Chapter 24:

Two days passed without incident. No one attempted to abduct and Ichigo's Hollow remained quiet. Things seemed to be going very well. But only in that regard. Without any conflict the Soul Reapers soon became bored and wanted to pass the time quickly. Rangiku still wanted to spend time in the city but she was running low on funds and couldn't buy as much as she wanted anymore. Rukia was satisfied with their outing and didn't have a desire to see anymore of the city for the time being. She and Hanataro had both grown restless and offered to help out around the house in order to keep themselves busy. Byakuya passed the time reading in Victor's study. It wasn't uncommon for no one to see him for hours at a time, coming out only for meals or to rest his eyes and stretch his legs. Ikkaku and Yumichika were the most restless. Desperate, they started sparing in the backyard with long sticks they tore off the trees.

Ikkaku's desire for combat went unsatisfied. Even with their wooden stick swords, there was no substitute for the real thing. He wanted a battle. It had been so long since his Zanpakuto had tasted fresh blood and its master was just as parched.

"I can't take anymore of this!" Ikkaku paced the living room, unable to keep still. "There's nothing to do! We've been here too long! I'm bored stiff! I need to do something!"

"Other than tear apart the backyard with your swordplay?" muttered Cedric. As the main landscaper of the house, Cedric had to make sure the yard was kept in excellent condition. After sparing in the yard for hours, the Soul Reapers left it covered in large holes, broken branches and dirt skid-marks. The yard was completely torn up by the end of it and neither one of them bothered to clean up after themselves.

"When are we going back to the Soul Society?"

"It's not up to us," said Rukia from the couch. "It's my brother's decision. He's the Captain."

"His call, huh?" Ikkaku turned around and went straight to the study. "Captain Kuchiki? A moment?"

Byakuya looked up from the book in his lap. "Yes?"

"How much longer are we going to be here?" he asked. "With all due respect, we're sick of it and want to return to the Soul Society. I'm aware that this is a mission, but nothing has happened."

"He's right." Yumichika pressed his shoulder against Ikkaku's, trying to squeeze into the room. "We haven't seen a single Hollow during all this time. We were told that we should be on the look-out for one but we haven't so much as sensed one. Besides, if I'm understanding this correctly, it was the Arrancar that was responsible for what was happening to all of us."

"Us?" Ikkaku looked at him.

"You know what I mean. We were going after Ichigo. We haven't done that in days. Which must mean that the danger is no longer present."

"What do you mean?" asked Ikkaku.

"Think about it. Ichigo informed us that the Arrancar that turned us all into Hollow Reapers before is still alive. Obviously he's bewitched us into attacking Ichigo. The fact that we're no longer doing that must mean that he's no longer a threat. Maybe he's dead."

"No way. Ichigo also said that the Arrancar was living in the Soul Society. If he was killed, that must mean that the other Soul Reapers became aware of him and took him out. We would have gotten word if that happened. The fact that we didn't means that he's still alive and kicking. Maybe the reason why you guys haven't gone after Ichigo is because the Arrancar's hanging low. Either that or he's no longer in power. I doubt he's dead."

Rangiku stuck her head into the room. "So we're positive the Arrancar was responsible for all this? Then why would we be sent here to look for a Hollow if the Arrancar was there the whole time?"

"Are you that dense?" Ikkaku growled. "Obviously they didn't know the Arrancar was there. I mean, we didn't even know about it. Clearly, they've mistakenly sent us to the wrong place, thinking the danger was here. None of this started happening until that Arrancar came along so this has got to be his doing."

"So why are we still here? We should go back to the Soul Society."

"That's what we've been trying to say, woman!"

Byakuya sighed, setting the book in his hands on the small pile on the desk. It was clear that Victor had been true to his word and did not tell the others the truth of why they were here. They were mainly here for Ichigo. Since Ichigo hadn't been changing into his Hollow recently and no one had attempted to go after him, maybe it was safe for them to return to the Soul Society. Byakuya had been bored for some time himself. It was time to go home. He stood up. "Very well. Give me one moment."

Ikkaku and Yumichika parted allowing Byakuya room to pass. He went straight toward the stairs going up to the second level of the house. He hadn't heard a peep from the girl or the man in the white suit for some time. He wondered if they were home. He went to the playroom and opened the door. Inside were the two he had been wondering about. Linnette was sitting at a small round table taking notes while Victor sat beside her with an open book. They looked up at the same time when Byakuya entered without knocking. He wasn't aware anyone was inside.

