Lies Open Prison Doors

by GrimmIchiForeva

Ichigo Kurosaki tries to settle down and live a normal life. But when cops come knocking on his door, his past finally catches up to him. It doesn't seem like the end of the world at first: Just serve the 8 months in Karakura and get out, but then he winds up in a Max Prison called Hueco Mundo instead where he runs into his crazy ex. Warnings and Pairings inside. Yaoi

22. Chapter 20: Lockdown PRT 2

Chapter 20: Lockdown (Part 2)

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* UNBETA'D

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Grimmjow paced the perimeter of the room, ignoring big, midnight-blue eyes watching his every movement.

Rukia was seated in the only chair, directly in the center of the barren room. He wasn't sure if this particular room was built specifically for interrogations, or if they just conveniently had some empty rooms available, but they were both locked in here now.

First thing he did was tap each outer wall, making sure it was solid concrete and that no one could see or hear them. Then he spent the next half-hour inspecting every inch of the room, looking for cameras or 'bugs'.

He didn't find anything, but he knew that Lure, the one who locked them inside, was standing outside the door—waiting and most likely listening.

Grimmjow finally came back around to stand in front of Rukia, tapping his foot as he decided what to do next.

"Let's just start with introductions… What's your name?"

Rukia's lips pursed stubbornly. She wanted to keep quiet, but then Grimmjow surprised her by surrendering Nel's stuffed animal.

A sort of 'peace offering'.

She took the item and clutched it close, the defiant spark in her eyes withering.

"Rukia Kuchiki…"

"Good… And I'm Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez, though m'sure you already knew that." He saw the subtle nod of confirmation and continued, "Next question… Why did you have this?" He lifted Ichigo's mask.

Rukia shrugged and distracted herself by picking at the stuffed animal's stitching.

"Orihime found it earlier… and I just held onto it as we left. I don't know why—maybe because I miss him… but I left it in the car when we got here." Grimmjow tapped a finger on the mask in thought, but before he could ask another question, Rukia added, "I know why there's a crack in it… Ichigo told me about the chase… and how you SHOT him—just 'cause he didn't say 'goodbye'." She smirked when blue eyes narrowed threateningly. "But that can't be the ONLYreason… I wanna know why you really did it~"

"Tch.. That should be obvious."

Rukia's smirk grew and she lowered her guard just a bit, "Because you love him."

Grimmjow hissed and unexpectedly hurled Reaper's mask into the nearest wall. It hit with a loud 'CRACK!' that made Rukia flinch.

"Why the FUCK would I love a selfish prick who hops on every damned dick he sees?!" He lashed out, still severely pissed off about the Triple F deal. He knew Ichigo didn't do it out of 'selfishness', he knew, but he also knew that the 'Fuck' portion only required Ichigo to sleep with ONE guy—not three at the same time!

Kensei and Renji's satisfied smirks flashed across his mind, then he heard Ichigo's voice calling him 'cute'. Grimmjow let loose an aggravated snarl as he punched the wall, not caring if he bruised his knuckles.

"Why THE FUCK would I love someone who gets a kick outta fuckin' with me!? Who enjoys watchin' me chase after him?" Grimmjow kicked the mask across the room just to hear the satisfying 'Clack!' of it hitting the wall again, "That same night I shot him… Did he tell you what he did..? How he tortured my brother?" Rukia's face contorted into a sympathetic grimace, "Did he also mention how I FORGAVE him…. Like a fuckin' sucker… I even asked to go with him—It didn't matter where, s'long as we had each other's backs. But he left me behind, like I was weighing him down..."

Ginjou's words from earlier echoed in his head;

'Honest to god. He quit looking for Grand Fisher and settled down with Orihime, a beautiful woman —SO, essentially, what you and your brother went through because of him was for nothing. And that's exactly what you are: A sorry sack of nothing he tossed aside like a used condom.'

Grimmjow stepped forward to hover over Rukia, his fiery gaze sizzling with all the resentment he felt in that moment.

"And now I've got this golden opportunity to get back at him by hurtin' you… I could break yer arms, or cut out your tongue…" He reached up to grab Rukia's face and hooked a thumb inside the corner of her mouth, pulling it to one side and keeping it uncomfortably stretched, "I wanna know if he'll forgive me the same way I forgave him…"

Rukia met his gaze with unwavering intensity. She then opened her mouth to bite down on his thumb, but Grimmjow was too quick—he took it out then shifted his hand to hold her skinny neck instead. Rukia lifted her chin, daring him to do something.

"If you hurt me, Ichigo will never forgive you…"

Grimmjow chuckled and dropped his hand, "So tell me how ya found this place, then I won't have to hurt you."

Rukia shook her head.

Grimmjow knelt down to be eye level with her, then he lowered his voice, "In case you didn't notice earlier, the boss here, a man named Grant Phishman, doesn't trust me. But they're tryin' to convince me to join 'em… so I gotta give'm something … Talk and I'll be able to move around here more freely… Then I can help you and the kid get outta here… and, yeah, fine , I'll see what I can do for the pregnant princess too."

