Chapter 42:
It was time. It was time to walk without the crutches. Without the railings. Without any help at all.
Ichigo was excited and focused. He wanted to achieve this. It wouldn't be easy, but he had to do it.
He sat on the edge of his bed and looked straight ahead. His goal was that chair sitting against the opposite wall. It was only a few feet away but in his weakened state it might as well have been a mile.
Several people were there to offer their support; and to catch him if he fell.
The first task was standing without the crutches. He still needed help getting up. Doing it without assistance was going to be a challenge, but it was something he had to do. Not because he was told but because it was what he had to do.
Ichigo tried standing but it was too difficult. He used the bedside table for support and stood up. Now he just had to walk.
Standing was painful. His body seemed to be weighing down on his knees and ankles. Was his body really that heavy? No, it was just because his legs were so weak. He hadn't walked without help before now. He had to get used to this again.
Taking a deep breath, Ichigo slid his foot forward. He wasn't going to take a step just yet. He just wanted to get a feel for this to start. When he remained upright for the first few slides, he tried stepping.
It was a short step and quick, but he remained standing. He stepped again and almost fell. He kept himself balanced by bending his knees and holding his arms out.
Everyone rushed forward when he started to wobble, but Ichigo told them he was fine. He regained his balance and stood up. He took another step. Then another.
His ankles ached. His knees felt shaky.
If he could walk across the room on crutches then he could walk halfway without them. He kept telling himself this. He wasn't about to give up.
Keeping his arms out for balance, he stepped slowly across the room. He looked like a baby learning to walk.
The chair was in sight. He stepped a little faster, wanting to reach his destination. He couldn't get there fast enough.
When the chair was just within reach, he took two large steps and threw himself into the seat.
Ichigo panted and stretched out his legs, resting. For a moment, he was worried he wouldn't make it to the chair. His legs felt like they were going to fall off.
"You did great, Ichigo."
He gave a weak grin. He wanted to lie down again. He felt tired.
"Think you can walk back to the bed?"
"I think he'll need some help. Looks like that distance took a lot out of him."
Ichigo sat on the edge of the chair, putting his feet flat on the floor. "No, I'm good. I'll walk back on my own. I can do it."
He was helped into a standing position and then walked back to his bed. His walk to the bed was faster than the walk to his chair. This may have been because he desperately wanted to rest.
After he was back in bed, he was rewarded with something to eat and drink.
An hour later, Ichigo tried again.
This time, he was able to walk without stumbling. It was slow, but he made it.
"He's doing excellent," praised Unohana. "Just don't push yourself too hard."
Ichigo nodded. "I'm alright. I'll rest after this. Don't worry."
He knew if he didn't rest every now and then, Unohana would tie him to the bed.
While Ichigo was busy with his walking exercises, Veneno was busy with his own training.
He had no idea how to open a Garganta, but he hadn't stopped trying for the past several hours. He tried everything he could think of. He focused his energy until he thought he was going to black out. Finally, Veneno sat on the ground to catch his breath.
"Maybe I should go back to Hueco Mundo and ask for help from someone who already knows how to do it. Like another Hollow."
Being able to open one should have been second nature to him. Why was it so hard? Why didn't he know how to do it?
He felt a presence and looked up.
Linnette had brought him a basket of food and some water to drink. After placing them on the ground, she turned and started to walk away.
"Don't want to keep me company for a while?" he asked.
Linnette stopped and turned. "I didn't think you wanted to be bothered. You're so busy training, I thought I'd be in your way."
"I can take a five minute break."
They sat on the ground and shared the food Linnette brought.
"So how's it coming?" she asked him.
"Eh."
"It's ok. My abilities didn't happen over night. It took time. Finding out about being able to just speak in order to control Hollows and then be able to use it took almost two years. I still don't think I have it perfected."
Veneno gave her a sidewards glance and asked, "How'd you figure out you could do that? The Hollow stuff."
