Two days later.

Takashi narrowed his eyes as he glared at the TV screen. He was absolutely determined to win this game. He wasn't sure where the competitive streak about something as silly as a video game came from, but he was going to win. If he could just figure out how.

It was tough going, because Ichigo clearly knew this game much better than he did. Takashi hissed as his hit points just kept going down and down. He had a great attack and he was building up for it, but he had to launch it at just the right time…

Fortunately, he was not above fighting dirty. Takashi glanced at Ichigo carefully and saw that he was fully absorbed in the game. He also looked pretty sexy, frowning slightly in concentration. Takashi kept most of his attention on the game but leaned over and at just the right moment, licked the shell of Ichigo's ear.

The teen's eyes went wide and Takashi launched his final attack. The power he'd built up was enormous and Ichigo completely missed blocking it. Takashi yelped in triumph as the victory music played. Then he yelped in pain as a fist hit him in his side.

"Takashi, you bastard! That was dirty!" Ichigo snarled, a light flush on his cheeks. Takashi rubbed his side before giving him a grin.

"Hey, it worked. All's fair in love and war, right?" Takashi hesitated, but only for a brief moment. He knew what he wanted and he was going to take it. So instead of laughing it off or making a joke, he slid onto his knees and leaned closer to a startled Ichigo. "And I've been wanting to do that for a while." He murmured, reaching up to cup a perfect cheek. Ichigo stared at him for a moment, his brown eyes wide. Then white lips caught the teen's in a gentle kiss.

Takashi didn't want to be gentle. A deep, primitive instinct urged him to take, to claim, to dominate. But a more intelligent instinct said that would be a mistake. Ichigo was a shinigami, not a hollow, and he might not understand.

So he kept it gentle, gentle but passionate. Ichigo's lips were warm and responsive and Takashi slid a hand behind the teen's head before deepening the kiss. He wordlessly asked for permission and Ichigo gave it, opening his mouth slightly. Their tongues dipped together and Takashi could taste mint, the breath wash Ichigo used every morning. It tasted good.

"Takashi, I'm – I'm not sure about this." Ichigo said as they parted, both of them breathless. "Are you clean?" Takashi had to grin. Trust the son of a doctor to think about that.

"I've had my first STD test, but not the second. So I could have something." He said honestly. Some diseases had an incubation period. "But I'm pretty sure I'm clean. And I have these." He pulled a little foil wrapped item out of his pocket, making Ichigo's eyes widen. "I've been hoping…" He shrugged a little and the other teen smiled.

"You're horrible. Do you have lube too?" He said teasingly, tangling his hands in Takashi's shirt and pulling him in for another kiss. Takashi savored it, his heart beating faster. It looked like he was getting lucky tonight.

"Of course. It's in my room though." He said when they parted. "Might be better to go there anyway." Yoruichi wasn't home yet but that could change and it would be way too easy for her to walk in on them here. Ichigo nodded.

"That sounds good." They went to his room hand in hand and Takashi smiled in pleasure. This was going to be great.

As soon as they were inside the room, Takashi pressed Ichigo against a nearby wall. He knew what he wanted to do first, and it wouldn't require condoms or lube. Ichigo gave him a confused and adorable look as he fell to his knees. Then brown eyes went wide as Takashi caught the zipper of his jeans with his teeth. He pulled it down in a slow, teasing motion.

One thing he was very, very good at was blowjobs. That had always been his preferred method of earning money, since it hurt less than an actual fuck. He'd never enjoyed it before today, though. Takashi slid down Ichigo's underwear and claimed his prize, breathing across the sensitive flesh before taking it in his mouth. He heard Ichigo groan and savored the sound, teasing the other teen with the motion of his tongue followed by intense suction.

He tasted good. That was different, too. Memories said he'd never liked the taste, before. Maybe it was because he was doing this willingly? But Takashi abandoned those thoughts, just concentrating on driving his partner insane. He took Ichigo deep in his throat, deliberately tightening the muscles there. The sound the other teen made was delicious, needy and desperate.

"Oh god, Takashi…" Ichigo said, his voice breathy with pleasure. Takashi ghosted his fingers over his inner thighs before letting them trail over his sac. Then he cupped the heavy balls, bouncing them lightly in his hands. "Takashi!" Ichigo's hands were on his shoulders now, his fingers biting in. Takashi didn't mind. He was enjoying this.