Rukia was still silent as she continued to pick at the stitches in the stuffed animal. Grimmjow thought it was just a nervous tick at first, but then she suddenly ripped a hole in the loosened seam.

"Hey!" He barked, making her jump, "I promised the kid I'd give that back to her…" His eyes narrowed into a glare, and Rukia let out a weary chuckle.

Instead of speaking up, she reached into the plush-toy and pulled something out: A device, smaller than the size of her palm.

"Is that… a tracker?"

Rukia nodded and allowed Grimmjow to take it from her. He turned and inspected the object closely. No serial number. No brand name. Grimmjow has seen his fair share of tracking devices, but nothing about this one looked familiar. It was 'homemade'.

Well, this explained how they knew exactly where to look for Nel.

"Alright… but this won't be enough. I need the code to get into that tablet—which I assume is how you located this tracker." Grimmjow said as he pocketed said device. He huffed through his nose when Rukia crossed her arms and shook her head, refusing to answer. "Why not…?"

She looked up at him and he could see the confliction in her resolve. She wanted to speak up—to save Nel, but whatever was on that tablet would put others in danger.

"Shit… This isn't the only one it shows… Is it?" She nodded and Grimmjow cursed again. "Who else is it tracking? Ichigo?"

She shrugged, honestly unsure. "Someone else was supposed to help us save Nel… But I have no idea where he is."

"Who?"

Rukia chewed on her lip and shifted uncomfortably as she answered, "His name is Tsukishima…"

"Tsukishima…" Grimmjow repeated the familiar name, scratching his head in deep thought. It took him a moment to finally remember—Zaraki mentioned that name. Ginjou's 'partner', also known as 'Bookend' from Xcution. "Ah… He's gotta be the one who tailed us from the prison.. What does he look like?"

"He's really tall and thin with black hair, and he has a scar on his left temple." Rukia described and Grimmjow smirked as he recalled the odd guard he'd seen earlier. That means Tsukishima already infiltrated and was now wandering around right under Grant's nose.

Grimmjow resumed pacing as he thought of how to proceed, and Rukia watched him.

After a minute she seemed to come to some kind of conclusion, or her resolve finally broke, because she squared her shoulders and stood to her feet.

"3202. That's the code."

Grimmjow paused and turned with an eyebrow raised.

"Why the sudden change?" He frowned when she walked away to pick up Ichigo's mask. She brushed away some dirt from its surface then ran her fingers over the object almost lovingly. She walked back over to stand before him, her feet planted and chin raised.

"Because Ichigo would sacrifice everything for the ones he loves… Especially Nelliel… And… I have a feeling you and he are a lot alike in that regard." She grinned when Grimmjow sneered at her, but she could already see through the charade. She was beginning to see why Ichigo liked him so much. "You know… It's funny, the way he talked about you.. I always got so jealous . But I suppose that's normal when you've been intimate with someone." She suppressed a chuckle when Grimmjow tensed, "Yeah… We've known eachother since middle school—Ichigo's my best friend. So of course I had my turn with him," A sly smirk twisted her lips when Grimmjow hissed at her, "But—as you can see—it didn't work out… and I know he likes to pretend he can take on the entire world alone—thinks he can handle everything on his own… but he needs someone like you to have his back. He'll probably never admit it, but he missed you… I could tell he deeply regretted leaving you behind."

Rukia grabbed Grimmjow's wrist, despite the bigger male's resistance, and placed the mask back in his hand.

Grimmjow knew what she was trying to say. He understood the true weight of her gesture; Ichigo's 'best friend' was giving him her blessing.

Rukia shared a small smile before also handing back Nel's toy, white stuffing spilling out of the ripped seam like the thing was actually hurt and bleeding.

"Now… We can't let it seem like I just gave you this information." Rukia clenched her fists and widened her stance, though the skirt kept her legs from spreading much further.

"Thought ya said Ichigo would never forgive me if I hurt you."

Rukia shrugged, "Just don't break my arms… or take my tongue… weirdo.." She sniffed at him but Grimmjow shrugged indifferently at his previous threat, "Now c'mon, give me your best shot."

Grimmjow couldn't hold back another chuckle. This chick just kept surprising him—she had spunk.

"My best shot? Ya sure..? Just need to mark ya—not put you in the hospital." He smirked when her tiny chest and shoulders puffed up, clearly underestimating him. "Alright.."

His fist was only a blur of movement. It moved so fast that Rukia's reaction was comically delayed.

"HCK!" The breath was knocked from her. she pressed both hands to her now extremely tender stomach. She had to use every ounce of willpower not to crumple to her knees, and her next few breaths were loud wheezes.

"I'm impressed you stayed on your feet." Grimmjow decided not to mention that he only used about 20% of his full strength. He would've punched right through her spine if he hit any harder.

Rukia coughed and then righted herself to openly glare at him, "That all you got? Did your granny teach ya how to throw a punch?"

Grimmjow's smirk twisted and stretched in amusement—he was starting to really like this feisty bitch.

This time he acquainted Rukia's face with the back of his hand, making sure to leave a visible bruise across her cheek. He knew his rough, callused knuckles would hurt—but he held back enough to keep from cracking the sensitive cartilage on her face.

