She had to quit. There was no way around it. She couldn't do this anymore.
She woke up next morning and found the bed empty aside from her. She shivered, feeling the absence of Ichigo's warmth and arms. She had to admit she felt good despite everything that's happened.
Underneath his arms she felt protected, safe... all her worries disappeared in that moment. She secretly enjoyed feeling and groping his muscles while he slept because she knew he was a deep sleeper. She got aroused and was tempted to take things further. She didn't though. She didn't want to freak him out and she was merely a virgin. She'd embarrass herself. She sighed sadly.
Anyways there was still a big problem at hand, the phone call from yesterday. The threat. She had no idea who it was but she'd bet her money on the horned hollow. Things were starting to get dangerous and she knew if she didn't stop now they'd be dangerous consequences...
Later, Seretei force police headquarters.
Kuchki office.
"I'm sorry Ms Kuchki but we have to stop this while we can! it's getting out of hand!"
"Excuse me?" Byakuren answered in confusion and disbelief.
"Last night during our call I was interrupted by a hollow. He said some nasty stuff to me. He said if I didn't stop he'll kill me or do harm to Mr Kurosaki! We have to stop this before someone gets hurt!"
"Calm down Senna."
"How am I supposed to calm down! Lives are at stake here! I'm sorry Ms Kuchki but you're own your own from-"
"Enough!" the Kuchki woman exclaimed. "Take deep breaths, calm down." Senna did as instructed and took deep breaths. Once she calmed down Byakuren spoke "Listen. It was just a threat, nothing more. Are you doubting my skills?"
Senna shook her head no.
"Then there is nothing to be concerned about. You're under my protection, protection from the Kuchki clan and the best to ever do it. If anything this tells us we're moving in the right direction, and this person is trying to scare us away. Hmp. Pitiful attempt."
"I don't understand how he found out that I was involved, that I started this. How?" she asked in terror.
"Isn't it obvious?" Byakuren said as if it's the most common thing in the world.
"N-no?"
"You live with Ichigo Kurosaki. He must have figured out you were behind all this. As a matter of fact the tracker has been destroyed as we speak."
"What? R-really?" she asked refusing to believe the implications.
"Yes. Why would I lie to you?"
"B-but... the hollow... he said if I didn't stop he'll harm Mr Kurosaki. He also said Mr Kurosaki has been a thorn on their side for too long. I also doubt it was him who called because he was asleep on his bed!"
"What? Really?" Byakuren questioned.
Senna smirked and repeated the woman's own line. "Yes. Why would I lie to you?"
Byakuren couldn't help but smile a little as well. "Hmp. Touche little girl. Anyways, this changes everything. Perhaps he hired someone to call you to make himself look like a target as well even if he's not. That's my theory. Ichigo is the horned hollow, or at least a hollow in some way. If he wasn't he wouldn't have gotten rid of the tracker. How he found the little thing is a mystery but I think I know how he got rid of it."
"How?" Senna asked with a raised eyebrow.
Byakuren's expression turned serious. "Kisuke Urahara."
"Kiss-who?"
"Kisuke Urahara girl! He's the owner of that shop."
"Who's that?" Senna asked.
"You really do not know?"
Senna shook her head no.
"He's an ex soul reaper. He was in charge of the department of research and development. He was one of the best in Japan and possibly in the world in science and technology. But of course he let that get into his stupid head."
"What happened?"
"He was acussed of releasing illegal drugs and medicine to medical facilities, killing some in the process. There was no valuable evidence that he was responsible but they were found in his department. He was notorious for going off script and experimenting with dangerous substances. Thus he lost all sponsorship and was released from his squad. He was sent to prison for five years and was forbidden from working for any major company."
"Ouch. That's rough. But I don't understand what would Mr Kurosaki want from him? Can I see this guy?"
Senna asked. Byakuren handed over her phone to show his picture. Senna was mildly shocked as she recognized this man.
"That's him?" she pointed and the older woman nodded in response. "I recognize him. I see him inside Getsuga Corp from time to time, though he never stays very long. And with Mr Kurosaki too. I thought they were business partners honestly."
"They are... in a different sense."
"Weren't you the one who said we shouldn't jump to conclusions?" Senna said feeling frustrated that Byakuren is constantly accusing Ichigo of great evil. "What were you gonna say yesterday before the hollow decided to chime in?"
"I was about to tell you about my investigation of the shop..."
"Well... what happened? What did you find?" Senna asked eagerly.
"I was under the impression that you were quiting? Is it worth telling you if you are leaving me high and dry?" the woman said with a blank expression.
Senna chuckled a little, knowing that she had her there "Okay fine, I'll admit, I was dumb and afraid. I'm still sixteen for crying out loud! Are you going to tell me or not?"
"Making demands I see. Very well. We searched that shop and left no stone unturned. We found nothing, no indication of any stolen equipment whatsoever. There has to be a secret base located in that shop! This makes no comprehendible sense!" she said in frustration.
"Well, he is a tech genius after all. If he got rid of the tracker then devices should be no issue."
"Indeed. I can see why the hollows are so powerful now. He's involved with them just as much as Kurosaki, and he's the one giving them these powerful explosives and smoke bombs." Byakuren concluded.
There was something strange about this woman according to Senna. She was pretty adamant that Ichigo Kurosaki is a criminal despite the lack of clear evidence. "Why does it seem like you have an issue with Mr Kurosaki personally?" she asked.
Byakuren visibly frowned "Care to elaborate?"
"You see that? You're frowning. I've noticed that whenever we bring up Mr Kurosaki you always get angry. I mean, I can tell you really want to put him behind bars or make his life miserable. What's the deal between you two?"