Victor gave him a small grin. "Was there something you needed? Cedric should be around."

"Actually, I was in need of this room." Byakuya gestured to the back wall with his chin. Mounted on the wall was a device which looked very similar to a large screen TV with thick purple wires attached to the wall like an octopus monster. It was the same device Hitsugaya and Rangiku had set up in Orihime's apartment in order to speak to the Head Captain.

Victor looked at the large screen and back at Byakuya. "Right this moment?"

"Preferably. This is important."

The suited man gave a patient smile and looked at the girl at his side. "Let's move into your room and give him a few minutes, ok, sweetie?"

Linnette nodded and gathered her notebook and pencil. She hurried out the room passing Byakuya with a quick smile and into her room down the hall. Victor followed slower, bookmarking his place with his finger in the large textbook under his arm. He caught Byakuya staring at it.

"We home-school Linnette. This is the time of day we do her lessons. I'm sure you have a building where you come from that teaches people how to become Soul Reapers. It's the same thing, only instead of going to a building, your lessons are in your own home and there is no need for you to travel and be with other students."

"I never asked you to explain that."

Victor smiled. "You didn't have to. I could tell by your stare that you were wondering what we were doing in here."

"That is none of my concern."

"No... But you are curious."

Byakuya didn't say anything further and went into the room, closing the door. He was tempted to ask why Linnette was home-schooled, but thought he had it figured out. From what he had heard, Linnette had a disability and could not read. He was also aware that Linnette had been bullied for much of her life. Putting these together gave him the answer: She was home-schooled to receive the attention and help that she needed without having to put up with the harassment of her peers.

Their lesson continued in the bedroom. Linnette wrote the sentence Victor read out loud. She showed him the notebook. "How's this?"

Victor checked her work. "Very good. However..." He pointed at her paper. "Switch these two letters around in this word and take off the 'e' in that one and there's one less 't' in the word 'title'."

Linnette looked down at the word 'tittle' and started to erase the one of the Ts. She corrected the other errors and showed him the paper again. "Better?"

He looked it over and smiled. "Perfect." He patted her head and rubbed her shoulder, pulling her closer to his chest. "Let's see what's next..."

Their lesson was put on hold as loud footsteps came bounding up the stairs and into the hall. Then there were voices, all blending together.

"Well?"

"What did you find out?"

"What did they say?"

"Are we going home or what?"

"What did they tell you?"

"Everyone calm down."

"I'm so freaking bored! Let's get the hell out of here already."

"Did they say anything about the Hollow situation?"

"I can't stand being here any longer!"

"What did they say?"

"What happened?"

"What did they say?"

"Tell us, Captain."

"Everyone, lower your voices," came Cedric's voice. "Linnette is in the middle of a lesson. If you're going to discuss this, do it down stairs."

Victor stood up from the bed. There was no way for them to continue the lesson with all these distractions. He opened the door and stuck his head out into the hall. "What is going on?"

Everyone was piled into the hallway surrounding the Captain. Cedric had picked both Rangiku and Ikkaku off the ground, as the loudest people, and was starting to carry them down the stairs.

Byakuya chose to use this moment to settle things once and for all. "I've just spoken with the Head Captain. Provided there are no more incidences, we are free to return home."

"Now?" Asked Ikkaku, holding onto the handrail.

"In 24 hours."

"What?!"

"We have to be certain that everything is under control. If nothing else happens in the next 24 hours, we may return to the Soul Society this time tomorrow."

Yumichika and Ikkaku started to grumble and Rangiku started to whine.

"It's not asking that much!" piped up Rukia. "It's a precaution. You guys can wait one more day, can't you?"

"I'm bored out of my mind! Damn, if I don't kill something soon..!"

Cedric held Ikkaku tighter. "Then you are more than welcome to practice on me. I cannot die so I should be a good sparring partner for you." This settled Ikkaku a little bit. This should give him a challenge and a good way to pass the time.

Time seemed to pass much faster now that Ikkaku had a durable sparring partner. No matter how many times he cut Cedric, he would not bleed and gave him a good challenge. Still, Ikkaku voiced frequently that he wanted to return home, but at least he had a smile on his face. Yumichika even joined in, claiming he didn't want to get rusty.