She was still gonna feel that for a few days.

"Haaa…" Rukia's confidence wavered. Her voice shook as she held back tears, "Fuuuck… is your hand made of metal!? What the fuck!"

Grimmjow threw back his head and laughed.

"Aw c'mon—this is just foreplay to someone like Ichigo~"

"Yeah, well, he's a freak of nature too… I once saw him break a guy's nose with a single finger. And he broke another's skull with a headbut!"

Grimmjow hummed in amusement, his smirk still visible, then he asked, "Want one more, or you gonna wimp out?"

Rukia rubbed at her face to numb the pain, her cheek still vibrating from the impact. Then she noticed blood coating her tongue from a cut inside her mouth.

"One more… and make it a good one. All these little love-taps are starting to tickle." She spat out the blood in Grimmjow's direction, hitting one of his shoes. Rukia's reckless, street-rat personality was one she only ever revealed to close friends—so perhaps she was going a little delirious from the pain. "If this is what you call 'foreplay'—I can only imagine how beat up ya look after Ichigo has his way with your cute lil' ass—"

Last thing Rukia saw was an up close view of Grimmjow's terrifyingly hard fist, and everything went black.

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Ichigo made it to the security outpost without any hiccups. The guards traveling throughout Gen-Pop pretty much ignored him, thinking he was one of them.

He entered code 0011 into the gated entrance and waited for the greenlight to enter. He then waltzed through the metal detector, like he'd seen Ikkaku and Zaraki do on multiple occasions. The detector was more for inmates being transferred to different parts of the building.

The single beep from the metal detector was loud and caught the attention of a guard sitting behind the desk.

Ichigo assumed the man must be Äs.

He had long black hair and dark eyes. It was difficult to distinguish any kind of expression through the mask he wore over the bottom half of his face. The non-existent eyebrows didn't help either.

Ichigo nodded in greeting, because ignoring the man would only seem suspicious. He suppressed a shiver when those blank, soulless eyes slowly crawled over him. Ichigo felt like he was being sized up, but Äs released him from his unnerving glare to continue reading his book.

Curious, Ichigo stretched and leaned to get a better view of the item Kisuke had supplied. Its title read 'Fathoming the Fears of your Foes'.

Huh… alright then.

Not wanting to wear out his welcome, Ichigo continued moving forward, using the path he memorized from the map. His pace slowed to a crawl when he turned another corner and found himself inside a cellblock. Only, instead of iron bars, it was made with bulletproof glass. There were at least twenty different cells, but most of them were empty—and there was never more than one man inside.

Ichigo kept walking as he looked over each inmate, curious to see who Sousuke deemed 'insane'. Most seemed rather ordinary. They were either pacing back and forth, curled up in a corner, or fast asleep—No one even noticed Ichigo walking by. Or perhaps they've lost all connection with anything outside their own cell.

Except for one prisoner.

The only one who noticed Ichigo's presence—and the only one wearing a chain around his ankle, keeping him tethered to the back wall.

Was that really necessary?

It was also a little odd that his cell was located directly in front of Sousuke's lab.

Ichigo slowly turned around to eye the large sliding metal doors and felt his muscles tighten in anticipation.

This was it.

He was finally here.

But something compelled him to turn back around, to get a better look at the mystery inmate behind him.

Their gazes locked and Ichigo found himself staring into bright-golden hues, the same color as Zangetsu's—except no black sclera. This man's skin was also colorless—like the Psych-Ward Prisonsuit he wore. And his unkempt hair was a dark shade of blue.

He was just standing in front of the glass, looking like he didn't have a care in the world—like being left in a small room, with no one but himself to converse with, was his favorite pastime.

Golden eyes quickly flitted to specific parts of Ichigo's face and body, as if he was inspecting a new species of human.

Ichigo took a cautious step backwards when the gaze became too intense. It felt like he was being dissected under a microscope. The man tilted his head with unnatural curiosity, then his lips stretched taut to form an amused smirk, revealing rows of straight, yellowed teeth.

"Well, well, well…" The man drawled as he straightened, only to keep tilting his head in the opposite direction. "If it isn't the prodigy-boy. Come to rid us of our curse?"

Ichigo was getting a strong gut-feeling that this person, someone he's never met before, knew exactly who he was.

"Did you come prepared? I hope so~ I certainly don't envy you right now. Your mind, body, and soul are about to be tested to their limits…" He snickered and the creepy grin widened.

Ichigo wasn't sure what to say or do, so he remained quiet.

The man pressed closer to the glass, and Ichigo noticed something reflective against either side of his head. Upon closer inspection he realized they were golden plates over both of his ears. Or… did he even have ears? Would the guy hear him if he answered?

"Tell me, boy!" The crazy man raised his voice, though it was still muffled behind the glass, "Which sob-story did Urahara use to convince you to do his dirty work? Hmm? Was it the one about his poor deceased wife, Benehime?" Ichigo didn't take the bait but he most definitely stored away that information for later. Despite his silence, the man continued their one-sided conversation, "Or maybe he offered something ya just couldn't refuse? You know—I was here when Mr. Green-Eyes came snooping around." He must be referring to Ulquiorra, "At least you had the sense to disguise yourself… Poor Green-Eyes triggered a hidden alarm while fiddling with the lock-system. The guards swarmed him, but I'll admit he put up one HELL of a fight!"

