Chapter: 11

An uneasiness spread throughout the sickbay like wildfire, effecting some more than others. Rukia couldn't stop herself from pacing and Renji, though claiming that he wasn't nervous at all, wouldn't stop tapping his foot. Victor and Cedric lay in two separate beds in the room beside Linnette's in a comatose state. Neither one had moved or said anything since Ichigo left them in Linnette's room. A few minutes later, after pouring their hearts out to the unconscious Linnette, closed their eyes and didn't open them again. Even when poked and prodded, neither one made a sound. Renji and some of the staff helped carry them out and into their own beds. Since then, nothing had changed.

"You don't think they'll die, do you?" Renji asked suddenly.

Rukia continued to pace. "How can you say that? Clearly we're all worried about that."

"Yeah, I know. That's why Ichigo was so upset. I haven't seen him in a while. You don't think he's off crying somewhere, do you?" When Rukia didn't answer him, Renji hung his head and sighed. "Sorry."

"We're all worried about them."

"It's weird, isn't it?" said Renji. "I mean, a couple years ago, they were our enemies and now look. We're actually worried about if they're going to live or die."

"They changed, Renji."

"I know. A lot of things have changed." Renji looked out the window at the rising sun. "Things changed when Ichigo showed up, too."

Ichigo's arrival was a good thing. It was a positive change Rukia was grateful for. She was happy she met him, despite the stress and issues. Everyone was better off knowing him. Especially the two laying in bed behind her. Ichigo helped them. Linnette, Victor and Cedric had changed for the better because of him. They were better because of him.

"Rukia, look!" Renji was out of his seat and standing over Victor's bed.

Victor's eyes were starting to open.

Rukia came rushing over. Cedric's eyes were beginning to open as well. They were recovering. "Victor, Cedric, are you alright?"

Cedric turned his head to look at her. "I think so." He tried to sit up but Renji stopped him.

"Easy. You shouldn't get up just yet. Chill."

While Renji was trying to stop Cedric, Victor sat up on the bed. He looked out the window and then at Rukia. "The sun's in the wrong position. Shouldn't it be nightfall in a few hours, not sunrise?"

"You were unconscious," said Renji, still trying and failing to keep Cedric in bed. "It's morning."

"That can't be." Victor looked very confused and worried. "How could so much time have passed? It felt like only an hour has gone by when last we spoke."

"Like I said. You were unconscious. Will you stay in that damn bed?!"

"But... we don't sleep. Ever." Victor looked shocked and confused and even a little frightened. Was the idea really that terrifying to him? "So the reason why we're missing time... is because we weren't conscious?"

"Yes," answered Rukia. "Your bodies must have gotten too weak for you to remain conscious. You were unresponsive for hours."

"That's what it's like to sleep?" To someone who never slept, Victor's confusion and fear was understandable. "If that's what it's like then I'm glad we don't sleep. That wasn't pleasant at all. To be unaware in darkness for hours and not know how much time has passed... That's awful."

"Usually people dream when they're asleep," Rukia pointed out. "Didn't you experience anything like that? See anything?"

"No. One moment we're with Linnette and the next we're here. Just a period of darkness between."

"So you don't dream? At all?" That was bizarre. Perhaps instead of actually losing consciousness, Victor and Cedric were simply too weak to respond to anything. Even their own bodies being unaware of what was happening around them thus making it impossible for them to know where they were and how much time had passed. Rukia still had a hard time figuring them out but the idea that two people who normally never slept and it was perfectly natural for them not to, to suddenly lose consciousness which was unnatural for them and not dream since their state was unnatural to begin with made sense. Rukia couldn't expect two people who were incapable to sleeping to suddenly be able to and experience everything that went with it. If they couldn't sleep naturally, then by that same token they wouldn't be able to dream.

"Whatever. It's pleasant for me," said Renji. "What I don't get is why they suddenly recovered. Do you think something happened to the girl?"