"There is absolutely nothing personal about me and him!" she replied angrily. "I have a brain, I am not stupid like everyone else! I am the best at what I do and I can smell a hollow miles away! He can pretend all he likes but one day is one day, Kurosaki! You are all blinded by his stupid looks, status and fake charities! He has no respect for his superiors or the Seretei! He's brash! Has a loose tongue and pants!... nothing more than an abomination!"
Senna was stunned. It was very rare for the calm and composed Kuchki head to get upset and yell.
'Yep. She has major issues with Mr Kurosaki alright.'
"Okay okay I get it! Sheesh no need to bite my head off!"
Byakuren sighed. "We have to figure out a way forward from this. I will investigate Getsuga Corp again soon and figure out what Urahara's connection with Kurosaki is. Perhaps I will find stolen equipment there and I WILL check thoroughly this time. Afterwards I will have to search his mansion. It seems like he is hiding something in that room and the basement as you said. As for you, I suggest you be careful around your boss from now on. He knows we're on too him so expect aggressive behavior from him. If things ever get out of hand do not hesitate to call me. Understood?"
Senna also sighed "Understood. Though I think you're being a little too harsh on Mr Kurosaki."
"Whatever suits you girl. Remember that I warned you before you end up dead..."
Days Later... 8PM
"Gyargh!" Senna jumped from her seat when she suddenly heard Ichigo enter with a yell.
"M-Mr Kurosaki?..."
"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!? NOT AGAIN!" Ichigo yelled and tossed his bag next to the spooked Senna.
"Uh... what's the matter Mr Kurosaki?" She had a good idea what the problem was.
"It's byakuren again! Good god this woman! When does she take a hint?" he said angrily as he sat next to her and rubbed his hair furiously.
"Are you angry about the investigation?" she asked cautiously.
"Angry? Haha!" he laughed sarcastically. "I'm not angry. I'M PISSED! She really screwed up this time!"
"Why? It's not like you were guilty or anything."
"Even so, she still embarrassed me in front of my clients, during a freaking meeting! They will never want to associate with me now if they think I'm some crook! This is... Ugh!" he yelled.
Her expression showed fear. Fear because a pissed off Ichigo was scary, fear because she hoped he didn't suspect that she was behind all this with Byakuren. Fear. It worsened when he raised his head up and looked directly in her eyes.
"What's the matter, Senna? You look like you've seen a ghost or something..."
"M-me? Oh nothing, I was just shocked that she's still determined to prove you're the horned hollow... Gosh I wonder what her problem is right?" she answered nervously.
She noticed his eyes open, as if her answer either confirmed something or was shocking.
"Wait..." he began. "How did you know she was accusing me of being the horned hollow? So far Byakuren has told the public she's accusing me of being a thief and working with the hollows, not that I am the horned hollow itself. If she said that she'd receive a lot of backlash so how did you know that?"
Silence.
"Well? Aren't you gonna answer?" he asked in a dangerous tone.
Senna averted her eyes nervously "Oh that? I uh- I uh... I'm saying because... I mean, to me it looks like she hates you so I thought she will most likely accuse you of that..."
His expression softened a little. "Oh. I see. Though I find it kinda funny Byakuren's doing this now... that friend of yours you were talking with on your phone, it wasn't Byakuren was it? I remember saying 'she' and talking about hollows and vans."
Her heart beat rapidly "N-no." she replied while shaking her head. "Even if it was her I wouldn't want someone like her around you. Trust me."
He studied her expression a little while longer. Every second was agonizing for her.
"Whatever it's fine. I guess I'm just a little upset tonight. Still though if I see that woman again I awear to god I'll..." he left the sentence hang. "Anyways, I'm afraid you're gonna have to move out soon..."
"What!" she exclaimed in shock. "Move out!? Why? Did I do something wr-"
"You didn't let me finish." he interrupted. "Yes you'll have to move out for a few days. I already booked a hotel for you so don't worry."
"But why?"
"I'll be hiring a few buddies who'll be making a few upgrades around the house, refurnishing it, cleaning it, moving out some old junk etc. Stuff like that."
She raised her brow in confusion. "But the house looks fine to me..."
"Well it's not alright. Anyways you'll be moving out tomorrow morning including myself to let my buddies do the rest. I'll call a cab to carry you there." he explained as he climbed the stairs up.
'Strange. Does he know the house will be investigated soon? How? Should I let Ms kuchki know about it?' she pondered.
Next day, Senna's hotel. 6PM
"Yes Ms Kuchki?" she answered her phone.
"Unfortunately I was not permitted to enter the house. Not to mention there were quite a few people there, and when I got there the workers were already 'fumigating' the mansion."
"Why didn't you just barge in? You're a cop aren't you?"
"He's clever than I thought. He knew I did not carry a search warrant. It was way too soon to plan things out along with my busy schedule. He's smart."
She chuckled "That's the nicest thing you've said about him actually." She then sighed tiredly "I just want all of this to end ya know? I'm so tired of hiding behind closed doors..."
"It is necessary to do so for now until we apprehend Kurosaki, for good."
"I'm telling ya you're wrong. He's innocent in all this."
"Pft." the older woman said before cutting the call. Senna fell face first on the bed's pillow and grunted frustratingly, wanting all of this to just end...
She got the surprise of her life next morning when she saw three photos on the entrance of the room on the floor. One was of the Seretei police station and one showing Senna entering the station, and one showing Ichigo's face with red Xs marked on his eyes.
'Oh my God! This is bad! Real bad!...' Suddenly she didn't feel quite safe all alone. She missed Ichigo's presence dearly because with him she can feel safe knowing that the hollow wants them both probably in body bags.
A week later...
