer of gauze and taped it down. He double checked the wrapping to make sure it wasn't pinching the teen's armpit before nodding in approval. Gin then looked up to thank Ginjou for his help, but the playful smirk he found dancing across the drunken man's face made his ever present smile drop.

Shirosaki, Mugetsu, and Kon pressed forward until their noses were smushed up against the glass and watched with bated breath as Ginjou pushed their unconscious brother forward suddenly. Getsuga would've fallen straight to the floor if Gin didn't move forward to catch him in time.

While the silver-haired man was busy trying to readjust Getsuga onto the table, Ginjou quickly snatched up the bottle from the floor and clonked it over the unsuspecting man's head. The bottle was thick and sturdy, so it didn't break on impact like you'd see in the movies, but it was still effective.

Gin was out cold and Mugetsu winced in pity when the man's head collided with the table before falling to the floor. Ginjou quickly moved forward to make sure Getsuga didn't go down with Gin and gently shifted the teen until he was laying flat.

"Yes! Awesome!" Kon cheered with somewhat forced enthusiasm, because he still hated the guy but was glad to see Gin get what was coming to him. When Ginjou didn't turn, Kon slapped at the window. "Now can you let us out?!"

Ginjou hummed and locked eyes with Kon before looking up at the white painted ceiling for a while… he seemed to be debating his options, but then he was up and out of the room just as Kon was about to start another round of begging.

For a split second the brothers thought Ginjou had just abandoned them but that thought vanished when they heard a soft hiss of a lock and turned to see the metal door open.

Well… it opened as much as it could. The dents from Kon's attacks kept it from sliding all the way; it managed to crack open just enough for them to squeeze through.

"Dammit Kon…" Shiro whacked said teen across the head once they made it through.

"Stoppppp hittingg meeee!" Kon whined while rubbing the sore spot.

"Tha's what Ichigo'd say." Ginjou cracked a laugh at the hate-filled glares he received for that unexpectedly dark joke and swigged the last of his drink before chucking it. It clattered loudly against the tiles and the neck of the bottle broke off on the second bounce. "What? Too soon?" This time a smirk accompanied the words and Mugetsu had to put a hand on Shiro's shoulder to keep him from attacking.

"Ginjou… we appreciate you letting us out, but don't think we've forgiven you for the things you put Ichigo through." Mugetsu spoke calmly but with a fierceness behind each word.

Shirosaki, on the other hand… "Yeah ya fucker! You can take your sob story n' shove it!" He snapped while slapping Mugetsu's hands away, "There will never be a good enough excuse for layin' a fuckin' finger on him!"

Ginjou had the decency to at least look guilty as he shrunk away from the glares.

"You're right…" The man nodded his agreement, which made the brothers back off a little. "Ya better get goin' then." Ginjou paused as he dug inside his coat pocket, "If Kariya or Yhwach really getta hold a' Ichigo… from what I heard, what they'd do ta 'im would probably make my beatin's look like I was givin'm hugs." Kon jumped when something was suddenly tossed at him but he caught it on instinct. He looked down to see a single key cradled in his cupped hands. "Take my car. Itsh de shitty blue nissan to da right o'da parkin' lot. An' here…" The next object he pulled out was held towards Shirosaki this time.

Ginjou and the white-haired teen held eye contact for a few tense seconds before Shiro grudgingly reached out to grab the item. It was that same 'Xcution' card he'd seen Tsukishima use on the doors to get inside.

Makes sense that you would need one to leave as well.

The brothers nodded their appreciation before setting to work. Shirosaki quickly shoved his way passed Ginjou, nearly knocking the drunken man off his feet, and into the room where Getsuga was.

Mugetsu was about to volunteer to carry him, but Shiro beat him to it, "I'll carry. Just help get'm on my back."

Kon and Mugetsu carefully helped place their injured brother on Shiro's back so he could wrap his arms under and hold him up with his forearms tucked beneath his backside.

While Shirosaki continued to adjust Getsuga into a comfortable position, Kon took the opportunity to search Gin's pockets. He found their cell phones tucked away in the man's jacket, along with a switchblade, a gun, a single bullet, and an unnerving amount of drugs organized in small ziplock bags. Kon gave Mugetsu back his phone as well as Getsuga's along with the blade, but he kept the gun for himself. He left the drugs where he found them, not feeling comfortable enough to even touch them.

As he stood back up, Kon pulled the top of the gun back to make sure the chamber was empty. He then popped out the magazine to see that there were only 3 bullets left inside. He slammed the magazine back in with a shrug, knowing it was better than no weapon at all. He made sure the safety was on before tucking the weapon in the back of his skinny jeans.

Mugetsu took the keycard from Shiro so he could open each door as they went, but before they left he gave Ginjou one last hard look. He waited until they locked eyes before speaking.

"Does Ichigo know what really happened to Jackie that night?"

Ginjou's lips twisted into a snarl but then he shook it off and looked down in defeat.

"No…"

Mugetsu felt a small sigh rush through his nose at the wince he saw.

"He needs to know the truth—and he deserves to hear it from you."

"Tch." The man waved a hand at them in frustration before storming back down the hall and disappearing into one of the other rooms.

Shirosaki shuffled his feet and jumped to scoot Getsuga further up his back when he felt the other sliding. "Let's get goin' already."

…

..

.

..

…

When Ichigo opened his eyes, the last thing he expected to see was a bright, blue sky and large clouds gently floating by.

Ichigo quickly shot up and spun in place. He turned and turned until he was sure he'd looked in every direction. He slowed to a stop when he realized there was nothing but grass as far as the eye could see.

Like a desert, but green.

"Where the fuck am I…?" Ichigo mumbled under his breath. He strained to see if there were any buildings in the distance that he might have missed, but there was nothing.

"Well… at least there's no one chasing me and I'm not tied to a chair…" Just as he finished that sentence, a shadow from one of the clouds engulfed him. He stared up in awe as rays upon rays of sunlight haloed the cloud and brightened the edges until it was a bright silver line.

Ichigo smiled to himself. 'Ha… Silver lining… ba dum bum psh' He felt like a dork as he made the gesture of playing the drums, but who cared? Nobody was around to judge.

Ichigo was about to just start walking in a random direction but his body froze when another shadow fell over him, but this one was much darker. He looked up to see… leaves?

Ichigo rubbed his eyes and blinked some more before looking back up.

Yup. Those were leaves. And branches.

Ichigo quickly spun around and felt his muscles tense when he realized there was a huge tree standing before him.

When the fuck did that get there?

This has gotta be some really crazy dream right?

'Yes. And no.'

The voice echoed inside Ichigo's head, making him jump. A scowl crossed his face when he could still recognize the voice despite its echo.

"Yhwach!" Ichigo shouted as he looked around and he even checked behind the tree. "What did you do to me!? Where am I!?"

'I pushed your consciousness to the center of your mind. It's quite peaceful despite the tragedies you've suffered.'

He sounded impressed, but the way he spoke made it seem more like an observation than a compliment.

"Fuck you." Ichigo huffed.

The white clouds that had been floating just above him grew heavy and dark.

'Such foul language…'

Ichigo glared up at the sky and then lifted both middle fingers towards the clouds. He wasn't sure where Yhwach was looking from, but he assumed the man saw his rude gesture because a small flash of lightning struck from the clouds.

'I will leave you to reflect on your attitude.' His voice echoed with the thunder but Ichigo still understood what he said.

He didn't bother responding. He just settled down beneath the tree and curled up into himself. A shiver ran down his whole body when a cold breeze caressed his skin.

Wasn't he inside his own mind?

How could he feel temperature?

Was he just imagining the weather?

That last thought was chased away when a cold drop of rain hit the back of his neck. He reached up and felt the damp spot against his nape and then inspected the wet fingers curiously.

There's so much he didn't understand or just couldn't wrap his head around.

As the rain began to pour, Ichigo shuffled back until he was pressed up against the tree. The branches and leaves served as his umbrella, but a few drops would manage to drop through the foliage. He wished he had more control over his own emotions. Maybe if he did then Grimmjow and Bazz-B would still be alive.

…

..

..

…

Mugetsu had been right.

As soon as they were on the road and finally had a chance to catch their breath, Shirosaki instantly let his mind free. That building had been suppressing his powers and he still couldn't tell if it was built that way for him or to defend against Jin Kariya. Maybe even both.

"Which way?" Mugetsu broke him out of that thought as he stopped at a traffic light. Shirosaki closed his eyes as he concentrated on his missing little brother.

He felt the familiar tug and opened his eyes to look in that direction.

"Head back towards the school."

"Is he okay?" Kon asked as he leaned forward to be between the two front seats.

