Chapter: 13

Everyone made it back to the Seireitei and went straight to Squad 12's laboratory. Rukia remembered that Mayuri had a functioning portal leading to where they needed to go. Mayuri wanted to keep his private gateway to Hueco Mundo a secret, but right now they were in desperate need of it. Rukia promised not to tell anyone about it so long as Mayuri allowed them to use it.

Moving fast, the group split up in the lab. Renji and Victor stayed behind while Rukia, Linnette and Cedric used the portal to get to Hueco Mundo. There was little time. Thankfully Victor and Renji would be able to explain things in more details while the others went off in search of a friend.

Hueco Mundo was the barren wasteland Rukia remembered. A withered desert under an eternal night sky. Nothing but sand as far as the eye could see.

Linnette tried walking across it but her feet sank in the sand and her body pitched forward. The sand in her shoes was very uncomfortable and more than once she stopped to shake them out.

Pressed for time, Cedric lifted Linnette onto his shoulder and carried her from that point on.

"This is where Mayuri released him when he was set free," said Rukia. "But it's been almost two years since then. I doubt he would have stayed in the same place for that long. He could be anywhere by now. If he's still alive."

"He's alive," said Cedric. "He's strong."

"But Hueco Mundo is full of dangers. Another Hollow could have eaten him or something."

"He can handle himself," said Cedric calmly. "He gave you a run for your money, remember? I'm sure he's alive."

Rukia didn't know where Cedric's confidence came from. "Even if he is alive, how are we supposed to find him? Hueco Mundo is vast. We've sent teams out here before to document the area and map out the place and they only managed a fraction of the land. Some get lost or injured. It took them weeks to map out one section alone and that was only a couple miles. How are we supposed to find him?"

"We will."

"I'm just saying that those Soul Reapers had weeks to chart a few miles. He's had two years and he's not charting anything. Just wandering around. Plus, we're short on time. We can't be searching blindly for him when Ichigo is..." Rukia cut off there. She didn't want to say anymore in front of Linnette.

"We'll find him," said Cedric.

Being on top of Cedric's shoulders gave Linnette a better view of the desert. Unfortunately, it didn't offer much. Just endless sand. To be helpful, she kept an eye out for any signs of life or anything that could be useful.

Their search seemed to go on for hours. There was no way of knowing how much time had passed, but every second was precious. Rukia was starting to lose hope that they would ever find who they were looking for. Not that she had much hope to begin with. She didn't think Cedric fully understood just how vast this world could be. He had high hopes. Rukia thought he was being too simplistic.

If someone had two whole years to travel the world, how could they hope to find him in a single day? He could have been anywhere by now.

"I noticed there are some trees here that are nothing but sticks," said Linnette. "How can trees grow in the desert? Did this used to be a normal place with grass and stuff?"

"No idea," said Rukia. She was only half listening. She was too busy thinking about Ichigo's condition. She wondered if he was still himself or if he had changed into a Hollow. She wondered how long Ichigo had left.

Upon thinking such a thing, Rukia forced herself to focus on something else. She couldn't think like that. Ichigo would be fine. He was resilient. He was strong. She had to keep telling herself that. She had to believe he would survive.

"I see something!" Linnette pointed further ahead to a gathering of stones. "Is that something?" She hoped she wasn't wasting everyone's time by pointing out something useless that would cost them more time.

"Maybe," said Rukia. "I doubt he'll be out in the open so he must be someplace where there's shelter. Keep looking for things like that."

Linnette nodded and kept her eye out.

Rukia thought back to when they left Ichigo alone. She knew they had little choice but she didn't feel right about it. She wanted to go back. She couldn't leave him. Ichigo would never leave one of them. Although they didn't actually leave him. They were trying to get him help.

"I see something. It doesn't look like rocks. I don't know what it is."

Rukia looked to where Linnette was pointing. It was the crumbled remains of a building lost to the ages. It was in very poor shape and very little remained.

