The Lengths One Will Go

By: Kuroi Atropos

Disclaimer: Kubo Tite owns Bleach. I am a lowly, broke fan.

Warnings: Mayuri worst case scenario, enough said. Really, though, this thing is going to be long and it gets a little… gruesome, in parts.

Summary: Ichigo meets up with Renji and sees firsthand the damage Mayuri did to Uryuu. Renji tells the others what Nemu told him, and they find a dark secret at the heart of Soul Society.

XXXXX

Chapter Four

XXXXX

About half of the 12th Squad area had been consumed in blue along with a good quarter of the 13th, and a small section of the 11th. The initial blast had covered half the area and the sphere had steadily increased to its current size. It didn't show any signs of stopping or slowing.

Ichigo paced on the rooftop at the edge of Ishida's power, it was disappearing millimeter by millimeter and soon he'd have to jump to the next one back. His Hollow, a shivering mass of anger just underneath his skin, grabbed for power each time they had to retreat even a step. Ichigo had to take the step though, and fought to shove the Hollow back into his bonds and keep the mask from forming and going berserk again, it wouldn't help anyone. Not Ishida and not Renji.

He glanced at his friend's Taichou. Byakuya glared at the blue sphere, and Ichigo could see the stoic swordsman blaming himself. After he had forced his little sister out of harm's way by ordering her to help with the evacuation, Byakuya had raced after Ichigo who had run right into the wall of Reiatsu. It had literally tried to tear him apart. Rukia's older brother had been the one that had saved him, using a Kido shield and a swirl of Senbonzakura to pull him out. He had been dazed enough from the pain that he'd barely been able to dissolve his mask and force his Hollow down so it didn't lash out at the other Shinigami in pure frustration.

Then Byakuya told Ichigo he had put it together the moment Mayuri had shown up covered in blood and that was the cause for Renji's presence in the middle of the Reiatsu sphere. The 6th Squad Taichou had ordered his Fukutaichou around the back way to the 12th Squad's territory to quietly search for the Quincy while trying to keep Ichigo there, a boiling rage of Reiatsu that would distract everyone from following Renji's trail as he went to save the boy. Unohana-Taichou had realized it as well, and she'd informed Byakuya with a mere glance she would protect the boy if he could be brought to her infirmary.

They'd waited outside the sphere until the others had caught up. In between the two of them they'd sent most everybody back to the main battle site to help move all the injured, but a few had stayed.

Orihime and Chad he'd sent back to go to the 4th Squad's triage area; Chad mainly went to keep an eye on her as she would inevitably ignore her surroundings as she healed people. The Thing had apparently been sent with the casualties under watch in the name of expediency. Rangiku was the only Shinigami he really felt safe trusting that had gone along specifically to guard the Thing that was in pretty close proximity to his friends. Rukia would be too busy to notice trouble right away and he was still trying to figure out who else among the ranks of the Gotei 13 could be trusted.

Especially among the Taichous and Fukutaichous.

He stepped back again as the slate roof tile under his foot slid into the blue Reiatsu and round housed his Hollow back to the sideways world of his unconscious mind.

Beyond the stoically fuming noble next to him stood Toshiro looking more pale than usual, his eyes were darting wildly, landing everywhere but the blue wall of Ishida's Reiatsu as he waited. Every now and then he politely brushed off a worried looking Ukitake-Taichou when the man tried to talk to the boy. Ichigo wasn't quite sure what to think right now in regards to the young Taichou, so left him up to Ukitake-Taichou and Kyoraku-Taichou, who was at his friend's shoulder along with his Fukutaichou and those strange two almost Fukutaichous from Rukia's Squad.

Soi Fong and her hulking Fukutaichou hovered near Yoruichi who ignored them to talk with Urahara on a cell phone, constantly updating him and shooting down his suggestions. Apparently while she was relatively safe here since she had family who would protect her, Urahara couldn't come in person without being arrested. Ichigo would beat anyone who had issues accepting the man's help if it meant getting back Ishida. Sandal Hat had his problems with honesty, but he was still better than most of the Shinigami.