She told the policewoman about the peculiar photos and yet she insisted they carry on with this little experiment. Sometimes Senna felt the woman didn't even care about her safety, just catching this dangerous hollow. She felt she was just a means to an end, she felt used. She suggested to Byakuren that they should finally tell Ichigo about what they were doing especially now as his life was also in danger just as much as hers, except that she had protection while he didn't. But alas the older woman was adamant on proving he is behind all of this. Senna knew if Ichigo did die Byakuren wouldn't even be bothered, she had something personal against him for some reason. She was tempted to question her if they had a romantic relationship beforehand but in fear of pissing the woman off she held her tongue.
Here she was, back in Ichigo's mansion late at night in the couch pondering about... everything. She had to admit, the mansion looked even better than it was before. It was well furnished, well spaced, well cleaned, heck it even got a knew paint job. Some walls were painted black and red and she figured those were his favorite colors. Maybe the place did need a bit of reworking.
'Oh! I just remembered! I wonder if Mr Kurosaki has unlocked that weird room!' she remembers. 'Only one way to find out.' Upon that thought she headed upstairs.
She came face to face with the door and found out the door was normal, not as hard as steel as it was. The deer head was also removed. When she gripped the handle she saw the door open a little.
'It's unlocked. Okay.' she thought in disbelief. She looked downstairs and at the door to make sure Ichigo wouldn't spot her snooping around. Once the coast was clear she opened the door. What she saw was...
"Ahahahaha!" The friends all burst out in laughter, including Rukia who let out a small chuckle.
"Are you sure that's what you found?" Tatsuki asked in humorous disbelief.
"Yes! I'm telling ya!" Senna replied.
"Ichigo and nude magazines. That's uh... quite unexpected and not in character at all." said Mizuiro.
"Oh it is. It is very much in character. That man's a manwhore." Rukia replied in her head.
Senna explained further "Other than those there were playsation sets, erotic manga, a medium sized bed, clothes everywhere... It was a mess. It looked like a 13 year old lived there."
"I can see why he'd definitely hide that now. Our boss is secretly a nerd!" Keigo said and laughed.
"Come on let's not talk about Mr Kurosaki that way." Orihime said, blushing a little that Ichigo kept something like that in his house. "That doesn't sound like him, I'm sure there's a valid reason for that. Maybe someone else stayed in that room."
"We'll never know. I wasn't supposed to tell you all about this so you better shut your mouth about this or else Mr Kurosaki won't be too pleased." Senna warned. They nodded and took heed of that warning, knowing the consequences should Ichigo find out about this. "Anyways, in the future he locked it shut again. Safe to say what was in there was not supposed to be found, especially by Officer Kuchki when she eventually issued a search warrant...
Getsuga Corp Cafeteria.
"I investigated the mansion." Byakuren said through the phone.
"Aaand?" Senna replied.
"Nothing too suspicious. Other than evidence that Kurosaki is a slut there was nothing too incriminating. Even the basement where you would think something is hidden there was worthless. He thoroughly cleaned the house of any evidence that's for sure."
"See. Can we put aside that Ichigo is a hollow now? He's in danger as much as I am! If he wanted to harm me he would have done so already"
"Of course he will not harm you, he knows if he did something to you then fingers will be pointed at him. He probably knows you and I are working together hence the photos."
"Then why would he include himself in them!?" Senna replied, getting irritated.
"Do not get fancy with me little girl. You wanted to do this so live with it."
She sighed, calming herself down. "Look, clearly everything is not working out. What do you plan to do next?"
"I'll investigate Kisuke Urahara and his business with Kurosaki. The fact that a convict like him is working for a major company like Getsuga Corp is illegal and I'll happily send him back to jail. Kurosaki will follow suit. Until next time, Senna." She cut the call.
'As much as this is tiring, we're one step closer to finally catching these guys. Our efforts including Mr Kurosaki's behind the scenes seem to be paying off judging by the threats. They are intimidated by us! One day is one day, you bitch! You'll pay for killing all those innocent people.'
'Oh hey, she finally called me by my name after a while.'
Perhaps Byakuren had a point. She warned of Ichigo possibly becoming a bit more aggressive and she was right. Lately Ichigo hadn't been very friendly towards Senna to say the least. He would avoid eye contact, yell or glare furiously at her. And the worst part is she didn't know why.
It was late at night when Ichigo returned home.
Senna made her way over to him to greet him. "Oh you're back! How was your-"
"It was fine." He replied, ignoring her completely.
"G-great. Uh... do you need anything? Food? Water?"
"I'm fine!" he said harshly as he climbed up the stairs.
"A massage maybe? You seem to be pent up." she tried getting his attention, and she did. Just not in a good way she realized when he turned around and faced her, pure anger on his eyes.
"Look. You are by no means my wife so stop fucking pestering me! If I want a massage I'll happily call one of my sluts to fix me up better than you could have, so leave me the heck alone! Jesus!" He said harshly. She stayed silent and watched him leave her presence.
The way he was acting for the past week was heartbreaking. All those months living together and forming a bond was tossed out the window. He treated her like she didn't even exist, a mere nuisance. A few streaks of tears exited her eyes, and she ran to her room to spend another sleepless night in sadness.
The next morning was no better. She woke up early to prepare his favorite breakfast for him and he even refused to eat that. It was rare for Ichigo to not eat food prepared by her.
"Oh, you're leaving already?" she asked and as she expected he didn't respond. Dressed in his black suit he prepared to leave all while refusing to acknowledge her presence.
"M-mind if I tag along?" she said again. Usually in the morning they'd drive together if Ichigo didn't have anywhere else busy to go to and would drop her at work.
"Call a cab. I don't pay you my money for no reason now do I?" he said with his back still turned.
"N-no." But..."
"Then there you go." he said. She stood with a broken hearted expression and watched him enter his car and leave.
Five days later, 1PM.
"Thank you. I'll give you extra just because I can't get enough of your pie Senna. What would I do without you."
"Oh thank you. You're welcome, I'm just doing my job." She replied to a customer. She lazily laid her head down on the counter, feeling drained. Mostly sad. Sad at the situation with Ichigo and her. She couldn't handle his yelling and avoidant attitude anymore.
