Retaliation

As more people trickled into the waiting room of the emergency room in hopes of hearing good news about Shinji's condition, the nurses led them to the one situated on the ICU floor. It was smaller, but far more private. Yumi, Ikkaku and Hanataro were there, Ikkaku sitting next to Yumi and holding the man's hand tightly as they waited and Hanataro twisting a piece of tissue with both hands. Karin and Yuzu were with the triplets at Ichigo's house, trying to get ahold of Grimmjow. Isshin was working on another floor but he came down as often as he could to make sure that everyone was doing okay. There was a brief moment of awkwardness when Isshin saw Starrk with his arm around Etta but the moment Etta saw him she jumped up and flew into his arms, hugging him tightly to her and whispering fiercely.

"Isshin. Isshin I can't do this again."

Isshin sighed brokenly and hugged her tightly back, rubbing her shoulders and kissing the top of her head. Both of them knew what it was to lose their spouse and Isshin hoped it stayed at only that. Everyone found out belatedly that Ichigo was one of the surgical team that was working on saving Shinji's life and for a moment Etta looked as if she were going to pass out. She recovered, her spirits seemed to have been lifted by that, and the room continued to wait for news. Nnoitra stood, staring out the waiting room window at the ground three floors below them and seriously contemplated stealing a car. He felt helpless and he hated it. So much of him knew that Starrk was right, that he needed to at the very least stay to see that Shinji made it through the surgery alright, but it didn't make the waiting any less excruciating. Nnoitra couldn't help but feel that he was wasting valuable time here when he could be out hunting that son of a bitch down. The things he was going to do when he found him….

The room went deadly silent and Nnoitra looked up as Ichigo entered the room. Nnoitra's heart pounded in his chest as if trying to break free as he waited for the words he needed to hear.

"Well?" he asked tersely and Ichigo nodded.

"He's in stable condition at the moment, on his way to ICU."

"Oh God." Etta breathed and seemed to sink into her chair as relief filled her even as more fear joined it. "W-what happened? How bad was it."

Ichigo took a deep breath before starting, a small bit of what only some recognized as pain flitting across his face before he was able to mask it. "He was shot four times by a low caliber bullet. Two of the shots skimmed him and didn't do very much damage. One bullet entered Shinji's right shoulder and embedded in his scapula, the other struck him in the sternum and bounced off the bone, angling downwards and tearing a whole in Shinji's left lung. We were able to get both bullets out and close the wounds but Shinji… Shinji lost a lot of blood. He's not in the clear yet but we'll do everything we can to… to…."

"Thank you, Ichigo." Etta said and rose to hug him tightly.

Ichigo's eyes closed and he took a moment to hug her back before clearing his throat.

"I have paperwork to fill out and then I'll see about letting you see him, okay?" He said to Etta and the woman nodded with a worried frown.

Nnoitra looked as if he had been kicked in the gut as Ichigo listed off what had happened to Shinji and by the time he was finished the only thing Nnoitra could see was red. He yanked his hand out of his pocket and held it out in front of Starrk who reached in his own pocket and pulled out his keys, dropping them into Nnoitra's hand with a tired look on his already apathetic face. Everyone watched as the man left silently and Ichigo looked at Starrk in question. Starrk shook his head once before standing and offering to get Etta a coffee. Ichigo left the small room to return to his shared office to fill out his report. He hadn't told them everything. He didn't think it was right to tell everyone present all that had happened to Shinji. And he couldn't bring himself to tell Etta just yet that her son… that Shinji had flat lined on the table twice and that the last time they hadn't been sure they were going to be able to bring him back. He would have to, he knew, but he would tell Etta when she was alone. He couldn't do that to her in front of everyone. He threw himself into his chair and grabbed his pen before pushing everything else out of his head and finishing his paperwork.