Huh…

Ichigo tilted his head and looked over his shoulder to glance at the door—the one he should be walking through right now, but then he looked back at the crazy man. It seemed odd to build a cell right here… where Sousuke could see it every time he walked by. Every day. Like he wanted to keep a particularly close eye on the man who happens to know personal information about Kisuke Urahara.

Hm…

Ichigo surprised him by asking, "Is your name Mayuri?"

The man's shoulders sagged and he placed both hands on the glass.

"What did he tell you..?"

Ichigo shrugged and answered honestly, "He said he tried everything to stop his thieving partner," Careful not to say Sousuke's name, "I already knew about Ulquiorra being caught, Kisuke admitted to his mistakes, and he also admitted to coercing his old apprentice, Mayuri Korutsuchi, into betraying his new mentor. Obviously that didn't end well…" He casually knocked his knuckles against the glass between them, creating a shallow 'Thunk'. "He seems genuinely sorry about everything… I really don't think he meant for you to get stuck here."

Mayuri's gaze dropped and he looked a little lost, like he hadn't expected Kisuke to say anything about him.

"Ah… Well.. That's the shortened version—It was a bit more complicated than that…"

"Mhm.. I'm sure it's a fascinating tale—but I gotta get this 'dirty work' over with." Ichigo nodded his head to acknowledge the man, trying not to be too rude, but he had to keep moving. Though he paused to ask one last thing, "You said there's a hidden alarm… Do you know how to get around it?"

After a short minute of sulking, Mayuri's creepy grin was back.

"Don't you know the first rule o' prison, boy?" Ichigo groaned, already knowing the answer even as Mayrui finished, "Nothing—not even information—is free~"

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck, thinking over his options, then he heard footsteps approaching. He instantly turned in the opposite direction and started walking, making sure to keep his pace slow, like an ordinary guard on patrol.

Mayuri spoke quickly as he followed as far as he could, "Wait. Forget I said that! Just get me outta here! I'll even tell you a secret—," Ichigo didn't pause or slow to hear more. He kept walking, gradually looping around the entire ward. By the time he turned the third corner, the footsteps had disappeared. Whoever it was either turned around or went into one of the side rooms.

He would've liked to explore a bit more, but he didn't want to poke his nose anywhere if there were 'hidden alarms'. He stopped by Lab's doors once more and fished out the stolen KeyCard. Before he could swipe it he heard frantic knocking on the glass behind him. He debated ignoring it—just get on with his original plan, but then he sighed and turned around.

Mayuri was pointing at the card while shaking his head.

"What…? Is this gonna set off the alarm?"

He nodded and Ichigo let out an aggravated sigh. Mayuri motioned for him to come closer then pointed at the card again. Ichigo held it up to reveal who it originally belonged to.

That wide, creepy grin was back.

"Hah! I thought perhaps you had the doctor's key, but that one's even better!"

"Why? What are you suggesting..?"

Mayuri tapped the tips of his fingers together as he fidgeted, looking almost giddy .

"I'm 'suggesting' you don't do exactly what they expect… ," He pointed at the keycard once more, "With that you have another option."

"You better get to the fucking point," Ichigo urged with a growl. He could hear the footsteps again.

"I need your assurance that you'll help me get out of here."

"Fine. Yes. Spit it out."

"They created two different ways inside: One through PsychWard and the other through the Warden's office. The lock is hidden behind a false piece of doorframe. Better hurry now~!" Mayuri shooed him away like he wasn't the one holding up Ichigo.

Without reacting or even nodding, Ichigo walked away. After a few steps he reached up to press the talk button on his radio, making it beep to life. Only when he was sure that whoever was following him wasn't using the same channel (He knew because he didn't hear an echoed beep down the hall) did he whisper, "Kisuke. I have a question for you…"

Only two seconds passed before he received a generic answer, "Kisuke speaking. Ask away."

BLP.

"That old apprentice you mentioned… Do you trust him?"

Ichigo kept a steady pace and continued walking until he knew the security gate was nearby. Then he paused to lean casually against the wall.

This was his split in the road; Should he trust the crazy man trapped inside a glass cage? Or finish the mission the way he planned..?

Kisuke's response eventually came, "What did he tell you?"

BLP.

Ichigo chuckled to himself, finding it funny that these two wildcards would ask the same exact question regarding each other.

He chose his next words carefully, "He suggested an alternate route. Equally risky, but…" He trailed off, assuming Kisuke would get the gist of what he was saying.

"Where?"

BLP.

"Mustache-Man's office." He said, both joking and serious.

A whole minute ticked by as Ichigo waited to hear back, his insides twisting nervously as he listened to the footsteps getting closer and closer.

Was it Äs?

Cang Du?

Or maybe even Aizen?

Any one of them could spell trouble. Whoever it was finally came around the corner and Ichigo peeked under the brim of his hat to see who it was.