"Put your seatbelt on." Mugetsu huffed at the orangette. Kon rolled his eyes but flopped back into his seat to do as he was told. Shiro quietly buckled his own seatbelt while trying not to alert Mugetsu, but onyx eyes spotted the movement. Mugetsu didn't point it out though.

"Gimme a sec and I'll try to get in touch with him." Shirosaki glanced back to nod at Kon and then he looked over to check on Getsuga. He was still passed out in the backseat with his head dropped back and his mouth wide open. The urge to snap a picture was strong, but Shiro shrugged it off—it's not like he had his phone anyway.

Kon snapped him out of those thoughts by giving him a grin and a thumbs up and Shiro actually gave him a small smile back. The younger paused and blinked in shock at the reaction, but Shiro quickly righted himself before Kon could comment. Shiro then closed his eyes to concentrate once more on Ichigo.

It took him a little longer to pinpoint him and when he tugged at their connection, Ichigo didn't seem to respond this time. He didn't even realize until he got closer that something was blocking the connection. Frowning, Shiro focused and pushed until he felt a small mental 'pop'. He fell right through but then he realized he lost the connection.

'Shit.' He opened his eyes to glare at the road in frustration but he froze when he found himself looking down an endless hallway instead. He glanced around and then shot up onto his feet when he realized he was sitting on the floor and not in the passenger seat of Ginjou's car. 'What the fuck..?' He wondered aloud as he jerked around to find the hall was endless in both direction. Or it looked endless at least. There were no turns or rooms or anything.

Deciding to just go with the flow, Shiro started walking forward. After a few quiet footsteps he looked to his right to find a window. Curious, Shirosaki stopped and turned to peer through it. He found himself looking into white empty space, but then it slowly dissolved until a large room was visible.

'Zangetsu…?' He wondered when he saw a man with long ebony hair sitting on a leather couch. But the impressive moustache and cold crimson eyes seemed out of place.

"Now we're getting somewhere." The man said with a deep rumbling chuckle and then he reached into his suit and in the blink of an eye Shirosaki found himself looking down at a knee where a knife was embedded.

Wait… Shirosaki realized he must be looking through someone else's eyes.

"SHIT!"

That sounded like Ichigo!

Shirosaki blinked and then everything seemed to click into place. He was inside Ichigo's mind! That wall he felt earlier must've been the teen's own mental barrier.

'ICHI! Can you hear me!?' Shiro called out but the only answer he received was his own echo. 'Dammit.' He looked back at the window but it had faded back to white. He wanted to know who the asshole was that stabbed Ichigo, so he waited... and waited... until something finally happened, but it just replayed the same scene: The dark-haired man reaching into his suit to pull out that damned knife again!

Shiro ground his teeth together as he tried to suppress the rage stirring in his chest. Realizing he wasn't going to get anything more from the interaction, he continued down the hall. Once he got a closer look he could see the same type of windows displayed every few feet. He paused at the next one and peered inside.

It was like watching a Gopro video, only instead of watching awesome skydives or snowboarding, it—His gut suddenly clenched when familiar blue eyes blinked back at him and then it zoomed out to reveal Grimmjow's face. Blood dripped from the corner of his smirking lips and Shiro scrunched his nose in thought. This must've been when he got shot… but that was almost an hour ago…

Shiro skipped over to the next window and nearly punched a hole through it when he found himself looking up at Grimmjow's half naked body.

'For fuck's sake!'

This was when Grimmjow took that fucking picture! Shiro didn't want to see this shit! He stomped away in a huff but his anger completely evaporated when the next window revealed... himself…?

In a puddle of his own blood.

Shiro reached up with one hand to lightly touch the spot on his chest where Kokuto had shot him but there was nothing there but smooth skin now. He looked back up at the window just as Ichigo placed both hands on either side of his face.

It was difficult to describe the emotions he felt as he watched himself die. He'd been in too much pain to remember this moment clearly.

"Please wake up Shiro." Said man blinked when he heard Ichigo's voice pass the memory's barrier. "I'm so sorry I was mad at you before, okay? I promise I won't ever yell at you again. I-I don't care how many people you've slept with, alright? I don't even care that their pictures are on your stupid phone. Please come back..." Shiro let his gaze drop to the ground as he felt his heart thud against his chest. It was devastating to know that Ichigo had seen him like that. That bastard really did a number on him. No wonder Ichigo flipped out when he heard him on the phone. "The one time you needed me and I couldn't be there for you… I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me."

'But you were there, Ichi…' Shiro whispered out loud.

Just as he was about to turn and continue down the hall, the window zoomed in on his face and then stayed there for a long second. Shiro's whole head turned red and his cheeks felt like they were about to catch on fire!

Ichigo was kissing him.

He definitely wasn't expecting that! Man, was he glad no one could see him right now!

Shiro quickly shook off his flustered embarrassment and smirked. He was definitely gonna tease Ichigo later for this~ he chuckled to himself before hopping back a few steps. He then tapped his chin and hummed in thought while looking in both directions.

These windows were obviously connected to Ichigo's memories and they let you see from his own perspective… And so far it seemed like they were in chronological order. Soooo… If he were to continue walking in this direction then he'd be going deeper into Ichigo's past.

Hm…

Shirosaki took off into a sprint when curiosity got the better of him. He only slowed to catch a glimpse of each memory as he whipped by. Most of them had Ichigo's redheaded friend in them along with that short raven-haired girl. He purposely skipped over the ones that had anything to do with Ginjou because he honestly didn't want to see the man before his change. It was too late for that asshole and there was nothing that could redeem his unforgivable actions…

Shirosaki kept running until he heard something crunch beneath his shoes. He slowed to a stop and blinked when he looked down to see glass all over the floor. The window next to him was completely shattered and the room inside was pitch black.

This could be exactly what he'd been looking for. Ichigo said he couldn't remember the time after he was a adopted and this could be why. It was a memory so dark that it shattered inside his own mind.

Steeling himself, Shirosaki breathed deeply through his nose and then jumped straight inside. He wasn't sure how he knew that would work, but he learned to trust his instincts a long time ago.

For a while nothing happened. Shiro waited until impatience made him turn around, but the window he jumped through, as well as the hallway itself, was no longer there. He quickly spun in a circle, only to find himself surrounded by black nothingness.

Shiro felt panic start to build up until he heard something. He turned to face the direction of the noise.

"Aww Ichigo. Don't be like that… It'll only hurt for a second."

Fists clenched, Shiro stormed through the dark until he finally found the source of the voice.

Familiar bright orange hair caught his attention first. Shiro surmised that because he was inside the room he couldn't see through his brother's perspective. And there he was, little 6-year-old Ichigo, shivering in the corner of an open cage. And kneeling by the opening was the man with white hair, crimson eyes, and thick eyebrows: Jin Kariya.

"If you're a good boy today I'll let you have this~" The man cooed as he held up a bag of sweets. Ichigo didn't seem to want them though. The little boy whimpered while shaking his head and clung to the bars of the cage.

Jin sighed through his nose and quietly put the candy down on the ground. "Five…" he began slowly with an angry sneer. "Four…" Ichigo shook his head some more and his knuckles turned white as he clung to the cage even harder. "Three… Twooooo…." Jin shuffled closer to the cage. "Ichigo… you know it will only be worse if you make me angry." The boy still refused to cooperate.

Shirosaki jumped a little when Jin suddenly reached for Ichigo's leg and then his skin crawled at the horrified shriek that tore from the boy's throat. Jin roughly ripped Ichigo from the cage and dragged him across the dark room with no remorse. He picked the boy up by his tattered T-shirt and then slammed him down on a wooden table.

Ichigo tried to wrestle from the man's grip. He wriggled and scratched at the hands holding him down, but it was useless.

"Shiro!" Ichigo's voice cracked as a sob wracked his body. "SHIRO! Please help me!"**

'Fuck…' Shirosaki felt his heart crumble and he reached out to touch the boy, only for his fingers to fall right through the memory. In that passing moment he thought Ichigo could actually see him but then he realized his little brother was trying to broadcast mentally to his past self.

"No one can hear you, kiddo. So I suggest you shut the fuck up and stay still." Jin growled impatiently as he tied a long, thin rope around the boy's middle to keep his arms pinned to his sides. "Now then…"

Before he could continue, the squeak of a door opening interrupted him. All eyes turned to see a young 9-year-old boy with silver hair. He only opened the door just enough to peek his head inside.

It took Shiro a moment to figure out who the boy was, but his eyes narrowed once it clicked.

"What do you want, Kokuto? You know better than to bother me down here." Jin looked annoyed but kept his voice even and emotionless.

"I…" The younger, two-eyed Kokuto locked gazes with Ichigo's wide, watery, chestnut orbs and then looked down at the ground guiltily. "I'm sorry, father." And then he was gone.