Nnoitra slammed the car into third gear and briefly cursed the fact that Starrk drove a stick. He hated stick shifts; took too much effort and coordination and Nnoitra didn't have time for that. His entire being was focused on getting to that hotel that Tesla had called him from, and hoping that the two were still there. And then he was going to kill that motherfucker. He didn't care how he was going to do it but he knew that the only way he'd be satisfied right now, the only way to feed the beast growing inside him, was to paint his hands with the man's freshly spilled blood. He wanted to feel it and smell fear and hear bones crack. Nnoitra's grip tightened on the steering wheel as he drove to Ikebukuro, taking the fastest route he knew possible. He didn't let himself think about Shinji right then. He couldn't because if he started to he wouldn't stop and he didn't like the way all of that made him feel. He didn't like his chest hurting and constantly feeling on the verge of vomiting. He didn't like feeling his heart flutter and sink to his stomach, didn't like his body going weak and cold at the thoughts of Shinji covered in blood and pale. So fucking pale.

Nnoitra sneered and took a corner too sharply, skidding a bit before managing to get control of the vehicle. He took a deep breath and continued on. He was pretty sure he knew about where that hotel was and he planned to get as close as he could. Once the buildings around him started to become familiar Nnoitra parked and headed out of foot, stopping an old man pushing a basket to make sure he was where he needed to be. Nnoitra walked for what felt like hours before he finally saw the large white building with red and green awnings. Nnoitra grinned, felt his heart jump back up into place and his blood rush through his veins. Jerking his coat collar up so that it covered his neck, Nnoitra crossed the street and entered the building.

Ichigo was almost finished filling out his paperwork when the phone on his desk started ringing. He dropped the pen and stretched backwards, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger before reached for the thing.

"Kurosaki speaking."

"I've got like four hundred messages from the house and when I call all I hear is your sister crying and I can't understand a fucking word she's saying. What the fuck is going on?"

Ichigo's eyes closed as Grimmjow's voice washed over him like a salve and he pursed his lips before answering.

"Shinji got shot. I was there for his surgery."

There was silence before Grimmjow let out a breath in a rush. "Is he…?"

"Stable. Hoping it stays that way."

"You want me to come home?"

Ichigo took his time answering but not because he needed to think about his answer. The pain and anguish at what he had been through that morning threatened to creep up on him and he almost lost it. He squeezed his eyes tighter and pressed his lips together before whispering, "Yeah. I'd appreciate that."

"'kay. I'll be home as soon as I can." Grimmjow said without hesitation and Ichigo sighed.

"I love you Ichigo."

"Love you too." Ichigo answered, his voice breaking a little on the last word.

"Keep it together until I get there, okay?"

Ichigo snorted humorlessly and nodded, taking another deep breath to fight back the tears.

"Just hurry up and come home."

Nnoitra stood in front of the door and listened, hearing the soft sounds of a television and the slow hiss of running water. He looked down the hallway once to double check that he was alone before he reached for the knob and turned it. His heart leapt when he realized the idiots had left it unlocked and he let himself inside the room, flicking the lock behind him. The door to the bathroom was open and Nnoitra could see steam seeping out. Nnoitra's head turned to the bed and he saw a lump under the thin sheet that was covering the bed. It wasn't moving, not from what he could see, but it was definitely too small to be Takashiro. He'd only seen the man once but he didn't forget faces once he'd seen them. It was one of the things that made him an asset to Aizen. Nnoitra suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be on a job right then but he immediately dismissed it. Fuck Aizen. Nnoitra had more important things to do and no one was going to get in his way. Nnoitra reached out to the TV and turned the volume up, not too loud, but still loud enough to cover at least some of the noise he knew he was about to make. Nnoitra walked to the bathroom and stood by the door, looming, waiting, for the perfect moment to reveal himself. A moment that he'd catch Takashiro off guard, see, smell, hear that initial fear that shot through the man like lightning.

The water shut off and Nnoitra remained still, clenching and unclenching his fists, slowing his breathing and steadying himself. He felt a familiar zing in his blood at the prospect of hurting this man and he grinned maliciously. Yes, he had missed this feeling.