All of his friends from the 11th Squad were bristling near their Taichou, looking ready to pile on him to prevent him from jumping into the blue light and being eaten as he tried to fight it. Even Yachiru remained strangely quiet, holding tight to her Ken-chan's shoulder.

Shuuhei and Kira had shown up a few minutes before, quietly relaying information into what had to be telepathic seals like the one used to warn them about Aizen. That or they'd gone nuts, which was also a possibility but not something he really cared about at the moment.

For all they were focused on the blue sphere, it took them a moment to realize they were staring at plain air when it suddenly dissipated.

In mass, they hurtled into the smooth crater created by Ishida's Reiatsu. Ichigo saw some motion towards the center of the giant hole in the ground, but couldn't quite see details. Ichigo stretched his senses as much as possible. Renji's Reiatsu was coming towards them with two stationary, really weak presences behind him, but he couldn't feel Ishida at all.

Then Renji finally came into his sight, cradling a naked Ishida to his chest. (And wouldn't that just embarrass the Quincy six ways to Hueco Mundo when he came out of it.)

When they got close enough Renji's eyes met his and Ichigo moved faster at the relief that poured from them. He barely made it in time to snag Ishida from Renji before they both fell, Renji staggering a few steps before collapsing into his Taichou's arms. Ishida whimpered, and it took everything Ichigo had to not recoil in terror and drop the dark haired teen as he realized that he had grasped his friend over gaping wounds and that every shift of his hands pulled back flesh from open cuts and that in some places he was touching Ishida's muscles and that blood oozed out from every cut that he tore open further just by shifting and the warm fluid dripped along the remnants of Ishida's flesh to seep into the Substitute Shinigami's uniform, just like it had soaked Renji's straight through. Oh God, how could Ishida still bleed much less breathe?

"Drug won' last long, gotta get him ta Unohana-Taichou, she said 'pair the walls ta his will," Renji breathed out unsteadily, and Ichigo winced at how weak Renji seemed to his senses. He was hard pressed to keep from gaping at Renji's current accent too; poor guy must be flat exhausted to not be able to maintain the nearly flawless control he had over it, especially in front of his Taichou.

He clutched Ishida as tightly as he dared, and prepared to Shunpo towards Orihime despite Renji's insistence on the 4th's Taichou. He had no intention of leaving Ishida in anyone else's care. Before he'd finished turning Ukitake-Taichou grabbed his arm; he was really tired of people doing that to him today. "You can't take him there." Ichigo took a second to think up a proper insult before going anyway when Ukitake-Taichou held up his hand.

"I've already had Hisagi-Fukutaichou send word. Unohana-Taichou and Inoue-san are on their way, however Abarai-Fukutaichou said this calm will not last long. We cannot risk him being in a populated area if his Reiatsu reacts again."

"Put him down. We don't want to aggravate his wounds further," he looked over at Kyoraku-Taichou's words, the man had draped his flowered haori and Taichou's robe on the sloped pavement while Toshiro dropped to his knees, intent on awkwardly bundling his own Taichou's robe into a pillow even as he drew Hyorinmaru with his other hand and created a small ramp of ice that the 8th Squad Taichou helped him shift the hastily made bed onto so it was level. The cold would also help numb the pain and slow the bleeding.

Ichigo instinctively pulled Ishida tighter against him only to have his friend give a hoarse mumble and twitch, and Ichigo focused on pale lips that were nearly bitten off. He wanted to head for Orihime, but they were right. Besides, Ishida would never forgive himself if he hurt one of the few innocent bystanders in the Gotei 13 with his precious Quincy abilities.

He carefully knelt laying the smaller teen on the makeshift pallet, Ukitake-Taichou immediately kneeling beside them. The Taichou glanced up at Ichigo and he nodded once, trusting Rukia's Taichou to not hurt his friend further.

Of course Yoruichi standing at Ishida's side didn't hurt either. She'd drop kick the Taichou's head all the way to Earth if she thought he would hurt anyone under her protection.