Upon closer examination, it looked like it was once part of a huge tower or some sort of palace. Large pieces of a wall stood like a massive block of Swiss cheese. A crumbling floor stood atop the sand, weathered by time but still firm. There were more fragments of stone in various places which functioned as tables and chairs if so desired. It seemed that was their new purpose. Some were even placed in a position that would suggest such a thing.

Rukia stepped around the ruins and as she did, her foot crunched on something buried in the sand. She dug it out with her toes and examined it. It was a discarded bag of chips. Hueco Mundo didn't have anything like this. This bag must have been here for two years. All these signs meant that someone was living here.

"Who is it?"

Rukia covered the bag with her foot and turned around. She could hear a voice but couldn't see the speaker.

"Who's there?"

Cedric helped support Linnette with his hand, preparing to pull her down to protect her if need be. Rukia stepped closer to them, making sure they stayed together.

"Who dares enter my domain?" said the voice, sounding vicious and authoritative.

The voice grew louder as the speaker got closer. Rocks from the ruins tumbled down, shaken free by the approaching ruler.

"You have a lot of nerve coming here," said the voice. A shadow began to appear and the speaker finally showed himself. "Prepare to witness the awesome power of the mighty..!"

Upon seeing the trespassers, the voice dropped its authoritative tone and switched to something akin to disappointment.

"Oh, it's you."

Rukia couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't just his attempt to act powerful and intimidating. It was the joy of seeing him after so long. "Hello, Veneno."

Hearing her speak his name, the Arrancar smiled and laughed back, happy to see her. "Long time, no see, Soul Reaper scum." Veneno hopped down from his perch and greeted Rukia warmly, despite the mild insult. He was still their friend. "How are you doing?"

"So this is where you're living?" Rukia asked looking at the demolished building.

"Hm? Oh. Yeah, I guess." Veneno looked back at his home. "I stumbled upon it a while ago and sort of took a liking to it. I've been other places, too. I travel. But this is a nice place to settle for a bit. There's a hidden passage under all this crap that leads to a bigger room. That's where I hang out. I can stay down there if there's trouble up here and no one can find me. It's pretty great."

"I'm so glad we found you," chirped Linnette. She wiggled on Cedric's shoulder, trying to get Veneno's attention.

"Oh," said Veneno, moving his brown hair aside, showing off his hidden mask above his right brow. "Hey, siren. And you're with the big guy. Never without one of them, are you? What's up, big guy?"

"My name is Cedric."

"Yeah, yeah. I don't know you enough to care." Veneno turned back to Rukia but he was looking past her head. He looked behind Cedric and to his left. Then he put his hands on Rukia's shoulders and moved her aside, searching behind her. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" Rukia stared at him.

"Ichigo," said Veneno. "Where is he? I figured with you here, he's gotta be here, too." Veneno cupped his hands around the side of his mouth and hollered into the desert and past the dunes. "Ichigo! Where you at?! Come on out!"

Rukia had to tell him but a part of her felt like it would be a terrible blow for Veneno. He was very close to Ichigo. Hearing what had become of him may result in something she wasn't prepared for. She hoped he would take the news professionally and not do something irrational.

"Listen, Veneno..."

"Ichigo! Hide-and-seek is over now! Get over here!"

"Veneno!" Rukia said sharply. When he looked at her, she lowered her voice and broke it to him gently. "Ichigo's not here."

Veneno looked disappointed. "He's not?" He sounded hurt. He knew Ichigo cared about him. There was no way he wouldn't be here unless there was a reason. "Why not? What happened? Is he alright?"

"He..." Rukia chose her words carefully. "He's in trouble. We're fighting an enemy right now who targeted Ichigo because he saw him as a threat. He turned Ichigo into a Hollow..."

Veneno responded as if Rukia had just told him that they were standing on sand. "So?"