To his surprise it turned out to be Toshiro. The smaller male didn't seem to recognize Ichigo at first, due to the new hair color and uniform, but once he came to a stop and got a better look, recognition flashed in his eyes and his icy glare thawed.

"I was told you would already be inside by now… What's taking you so long?" Toshiro asked in a low voice, revealing that he was in on their plan. Kisuke must have sent him as back-up—which Ichigo oddly appreciated.

Before he could answer, Kisuke's voice came through Ichigo's radio.

"I don't fully trust him, but I don't think he'd have a reason to lie in this situation. I'll leave the decision making up to you… If you decide to take the alternate route then do it now . The way is clear, but it won't be for long."

BLP.

Ichigo held Toshiro's gaze as he responded into the radio, "Sure… I'm on it."

Then Toshiro's radio came to life, telling Ichigo that Kisuke must have more than one radio; to monitor multiple channels at once.

"Toshiro."

BLP.

Toshiro sighed before reaching for his own radio, "Yeah, I'm here with him… I assume you want me to tag along?"

"If you wouldn't mind~ Good luck! I'll be your 'eye in the sky'."

BLP.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say he doesn't have much faith in me." Ichigo teased as he led the way back towards Äs's station.

"I wouldn't say that… There's a lot riding on tonight, so he wants to take all the precautions he can."

Ichigo shrugged, agreeing but still feeling slighted. He held his tongue as they walked back through the guard station.

Äs was still seated across the long desk, partially hidden behind rows of security monitors, nose buried in his book. Ichigo shivered when the man's soulless gaze snapped up and followed him at the last second, but the strangely quiet guard didn't say or do anything.

Once back in the main part of Hueco Mundo, Ichigo waited until he was sure they were alone before asking, "So what's your story?"

Snow-white hair bounced as Toshiro looked up to level him with a narrow-eyed glare, "What do you mean?"

"I meannn…" Ichigo circled a hand in the air, "Everyone here, especially the people involved tonight, seem to have some kinda connection with my family—or a good reason for why they're here. And I'll admit my curiosity is insatiable. So… humor me—why are you helping?"

Toshiro dropped his head to look forward as his lips twitched into a half smile, though it was impossible to see due to his incredibly short stature. All Ichigo could really see was the top of his hat.

"You're right about most everyone here knowing your family… For me it's your father." He looked back up just to catch Ichigo's reaction, but the orangette-turned-brunette was keeping his expression neutral.

Ichigo just wasn't sure if he wanted to know anymore—not if it involved his father—especially after learning about Kisuke... Ick…

"Do you know what your father used to do before he became a doctor?"

Ichigo shrugged. He never had that conversation with his old man before… not because he never asked, but because his father was surprisingly adept at dodging questions regarding his past. It almost felt wrong to hear it from someone else…

Buuut… he wasn't about to pass up an opportunity like this.

Ichigo motioned for Toshiro to keep talking.

"He was a Captain of the Seireitei Police Department; A very well respected man… and I was his partner."

"Huh!?" Ichigo's feet slowed at that startling discovery, although he forced himself to keep moving.

Toshiro could see Ichigo's ravenous hunger for more information and willingly obliged, "We worked together for a long time; solving crimes to make Seireitei a better place. It was hard work, and he saved my life more than once—so I have the utmost respect for Isshin, but that doesn't mean we always saw eye to eye…"

"Because he's so much taller..?" Ichigo couldn't help himself; all these 'short' jokes have been bombarding his brain ever since he first met Toshiro—one was bound to break out eventually. He pursed his lips and gave the man a worried/apologetic look, but Toshiro was allowing him this one freebie—he chose to ignore it to continue speaking.

"Your father and I butted heads and disagreed on a lot of things... Like how he insisted on aiding his family, who were embedded with the Shinigami. Not sure how much you really know about them, but they're essentially Seiretei's Mafia. Big, powerful, and never afraid to get their hands dirty—though, like most Mafia-based families, they adhered to a strict set of rules."

"'Cosa Nostra'." Ichigo mentioned casually with a shrug, and Toshiro nodded with a somewhat impressed frown.

Cosa Nostra isn't just some name to a specific branch of Mafia, it translates to 'our thing', because it's the glue holding them together—their 'way of life' .

"Precisely… even though they participated in almost every kind of criminal activity, there were certain lines the Shinigami wouldn't cross. So, to keep the peace, they offered information anytime there were troublemakers, or competition trying to move in. To be honest though—it felt like we were on their payroll; Hiding evidence or dropping a case just because the Shinigami were involved. But I kept my mouth shut…" Toshiro huffed irritably and Ichigo hummed to show he was still paying attention even as he kept a close eye on their surroundings. "Our last investigation together involved a bunch of missing children… And I'm sure you can guess the main suspect involved."

Brows scrunched and shoulders tense, Ichigo turned and Toshiro could see all the gears turning in his head.

"Don't tell me Grand Fisher was your last case…?"