Ukitake-Taichou placed a slightly glowing hand on Ishida's forehead and Ichigo couldn't help but breathe a little easier as the lines of pain that traced his friend's face and body eased. He vaguely heard a lot of mutterings over his head but couldn't remove his eyes from the Quincy's strangely peaceful face for even a second. Then he heard Renji scream in pain and glanced up to see Byakuya wave a sweet bun in front of Yachiru and the pink fluff bundle of a Fukutaichou release her death glomp on Renji's neck in order to dive after it. He smiled a little as he realized where Renji had picked up the trick he had used earlier while they had been waiting for the meeting to let out.

"You okay, Renji?"

The Fukutaichou glanced at him for a second, and Ichigo was sure the answer would be no from the pain that he saw in the Shinigami's eyes before the red head glanced at Ishida. Then a confidant smirk twisted the corners of his mouth and his expression lit up with sparkle that Ichigo knew from personal experience meant whoever had hurt the tattooed man's friend would be in some serious pain very soon.

"Tch, like tha' pansy would be able ta' take me down."

"Ishida would stitch Quincy crosses onto your own pansy ass from a mile away and then press it to make curtains."

Renji threw back his head and laughed making Ichigo smile madly. The Taichous and Fukutaichous looked at them like they'd just suggested a treaty between Shinigami and Hollows while Yoruichi just shook her head in exasperation.

They all quieted as Ishida whimpered and then Renji nodded for a second before pushing himself up off of the ground.

"Abarai?" Byakuya said, looking at his obviously drained of Reiatsu Fukutaichou who should most definitely not be standing.

"I'm fine, Taichou." Renji took a deep breath. "Hey Peacock, there are a coupla' 12th goons over there that need to be dragged ovah if ya can do me the favor. Knocked 'em out 'fore I ran with the kid since they were helpin' the monster, an' I want 'em to answer for it."

"Move it, Ayasegawa," Kenpachi's gravelly voice boomed out. Ichigo glanced at the towering madman and got more than a little nervous, especially since he couldn't quite tell what the strange grimace on his scarred face meant.

Ichigo watched Yumichika vanish in a haze of flash step towards the direction that Renji had come from. He heard a grunt of pain and looked back to Renji who had staggered towards the remainder of the 12th Squad barracks. His Taichou kept him from hitting the ground a second time as he collapsed again.

"Abarai-Fukutaichou, sit down until Unohana-Taichou arrives," Byakuya ordered as he held the younger Shinigami.

"Can't sir. Got somethin' I gotta check," Renji stated with a quiet authority that said he knew he had contradicted his Taichou but would leave anyway.

"What would that be?" Renji straightened his back more than Ichigo thought he could considering how frayed he looked before twisting in his Taichou's grip to face the man.

"Just somethin' the 12th's Fukutaichou said. I need ta make sure tha' kid's not the only one if his power blows again."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he looked at Renji, than back to Ishida. He didn't know how but his friend was still bleeding, staining the over robes beneath him a deep crimson. It was a miracle that the slightly younger boy still had a pulse after what that freak had done to him. His attention turned to the weight of Zangetsu on his shoulder, and his hand twitched towards hilt. Renji was in no state to move, much less help in securing another miracle.

The orange haired Shinigami couldn't do anything here besides be moral support or a last minute safe guard. It wasn't like he would be good moral support either, considering the fact that he had let this happen to his friend through sheer negligence if nothing else. Ishida had said Quincy and Shinigami didn't belong on the same side and look where going against that got the dark haired archer. Only a few of the Gotei 13 had been willing to help Ichigo search for his friend and most of the Shinigami had been more than willing to allow flat out torture to happen at the command of that Old Bastard.

First Rukia, than Orihime, now Ishida. (He'd be keeping a close eye on Chad after this.)

Maybe he should face the fact that while a few of the Shinigami were okay, the Gotei 13 itself was a loss.