For Veneno, being or becoming a Hollow wasn't a big deal. He was an Arrancar, after all. He was happy whenever a member of his own kind showed up. He already knew that Ichigo possessed Hollow powers so for Rukia to say something like this wasn't a big deal for him. He didn't see an issue.

What Rukia said next made Veneno take in more seriously.

"The enemy's name is Yagi. And he turned Ichigo into a Hollow by injected him with a drug that forces him to Hollowfy. He experimented on many people before using Ichigo as his next test subject."

Having been experimented on himself, Veneno had a sore spot when it came to hearing about other people who were experimented on as well. He sympathized with them and understood that pain. He had no mercy or tolerance for anyone who experimented on others. Hearing that Ichigo was also a victim of experimentation had Veneno out for blood. He wanted to find the person responsible and make them pay. Most of all, he wanted to be there for Ichigo and help his friend.

"Where is he?" Veneno asked. "Take me to Ichigo right now. I have to help him."

"Let us explain on the way," said Cedric. "We've taken too long as it is. Ichigo must be a Hollow by now."

"Why did you come all this way to find me?" asked Veneno. "Not that I have a problem with that. Just curious."

"Yagi said that Ichigo was too evolved for Linnette's voice to work on him. You're the only other one I know who isn't effect by Linnette's voice in the usual way. You and Ichigo both get upset instead of calm when you hear it. So I figured that if anyone would be able to reach Ichigo and get through to him, it's you."

"Me?" said Veneno. "Just because her voice doesn't work on us?"

"And you said that Ichigo was like your brother," said Cedric. "You two are close, aren't you? Maybe you can get through to him."

Veneno stared at Cedric. His eyes started to sparkle. Cedric recognized that they were close. Veneno had a bond with Ichigo. Knowing that they were friends, how they helped each other and how Ichigo was experimented on as well, spurred Veneno to do whatever possible to save Ichigo. He would be there for his friend no matter what.

Maybe he could get through to Ichigo after all.

"What better way to combat a Hollow than another Hollow?"

Ichigo opened his eyes and found himself on a cold, smooth surface. This wasn't the ground he was laying on a moment ago. He started to sit up, his body aching and stiff. He felt like he had been hit by a car. When he looked around, he saw sideways buildings and skyscrapers all around him and knew he was in his inner world.

"Did I pass out from the pain? Or maybe I Hollowfied again..."

"You're an idiot."

Ichigo knew that sinister voice anywhere. His Hollow self was speaking to him. Ichigo turned to face him, expecting a fight. What he saw was something he never expected.

His Hollow was standing in front of him but he wasn't itching for a fight. He looked sick.

"Are you ok?" Ichigo asked, concerned for his other half. He was truly worried about him.

"You're a complete and utter moron, King," he growled at him. "Look what you've done to us. To me."

"What I...?"

His Hollow gestured to the world around them. "Take a look around you, King! Look!"

Ichigo couldn't see anything amiss at first glance. His world looked pretty much the same.

Then he started to notice the buildings around them. Several of them had long cracks and were slowly chipping apart, pieces falling below. Windows were missing in places and the cracks caused part of the buildings to tilt to one side, dangerously close to falling over.

"If you weren't so stupid, this wouldn't be happening."

Ichigo looked back at his Hollow. "I don't get it. What's going on? Why is this happening?"

"It's that serum you were injected with. It's killing us from the inside out. Soon this will all disappear. And it's all your fault."

"My fault?"

"If you hadn't let that Quincy guy inject you, this wouldn't be happening."

"That wasn't my fault!" Ichigo shouted. "I couldn't move. That was not my fault! I fought like hell but he injected me anyway. What was I supposed to do?"

"Not let him do that."

"If I couldn't move..."

"You shouldn't have gone to him in the first place. Couldn't you see it was an obvious trap?"

"I did it to save Linnette!" Ichigo shouted. "I thought you of all people would understand that. Maybe even condone it."

