Chapter 19:

The afternoon passed without incident. Despite everyone being so worried about this new information, things had become fairly relaxed the higher the sun rose in the pale blue sky. After lunch, Ichigo decided to take a nap on the couch. He spent most of his time sleeping. It was decided that he did this figuring that if he wasn't awake, nothing could happen. This wasn't true, but it helped Ichigo in a way. It was a way for him to escape. Byakuya agreed to keep things a secret from the other Captains. At least until something happened. If Ichigo's Hollow took over or if any of the others started to behave strangely again, Byakuya would tell. Ichigo was thankful that Byakuya had bought him some time, but he was worried that someone would suffer another episode, resulting in Byakuya unleashing the new information.

Ichigo opened his eyes. Before he could hear the sound of dishes being washed in the sink and everyone talking in the next room. Now, everything was quiet. He stretched out on the couch, rubbing his forehead with the back of his arm. He could hear muffled voices coming from outside. He wondered how long he had been asleep. Sitting up, he looked at the clock mounted above the television. It was roughly 4:00 in the afternoon. He had been asleep for about three hours.

He swung his legs sideways, planting is feet of the floor, but didn't get up. He couldn't remember any of his dreams. Maybe because he didn't have any. He had spent his time unconscious conversing with his Hollow in his inner world. Normally when they engaged, a fight ensued. But not when Linnette was involved. Now that she was near, his Hollow had become almost docile. He didn't have the will to grapple with Ichigo. Maybe it was out of fear that Linnette wouldn't like it. Now his Hollow reminded him of a loyal dog, constantly seeking approval and affection. When Linnette was near him, he felt a strange sensation. His emotions became more broad. He didn't even know he was capable of feeling more than two emotions.

This never changed. It was always the same. When Ichigo conversed with his Hollow, his Hollow was always the same. Same explanations, same emotions. What his Hollow mistook for love was most likely obsession. That was how Ichigo interpreted it. His Hollow was fiercely loyal to Linnette and would always seek to please her. He would do whatever she told him to do. He had less of an attitude when she was around, too. It was almost as if he were trying to impress her. It was a new way of showing off. That Ichigo didn't mind. At least his Hollow was under control to some extent. What bothered him was the fact that they kept switching places at random times. So far, they hadn't changed in the past several hours, but it was only a matter of time. Ichigo knew that if it happened again, Byakuya would report. He had to make sure it didn't happen again. But it was out of his hands. The changes happened randomly. There was nothing he could do to prevent it.

Ichigo stood up to see what the others were doing. He could hear them but he couldn't see them. He wandered into the kitchen and looked around. Everything was cleaned up from lunch. The sink was empty, dishes washed and put away. Ichigo stood in front of the sink and looked out the small window. The sunlight shined off the reflective nozzle, hitting him in the face. Ichigo placed his hand over it, blocking the sun. Once he stopped seeing spots, he peered outside.

They seemed to be playing a game in the back yard. Rangiku, Rukia and Hanataro were running with Linnette away from Cedric who was chasing them at a much slower speed than he was capable of. He couldn't see anyone else, but he knew there were more. He went into the dining room and looked out the sliding glass doors. Ikkaku and Yumichika were sitting on the wooden steps of the back porch, chatting and watching the others play. Byakuya was in a lounge chair, observing from afar. Victor stood beside him, holding a tray with a glass of iced tea. From Ichigo's perspective, Victor looked an awful lot like a butler. Apparently, Byakuya needed servants with him wherever he went.

The ones at play started tossing a Frisbee across the yard. Linnette only managed to catch it once in the dozen times it was thrown to her. Which was one more than Hanataro managed. Rukia managed to catch it the most next to Rangiku. When Cedric tossed the Lieutenant the Frisbee again, she reached out to grasp it. It hit the tips of her fingers and flipped over her head and onto the grass.

"I touched it, so it counts."

"No, it doesn't."

Victor looked down at Byakuya. "Care to join them?' he asked.

Byakuya took a few sips of iced tea before handing it back to Victor. "Here is fine." He went back to watching them play.

Ikkaku called out to Rangiku from where he sat. "You're pathetic!"

She huffed and waved the Frisbee in the air. "Oh, like you could do better?"