"Tesla, you little shit. I told you to bring me a towel." A deep voice called out and the bathroom door opened wider.

Time seemed to stop then as the man took one step out and stopped dead when there was someone suddenly in his way. Nnoitra loomed over him, grin still wide enough to insight terror and the air around him almost black with his rage. Takashiro had enough time to look startled and gasp before Nnoitra leaned forward and head-butted him sending Takashiro stumbling backwards on a yelp before catching himself on the door frame.

"Who the hell…?"

Nnoitra didn't speak, instead reached out and picked the man up, tossing him across the room as if he weighed nothing. Takashiro crashed into the built-in desk and landed in a heap, gasping as he tried to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him and right himself. The body on the bed moved a little but neither man paid it any attention. Tesla sat up on the bed, his bruised and battered body revealed as the sheet slowly slipped off him and he frowned as he tried to get his vision to clear. All he could hear was the TV and harsh breathing, something clattering to the hardwood floor and his own racing thoughts. He blinked and finally saw Takashiro by the desk, desperately trying to lift himself off the floor.

Nnoitra stalked across the room and wrapped one long fingered hand around the back of the Takashiro's neck, pulling his head back and slamming his face into the hard wood of the desk. Takashiro cried out and spat blood and chips of teeth when Nnoitra pulled him back and did it again before pulling him to his feet and pressing him face first into the wall.

"Who... who the fuck… are you?" Takashiro asked, his voice shaking and wet sounding as blood seeped from nose, mouth and other facial wounds. Nnoitra remained silent. Grinning.

Long thin fingers crept into wet hair, pulling Takashiro's head back sharply and a bony knee slammed into the middle of Takashiro's back. The man cried out again and Nnoitra flung him to the floor, kicking him in the side as hard as he could and sneering when he finally heard and felt bones crack above the man's throaty grunt of pain. Nnoitra reached in his back pocket before stopping himself and pulling his hand back out again. His favorite weapon, his always-with-him brass knuckles that he had had since he was fifteen, dropped back to the bottom on his pocket and settled. He didn't want to use any weapons this time. He wanted to do this with his bare hands. Nnoitra dropped to one knee, reaching out for Takashiro's head again and easily getting passed the man's poor attempts at defending himself. He grabbed the man's hair again and held his head down to the floor as he pulled back his fist and rammed it into Takashiro's face. Again. Again. Again.

Tesla grabbed at the sheet and shook his head slowly at what he saw, eyes wide and mouth hanging open on a silent scream. Takashiro choked and coughed up more blood, some of it spattering on Nnoitra's cheek, but Nnoitra' didn't stop, his wide fist just kept planting itself in the middle of this hated man's face and he didn't care enough to stop. Nnoitra felt cartilage snap, felt teeth crack and it only fueled him to hit harder. The blood was hot against his skin and with another punch he felt Takashiro's face tear and bleed more, spurring Nnoitra on that much more.

"N…Nn….oi…." Tesla managed finally as he watched with wide and horrified eyes, but Nnoitra didn't hear him.

Takashiro's body shuddered violently and his hands rose to try and push Nnoitra away, catching in Nnoitra's hair and snagging it. The man coughed and more blood sprayed across Nnoitra's face but he couldn't feel it. Nnoitra's fist sank once more into flesh and bone and he felt a snap before Takashiro went completely still. And still, Nnoitra hit him. He wanted to smash his face beyond recognition and he was hell bent on doing just that.

"Nnoi… Nnoitra-sama." Tesla said again, his voice still not reaching Nnoitra's ears.