The topics they had brought up before had Ichigo wondering about a few things. They were cured in the sense that they wouldn't come after him anymore. But what did that have to do with his Hollow appearing? How were they linked? While everyone was distracted, this seemed like a good time to go visit Akon again. He could ask him these questions and check up on Veneno at the same time.

Not much had changed in the past few days. However, there were big changes in Veneno compared to a few days ago. He seemed to be able to pass Soul Reapers by without being too wary of them. He would still look their way when they passed but he no longer hid behind someone when he did so. He was also able to hold a conversation with Akon without keeping his distance and was able to say 'hello' to anyone who greeted him. He was still uncomfortable being around them but he had come a long way from how he was before.

He brightened up when he saw Ichigo and came over to greet him. Before he had the chance, someone intercepted him and put him in a headlock.

"Venny!" a large man from Squad 11 laughed. "Where have you been, buddy? Haven't seen you in days!"

Veneno pushed against his arm with both hands. "I've been in the lab. Get off."

The man started to vigorously rub Veneno's head with his knuckles causing him to yelp and whimper, pushing harder against his grip. "Not good enough! We miss you, Veneno. You should come back and spar with us!"

Akon and Ichigo grew tense, praying the man wouldn't uncover Veneno's mask fragment.

"Hey, Akon! Quit keeping this guy all to yourself! Let him have a little fun with the real men! Don't want him turning into some freak-show like you!"

Veneno pushed harder. "Ok, ok! Now let me go!"

"Nah, that's not good enough!" The man squeezed him harder. "Say you'll come spar with us!"

"Yes, ok! Now get off!"

He squeezed harder. Veneno's face was turning red and it was getting harder for him to breathe. "Say you'll spar with us and I'll let you go." The man took this whole thing as a joke. He didn't realize he was really upsetting Veneno. The headlock was getting even more painful.

"I said..!" Veneno kicked the man's kneecap, forcing him to kneel. When he did, Veneno brought his leg up and kicked him in the back of the head. "Get off me!" Now free, Veneno started to draw his sword.

"No!" Akon and Ichigo screamed at once.

Veneno swung and the man blocked with his own sword. Their swords clanged together making their arms vibrate.

The man started laughing, putting his sword away. Veneno stood stunned while Ichigo and Akon looked on, holding their breath. The man patted Veneno on the shoulder, still laughing. "You are good, man, let me tell you! Awesome move! Great!"

Veneno blinked.

"Word of advice, though... careful not to pull that thing out too much. Could get you in trouble. I think it's a dumb rule, but hey." He slapped him hard on the back. "Still, great move you pulled back there. Great job. Love that!"

Veneno blinked again, lowering his sword. He wasn't in danger? The Soul Reaper wasn't a threat to him? He liked him? He approved? He wasn't in trouble? Veneno gave a weak chuckle and sheathed his sword.

"Sparing. You and me! I'll run you into the ground!"

Veneno's chuckle grew stronger. "No way! I'll murder you!"

"Ha ha! You always do! Got some serious skills. Hey, I'll catch you later!" The man walked backwards as he spoke. When Veneno waved to him, he turned around and jogged into another street. Veneno was left with a smile on his face and a warm feeling in his chest.

Ichigo and Akon breathed sighs of relief. They thought for a moment something terrible was about to happen. They were pleasantly surprised.

Veneno went back to greet Ichigo, still smiling. He kept his eyes down as he spoke, playing back what he had just heard in his mind. "He... approves... He wasn't mad at me. He likes me."

"Yeah, but not all the Squads will react that way. It's just Squad 11 that's messed up. Normally pulling a sword on someone..." Akon stopped seeing the happiness in Veneno's eyes. Acceptance and recognition for his skills. Even hearing that the Squad members missed having him around brought Veneno such joy. He finally had a sense of belonging.

"Say, Akon..." Veneno looked up, still wearing that smile. "Is it ok if I go to the training hall real quick for a spar?"

Akon couldn't deny his request. "Sure. It'll shut them up so maybe they won't tackle you again."

Veneno went to the training hall and started to spar with anyone who wanted to take him on. Veneno could fight to his heart's content and let out some aggression while Ichigo and Akon watched from outside.

"He seems pretty happy," said Ichigo. "He seems to be doing a lot better."