"Can so!" Ikkaku stood up from the steps and walked into the grass, holding up his hand. "Give it here."

"Ok." Rangiku tossed it to him. The rotating disk bounced off his open palm and fell to the ground.

Ikkaku quickly gathered it up and scoffed. "The sun was in my eyes. Do over!"

"Yeah right…"

"Do over! I'll show you how it's done." He tossed the disk at Cedric would caught it one-handed. "You! Toss it here." Ikkaku held up both hands, now joining the game without realizing it. Even though Yumichika could see Ikkaku engaged in play, he still didn't join, choosing to watch from the sidelines as before.

Ichigo smiled then walked away. He hadn't seen Veneno in days. He wondered how he was doing.

The others seemed to think that he was the one behind it but Ichigo refused to believe it. It just didn't sound right. Things didn't add up. There must have been some other explanation.

Ichigo looked at the book on the coffee table in the living room. It was the one he had Victor buy him at the store. He had every intention of giving it to Veneno. Now seemed like a good enough time to do it. He was rested enough to handle the different time zone and nothing seemed to be happening here. And if he wasn't around, and the others did happen to change, there was nothing for them to hunt. Ichigo wanted to see Veneno and straighten everything out. He knew there was more to this than they were seeing.

If he was going to the Soul Society, there was only one way to do it. He needed his Zanpakuto and the only way to get to it was to become a Soul Reaper. Ichigo left his body on the couch. He picked up the book and went out the front door, drawing his sword.

The Soul Society was lovely in the spring. Everywhere Ichigo stepped, he was walking on pink petals from the budding trees in every courtyard he passed. The white walls and pink petals dancing in the breeze made Ichigo feel as if he were walking in a dream. He enjoyed the tranquility of it. He took a deep breath in and out, savoring it. For a few minutes, he forgot all his worries and threats of the future and breathed easy.

"Hyah!"

CLACK!

Ichigo looked to his right. There was a dojo at the end of this street. He could see shadows passing by the open windows as the people inside brawled. Judging from the cries and the bloody towels on the railing outside the building, this must have been part of Squad 11. The hole in the wall was proof enough of that. Ichigo approached the building. Normally he would enter just to take on Ikkaku in a friendly duel, but he was here for another reason. Things seemed somewhat calmer with Ikkaku in the World of the Living. It was slightly less intense.

There was a vicious clang and the men inside the building all groaned loudly and laughed. Someone had suffered a major hit and went down. They all seemed pleased by it. A minute later, the door slid open and members of Squad 11 began to wander out into the yard. One of those men happened to be the one Ichigo was looking for. A couple of men had their arms around Veneno's shoulders, congratulating him on a job well done. One man ruffled his hair in the back and another slapped him on the back. They went over to the trough, splashing themselves in the face and soaking their necks in the cool water. One man dipped his rag into the water and rang it out over his head. A couple of men dragged another over to the trough and plunged his head into the water, holding him under. They pulled him out and everyone roared with laughter and patted each other on the back while the soaked man shook like a dog, trying to get the others wet.

Ichigo stepped forward, making his presence known. Veneno turned and welcomed Ichigo with a big smile and slapped him on the back, hard. "Dude, where've you been? What's up, man?" he greeted loudly.

"Just around."

Ichigo noticed that Veneno had changed since the last time he saw him a couple of days ago. He seemed a little more like his old self in a way. He had started calling Ichigo 'dude' like in the past. When Veneno wasn't obsessing over how horrid Soul Reapers were, he was a pretty pleasant person to be around and came across as pretty care-free. Now Veneno seemed more comfortable with himself and how things were going for him. He had grown used to how things worked around here and seemed at peace with his life. A few days ago, he was a little more unsure and sought approval. Now he had a sense of belonging and he had surrounded himself with people who couldn't care less about perfection. All the energy he had was being used, making himself and the others stronger. He had grown used to how things worked and had a sense of what he wanted. He also seemed to be influenced by the people of Squad 11; which, at this point, Ichigo wasn't sure was a good thing or not.

But it was nice to see Veneno at peace and happy.

Some of the men had taken off their shirts and others began to follow. "Come on, ladies, let's hit the bath."

"I'm all for that. Let's go."