Linnette held a muffin in her lap with both hands. "It was an accident. Just by chance, really."
She remembered her past. Though there were plenty of things she would like to forget, they were important. Anything and everything that ever happened to her was important. Even the things she hated.
"Back when I was a kid, Victor and Cedric took me in and became my family. They wanted to give me anything I wanted and they wanted to make sure I got plenty of attention. I was a rising star back then."
"A what?" Veneno asked.
"They wanted me to be a famous singer. I liked the idea so I went along with it." Linnette rotated the muffin in her hands. "Because singers got a lot of attention and adoring fans. I wanted to be loved so becoming a star seemed like a good idea."
After being alone for so long, surrounded by people who either never took notice of her or by those who told her she would never be loved, she wanted to feel like she was. She wanted to be loved. She wanted people to care about her.
"I sang in small local places at first. Things like fairs and things like that. One day a Hollow showed up while I was singing. It didn't attack. Just listened. I didn't know it was a Hollow at the time. It was my first time seeing one. Victor and Cedric noticed that the Hollows were hostile except when I was singing. So we experimented. We discovered that I could command them. And that's basically how it went."
Veneno took a drink of water before saying, "I was hoping for something more interesting. So that's it, huh?"
"Well, I thought it was pretty cool."
"So do you still have a singing career?"
She shook her head. "No. We gave up on that. As much as I loved having crowds of people like me, I wasn't really very happy. It was fun while it lasted. But I realized that those adoring fans knew nothing about me other than the fact that I was a singer. They didn't know my hobbies or favorite color or anything. And they never stuck around. Most people moved on to the next big thing and no longer bothered with my music. I'm much happier having a few good friends who know and care about me than adoring fans."
Veneno rested his chin on his hand. "Yeah. I can understand that."
"It was only after I met Ichigo that I realized that," Linnette said with a smile. "I mean, I always had a feeling that maybe what I was doing wasn't right, but because Victor and Cedric told me it was, I pushed those feelings down until I couldn't really feel them anymore. At least not as much as I was. Then I met Ichigo and he talked to me and was nice to me and I decided to change."
"Hm."
"Well, I did feel bad. The way we met involved me kidnapping him."
Veneno turned his head to look at her more closely. He never thought Linnette would be capable of such a thing. Not this sweet young girl. It was something outside of her personality.
Noticing his look, Linnette added, "I only did that because I was afraid he'd leave me. I was lonely and wanted a friend. That's why I did it."
Veneno looked away with a sigh. "I hear ya."
He knew why she did it. He understood.
"But I felt bad so... I knew it was wrong and..." Linnette sighed. "Well, that's in the past now. I took Ichigo's advice and I'm a lot happier because of it."
"Hm."
"There's more to it than that. I'm just summarizing."
"That's fine. I get it."
Veneno reached into the basket for more food but it was empty. He sighed and took another drink of water.
Linnette broke the muffin she held in half and offered him the half in her right hand. "Here."
Veneno took it without hesitation. "Thanks."
They sat together in silence, content with the company.
After a few more minutes of rest, Veneno stood up and went back to his training. Linnette left him in peace and went to find her companions.
Ichigo stood up without any assistance and hobbled over to the window to look outside. It was a nice day with fair weather. Ichigo inhaled the fresh air and looked at the sky.
It was time to go home.
"Sure you're ready?" asked Hanataro. He still carried Ichigo's crutches just in case he needed them. So far, Ichigo hadn't any need for them since his last therapy session.
Ichigo turned and gave Hanataro a smile. "Yeah. I've been away from home long enough. I can't keep sitting in bed all day like I've been doing."
"You were near death, Ichigo! The past few days were-"
"I know. And thanks for all the help. It's because of your treatments that I got better."
Hanataro looked away bashfully. "It was really Captain Unohana's treatments. I didn't really do all that much. But thank you. And I'll tell her thank you as well."