Her phone rang in her pocket and picked it up. She groaned when she saw Byakuren's number on the screen. She's been avoiding the woman for the past few days. She didn't feel like going through another mind numbing discussion and with Ichigo hating her guts on the other side. The cop even left hundreds of calls and messages annoying her even further. She was persistent and Senna knew she wouldn't stop until she answered.
"Ms Kuchki."
"Where have you been girl?! Why did you not answer back my calls?! You think this is a game?! I should be constantly busy with more important tasks and yet here I am giving you my mind and body! What is going on?"
Senna replied boredly "I had no idea there was something more important than the horned hollow. If it's not that important then you can stop no problem."
"Don't get fancy with me. I'm the one overworking herself here not you."
"Oh really. Wow. I had no idea my life and my boss's wasn't under any risk."
"Look, I am not in the mood for pointless bickering. Mind telling me what is going on?"
She sighed "It's Mr Kurosaki."
"What about that bastard? Did he do something to you?"
"No. At least not physically. Emotionally... yeah."
"Get to the point."
She groaned "Urgh! He hates me okay! This man hates me! He can't look at me, he yells at me. He's been treating me like trash lately. And it's... it's..." she left the sentence hang as tears threatened to spill out.
"I am sorry to hear that. My apologies."
"It's fine. It's not like you're the one doing it."
"I knew in due time he would no longer tolerate your presence. He's like this because I investigated Kisuke Urahara. Unfortunately for Kurosaki his trusted associate had to run away to another country to avoid getting incriminated. That sent his whole operation crashing down. I'll find him though, no one can dare flee from me."
"R-really? That happened? Oh no, I may have just ruined Getsuga Corp if this guy was that important to Ichigo. What have I do-"
"You did nothing. Kisuke was already a criminal. He had no business being in Getsuga Corp. If he ran away then this definitely should confirm there is something Kurosaki is hiding. Why did he clean his house? What was he doing in a criminal's shop with vans synonymous with hollows? Why is Urahara running?.."
Senna remained silent, taking all these questions in. She was starting to realize Byakuren may have a point.
"Why is Kurosaki suddenly violent with you-"
"No he's not violent! He never laid a hand on me and he never will."
"Okay then, why is he yelling at you? How did he know we had a tracker on him? You have to ask these questions and you'll realize these are not coincidences. As long as I have been doing this, I do not believe in coincidences."
"So you think he's mad at me because he knows I'm the one who started all this?"
"I believe so. If he had no clue then he wouldn't be angry with you specifically, because they way you phrase it it sounds like his frustration is directed at you."
"Perhaps you're right. It pains me to say it but Mr Kurosaki isn't the man I thought he is, at least not anymore. I don't think it's wise anymore to stay with him. I should leave."
"Leave? You cannot leave right now. You have the best chance at finding out what Kurosaki does in secret because you live in his quarters. He is the key to finding the whereabouts of the hollows, it is too early to leave."
"Does it really make a difference? There is nothing in that house and we can't even figure out where he goes! It's hopeless. We'll figure out the hollows but not through Ich-Mr Kurosaki. He's not willing to share anything."
"We do not need to focus on the info he's giving us. We figure it out ourselves. He may hide it but you being there helps give me his time schedule and health conditions. You are way too important."
"Is this what you want? Is it?" she said in a sad tone.
"Yes."
"Then what about what I want? What about me? Do I not matter? Am I just a means to an end?"
"That is ridiculous, of course you matter. You are the most important asset in all this. You're the best lead I have had."
"It really doesn't sound like it. *sigh* Okay I'll stay a short while but if I can't handle him anymore I will leave. I've overstayed my welcome there anyways, it was originally supposed to be a week or so."
"Good to know."
"So what now?"
"There is only one thing left to do. We have to prove that Ichigo and the horned hollow are the same person."
Senna chuckled "Are you hearing yourself? There's no way he's-"
"It's either we do that or we keep moving in circles redundantly. There are too many suspicions and implications that all point to Kurosaki as the culprit."
"Didn't you say we shouldn't rely on implications only?"
"This is different. We have to take a gamble here. We either prove he's the horned hollow or not. If he is we capture him and rots in jail as he's supposed to..."
She rolled her eyes in response
"Or he is innocent and we leave him alone. Now we wait until the horned hollow strikes and when he does we try to figure out Ichigo's whereabouts and schedule. It is all or nothing now."
She let the info sink in and answered "I understand. It's our final shot I guess."
"I'm glad you do. Now we wait and I'll prepare my army whenever he strikes again. Knowing him he never strikes often so it will be a long time until he does. Take these days or weeks to rest."
"Fine fine I get it." she replied in dread.
"Until then." the call ended afterwards.
Senna frowned, rubbing her head furiously. This was taking a toll on her mental health and if this didn't stop soon she feared she may lose her mind or herself completely.
'I-I don't know what to believe anymore! Why do things have to be so fucking complicated! Ichigo...' She thought of her boss. 'I'm sorry... for everything I've done to you. I understand now why you're mad at me. Prove her wrong, that you're not the monster she thinks you are. Prove her wrong! Things wouldn't have reached this far if you allowed us to fight the hollows alongside you. You cannot do this alone.'
LATER... Ichigo's mansion.
The teen tried her luck once more by preparing Ichigo a good supper with the hopes he will soften up a little. It was futile though because he completely ignored her again.
"Mr Kurosaki please. Why are you like this? Did I do something wrong?" She said as she followed him up the stairs. She grabbed his arm when he refused to slow down and he immediately snatched it away aggressively, making Senna almost fall down the stairs.