His Hollow was silent. He lowered his head with a sigh. "Yeah. You're right. I would have done anything I could to save her."

Under her spell, his Hollow loved Linnette just as much as he loved himself. Maybe more. He cared deeply for her and wanted to protect her. She was the only one who could command him. If she was in danger, his Hollow would come to her rescue. Just like any other Hollow under her control.

He lifted his gaze to Ichigo, once again stern and angry. "But you could have done a better job. That Quincy put stuff on the wall that would cause you to be unable to move. If you hadn't touched that..."

"I lost my balance and put my hand out to catch myself. How was I to know? You didn't know either."

"You should have been able to protect Linnette. You allowed her to be put in danger. If she hadn't gotten hurt, you would have had no reason to go to that Quincy and get yourself into this mess."

"I-" Ichigo couldn't finish. His Hollow was right. If only he had done a better job of protecting Linnette, this wouldn't be happening. Ichigo blamed himself. He wasn't strong enough. He let this happen.

Another building toppled over and fell below.

"But they couldn't either," said Ichigo slowly. "Victor and Cedric couldn't protect her either. It's their job, not mine and even they couldn't do it. So it's not all my fault."

He wasn't trying to pass the blame off on someone else. He was trying to bring himself comfort. Maybe he did make a foolish decision to go find the Quincy but he had the best of intentions. He was trying to save her. To save all of them. Maybe he was trying to right a wrong, maybe he was just compassionate. Either way, he did something about it which led to this.

"What's done is done."

"Yeah," scoffed his Hollow. "Now you get to go after and kill those you tried so hard to protect. And in the meantime..." His Hollowed turned his rage on Ichigo. "I'm going through all this hell! Think before you act, you stupid idiot! Now I have to suffer your consequences!"

Ichigo saw a fist in his face and couldn't move away in time. He took the hit on his left cheek. It hurt but it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. His father hit harder than that.

When he looked at his Hollow, he saw him panting heavily, trying to get enough strength for a second punch. He was winded after just one hit.

His Hollow self wasn't a threat. He was pathetic. Ichigo grew even more concerned.

"Are you ok?"

"Shut up!" His Hollow took another swing and missed, falling into Ichigo's chest. Ichigo helped support him. His Hollow pushed himself into a standing position, his body shaking. He didn't have the strength to throw another punch. It was all he could do to keep standing.

Ichigo looked him over, worried. Seeing his concerned gaze sent his Hollow into another rage and he snarled at him. He refused to have Ichigo support him any longer and stood on his own. He wobbled but remained standing.

"Hey..." Ichigo said gently. "Are you..?"

Unable to support his weight any longer, his Hollow's knees buckled and shook. His knees gave out and he went toppling to the ground. Ichigo threw out his arm to grab him but he was just out of reach. His Hollow landed in a sitting position then fell onto his back, sprawled out.

"You alright?"

"Do I look alright?"

Ichigo looked him over. His Hollow looked in even worse shape up close. At a distance he looked sick. He was even sicker inches away. His body was weak and he could no longer stand. Ichigo didn't know what to do. He had no idea what was happening.

"King..." he turned his head to look at Ichigo. "Don't look at me that way. You make me feel as pathetic as you."

"I don't get what's happening," said Ichigo. "Why are you..?"

"I told you a second ago. That serum is tearing us apart from the inside out. It's killing us. Don't you get it? Soon this world and everything in it will no longer exist."

"But..." Ichigo couldn't grasp what he meant. "But if I'm a Hollow, then you..."

"It's not me, King," he said. "This is a forced Hollowfication with an experimental drug. It's not natural. This isn't me. Even the Hollow you are now isn't really you. It's all artificial and forced. As a result, it's killing us. It's a poison. Not real Hollowfication. Do you get it now?"

Ichigo couldn't pretend that he did.

"That Quincy wanted to make sure you couldn't do a thing about it. He wants us both dead." He chuckled weakly. "We're just going to get weaker and weaker until there's nothing left. Sucks to be you, huh, King?"