"I'm soaked with sweat. Hey, is this blood? See! I told you he hit me too hard!"

"Get over it."

"You coming or what?"

Veneno had already started taking off his shirt, following their example. As soon as Ichigo caught a glimpse of the hole in his chest, he reached out and grabbed him, pulling his shirt back on. "Uh, actually… I wanted to see Veneno for a minute. It's important."

"Oh, cool. That's fine. See you later, Ven." The Soul Reaper threw his shirt over one shoulder and joined the others, walking away.

Veneno turned to Ichigo. "What's up?"

"Huh?"

"You stopped me from going. Said it was important."

"Oh, yeah." Ichigo moved to the side, giving Veneno room to walk. "I got you a gift."

"A gift?"

"Yeah. We can look at it when we get back to your room. How about that?"

"Cool, we can hang out." Veneno led Ichigo back to the 12th Division barracks and back to his room. Once the door was closed, Veneno removed his shirt without interruption and tossed it in a corner. He grabbed a clean one from the top drawer of his dresser and put it on. "Sorry, I'm pretty sweaty. Just went a few rounds with the guys."

"No problem. Have a good time?"

"Oh, it was awesome." He closed the drawer with his hip and bent down, opening another compartment on the dresser. "Nailed this guy right in the face. He was cool with it, but it made this awesome sound."

"Was that the racket I heard right before you guys came out?"

"Huh? Oh, no. That was someone else. He tried this roundhouse kick and failed so hard. Other guy whacked him good in the face and he went down. It was epic. You should've seen it." He pulled out a bag of chips Ichigo had given to him the last time he brought gifts. The bag was unopened. He tossed it to Ichigo. "How's this for a snack?"

"It's fine." Ichigo took the bag and swapped it for the book he had been hiding. "This is for you. I thought you might like it."

Veneno took the book from Ichigo and looked at the cover. It was written in English, but there were few words. The pictures were the main focus. Veneno opened the book and started flipping through the pages. As he did, his smile spread. "Thanks, man. This is awesome."

They sat on the floor, backs resting against the wall and shared a snack. Most of the time was spent in silence as Veneno looked over his new book. Every now and then he would make a comment about something he saw. His right hand would dip into the bag of chips between them every now and again. Sometimes their hands would go in at the same time and Ichigo would pull his out and wait until Veneno was finished and then continue.

Veneno pointed to one of the pictures with a potato chip. "Hn, this is nice, right here. The colors are pretty cool."

Ichigo looked at the photo of a savanna, a lion looking up from the tall grass. "You like that?"

"Yeah, it's cool." Veneno turned the page to an underwater photograph. It was a school of fish swimming closely together just above the sandy bottom. The next page held a similar sight, only with dolphins peering closely into the camera. "This is cool, too. I like the blue." Veneno put another chip into his mouth. "Looks like it would be fun. I never swam before. I have no idea if I know how."

"Yeah. I have no idea if there are any pools in the Soul Society. We have one at the school. It's open in the summer for swimming lessons. Most of the time, we just go to the beach."

Veneno turned to him. "You've been to a beach before? Did you swim with these things?" Veneno pointed to the dolphins in the photograph.

"Nah. Never swam with dolphins before. My sisters would love that."

"Don't you want to?" he asked.

"It would be cool. It's not pressing for me. I could put it on my to-do-before-I-die list. But it's fine."

"You have a list?"

Ichigo chuckled. "Not a real one, no. I never made a list like that before."

Veneno looked at the photo and then back at Ichigo. "But you know how to swim?"

"Yeah, I know how."

He cast his eyes down. "I have no idea if I can or not. There are a lot of things about myself I still don't know."

Ichigo could hear the sadness in his voice. This was still Veneno, but it wasn't at the same time. It was like talking to different versions of the same person, unaware that there was another. Veneno still couldn't remember anything from his past. From the look of things, he still hadn't come to terms with that. He was aware that he was missing something but was unsure what to do about it.

"It bothers you, doesn't it?"

Veneno shrugged. "I asked Akon about it and he told me that if I'm not meant to remember, then I won't. He said there's no point in stressing out about it." He took another chip from the bag and balanced it on his tongue before eating it.