"Can you at least say a word to me!" she yelled out in frustration, finally getting Ichigo to stop. "I can't take this anymore! If you even cared about me in the slightest you'd tell me what the matter is! Do you despise me? I thought we were friends, I thought we trusted each other! You mean the whole world to me and it hurts me the way you've... you've... you were the only one who treated me like I existed and now..."
All the pent up stress manifested as she wrapped her arms around Ichigo's back and cried her heart out. For a good five minutes she sobbed on her back all the while Ichigo stayed silent.
"Hmp. Friends..." he spoke. She removed herself from him awaiting his next words. "Trust... funny you say that, because friends never betray each other's trust. You've been acting funny for a while, and you had the audacity to lie to my face." He turned around to face her and looked her in the eyes "Just who the hell are you? Is your purpose being here to spy on me?"
Her eyes widened in shock.
"Answer me dammit! Did you tell someone that I was fighting with the hollows in secret? Because I told you not to say anything about this! I trusted you!"
'Wh- but how did he know?' she thought in horror.
As if he read her mind he answered "The way the cops have been on my ass lately has been a little too suspicious don't you think? And I only ever told you about what I'm doing, so why don't you just spit the truth and admit it huh?"
"W-well I- I..." she struggled to find an answer. Her answer will determine the future of her operation and her relationship with Ichigo so she had to chose her words carefully. "I have no idea what you're talking about! You know I would never do that to you! And speaking of trust, you wouldn't even trust me enough to tell me the full story of what exactly it is you're doing behind the scenes!"
Ichigo's eyes likewise widened.
"You can't fight these guys alone okay! Just let me lend a helping hand. You aren't the only one who's been affected by these monsters! They killed my family don't you get it? You're also hiding secrets from me, and the way you've been behaving lately indicates you're not someone to be trusted!"
"Answer the damn question! Did you tell anyone about it or not?" he asked fiercely.
"No I didn't!" she lied. "It's not my fault captain Kuchki is on your case. And from the way you talk about her it seems you guys have something personal going on! You guys duke it out among yourselves don't involve me in it!" she panted from all the yelling.
It was Ichigo's turn to be at a loss for words.
"Am I not a friend anymore? Don't you like me anymore?"
He stayed silent for a few moments, then visibly frowned and answered "You want an answer?" Senna nodded in response. "No. We were never friends to begin with. I just felt pity for you because of your circumstances and actually ended up being useful to my company, so I had to 'befriend' you to gain your trust. You were merely a pawn, and a good one at that as I no longer have to cook and shit. You were nothing to me, and all you've proven is being a backstabber. There's your answer."
If her heart wasn't broken before it is now shattered, trampled into a million pieces. She couldn't look at him in the eyes and ran away to her room, weeping.
It was then that she made her decision.
'I've decided... that I'm leaving...' she thought while crying on her pillow. 'I don't care about this stupid operation with Kuchki anymore! I've lost Mr Kurosaki, the man who meant everything to me, the man I... I thought he might have felt something for me. I'm so stupid. I was nothing to him, and I don't deserve him either way if I could lie to him to that, and he isn't the man I thought he was. Ifhe can't stand me then I have no right being in his presence. I'm leaving first thing tomorrow morning... and disappear...'
And disappear she did. She left early before Ichigo woke up, without a word, without goodbyes... nothing. She packed her bags and left, just as the wind and disappeared into nowhere, never to be seen again.
For a while at least...
Three months later... Outside Karakura
It's been three months since that fateful day. It was hard for her to move on but move on she did. She quit her job and decided to work for a flower shop. She always personally loved flowers anyways and if she got her cards right one day she'd own a flower shop. It also helped that the owner here was a generous old woman with a heart of gold and the employees were pretty kind, much better than the toxic work environment of Getsuga Corp.
And during those months she shut any news about Ichigo, hollows and Any calls from Byakuren. Heck she even changed her number. She heard that hollow attacks increased fiercely for the past few weeks and the horned hollow's appearances increased, terrifying the town and Japan as a whole but she chose to ignore it. She thought it was best, for her own mental health and she could finally move on and find closure.
As much as she did try to, she could never get Ichigo out of her mind, as dumb as it may sound especially when he made it clearly she was nothing to him. She had a crush on him before she met him and fell for him hard when he brought her out of her misery of the massacre and lived with him. Despite his rough exterior, he had a soft side which Senna only knew and loved about him. He knew there was something deep he was hiding which tormented him and she really tried to help, but he wasn't willing to give his heart to her. The thought of him going back home alone all bruised up was scary. Perhaps if she professed her feelings to him he would have confided in her more. She got asked out by a couple of guys here and there but she never felt anything. Ichigo would always have a special place in her heart despite how much of an ass he may be.
As for Byakuren, well... Senna wanted nothing to do with her whatsoever. Her crazy conspiracies is what led to all this in the first place. Best soul reaper out there? Pft. If anything she is the worst one Senna has ever seen. She could rest knowing she won't be getting phone calls from her anytime soon.
Or so she thought...
7:30 PM, Apartment.
Senna reached her small apartment she was renting, humming a tune happily and opened the door. She turned the lights on and...
"Evening Senna."
"EEEEP!" she screamed in fright and dropped the grocery bags she was holding. Sitting in the small couch was Byakuren pretending to be staring at the TV screen. She was dressed informally which was pretty rare. Byakuren loved her unform. She had on a light blue glittering long dress which hugged her curvaceous figure and exposed her left leg, her infamous scarf on her neck, a watch and high black heels. She looked stunning and classy even Senna had to acknowledge her beauty.
"Holy cow you scared me! What the hell are you doing here... how did you get in?"
She removed her focus from the TV and turned to her. "You left the door unlocked and it wouldn't be wise to stay outside waiting. I'm glad to see you're in good spirits. It has been exactly three months and three days since we last spoke. Why did you leave?"
Sighing, she entered the room with her groceries and placed them on the table before speaking "I had to. I overstayed my welcome there anyways."