Ichigo knew he wasn't feeling right, even in his inner world. The pain had followed him. It wasn't as horrendous, but he still felt weak and sore.

"I have to regain control."

"I told you it's not like that this time," said his Hollow. "It's not me and I'm not in control either. It's the drug he injected us with. I'm telling you. It's not the same. It's putting too much strain on your body. Neither of us will survive."

"I don't believe that," said Ichigo. "There has to be something I can do."

"By all means, try. But I doubt anything will happen. Even I don't have a say in what you do in your rampage. It's not me. It's what that Quincy made you."

Ichigo tried to wander away from his Hollow, searching aimlessly for answers or a way out. He had to take back control, but he knew his Hollow was telling the truth. This wasn't like the last time or any of the times before that. This wasn't his normal Hollowfication. Before long, his leg gave out and he fell. Ichigo didn't feel like himself. He felt weak and sick. His head was spinning and he couldn't concentrate.

"There has to be something I can do." Ichigo tried to come up with something. His mind was drawing a blank. His body was so weak he felt completely helpless. His feet felt heavy. He couldn't walk.

He thought he could will himself back into control but that wasn't working. It was just as his Hollow had said. This wasn't his normal Hollowfication. He knew it was different. It felt all wrong. It was killing him. His Hollow self was suffering and growing weaker. Ichigo himself could feel his body breaking apart from the inside out. The weakness, the pain... It was all a part of it.

He knew he wouldn't be able to regain control as he had done in the past. It may not even be possible. Though he had done it before, he knew it would be even harder to do again and maintain it for longer than a few minutes. If his body was getting weaker by the second, he would not have the strength to take back control. Even if he could, he would not be able to do it for long.

Another building collapsed behind him. What Ichigo wouldn't give to get out of here. His inner world now felt like a prison. "I have to do something."

The air grew thick and tense in the laboratory. The Garganta in Mayuri's private room was left open so the group could find their way back. To make sure no Hollows found their way through, a few members of Squad 12 were stationed in the room to close it if that happened. That was the easy part. Opening the Garganta again was the difficult part. Not without the Captain's help. Since it was his own creation, the device didn't function the same as a normal Garganta and was therefore harder to operate. So far, only Mayuri himself could do it.

When the air in the room changed, all eyes were on the portal leading to the land of Hollows. A group of people came bursting through and the Garganta closed behind them, shorting out. As it powered down, the people who had come through were cast in shadow, the light from the machine no longer there.

"You guys ok?"

Rukia stood up, brushing herself off. She was covered in sand but unharmed. She turned back to the others. Linnette was carefully position in Cedric's arms, also unharmed. Cedric had landed on bended knee, holding her close to his body.

"Get the hell off me!" Veneno cried from under Cedric's large body. Cedric's knee was in his spine, Veneno having landed face-down on the lab floor, Cedric using him as a living cushion.

Cedric stepped off without a word but he did pull Veneno to his feet with his other hand.

"It... it's him!" The lab technicians were staring at Veneno. "That's Mayuri's former experiment. The Arrancar Veneno."

Veneno looked at the men in white coats. He remembered working alongside them in the past but they weren't very close. As a result, he didn't engage them with friendly conversation. He just nodded in their direction.

"Where's the Captain?" asked Rukia. "We have to speak with Mayuri right away."

The men pointed down the hall. Rukia gave them a quick thanks and hurried off, the others close behind.

It wasn't hard to find him. They just had to follow the sound of his complaints and self-praised ranting. They found him in a larger laboratory with Victor standing nearby looking rather annoyed. He lit up when he saw Linnette and gave her a hug.

"Have your little reunion later," said Mayuri. "We have work to do. Akon!"

"You sent him off on an errand," said Victor.

"I expected him back by now."

"After twelve seconds?"

"For God's sakes, never mind. Nemu! Get over here!"