Ichigo really was grateful to them. To all of them.
It was because of his friends and allies that he was alive.
"He's fine," Rukia said from the door. "Ichigo can't keep babying his injuries. He'll never get better that way."
Ichigo smirked. "For someone who's babying his injuries, I've recovered a lot faster than expected."
Rukia shrugged.
Ichigo walked slowly back to his bed to wait for Unohana's final diagnosis before leaving.
Rukia watched his slow, shuffling footsteps and wondered if he was really ready to go back so soon. Maybe he should wait another day.
When Unohana came in, she looked Ichigo over, asked him to walk for her and had him sit back down.
"You're all set," she said with a smile. "You've healed nicely. Your legs are still a bit weak but you're doing just fine. As long as you rest when you return home, I have no worries about your condition."
"Alright. So I'm free to go?"
She nodded.
"Thanks."
Soon he would be home. Back with his irritating but caring father and his two loving sisters. It would be so good to see them again.
He never thought he would miss them so much.
Was this natural? Or had his battle with the Quincies affected him more than he thought?
Believing there were worst ways to feel, Ichigo decided to not dwell on it. He was just a little homesick. That was all.
"Linnette. It's time."
She looked up. Victor was standing behind her with a gentle smile. She knew what this meant.
It was time to go home.
"But not before we say good-bye to Ichigo."
He nodded. Victor extended his hand and led Linnette outside.
Cedric joined them and together they went to where they knew Ichigo would be waiting.
Linnette pointed. "There's the giant door thing."
It was the passage they always took to return home when a Senkaimon wasn't available.
There was Ichigo, waiting for them as expected.
Linnette let go of Victor's hand to give Ichigo a hug.
"So you're well enough to go home, Ichigo?"
"Yup. All better."
She knew he was still sore and a little weak but considering the condition he was in before, this was a great improvement.
"Thanks for everything, Ichigo."
He patted Linnette on the head. "Actually, I should be the one thanking you. You did great Linnette. I can't believe how strong you've gotten."
She had promised Ichigo during their last parting that the next time he saw her, she would be a lot stronger.
She had kept her promise.
The corners of Linnette's eyes sparkled with joyful tears.
She had never felt so accomplished. Hearing Ichigo praise her, recognizing her strength, made it even better.
"I did have help, you know. I didn't do it all alone," she admitted.
"I know. And that's fine. No one can do everything alone. I tried and look what happened." Ichigo gave a soft chuckle. "There's no shame in getting help. That's why we have friends."
She nodded.
"And I heard that the Captains you used your powers on won't be in any trouble. Since you used your voice on them, they weren't in control of their actions when they went against orders. So no one is getting punished or anything."
Linnette was happy to hear it. "I'm so glad."
"That was your plan from the start, wasn't it?" he asked her.
"Yeah, but I wasn't sure if it would work. Even I had my doubts."
He chuckled again.
Linnette stepped back and Victor took her place.
Instead of shaking Ichigo's hand, he put an arm around Ichigo's shoulders and gave him a hug.
Ichigo felt Victor's warm breath on his neck as he whispered, "Thank you, Ichigo. After the way I treated you in the past, I never expected to receive such kindness from you."
Ichigo whispered back, "If you mean the things that happened back when we first met, don't worry about it. Everything you did, you did for her. You thought you were making the right decisions. When you saw your mistakes, you tried to make amends. It's ok."
"I could sense that you still didn't trust us after our first encounter and I didn't do much to remedy that. Cedric did more than I did. I was still stuck in the past while he was trying to move forward and improve himself."
"It's not that you were reluctant to change. You thought you were doing the right thing for Linnette."
"But I was blind. I couldn't see what I was doing or what she needed from me. Only after it was too late did I realize it. I opened my eyes long enough to see her tears. Cedric was right. I should have listened to him. All things considered, I thought for certain that you would sooner help him than you would me."