What an unhelpful little shit… but that sadistic, eye-stealing, little fuck seemed pretty normal just then. He even looked like he wanted to help Ichigo, but then he chickened out.

Not that Shiro could blame the kid at the time. He'd probably turn psycho too if Jin Kariya, this unhinged mother fucker right here, was his father too.

Said crazy man shrugged at his son's unusual behavior and then returned his attention to the quivering boy in his grasp. He reached out and lifted Ichigo's tear-stained chin to get a better look at his neck. "Looks like the rope burns are gone…" he hummed in thought. "So hanging doesn't work… guess I'll have to be more creative."

Ichigo let out a sob and choked out, "I'm scared…"

Shirosaki felt his stomach churn uncomfortably and bile pooled at the back of his throat as he watched Jin drag over a large metal tub filled with water.

'No… no fucking way…'

All he could do was watch in horror as Jin shoved Ichigo off the table and into the tub. The boy's shout cut off with a splash. Ichigo tried to sit up to breathe but Jin quickly pushed him back under. He held him down until the bubbles eventually stopped.

Shirosaki angrily swiped at Jin's head. He knew it wouldn't help, but he couldn't just stand there and do nothing!

Once Jin finally stood to his feet, Ichigo's lifeless body floated up but didn't break the surface. Shirosaki felt sick to his stomach when he could see his little brother's wide, lifeless eyes reflected just beneath the water. His attention snapped back to Jin when the man brought his wrist up to stare at an old leather bound watch. About ten seconds passed before Ichigo's head came shooting up with a loud splash. He spluttered and coughed up mouthfuls of water to clear his lungs. Snot and tears mixed with the water on his face as he continued to sob.

Shirosaki was livid.

But no matter how much anger flooded his system, he couldn't stop Jin from dragging the poor drenched boy from the tub. Ichigo dug his bare feet into the dusty floor and tried to worm his way loose, but Jin kept a firm grip on him. "Hmm… so water doesn't work either huh…" The man mumbled to himself as he paused by a chalkboard. There were some random formulas doodled in the corner but a majority of the board had a long list.

1. Bullets X wounds just heal

2. Stab #1: Heart X healed

3. Stab #2: Stomach X healed

4. Stab #3: Lungs X healed but took longer

5. Stab #4: Brain X healed but is taking longer? Is there a limit? Note: try something else.

6. Decapitation X new head regenerates and severed head disappears

7. Strangle X only unconscious for 1 minute

8. Hanging X unconscious for 10 minutes this time

9. Drowning

Jin picked up the chalk to cross out the last item on the list and then jotted next to it 'only unconscious for 10 seconds.'

Humming thoughtfully, he tapped the utensil to his chin as he kept Ichigo still at his side. The boy's panicked breathing slowed until the only sound he could make were soft whimpers, then he struggled in the plastic ropes until he finally managed to free one of his arms. He instantly clawed at the limb holding him but Jin just huffed and snatched the arm up in his steely grasp. That's when Ichigo's star-shaped burn caught his eye. Shiro remembered them doing that right before leaving for the orphanage, so it was still red and fresh in this memory.

"Well if water won't work, let's tryyy…" Jin smirked as he brought the chalk back to the the board. Shirosaki's eyes widened as he read the newest item on his list.

10. Fire.

Who in their right mind would—

Shiro's mind short circuited and he watched with wide, unblinking eyes as the man pushed Ichigo to the ground and then walked back to the metal tub to tip it over, spilling the water. Ichigo flinched and tried to crawl as far away from the growing puddle as he could manage. Shiro didn't blame him for being scared of it.

His attention snapped back to Jin when he heard more splashing and a pungent smell stung his nose.

'Holy fuck!'

In the man's grasp was a red plastic gasoline container. The nozzle had been twisted off and he held it upside down to pour the fuel right into the silver tub. Once it was empty he tossed the container to the side and then stomped back towards Ichigo, making the boy whimper and cry out when he was roughly hauled to his feet.

"Please don't! That hurts…" Ichigo winced when his free arm was nearly ripped from its socket but he was a fool to think Jin would give a shit about that. "Leave me alone!" He attempted one last futile escape while gritting his teeth through the pain, but it was no use.

He was thrown face first into the tub with a splash. He coughed when gasoline went up his nose and leaked to the back of his throat. The fumes were overwhelming and no amount of snot or spit could get rid of it. Ichigo quickly rolled onto his back using his one free arm and looked up when he heard a soft, Flk!

Huge, watery brown eyes looked up into lifeless ones, both gazes reflecting the lit match hovering above him.

"Hopefully this will be the last test I have to do, little one… And then you can finally be with your mommy. I'm sure she's watching you right now…" he then looked up to stare at an empty space above Ichigo before whispering, "Sorry Masaki."

Just as Jin dropped the match towards Ichigo, Shirosaki felt his body lunge forward. He knew it wasn't happening in real time but his limbs moved on instinct and he couldn't stop himself. He reached forward to pull the boy out, but then he blinked when something hard and solid collided with his face.

When his vision cleared, Shirosaki found himself back in the car with three pairs of eyes hovering around him.

"See? I told you slapping him would work." Kon smirked while holding up the hand that just assaulted him.

Shiro took a second to calm his racing heart. "Why did you do that!?" He snarled as he turned to claw at Kon, but Mugetsu kept the angry teen pinned to the passenger seat, while also trying not to wreck the car.

"It was for your own good!" Mugetsu explained before surprising Shiro by suddenly wiping his fingers beneath the pale teen's nose. Shiro blinked when Mugetsu revealed the blood on his fingertips. "We thought you were in trouble…"

Shirosaki shook his head and then used his already ruined jacket to wipe the rest of the blood from his face. He even pulled down the mirror from the ceiling of the car to make sure he got it all.

"Fuckin' hell… I just saw the most fucked up shit I'd ever seen… and in Ichigo's memories, no less." He turned and snapped the mirror back up when he felt a warm hand rest on his shoulder. He looked into the back seat just as it was illuminated by the surrounding headlights. He could see a single black on gold eye staring back, wide with worry. "Hey Getsu… Good ta see ya up and about. Your shoulder doin' okay?" Getsuga waved off his concern with an eye roll and then gestured for more information. Shiro bit his lip then sighed. "Man… I can't even begin to describe…" He hesitated when he felt his stomach churn. The memories he'd seen flooded his mind all at once. The image of little Ichigo's wide, lifeless eyes staring up at him flashed before his eyes. Bile burned at the back of his throat and saliva pooled in his mouth. "Pull over," He groaned and then slapped a hand to his lips.

"What?" Mugetsu wondered aloud.

"Pull over!" Shiro practically growled through his fingers and Mugetsu did so instantly when he realized what was about to happen. He nearly hit another car as he skidded to the side of the highway. Dust sprung up from the road but he stopped just in time for Shiro to open the door and empty his stomach onto the pavement.

"You okay?" Kon asked cautiously as he unbuckled and scooted forward until he could rub Shiro's back soothingly.

"I'm fine." The teen slapped him away and then turned to the eldest. "Let me drive. I know where he is—we're really close now."

"Are you sure you're well enough?" Mugetsu reluctantly got out of the car when he received an impatient glare.

Shirosaki didn't waste time before stepping on the brake and jamming the car back into drive. Mugetsu hurriedly put on his own seatbelt as they sped back onto the highway.

"You know we won't be much help to Ichigo if we die on the way to save him." Kon said sarcastically as he clutched the seat in front of him for dear life.

Shirosaki rolled his eyes as he shifted lanes without signaling. "I've got this." Shiro smirked as he glanced up at the rearview mirror to lock gazes with his twin who was nodding encouragingly.

Welp—Let's just say they made it to town in record time and Mugetsu somehow managed to not have another heart attack.

"Hey…" Kon spoke up as Shirosaki slowed to turn onto a different road.

"What?" Shiro snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"Have you noticed that there hasn't been a single police car since we got on the road?" Kon pointed out, making the others raise a brow.

"No… why would that be noticeable to you?" Mugetsu asked what the others were thinking.

Kon curled back into his seat as a blush took over his face but thankfully they were in a part of town where streetlights were few and far between, so he was hidden in the dark. "I guess I always kinda keep an eye out for them 'cuz I always think ma will be inside." He scratched at his cheek nervously at the amused snorts he received. Getsuga reached up to pat the teen's head but winced when his shoulder stung from the movement. Kon noticed and worriedly scooted closer but Getsuga waved him away with his other arm.

"Shit. Found your police cars, Kon." Shirosaki drove passed the next street when he noticed the flashing red and blue lights illuminating the sky. "And Ichigo is somewhere in the middle of all that." He frowned and then continued down to the next neighborhood. He parked on the side of the street and then turned the headlights off before turning the key to stop the engine.