He glanced around and saw the faces of those surrounding him and knew without a doubt that if swords were drawn, most of these people would come through. Soi Fong probably only because of Yoruichi, and her Fukutaichou seemed too dumb to do anything but follow her orders. The 11th Squad officers would follow him because they'd get more fights that way. Ukitake-Taichou's and Shunsui's Fukutaichous would follow them before the Old Bastard and the two Taichous' disapproval and disgust were clear. Shuuhei and Kira both seemed more apprehensive than anything, Shuuhei with a side of disbelief and Kira anger. Byakuya was a veneer of calm that reminded Ichigo of the night they first met. Toshiro just looked ill, his ice blue eyes filled with pain and he seemed to be just a few seconds from shattering.

If only for right now as they staggered from shock, Ishida would be safe with these fighters.

Now to make sure no one else got written off as a necessary sacrifice by the Old Bastard.

His decision crystallized in his mind even as Byakuya asked Renji where he thought there would be others like Ishida. "She said, third east block four."

"Fukutaichou remain here, we'll take care of the situation." Ichigo eyed Byakuya. The nobleman didn't really mean that he was going to go instead of Renji, did he? Ichigo looked at Renji questioningly, who just nodded at his Taichou's words and let the older man lower him onto the smooth ground. Byakuya's eyes narrowed in determination, "Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki, Taichous Hitsugaya and Ukitake, Fukutaichous Hisagi and Kira, please follow me. Kyoraku-Taichou if you could please redirect some of the Fourth Squad to meet us we would appreciate the assistance. Soi Fong-Taichou, see to it that all members of the 12th Squad are taken into custody as soon as possible, we will need to know as much as possible before Mayuri regains consciousness." Ichigo blinked, when had the Thing been KOd?

"With pleasure, Kuchiki-Taichou," Soi Fong said and Ichigo had no problems with the 2nd Squad Taichou's look being directed at someone other than him and his.

"The rest of you-"

"I'm going with you. And don't argue, Bya-chan." Yoruichi said with a smirk, lifting the phone out of the way so she could stick her tongue out at him almost playfully.

Byakuya didn't even blink. "You're as crude as ever, Shihoin-san. It's not my fault if they catch you here."

"Can we hurry this up?" Ichigo growled. As nice as it was to realize that Rukia's annoying big brother and Yoruichi knew each other and that he wouldn't be feeling Senbonzakura's slice, he wanted this over with so he could get back to Ishida in case the drugs wore off before they could fix him. If worst came to worse and they couldn't repair what Mayuri had done to him, he wanted to be there.

"Patience, Kurosaki. The rest of you get ready, there might be resistance to our actions from sources other than the 12th Squad."

"Yama-ji," said Kyoraku-Taichou as he rested his hand on the hilt of his blade as did Ukitake-Taichou. Ichigo figured they meant the Old Bastard by how pale the other Shinigami all became.

"Hopefully not, but I take it we are all agreed?" There were nods and Kenpachi and Ikkaku laughed in a way that made Ichigo grateful he wasn't facing the belled Taichou or his bald worshipper right now.

"Let's go."

Ichigo launched himself in the same direction the others headed. At the very least they probably knew where to find the place that Renji had mentioned. Ichigo decided to be grateful for the opportunity to not get lost and muck up the most horrific rescue he'd ever mounted.

XXXXX

Shuuhei Hisagi wanted to puke after seeing what had been done to that kid. Shinigami weren't supposed to do that. They were honorable protectors, steadfast guardians, towers of might standing against the raging madness of the Hollows. They weren't monsters who would systematically slice apart a living child just to see how his Reiatsu ticked. They shouldn't be monsters who with an apathetic distance ordered the torture of an innocent to continue.

But they were.

The confusion raging in Shuuhei's heart was as bad as his nausea at the remembrance of the boy's muscles fresh with blood and the gleaming of exposed bone in the sunlight.

Surely this hadn't been what Tousen-Taichou had meant when he said the Gotei 13 were unjust. His Taichou would have raised the gates of Hell to bring Mayuri to justice if he had known. But then, Shuuhei couldn't possibly imagine that Aizen was any better, he'd seen the mess that Kira had been and Hinamori-chan still was. How much would Tousen-Taichou have objected to the Quincy's torture? He didn't even know where to begin figuring it out. But he did know himself, and if this nightmare was the Gotei 13, Shuuhei doubted he could remain a part of it.