Renji's plan to keep Cedric failed once again when he suddenly stood up to leave the room, no doubt trying to check on Linnette. Renji kept his arms wrapped around Cedric's chest, trying to force him back into bed. Apparently back to full strength, Cedric easily walked to the door, dragging Renji with him.

"Linnette," Victor gasped and stood up to follow his brother. He didn't wobble or even stumble as he got out of bed and went over to the door as Rukia expected him to. Victor's recovery was miraculous. She also couldn't rule out Vcitor's sheer determination to see her at all cost.

When Linnette opened her eyes she found herself laying in bed staring at a white ceiling. She had an IV in her arm but other than that she seemed perfectly fine. As she tried to figure out where she was, she spotted someone standing at the foot of her bed.

"You're ok!" Hanataro jumped wearing a big smile on his face. "Oh! That's great! We were all so worried about you. How are you feeling?"

Linnette looked at the IV in her arm. "This itches."

"We'll remove that soon. Other than that, how are you doing? Still weak? Tired? Do you feel sick?"

Linnette tried to assess her condition. "I'm hungry."

"But you're not in any discomfort?"

"Other than those problems, no."

Hanataro was so relieved he collapsed at the foot of her bed, flopping his upper body onto the mattress. "Oh, good! I'm so glad to hear that. When your situation-"

The door opened and Cedric came in wearing Renji around his waist. His face broke into a wide smile when he saw her sitting up in bed. "Linnette!" He came over dragging Renji behind him. "You're awake. How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

"No. Hanataro just asked me. I'm ok."

"She's fine! Now get out!" Renji wedged himself between the two and tried pushing Cedric out of the room from the front since pulling from behind wasn't working. "Move your big ass. Go!"

Cedric wasn't leaving. No matter how hard Renji pushed and shoved, he wouldn't budge. He was staying right here by her side.

Moments later, Victor emerged from the doorway and came over to her bed and asked her all the same questions Cedric asked. Both were so happy to see her alive and well.

"When I told Captain Unohana about Linnette's injury being like a type of poison, she decided to treat it like one. Before long, Linnette's condition improved." Hanataro started blushing. "The Captain even praised me for the idea, saying we should treat it as something else. She said I did a good job. Otherwise, Linnette might have taken even longer to recover. But It wasn't all my idea. Ichigo called it a poison so that got me thinking..."

"Where is Ichigo, anyway?" Linnette started looking around for him. Everyone else was here but him.

Rukia and Renji looked at each other. "We haven't seen him for a while."

"Maybe he's resting," suggested Cedric. "He was very worried about you."

"Well, I want him to see that I'm ok. When you find him can you tell him that I'm ok?"

"Will do." Rukia walked to the door. "Come on, Renji."

"Why do I have to-"

"Come here."

Renji stopped trying to keep the family separated and followed Rukia out of the room. "What?"

"Something's not right."

"What isn't?"

"Ichigo's been gone too long. It's dawn for crying out loud. Even if he was upset, he wouldn't be sulking this long."

"Maybe he's taking a nap somewhere. I mean, he was gone all night. The guy needs his rest, you know."

"Renji, do you really think that?"

Renji didn't answer her. Deep down he knew there was a problem. Ichigo shouldn't have been gone this long. Even if he was resting somewhere, Renji had a feeling that Ichigo would be unable to do so for long. Not if he was worried about someone close to death. Renji knew Rukia was right. Ichigo was missing for too long. Given the situation, it was obvious that something was very wrong.

"Let me see if anyone's seen him." Rukia started down the hall.

"I'll ask around, too." Renji went down a different hallway. "Damn, I hope Ichigo's ok. Something's not right here."

Deep underground, Yagi paced the cold stone and dirt halls of his hidden labyrinth. His work space wasn't as big as he would have liked it but it would have to make do for now. At least until he could acquire a better one. This one smelled like wet dirt and stone. It was very stuffy and dank.