Tesla watched, horrified, as Nnoitra continued to beat Takashiro's lifeless body, the sick, dull, wet thud of his fist meeting the mans' ruined face along with Nnoitra's loud panting breaths echoing throughout the room. Tesla stood and he approached Nnoitra as carefully as he could. He didn't want to go anywhere near the two men but his body refused to listen to him. Refused to go back to bed, cover his face and try to pretend he didn't hear anything. With one tentative hand he reached out and touched Nnoitra's shoulder. Nnoitra turned and struck out, catching Tesla in the side of the head, sending him crashing into the built-in desk area where he fell to the floor and ceased to move. Nnoitra stopped then, panting and looking around the room as if seeing it for the first time. The only sounds now were his breathing and the TV and Nnoitra suddenly felt like throwing up. He looked down at the body on the floor in front of him and sneered before standing and taking a deep, shaky breath. He let his head tip back and cracked his neck as he reached for his phone with his cleaner hand and dialed a number he hadn't had to call in a long time.

"Long time no hear, Nnoitra-sama." A smooth and cool voice called out and Nnoitra snorted.

"I need a cleaner." Nnoitra's voice was rough and nearly unrecognizable even to himself and eyes traveled to Tesla as he sighed. "And grab Szayel too. I got an injured fucktard here too."

"Where?" the voice asked and Nnoitra could hear fingers flying over a keyboard in the background.

"Sakura Hotel in Ikebukuro." Nnoitra stated and took another deep breath.

"And how much cleaning are we looking at here?" the voice asked.

Nnoitra looked down at the deformed body of Takashiro and grinned, sickened and yet pleased with his work. "A lot."

Nnoitra didn't think about how long he stood there, waiting for someone to show up so he could leave and get back to the hospital. He wanted to see Shinji. Wanted to tell him that this man would never hurt anyone again, let alone him. Wanted to let him know that he had suffered at least a fraction of the pain Shinji had. Nnoitra didn't know if he'd ever actually tell Shinji what exactly happened here today, but it settled his mind more to think about at the very least letting Shinji know that this piece of filth was gone now. Nnoitra's body tensed when there was a small tapping at the door, his eyes narrowed as he took a few steps closer to it.

"Yeah?"

"Espada Cleaning Service." A cheery voice called out and Nnoitra rolled his eyes as he reached for the lock and flipped it open.

Nnoitra didn't recognize the man that stood directly in front of the door but he immediately did the man behind him. Nnoitra's lip curled a bit and he opened the door enough for the two men to step inside the room, shutting it quickly behind them. The first man, the one that had spoken first, whistled loudly at what he saw.

"Wow, you meant it when you said messy didn't you?"

"Shut up you." The man behind him scolded and titled his head as he regarded the body on the floor. He looked up at Nnoitra with gold eyes and smiled widely.

"You couldn't have left him a little alive for me to play with?"

Nnoitra didn't bother answering and closed his hands into fists at his sides, dried blood cracking and peeling as he did so. He'd always thought Szayel's father was a sick bastard but this man, if he could be called that with how much of his body was plastic or metal on the inside, this man was light-years ahead in that department. Dark blue hair caught the light of the setting sun through the window as the man bent to double check the pulse on Takashiro.

"Mayuri-sama. This one's still alive." The other said, still far too cheery for the task at hand.

"Well then I don't care about him. This one will work just fine anyway, dead or not."

"Just hurry the fuck up." Nnoitra snapped. Even if Takashiro deserved what he had gotten and what his body was about to get, it didn't mean that Nnoitra wanted to know what was going to happen once the body was gone.

There was another short knock at the door and Szayel stepped inside, clicking his tongue and shaking his head.

"Rather careless of you, isn't it? Leaving the door unlocked like this." Szayel said as he took in the state of the room and sighed. He smirked slowly and looked up at Nnoitra.

"So why is this one dead and that one not?"

"'cuz." Nnoitra answered shortly and Szayel rolled his eyes.

"I suppose I have to take care of the blond one. Tesla, wasn't it?" Szayel continued, stepping over a large puddle of blood so that he could kneel beside Tesla.

"Whatever, I don't care. I'm leaving." Nnoitra turned and reached for the door, turning the knob and pulling it open an inch before Szayel's voice stopped him.

"I don't think that's such a great idea, Nnoi." Violet and gold eyes met and Szayel smiled patronizingly at Nnoitra before saying anything else. "You are covered in blood after all."