Shuuhei knew with certainty that his world hinged on what he found in this block, what the Sotaichou had allowed to be done.

He could only pray as they skidded to a stop outside of the locked and spelled doors, that whatever it was wouldn't break his faith any further. Ever since that Shinigami with the 69 had saved his life, this place had been the beginning and the end of his dreams. He wasn't quite sure what would happen if he couldn't be a part of it any longer.

He and Kira began to work on the doors, careful to make sure their spells didn't trigger any traps.

They found it actually rather simple to break through all the wards and no trouble to slice through the locking mechanism. There was no excuse for the lax security, an unseated Shinigami right out of the Academy could have gotten in. A moment of doubt entered Shuuhei's mind, whatever lay behind these pathetically guarded doors must not be considered important.

The large doors swung inwards with a push, letting sunlight illuminate a dark nightmare.

Shuuhei couldn't quite process what met his eyes. It was a gruesome art project; a fake.

They couldn't be real.

There absolutely could not be bodies hanging spread eagle in row after neat row.

Tubes containing various colored liquids ran in and out of the strapped up people. Some of the figures looked skeletal, and he could see thick lines of cuts tracing across the remnants of their flesh, some so fresh they leaked blood. Shuuhei looked down to see anything but the bodies and immediately regretted his choice as he realized the pattern on the floor wasn't a pattern. The floor was actually a grate leading to a series of tanks that collected the falling blood and fluids, his stomach clenched in revulsion.

He heard Ukitake-Taichou choke out a spell, the man's voice barely louder than a whisper but it lifted a filter from Shuuhei's perception, letting him feel the mix of souls and still living people, all frozen in time with a suspension spell. Some of the tubes had traces of spells and Reiatsu, probably forcing nutrients into them and keeping the poor souls from properly passing on like they should. He could smell the stench raising off the bodies, worse from the left side than the right, and he noted that half appeared to have been washed and the other not. They were still experimenting on them he guessed in a nearly detached fashion. At the same moment he realized vaguely that he was probably going into shock.

Kuchiki-Taichou sharply called out another spell and Shuuhei staggered from the sheer weight of these souls Reiatsu crash into him. It radiated from all around him in a nearly overwhelming pressure. He tentatively reached out his senses even as he counted, this large room held 12 rows, each ten people across. It felt like there were three floors below and above. Oh Gods, there were so many. They were practically sitting right underneath everybody's noses. How the hell could the entire Gotei 13 miss them! How long had they been here!?

Shuuhei hadn't even realized that he'd fallen to his knees until Kuchiki-Taichou laid a hand on his shoulder, the tremor in it barely noticeable. He glanced back over his shoulder to see the others, hoping they could give him some idea how to handle this.

He could only see Hitsugaya-Taichou's shuddering shoulders and Shuuhei could hear vomiting. Ukitake-Taichou hovered over the kid, whispering soothing words and gently rubbing the boy's back even as his brown eyes remained pointed resolutely towards the center of the room. Kira must have reared away until he hit the far wall because he sat slouched at its base, eyes wide and mouth hanging. Kurosaki looked absolutely venomous and Shuuhei felt the darkness that had shot through his Reiatsu earlier when that mask (which looked and felt too much like a Hollow's for comfort) had covered his face coming back, clashing against the boy's own. The orange haired teen gripped his head tightly and Yoruichi had a careful hand on his shoulder but she didn't take her eyes off the sight before her, stoically relaying the information in a hissing voice to the communicator held to her ear.

"Hey! What are you doing here?!" Shuuhei's head flung around at the loud voice echoing through the large room. A dark haired Shinigami rushed towards them from amidst the forest of bodies.

It had to be some sort of lurid joke.

Shinigami couldn't really do this.

A desperate hope remained stubbornly in the back of his mind. Maybe they rescued these people from some Hollow lab or this was an auxiliary medical area and they had to be in that position. He couldn't be seeing what he thought he saw!