"So what's the plan?" Mugetsu asked with a skeptical look.

Shirosaki shrugged and didn't answer as he got out of the car. He then raced his way across a random stranger's yard to hop the fence so he could get a closer look at the neighborhood they passed. He didn't bother looking over his shoulder when he heard three separate car doors open and close. He could tell it was his brothers as they formed around him and peered over the fence that was well hidden by an untrimmed bush.

A whole unit of officers crowded the streets and up near the front was a whole line of them kneeling down. Each one had a pistol out and aimed at the very last house down the road. They also had spotlights set up around the property so that the entire space was clearly visible.

"Hey, there's Ma and your dad." Kon whispered while pointing to the small group formed behind the assault line. Aizen stood out the most with the megaphone in one hand. Yoruichi was pacing on his left and Ryuken stood to his right. Tsukishima and Moe were speaking with a few officers to the side and Kaien and Byakuya were whispering to eachother near the back of the mob.

"I think we should wait…" Kon blurted out. Shirosaki looked like he wanted to protest but he couldn't think of a better plan that didn't involve one of his brothers possibly getting shot again.

"Fine." He sighed, "let's see what happens…"

As if on cue, Aizen lifted the megaphone to his lips and a soft screech echoed across the neighborhood, catching everyone's attention.

"Yhwach Ishida. We know you're inside. Come on out so we can talk."

A quiet hush fell over the crowd and each brothers tensed when they saw the front door open. The person who stepped out wasn't Yhwach, but Ichigo.

However…

"That's not Ichi." Shirosaki snarled when he saw the glint in his brother's eyes. They were cold and calculating. They shifted around the crowd as if he were doing a headcount until suddenly their eyes locked. Shiro didn't know how he could possibly see him from all the way over here, but Ichigo was looking straight at him through the headlights to the golden gaze beneath.

The creepy staring contest broke when Yoruichi motioned for her men to stand down.

"That's the Kurosaki boy we came to rescue! Hold your fire!" She commanded before pushing her way through the line. Just as she was about to climb the driveway to fetch the teen, she froze when Ichigo suddenly reached into his back pocket and pulled out a gun.

"He's got a weapon! Get down!" A random officer shouted and everyone ducked lower but no shots were fired.

"Ichigo.. Give me the gun." Yoruichi said calmly as she took another step forward, but she froze again when the weapon lifted up. Instead of aiming it at her though, the gun continued upward until the muzzle was tucked right under his own chin. A sadistic smirk spread across the teen's face, an expression that had no business being there.

Shirosaki felt his teeth grind together. Maybe he could help? Maybe he could snap Ichigo out of whatever hypnosis that Yhwach guy obviously put on him.

"I'd stay right where you are Yoruichi Shihouin. And that goes double for you, Dr. Sousuke." It was Ichigo's voice but the words seemed foreign coming from his mouth.

"Yhwach, you twisted—" Ryuken stepped forward with his fists clenched and shoulders tense, but he stopped short when Ichigo's finger reached up to switch the safety of the gun to 'off'.

"Not another word out of you, traitor." Was hissed from Ichigo, or rather Yhwach.

"You have nowhere to hide. Just release the boy… He doesn't deserve this…" Yoruichi tried to appeal to the man's humanity, but she clearly didn't understand who she was dealing with.

Bang!

The whole crowd jumped and the line of officers readjusted their aim, instinctively reacting to the sudden sound, but then they nearly gasped when they saw the bleeding hole in Ichigo's shoulder. Yhwach slowly readjusted the weapon so it was once again aimed under the teen's chin.

This guy made it clear that he wasn't fucking around.

"I suggest you all back up so I don't have to damage this body anymore than I have to."

Yoruichi raised her hands in a non threatening gesture as she slowly backed away.

"Not just her—All of you! Back up to the end of the street." He motioned with his free hand for everyone to move back. The officers hesitated until Yoruichi signaled for them to do as they were told.

"Is there really nothing they can do!?" Kon urgently whispered but his brothers had no reply. They squinted as they strained to get a better look at the crowd.

"Is that the PE teacher, Kenpachi? With a sniper?" Shiro asked with a white brow raised skeptically. The others had no idea who he was talking about—Except maybe Mugetsu, but he never actually met the guy before.

They could barely make out the giant male figure as it stepped towards the front of the line and then knelt down. A shiny Barrett M82 was tucked securely against his armor clad shoulder and he had his one good eye up against the long scope.

Shirosaki hummed with interest but then quickly sat on the ground with his back pressed against the wooden fence. He then closed his eyes and tried to find his way back into Ichigo's mind, but the barrier was much stronger this time. He felt like he was running face first into a concrete wall. He checked every angle for some sort of crack or way to squeeze in, but there was nothing.

"Fuck. He has Ichigo locked down. I can't help him." Shirosaki reached up and grasped his hair in frustration. He felt so useless! Growling under his breath, he stood back up and peered over the fence just as the rest of the police made it to the edge of the cul de sac. Ichigo remained by the door with the gun still aimed at himself.

The stalemate lasted, even when the front door opened once more to reveal the man Shirosaki had seen in Ichigo's memories. The same long haired, red-eyed bastard that had stabbed the teen.

"Zangetsu?" Mugetsu asked in wonder, but he couldn't tell for sure because of the the moustache as well as the distance. Plus, the man wasn't wearing his ever present sunglasses.

"Nah, that's gotta be Yhwach. He could look similar to your pop though since he's an Ishida too right?" Kon replied as he clutched the top of the fence.

"Do you think—" Mugetsu's next sentence cut short when a bright beam of light suddenly appeared from the sky and the sound of helicopter blades filled the air.

"Oh shit!" Kon exclaimed as the huge flying machine slowly lowered until it was hovering above the lawn. A rope ladder was tossed out to make it easier to climb inside. "This is like… super villain type shit! What the hell!? This kinda stuff doesn't happen in real life!" He didn't care if anyone heard him over the deafening wind that whipped around them.

The brothers watched with wide eyes as the hypnotized Ichigo passed his gun to Yhwach before beginning to climb up the ladder. The man kept his weapon trained on the teen as he climbed right behind him. He was too close to Ichigo for anyone to get a clear shot from all the way down the street, except…

Kenpachi took a deep, calming breath through his nose. He didn't even blink as he tasted the air and lined up his shot, finger pressed firmly against the trigger. His aim on Yhwach never wavered even as the helicopter started rising back up into the air.

But he didn't shoot.

The boys couldn't hear what Aizen was saying as his lips moved, but it must have been the signal Kenpachi was waiting for.

A sharp whip pierced the air followed by a solid boom as the bullet left his rifle and ripped towards it's target. The sound was almost completely covered by the helicopter, but they still heard it. Then they watched with wide eyes as Yhwach's body went limp and fell right towards the ground ten feet below. His back collided with the pavement first, followed by his legs and then the back of his head. Everyone flinched and ducked when the weapon he'd been holding unintentionally fired as it skidded across the concrete. Yhwach was eerily still after that.

"Hey! I think Ichi's back!" Kon pointed excitedly to the sky.

Shirosaki glanced up and felt hope swell in his chest when he saw Ichigo shaking his head. The teen's foot slipped outside the gaping belly of the helicopter but he quickly caught himself and clutched the leather seat as if he just realized where he was and what he was doing. Shirosaki reached out to stroke Ichigo's mind, happy to find the barrier that had been separating them was gone.

'Shiro?!'

Ichigo's lips moved but Shirosaki was the only one who heard him as the word echoed inside his own head. Their connection was strong now and Shiro latched on to make sure it didn't break.

"Dandelion! Jump on the roof! The helicopter is still going up but it's not too late!" Shirosaki shouted, making the others beside him jump in surprise. Shiro ignored them though. He still wasn't sure if Ichigo could hear him because they've never reciprocated communication before, but he must've gotten through this time.

Ichigo's wide eyes turned from the ground to the rooftop and then back below to the group of familiar faces sprinting in his direction. Aizen, Yoruichi, Ryuken, Byakuya, Kenpachi, and even Tsukishima were running towards the house. Yoruichi quickly retrieved Yhwach's fallen gun while Kenpachi and Byakuya didn't even pause to check on the bleeding man laying in the driveway. Both males sped right into the house and started making their way to the roof. Tsukishima followed behind them with his weapon out and ready. Aizen and Ryuken were the only ones who stopped to see that Yhwach was still alive. The wound in his side from Kenpachi's shot was leaking profusely, but luckily Ryuken was a doctor and a small group of paramedics were making their way towards them.