He nodded slowly and let out a long sigh. "Our goal was to capture him alive, but there was never enough information to set traps, so we had to draw him out." The tops of Toshiro's cheeks burned bright pink as he confessed, "Don't ever repeat this, but… Isshin had the brilliant idea to turn me into 'bait'... by dressing me up as a little kid… Because… well… 'cuz of my 'condition'." He gestured to his short, child-like body and Ichigo had to suppress a loud bark of laughter. Sky-blue eyes narrowed at him— daring him to make another stupid joke. "It's not funny… It's a genetic disorder dammit!" He snapped and Ichigo raised both hands to show he meant no real offense.

"That sounds like the kind of dumbass plan he'd think up. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Toshiro sheathed his claws, accepting Ichigo's attempt at being cordial.

"Yanno what the worst part is? It worked." White brows twitched when he heard the quiet snicker of amusement, "We almost had them—But it's my fault they got away… I messed up. I went off mission to save one little girl… so I, uh… I feel responsible for all the harm Grand Fisher caused afterwards—All those children… and the people he's killed…" Toshiro tilted his head up and Ichigo frowned at how… vulnerable the man looked at that moment.

The thorny, cold, outer shell was slipping, exposing a guilt-ridden underbelly.

It almost felt like Toshiro was seeking reassurance—No…

He was seeking forgiveness.

Toshiro wanted Ichigo to forgive him..?

Ichigo nearly 'AH'ed in realization. Toshiro was thinking of his mother, Masaki. He thinks that by saving one girl he sealed everyone else's fate.

That type of thinking was dangerous… but also very familiar to Ichigo.

He released a soft sound; a cross between a sigh and a laugh, then he met Toshiro's gaze with a gentle mix of admiration, respect, and even fondness. He reached out, forcing them both to stop and face each other.

Man to man.

"Listen.. This was something I had trouble coming to terms with for a long time… but everything Grand Fisher did—none of it is your fault. I used to blame myself for her death every single day; 'I never should've chased that girl', 'If only I hadn't begged Mom to go to Karate with me that night', 'If I had just been strong enough to protect her'..." Ichigo's throat grew tight, but he swallowed the emotions, "There are choices we are forced to make… choices that we can't prepare for—and we'll never know the full consequences until it's too late… But I'm 100% sure my mother would've wanted you to save that girl—even if it meant her own death. That's just the kind of person she was."

Toshiro looked away and squeezed his eyes shut as Ichigo continued to look at him with such unwavering compassion and understanding, every emotion being broadcasted from big, expressive, chocolate-brown eyes. Toshiro grimaced as he experienced an internal crisis; He fought and struggled with his guilty conscience until he managed to subdue it, then, once he was back to his normal—albeit slightly cold and rigid—self, he met Ichigo's gaze. "You're right… and even knowing what I know now, if I had to make all those terrible choices all over again to save that one little girl… I would."

Ichigo nodded in understanding and motioned for Toshiro to keep following him before asking, "What happened to her? She still alive?"

An amused smirk came to life as Toshiro answered, "You've actually met her."

Ichigo blinked in surprise, "Met her? The girl you saved?" Toshiro nodded.

Warm brown eyes narrowed in thought as Ichigo tried to recall every female he's ever come in contact with—while also trying to determine how old that girl must be now.

"She's a bit…. rambunctious … but it's all mostly an 'act'."

Then it clicked, and Ichigo smacked his forehead—nearly knocking his hat off.

"Rangiku!? Yhwach's Secretary? For real?" He could clearly remember his only interaction with the voluptuous beauty, and he finally recognized Toshiro's overprotective behavior as being fatherly —it was reasonable to assume Toshiro raised the girl after rescuing her…

Just like Shinji with Hiyori.

And just like Ichigo with Nelliel.

There seems to be a recurring theme regarding Grand Fisher…

Toshiro sobered, erasing any sign of amusement from his face, then he continued with his previous explanation, "Isshin never blamed me either… but I still can't face him—not just because of what happened to Masaki, but because Isshin took the fall for my failure. After spending so much time, money, and man-power on ONE investigation—with nothing to show for it—the department had to save face. So Tousen Kaname, our Chief of Police, forced Isshin to resign. Then the strangest thing happened… Both the FBI and Internal Affairs got involved. They appeared out of nowhere and placed Isshin inside their own Witness Protection Program—hence your last name being 'Kurosaki' and not 'Shiba'."

Ichigo nodded slowly, a sense of awe and understanding washing over him. A lot of little things about his life were starting to make sense now..

"Sooo… Since Fisher was an inmate here—someone finally caught him. Who was it?"

Toshiro looked at Ichigo for a long second, like he was waiting for the punchline to a bad joke, but then he realized Ichigo was being serious and winced. He seemed rather reluctant to break the news, which only made it worse to hear, "He was never arrested."

The ground seemed to tilt under Ichigo's feet, his thoughts going a thousand-miles-a-minute.

"Wait… You're saying that he was here voluntarily ?"

"Yeah. Yhwach offered up the prison like it was a bunker for rent… I thought you already knew this."

"So that's why he was able to leave so quickly. He wasn't pardoned…. And that explains why I never heard any news about him—because I sure as hell would've known if he'd been caught." Ichigo swung a fist in the air but then quickly composed himself, smoothing out the wrinkles in his shirt, and continued leading the way to the Warden's office. Toshiro was actually impressed with Ichigo's control over his own emotions—compared to his recent fits of rage...