At the end of the hall, he came to the door he wanted and peered inside through the tiny glass window. The reinforced glass was thick, making it difficult to see inside, but he could just make out the dark outline of Ichigo Kurosaki who was face down inside. He wasn't moving. Even after the paralysis had worn off, Ichigo was still unable to move. Yagi assumed that at some point, the Hollow serum had caused Ichigo to lose consciousness, but he couldn't be sure. It was entirely possible that Ichigo was simply in too much pain to move. Either that or he was motionless because he was using all this strength to suppress the serum that was slowly taking over his body and mind.

Yagi smiled, watching Ichigo through the tiny window. He couldn't wait to see the results of his latest experiment. He was quite proud of this one.

"Leader, sir."

Yagi turned his head to find Sharif standing beside him. "Yes?"

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Right." Yagi gestured to the window with his chin. "Ichigo is inside. I've given him the serum."

"Ah. So your plan to use him to attack his friends is in motion. Wonderful, sir. You must be pleased."

"I should be. But..." Yagi sighed. "I'm not satisfied."

"Why not, sir?"

"It would seem that Ichigo is not responding well to the serum. He hasn't moved since he was placed inside."

Sharif looked through the window. "You suppose he's dead, sir?"

"Would you be willing to go in and check?" Yagi suggested.

Eager to please, Sharif agreed to the offer and walked inside when Yagi opened the door. Yagi knew how loyal Sharif was and was relaying on his devotion for this next little experiment.

When Sharif stepped inside, he took note of the odd smell. It smelled like the inside of a silo. There were even patches of straw on the ground near the walls. Sharif had no idea how they got here or even why they were here. He never questioned anything Yagi did, trusting in his leader's genius. So far Yagi had made all the right decisions. They had made it as far as they did because of him. Yagi even had them doing odd things from time to time, so the presence of straw in an underground room didn't stand out as odd to him so he never thought to question it.

The rest of the floor was made of stone. There was nothing soft in this room at all. It was more like a dungeon than anything. Since Ichigo was their prisoner, it was only fitting that the room resemble a dungeon. There were no windows either. Not that there would be in an underground prison. Ichigo was sealed away in a tomb.

Tomb was an accurate word for it. From the look of things, Ichigo was dead. He wasn't moving an inch and he didn't make a sound.

As Sharif moved closer, he realized that Ichigo was actually alive. Sharif cautiously put a hand on Ichigo's forehead. He was burning up. Sharif's hand was moist when he took it away. Ichigo was sweating, too. Sharif wiped his hand off on his pants and looked over his shoulder at Yagi.

"He's still alive, sir."

"Check him more closely. I want details of his condition," Yagi told him.

"Yes, sir." Sharif took a closer look at Ichigo's condition.

Rolling Ichigo onto his back, Sharif gasped in shock discovering his hands had transformed into a pair of white claws. The left side of his face was also covered by a white Hollow mask. Ichigo was being transformed into a Hollow thanks to the serum. Sharif was surprised it was taking so long. The people they experimented on before changed within the first half hour of being injected. Some only took five minutes to change completely into a Hollow. Ichigo was taking much longer for some reason.

"Sir, he's showing signs of change. His transformation is taking a while, though."

"Keep an eye on him. The change should happen more quickly once it begins."

"Yes, sir. But, if I may ask, how will we get him outside?" Sharif thought it would have been a great plan to inject Ichigo with the serum then release him outside and have him make his way back to his friends while his body shifted into Hollow form. Instead Yagi took Ichigo to this cellar and kept him isolated for a long time. It seemed like this would make things more difficult. Now they had the task of luring Ichigo back outside.

"He'll find his way. I simply want to watch his progress and note any changes we find. It would be troublesome if we release him and the serum didn't work. Then he would return to his friends, tell them everything and the plan would be all for naught."

"Yes, sir. I understand." Sharif thought he understood Yagi's brilliance. It made perfect sense when Yagi said it.