"How is Akon doing by the way?"

"He's fine." Veneno swallowed. "He's been working in the lab a lot more than I have recently. I don't mind working, but I like sparring with the guys, too."

"Blowing off some steam, right?"

"I guess so. Helps me sleep at night. And I feel great doing it."

"Was that hole in the side your doing?"

"No, that was someone else. Akon told me to be careful, so I am." Veneno ate another chip.

Ichigo fished around in the half empty bag and took out a couple. "So he's not shadowing you like he was before? You ok with that?"

"It's cool. I don't mind too much." Veneno paused, chip between his fingers. "It's mostly work with him and helping out. They're overworked at the lab, so I understand. Plus he's a 3rd Seat. But…" He turned to Ichigo with a smile. "I like hanging out with you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You're a great friend. My best friend. And I'm happy about that."

Just like before, Ichigo's heartbeat grew fast and his chest was heating up. He had mixed feelings. On the one hand, he liked the idea of Veneno thinking of him as his best friend and wanted Veneno to have that experience. On the other hand, what if Veneno regained one of his old memories and they were negative ones of the two of them. How would Veneno react? He didn't want to mess this up. He was trying very hard to give Veneno a good life and didn't want to see it ruined.

"What about Akon? I would think that he'd be your best friend since you're always together and he helps you out."

Veneno shrugged. "I like him and all, but it's different. With him… I don't know. At first I kind of thought of him as like a nanny or something. He's more of a mentor, I guess. An aid to me. He showed me how things work and helps me out. He showed me the ropes, but… I just feel more connected with you for some reason. I can hang out with you better than I can Akon. I'm not sure how to put it." He shrugged again. "You're just more of a friend to me. I like hanging out with you. I can't explain it."

He didn't have to. Somehow Ichigo knew. It was one of those things that couldn't be explained with words.

Veneno went back to the book. After flipping pages, he stopped at one and studied it for a while. Then he pointed. "This is cool. I like this one a lot." He showed Ichigo a photo of a desert landscape.

"You like deserts?"

"Yeah. I think it looks cool." Veneno looked at the picture for another minute, then turned the page. Then he looked at Ichigo. "So, you said that your school has a pool. What's your school like? Is it big?"

"Uh… yeah, it's pretty big."

"Big as this place?" Veneno was talking about the buildings clustered together which made of the different Divisions.

Ichigo shook his head. "I don't think it's that big. But big enough. Some buildings are separated and are connected by catwalks or you just have to walk to them. Our gym's like that. So's the track and field. It's separate from the school part."

Veneno had closed the book and was listening to Ichigo. Veneno playfully tapped Ichigo's outstretched leg with his right foot. Ichigo tapped him back. Veneno grinned. Ichigo grinned back. Sitting side by side, the two enjoyed each other's company and said nothing for a few minutes.

Then Veneno tapped Ichigo's leg again with his foot. "Do you have friends at your school?"

"Yeah, I have a few."

"What are they like?"

Ichigo started telling him about some of his friends. He told Veneno about the girl who always beat him in karate class when they were kids. He told him about the other girl who was sweet, weird and had a strange sense of taste. About the tall tanned boy in his class who rarely spoke and about the Qunicy who claimed to not like them while helping them and hanging out with them at the same time. He told him about the boy who was very polite and was never without his phone, and about the hyper weirdo who made a show of everything he did. Veneno listened. He was very interested when Ichigo started to tell him stories about them.

"So he couldn't jump over the bar in the gym class? He just kept running into it?"

"Yeah. He says he tripped, but…" Ichigo started laughing, remembering the sight of Keigo running into the bar he was meant to jump over. "It came back and hit him in the face. You should have seen it."

Veneno was laughing, picturing it in his mind. "Does he do that all the time?"

"Yeah. One time, he wanted me to hang out with him over summer break. He blindfolded me and told me that I had to practice for whack the watermelon. I hit him in the head instead with the stick he gave to me."

Veneno laughed. "I bet he was real happy about that."

"He didn't complain too much. He knows I can take him. It was his own fault for blindfolding me and spinning me around like that. I didn't want to and I wasn't ready."

Veneno held up the bag of chips, offering it to Ichigo. He took a chip.