"This area has restricted access! If you ruin the test results Kurotsuchi-Taichou will be furious!" Shuuhei drug his gaze away from the man's angry face to look at the room again. A few more people in white lab coats had started scurrying towards them. Shuuhei had to shove aside the noble's hand in order to stand, leaning to the side so he could to vomit without hitting himself or the Taichou even as he unsheathed Kazeshini.

He might not spend much time with anyone who wasn't in his small circle of friends, but he recognized those Shinigami from the few times there had been semi-formal inter-squad get togethers, drinking parties or challenges. He had laughed with these despicable creatures, tried to get along with them, encouraged them when they flagged along with the 4th Squad, after all it hadn't been their fault they belonged to a science division instead of a battle squad.

He hadn't known they'd done this!

"Ease down, Fukutaichous," he glanced over to see Kira on the other side of Kuchiki-Taichou, Wabisuki just as ready as Kazeshini. Hitsugaya-Taichou had shoved away from the door, the air sharpening around him with cold. One by one Shuuhei watched all their breaths start to fog. Ukitake-Taichou left his hand on the kid's shoulder, even as he carefully maneuvered into the younger Taichou's path. Kuchiki-Taichou's arm rose decisively into Shuuhei's line of sight and he wasn't quite sure if he felt grateful or not to be ordered down with Kira. These bastards deserved to die. He heard a high pitched cackle from behind him and saw Yoruichi literally holding Kurosaki back in a pinching hold that had his sword arm completely immobilized, a voice shouted from the communicator lying forgotten on the pathway.

Kuchiki-Taichou's voice cut through the air, sharper than the best cared for Zanpaktou as he started in on the techs. "Kurotsuchi is the least of your problems. Explain this travesty, now!"

The Shinigami who had noticed them straightened his back with an imperious sniff. "I'll be happy to relay your request to the Taichou if you would leave. You broke the seals and we'll have to work fast to keep this batch from being contaminated. With the war going we'll need every drop we can get. And that's not including the research your unshielded presences might destroy!"

Shuuhei couldn't figure out how this guy could be stupid enough to believe they were worried about the research…

"And the souls behind you? Will they be adversely affected?" Hitsugaya-Taichou's cold laced voice decreased the temperature of the room again. Shuuhei heard cracking and flicked his gaze down to see the metal grates warping from the ice that slowly made its way across the floor.

A disdainful roll of brown eyes accompanied the fools answer. "Hopefully not. The last time there was a contamination it took months to find replacements for the ones we had to dispose of, and we lost another 93 as we had to push them harder to meet the production quotas."

Hitsugaya-Taichou was a fast brat and the lead scientist became a glittering statue before any of them could move. The Taichou calmly pulled his Zanpaktou from the ice tower to turn on the other scientists. They tried to scramble away in panic. "Hainawa!" Spiritual Ropes snaked through the air at Kuchiki-Taichou's spell, wrapping around the fleeing scientists and hauling them up to dangle before them even as Ukitake-Taichou grabbed the pale boy again, clutching him tightly to his chest and whispering furiously to the scarily blank kid.

It was a moment before Kuchiki-Taichou spoke again. "Hitsugaya-Taichou please escort Substitute-Shinigami Kurosaki back to the group with Ishida-san and have the 4th Squad directed here with all haste."

Another cackle rang through the room and Kurosaki's too high voice choked out "I'm no-"

"Kurosaki, they should have made it to your friend by now," Kuchiki-Taichou silenced the substitute Shinigami with his own words, and Shuuhei could hear the hint of worry in his voice. "I'm sure your presence will be a great comfort to your friend when he awakens given the situation. Besides, it will not take long for word to spread of these atrocities and I would have a few more strong fighters near those who need protection if things go wrong."

Shuuhei thought of that poor teen laid out like some sacrifice on the Taichous' robes; of Renji weakened by his loss of Reiatsu collapsed on the smooth ground; Hinamori-chan, the other two humans, the fourth squad members... Kami-sama, this was going to be a blood bath if it came to a fight!