"So much so that you had to quit your occupation? Be honest, he did something to you that made you depart. One does not simply leave with no explanation like that. Did he threaten you? Did he fire you?"
"No no no! Not that. He..." she sat down next to her on the couch and continued "He said some hurtful things about me, that I didn't matter, that I..." she had to pause to stop herself from crying. "I couldn't live with a man who despised me anymore."
Byakuren nodded her head. "I see. It would eventually get too toxic if you lived with that devil any longer. Still though you should have kept your job at Getsuga Corp. It was the only other way to get closer to Kurosaki."
"He would have treated me badly at work too anyways. All I can say is I'm done with Ichigo Kurosaki, Getsuga Corp and whatever shady stuff he's doing. He's not what I expected him to be. There's a saying that goes "Never meet your heroes." and I should have listened."
Byakuren nodded "I'm glad you realize Ichigo Kurosaki is trash." Her expression saddened just a little bit "Have you paid attention on what is happening lately?"
"The hollows?"
"Precisely. HE has returned, probably more powerful than he was before."
She sighed in response. "I know. Have you fought him yet?"
Byakuren shook her head "No. Each encounter he refused to confront me and retreats. And when I wasn't around he would rob and destroy whatever area he was raiding to ashes. He even was bold enough to attack Tokyo and succeeded. Granted Tokyo isn't as heavily armed as Karakura but if he could attack the epicentre of this country then who knows what else he's capable of."
"That's... that is not good at all. Can these guys even be stopped?" Senna questioned.
"Yes. They can. And I know exactly who can do that."
Senna raised her brow questioningly "Really? Who?"
"You..."
"What! M-me?! You can't be serious!"
"But I am. You are the closest person to Ichi-"
"We already tried that, remember? EPIC FAIL!" she said as she stood up from the couch.
Byakuren also stood up and answered "You have to understand, the only reason why this is all happening is because of your departure. He's trying to get your attention. It angered the hollow and you know who else was angry before you left? Ichigo Kurosaki."
"N-no! I refuse to believe it! It's not Mr Kurosaki!"
"You're still in denial I see. Regardless, you were the closest hope to finally figuring out the hollows and Kurosaki was and always will be the key."
Senna looked down, looking dejected "What's the point now? He hates my guts and he probably knows I was going behind his back, that you and I were working together. He would never accept me back."
"Actually I think it's quite the opposite. He misses you dearly. In fact Getsuga Corp has never been the same without you. You were the light in their darkness, and sources tell me he has been sending people to find you and convince you to go back to the company."
"I noticed. Some of my ex co-workers actually said to me that Mr Kurosaki wants to speak to me. I honestly thought they were lying so I rejected the invitation. I was convinced he despised me and just wanted to yell at me some more for leaving."
"Well now you know he does not. Go talk to him. For all we know he was just speculating you and feels guilty for how he treated you. He's a lost cause."
She looked back at the older woman and spoke firmly "Look, I'm done with all this. I want nothing to do with him and that company, and especially with the hollows. The best decision I can do is move on with my life. I'm still young and I have so much to live for. I'm not wasting my youth risking my life just for a small taste of revenge."
Byakuren's expression soured "I feel you do not understand the bigger picture. This is not just about you, but about the well being of the country. These monsters need to be stopped and I will need your help to do it. Think of the livelihoods destroyed this month alone and it's not going to stop until you reach out to Kurosaki."
"But I don't want to do this okay! You're the cop here not me! It's your job!"
"Pft. I didn't take you as the cowardly type."
"I'm not being a coward I'm just looking out for myself!" she yelled in anger. "I literally have no one left while you can always go back to your lovely home with your family. And I'm still only sixteen years old for crying out loud I have every right to be scared!"
"There is no reason to be frightened. You are under my prote-" she stopped when she saw Senna covering her face with both hands and crying. Even the calm stoic woman felt sad for the young girl. Perhaps she did go too far. It was only a mere frightened teenager she was dealing with.
She awkwardly reached out with one arm and wrapped it around Senna's back and pulled her close for comfort. She spoke "I apologise if I made you cry. It was not my intention. You are but a mere child after all and I should be more considerate. Still, are you certain you want to let this go?"
"Y-yes. I-I just want to put this all behind..." Senna replied in the woman's bust.
The beautiful cop sighed in disappointment. "I see. If it is your will then I will not force it. I suggest you think this through thoroughly and if you do change your mind, do not hesitate to call me."
Senna broke the embrace and looked up at the woman with a smile, glad that she finally understood her predicament. She wiped her tears and spoke "Thanks for understanding. And uh... sorry for quiting on you like that. I should have at least informed you."
"Apology accepted." replied the Kuchki head. "So..." she began "Have you received any threats from the hollows? Whether through text, mail, calls etc?"
"Well... I did receive text messages from unknown numbers... saying "Come back" or that I shouldn't have left... I know where you are... stuff like that. That was a month ago and I honestly ignored all of them."
"Hmmm... Can I see those messages?" Byakuren asked. Senna complied and handed her her phone. She checked any valuable info about the profiles of these persons as well as the texts.
"Yes, these come from different people I agree. I will figure out their IP address, but I doubt that will be fruitful. One text has me intrigued though..."
"Uhh.. which one?" the girl asked.
"The one that says "I know where you are." You know what this means?"
Senna's expression grew worried for a moment "That..."
"This person knows where you live. This was a month ago and you were already stationed here correct?" she asked.
Senna nodded in response. Strangely Byakuren made her way to the window and looked outside, particularly at the large tree outside. They were at the third floor of the building and the tree was just as tall.
"Uh... what are you looking at?" she asked her, wondering what she was looking at. She walked closer to her but Byakuren raised her hand to stop her.
"Do not get closer!" she warned.