Then Sharif noticed the room darkening. It wasn't the room. He was cast in shadow. Sharif turned around and saw Ichigo standing over him, half Hollowfied. Sharif stood up to try and be at the same height as him. Ichigo stood just a bit taller than him. Ichigo was horribly disfigured, the transformation taking its time. Ichigo stood lopsided, half his face and only one leg transformed and both arms. Ichigo's hair had grown longer and had horns growing out of his head and was sporting a long tail behind himself.

Ichigo's eyes were unfocused and seemed to be staring at anything they happened to fall on. Soon, that became Sharif. Ichigo's eyes slowly started to come into focus, though they were far different from his own normal brown eyes. These ones were dark and sinister. Sharif's imaged seemed to have finally registered because Ichigo started growling.

Sharif took a step back. Taking it as a challenge, Ichigo roared and stood tall. Ichigo's roar in the windowless room was so loud, it shook Sharif down to his core. He felt his body shake from the sheer force if his voice. Unwilling to take him on and knowing they needed Ichigo alive for the next step of the plan, Sharif turned and ran for the door.

Barely taking a step, Sharif heard his only exit slam shut and lock with a grim clack. Sharif's body continued to move, hoping to reach the door in time even though Sharif himself knew it was too late. His body slammed into the closed door and tried to force it open with both hands. It was locked up tight.

"Sir! Sir, please! Open the door!" Ichigo was far behind him. There was enough time for Yagi to open the door and let him out and be able to seal it up again before Ichigo could escape.

Yagi's face appeared in the tiny window. "Sorry, Sharif."

Sharif's heart sank at those words. His lower lip trembled with fear. He couldn't even speak but Yagi understood what he was asking.

"It's nothing personal, Sharif," he told him. "But after crunching the numbers, I realized that you are the biggest hazard I have. As loyal as you are, I'm afraid the other you isn't so skilled or loyal. A simple blow to the head changes you into someone who's completely incompetent. I can't have that."

"But... but sir, I..."

"It's strictly a strategic move, you understand. It's nothing personal. And besides, I needed to test Ichigo's power. I have to make sure he's able to do the tasks I require of him. This was the only way to do that. Just a test. Another experiment. I had to test it."

Sharif was just another experiment? He was being used to test Ichigo's killing capabilities? Surely there was another way. He was willing to help Yagi in any way that he could, but not like this. He wasn't willing to die like this just so Yagi could see how violent Ichigo was and his willingness to kill.

"Wait! Yagi, sir, please!" Sharif pounded the door with his fist. "Don't do this! There must be another way to test this. You don't have to kill me!"

"Actually, I do." Yagi gave Sharif a bittersweet smile, as if he was sorry he was doing this but at the same time glad that he was. "You're a hazard. The weakest link in the group. Your skills are astounding and I've praised you for it... But none of that matters if you aren't able to use it. That alternate persona of yours gets in the way. It's as simple as that. So you're the most likely choice for this. I hope you understand."

Sharif beat the window with his fist. "Please! Don't! Don't do this! Please!" Sharif was begging for his life. "Please, sir! Please!"

Yagi's face came close to the window. "Like I said. It's not personal. At least not with this one."

Sharif felt sick. His heart dropped into his stomach.

"It's not you. It's the other one. But since you're both attached to the same body, I really have no other choice. At least take pride in knowing that you helped with the test of my latest experiment. Farewell, my dear Sharif. You will be missed."

Yagi turned and walked away.

Sharif beat the door with both fists, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Come back! Please! Please! Don't do this! Please!" Sharif felt Ichigo at his back. "Sir! Please! Leader!Yagi! Yagi, please! Let me out! Don't leave me here! Not like this! Please! Please! Plea-"

When Yagi looked back at the bolted up door, there was silence. The last thing he saw of Sharif was his blood smeared across the window of the door he just locked.

Everything was quiet in the hallway. It had been that way for some time now. Yagi was certain that Ichigo had finished Sharif off and possibly devoured him. He expected to hear roars but Ichigo had become quiet once again. Yagi didn't bother checking on him. He didn't care enough to do so. If Ichigo was quiet that was fine by him.

"Sharif dead?"