Was Victor blaming himself? Did he think Ichigo hated him?
"I told you that there are no hard feelings. I don't hate you. I'd like to think that we've become friends."
Victor chuckled softly. "I never thought it was possible, but it's true. We are friends. And even more ironic, I've come to care about you as well. I thought I would only ever care about Linnette. I suppose through you I have changed. Thank you for that."
Ichigo put his arm around Victor to keep him from pulling away before he could speak.
"You know, Victor... Some of your actions in the past might have been mistakes, but not all of them. You had good intentions. You just went about it the wrong way. But I think it had to do with ignorance. Despite how you look, you were only, what, five when I first met you?"
Being an adult in body and mind made it difficult to take into consideration that Victor had only been in this world for a few years. His age and years alive were two different numbers.
"And actually, Victor, during our second encounter, you didn't make all bad decisions and actions. Some of them were for the best."
"Such as?"
"Well... You wanting to get Linnette her powers back. Sure, there's some argument on whether or not it was done for the right reasons, but overall it was a good thing. Because of that, she became a great ally. And as a result, we all got closer together."
Ichigo was right. How could Victor have overlooked this? Linnette had became an ally. That was obvious. However, he had overlooked the fact that after becoming an ally, all three of them had gotten closer to other people. Now Victor could honestly say he had friends. Something he never thought possible. He thought he could only ever care about Linnette. His circle had grown. He, himself, had grown. He had improved.
Getting Linnette's voice back was his idea but he had never foreseen this. So many great things had resulted from that decision. His actions actually did bring about some good.
Victor straightened up and patted Ichigo's shoulder. He smiled.
Ichigo smiled back.
"Thank you."
Ichigo nodded. "Thank you."
They both had a lot to be thankful for.
Victor had a hand in saving Ichigo's life.
Ichigo had a hand in helping Victor grow and learn.
Victor stepped back and Cedric took his place.
Cedric held out his hand to shake Ichigo's.
"Thanks for caring about us. And thank you for saving us."
Ichigo took Cedric's hand. "According to Yagi, Linnette wasn't going to die as long as she received medical attention. Unohana and all those other people in the sickbay deserve your thanks."
"That's not quite what I meant." Cedric grinned. "But don't worry. I thanked them as well. And thanks for risking yourself for us as well, as long as we're not the topic."
Ichigo grinned.
"Wait!"
Ichigo paused, listening. He heard a voice on the air.
"Wait!"
It was getting louder.
"Wait!"
Ichigo turned, seeing a flash of white.
"Veneno."
The Arrancar landed unsteadily at the top of the stairs. He tripped and fell on his chest just shy of where Ichigo stood. He got up panting and brushed himself off.
"Good. You didn't leave. I was worried I wouldn't make it."
"Too busy training?" Linnette asked, thinking he had lost track of the time.
"No. I heard Ichigo was leaving and rushed to see him off. But then this punk kid with pink hair told me the wrong direction."
The Soul Reapers knew who he was talking about.
"I would have throttled her but this Captain with a starfish head was with her when I saw her again and I didn't want to mess with that guy."
"Starfish head?" Ichigo soon realized Veneno was referring to Kenpachi's hair. "Oh. Yeah, you had the right idea to run."
"If I fought him, I would have been late. I wanted to make sure I saw you, you moron." Veneno stepped forward and threw his arms around Ichigo in a hug. "There's always a time constraint whenever we have to meet up. Doesn't it seem that way?"
Ichigo agreed. "I guess so."
"And we have got to stop meeting in the sickbay. Seriously! One of us have to either wear a helmet or get less stupid."
Ichigo patted Veneno on the back. "I don't think a helmet would help. Besides, I'm not an idiot."
Veneno shoved him out of the hug and held him at arm's length. "Oh, so I'm the idiot?"
"I never said you were. You're the one who limited it to those options."
"Then how would you label me?"
"You don't want me to answer that."
Veneno puffed out his cheeks.