Rukia was nervous to approach but she had to get information. "How are you progressing with a cure?" she asked.

Victor answered for him. "Haven't even started."

"What?!" Rukia couldn't believe it. This was top priority. "Why not?"

"Because I've been too busy extracting data from the Hollow I captured from before but it holds nothing but useless information," said Mayuri. "If this Quincy was using them for trial and error, it means that any information I get from this Hollow will be obsolete. The serum he used has changed since then. Which, of course, means that the serum coursing through Kurosaki's veins is different from the current data I have."

"Which means we'll have to get the data he needs from Ichigo before we can begin," finished Victor.

"How are we supposed to do that? Lure him back to the lab and hope he doesn't kill anyone in the process?" said Rukia.

"Not necessarily," said Mayuri. "I just need a sample. If you bring him back in his current Hollowfied state, he'll wreck my lab. Can't have that. And I assume you want him alive. It would be too difficult and risky to contain him as he is. So all I need from you is to get a sample from him. Hair, blood, skin, a finger. It doesn't matter."

"That might be hard to do," said Cedric. "He's very destructive. We can't get near him without him attacking."

"Ah, but you don't have to worry about that," said Mayuri. "You and Victor can hold your own against him for a little while. Just restrain him long enough to get a sample and bring it back here. No issue."

"Not one you can see..."

"Well, I'm not the one going out there to risk my life, so there's really no issue for me."

As Mayuri turned, he finally took notice of the extra person they had in the lab. He gave a yellow grin and approached the familiar face.

"Veneno! It has been so long." He patted the Arrancar on the shoulder which he took coldly. "So have you finally come to your senses and decided to come back to my lab as a new test subject? I still have a container available for you. I have many follow-up experiments I would like to try."

"No thanks," said Veneno sternly. "I was granted freedom, therefore I am no longer your property."

He didn't have to listen to Mayuri anymore. He was no longer at his mercy. Veneno could refuse treatment and any experimentation he wanted.

Everyone watched Mayuri slink away, disappointed. "Can't have ownership or creative license over my own experiment... How am I supposed to further my studies and creations if the Head Captain keeps my hands tied?"

"Focus on a cure," said Rukia. They didn't have time to waste with Mayuri's antics or his curiosity. His love for experiments would have to be focused on curing Ichigo, not on his other whims.

"Get me the samples I require and we'll talk."

"Then let's go back to where we left Ichigo and go from there," said Rukia. "Hopefully Veneno will be able to reach Ichigo and get him to cooperate. If Ichigo has evolved past the point where Linnette's voice will have an effect on him, then our only choice is to hope another evolved Hollow can make a connection. Like Veneno. They've already bonded, so we may have a chance."

"I think it's wishful thinking but whatever gets me that sample," said Mayuri. "Hurry up."

Complete isolation. No one around for miles. Where was civilization? Where could he find people to rip apart? He had to sink his claws into something. The burning in his claws could only be cooled by fresh blood. Only blood could quench his thirst. He had to find someone. Anyone.

Sensing someone approaching, he turned toward the horizon. A group of people were heading his way.

"I knew it," Rukia said sadly. "He's changed again."

The group stopped and watched Ichigo carefully. He was fully Hollowfied but so far he wasn't attacking. He growled, challenging them. Whoever approached would be his target.

"Ichigo..." Veneno stared, mesmerized by his form. He had never seen Ichigo look like this before. It was a magnificent form but completely fake. Even he could tell that this wasn't true, willful Hollowfication. It was forced, brought on by a drug. The form itself was artificial. Normal Hollowfication wouldn't put so much stress on the body and it certainly wouldn't kill the Hollow. It was a natural form. This, on the other hand, was not the same. It was all wrong.

Rukia took notice of Veneno's reaction and felt sorry for him. She knew this wasn't the reunion he wanted. To see Ichigo in this state must have been painful to behold.