"Yeah… right…" Kurosaki took one last glance around the room then followed Hitsugaya-Taichou back in the direction they had come from. Ichigo's Reiatsu was seething and Shuuhei hoped that someone would be able to rein the Substitute Shinigami in a little. The orange haired teen's friends were most likely why the Taichou had sent him back to them. And well, Hitsugaya-Taichou was already so pissed he'd killed the icicle in front of Shuuhei. He could hear Ukitake-Taichou whispering into a seal about having Rangiku meet the kid.

"Let me make this very, very clear," Kuchiki-Taichou's voice was colder than the still chilled air of the room and the 12th Squad members were shaking in the grip of his Kido. "You have perpetrated such atrocities that I would see you all die a much slower death than that of Hitsugaya-Taichou's example. You will explain what must be done to safely remove these poor souls and then you will assist us in doing so. Any attempts on your part to cause problems will add more hours to the stretch of time your death will take; cooperation will decrease it, but make no mistake, you will die for crimes. It is up to you as to how painful it will be."

Shuuhei couldn't tell if the Taichou was bluffing. The lab-coated Shinigami cried out as the ropes around them constricted even further before vanishing, dropping all the men onto the sharp, cold grates.

"Well?"

"We -- we can't!"

"Scatter! Senbonzakura!" A flurry of petals darted towards the man who had stuttered the words only to stop a millimeter in front of his face and the man collapsed further in panic. "Why?"

"No one has every survived coming down!" another one shouted.

Kuchiki-Taichou said another binding Kido and all of their captives were slammed into the floor.

"When the 4th Squad gets here you will help them in making sure these ones do," Ukitake-Taichou stated calmly as he stepped in front of the other man.

"We can't!"

The lightly glowing petals danced before their vision. "Why not?"

"They, they power, oh Kami-sama we're going to die! We were just following orders!"

"You lost any right to speak after that comment," Kira spat out. Shuuhei glanced at his friend and saw the blonde's face had gone disturbingly blank, even as his eyes burned with rage. Shuuhei knew some of that hatred had to be inspired by the blonde's self loathing at what he had done while following Ichimaru Gin's orders. Kira had healed faster than Hinamori-chan, but still blamed himself for the harm he had caused his friends. The blonde had come to truly despise anyone who thought they could excuse their wrongs by blaming orders. Shuuhei thought of the 6th Squad member that had nearly been pulped on the ground by multiple taps of Wabisuki, saved only by Kuchiki-Taichou's arrival. If they survived the fallout he, Renji and Rangiku would have to drag Kira out for another night of drinking 'til the lightweight 3rd Squad Fukutaichou dropped. It was really the only thing that made him susceptible to their words of comfort.

That these unjust nightmare makers could in any way hurt one of his few friends made Shuuhei almost as mad as what had been done to the Souls hung around them. "One of you had better answer the Taichou's question," he stated calmly, his façade betrayed only by the creak of his knuckles tightening on Kazeshini's hilt.

"Their Reiatsu powers all the technology of the Gotei Thirteen!" shrieked the blue eyed kid to the left of the idiot who had cried out about orders.

The world screeched to a halt, all Shuuhei could hear were the whimpers and half sobs of the Shinigami before them against quiet background of fluids hissing through tubes and the occasional drip of blood hitting grating. Only the burn in Shuuhei's chest reminded him to breath and then he choked a little at the stench that filled his lungs with his deep inhalation.

"What?" Ukitake-Taichou's perfectly calm voice questioned even as his Reiatsu retreated back under so many shields that Shuuhei could barely feel a trace of the Taichou.

The young Shinigami who had spoken jumped to his feet, furiously wiping tears from his baby faced cheeks and brushing sweat damp brown hair out of his face. He must be barely out of the Academy, Shuuhei thought as the shivering scientist met Ukitake-Taichou's eyes. "It… Things needed power! Kurotsuchi-Taichou-"

"Shut up Mizuno!" this came from the still shaking fool who had shouted about orders, "Kurotsuchi-Taichou will-"

"No!" The furiously shaking boy spun on his comrades, brown eyes snapping. "You know I've never liked this but I've followed orders and if-" the boy choked, Shuuhei could see him visibly gathering his pride before continuing a little calmer, "if death is my penance for not acting sooner than I'll go to it with a clear conscious!" He turned his back on the cowering technicians and Shuuhei couldn't help thinking the word 'brave' as the boy looked towards Ukitake-Taichou again.