Yagi didn't turn his head to answer. He knew who it was. "Most likely. Or horribly mangled. Either way is fine with me."

Zalya went to stand beside his cousin. "You just fed him to Ichigo? Just like that without a thought?"

"Why not? I gave my reasons."

Zalya studied Yagi's face for any signs of remorse. There were none. "You feel nothing? Just killing him like that? What a way to go."

"I crunched the numbers and concluded that he would have hindered us as he was. That second personality of his is incompetent."

"Yeah, but even if it is, the real Sharif is more than capable. No one more loyal than him. So even if he does change in the middle of a battle, we still have him and he'll come back at some point. It's not like he's really gone. But killing him... Incompetent or not, at least we would have him at some point. Dead, he's gone. Now we're short one person. Two if you count the other him."

Yagi scoffed. "I did consider that, but I stand by my decision. Even if we are short by one, it's better than the alternative. The other personality would have gotten in the way. They are attached. It makes him a hazard. Let's not forget it's any blow to the head. It doesn't even have to knock him out. Just a punch to the face will be enough. That poses an issue in battle. It's too easy for the other him to come out."

"That's why he keeps his distance. And besides, his strength comes from staying away. He's awesome at long distances, baby."

"I've told you time and again not to call me that."

Zalya sighed. "I know. Sorry. It slipped." Then a horrible thought entered his mind. "You're not going to feed me to Ichigo, too, are you?"

Yagi smirked. "We'll see how things plan out."

Zalya gulped. Cousin or not, he knew Yagi would kill him if he stepped out of line. He both respected and feared Yagi.

"We should get ready." Yagi turned away, preparing to leave. "Let's get Ichigo out of his cage. I think it's about time to set things in motion."

Zalya was a little nervous. "Wouldn't it have made more sense to do this to Ichigo when he was outside? Getting him out when he's in this state is going to be a real pain."

"I wanted to make sure it was working. I needed him in a controlled environment. And besides..." Yagi turned to smile at his cousin. "It made killing Sharif a lot easier."

It wasn't spur of the moment. Yagi had planned this. He intended to kill Sharif all along. His most loyal and dedicated follower. Not to mention one of the strongest.

Zalya hoped Yagi knew what he was doing and wasn't just trying to put fear into their hearts and prove what he was capable of.

Victor and Cedric never left Linnette's side after she woke up. They only stepped aside when the members of Squad 4 came to check on her condition. The good news was that she was completely healed. They checked every hour just to be sure. With no changes and everything back to normal, they were confident that Linnette was fully restored to the way she was before. Even though she was fully recovered, they still advised her to rest in bed for a while. Victor and Cedric agreed and told her to do the same.

The Soul Reapers were very kind to her. Ukitake came to visit her and Hanataro kept her company as well. Hisagi even stopped by with some food for her after hearing that she was doing much better. Though he wasn't one of her normal visitors, he still showed concern for her and wished her well.

After a breakfast of pork and egg rice balls and some juice, Linnette started to get restless. Rukia and Renji had yet to return with Ichigo. In fact, when she saw them pass by in the hallway, they both looked worried. Linnette was getting worried, too. She knew something was wrong.

When she tried to leave the bed to ask one of them what was going on, Cedric stopped her. "I'll ask them," he told her and stood up to carry out his promise.

Linnette got back into bed and waited.

By this time, most of her visitors had left, leaving just Victor by her side. Linnette looked out the window at the mid-morning sky and wondered what was happening. She knew everyone had things to do after the battle, but what she didn't understand was where Ichigo had run off to. It didn't make any sense to her. She knew something was wrong.

Cedric returned with Rukia. Neither of them looked pleased.

"We can't find Ichigo anywhere," said Rukia. "We've searched and no one has seen him since last night when he stormed off. We have no idea where he is."

No wonder she looked worried. Ichigo was missing.

"We have to find him." Linnette knew something was wrong. This wasn't Ichigo hiding because he needed space. He had disappeared. It was totally different.

