DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH, KUBO TITE DOES.
I stare at the chocolate bar on the metal table. Katamura hasn't ever given anything. He's stingy like that. So for him to do this, he has to up to something.
"Anzu. what's he up to?" I whisper loud enough for Anzu, but too low for Katamura. I usually don't talk to ghosts in his presence because it usually results in us fighting about my sanity, but this particular occasion is different, there's no way in hell I'm going to figure out his motives on my own.
"From what he said to several others, I take it that he wants to bribe you into behaving."
I raise an eyebrow at this. "That's pretty desperate. I mean, I love chocolate a lot, but I don't think I love it to the point that I could be bribed with it," I say, more so to Anzu than to Katamura.
"I'm not trying to bribe you, that'd just be plain stupid. I'm attempting to negotiate with you. For every 2 days you behave, I'll give you a candy of choice," He explains.
I snort. "I can believe you, you are trying to bribe me with candy. I hate to disappoint you, but I not as gullible as a five year old."
"Alright, I get it, you don't want it. I'll just take this with me, then. My granddaughter ought to like it." He goes to pick the candy-bar up and I frown. I know I said that I couldn't be bribed with sweets, but I honestly can't remember the last time I had chocolate.
"Fine! Deal! Now hand it over!" I yell, giving in to the extreme temptation. Katamura places the candy-bar back on the table and I snatch it up and rip it open before breaking off a square and popping it in my mouth. I can't believe he reduced me to this level.
"I knew you'd eventually see things my way."
"Don't act to high and mighty. And just so you know, if I get pissed, I'm still gonna reek havoc," I warn him.
"Sadly, I expected nothing more of you. But stopping your intentional abuse is enough to keep me happy for the time being," he says.
I pop another piece of chocolate in my mouth. I'm in my own personal heaven right now. "I honestly can't believe you're trying to 'sweeten me up' with actual sweets. I must annoy you more than I thought," I say, smirking.
"I hoping it works. If punishing you didn't work, then maybe praising you will." He leaves the room and I hear the lock click into place.
"So, how long do you plan on going along with him?" Anzu asks me.
"Until I get too bored to resist toying with his staff." I re-wrap the candy-bar and place it on the table. "Anzu?"
"Hmm?"
"What season is it?"
"Winter."
"Any snow?"
"Not yet. The season has just begun, but it's extremely cold out. It'll probably snow soon."
I look at the wall right where a window would be if this room had one. The thing about being locked in a windowless room is that it's impossible to tell what going on on the outside. I want to go outside so badly it hurts. "I think I'm going to try to convince Katamura to let me go outside."
"I highly doubt that he'll agree to that. He'll probably assume that you'll try to run away the second you step out into the open," She says.
"I know, but it's worth a try-" I'm cut off by the sound of a hollow shrieking. By the sound and feel of it, I take it that it's in the building somewhere.
"Ahhhhhhhh!" Ayu screams as she runs through the wall. "Ichigo, there's a monster here!" She hugs my waist, her whole body is trembling. I feel a brief relief from her being in one piece, but it's short-lived due to another shriek from the hollow.
"Dammit," I swear. One of the worst things about this situation is that I'm locked in a small room with no way out. I honestly don't think a single person exists with luck worse than mine. Ayu's grip on me tightens, bringing me back to reality. "Anzu, take Ayu and run as far as you can go. If you stay in the building, you'll be the perfect bait for that hollow."
"But-"
"No buts! Don't worry, I'll be fine. I've dealt with millions of hollows in the past. Now go!"
Anzu nods in understanding, but her expression is pained. It's quite obvious that she doesn't want to go. She grabs Ayu and pulls her away from me and they the run. I start pumping out my reiatsu so that I can draw the hollow away from whomever it's after. They huge crash outside my door confirms that it worked. One thing I've learned in the past is that they don't care whats between them and their prey, meaning, it's gonna smash through my wall without a second thought. I'm going to have to use that to my advantage if I want to live. It, as I knew it would, smashes my wall to oblivion and I dash past it and into the hallway. I jump into the huge hole in the floor and land, but I'm smashed to the ground before I can fully stand. That damn hollow is faster than I thought it would be.
"Oh my god! Are you ok-"
"Stay back!" I yell at the nurse. She flinches but continues towards me. "I said stay back! Get any closer and you're gonna die!" She freezes and I see recognition flash in her eyes. She turns and runs away. She probably thought that I was gonna kill her. Great. I'm gonna catch hell about that if I live long enough for Katamura to get a hold of me. The hollow shrieks and presses down twice as hard on me. I squeeze my eyes shut and scream out in pain. It's gonna break my back at this rate!