Ichigo turned as much as he could without releasing his grip on the seat to look back at the rooftop that was slowly drifting out of reach. He saw Kenpachi's head pop out of the nearest window. The man looked up towards Ichigo and then tried to pull himself up onto the roof, but he was too large to squeeze his way out. Another window opened on the other side of the house and it was Byakuya that clambered out and stood on top of the dark shingles. His long ebony hair whipped around him from the tornado of wind the helicopter created.

"Ichigo! Jump! I've got you!" Byakuya shouted up with his arms stretched out and feet braced firmly on the roof.

Ichigo quickly started making his way down the ladder, careful not to slip.

'We had a deal, remember?'

Shirosaki recoiled when a dark voice suddenly echoed through both he and Ichigo's connected minds.

"Who the fuck are you?" He snarled aloud, still not sure how to say anything with just his mind yet. Kon looked at Shiro like the teen had finally lost it but Getsuga and Mugetsu seemed to be putting the pieces together.

'Ah… You must be Shirosaki…' before the teen could even respond, the voice continued, 'Sorry, young man, but this is a private conversation.'

Shiro felt his connection get tugged but he held firm. There was no way he was going anywhere.

'I'm really sorry Shiro… But he promised to leave you guys alone if I agreed to go. So no one has to hide anymore!' Shiro heard the fence creak beneath his weight as he pulled himself up as if he were about to jump over, but Mugetsu tugged him back down.

"Are you nuts!?" Kon snapped while Mugetsu trapped his frantic brother in a firm embrace. "Your dad will just lock us up again! Dumbass!"

"No! That self-sacrificing idiot!" His throat constricted and his chest swelled when he heard Ichigo's voice caress his mind once more.

'Tell them I said bye. Love you, Shirosaki'

"Get back to the car! Hurry!" Shiro reached up and grabbed Kon and Mugetsu by their shirts and practically threw them across the yard in his haste, but they didn't object as they all ran towards the car. "We're gonna follow! Hold on." Shirosaki explained without prompting as he started the engine and then skidded back onto the road.

Kon and Getsuga turned around in their seats to watch from the back window as the small orange fuzz of Ichigo's hair climbed upwards until it disappeared into the belly of the helicopter once again.

The aircraft traveled up until it was above the first layer of clouds and then took off towards the east.

"He didn't jump on the roof? But… Did Yhwach gain control again or somethin'?" Kon directed his question at Shiro, but the angry teen kept his concentration solely on the road.

…

..

..

…

"Unbelievable!" Yoruichi felt like ripping her hair out. They managed to get Yhwach but Ichigo was still missing. "What am I going to tell Kon…" She sighed.

"Nothing yet. We're not giving up." Aizen placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before turning to the others behind them. "Search the house." He stopped Kenpachi and Tsukishima as they walked out of the door. "Where is Byakuya?"

"Upstairs." Kenpachi grunted with a deep frown. "I'd let him be for now."

Aizen nodded before turning to address both men.

"I want you and your teams to head straight to the hospital. That might be where Yhwach was going but I want to investigate here in case I'm wrong. Call me the second you find anything."

Kenpachi and Tsukishima nodded in understanding before gathering their things and heading off.

Aizen returned his attention to Yoruichi as she started barking orders. The officers had spread out all over the property to start their normal investigation routine. A few of them also managed to drag out some of Yhwach's men that had been left behind. They seemed like generic bodyguards for hire until Aizen came across a young man with long blonde hair.

"You must be Jugram." Aizen assumed and said blonde looked up at the sound of his name. "Do you know where Ichigo was taken?"

Jugram pursed his lips and quickly looked away. Aizen clicked his tongue in frustration. They really didn't have time to waste on interrogating the young man. If he wasn't going to tell them then they'd have to find the information elsewhere. Without another word, Aizen continued through the house until he was standing in the backyard. A small group of officers were huddled around a puddle of drying blood. They were busy jotting down evidence as they placed cones near every little splotch.

"Lots of blood but no body…"

Aizen turned to see Yoruichi inspecting the scene with a critical eye.

"Two of the men were caught while trying to wash blood off their hands." She explained as she led the way back to the front of the house where Ryuken was busy patching up Yhwach. "They won't say where they put the body, but they must have stashed it nearby. I'll have a team search the neighborhood thoroughly." She explained before turning on her squad to snap orders at them.

Aizen made his way through the rest of the house, starting with the basement that also served as a small laboratory. Nothing useful was found though. Sighing in frustration, he started up the stairs but he paused as he noticed Byakuya on his way down. They locked eyes and Byakuya slowly shook his head.

"There's nothing up there…"

Usually Aizen would look anyway just to be thorough, but he trusted the man. He knew that Byakuya would do anything in his power to get Ichigo back.

"Come. Let's see if Ryuken is finished." Aizen said while stepping aside to let the man pass. Byakuya closed his eyes with a small nod and gracefully stepped through the door. The spotlights were still on and pointed at the house, so they had to turn around so they weren't blinded once they reached the small group in the driveway.

"Is he still alive?"

Ryuken glanced up as he finished the last stitch but he didn't answer as he took the sterilized gauze that was handed to him by an emergency medical technician. Ryuken expertly cleaned and dressed the wound before finally standing to his feet.

"He hit his head pretty hard but he should be fine. He hasn't responded to anything so he is still unconscious…" Ryuken let his voice trail off and he crossed his arms as he adjusted his glasses.

"What's the damage?" Yoruichi huffed as she also came up to the group, but Ryuken didn't react to her approach. Byakuya took the liberty of repeating what was just said as the doctor continued to stare down at Yhwach's unmoving body.

"Something wrong…?" Aizen asked under his breath while shifting closer. For a while Ryuken didn't say anything and Aizen thought that maybe he hadn't heard him.

"It's just…" Ryuken began, catching the attention of anyone close enough to hear him, "I haven't seen Yhwach in years. He'd been using Jugram to pass messages and orders to people in Karakura. And whenever he actually came here, he very rarely left his office at the hospital." Ryuken reached up to slick his silver hair back in his frustration, "Then he just up and left the country doing god knows what… But… The last time I actually saw him, he still had to use his electric chair to get around."

Yoruichi listened with interest as she knelt down to get a closer look at the man. She inspected his sharp features and then carefully reached down to scratch at the corner of his impressive moustache.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ryuken snapped, his doctor personality taking over, but Yoruichi ignored him. She pulled lightly at the dark hairs.

"Aha! I knew there was something off." She frowned as the facial hair started peeling away. She pulled harder until the moustache was completely peeled off and dangled it in the air for the others to see.

"W-what..?" Ryuken stuttered in shock as the simple disguise was completely removed. "Zangetsu?"

How did he not see it before?!

Just to be sure, Ryuken knelt down and carefully lifted the man's shirt until he could see his chest. He knew that Yhwach had a scar just above his heart from a surgery he'd had when he was young.

There was no scar.

"So Zangetsu has been the mole this whole time? What does this mean? I thought he just went into hiding..."

"We can't jump to conclusions, Ryuken. He was probably being controlled just like Ichigo was." Yoruichi placed a calming hand on the doctor's back. "So if that wasn't Yhwach… then is he still here or…" Yoruichi turned to Aizen but the man who was supposed to be two steps ahead of everyone else looked as lost as the rest of them.

"He is most likely staying where Ichigo is headed." Was all Aizen could come up with and, before he could say anything else, a loud knocking interrupted his thoughts.

"Did you hear that?" Byakuya asked what the others had been thinking. They glanced at each other before turning towards the only parked vehicle in the driveway.

Yoruichi leaned towards the trunk of the car and jumped when the knocking started up again. It was clearly coming from inside.

Aizen went to pull the driver's door open to pop the trunk, but it was locked.

"Ganju!" Yoruichi called out to a heavy set male as he ducked under the police tape they'd just placed around the yard.

"What? Ya got something?"

"Maybe. Those men you put in the cruiser, did they happen to have a set of keys on them?" Yoruichi asked and Ganju rose a brow in question. However, before he could get a reason why, their eyes widened when a muffled voice erupted from the trunk.

"Hey dickmunchers! We can hear voices out there! Let us out!" The car creaked as the trunk bounced. "It's fuckin' cramped!"

"Do you have the keys or not!?" Yoruichi snapped, making Ganju cower.

"No ma'am!"

Yoruichi grasped the radio attached to her vest with a growl and pressed the button. "Attention! Attention! Whoever has the set of car keys that was taken from the men in custody, please press the button to open the trunk!" She waited a split second before snapping, "Now!"

The trunk popped open with a quiet beep and was instantly shoved up as two teens jumped out. They had fists up and were prepared to fight, but dropped them once they got a good look around.