It didn't take much more to bring the redhead over the edge. Takashi swallowed everything with the ease of long practice and pulled away, breathing heavily as he looked up. Ichigo was bracing himself against the wall, his knees weak. The flush on his cheek and his wide, chocolate brown eyes were beautiful. Takashi smiled as he stood up, giving the teen a deep and passionate kiss.

"We're not done yet." He murmured and saw Ichigo swallow, his adam's apple bobbing with the motion. It was too enticing, and he took the opportunity, licking and nibbling at Ichigo's throat. He found a sensitive spot there and sucked on it, much to the teen's pleasure. "Mmm… the bed." He muttered as he pulled away. This was great, but they needed the bed.

"R-Right." Ichigo said breathlessly, his eyes hazed with lust. He sat on the bed as Takashi began to undress himself. He made it as teasing as possible, stripping the shirt away in a smooth move and revealing the hard muscles beneath. Ichigo was staring at him when he looked back. "You must work out a lot." He murmured and Takashi grinned.

"Not as much as you'd think." He seemed to be naturally blessed with this physique. Since he'd eaten that pill, anyway. Then he started working on his jeans, sliding them down to reveal light blue boxers. Then he hooked his fingers under those, sliding them away, revealing his full glory. A quick glance at Ichigo showed him that the other teen was looking a bit apprehensive. Takashi could guess what was going through his mind. Can that really fit? Something along those lines. He'd felt the exact same way, the first time.

Quickly getting out the lube and condom, he slid onto the bed beside him. Takashi favored his new lover with a devilish grin before setting the items aside and getting down to business. He wasn't going to rush this, oh no. He was going to make this a night to remember.

And he did. He slid his hands over warm, pliant skin, teasing the other teen in all the right places. Worshipping his body, exploring every inch of it. Ichigo moaned softly as a warm, wet mouth descended on one of his nipples, teasing the flesh into hardness. Then the other nipple received the same treatment.

"You're fucking gorgeous, Ichigo." He murmured as he let go of the second nipple with a pop. Ichigo looked down at him, his brown eyes smoldering.

"That's handsome to you." He said and Takashi grinned before moving up for a kiss. Then he was grabbing the lube. Slathering it on his hand, he reached behind Ichigo to prepare him. "Umph…" That wasn't an entirely pleased sound, not to his surprise. Takashi looked into Ichigo's face and saw his eyes were tightly closed and he was biting his bottom lip.

"Relax, Ichi." He said soothingly, slowly exploring him with a single finger. He was so tight in there, it was unbelievable. Virgin tight. That thought made his already hard cock twitch, but it meant he had to take his time. "Relax. This will hurt if you're tense." He needed to get Ichigo relaxed and supple. The other teen nodded and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. Takashi added a second finger, stretching him further and watched as Ichigo swallowed again.

Then questing fingers found what they were looking for and Ichigo's hips abruptly bucked against his hand. Takashi grinned in amusement as Ichigo's eyes shot open, shocked brown orbs looking at him.

"Never felt that before, huh? That's your prostate." He purred, although Ichigo probably knew that. He was a doctor's son, after all. Ichigo just gasped then moaned as a third finger joined the other two. Takashi took his time, but finally judged the other teen was ready. And he couldn't wait much longer. His own body had needs. Pulling his fingers away, he quickly unfurled the condom and coated himself with lube. That bit of preparation done, he positioned himself and eased inside.

"Ah…! Shit, Takashi!" Ichigo cried out in mingled pain and pleasure. Takashi took his time, kissing away a few errant tears as he waited for his lover to adjust.

"When I'm done with you, you'll never want anyone else." He whispered, his voice full of dark promises that made Ichigo shiver. Takashi wondered, though, where that bravado came from. Did he really think he was that good? But part of him was sure he was. Then he was moving, taking Ichigo with a slow, steady rhythm.

Silky walls surrounded him, beautifully tight and warm. Takashi lost himself then, surrendering to the animal instincts that lived within him. He was vaguely aware of a power rising around him, thick and heavy with dark sweetness, but he didn't care. All that mattered was the body under him, the look on Ichigo's face and the incredible heat gripping his cock.

"Takashi." Ichigo gasping his name was sexy as hell. Takashi grunted softly and increased his pace, hands gripping his ass to pull him closer.