"Huh? what's wrong?" the confused teen asked.
"I arrived here around 9AM in the morning to hopefully catch you before you left for work. Out of boredom I've been staring at the beautiful scenery outside, especially this tree outside the road. But just around 6:23 PM when the sun was descending I looked down and saw a man dressed in all black look around him and climb this tree.
So I sat down in your couch pretending to stare at this idiot box, the television, while I watched at the corner of my eye this individual reach the same height in the tree as this window and hid himself amongst the leaves. At the spot he was at I could make out a faint light, presumably from a recording device or a photo being taken as I was here. And right now... at this moment... dark as it is outside, I can still somewhat make out the shape of this person sitting there with the faint light source..."
Senna didn't know what the big deal was. "So? W-what does this mean? What does he-"
"Give me my purse from the couch." she ordered. Senna did just that and handed her the purse.
What she didn't expect was for the cop to grab the purse, open it, pull out a gun, open the window and...
BAM!
"AAAH!" Senna screamed in terror, her eyes widened in horror, shock and disbelief. She heard rustling from the trees and something falling hard with a thud on the ground.
Apparently, with such inhuman speed it looked like like it happened in less than a second, Byakuren pulled the gun from the purse, pulled trigger and shot the individual right in the head with excellent aim, sending him tumbling down to his doom.
"Whaa!... W-what did you just do!" she exclaimed, joining Byakuren by there window and looked at the lifeless body outside. By now everyone heard the noise and there was screaming inside of the building and outside along with a couple of citizens running away when they saw the body fall to the ground.
"Perhaps killing him wasn't the best of ideas." Byakuren said as she exited the room with Senna following cautiously.
Senna was surprised at how easily the woman was taking all this, as if the loss of a life was something she saw everything and thus was unaffected.
'Is it really that surprising? She's a cop after all.'
"You do realize you just killed someone!" she said to her.
"So?" Byakuren said as they went outside and spotted the body.
"You could get into serious trouble, or even arrested! Was that even ne-"
"You talk too much girl. Stand back if you're too cowardly and I will handle it." she answered as she headed for the deceased man. Senna hesitantly followed her but stood at a distance as she watched the policewoman 'investigate' the body.
"Hmm... male, beard... hideous face, probably around his 30s... my guess he's around 5'9 in height." Senna heard the woman utter more nonsense. "Has a recorder though slightly cracked... just as I thought, he's been recording our activity during the night."
Senna joined the woman shortly. She was shocked when they watched the video of her and Byakuren in the apartment, even their voices could be heard. Byakuren scrolled through the phone and found a few more recent videos of Senna.
She looked up the tree and then said "It's not just today, but since the fifth of November, which is almost three weeks. The reason why he was able to remain so unnoticed is because occasionally he left cameras on the tree, as I can see two of them on the tree tops right now. I guess he decided to head here himself... big mistake." she focused her attention on the girl next to her who was speechless. It was to be expected, especially when the videos showed Senna, the friends she invited and her body exposed whenever she was dressing up thinking she was alone.
"You really need to close your curtains much earlier, or just close them all day. He knew your patterns which is why he was able to record you so." she suggested. She rummaged through the bag the man was carrying on his back. What she found shocked her, and Senna let out a gasp.
"Clothes, tracker, and a hollow mask..." she said. "He was a hollow. Now I regret my decision ever more to kill him." she said in frustration as she held the white mask which had a sort of spider imprint.
A good majority of renters from the apartment were standing outside at a distance staring at the body and them, murmuring and whispering among themselves.
"Oh my god! This is a lot to take in..." said the sixteen year old.
Byakuren sighed "I feel bad for you. You got yourself involved and now it will prove difficult to free yourself from the hollow's harassments."
The young girl had a look of fear in her eyes. Just when she thought she moved on from this ordeal it came back with force. She didn't know what to do anymore.
"W-what do I do now? What happens now? I should have never involved myself in this." she said as she stared at the lifeless man on the ground. It wasn't the first time seeing a dead person so the shock wasn't as evident, the orphanage massacre was far worse than this. Still though it was a sight she didn't want to get used to.
"It is not safe for you around here anymore. They know your whereabouts. You have to move again." she said. "I'll organize a place for..." she stopped midsentence as she remembered the cameras and binoculars on the trees, which were probably recording their conversations. With such agility and grace she climed and retrieved the cameras and came back down seconds later.
Senna was bewildered. 'H-how did she...? In a dress and heels for that matter?! She's a monster!'
Byakuren dusted herself off, the two devices on one hand. "As I was saying, you need to relocate, preferably outside of Karakura town and Japan entirely. I have a place in mind which I have used to hide countless witnesses, but I'll need some time to organize. My concern is about tonight, will you be able to sleep in this apartment or..."
"No no no no no!" she replied waving her hands. "After this... definitely not."
"I see. Well, I'll call some of my assistants who will book a hotel for you tonight, and I will send guards to shield you should anything happen. I will take these cameras and figure out just how much footage they have of you and perhaps track them. Understood?"
Senna nodded with a smile "Understood." Though she wouldn't admit it, she kind of missed working with the woman. It had a certain thrill to it, like some adventure and Senna loved those. And after what Byakuren just did to that hollow, she felt much safer. Perhaps she wasn't as bad as she thought, she has a reputation for ending hollows on sight after all and only the horned hollow has proven to be a worthy challenger for her.
An awkward silence passed before Byakuren spoke "Hmm... I guess I should call the paramedics to remove this body" She looked behind her and saw the massive gathering of people staring at them. Something like this was bound to get attention, but she knew they wouldn't dare come closer because she's Byakuren Kuchki after all. Someone of her status didn't just interact with anybody.
"Now we wait for my officers to arrive."
"Hey uhm... thanks." Senna began. "For everything. Your dedication to your work is impressive, we need more people like you to put a stop to them."