Nnoitra finally looked down at himself and realized, though he should have long before this point, that he was indeed covered in Takashiro's blood. He grunted and closed the door again, turning around to regard the men moving around the room now. Szayel and the unknown man lifted Tesla back to the bed after making sure his neck wasn't broken and Mayuri began to pull medical grade hand saws out of a large duffle bag he had brought in with him. Szayel covered Tesla to his chin and pulled a canvas bag off his shoulder, tossing it to Nnoitra before bending to help Mayuri move Takashiro's body onto a clear plastic tarp.

"Fresh clothes. I was later than expected because I stopped by Starrk's apartment to get them for you." Szayel said simply before looking up at Nnoitra with an unreadable expression on his face. "Go shower and we'll take care of this for you. Shin-chan must be waiting for you to come back anyway."

Nnoitra sneered and stared at Szayel for a long moment before taking long strides to the bathroom and closing the door behind him. He didn't bother looking at himself in the mirror above the sink as he stripped and stepped in the shower to rinse off as much of the blood and smell of death as he could. He didn't let his mind wander as the water tried it's best to soothe him and the scent of the soap reminded him of earlier days. Days when the only thing he had to worry about was himself and his next meal and finding a safe place to sleep. Sneaking into cheap hotels and breaking into rooms to shower had been nothing back then. Nnoitra closed his eyes and bent to stick his face under the spray, leaning back to scrub soapy hands over it before rinsing and finally shutting off the water.

He grabbed the only clean towel available and dried himself as best he could before slipping into his clean clothes and shoving his dirtied ones back in the canvas bag Szayel had handed him. When Nnoitra opened the bathroom door he saw Szayel and the unknown man cleaning up the blood and Mayuri bent over Takashiro's body. Nnoitra dropped the bag by the bed and walked to the door, opening it and stepping out into the hall without a word, shutting it with a soft click before walking slowly back to where he had left Starrk's car.

Etta took a seat next to Ichigo's and watched his face as he grabbed both of her hands in his and tried to look her in the eyes. He didn't want to do this, but it was his job.

"There's more, ain't there?" Etta asked, her voice surprisingly calm even as her eyes showed her pain clearly.

Ichigo nodded. "I… didn't think I should say this in front of everyone." He started and was glad when Etta remained silent.

"Shinji…," Ichigo swallowed over the sudden lump in his throat before continuing. "Shinji was clinically… dead twice as we were operating on him, and from what I know he was also without a pulse when the paramedics arrived."

Etta sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. "What does that mean?" she asked, her voice a little shakier now.

"I don't know yet. We'll have to do some scans and mostly… we have to wait and see how Shinji is when he wakes up. But, there is a possibility of some kind of brain damage because of the lack of oxygen during those times his heart was stopped."

Etta pulled one hand out of Ichigo's and covered her mouth with it, eyes still closed and body suddenly very tense. Ichigo scowled deeply before continuing.

"But, that doesn't mean that anything is definite. The times when Shinji's brain wasn't receiving oxygen were very short and we could get lucky… he could get lucky, and nothing… I mean…." Ichigo sighed and shook his head, looking down at the hand he was still holding tightly. "I'm sorry. I… I tried so hard to…."

Etta opened her eyes and pulled her other hand out of Ichigo's grasp before wrapping both her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her.

"I know. Thank you." She said quietly

Ichigo's body remained stiff in her arms a moment before he finally reached up and hugged her back. He wouldn't break down though; he couldn't. He had to be professional about it. He pulled back from Etta and looked her in the eyes, trying to read how she was handling everything so far. She was such a strong and admirable woman.

"I can't let you go into the room yet, but, if you want to see him now, I can take you to his room and you can see him from the window."

Etta took a shaky breath before nodding, standing when Ichigo did, and together they walked down the hallway and waited for the elevator to take them to the third floor. Etta was nervous and trying desperately to stop the memories of her husbands' death from surfacing but it really was no use. The moment she stepped up to the window that showed her the room her only son was in it all hit her. Her knees went weak and she leaned into Ichigo for support as she saw the bed, the white blanket, the tubes and wires and machines that her son was hooked up to. It all looked so familiar. Etta covered her mouth again and tried to hold back the sob that was trying to tear free as Ichigo rubbed her shoulder.