Ichigo mimicked him.
Veneno smirked. "Oh, you made a funny. At least that bone in your body wasn't broken."
"Funny bone? Now who's trying to be funny?"
"You started it."
"I didn't start anything."
Both broke out in laughter.
It would be a long time before they saw each other again. A long time before they laughed together again.
They decided to enjoy it while they could.
"Ichigo."
Rukia speaking his name was used as a command which Ichigo obeyed without thought.
It was time to return home. For all of them to return home.
Ichigo and Veneno hugged one final time and Ichigo stepped closer to the gate.
He would go first. Then Linnette and her party.
Veneno would not be taking this path. He would return to the lab and use Mayuri's Garganta. He was just here to see off his friends.
Ichigo stepped inside and turned around.
Everyone was watching him.
He smiled to assure them that he was alright and they waved, smiling back. He waved, too.
Rukia stepped inside to guide him back to his home. She, too, waved to the group as the door began to close.
"We'll see you soon, Ichigo!" Linnette was waving with both hands. "Bye! Thanks for everything! Get some rest! Bye!"
Victor and Cedric waved silently, standing behind her as they often did.
Veneno waved and called out, "What Siren said. We'll be seeing each other again... Ichi-it."
Ichigo wrinkled his nose. "What'd you call me?"
"Ichigo and idiot. Ichi-it." Veneno gave him a toothy smile.
"That anyway to talk to a friend?" Ichigo called through the closing gate.
"Just thought I'd try it out. If you want an apology, come visit me."
Ichigo sighed and shook his head. "I'll see you."
"Sooner than you think," Veneno said softly just as the gate closed. "I hope."
Linnette patted Veneno on the back. "We will. I know we will."
Beyond the gate, Ichigo turned to Rukia. "Remind me again why you're coming with me?"
"To make sure you're able to walk all the way back on your own."
"So much for on my own. You're with me."
"Just to make sure you don't fall on your face and get stuck here."
"I won't get stuck."
"So you can't promise me you won't fall on your face?"
"If I do, I'll just get up again."
Rukia grinned. "You always get up again."
When the gate opened again, Ichigo was just outside Kisuke's shop. Rukia bid him a quick farewell and retreated back into the Senkaimon as the gate started to close again.
"See ya," Ichigo said as the gate closed. He went inside the small shop to get his body back.
Before he could say anything, Kisuke was at the door holding Ichigo's lifeless body in his arms like a large plush toy.
"Long time, no see!" Kisuke said in a high-pitched voice. He was moving the jaw of the Ichigo he held up and down to match his words. He was making Ichigo's body talk like a puppet. "I've missed you so much-"
Ichigo punched Kisuke in the face. "Don't do that!"
"Ow!" Kisuke held his jaw. "Guess you're feeling better."
Ichigo took his body back. "Don't do that stuff to my body. What the hell is the matter with you?"
"I just wanted to lighten the mood. After a hard battle like that, I thought you could use a laugh."
Ichigo growled.
"What? I took care of your body while you were gone. It's in better shape than you are. Right, Ichi?" Kisuke moved Ichigo's jaw up and down. "I was a good boy."
Ichigo punched him again. "What did I say?"
"And this is the thanks I get? How cruel."
Ichigo slipped back into his body before Kisuke could do anything else to it.
"Thanks, Kisuke."
"Hm?"
Ichigo looked at him, no longer angry. Not at the man who tried to help save his life. "Thank you."
Kisuke lowered his head so his hat cast his eyes in shadow. "Not a problem, Ichigo. I wasn't the only one who helped, you know. You have a lot of good friends, you know. Never forget that."
He nodded. "Yeah. I know."
He was grateful to have so many people who cared about him.
Ichigo walked home in his body which had become just as sore as his Soul Reaper form. The walk seemed longer than usual, wearing him out. As soon as he got home, he was going right to bed.