Veneno clenched his fists, trying to stop himself from shaking. He felt sorrow for Ichigo, but most of all he felt anger. Anger towards the person who did this to him. This wasn't natural Hollowfication. It was poison. It was causing Ichigo pain. It was killing him.

"It came from a bottle," Veneno said quietly. "It wasn't his choice. It wasn't natural. It was forced upon him. It's hurting him. Might as well try to make a human a machine by driving metal spikes through their body and let them bleed out." He was seething with rage.

Rukia wanted to comfort Veneno, seeing his pain, but said nothing.

A moment later, Veneno stepped forward. "Ichigo!"

The Hollow snarled at him, showing the inside of his mouth. So this would be his opponent.

Veneno stood in front of Ichigo with sad eyes. "My friend... My brother... What have they done to you?"

The Hollow did not attack. Instead it watched Veneno, letting out a continuous growl.

Rukia watched from where she stood with Cedric. Seeing this gave her hope. Maybe Veneno could get through to Ichigo. Maybe he could be reasoned with. Even Cedric was feeling confident in his own plan. He was thankful the idea had popped into his head. This could work after all.

Veneno scanned Ichigo with his eyes, the same sad expression on his face. "This isn't right. You didn't become a Hollow on your own. This isn't natural. This is forced. This is... This is wrong."

The Hollow wasn't showing any signs of hostility. It didn't seem like he would attack.

"I'm one to talk and I know..." Veneno went on. "I tried to turn people into Hollows, too, so I wouldn't be lonely. So I wouldn't be in danger. I was wrong. Not just on a moral standpoint, but overall. They weren't real Hollows and they weren't really my friends. I know that I can't force friendship on someone. It wouldn't be real. Same thing goes for becoming a Hollow."

Veneno reached up and touched Ichigo's mask.

"Look at you. You're in pain." Veneno's eyes sparkles with tears that wouldn't fall. It wasn't just from the sadness of seeing Ichigo in this way. It was also from him remembering his own pain.

He, too, was experimented on. To this day he couldn't stand the sight of needles and metal tables and test tubes made his stomach lurch. If he found himself behind glass in a close space, he would suffer panic attacks. He had nightmares about being sealed inside a glass jar with sharp needles jabbing him. Mayuri's yellow smile haunted him. Even when he was awake he could still hear his voice when he remembered his past. He would even feel pain and get the urge to vomit whenever he heard Mayuri say the word 'fascinating'. It wasn't the word itself that tortured him. It was Mayuri saying it.

Of course there was pain. Of course there was anger. When he heard Mayuri speak and step close to him, he would have the powerful urge to strike. Like an animal trapped in a corner, he would fight his way out and escape to safety. Thanks to Ichigo, he learn not to act on certain urges. He also learned to trust Soul Reapers. His anxiety had improved. He would never be rid of it all, but he had gotten better. He had even made friends with a few of the Soul Reapers. Even the ones in the lab he had grown to care for.

It was all thanks to Ichigo. He gave him a chance. He helped him in so many ways. He was grateful to him.

To see him in this state, knowing he was also a victim of painful experimentation, had Veneno seeing red. He felt rage. He felt sorrow. He felt the need to save him. He would help Ichigo and return the favor.

The Hollow standing in front of him now was not Ichigo.

"I want to help you. You know this isn't you. Right? So let me help you."

The Hollow had stopped growling.

"No more rampaging. Just stay calm and we'll help you. Don't worry. I won't let you die. You won't have to suffer anymore. We'll save you. We'll-"

The Hollow suddenly turned his head and tried to bite off Veneno's fingers. Veneno pulled away just in time, but Ichigo wasn't satisfied. He wanted blood. Seeing Veneno unharmed frustrated Ichigo and made him want to try again. He opened his mouth wide and snapped his jaws.

Veneno flashed away and reappeared near Rukia and Cedric.

"I thought you were getting through to him," said Rukia. "It looked like it was working."