"We'll do everything we can." Ichigo said with such conviction he almost made himself believe that he could walk in there and make Shinji wake up and say something stupid just to make everyone laugh.

Etta nodded and closed her eyes, turning in Ichigo's arms and nodding into his chest before sniffling, taking a deep breath, and returning her gaze to her son.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Nnoitra parked the car and slid his large frame out of it before slamming it shut and heading for the hospital entrance. His face was blank but his stride was long and it took him no time at all to reach the automatic doors. The elevator in the lobby was just shutting and he managed to stick his hand in between the doors to stop them just in time. The doors hissed open and surprised, wide blue eyes greeted him. Nnoitra regarded the man briefly before stepping inside and pressing the button for the third floor.

"How is he?"

Nnoitra grunted in answer and the other man sighed.

"Nnoi…."

"I don't wanna talk about it right now Grimm." Nnoitra snapped and Grimmjow closed his mouth and lowered his head.

"Fine."

They rode the rest of the way in silence, both men highly uncomfortable with the situation but not knowing how to smooth it over in the least. Grimmjow still didn't know exactly what had happened but if Nnoitra was upset, and he could tell how upset Nnoitra was just standing next to the man, it had to have been bad. The doors hissed open again and Grimmjow stepped out first, looking back over his shoulder at Nnoitra and watching the man take a deep breath before following him. The waiting room was still full of people, hushed voices barely reaching Grimmjow's ears and not managing to get through Nnoitra's block. The tall man crossed the room and handed Starrk his keys before silently leaving again. Grimmjow watched his thin back retreat and frowned before taking a seat next to Starrk and letting out a long, pent up breath.

"So…. What happened?"

Nnoitra waited for Etta and Ichigo to walk away before he forced himself to walk up to the window looking into Shinji's room. His breath came out in a rush and he scowled deeply at Shinji's still figure on the bed. He looked so small lying there. So fragile. Nnoitra took a deep breath and one of his arms rose without him noticing, fingertips pressing against the glass as he felt his chest constrict again. Nnoitra's palm flattened against the glass and his mouth opened as he leaned closer, his eye closing and forehead resting against the window as well as a single word tumbled from his lips in a half broken whisper.

"Shinji."

A/N So... yeah. I kept thinking that I should change that death scene there but the more I thought about it the more ti made sense. I said this to Storm earilier and I stand by it: "... Anyway, I was thinking before that I should make that scene where Nnoi kills Takashiro longer and louder and more violent, but the more I think about it, the fact that Nnoi walks in, says nothing, and literally kills Takashiro by smashing his face in with his own fist, the only sound that sick thud sound... it makes it more creepy, more real, and in my opinion more of an impact on the reader. It's swift, violent, and Nnoi. I mean, remember how he just sort of snuck up on Grimm and Ichi's fight? BAM, suddenly he's there and Grimm's even more cut up. I think making him quiet through all of it makes a change from all the cliched reveal-what-yer-doing conversation that anime's always make two people fighting have. I know if I was angry enough and actually WANTED to kill someone I certainly wouldn't be explaining myself while I was doing nor making small talk. Plus, Nnoi's a killer. He's had jobs like this before where he needs to get it done quietly and efficiently. Sure, he goes overboard and makes a far bigger mess than he should, but this way none of the other guests at the hotel should know anything is going on."

This chapter, again, was hard to write. As those who were at the LS today know, I cried again during the little scene between Ichi and Etta. But, I'm happy with how it all turned out in the end and I hope you all are as well. I'll get the rest of this story out as soon as possible but I'll warn you now that there are two, possibly three chapters left before it's completely over, and that includes an Epilogue. Such a long road and harder than I expected at some points, but I'm happy with how it all turned out.

Enjoy~

~Penny