"And I just finished spending the past few days in bed. Jeez. Maybe I should just lie on the couch for a while and watch TV."
Ichigo walked up the steps to his home and opened the door.
The familiar smell of his home put him at ease at once. The look and feel and smell of his home told him everything was alright. He could final relax.
"Ichigo?"
Yuzu's voice. He hadn't heard it in so long. For so long, all he had were his memories of how her voice sounded. It was good to actually hear it again.
"Ichigo?" Yuzu walked around the corner and saw her brother. "Ichigo!"
Her smile was even better than the memory.
"Where have you been? Your friends stopped by the other day when you didn't show up to class. They were worried about you. I didn't know what to tell them. They didn't come back to check again so I guess they figured you were-"
Ichigo threw his arms around her.
"I- Ichigo?"
He couldn't control himself. He didn't know why but his body acted on its own. His body wanted to hug the person he never thought he'd see again.
"Ichigo... What's wrong?"
In his memories, he was able to comfort her in his own way. Distracting her from whatever it was threatening to extract tears from her eyes. He rarely showed affection to her. Whenever he did, she knew something was bothering him. Normally he acted tough so when he didn't act aloof, she grew concerned. Usually because whenever he acted that way, it was because he was trying to pretend nothing was wrong.
Now he was hugging her.
He must have come back from something truly horrible to make him act like this.
"Yuzu..."
"Yeah?"
"I just missed you a lot. That's all. It's great to see you."
Yuzu knew there was more to it than that. She chose not to pry. It was unlikely that Ichigo would talk about his feelings anyway. He would just smile and pretend nothing was wrong.
Ichigo pulled away. He looked down, knowing Yuzu was thrown off by his sudden hug. "Sorry. Was that weird?"
"A little."
"Sorry."
If he had died as Yagi intended, what would have happened to his sisters? What would Yuzu do? She had already lost her mother. In the past, whenever Ichigo left for a long period of time, she would assume he was in an accident or killed. She would assume he was never coming back. Just like their mother.
If he died, someone would have had to tell his family, right? How would she react to such news? Losing her one and only big brother. The one who protected her and tried to comfort her.
Was that why he hugged her? Not because he would never see her again but because she would never see him?
It was easier to leave than to be left.
"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Yuzu was giving him a concerned look. She wanted to know.
"Ah, well. You see." Ichigo straightened up and brushed his hair back with the palm of his hand. "I sort of got into this fight."
That came as no surprise. She knew Ichigo would get into fights sometimes. She knew he never started them so she was ok with it. He wasn't some street punk. He was a defender. He fought for justice.
"Well... Let's just say, I wasn't a strong as I thought I was. But I had some friends who were there to help me so I'm good."
He didn't want to tell her how close he came to death or the details of what he had been through. Telling her this was enough.
"Did you lose?" Yuzu cupped her hands over her mouth. Suggesting he lost a fight was bad enough but saying it outright was even worse to his ego. She didn't mean to say it. "I mean, did you get hurt?"
"A little. But no, I didn't lose. I won. Just with some help."
"Oh. Well, good." Yuzu smiled. "You're friends must really care about you to help you out. I'm glad."
"Me, too."
Actually, he was just as strong as he thought. In a way. He managed to suppress Yagi's drug far longer than even Yagi expected. It came as a real shock to that Quincy. That was for sure.
He still needed to get stronger, though. Some ways he excelled and in other ways he fell sort.
There was always room for improvement.
Ichigo walked over to the couch and picked up the remote. He turned on the TV and set the remote on his chest.
A few minutes into the program, his other sister came downstairs and took the remote off his chest.
"Mine."
Ichigo looked up. "I'm watching something."
"But my show is just starting," argued Karin. "I don't want to miss it. I haven't missed a single episode and I don't intend to start now." She sat in the chair next to the couch and then asked, almost as an afterthought, "When did you get back anyway?"
"Few minutes ago."