Veneno shook his head. "No. It wasn't. Even I can't reach him." Veneno's face looked pained. "Maybe if he were a real Hollow... But like this..."

Ichigo unleashed a roar to the sky and charged in for another attack. He wasn't going to wait around for them to come to him. He would be the one to engage. He ran forward and slammed his fist into the ground where they were clustered together. They jumped away in time which only made him madder.

"We just need a sample, right?" said Cedric. "I can hold him down while one of you takes it."

Rukia nodded. Cedric was the only one who stood a chance at restraining Ichigo. "We just need a hair or a blood sample, Mayuri said. Once we have that..."

Ichigo swung his arm at them again. Rukia just managed to dodge it in time. Cedric let the arm pass over his head and then grabbed it. He held Ichigo down, putting his full weight on his arm to keep Ichigo in place. When Ichigo swung his other arm, Cedric caught that and held it still.

"Got it!" Rukia jumped behind Ichigo and grabbed a strand of his long flowing hair. Ichigo swatted his tail at her and sent her flying. Luckily, she still had his hair closed in her fist.

Ichigo's arms started snapping. He roared and Cedric loosened his grip, fearing he would cause Ichigo more injury than he wanted. This allowed Ichigo to break free and toss Cedric aside. He roared and came after Cedric to finish what he started.

As he reached for Cedric, there was a massive spray of blood from Ichigo's right arm. He was cut. Veneno swooped in and stood between him and Cedric.

He wasn't trying to protect Cedric. He was trying to get to Ichigo. More importantly, he was trying to get them another sample.

Ichigo's blood splattered the ground and Cedric's clothes.

Ichigo's arm began to heal at once. The wound closed and he snarled a warning at Veneno.

"An experiment..." Veneno hissed. "I can't stand it. If you're going to be a Hollow, you do it on your own! They shouldn't force you!"

Ichigo roared at him and took a swing at his head. Veneno jumped aside and pointed his sword at Ichigo.

"The pain I feel inside when I think of what they did to me..! It's unbearable sometimes. I still remember the pain! I can't stand it..! I don't want you to feel what I have to suffer everyday of my life! I don't want you to know that pain, Ichigo! I care about you too much to see you shoulder it!"

Rukia clutched the hair in her hands tightly, staring at Veneno. As he spoke, she could hear the pain in his voice. Heard it shake with rage and sorrow. The emotion in his words made her heart ache. It was no wonder Ichigo tried so hard to help him. Why he cared so much. Ichigo might have been seen as a tough guy, but he was really compassionate. He was just careful who he showed that side to.

Veneno was still suffering from everything he had been through. Other people might think it wasn't a big deal and tell him to get over it, but they didn't live through it. Veneno did. Ichigo tried to understand and help him move on, even knowing the scars would remain.

Veneno accepted what had happened to him. He moved past a lot and coped. He was able to be in the lab without having a panic attack. He didn't strike Mayuri. He was friends with the people he once considered his enemy. He showed a marked improvement, but he still felt pain. There were some things he would never get over.

He didn't want that for Ichigo. He didn't want Ichigo to share his pain. He didn't want Ichigo to feel what he felt or suffer how he suffered. He cared about Ichigo too much to let that happen.

Saving Ichigo was a personal matter. Perhaps in a way, saving Ichigo was like Veneno saving himself.

"I have the sample!" Rukia held up the hair.

Cedric looked down at his bloody shirt, knowing they had another sample. He tore off his shirt and threw it to Rukia. "Take it. It has Ichigo's blood on it. You can use that as well."

Rukia looked at Cedric, down to his T-shirt which he wore under the long sleeved one, and knew he was choosing to stay behind to hold off Ichigo. Together, he and Veneno would hold him off while Rukia ran back to the lab with her samples.

"Be careful!" she called to them and ran back to the Seireitei. Her words were meant for all of them. Ichigo included. When she returned with a cure, she wanted them all to be alive.

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