"Ichigo." His own voice had an odd, echoing tone. But it didn't matter and Ichigo didn't care. Long legs wrapped firmly around his waist as Takashi thrust with all the power in his body. The instincts within him were rising to a howl, urging him to claim, to take, to mark his mate. Takashi obeyed them without thought, his teeth leaving behind red welts on Ichigo's throat. And Ichigo seemed to be caught by the same fever, his nails leaving bloody trails in pale, nearly white skin.

"Harder, faster, oh god…" Ichigo sounded desperate, full of need and Takashi managed to obey, finding a bit more speed and force. "Uhn, ah!" Ichigo's cock was so full it was ready to burst, and Takashi gripped the straining flesh, giving him a single, forceful squeeze. "AH!" That took the other teen over the edge and Takashi groaned as hot muscles clenched tight around him, milking him for his release. He couldn't resist that silent command and came with a heavenly feeling. This was nothing like the other times he'd made love. It was better, amazing, wonderful…

They lay together for a moment, breathing heavily, before Takashi pulled away. Ichigo made a small noise of disappointment but Takashi knew it was necessary. If he got soft in the other teen, the condom would be pointless. Carefully pulling off the bit of plastic, he rolled it up and tossed it into a nearby garbage can. Then he slid into bed beside Ichigo. To his amusement, he could see that he was already dozing off.

"Mine." He whispered into one beautiful ear, just looking into his lover's face. "You're mine, now." Takashi vaguely wondered where that possessiveness was coming from. He'd never felt like this about his previous lovers. But he wasn't going to question it.

Ichigo was his, now.

The next morning, Takashi stirred as the light hit his eyes.

He was still wearing his shades. He could wear them even in the dark, and they didn't seem to impede his sight any. So he could see Ichigo clearly, even in the darkened room.

The other teen was lying on his side, stretched out and looking very comfortable. Takashi just watched him, smiling as the sunbeam from the crack in the curtains slowly moved, illuminating bright orange hair. He let his gaze travel down, sliding over great pecs and sculpted abs. The blanket had fallen down sometime in the night and was pooled around Ichigo's waist, but Takashi could see a tantalizing line of orange fuzz.

Then the sunbeam went a bit lower and Ichigo made a small, protesting sound as his eyelids fluttered. Warm brown eyes opened and Takashi reached out to tenderly touch his hair, running his fingertips through the soft strands.

"Good morning, handsome." He said, his voice warm with all the emotion his cold heart could muster. And it was really a lot of emotion. He'd caught himself a great lover (mate) and he was feeling happy with the world.

"Good morning." Ichigo said sleepily and snuggled down lower on the bed, trying to outrun the sunbeam. Takashi smiled, then stiffened in horror as a voice rang out from the door.

"Good morning boys! My, what a wonderful view!" Takashi yelped and grabbed the blanket, yanking it up to cover his naked derriere. Then he glared over his shoulder at the demon cat who had been ogling him. Yoruichi was in her human form and grinning widely. "I'm making pancakes, would you like some?"

"Yes please." Takashi forgot about his affronted dignity. Sustenance came first. "Three for me." He glanced at Ichigo, who was looking rather amused. But then, his body had been hidden behind Takashi.

"Two here. Now go away, we need to get dressed." He said and Yoruichi grinned before closing the door. Her laugh floated to them quite clearly and Ichigo shook his head. "Perverted demon cat."

"She sure is." Takashi agreed, getting out of bed. It was his room and he quickly pulled on a pair of pants. "Just stay here, I'll get your stuff." Ichigo's room was right across the way. He could probably just have run to it naked, but Yoruichi around that would be a bit dangerous.

"If you could." Ichigo yawned and Takashi was amused to see he was already dozing off when he got back. Settling the clothes down on a chair, he leaned over to give his new lover a gentle kiss on the cheek. Ichigo opened his eyes again and sighed. "I guess I should get up." He murmured before carefully prying himself out of the bed. "Ow." He winced at the pain and Takashi nodded sympathetically.

"Sorry about that. Give it a few hours and it should get better." That was all it had taken him, the few times he'd been fucked gently. Most of the time he'd been left raw and bleeding. But he'd just self-medicated with more drugs. Ichigo gave him a small smile.

"It's okay, I'll manage." Takashi got on the rest of his clothes as Ichigo dressed, occasional shooting him glances. Seeing someone get undressed was sexy, and seeing them getting dressed again, well, that was also sexy. It was over very quickly, though, and Takashi regretfully tore his gaze away. "I smell something burning." Ichigo said and Takashi sniffed the air before swearing and bolting for the kitchen.