Suddenly, Veneno asked him an odd question he wasn't prepared for.

"Do you like them?"

Chip on his tongue, Ichigo turned his head. "Huh?"

"Your friends. Do you like them?"

It seemed obvious. Of course he did. "Well... yeah. I do. I like them. That's why we're friends."

"They make you happy?" The way Veneno asked this made it hard for Ichigo to tell if it was a question or a statement. What also made Ichigo hesitate was Veneno's innocent demeanor. He looked like a nervous child, clutching the bag in both hands, his green eyes downcast.

"They make me happy, yes. Sure they bug me sometimes but that doesn't matter. Even with people you like, they get on your nerves after a while but you still like them."

Veneno smiled, still looking down. "Then I must have a lot of friends..." He looked up at Ichigo with big green eyes. "There are a lot of people I like."

"That's good. It's good to have friends." Ichigo honestly didn't know what else to say. Everything was still foreign to him, even things that seemed so obvious to most people. Now that he had said it, Ichigo started thinking about his own life and the people in it. He had plenty of friends but he had never given much thought to how they were his friends. Friendship seemed so simple, so much to the point that no one ever bothered to examine it the way he did. Veneno was just discovering friendship and wanted to know more about it. He didn't seem to know why he liked the people he called 'friends' only that he did. Now Ichigo realized that he was in a similar position.

"Ichigo..."

"Huh?"

Veneno gestured to his hand with his eyes. Ichigo looked down and realized that the chip, wet from his tongue, had broken and fallen into his lap.

"I'm spacing out like Orihime..." he muttered while tossing the broken pieces into his mouth.

"One of your friends, right?"

"Yeah. She's the one who likes eating strange things... like peanut butter and pickle sandwiches topped with tomato. Or like cereal and peanut butter on a bagel with lo mien noodles."

"That sounds good, actually."

Ichigo did a double-take. "Seriously?"

"I'm sitting here eating shrimp flavored potato chips with you and you question my tastes?" Veneno rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Good dinner, Ichigo. Or snack or whatever this is."

"Hey, it's not like I'm cooking you anything. I don't mind buying you dinner."

Veneno started laughing loudly.

"What's so funny?"

"You! Do you realize how that sounded?" Veneno laughed. "You may as well say you're buying me a drink!"

Ichigo didn't catch on until he had mentioned buying a drink. He groaned, banging the back of his head against the wall behind him. "Shut up. Not like that and you know it." He didn't find it very amusing at all, but Veneno was still laughing about it.

"You should see your face!" Veneno said, laughing. He was laughing so hard, he was starting to snort. The sound of Veneno snorting with laughter threw Ichigo into a giggle fit. Soon he was laughing just as hard as Veneno. When they started to calm down, Ichigo snorted as well and they fell over laughing again. They laughed until their sides hurt. As Ichigo fought to catch his breath, calming down again, he tried to remember a time when he had laughed so hard. Nothing came to mind. The reason for their laughter was so ridiculous, Ichigo couldn't believe he was in stitches over it. Veneno's laughter must have been contagious or something.

Calmer now, Veneno raised the bag to his mouth and gobbled up the last bit of crumbs. He crumpled it into a ball and tossed it against the wall by the door. Then he leaned back, nudging Ichigo's shoulder with his elbow. They didn't speak using words, but they held a whole conversation with their eyes alone. The staring lasted only a few seconds but it continued in silence when they turned away, staring at the opposite wall.

This was much better, Ichigo decided. Veneno was happy here. He was living a good life and had many friends. There were people here who liked him and enjoyed his company. Sure, there were a few issues such as keeping his mask fragment and Hollow hole hidden. Other than that, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Knowing he would have to return to the lab at some point to help out, Veneno cut their 'hang out' time short so he could get back to work. He didn't want to, but he knew it was better than having someone come after him to do it. Ichigo followed Veneno to the lab. They chatted for most of the way there. Veneno would stop to wave at passersby along the way. Everyone he passed seemed friendly and happily waved back, making Ichigo wonder if they were already familiar with each other. He also noticed that Veneno would start to turn a slight pink color when waving to the women they passed.

Ichigo nudged him in the rib. "Has Akon spoken to you about the birds and the bees yet?"