"He is. But he still has a few issues to work out. Maybe taking it out on them is the way to go. They can take it. I'm pretty sure he's using them as his punching bags, blowing off some stream. Better them than me. But you're right, he is doing a lot better. This is also good for him because he needs to get more comfortable around Soul Reapers. He's still kind of... there's mistrust, let's say that."

"Understandable." Ichigo changed the subject. "Listen, I have something to ask."

"What is it?"

"It's about what you told me before. When you mentioned that the others were reacting to Veneno's subconscious and came after me."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well... My Hollow had been showing up at random around the same time they started to act strange. I was wondering if there was a link. I was never a Hollow Reapers so..."

Akon gave it some thought. "I can't really say. Sounds to me like you were infected in some way. But you were never a Hollow Reaper... Hm... You must have been linked to him in some way."

"Is it because of my Hollow?"

"No, that has nothing to do with it. You had to be linked to him in some other way. If you were never a Hollow Reaper, then I suppose you would have had to come into contact with his DNA in some way. That would link you. Anything like that jump out at you?"

"Contact with his DNA..?" Ichigo thought back. Nothing jumped out at him at first. They sparred, he never became a Hollow Reaper. At the end of their fight... "Oh, wait. Before he died, I had stabbed him and I tried to stop the bleeding. I covered the wound with my hand. I think I cut my hand or something. I can't really remember. But I covered the wound with my hands to keep him from bleeding out."

"Oh, that's what you did..!" Akon shook his head, groaning. "No wonder. You came in contact with his blood. That must have caused the link between you two. That's why your Hollow was taking over at random. It's his blood."

"Really? That caused the link?"

"It's the only thing I can come up with."

It was guess work, but it was better than nothing. At least now he had an explanation. "So since Veneno's back to normal again, it's the same for me as it is for the others?"

"You mean in the sense that they won't come after you and your Hollow won't take over at random anymore? I should say so."

That was a relief.

Everyone inside the building burst out in cries and laughter. They peered inside and noticed that Veneno had struck one of the wooden swords so hard it split in half.

After unleashing his rage in a few friendly matches, Veneno and the other men started to file out of the dojo. They gave him slaps on the back and ruffled his hair as they passed and paid him compliments. Veneno was beaming. He even playfully punched them back. The Squad members went one way while Veneno went the other to reunite with Akon and Ichigo.

"Have fun?" asked Akon.

He nodded. "Yup. That felt great. Did you see how I broke that sword in half? That was awesome! You see their reaction? It was great. I always have fun sparring with them."

"Good way to let out your aggression."

Veneno's smile faded slightly, having not considered that. He did feel a lot better after those matches but he wasn't aware why that was. It wasn't important to him. He didn't need to know the answer. All he knew was that it was fun and he enjoyed himself.

Akon looked around, noticing the sun's position. "We should head to the lab. We still have work to do. I'm not going to be chewed out because I wasn't there."

"Chill, we'll get there," said Veneno. He must have been in a better mood. He seemed more nonchalant than before, much like he was normally. This reassured Ichigo that Veneno was feeling more comfortable.

To appease Akon, they headed back to the lab as soon as possible, taking shortcuts along the way. They arrived just outside the building and were about to head inside when something caught Akon's eye. He turned to the right of the building and hurried over to a pile of wooden. "Damn it!"

"What? What's wrong?"

Akon pointed to the wood. They were smashed crates filled with glass and strange fabric and plants Ichigo had never seen before. "We were running low on certain supplies and put out an order a week ago. Squad 4 collects some of the herbs and stuff for us and other departments help us out as well. Some of these things you just can't get in the Seireitei so we have to place an order and have people get it for us. Sometimes we have to leave and go searching for it ourselves in the different districts outside of the Seireitei and sometimes they sell them in towns." Akon kicked the broken crate. "We've been waiting for these and now look. Ruined. This'll set us back another week. Damn it, we needed most of this stuff now!"

"Can't you salvage anything from here?" Ichigo asked.

Akon glared at him. "You really think I can salvage any of this?" Akon held up a broken piece of glass. "Some of this stuff was liquid and now they're all mixed together and everything's contaminated. We can't work with any of this! Everything's on hold. We can't continue until we have everything."

"Can't you guys just do what you can with what you have? Wait, I guess you can't do that..."

"To make matters worse," Akon continued, "Now some of our experiments are no good. We'll have to throw them out and start over."