"Father?" Blue eyes widened while tense shoulders sagged in relief. Aizen instantly recognized that head of light blue hair and quickly pulled the teen in for a hug. He rarely held his children, foster or blood, so Grimmjow was caught off guard. He hesitated before gradually sinking into the foreign embrace. He gripped the back of Aizen's suit and let a comforted sigh leave his chest.

While they were busy bonding, the second teen to pop out of the trunk turned to stare up at the curious gazes directed at him. His mohawk was stuck to the side of his face due to all the dried up blood and the back of his shirt was crusted over.

"Did I die…?" He wondered aloud while looking down at his hands like it was his first time really seeing them.

Grimmjow slowly pulled away from his foster father while quickly wiping a stray tear that had snuck up on him. He didn't just fucking get emotional over a hug, dammit…

"You got shot in the head, so yeah. I'm pretty sure you fuckin' died, dipshit." Grimmjow's smirk flew off with a solid smack to the back of his head. He grinned sheepishly at his father when he realized he'd been cursing.

Grimmjow looked down at his chest and chuckled when he remembered that Ichigo had ripped his shirt in half. He carefully peeled the remaining article of clothing from his body to see that the bullet wound that had pierced right through his lung was completely gone. He didn't have a single scratch!

"Yes! Ichigo saved the day again! That guy is a freakin' miracle!" Grimmjow cackled as he felt up his own body and then jumped for joy. "Where is he!? I'm gonna kiss the heck outta him!" Grimmjow spun in a circle, hoping to catch sight of bright orange hair, but…

"I'm sorry kid, but we weren't able to get Ichigo back." Yoruichi explained while Byakuya and Aizen looked away guiltily.

"What?!" All eyes turned to the pink-haired teen who had been busy peeling strands of hair from his face. "Father can't have him! How could you let them escape?!" Bazz-B growled accusingly as he fixed the group with a hostile glare.

"It's complicated… he had Ichigo under a type of hypnosis. He forced the boy to take himself hostage, so we couldn't get close enough to use our machines for canceling the trance. He would've kept shooting poor Ichigo if we got any closer. Plus, we weren't expecting him to call for a helicopter." Aizen explained simply. "We also took a risk shooting Yhwach down, thinking it might free Ichigo's mind, but the boy still went up into the helicopter—at least we have an understanding of why that didn't work.." He gestured to the fallen Zangetsu, who was being gently placed on a gurney to be transported to an ambulance.

"Is that…?" Bazz-B began with wide eyes. The last thing he remembered before waking up in that trunk was the scorching gaze of his father before his entire world went dark.

"No. That's your uncle, Zangetsu. He's your father's twin brother." Yoruichi answered quickly. "We don't know where your father is."

Bazz-B crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, "Typical… Well. Good job on losing Ichigo, morons—Now we're all fucked." He merely shrugged at the stern look he received for his crass language.

"Explain?" Byakuya pressed.

Bazz-B sighed through his nose and leaned back against the open trunk where he'd just been trapped.

"As soon as my father extracts whatever it is he needs from Ichi, he's gonna share his stupid… 'Immortality remedy' with a handful of people."

"That doesn't sound so horrible." Grimmjow interrupted with a huff and Bazz-B had to fight the urge to punch him.

"Let me finish, asshat. The bad part is, once he's finished, he's gonna nuke the whole damn city. That's how he'll create his 'perfect world for the Quincy'." Bazz-B exaggerated the hand quotations with an eye roll and then crossed his arms. "And you'd be fools to think he'd stop there. He's out of his damn mind, ya know. Wouldn't be surprised if he tried to take over the whole damn world."

Grimmjow and the others shared a look that was a mix between shock and horror—Most of which was displayed on Yoruichi's face, while Ryuken and Aizen held their composure.

"I am aware of his plans. Your other uncle, Ryuken," He motioned to the silver-haired doctor for Bazz-B to see, "He showed me some blueprints that he discovered for the bomb. However, Yhwach won't use it until he is 100% sure that Hero Project will help them survive it with no drawbacks." Aizen gripped his chin in thought as he received surprised looks from the others. "But moving on... I haven't heard anything from Kenpachi or Tsukishima yet. I think we should head straight to the hospital. We have to get Ichigo back at all cost." The adults were about to leave, but Bazz-B rushed forward to stand in their way.

"Wait! Why the hospital!? That's not where he'd be!" He waved his hands to get their attention. "He has a different spot where he likes to…" Bazz-B shuffled his feet as he struggled for the right word, "Experiment…"

"Could you point it out if I showed you a map?" Yoruichi questioned as she pulled out her smartphone.

Bazz-B hesitated before nodding.

"Traitor." All eyes turned to Jugram as he was being pushed forward by another officer. He overheard most of what was said and stared straight at Bazz-B, his handsome face twisted in contempt. "You should've stayed dead." The blonde whispered just as he was shoved into the back of one of the police cars. His hands were cuffed so he had to awkwardly shift into position before the cop could close the door on him.

Bazz-B pursed his lips and refused to make eye contact with his brother after those hateful words. His initial instinct had been to stand by his father, but then he remembered that said parental figure shot him in the fucking HEAD. Bazz-B looked up to lock eyes with Yoruichi. "I'll tell you, but on one condition."

"Oh come on! Time is of the essence, dickwad." Grimmjow snapped. He didn't get reprimanded by Aizen this time because the man was thinking the same thing.

"Fine whatever. Here." Bazz-B snatched up the phone that Yoruichi held out to him and quickly zoomed in on a specific area at the very edge of Karakura. "It's the large fenced in building—ya can't miss it. It's about a half-hour drive from here." He tossed the device back at Yoruichi before turning to walk away.

"Hold up kid. We've got some questions for—" the officer that tried to stop him was cut off as Yoruichi pushed passed.

"Leave the poor boy alone. Go and tell everyone that's free to meet us at this address as soon as possible. I want a SWAT team and get me some goddamn helicopters there as well!" She ordered as she quickly jotted down the address that Bazz-B pointed out on a notepad she fished from her pocket. She then turned to slap Bazz-B's shoulder as he passed. "We won't forget that you helped us, kid. We'll stay in touch." She winked at him before ushering her group towards their respective cars. "Let's move it people!"

"Hey…" Grimmjow jogged to catch up with Bazz-B as the teen shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking down the road. "Thought you'd wanna help get Ichigo back.."

Pink hair that was still caked in blood split and cracked as Bazz-B whipped around to face the other. Police Officers and the other adults scrambled their way around the teens as they stared each other down.

"Why would I want to help him? He's the reason I got shot in the first place, ya know!"

Grimmjow furrowed his brows and tilted his head in confusion. "I thought you really liked Ichigo though. And ya got yourself shot, if I remember right. Spat right on his shoe, ya dipshit!"

Bazz-B swiped at the air angrily as he tried not to lose his temper. "Whatever! Haven't you noticed something weird about him? Despite what you think you saw, I hate Ichigo." Bazz-B's growl drifted away and then he looked to the ground with a puzzled look in his eyes, "But whenever he's close by…" He trailed off for a moment as his thoughts wandered. "He… It's like… Whenever I notice he's sad or upset—Unless I'm the one hurting him, I get this urge to protect him." He shook his head in denial and missed the look of interest that crossed Grimmjow's face. "Besides, I'm not the type to go after damsels in distress. He's all yours, man." Bazz-B threw a wave over his shoulder once he turned his back and continued walking.

Grimmjow didn't chase after him this time, and he managed to jump into Aizen's car before the man drove off without him.

…

..

15 minutes later

..

...

"Did we make it?" Kon whimpered as he held onto his seat belt for dear life, with his eyes squeezed shut and knees up against his chest. He could tell they weren't moving anymore but he was too scared to peek.

"Oh shut it." Shirosaki clicked his tongue in irritation before cutting off the engine and shoving the door open. "Get the hell outta the car."

One by one the Kurosaki brothers clambered out of Ginjou's beat up car. Shirosaki had parked in between two seemingly abandoned buildings. Their destination was in a different area closer to the beech. They were at the very edge of Karakura, near the water, and they had to cross a bridge to get in this area.

He didn't want people knowing they were coming, so he parked a good distance away in order to sneak around. The platform for the structures was tall and dropped straight down towards the ocean. It was high tide, so each wave splashed up and coated the boys in a light mist.

Shirosaki paused when he noticed Getsuga shiver. The orangette's teeth chattered as a particularly cold wind caressed his damp skin. He was still shirtless, if you didn't count the bandages wrapped around his shoulder. He stubbornly kept up with his brothers despite his discomfort and just reached up to wrap his arms around himself.

Without much thought, Shirosaki shrugged out of his leather jacket and then threw it at Getsuga's face. The teen spluttered in surprise but then quickly accepted the article of clothing with a small, genuine smile. The jacket was full of bullet holes and dry blood caked the inside, but Getsuga could feel the warmth of his brother's skin as he put the jacket on.