"Say what?" That was a possible 'no'.

"Those women. You were blushing."

"I was?" Veneno felt his cheek with his hand. "I didn't realize... Is that bad?"

Once again, Ichigo found himself in an awkward situation. He never had to talk about 'male urges', for lack of a better term, to another man before. He was beginning to see what Akon had to go through with Veneno. He was really no different from a child, completely ignorant to the world and everything in it. Girls must have never come up in any of their lessons. Ichigo wasn't sure how to handle this.

Veneno looked at the ground, still blushing. "Do you think they noticed?"

"Uh..." Change the subject, change the subject. "Um... Those women seem nice." Idiot! Why did I say that?!

Veneno started to play with a strand of his brown hair. "Y- yeah. They are... Some of these woman are very pretty and... I'm just not sure... Um, is it normal to get clumsy in front of pretty women like that?"

Ichigo patted his shoulder with a gloomy sigh. "Trust me... it's normal, but there's no getting used to it. Doesn't Akon talk to you about that stuff?"

He shrugged. "I only brought it up once... He just said 'look but don't touch' and that's it."

Ichigo started to laugh despite himself.

"What's so funny?"

"It's nothing. Just wise info. Come on."

They continued their walk to the lab. It had cooled off a bit from earlier. The sun was hidden behind a thick patch of gray clouds, threatening to open up and rain in the evening. As they walked, the two noticed that there were very few people out now. They also noticed something odd laying in the middle of the street. It looked like a piece of shingle from a roof. Ichigo looked around. He couldn't see where it had come from.

"There's more here." Veneno pointed to a few other pieces of broken roof. "And there. It looks like something just scraped the side of this wall."

Ichigo felt very uneasy. Something wasn't right. Even if it was people roughhousing, seeing these broken pieces made Ichigo question the source. Could this have been from a struggle? No, there was no commotion. Some sort of accident?

Ichigo tugged on Veneno's arm. "Let's keep moving. We can ask the people at the lab if they know what's up. It is close by so they must have seen something."

Their pace had quickened, trying to get to the building as quickly as possible. There was a shortcut ahead so they decided to take that route. As soon as they turned into the next street, they noticed a large mass trying to climb over the next wall. Ichigo and Veneno stared at the large blob, trying to figure out what it was. Looking at its back, all they could see was a gelatinous form the color of marrow. The body kept solidifying and then shift back into its blob-like form, as if its body was not complete and therefore not ready to take on a particular form. Its arms and legs were trapped under the gelatinous body, oozing out like puss as it tried to scale the wall.

"What is that thing?" Veneno asked softly. "I've never seen anything like that before."

"Not even in the lab?"

He shook his head. "Everything's in jars or off limits. Even so, I've never..."

The creature turned its entire body towards them. Now they could see its face. Or so they thought. Its face was hidden beneath a large white mask which was located just above a dark hole in its neck.

As soon as Veneno caught sight of the mask, he felt an odd pain in the side of his skull. He had gone so long without a headache; he wondered why it had returned.

Ichigo pulled on his shoulders, trying to get him away from the creature. "Hollow!" he screamed.

"Hol- ow!" Veneno grabbed his head. Hearing that word made his headache grow worse.

The creature now identified as a Hollow roared, lifting its body up to tower over them.

Instinctively, Ichigo reached for his sword then stopped. There was something different about this Hollow. Even standing in its presents, he couldn't feel anything from it. No energy whatsoever. Not only that, but he had Veneno with him. In his current state, Veneno was unable to enter a battle against a Hollow. Even if he had some skill with a blade, he had no weapon, making him utterly defenseless. He had to get Veneno out of here first and attack the Hollow on his own time.

He pulled on Veneno's shoulders. "Run! Come on!"

With Ichigo's pulling, Veneno started running back the way they came. The Hollow advanced, oozing after them with all the speed it had. It was surprisingly fast.

Veneno had never seen a Hollow before. He didn't even know what they were called until now. Somehow hearing that name brought him an unbelievable amount of pain. This headache was getting worse.