Byakuren let out one of her very rare small smiles. "No need to thank me, it is my duty. If only the Seretei force wasn't so pathetic then the hollows would never be this problematic. They were never a problem to begin with but our forces got too complacent over the years. There's only so much I can do, especially when you consider I lack the dominant physique of men."
"Pft, does it even matter? You're better than ninety percent of the men in Seretei already, if not more."
The woman smiled again. Though she'll never admit it, she loved the young girl's company. She was like a disciple to her or little sister. In fact she enjoyed her company more than her actual blood sister. So they waited as the crowd of people looked on...
4 Days later, 8 am
Four days passed since that shooting incident. Senna waited outside of her secluded small hotel, wearing a red ruffled skirt and a blue short sleeved v neck, long white socks and blue sneakers, with 5 guards holding Ak47s standing idle and watching the streets.
'Sheesh, didn't think she'd go to these lengths...' she thought as she looked at the guards. On her right arm was a bag full of her new belongings as she waited for Byakuren's escorts. She had a big smile on her face as she was eager to finally leave this hollow infested country. She will miss a lot of things, especially Ichigo and Byakuren. It hurt her that she never got to resolve things with him but she knows she needs to move on eventually. Other than those two and some of her minor friends, there aren't that many happy memories in Karakura.
Soon enough a black Mazda with black tinted windows, seemingly the same one that escorted her days ago, showed up and parked. The driver hooted and Senna took that as her cue to get inside. Once she was inside at the backseat she greeted the driver and he greeted back. She noticed it was a different driver than the one before. She couldn't tell for sure as he wore sunglasses but paid no mind to it.
"Were you ordered by-"
"Byakuren Kuchki yes." He replied. "You're Senna right?"
"Yes sir." she said. "Uhm, I know we're supposed to go to the airport but... where to exactly? Like which country?" she asked, because Byakuren never made it clear and said the escort will tell her.
"...I'm just a chauffeur ms." he replied.
"But Ms Kuchki said you'll tell me where we're going right?"
"Really? That's strange, because she didn't tell me anything. Meh, perhaps she has another escort at the airport who will gladly tell ya." he said as he started driving away.
"Okaaaay..." she said. She didn't know why but there was something fishy about this guy but Senna concluded that he's a private agent after all.
She smiled as the car drove away, taking in the beautiful scenery of this secluded area outside the window. She was glad to finally put this all behind her, though she did feel some guilt for not being able to avenge her fallen brethren. But what could a mere sixteen year old do to an unstoppable force like the hollows? If even the Seretei force couldn't stop them? It was best to put this behind her she thought or risk being next.
Thirty minutes passed and Senna now noticed that the driver might be going the wrong way because he was driving directly to the busy areas of Karakura town while the nearest airport was outside the town.
"Uhh... sir? Why are we going to Karakura? The airport is the other direction." she said.
"... I'm going to the filling station. This car might run out of gas soon."
Senna raised her eyebrow "I'm sure there's plenty of filling stations by the airport. If anything this will only delay us and waste even more gas."
"...I also need to take care of my other bills as well..." he replied while never keeping his eyes off the road ahead.
"But-"
"Trust me, it will be over before you even know it..."
She decided to take his word for it as they got closer to the epicentre of the town. As minutes few by, she suddenly saw him drive past the station!
"It was right there!" she exclaimed, suddenly getting alarmed. "What do you think you're doing! We'll miss our flight if we don't get there soon!"
"...Man you worry too much, I just gotta take care of something real quick okay, we'll-"
"Get me off!" she exclaimed. "Stop this car right now! I wanna leave!"
"What, so you don't want to leave this place? Look, you'll be much safer with me alright."
"I'll do just fine. If you don't get me off this car right now I'll call Byakuren Kuchki!" she threatened. He didn't listen and instead drove even faster to who knows where.
The car was going so fast she feared they might get an accident along the way. She screamed for him to slow down the car but to no avail. She gripped the handle of the door, ready to bolt out. Damn the consequences, she needed to get out of hear one way or another. She realized she couldn't open the doors as they were locked. Deciding to be much bolder, she leaned to his seat and fought for the steering wheel, anything to try to slow the man down. He heard him yell to stop what she was doing and in turn she said he should slow the car down.
The car was now driving around the streets at high speeds in zig zag patterns, nearly colliding with several vehicles and pedestrians along the way. Her heart racing, she sat back down to her seat, picked up her phone and dialed Byakuren's number.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." she heard a voice suddenly behind her. She tilted her head back and saw another mystery man pointing a gun at her head. Apparently he was hiding in the boot all along and waited for the right opportunity.
The young girl cried, fearing for the worst.
"P-please, just let me go. I don't know what I did to you guys or what you want from me but please d-don't harm me." she begged. She could only hope there were people nearby who could see what was going on inside the car, the streets were fairly crowded after all. But then again the car windows were black tinted making it almost impossible to see inside except for the front window. And even then they were driving at high speeds.
"Help! Someone help!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She shouted and thrashed around, hoping and praying someone could hear them. "I'm being kidnapped! Someone help me-" she stopped as she felt something stab her neck.
She soon felt consciousness leave her as her world turned dark..
Later... Unknown location
Senna lazily opened her eyes, finally regaining consciousness. Her vision a bit blurry, she opened her eyes and saw she was in a small room with white painted walls. She herself sat in a brown chair. She tried moving her arms around but found out they were tied behind the chair. She tried the same with her legs but even those were also tied.
Once her vision returned, there was someone sitting in his own chair in front of the door. Her eyes widened in pure horror, for she was face to face with the devil himself. The one person responsible for sending her world tumbling down. The last person she wanted to see.
THE hollow.
"Finally awake I see. That took a while." he said in his distorted voice. "You and I have a lot to catch up on, don't you think?..."
To be continued