"They've been looking, Linnette," Cedric told her. "No one can find him."

"Something's wrong. We have to find him."

Rukia knew Linnette was right. It wasn't needless worry. There was a problem. "I'll keep checking. Don't worry. We'll find him." She tried to act like there was nothing to worry about for Linnette's sake but she knew Linnette wasn't stupid. There was no point in trying to hide that everyone was worried.

"Psst! Rukia!" Renji was trying to get around Cedric's large body to speak with her. "Rukia!"

"Yeah?"

"I just talked to Shinji. He said that he spoke to Ichigo late night. He was the last one Ichigo spoke to before he ran off."

"Yeah? Yeah?"

"When I asked Shinji what was going on, he said he couldn't tell me. He said what they spoke about was just between them."

Rukia took offense to that. Shinji couldn't keep secrets in this kind of situation. If he was the last person to speak with Ichigo, then he might have known his whereabouts. They had to find out what he knew.

Renji stopped her. "I already tried. He's not talking." Renji knew Rukia was going to question him herself. "Besides, he's locked up in his office right now. He's not seeing anyone. Says he's got a lot of paperwork to do. Which is a complete load if you ask me. I think he's just hiding in there to avoid us asking him about it."

Shinji was a smart guy. He could read people pretty well and knew the proper steps to take. He wasn't easily fooled. Even if she went to his office and told him she wasn't going to ask him about Ichigo, Shinji would know that was a lie. He would suspect she would beat around the bush in an attempt to get him to spill all that he knew without him knowing he was doing it. He would know her intention before she would be able to come up with a good enough plan. Shinji was the type of person to stay two steps ahead of everyone else.

Rukia sighed in defeat. No matter what plan she came up with, she knew Shinji wasn't going to fall for it. One wrong move and he would hide somewhere no one would be able to find him in order to avoid being questioned. They couldn't make a move. Not without him being aware of what they were doing. It was like trying to sneak up on a bird and have it not fly away.

"He's not going to answer us. His lips are sealed."

"What if I ask him?" asked Linnette.

Renji rolled his eyes. "If he's not going to answer us, then he's not going to answer you. No offense."

"Not him. The other Shinji."

Rukia gave a tiny gasp, realizing what Linnette was saying. "You mean ask his Hollow?"

Linnette nodded. "They are connected. Whatever Shinji knows, his Hollow will also know. And his Hollow will be willing to answer any question I ask."

"Yeah, small problem," said Renji. "Shinji's avoiding you just like the others with Hollow powers. If he so much as sees you, he's going to run for the hills. Not to mention the fact that he's locked himself in his office and won't let anyone in."

"There has to be another way," said Linnette. "To speak with him and have him not know who he's talking to until it's too late. Like calling someone on the phone. All I have to do is talk to him and that will be enough. If he picks up a phone then he won't know who's on the other end until they start talking. He won't see me and there's no need to get into the office."

It was a good plan. Rukia was getting excited. "Shinji has a phone in his office. We can do that. We just need to get you connected to his office." Rukia was more than willing to help Linnette. Anything to find out what happened to Ichigo.

Keeping a promise was always difficult. Keeping this one was just a huge pain. Shinji knew the right thing to do was tell someone what was happening but he chose not to. He knew he should tell someone where Ichigo was going but that would put more people in danger. They could be walking right into a trap. Then again, so was Ichigo.

Shinji had to give him the benefit of the doubt. This was Ichigo's decision. If Shinji took it upon himself to do something other than what they agreed on, he would be risking more than just Ichigo's life. Any number of things could happen if he chose to tell where Ichigo was going and what he was palling. Some things that came to mind included Rukia and the others going after him and getting ambushed by the enemy. Another option included the possibility that things were going well on Ichigo's end and upon seeing his friends show up, the enemy assumes that they've been betrayed and attack. They could have also been waiting for a rescue team to be sent out and then attack when a group with many strong Soul Reapers head out, leaving the Seireitei vulnerable. There were a number of possibilities. Shinji also didn't see the point in telling anyone since he himself had no idea where Ichigo was going. Ichigo never told him directions. Just a destination.