Ichigo looked back and saw the Hollow gaining on them. They couldn't outrun it. Ichigo shoved Veneno to one side and pulled out his sword. "Stay back." He leapt staright at the Hollow and swung. The sword made direct contact with the sludgy body but didn't cut. Instead, the sword started to get swallowed up in the ooze. "Hell!" Ichigo pulled, trying to save his sword before he was completely devoured. He managed to free it just in time, narrowly missing the Hollow's arm swinging at him from the side. He hit the ground and started running again. "We've got to run!" He couldn't fight it now. Even when he attacked, the Hollow never stopped moving closer toward Veneno. They had to outrun it. He had to protect Veneno first and worry about fighting later.

Veneno saw Ichigo run past him in a dark blur. For some reason, it was getting harder to run a straight line. The headache was much worse. The pain pounded against his skull like a caged animal desperate for freedom. His head was going to split if this kept up.

He looked back and saw the Hollow open its mouth, unleashing something red from its teeth. It looked like a red laser. It shot straight out like a cannon, blasting a hole in the wall over Ichigo's head.

That red light... looked familiar. Very familiar. That mask... also familiar. The hole in its neck looked at lot like the one on his chest.

His head throbbed again. He started to see shapes. The ground beneath his feet wasn't flat or solid anymore. It was difficult to keep his footing. Holding his head with both hands, he tried to keep up with Ichigo but the flat street ahead had become a tall mountain of wavy lines. This headache was making him extremely dizzy and confused. Following close behind, the Hollow's massive size made the ground behind him shake. Its roars made his headache that much worse. He felt as if he were going to vomit. Another ball of light soared past his head and hit the wall, obliterating it.

Ichigo's image was getting further away. A piece of wall flew at Ichigo but he managed to dodge it in time. The tiny stones from the collapsed wall were a hassle to maneuver around. Ichigo nearly tripped a few times but was quick and light on his feet, running far away from the massive creature. Veneno was not so swift or alert in his condition. A large piece of wall tripped him up, making him stagger. He called out for his friend to help him.

"Ichigo!"

His head throbbed more. He couldn't remember ever using that tone of voice before. His bellow triggered even more pain to enter his skull and push hard from the inside. Why wouldn't the pain stop?

That last bout of pain was enough to make everything topsy-turvy. Losing his footing, Veneno fell to the ground right in the path of the oncoming Hollow.

Ichigo turned just in time to see Veneno collapse. The next street was up ahead and so was the safety of the windowless lap. Veneno was further away. It would take more time to reach him than it would to get to safety. The Hollow was getting closer by the second.

Ichigo ran back and bent down in front of the fallen Veneno. "Get up! Hurry!" He pulled on Veneno's arms. He managed to lift him up slightly. His body was very limp. Veneno's eyes kept rolling in their sockets. Barely concious, Veneno had no way to defend himself or to run. With no other choice, Ichigo lifted Veneno over his shoulder and started running just as the Hollow oozed over the broken wall fragments.

Running with Veneno over his shoulder made everything more difficult but he couldn't leave him behind. Jumping from roof to roof was a challenge and Veneno kept slipping with every quick movement.

"Hang in there, Veneno! I gotcha!"

Veneno started to lift his head with what little strength he had. "It's still coming..."

Ichigo quickly changed direction and landed in another street further away. That blob-like Hollow seemed to have difficulty turning corners so by zigzagging Ichigo hoped to gain some extra time and distance. Alone, Ichigo set Veneno on the ground. "Are you alright? Can you hear me?"

Veneno clasped his head in both hands moaning loudly. "My head is killing me..!"

"Did the Hollow hit you?"

He shook his head, wincing. "N- no..." He let out a small cry, the pain increasing. "It hurts so much! It won't stop!"

Ichigo looked around. There was no one around for what seemed like miles. Veneno couldn't fight back or run in his condition. His first attack nearly got his sword swallowed up. He couldn't let this Hollow continue its rampage. He had to do something to protect Veneno and everyone.

The wall behind him shattered as a red light hit it from the far end of the street. The Hollow had caught up to them. Ichigo leaned over Veneno's body to shield him from the rubble. Veneno's pained moans continued. He knew there was nothing else he could do.

"Hang on, Veneno," Ichigo told him, still leaning over his body. "Hang on!"