"Damn! Turn on the fans, open the windows, we don't need the fire alarm going off!" Takashi quickly grabbed the frying pan from a rather frustrated Yoruichi. "What are you doing? You have this on high!" That was a much higher setting than he would have used for pancakes. And the pancakes themselves didn't look that great, full of lumps. "Oi, let me do this." He said firmly. The restaurant didn't serve pancakes, but he was sure he could do better than this.

"Sorry. I thought it wouldn't be so hard…" Yoruichi retired from the kitchen, actually looking slightly ashamed. Takashi frowned as he looked at the pancake batter. She'd clearly been stirring it by hand, which was great if you were persistent. But this kitchen came with all the best gadgets.

"Here, let me show you how to use the mixer." He quickly plugged in the very nice mixer and began fixing up the pancake mix. It had come out of a box, so the ingredients were alright, the main problem was the consistency. "You cook these on medium or medium-high." He dropped plenty of butter into the pan before dropping in spoonfuls of mix. It was a huge pan on a big element, and could probably take four at once. "There we go."

"You make it all look so easy." Yoruichi said with a smile and Ichigo snorted as he poured himself some tea before speaking softly.

"Because it is – ow!" Not quite softly enough. Takashi grinned but didn't give the squabbling shinigami much attention. He didn't want his pancakes to burn.

Soon they were all munching on fresh pancakes, drizzled with real maple syrup. The maple syrup was a revelation to Takashi. When he'd been growing up they'd used the cheapest type of maple syrup, which was actually something else entirely. The restaurant wasn't open for breakfast, and Tanis' family rarely had pancakes for breakfast. When they did, it was the same old faux syrup. Now he was tasting the real thing, and the flavor was about a hundred times better.

"I'm gonna have to get some of this for Tanis." He murmured to himself. It would be expensive, though. He might have to wait until his debts were paid off. "Ugh." He hated to think about his debts. They pulled him back into that world he was determined to leave.

"I've managed to locate Yukio." Yoruichi said, taking a sip of her tea. Both of them looked at her, startled. "He's running his company and from what I can see, he's highly successful. I've arranged a meeting with him."

"You don't think it's him, do you?" Takashi asked and Yoruichi shook her head.

"Honestly, no. It didn't take much to convince him to meet with us. It's hard to tell with that boy, but I think he feels grateful towards you." She said to Ichigo who sighed, looking into his tea. Takashi could imagine what was going through his mind. He didn't really want to kill Yukio, but he wanted to go home. He wanted this problem to go away, and if Yukio was a dead end they were going to be here longer.

"Maybe he'll have some information. Xcution seemed a bit on the dirty side, right?" Takashi said optimistically, trying to cheer his friend up. It wasn't much of a success and Takashi wondered if it was just the lack of progress bothering him. Or was it something else?

"Is something wrong?" He asked quietly as they walked down to the train station. Ichigo glanced at him, looking almost melancholy.

"You mean, besides everything?" He said, then reached out to touch the edge of Takashi's shades. The teen hesitated but let him. "You wear those even to bed?" There was a strange edge to his voice that Takashi didn't understand.

"Usually, no. But they're not that pretty, it wouldn't have been sexy." Takashi said, fudging the truth just a bit. He thought his eyes weren't that bad, but they were rather freaky. Ichigo gave him a searching look followed by a small smile.

"I wouldn't mind if your eyes had veins popping out like Geordi's, you know." He said with better humor and Takashi smiled. "When will you show them to me?" That made Takashi hesitate. Something told him that letting Ichigo see his eyes would be a terrible idea, but he didn't know why.

"Someday soon." He finally said, resolving that he would show Ichigo his eyes someday. He couldn't hide this forever, whatever this was. The teen looked relieved and Takashi wondered, uneasily, if Ichigo would recognize his eyes. Something inside told him it was quite likely. Pushing aside the uncomfortable thought, he concentrated on navigating the train. It was incredibly packed and he felt like a sardine in a tin. "I don't mind being this close to you, but I don't like being this close to everyone else." He murmured in Ichigo's ear, making the teen laugh softly.

They finally reached their stop, which was in an industrial area of the city. It was a long walk after that, but they'd budgeted time for it. They arrived at the meeting point ten minutes early. It was a manufacturing building of some sort, and Takashi had to hold back a bit of drool as he realized what they were making.