"Why? Can't you just save them for later? I mean, you waited this long."

Akon groaned. "You don't get it, Ichigo. A lot of what we do is something where time is of the essence. We need to add certain things and do certain things at certain times. I mean, you wouldn't take a piece of meat off a grill when it's still pink in the middle and you wouldn't leave it on there for days until it gets burned and turns to charcoal. It's the same thing here. Some of our work is only supposed to stay at a certain temperature for a certain number of hours then we have to move it to a different location and add something to it. Without this stuff, it'll be sitting there for a week and that changes the outcome. We can't do that. Why do you think I'm so pissed off?"

"Sorry..." Ichigo muttered.

Akon turned back to the pile by the side of the building. "What I want to know is how this happened? It didn't get smashed by itself. I hope it wasn't some people trying to be funny 'cause I'm not laughing." Akon held up a piece of wood from the crate. "It was heavy... Maybe someone jumped on it? No, not that..."

"Guys?"

"What?" Ichigo and Akon turned to Veneno. He was pointing to something on the other side of the building.

"I think I found what did this."

They turned and saw a large lizard-like creature wearing a white mask.

"Hollow!" Ichigo drew his sword.

Akon tripped over the broken crate as he stumbled back in shock. "That... That's not possible..! I didn't even sense it! I couldn't detect any Spiritual Pressure at all. I still can't."

The Hollow roared and lunged at them. The trio jumped back. "Well, it's pretty real to me." Ichigo quickly flashed to the side and then straight up, cutting the Hollow down the middle. His sword sliced cleanly through the Hollow's body but caused no damage. "What the hell?" The Hollow stomped the ground at Ichigo's feet and sent him flying.

Akon pitched in to help. He held out his hand aiming his palm at the Hollow's ribs. "Hado 31, Shakkaho!" The red blast made direct contact, but once again proved ineffective. The Hollow wasn't injured. The attack didn't leave even the smallest mark on its flesh. "What the hell? That should have done something."

All it did was focused the Hollow's attention on him, making him the new target. Veneno grabbed the back of Akon's lab coat and pulled him away just in time. Akon tried a different attack this time, hoping for different results.

"Hado 33, Sokatsui!"

Another direct hit but another failure. Kido was ineffective against this Hollow.

"I don't understand. How could it be immune to kido? This is crazy. And I still can't sense any Spiritual Pressure coming from him. But I know that thing is real. It's no image."

The Hollow came after Akon again. Veneno picked him up by his coat again and pulled him away and over to one of the walls surrounding the area. The Hollow changed direction and charged at them like an angry bull. In order to protect himself as well as Akon, Veneno drew his weapon and leapt forward. He slashed the Hollow's shoulder with the tip of his blade, drawing blood. The Hollow shrieked and scrambled back.

"You got him?" Ichigo hurried over.

The Hollow wasn't dead yet, merely injured. It took a few swings at Veneno and then went after Ichigo. He tried to slice the Hollow the same way he had seen Veneno but his sword was useless. No matter what, it wouldn't cut.

"What the hell is going on? I know I'm hitting it..." Ichigo jumped aside as the Hollow took another swipe at him. It missed and took a chunk out of the building.

"Hey!" Akon called from the sidelines. "Lure it away from the lab! Get it away from there and out into the open!"

He was right. In the open they would have more room to fight and wouldn't have to worry about injuring anyone in the process or having the building collapse on the people inside. Ichigo tried to lure it away, making himself the target. As soon as they left the area, more Soul Reapers had arrived hearing the commotion and offered their help. Calling out the names of their Zanpakuto, they threw themselves into battle. Their swords proved to be just as useless. They couldn't inflect any damage on the Hollow either.

Enraged by their assault, the Hollow threw them all into the air with its arm, screeching in anger. The Soul Reapers flew back landing in different streets. Akon kept trying different kido but nothing was working. As the Hollow took aim at him again, Veneno grabbed him and dragged him away from the battle. "Stay here," he told him.

Akon grabbed Veneno's arm. "Are you insane? What if someone sees you and discovers the truth?"

"I don't care about that! I can't let that Hollow rampage here. It took a swipe at me, too. I can't just let that go."

"What if you get hurt?" Akon demanded.