Their conversation died as they came to another security checkpoint. Toshiro never slowed his pace as he walked right through the metal detectors. Ichigo tilted his head down to hide behind the brim of his hat when he noticed another guard. The guard, who had been traveling in the opposite direction, paused to allow them passage first.

"Starrk." Toshiro greeted with a nod after the beeping from the metal detector died.

Now knowing which guard it was, Ichigo felt a little more comfortable glancing up as he passed. He gave a small nod of greeting, just to keep up appearances, but Starrk was already slipping around him, not paying them much attention. Ichigo twisted to watch the quiet male and nearly tripped when he saw a large duffel bag hanging off his left shoulder.

"What's wrong…?" Toshiro asked when he noticed Ichigo had stopped walking.

"Hmm.." Ichigo hummed as he tried to remember where exactly he'd seen that bag before, "I feel like he's up to something… but I can't figure out what .."

"Focus, Kurosaki. C'mon." Toshiro ushered him to keep moving, though he still glanced at Starrk to see what he was talking about. Toshiro had no idea what was inside the large bag, but judging from its bulk and the way Starrk was carrying it, it must have been loaded with something heavy.

It is pretty odd, but they had to concentrate on the task at hand first.

The office was in sight now.

He gave Ichigo a shove forward and the taller male took the lead, bringing them through the lobby where he first met Rangiku, then straight to Yhwach's office.

"You really think there's something here?" Toshiro wondered, and he sounded just a little bit nervous.

"We're about to find out."

"I don't think Yhwach would be dumb enough to leave anything in his main office that could get him or Sousuke in trouble—just seems like a waste of time… And I know because Rangiku has been keeping an eye on the Warden."

Ichigo shrugged as he tried the doorknob, which, of course, was locked.

He glanced around but there was no card reader, so he looked to Toshiro.

"Ya happen to have a key to get inside?"

Blue eyes narrowed and Toshiro gave him a dumbfounded look that said 'If I had a way in do you think we'd just be standing here?'

Ichigo chuckled and was seriously tempted to pinch Toshiro's cheek, but that was likely a good way to get tazed.

"Right… stand watch while I get us inside then." Ichigo rummaged through the top drawer of Rangiku's desk while Toshiro grumpily made himself comfortable against the doorframe of the lobby. Ichigo found a few paper-clips and twisted them together to make it more sturdy. He then hooked one end and got to work on the doorknob.

It didn't take long, even after years of being retired from this type of work—the task still came naturally to him. Ginjou did an excellent job searing those skills into his muscle-memory.

He hissed at Toshiro to get his attention as he opened the door and waited for the man to join him before closing it, securing them inside Yhwach's office.

Alright. Now for the interesting part.

Ichigo didn't bother looking through Yhwach's desk or laptop (that had been conveniently left behind) because Toshiro was absolutely right; Yhwach wasn't dumb. He wouldn't leave behind anything incriminating.

Ichigo went straight for the only other door in the room. He felt around the door frame, pressing random spots until he felt a piece of it loosen.

Toshiro watched, transfixed with wonder as Ichigo removed a small chunk of the frame to reveal a card-reading lock. Then he did the impossible—he whipped out Yhwach's Cardkey and swiped it, unlocking the door.

"How?" He asked but only got a cheeky smirk in response.

Ichigo pressed a hand to the door and it swung open without a sound, revealing an empty hallway that gradually turned towards the left. Bright fluorescent bulbs lit the path.

Ichigo hummed as he reached into his pocket to pull out the Map of the prison, holding it up so that Toshiro could also see it. He bent and folded the paper so that Yhwach's office and Aizen's lab were the only parts visible. This hidden passage was nowhere to be seen on the blueprints—of course.

Toshiro frowned while Ichigo chuckled in amusement.

"I can't believe I thought this was just some supply closet…"

Toshiro scratched his head and warily held Ichigo back when he took a step forward.

"What if it's a trap?" He worried but Ichigo brushed him off with a shrug..

"That's why I'm going in alone…" He then turned to lock eyes with Toshiro and shared a reassuring smile before asking, "If it IS a trap and I don't come back.. Grand Fisher… He… I…" He trailed off, unsure how to properly phrase his next request, but Toshiro seemed to understand.

"No matter what happens tonight—as long as I still have breath in my body—Grand Fisher will always have to look over his shoulder. I don't believe killing him is the answer… but I'll do everything in my power to make sure he gets what's coming to him.. I swear."

Ichigo's smile grew and he reached out to grasp Toshiro's shoulder, saying without words how he truly appreciated that. The smaller male nodded his head once and patted Ichigo's arm before giving him an encouraging shove towards the open doorway.

"I'm on channel 13 if you need backup."

Ichigo nodded in understanding but didn't look back as he moved forward. Soon he was rounding the bend and Yhwach's office was out of sight. He kept a brisk, confident pace—his eyes alert for anything strange.

But nothing happened.

No hidden alarms, no guards, no cameras… nothing.

