"What were you doing down there is solitary all by yer self?" Shinji asked as he led Ichigo back into the recovery room. How had he known that he had been in recovery? More importantly, where had Shinji been all of this time?
"I didn't know if it was true if a patient had actually escaped this place. I had to see for my own eyes.
Shinji sighed. "You can't escape this place. It is impossible. If you were to escape and get to the outside, there would be nowhere to run to. This place is far enough from the actual town of Karakura that you wouldn't be able to reach it, if you were on foot. If yer friend did attempt to escape, he didn't get far if he got out."
"So they even lock the doctors up here?"
Shinji nodded. "Everyone is locked in, and the only time anyone could even get out would be during visitation. Those are actually rare. The people here are here because they have been deemed dangerous to society and they no longer belong. Hell I even think they deem the staff here the same."
Ichigo looked over Shinji, he looked the same as he remembered him. "Shinji?"
Shinji didn't look shocked like the others that he had known his name. "At least you know who I am. That makes things so much better. I have heard a lot about you, I have been informed about you. Or rather I have been listening. The staff no longer cares about me, they just allow me to do what I want. They would sooner me die than help me. To think they use to be my buddies."
"Shinji, what really happened?" Ichigo took a seat on the bed and Shinji took a seat beside him.
"How I went from being a doctor to a patient? The other staff deemed me unfit for my job, or rather the head deemed me unfit."
"You mean Aizen?"
Shinji shook his head, no malice was in his eyes though as he spoke Aizen's name. "Yamamoto the person who created this place. He felt like I should be relieved of my duties and stripped me of my title and threw me away as a patient. That was the last time he visited this place, he hardly ever comes here. He allows Sōsuke to run this place. The man is corrupted in his own ways."
Ichigo frowned, he had expected it but it didn't hurt him any less. "Shinji what happened between you and Aizen." He did not dare speak the man's first name, he couldn't allow Shinji to know how he felt for the man that would mean bad news for him.
"The man was told to oversee my work. He wasn't always the head doctor, in fact that was my position… once. Then one day I started to see things, I tried to bring them to light and I was deemed crazy and dangerous."
"What were you seeing?"
"You wouldn't believe me."
Ichigo sighed. "I have said the same thing countless times. What is real anymore?"
Shinji nodded. "I think I like you. Anyways I caught Kisuke Urahara messing around. I thought the man was my friend, but he really has a dark history. In all reality I think that Kisuke and Sōsuke were working together. "
Shinji had stopped speaking. Ichigo was about to ask why he had stopped when he looked up and saw Aizen in the doorway.
"Well well look what the cat drug out. What are you doing here, Hirako?"
"I came to expose you and all your wrong doings?"
Aizen chuckled. "Wrong? I have done no wrong. Even if I did. You picked the wrong person to expose me to. I doubt Ichigo will believe you story. Isn't that right, Ichigo?"
Ichigo groaned. "Why is it that you two are always involving me?!
"What is the story from your other world, Ichigo?" Ichigo looked at Aizen. Who was he to believe? Gin had told him not to tell anyone what he has saw, did that also apply to things that had happened before his cell time with Aizen? Could he trust Gin? Could he trust the man he loved? Aizen had not proven to be trustworthy in the past though, and this reality could very well be fake. Perhaps this Aizen had wanted him to fall in love with him so he could be used. Could he trust Shinji?
Shinji had saved. Hell all three of the men had saved him somehow in this reality.
"There is none, I don't know it. Even if I did, I wouldn't share it. Every time I tell the story with you, you think I'm even crazier. I bet everything you have done is just so I would let my guard drop and so you could use me."
Aizen looked at Shinji. "What did you tell him?"
"Oh the truth, Sōsuke. You're a lying bastard and you always will be."
Aizen shook his head. "Ichigo, who do you choose to believe?"
Ichigo groaned. "I'm not getting involved in this. I'm just glad that zanpakutō aren't in this place. I couldn't handle another war after all" he said and he left the room. The two men looked after him shocked.
Ichigo needed to think of what he was going to do. Before he would have just headed into things unknowing, but that had not worked thus far. It wouldn't work in this reality, he had no zanpakutō. He didn't really want to get involved in a fight here. He wondered where Shinji had appeared from and he wondered if Kisuke was actually in the other reality now. He also had to wonder where Grimmjow was. He had to wonder so many different things, his head was a mess again. Then the random appearances from his inner hollow, none of it made sense. He thought back to what the hollow had said to him.
Sure looks like you got yourself in a mess, King.