"El Directo!"
The heavy weight on me suddenly vanishes and I feel a strong pair of arms pull me up. A sharp pain shoots through my back as I stand, causing me to wince.I open my eyes just in time to see a heavy pink cloud burst through the building. The remaining people in the hall look around.
"Was I the only one who saw that!?"
"No, I saw it too!"
"That was scary!"
"Ichigo, are you alright?" Chad asks me.
"Huh? Oh... Yeah, I'm fine." I take a good look at my old friend. He, believe it or not, is bigger than he was the last time I saw him. I look to left. Rukia looks basically the same. We stare each other down.
"Ichigo!" I flinch at the sound of my name. I whip around just in time to see Katamura charging at me full speed. "What the hell is going on? And why aren't you in your room?"
"Um... Uh..."
"Ninja bombs went off all over the building!" A nurse tells him.
"Oh, I understa- What!? That's preposterous! Have you lost your mind!" He yells at him
"Rukia...," I whisper.
"You know how it works, it's completely random," she whispers back.
"What about you two, did you agree with him?" Katamura asks Chad and Rukia.
"Yeah. We saw them go off," Chad lies.
Katamura's eyebrows go up to his hairline. I've never seen this expression before, it's rather funny. "You've got to be kidding me."
"It's true, they blew up my wall," I say. The more he believes this, the better.
"I'm not about to trust your word on this. You imagine too many things," he tells me. I glare at him. He looks back to the duo. "Who are you two?"
"No one important. We just happened to be here when the bombs went off. I even saw one of the ninjas escape from the building," Rukia says. I have the feeling that she's having fun with the ninja lie.
"So it did happen?"
"Uh-huh."
He sighs. "What the hell is wrong with people these days?"
"It quite simple, they're losing their minds," I say, smiling a little.
"Ichigo, I'll tell you once more to be quiet." I roll my eyes at this.
Chad moves a little and his arm accidentally bumps against my back. I yelp. "You're hurt," he says. It's more of a statement than a question.
"No, I'm fine- Hey! Don't touch me!" I yell as Katamura forcibly turns me around lifts the back of my shirt.
"Your entire back is badly bruised. How'd this happen?" There's worry in Katamura's voice.
"Holy shit! Ichigo, why didn't you say something?" Rukia asks.
"Because, I didn't know it was so bad, all I knew was that my back was hurting," I say, trying to keep the pain out of my voice as Katamura's cold hand brushes against the tender flesh.
Katamura groans. "How the hell did you do this?"
"None of your business- Ow!" I scream as he purposely applies pressure to my back. "I fell! Now stop touching me!" Saying that I fell is the best I can do. If I were to tell him that I got smashed into the floor by a monster, he'd put me on heavier medication than what he's already got me on. I turn to face him, tear pricking the edges of my eyes. "That hurt, you bastard!"
"Blame your own self for being stubborn. That ought to teach you to answer more politely when I ask you a question," he tells me before turning to face Rukia. "Could you please be a dear and got get some ice-packs?" It still amazes me how much his tone changes between talking to patients and talking to people he doesn't know.
"Sure." She runs off towards the elevator.
"Could you please hold him still for me?" He asks Chad.
"Why?" He asks, suspicion in his voice.
"Because, if you don't hold him for me, I'm going to have to call some guards and they're not going to be gentle in the slightest.," he explains.
Chad wraps his arms around me and Katamura pulls a syringe from his coat pocket. "What's that?" He asks.
"Nothing much, just a sedative. You see, Ichigo can be rather violent, so I can't have him running around doing whatever he pleases, someone would most likely end up hurt. To prevent such... accidents, I'm going to knock him out for a bit. Under normal circumstances, I'd just have a couple guards drag him back to his room, but with his wall being supposedly destroyed, well, that just wont do." He goes to grab my arm, but I jerk away from Chad's loose grip and smash into a wall, sending multiple waves of pain through my back. This phases me just long enough for Katamura to stab my arm and press the plunger, sending the sedative into my blood stream. My knees give out on me and Chad catches me before I can hit the floor. I glare at Katamura. I'm getting tired of this shit. Being sedated is extremely unpleasant.
ME: Yes! I've managed to do yet another chapter!
ICHIGO: Why are you gloating over such a short chapter?
ME: Meanie... *Goes over to my emo corner to pout*
ICHIGO: *sighs* She really does have issues... Well, review.
ME: I can't believe you said it without me! T^T
ICHIGO: Fine, we'll do a re-do. Happy?
ME: Yes.
ICHIGO & ME: Review!