"Soylent Green Nature Bars! I love those things." He confided in Ichigo, who choked a little. "What?" He asked, perplexed, as Yoruichi giggled.

"You don't know where the name comes from, do you?" Ichigo asked and Takashi just blinked. He honestly had no idea, although it was a really weird name. He'd figured it was some English thing. "It's from a movie. Soylent Green is made out of people."

"Oh. Really? Well, I'm guessing the bars aren't." Takashi said with a grin. Not that he would object to eating bars made out of people, really. The thought didn't attract him, but it didn't repulse him either. "Maybe I can get some samples." He would love it if he could. That would just make his day.

Yukio wasn't waiting for them, he was busy inspecting the plant. But an aide immediately took them to him. He was examining some machines thoughtfully. They weren't in use, which struck Takashi as interesting. It was the middle of the day.

"Ah, Ichigo." He turned to look at them and Takashi was surprised to see he was holding some kind of game boy thing. But Ichigo and Yoruichi seemed to take it in stride. "Who are these?" He glanced them both over, pausing for a moment on Yoruichi. Takashi, he dismissed immediately. He frowned, feeling mildly insulted.

"This is Yoruichi, she's a shinigami. And this is my friend, Takashi." Ichigo introduced him and Takashi waved. "Um… this is a bit difficult to ask…" Ichigo ran a hand through his hair and Takashi snickered. It was a bit hard to bring up.

"Let me do it." He said and turned to the boy. Yukio gave him a look and Takashi realized the other boy really didn't like him. Which was odd, given that they'd just met. "See, someone's hiring guys to try and kill Ichi here. One of the few frenemies he's got in the real world is you, so we figured we'd have a chat to see if you're doing things you shouldn't." He explained and Ichigo winced. Yukio's eyes widened for a moment.

"Of course not! What an absurd idea." He looked at Ichigo sharply, then suddenly began tapping on his console. Black lines suddenly appeared out of nowhere and enfolded a startled Takashi.

"HEY! What the fu-" That was all he got out before the box enclosed him. Yoruichi stared and Ichigo scowled at the black box with the 'saving' icon.

"What did you do that for?" His friend and lover wasn't exactly tactful, but this seemed a little harsh. Yukio just shrugged.

"I don't like him. There's something strange about him." Yukio explained before grimacing. "Something… hollow like. Are you certain he's trustworthy?" He asked and Ichigo frowned, glancing at Yoruichi. His reiatsu sensing was poor, but hers was excellent. She nodded.

"He does have a very hollow reiatsu, but it's been getting fainter since we arrived in Tokyo. I thought perhaps it was some kind of residue from a hollow attack in Karakura town." She said and Ichigo relaxed a bit. That was a reasonable explanation.

"Well, whatever. He won't even be aware in there and now we can talk. What's been happening? Someone's trying to murder you?" Yukio asked and Ichigo began to explain the situation. They were all unaware that something was happening in the box.

But they would be finding out shortly.

"Where am I?" Takashi whispered as he turned around. It was like he was enfolded in utter darkness. That darkness was oppressive, weighing on him like a shroud. "Shit." He breathed, trying to think of some way to get out of this. Was Ichigo in danger?

(leave the body)

Takashi stopped, frozen. That thought had been so distinct, so real. And it hadn't sounded like his voice. "Who are you?" He said, his voice shaking. "Are you the hollow I ate?" It had to be the pill, it had to be.

(idiot)

(Takashi is dead) His eyes went wide at that and he looked over himself. He didn't look dead…

(you are you) Takashi gasped as white, thick and heavy and creamy, began to flow out of his mouth. It didn't feel real, and it didn't hurt.

(and you have… no name)

"…So there have been some changes in Tokyo recently." Yukio finished and Yoruichi nodded as Ichigo scowled.

"But why would some new Yakuza boss want me dead?" Ichigo wondered. From what Yukio had told them, there had been a major upheaval in the Tokyo underworld recently. Someone new had assumed control of a small syndicate, in a very violent manner. And some of the violence had been rather inexplicable. Supernatural forces could possibly be involved.

"I don't know but the timing is very – " Yukio stopped as his game console began to beep. Looking into it, he frowned. "Error? What the hell is going on." He mumbled as he tapped on some keys. Then he stopped, his eyes going wide, before shooting Ichigo an accusing look. "What is he?"

"What?" Ichigo said blankly, glancing over at the black box. To his surprise, the 'saving' icon had been replaced with a large 'error' one. The letters were bright red and flashing irregularly.