What did it truly mean? Sure he was in a mess, but what did his inner hollow know. He needed to find some place quiet that he wouldn't be interrupted. He couldn't go to the door, they would look for him first there. Could he try to escape this place? He had to try. He went to the room with the silver doors that lead to the big gathering room. The room for once was empty. Perfect. Ichigo went to the door and pulled it opened. No alarms went off. A small fenced area welcomed him as he stepped out into the fresh air. He could easily jump that fence. He couldn't think about it, he had to go with his gut. He had to get out of this place and quickly. He jumped the fence with ease, he then took off running. Woods welcomed him and he saw what Shinji was talking about. He had done other things that were impossible, he could do this. That had been too easy, where were the other patients? He didn't know. Now he had a feeling he felt like Aizen did when he had escaped prison. What exactly was going on? No he couldn't allow his mind to wonder, he had to get as far away from that place as he could.
He ran into something. No it was someone. He expected maybe it was Grimmjow, but that was when he saw Aizen. "Is someone trying to make an escape? Ichigo, I didn't want to punish you, but you leave me no choice."
That was the shortest lived escape ever. Where had Aizen appeared from anyways? He looked at the man closer. Aizen was not leading him back to the asylum doors, he was leading him further into the woods. That was when his heart dropped. He was being lead into a clearing. Gin and Kaname were there. Shinji, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra was there as well. Shinji was the only one cuffed though.
"Grimmjow" Ichigo got out. Grimmjow looked at him and shook his head. What was going on?
"Welcome Ichigo Kurosaki, to my plan. "
The three traitors were back, two Espadas and Shinji. "What plan is this, Aizen?"
Aizen made a face. "I told you to call me Sōsuke. As for the plan, you'll see. You'll even be involved in it."
"No, I refuse." Aizen was close to him, his lips brushing against his own.
"You chose this Ichigo. It has been my plan all along, except I did not expect to fall in love with you. Plans can change though."
Ichigo sighed. "What is your plan this time?"
"We are going to overthrow the Asylum."
"I don't understand why I am here" Shinji got out from his spot on the ground.
"Witness, so you wouldn't talk" Ichigo was trying to figure the same thing, the original team never included Shinji. Well it hasn't included him either.
"That was a good guess, Ichigo. Though I have plans for this one. "
Ichigo sighed. Was Gin playing his double crossing role again? This situation felt so similar to the original one? Again Ichigo had to ask what was real and what was not.
"We will take turns watching over this one" Aizen gestured to Shinji. "Everyone else will return to their normal lives, until the time comes. It is coming and soon." Ichigo gulped, perhaps Aizen was still evil in this reality. The other Aizen didn't seem that evil anymore, the one he had bonded with in the cell. Was that really the fake one and this the real one? He really had gotten himself in a mess. Kaname seemed to be the one taking the first watch over Shinji. Ulquiorra stayed behind with Kaname.
Ichigo had no choice but to go with Aizen and Gin back to the asylum. Grimmjow followed shortly behind them. "So you're going to punish me?"
Aizen shook his head. "Why would I do that? You saved me the trouble of having to bring you there on my own account." Aizen went on ahead, Ichigo sighed. He would never understand the man that much he was beginning to understand. Gin was quiet as was Grimmjow. He would have to talk to Gin in private, he didn't look forward to that.
They were back in the asylum. Ichigo hated that he had been roped up into an Aizen plan again. He would have to deal with it, overthrowing the asylum meant he could be free again. Perhaps it wouldn't be that bad to side with Aizen this time, he did love the man. Gin pulled him into his office before he knew it. "Ichigo, ya must have questions. Though it is not a good time." Gin motioned for Ichigo to look outside the office. Ichigo didn't know if he should trust the man, after all he was a snake. He would always be a snake, he couldn't be trusted.
Though his curiosity got the better of him. Ichigo moved towards the door and snuck a peek at what was outside the door. Yamamoto had just come down the hallway. The man's appearance was strangely different then in the other reality, but he was the same person. Ichigo didn't know if this appearance was a good thing or not.
Gin placed a finger on his lips as a motion for Ichigo to remind silent. Ichigo backed up as Gin went out of the office. "Awh Yamamoto it is such a pleasure to see ya again" Gin said.
Ichigo remembered what Shinji had said to him, the last time Yamamoto had set foot in this place, Shinji had been removed from his position. Ichigo had to wonder why the older man was here and if Aizen had knew about it from the beginning. He watched Gin lead the old man out of the hall. Ichigo took that as his chance to leave. Who was telling the truth in this place? Was this place real? Ichigo couldn't dwell on that, not now. He needed to not get caught leaving Gin's office. He would believe he couldn't trust the older man until he was proven wrong. He had to be careful who he trusted from now on. Ichigo moved to his old assigned room. With Yamamoto present, he would have to be careful with his interaction with Aizen and Gin. Not to mention Kisuke was still missing, though he seemed to be the only one who noticed. What role did Kisuke play in all of this?
Ichigo opened the door to his room.
…++++…
Author's Note:
Shinji has finally appeared. The 'evil' trinity is also back. Then Yamamoto appeared.
This chapter was interesting within itself to write, because of all the things going on within it. Poor Ichigo, he doesn't know who to trust. Who can blame him though?
Everything is slowly coming together.