"I don't know the details, I wasn't here then, but I know the story," the boy swallowed. "Soul Society's researchers would develop the concepts for technology, some our own designs, a few based on what other groups of Souls would do." Shuuhei started at these words; there were other Souls in the Spirit World that did this? Where? "It was nearly impossible to gather enough Reiatsu to create prototypes and make them work in Seireitei, much less the Human world. Somehow they discovered that the Spirit Particles that made a Soul would work as a power source." The 12th Squad member glanced behind him at the hanging bodies, "I don't…" another deep breath, the kid, Mizuno, looked pale enough under his light tan to go into shock, and Shuuhei had to wonder if he was going to pass out before he could finish his tale. "I know why we continued using them; they're powerful, very powerful. Combined with harvesting and purifying the Reiatsu they give off just by existing we have almost no problem meeting whatever power requirements we are presented with. We don't even have to stop experiments so long as any side effects in the Soul or Reiatsu are filtered out."

Shuuhei looked at all the Souls and Humans hung before them and wondered what could possibly be worth this callous brutality.

"What power requirements are you presented with?" Shihoin-san asked a touch of Shuuhei's own disbelief in her voice. "If these atrocities are so Kurotsuchi can play with his experiments I will-"

"No!" The boy looked startled he'd shouted again and Shuuhei knew for certain the kid was going into shock. "This, a lot of this started before Kurotsuchi-Taichou took over! We're separate from the main R & D Squad so not many know about us! I think… I think it was two or three Taichous ago they discovered this method of power generation." The boy furiously shook his head. "We draw power for a lot of things, lights, the waste processing plants, running water, everyday applications. Then there's times medical units need something that fulfills a specific purpose and doesn't interfere with their Healing Kidos. The repair units need their spells supercharged to deal the 11th Squad's training grounds whenever Zaraki-Taichou gets in a good mood. The recon and front line units need something that will work on a specific Hollow that keeps evading them. We need tracers to help the Shinigami in the Human world find Souls in need of burial. We have to find Souls that become Hollows and find incursions into the Human world from Hueco Mundo. There are so many other things, like the field communicators, they require an immense amount of power to breach the barrier between worlds but a Soul will power five or six for a year of regular use. It's used for so many things in Seireitei that even a slight drop in production is damaging since we can't store too much because it goes bad so quickly!"

"My Squad relies on machines fueled by this monstrosity?" A quiet, perfectly serious voice rang over the room from the door. Shuuhei spun around to see that he had been so distracted by what happened in front of him, he had failed to recognize Unohana-Taichou's Reiatsu coming up behind him, a few members of the 4th and 13th Squads standing outside the open door behind her.

The 4th's Taichou's face lacked its usual smile, her dark eyes foreboding as they assessed the young Shinigami. Mizuno stood trembling, caught in Unohana-Taichou's gaze. It was a while before he could nod.

"Kami-sama forgive us," she whispered, bowing her head in prayer. Then her head gracefully rose and she moved forward. "Kuchiki-Taichou, Fukutaichous Kira and Hisagi sheath your weapons. They do us no good drawn." Shuuhei blindly followed the authority that rang in her voice. "Isane-chan, please lead the questioning of these technicians. Iemuro-kun, head for…"

Shuuhei stepped out of her way, only to have a medical pack shoved into his arms by Kotetsu-Fukutaichou. She motioned for him to follow Unohana-Taichou as the woman made her way through the hanging figures, delivering orders to everyone present even as she leaned over to check on certain people herself. Shuuhei let himself be carried in her wake, glad to be able to do something to help. He snagged the kid Mizuno's sweat soaked collar and pulled him along so he could answer any of the questions interspersed in the serenely confident Taichou's running litany to her Squad via the seal she'd flawlessly called while gently probing where needles went into either side of a young girl's neck.

XXXXX

End Chapter Four

XXXXX