The brothers stayed quiet as Shirosaki led them behind the long row of buildings until they came to a tall chain-linked fence.

Shiro's first thought was to climb it, but Getsuga stopped him and pointed towards the barbed wire wrapped all the way around up top.

"Dammit…" Shiro hissed under his breath and then quickly looked around in the dark for some way to get over or even underneath. "Maybe we can break into this building and jump over from one of the windows?" He brainstormed aloud while pointing to one of the abandoned buildings next to them, but Mugetsu shook his head.

"I've got this."

Mugetsu slid his long fingers into the fence and carefully climbed his way up until he got to the barbed wire. He grabbed it with his bare hand and pushed it down the other side. He made sure there was plenty of space for his brothers to climb up and over before jumping across himself. He smiled back at them through the fence.

"Is your hand okay?" Kon asked, flabbergasted, as he pressed closer to peer through the chains. Mugetsu raised his hands, palms up, to show that he was fine.

Shirosaki practically giggled as he jumped up to climb the fence next. "I forgot about your special lil' ability!"

"Wait, what?" Kon rose a brow as he watched his brother jump down to join Mugetsu. He then looked to Getsuga with a frown, but the other orangette seemed just as confused. Well… maybe more surprised than confused.

"Hmmm… Shiro." Mugetsu turned to said brother, "I think we should hide somewhere and swap information. We did learn a lot from the pictures Getsuga took, and I really think we should all be on the same page."

Shiro looked like he wanted to say no, but he remained silent as he watched Kon and Getsuga clamber their way over the fence to join them. Getsuga took a little longer because of his injured shoulder. Kon and Mugetsu helped him down the last few feet. Shiro waited until they were together again before finally saying, "Fine…"

Mugetsu patted the younger man's shoulder with a grateful smile before waving for them to follow. He led them through the parking lot, which had a few cars here and there. The regular entrance had a guard post, but as they got closer they could see that there was no sign of a guard. In fact, the whole area seemed abandoned, just like the rest of the place. Mugetsu kept his pace quick as he followed the side of the building until they got to one of the back entrances. It was a large opening, big enough for a truck to drive through, and it sloped down towards what they assumed was the basement. A sliding gate barred their way inside and it was locked, but the area was out of sight and Mugetsu didn't see any people or cameras. He figured it was safe enough.

"Okay, we should be fine here… I think…" Mugetsu mumbled under his breath.

"Very reassuring, big brother." Kon said with a cheeky smile plastered across his face. Mugetsu flicked him on the nose, making the expression switch to one of annoyance. "Tch. Soooo…" Kon settled himself down on the concrete and leaned back against the building. "What's up?"

Getsuga followed Kon's example and sat down because he figured this would take a minute—But not too long, judging from the way Shirosaki was fidgeting.

"First things first." Mugetsu reached into one of his back pockets and retrieved Getsuga's phone. "I believe this is yours. Ichigo had Shiro's phone and that's how we managed to get in contact with him before." He turned to Shiro with a frown before adding, "Since Yhwach last had your phone, you'll probably never get it back…"

Shirosaki crossed his arms and shrugged one shoulder. "S'okay… Wasn't really anything important on it anyway." He frowned at the way Kon looked up at him with a proud smile on his face. "What the fuck is with that dumb look?"

"You sure there weren't any like… videos or maybe some photos you'd miss on your phone?" Kon said teasingly with his own arms crossed to mock Shiro.

"Tch." Shirosaki had forgotten that his foster siblings explained his and Grimmjow's little sex game to Kon. Instead of rising to the bait, Shiro just flipped the orangette off and then let the conversation die.

Mugetsu decided not to comment and just took note to question Shirosaki about his phone later. "Anyway. The papers Getsu found in Kaien's office seemed to be from a journal. My guess is the author was your foster father, Ryuken." He paused when Getsuga nodded and gestured for him to continue as if he already knew that part. "The journal mentioned Zangetsu, Dr. Sousuke—which I assume is Aizen, Dr. Mayuri, and it also talked about a man with white hair and red eyes—which is exactly what Jin Kariya looks like. That's the same man that kidnapped Kon and killed Ginjou's wife. The papers explained that they experimented on him with a vaccine called Hero Project." Mugetsu paused to let his brothers soak in the information before continuing, "The journal said that his powers were side effects from the vaccine. But before they realized that there even were side effects, they also used it on a woman named Masaki." He waited to see their reaction to the revelation, but they just stared at him expectantly. "Yeahhh… You guys were young so you probably don't remember, but MOM'S name was Masaki. The journal ALSO mentioned our father, Isshin Shiba."

"But…" Kon said, confused. "Our family name is Kurosaki."

Mugetsu shrugged and then tried to explain, "I don't know why they both changed their names, but I remember doing a project for class one day. We had to show our 'family tree'. We even had to make a big stupid poster out of cardboard." Mugetsu gently gnawed on his bottom lip as he thought back to that particular day. He let the sweet memories wash over him like a cleansing waterfall. "Mom… She… she didn't say anything about her family except that she used to have three brothers... but they weren't family anymore. She said her real family didn't start until I was born." He faltered when emotions suddenly swelled inside his chest. "I didn't understand what she meant until now..."

Getsuga rose to his feet and stepped forward to pat Mugetsu on the back and then rub soothing circles. When that didn't seem to help, he pulled the older male in for a quick hug. Mugetsu choked on a laugh as he gratifully returned the embrace. He was smiling when they broke apart.

"Soooo…" Kon scratched his head as he thought carefully on what to say next. "If she was an Ishida, then that would mean Ryuken is our uncle, right?"

"Yes, as well as Zangetsu and Yhwach…" Mugetsu added.

"And you just found out about this today?" Shirosaki questioned and frowned when Mugetsu just shrugged again.

"I had my suspicions, but Zangetsu never said anything… and I never asked. Plus, I didn't know mom's last name until I read the journal today." Mugetsu shuffled his feet anxiously at the disapproving glare. "Oh and you guys should know that the man you found at the hospital—the one in a coma," He waited until Kon and Getsuga nodded in understanding, "That's our father."

"Woah! Wait!" Kon jumped to his feet so he could be at eye level with his brothers. "Our dad is still alive!? Why didn't anyone tell us!?" Kon sounded absolutely betrayed. He didn't know how to sort through the sudden anger that burned in his stomach, so he started pacing. He was a master at dealing with emotions like anxiety, sorrow, and fear, but these more… heated emotions were new to him.

"We can't just assume" Mugetsu was quick to try and defuse their reactions, "We don't know if anyone even knew he was there. The only person that should have known was Ryuken because he worked at the hospital, but I don't know him well enough to point fingers…" Mugetsu glanced at Getsuga for any kind of reassurance, but the orangette just frowned and glared down at the ground. His one eye was swirling with so many different emotions.

"Eh… I guess there's not much we can do about that now…" Kon tilted his head until he felt his neck crack and tried to relax. He counted to ten in his head then crossed his arms. "Tell me more about that Hero Project thing. Is that why Shiro can track us and how you were able to just grab that barbed wire like it was nothing?"

"Yeah. The list of side effects included healing abilities like Ichigo has, as well as inhuman strength," Mugetsu pointed to Kon, "Telekinetic abilities and Tough skin," he gestured to Shirosaki and then to himself, "Though my skin isn't just tough. I can't be cut at all and even needles won't pierce my skin."

Realization seemed to dawn on the brothers and Mugetsu rolled his eyes when he noticed them glance down at his chest.

"So that's why you can't do anything about your heart…?" Kon pursed his lips when Mugetsu smiled sadly at the ground. Awkward silence hung in the air like thick smog until Kon tried to steer the conversation back. "Soooo does Getsu have an ability too or are you normal?"

"Pffft!" Getsuga couldn't help but laugh out loud at that. He'd never heard the word 'normal' used to describe him before. With his sharp teeth, bright hair, pale skin, strange voice, and inverted eyes—he was anything but normal. He smirked and turned to Kon as he actually opened his mouth to answer, "All I know is that I'm immune to chemicals. I haven't tested it too much, because…" He shrugged his good shoulder and waved his hand in the air, "Well, it would just be a bad idea to test corrosive chemicals on myself in case I happen to be wrong." His metallic voice cracked as he laughed once more.

Shirosaki chuckled, "Good point." Then he turned to Kon. "So what've you figured out about your ability?"

The shorter orangette leaned back against the wall as he answered, "I grew up playing soccer so I noticed that my legs were pretty powerful. I could outrun all the other kids and I could kick the ball at least three fields down. And I feel like I've been getting stronger the last few days. It's like as soon as I got back with you guys my power upgraded." He hopped from foot to foot excitedly as he continued. "I feel like I could jump straight into the clouds!"