Veneno paused, letting his words soak in. Akon was worried he would be injured in battle. Veneno brushed it off and grinned like his usual self. "Don't worry about me. You're the one who's likely to get hurt."

"What was that?"

"No offense, Akon, but you're pretty useless in this fight."

Veneno had a point and Akon knew it. So far nothing he had come up with had worked. Even the other Soul Reapers couldn't make a mark on the Hollow's body. He would only get in the way.

Pulling his arm free, Veneno started running off after the Hollow and his orange-haired friend. "I can't let Ichigo have all the fun."

Further ahead, Ichigo started attacking the Hollow any way he could. The Hollow never took damage. This was frustrating. How were they supposed to kill this thing? Ichigo jumped back to avoid another attack from the Hollow. Thinking he would have an advantage, Ichigo used his Bankai and hoped for the best. That did nothing either. He only angered the Hollow.

"What the hell am I doing wrong?"

He saw someone running across the roof behind the Hollow and stabbed it in the back, drawing blood. The Hollow screeched and bunked Veneno off. Veneno landed on another roof and ran to the other side attacking from a different angle. Again he drew blood, this time from the Hollow's legs.

Ichigo stood back and watched. Veneno was fast! Just as fast as he remembered him. He moved too quickly to be tracked with the naked eye. Was it speed he was lacking? Was that why his attacks weren't working? He had to keep up with Veneno. Ichigo made a clawing motion, summoning his Hollow mask. He pushed himself off the ground with all he had and slashed the Hollow's arm, drawing blood. It was speed after all!

The Hollow slapped Veneno out of the sky and into a building. He quickly recovered, jumping out with his sword pointed forward. Ichigo attacked from below. The Hollow stomped at Ichigo while swiping at Veneno with its tail and arms. Veneno was slammed into another building and his sword flew out of his hand, landing with a clang in the middle of the street.

"Veneno!" Ichigo called from under the Hollow's tail.

The Arrancar shot out of the wall with his mouth open wide and his arms out as if he were expecting to catch something. Ichigo had seen that pose before. A yellow and sliver light began to form in front of him and shot straight out like a cannon. A cero. The Hollow took the hit in the chest and stumbled backwards. Veneno landed on the ground, kicked his sword into the air and caught it in his hand.

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo joined him in the final attack. They ran at the Hollow from either side and jumped. Veneno stabbed the Hollow's mask and jumped aside as Ichigo gave it the finishing blow, slicing it straight down the middle. The Hollow vanished and the two landed on a roof standing side by side.

As they watched the Hollow fade away, they turned to each other. Ichigo was the first to speak. "Nice job," he smiled, mask now gone.

Veneno smiled back with a chuckle. "Well, you've seen what I can do. I'm undefeated in the dojo. They've seen my skill, too. That was nothing I couldn't handle."

"You can't take a compliment graciously, can you?"

Veneno quieted and gave a halfhearted shrug. Ichigo playfully slapped him on the back, making him lurch forward. Seeing that Ichigo was kidding, Veneno's smile returned and shoved him.

Then Ichigo noticed that Veneno wasn't using his left arm. "You ok?"

"Hm?" Veneno looked down. "Oh. Yeah, I think I sprained my wrist. My knee's banged up, too. But I'm ok."

"Glad to hear it." Ichigo looked back in the direction they had fought the Hollow. "I wonder how that Hollow got in here and why no one could sense it. And why it was so hard to fight at first. I only managed to wound it when I increased my speed. I wonder why that was..."

Veneno shrugged. "That's the second one, isn't it? There was another one like that a little while ago, wasn't there? Just before I got my memory back."

"Yeah, you're right. We couldn't sense that one either. Something weird's going on." Ichigo turned back, seeing something move out of the corner of his eye.

Soul Reapers had gathered on the roof and on the rooftops of the buildings nearby. They were surrounded. A woman appeared in front of them, narrowing her eyes dangerously at the two below.

"We've found the Hollow, Captain Soi Fon," said one of the men.

Veneno's eyes widened and put a hand to his forehead. His mask was exposed.

"Don't let it escape, but don't interfere. It's mine." Soi Fon positioned herself and dashed forward. "Sting All Enemies To Death!"

Veneno's speed was useless to him now, frozen to the spot in fear. Soi Fon was right in front of him, pointing an odd claw in his face. Soi Fon's growl was drowned out by Ichigo's scream. "No!"

D: Found out!

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