Veneno's eyes snapped open, staring at Ichigo. The image of Ichigo kneeling over him was vary familiar to him. And those words were also familiar. He could swear he heard them before. A strange image flashed into his mind at that moment. He saw Ichigo kneeling over him holding his stomach. He could actually feel Ichigo's hands on his body. There was blood. A lot of blood. Ichigo looked frantic. He was covered in blood and sweat. There was a pain, not in his head but in his gut where Ichigo's hands lay pressed. 'Hang on! Hang on!' he was screaming. He was screaming his name trying to stop the flow of blood.

That image blended with this one, making it nearly impossible to tell what was reality. He saw Ichigo stand up and walk away from him. Veneno rolled onto his stomach and then to his knees, sitting up. Ignoring the pain, he watching Ichigo wondering what those visions were about.

The Hollow was closing in fast, roaring, its viscid flesh quivering.

Ichigo raised his sword, standing between him and the Hollow. "Hang on, Veneno!" Then gripping the handle with both hands he called out in a loud voice, "Bankai!"

A wave of energy hit Veneno like a gust of wind blowing his hair back and uncovering his mask fragment. When the wind settled, he saw Ichigo standing before him in a new form. His outfit had changed and so did his sword. A black sword with a dark chain.

A dark sword with a chain... and blood... clashing...

Another wave of pain hit Veneno's skull. He couldn't understand.

Ichigo took his stance between him and the enemy. He pulled his sword back, ready to swing. "Getsuga Tensho!"

Veneno's jaw dropped.

The dark wave sliced into the Hollow like an extension of the blade. Its large body opened wide and Ichigo swung again, the second attack finishing it off.

Veneno's pupils flickered, taking in the image. All of them. Every image played out before his wide open eyes like a film in fast motion. Clips from his dreams. His imagination. No. Memories.

He knew he had seen this form before Ichigo stood in. Hollow. He knew that name. And the lab. He knew that as well, but in a different light. He wasn't the one with the tray. He was the one under glass. Being studied and tortured. These people in dark clothing. These Soul Reapers...

He looked down at his clothing. This wasn't his. These clothes were the garments of a Soul Reaper. He wasn't a Soul Reaper. Then what was he? Staring at his outfit, he watched it fluctuate from black to white. White clothes... and a cape attached to his sleeve. The hole in his chest... just like the Hollow's. This thing on his forehead under his bangs... this mask fragment. That red light the Hollow shot out. Those yellow eyes and roars. Those snarling people reaching out grabbing air. These buildings surrounding him like cage bars. These streets. These people. These places. The quiet. The blood. The nothing.

Voices... 'What a marvelous experiment'.

'You're not master'.

'Veneno! Hang on! I'm sorry'.

And that sword. That long sleek blade coated in black. Those rattling chains. The pain in his gut.

Veneno hunched over feeling its sting. That black sword was sticking out of his stomach. Ichigo was there. He was on the other end of that sword. There was blood. His white clothes were painted the color of cherry syrup. Ichigo's voice above him, talking. Pulling out the sword. Holding the wound shut. He killed him.

He killed him.

Ichigo lowered his sword letting out a satisfied breath. Once he went Bankai, the Hollow didn't stand much of a chance. He thought it would be more of a challenge. Still, that Hollow was different from others he had come across. Curiosity pushed aside, Ichigo returned to Veneno's side. He knelt down in front of him. "It's all good. I got rid of it."

Veneno didn't say a word. His eyes had dropped to the ground.

"Veneno?"

His shoulders were shaking as if he were extremely cold.

"Are you alright? How's your head?" Ichigo reached forward with his free hand. "Venen-"

Veneno reached out and grabbed Ichigo's outstretched hand, crushing it in a death grip. Ichigo's bones started to crack from the pressure.

"I remember..." Veneno seethed. He lifted his head, showing Ichigo's his green eyes, ablaze with fury unlike anything he had ever seen. "I remember everything!" His voice rose to a roar.

Ichigo pulled his hand free, staggering back. He watched Veneno rise to one knee and reach for something to his left side.

"Ichigo!" He pulled out his sword, magically produced from nowhere. Rising to his feet, he bellowed with all the rage and pain only a tortured soul writhing in hell itself could possess. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Well, that went well.

What's going to happen now?

Please review! ^-^