"Alright, alright. Calm down. We saw the dents you left in that metal door, so there's no denying your strength." Mugetsu chuckled as he planted his hands on Kon's shoulders to keep him from attempting to fly off.

"So what's our plan?" Shirosaki huddled close and pinned his brothers with narrowed eyes. He was really tired of waiting around. "Ichigo is pretty high up, might even be on the top floor."

"Hm… I didn't see any guards so should we just try to go through the front door?" Kon contributed with a shrug.

"But what if that sets off an alarm? There might not be guards outside but who knows who might be waiting inside." Mugetsu countered.

"Psh!" Kon pouted but then raised his arms to flex dramatically. "Whoever's inside, we can take 'em!"

"I wouldn't be so sure."

It took a second to realize that sentence didn't come from any of them and each Kurosaki brother quickly spun to face the newcomer.

"Pop?!" Kon exclaimed in disbelief, but, sure enough, there he was. The tall blonde was standing just outside the entryway to the parking lot, illuminated by the moonlight.

Kisuke smiled warmly at the group as he stepped closer. The kurosaki brothers had been so distracted that they hadn't even heard the man's wooden clogs clomping against the concrete. Now it sounded too loud in the confined space.

"How'd you find us?" Shirosaki snarled and took a step forward to stand between the man and his brothers.

Kisuke walked forward until he stood right in front of them and then smiled. "Ohhh, I just happened to be in the neighborhood."

Mugetsu rolled his eyes. "Liar." He leaned towards Kon to whisper, "Did you know that he put something in your blood so he could track you with some radar-phone thing?"

Kon's head whipped up to stare at Mugetsu with huge eyes. Apparently he did not know.

"W-what..?" He blinked as he let the information settle and then he sighed. "Ya know what… I shouldn't be surprised that you have some way of finding me." He spoke loud enough for Kisuke to hear and the man just snickered. He then reached into his pocket to retrieve the mentioned tracking device.

"I'm actually here because I was following Jin Kariya, but then I looked at this to make sure you were still at the sanctuary. Imagine my surprise when I saw you were nearby." Kisuke explained as he tucked the device away. "I'm assuming you boys are here to try and break Ichigo out… but you should know that Yoruichi and Aizen are on their way with a whole squad of police. You should let them handle this."

"They're useless!" Shirosaki instantly spat. "They just stood there like a buncha mannequins when Ichigo was taken! And 'sides… Ichi went up into that helicopter willingly because he thinks he's saving US." Shirosaki turned to see confused looks. "He's tryin' to sacrifice himself! So WE'RE the ones that have to get him back." He turned to see that his brothers were looking at him with wide, confused eyes, so he continued, "I guess Yhwach and him made a deal… Ichi said that we were free—that we didn't have to hide anymore."

Kon still seemed a little perplexed while Getsuga and Mugetsu were frowning in worry. Kisuke reached up to lightly cough in his fist, catching their attention.

"If he agreed to leave you boys alone, then that must mean Yhwach completed the other parts of the vaccine. And now that he has Ichigo… oh boy. That's not good." Kisuke's face hardened as a serious frown etched his lips. Kon very rarely saw his foster father get so serious. The man usually seemed so laidback, even when things got stressful. "This is a problem."

"Yeah we know it's a fuckin' problem. Damn—For a brainiac ya sure say the most obvious shit." Shirosaki looked unimpressed as he stared down the taller male who was sporting wooden clogs.

Kisuke seemed a bit surprised at the snarky comment and blinked down at Shiro with a small smirk. "And for a Kurosaki, you sure do curse a lot." He shot back. Shirosaki huffed through his nose like a pissed off bull.

"So you said you were following Jin Kariya?" The teen shifted impatiently. "So that means he's inside already?"

Kisuke nodded with a solemn frown. "Unfortunately yes… but…" He lightly scratched at the scruff on his chin as he let his mind wander. He glanced over each brother with a critical eye until his gaze landed on the silent twin. "You must be Getsuga, am I right?" Said teen rose an orange brow but slowly nodded his head. "Wonderful! I'd been meaning to try something with you!" The man's bubbly persona was back.

"Poppp!" Kon whined. "We don't have time for your stupid experiments! Are you gonna help us get Ichigo or not?"

Kisuke turned and pouted at his adopted son with a look of hurt. "My experiments aren't stupid." He sniffled pitifully. "And I might have something that can help, but I actually need Getsuga's blood to complete it." The orangette shrunk away from him as he approached, making Kisuke pause. "I'm not going to hurt you." The strange man said with his hands raised innocently. Getsuga glanced over at Kon and the younger shrugged.

"He's annoying but harmless."

Getsuga gradually unclenched and allowed Kisuke to lift his arm. When he let, he motioned for Getsuga to keep his arm up and then turned to dig inside his jacket. He retrieved a small leather handbag and unzipped it to reveal a layer of vials strapped to the inside. They were filled with clear, unknown liquid. Inside was also a medium beaker and an empty syringe. "You'll feel a little pinch, but I'll make it quick, okay?" Kisuke held out the needle and waited until Getsuga nodded his consent before sticking it in. The teen didn't even bat an eye at the slight pain and he watched calmly as his blood was pulled into the needle. Kon looked a little queasy at the sight of blood and quickly dropped his gaze to the floor.

The other two brothers silently watched As Kisuke took the beaker and poured a small portion of each vial inside. He swished the mixture around the glass until it was blended before finally squirting Getsuga's blood inside. When he swished it again, the brothers watched in awe as the color changed from red to bright blue and then went completely clear.

"What is that?" Mugetsu asked curiously. Kisuke didn't reply right away. First he took the syringe and filled it with as much of the new concoction as he could fit. He then placed a cap over the needle and then held it out to his adopted son.

It took Kon a moment to finally look up from the ground and he blinked at the item held out for him. He locked eyes with Kisuke and felt his chest tighten at the look of pride he was receiving. The amount of trust that was being placed on him was so overwhelmingly emotional. Kon somehow managed to keep a straight face as he reached out to take the syringe.

"Ichigo's blood may have been the key to completing Hero Project, but Getsuga," He turned away from Kon to face said teen as he continued, "If that's the case, then your blood is the lock. You're not just immune to chemicals—you have the ability to completely neutralize them."

Getsuga blinked his good eye but didn't look away from Kisuke's intense gaze.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Shirosaki spoke up for his twin.

"It meansss," Kisuke turned to flash him a gleeful smile. "That if you run into Jin Kariya, just stick him with that needle and you won't have to worry about his powers anymore."

"Woah, wait! Permanently!?" Kon exclaimed and then held the needle as far from himself as his arm could reach. If it could work on Jin then that meant it could work on them as well, right!?

The man scratched the back of his head as he shrugged his shoulders and cringed, "Wellll. I'm not sure if it's permanent. Ryuken never let me experiment on your blood before, so I had to recreate your side of the vaccine myself, but it was only a mock recreation." Kisuke explained mostly towards Getsuga.

The teen opened his mouth to speak, but it took him a couple tries to finally say something. He still wasn't comfortable talking to anyone except his brothers. "Does my blood work naturally? What was it that you added in the beaker?" He was relieved when Kisuke made no comment on his voice. The man didn't even really react to it.

"All I added were some accelerators. Just to make the solution more potent."

"Hey wait…" Kon stared at the tip of the needle, lost in thought, before finally looking up to ask, "Will sticking him even work? If he has tough skin like Mugetsu, then…" He trailed off, but he'd gotten his message across. The brothers turned to Kisuke for an answer, but the man shrugged.

"Remember in Ginjou's story," Mugetsu suddenly recalled, "He shot him through the head. So he's not completely invulnerable." He looked up to see hopeful eyes looking back at him and turned to face Kon. "And if anyone could stab that needle through his skin, then it would be you."

Kon chewed on his bottom lip nervously for a moment. This was a lot of responsibility being placed on his shoulders all of a sudden…

He tightened his hold on the syringe and then held it close. Determination sunk into his features and he smirked. He knew he wasn't alone in this. He had his family here to back him up, and Ichigo needed their help.

"So what are we waiting for?"

….

…

..

.

TBC

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Omg okay. I'm not even gonna mention how long it's been. You already know I'm sorry though... so... moving on!

** Fun Fact: everything Ichigo said in the memory while being tortured by Jin coincides with what Shirosaki heard during the beginning of Chapter 21 when he was escaping the orphanage.

Okay so that wasn't necessarily a fun fact, but you get it.

If you have any questions or if you notice a continuity error, then please let me know.

I'm really trying to tie up all the loose ends with everything coinciding.

THANK YOU FOR READING!