"What the hell is he?! He's building up a massive pressure inside the save! It's going to – " That was as far as Yukio got before the save exploded.

Black and red power flared, followed by a flash of white. A white hand slapped against Yukio's face and there was a wicked laugh as red light began to build in that palm. Yukio's eyes widened as he looked into black and gold eyes, but there was nothing he could do to stop the monster that had him in its grip.

But then a kido hit them. It was aimed so neatly that it slapped the hollow's hand away but left Yukio unharmed. He fell to the ground, slightly singed and terrified, but alive. He scrambled away as the white form turned to look at Yoruichi, scowling.

"What? Wasn't he killing you or something?" He said before giving Ichigo a grin. The teen was out of his body and pointing Zangetsu at him. "Hello there, my former King." The hollow said mockingly and Ichigo scowled. There was pain and a deep fury in his eyes.

"I knew it. I should never have trusted you." He said, his voice hard. "Was it you all along? Was Takashi nothing but a lie?" He asked and his hollow tilted his head to one side, as if he was thinking about it. "Was all this garbage about someone trying to kill me just another lie?" The hollow blinked slowly, then grinned.

"I've told you nothing but the truth, King. We're still connected right now, and if you died I would be inconvenienced." The hollow padded towards him on silent feet and as he got closer, Ichigo noticed something disturbing. His hollow didn't really look like him anymore. His face was thinner and had a subtly different shape. And when he smiled, his teeth were slightly crooked. They looked alike enough to be brothers, but they were no longer twins. His hollow stopped when the point of his weapon touched him and reached down, stroking the blunt edge of Zangetsu like he was greeting a long lost friend. "As for Takashi… heh. Ichigo." Ichigo scowled harder at the sound of his name. His hollow gave it the same smoky desire that Takashi had last night. "Memories are more than something in your soul. They're part of your body, part of the patterns built into your mind. How else could a blow to the head take them away?" The hollow paused, then gestured towards the limp body on the ground. "When I ate that drug addicted little whore, I claimed his body as well. All his memories became mine, and something your shinigami friend did kept me from remembering myself. So I became Takashi. Was it nothing but a lie? Perhaps. But if so, it was a lie I was telling myself." The hollow shrugged, taking a step back. "Tch. I should have stayed in that box. But I do so hate to be imprisoned."

"Ichigo, what is this thing?" Yukio said, finding his voice. It was Yoruichi who answered as the hollow walked over to his body, looking at it thoughtfully.

"It's Ichigo's hollow half." She said. Ichigo shot her a glance. She seemed to be taking this very calmly. "I suspected it was him at the train station, but I wasn't sure." The hollow was kneeling now, white hands sliding around Takashi's neck, fingers linked behind that delicate throat.

"It would be so easy to break this." He murmured and Ichigo stiffened. But if his hollow chose to do that, it would be nearly impossible to stop him. "We're still connected. I would go back to your inner world… but even being human is better than that. No, I'll take this." He lifted his head and glanced at Ichigo, a sly smile tugging on his lips. "Be gentle with me, Ichigo. As soon as I return to my body, I'll believe I'm Takashi again. I wonder if I'll even believe you, when you try to tell me…?" The hollow's mocking laughter rang out, before he dissolved into a thick white substance. That creamy liquid flowed back into the body, sliding home with a faint and rather sickening squish. Then the body suddenly took a breath.

"Nnngh." Takashi moaned softly, trying to flip himself over. He succeeded in getting to his hands and knees before noticing that everyone was staring at him. Ichigo was giving him a hard look that made him feel rather uncomfortable. "What? I… argh…" He pressed a hand against his stomach and whimpered. "Oh shit." He felt achingly empty, with a coldness at his core. "Hey… can I have a Soylent Green bar? I need… something… fuck." He groaned as his body clenched and heaved. But nothing came up but a bit of bile. "Feel really bad." He mumbled, his lips cold and clammy. What had just happened? The last thing he could remember was the white stuff. Then there was a hand against his forehead and he looked up to see Yoruichi kneeling beside him.

"His reiatsu is extremely low. I'll give him an infusion…" Her voice became garbled and Takashi blinked heavily, trying to listen. But then his eyesight started to go, everything going strange and twisted at the edges. Unconsciousness was beckoning and fighting just didn't seem worth it.

He hardly felt Yoruichi catch him as he fell into darkness.