"Oh. Well, welcome back, Ichigo."
Ichigo smiled. "It's good to be back."
Further away, another ally of Ichigo's was sitting on his bed with the lights turned off. He had been restless for some time.
Saving Ichigo hadn't changed anything.
Sure, it felt good to be the hero for a change and surpass a Soul Reaper, but he still had mixed feelings.
A Quincy saving a Soul Reaper was unheard of. However, this wouldn't be the first time. He did help save Rukia before. He may have been a Quincy, but where were his loyalties? He was loyal to his friends and they weren't Quincies. Most of them were human. Some were Soul Reapers.
He had a strong sense of justice. He knew right from wrong. Was that his pride or something else?
A Quincy was proud. They were very prideful. However, did that mean being allied exclusively to their own kind? Blindly following orders from their own kind? Always going to the side of a Quincy even when they were doing something morally wrong simply because they were of the same race?
That Quincy told him with his dying breaths that he should have been on his side. Instead, he had killed one of his own kind.
What part of that made sense?
No, it made perfect sense.
Pride didn't work that way. It didn't mean joining the side of the enemy simply because they were also a Quincy. That man was bad news from the start. The things he did were unforgivable.
Uryu knew he had done the right thing. He had no regrets.
He flopped down on this bed and stared at the ceiling.
"What now?" he asked himself.
There was still a decision to be made. A plan to formulate.
He could still remember those words on that piece of paper he burned the other day.
Before being consumed by flame, the words on the paper read: His Majesty has need of you. The revolution is coming.
He was a Quincy. He should join them. He was one of them.
No, he wasn't. He might have been a Quincy, but he wasn't one of them.
What this man had in mind was dangerous. It would be foolish to let him have his way.
What choice did he have?
Ichigo and all those other Soul Reapers had to face off against five Quincies and they could barely stay on their feet. They managed to win, but it was a hard battle. Next time, there would be more. A lot more.
How would they fair? Would they stand a chance?
They couldn't do it alone. They needed help.
Uryu had an idea.
He would help them.
So no one would suspect him, he had to pull off a convincing act. A Quincy being loyal to other Quincies didn't seem all that farfetched. He could do this.
He could only pray that Ichigo would continue to get stronger so he could handle what was to come.
Knowing Ichigo, Uryu had little doubt.
If anyone could do this, it would be him. Just not alone.
Anything was possible together.
Akon finished cataloging all the data and storage they had collected after the battle and everything that came after. He could only wonder what his Captain had in mind for all the Quincy tools they had collected from the enemy.
He looked around at his fellow researchers. "Guys, it's getting late. Let's wrap it up."
"Yes, sir." They started cleaning up a little quicker.
"Be careful with that stuff. Mayuri still hasn't run a full test on it," he warned.
"I got it. I got it."
"That batch goes in that bin and that stuff goes in that drawer."
"Here. This goes there."
"On it."
Finally, they finished tidying up the laboratory. Everything was back in its place.
"Alright. Good job guys," said Akon. "See you in the morning."
"Good night."
One researcher stopped and looked back at a drawer that was left open.
"Better get this before Akon squawks." Hiyosu hurried back to take care of it.
He went over to the drawer and discovered that the drawer contained a small metal box. The lid was off and on the table.
"Sloppy, sloppy work. Who left it here like this?"
Hiyosu took the lid off the table and placed it back on top of the box.
"Hm?"
He took the lid off the box and peered inside.
The box contained the broken fragments of the Quincy's mirror. Inside were all the broken pieces of reflective glass and the decorative frame.
For a brief moment, he thought he saw one of the broken fragments shimmer.
"Hmm. Must have been my imagination." Hiyosu put the lid back on the box and slid the drawer closed.
After fixing a label to the drawer, he took one last look around to make sure nothing was out of place, then left with the others. He turned off the lights and closed the door.
Could that shimmer mean something? Hmm...
Only one chapter left!
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