Shinji slammed a file down on the pile. "That idiot never thinks things through. Does he even have a plan? Winging it's not going to cut it." Shinji was worried about him and having to keep this secret wasn't easing his stress.

The phone on his desk rang. He barely used it since the usage of phones wasn't very common since they had other means like using hell butterflies. Hearing it ring now was a welcomed distraction. He hoped good news was on the other end.

He picked up the phone and put it to his ear. "Yeah, hello?"

"I'd like to speak with the other Shinji, please."

He didn't recognize the female voice on the other end. Everyone sounded slightly different over the phone but usually he could place them anyway.

What this girl said barely registered in his mind. Usually he was a quick thinker, but as soon as the girl started speaking, everything started to slow down. His brain felt fuzzy and he was getting lightheaded. By the end of her sentence, the room had become dark and he felt himself slipping gently away. It was almost like falling asleep.

Shinji started to smirk. "It's been a long time since I've heard that voice," he said in a slow hissing drawl. "Ah, it brings back sweet memories. Long time, no listen, kitten."

"I need to ask Shinji something but he won't answer," came Linnette's voice through the phone.

"Heh heh... He can be a bit stubborn, that pharaoh of mine. You'll find I'm much more compliant and better company. What do you need?"

"I need to know where Ichigo is. Shinji was the last person to speak with him and we know he's hiding what they talked about. So tell me."

"Of course." Shinji sat back in his seat and put his feet up on the desk, relaxing. "Seems Ichigo was really worried about what happened to you. The head Quincy gave him some sort of deal, saying that if Ichigo came to him he would hand over a cure. Ichigo said that he wasn't going to let you die. Or any of his other friends the guy threatened with the same move. He agreed to meet them. Alone."

"For me..?" Linnette's voice was quiet on the other end. The thought of Ichigo willingly going to the enemy for her sake was overwhelming. "Where?" Linnette's voice was stronger when she asked.

"Don't know. Just that he had to travel one o'clock from the direction he was facing when he was fighting the enemy who hurt you. Ichigo never gave an exact location. I think the lead Quincy gave him poor directions to begin with. Ichigo might not be back yet because he's lost or maybe because the enemy captured him. Who knows?"

"I see."

Hearing Linnette's quiet voice concerned Shinji's Hollow. "I didn't mean to upset you, kitten. My apologies."

"It's alright. Now I know where he went. Thanks. You can hang up and let Shinji take over again."

"Whatever you like, kitten." As soon as he hung up the phone, Shinji gave his head a shake. He looked around the room, confused. It felt as if he had just blacked out for a second. He remembered the phone ringing and after that nothing. "What the hell just happened?"

Linnette hung up the phone and Cedric let the Soul Reaper go. He had him in a headlock after he refused to give up the phone when Linnette asked politely. The Soul Reaper scrambled away in a panic, fearing Cedric might do something else to him.

"Well?" Rukia asked.

"Ichigo went to the hideout of the bad guys who attacked before. He said that the leader offered Ichigo a cure for what happened to me. He also went so you guys wouldn't get attacked with the same thing, too. He went to the enemy for us."

"That idiot," Rukia muttered under her breath. "Where?"

"He didn't know the exact location. Just that he had to head one o'clock from where he stood when he was fighting the Quincy."

"Great," said Renji, rolling his eyes. "That narrows it down."

"I know where that is," said Linnette. "I was standing behind Ichigo when he was fighting. I know the direction he was facing. We can go from there."

Cedric put a hand on Linnette's shoulder. "Are you sure you're up for this? Maybe you should rest a little longer."

"Then what about Ichigo? I'm going."

There was no point in trying to stop her. Even if he tried, she would just run off on her own. At least this way she would have a team who could help protect her. "Alright. We'll all go and find him. Together."

We got to see a little of Shinji's Hollow in this chapter. Don't worry. We'll see him again.

Please review! ^-^