He walked through the hall without incident and Ichigo was starting to think this whole operation was just too easy… But it wasn't over yet.

The lights grew dim as he got closer, gradually switching from blinding bright to eye-straining dark. It was 'lights out'/lockdown, so it wasn't strange, but it felt foreboding. Like he was walking straight into the belly of a beast.

A few more steps and Ichigo was starting to hear a soft, rhythmic sound; A constant 'thump, thump, thump' ...

There was no door at the end, just a clear passage that led directly into Sousuke's lab.

He was finally here. He made it!

Ichigo looked around and was almost disappointed with how… bland it all looked. It certainly wasn't how he pictured an evil scientist's laboratory.

In one corner was a large generator, ensuring this area had power in case of outages. On the opposite end was a long desk that contained glass beakers, analyzers, what looked like blood samples, and 10x10 racks of test tubes—all filled with mysterious liquids. And there were a number of strange, twisting, complicated contraptions. Ichigo had no idea what they did and was tempted to poke around and find out, but when one of the machines beeped at him for getting too close. He decided to keep his distance.

Instead, he rifled through the cabinets, discovering bottles chemicals with unnecessarily long names Ichigo couldn't even begin to pronounce. He opened each drawer and peeked inside every folder he stumbled across, but it was all just a bunch of chemistry mumbo-jumbo. Nothing really 'groundbreaking'.

To his left were shelves filled with random supplies—including lab coats, elastic gloves, safety goggles, cloth masks, and even full-face respirator gas-masks. And next to the shelves, partially hidden behind a large stack of papers, was standard emergency equipment; a fire extinguisher and a metal ax sealed inside a glass case.

Ichigo didn't see anything out of the ordinary so he moved on to the next spot and finally felt like he was getting somewhere; standing before him was an ultra-wide 43.8" monitor, and attached to it was a retractable metal arm with a keyboard.

Ichigo took his time inspecting the equipment before even attempting to turn it on. He wanted to know exactly what he was dealing with and make sure there weren't any traps he could possibly trigger.

After what Ulquiorra went through, he wasn't about to take any chances.

Everything looked clean… But there had to be something…

Just so Ichigo could say he'd done everything he could think of—he proceeded to crawl under the desk and inspect every single piece of hardware.

There wasn't much to see, which led Ichigo to believe that most of it was controlled wirelessly. Probably through Sousuke's phone. And that meant as soon as he turned everything on, Sousuke would more than likely be alerted.

He found the main power switch against the wall, but didn't flip it quite yet.

There were still a couple spots he wanted to investigate before possibly alerting anyone.

'Thump…. Thump… Thump…'

Ichigo clicked his tongue as the consistent thumping sound grabbed his attention. He turned in its direction and stumbled across a few rooms.

Three rooms to be exact.

Each one had a door, and each door had a square-shaped window, allowing him to peek inside. He did a quick sweep of the first two, the first being a simple room with metal bars bolted into the opposite wall. Wrapped around each bar was a different kind of restraint—from leather straps to heavy metal chains and handcuffs. Ichigo's stomach did nervous flips at the sight; the worst thoughts popping into his head.

He forced himself to move on and found that the second window was actually a screen, and it was… black?

Humming curiously, Ichigo yanked on the door, surprised when it actually opened. He paused to listen, his guard up, making sure no one was inside… but no one rushed at him, and he heard nothing—except for the constant 'thump'ing to his left.

He cautiously peeked inside and found it completely dark; No lights, not even the dim fluorescent bulbs running along the rest of the ceiling.

This must be the 'Dark Room'.

Ichigo retreated to face the screen again and reached around the door, placIng his hand on the opposite side, fascinated when his own limb was clearly visible despite the darkness.

This screen was much more advanced than any standard infrared vision. This kind of technology made it so Sousuke could clearly see inside while the other person was lost to pitch black nothingness. When Ichigo walked further inside he noticed how the thumping sound abruptly ceased.

This room was also 'sound proof'.

Not only would they never SEE anything, but they'd never HEAR anything either—caught in a strange limbo, without their main senses to ground them… what a cruel thing to do to someone.

Ichigo shook his head solemnly as he pictured Ulquiorra and what it must've been like for him…

All thoughts of the quiet, green-eyed man faded away once Ichigo stepped towards the third room, his eyes locked with familiar gold on black—

Zangetsu…

All at once—every emotion possible got stuck in his throat, lumping together into a hard knot of anxiety. The hairs ok the back of his neck rose and his face heated with too many conflicting expressions—and the unimpressed glare Zangetsu was giving him made it worse. Ichigo couldn't keep from flinching, guilt gnawing at his insides.

It took him a painfully long time to realize that Zangetsu couldn't actually see him.

It was a one-way window.

At that very moment, Zangetsu was glaring at his own reflection as he proceeded to continuously bash his forehead against the thick, bulletproof glass.

Ichigo could tell he's been at it for a while because the skin across his forehead was split open from the abuse. A steady flow of blood dripped down the length of his face as well as down the door, all the way to the floor.

Ichigo wasn't sure how much blood Zangetsu already lost from this little activity, but judging by the browning splatters, it's been over an hour.

Ichigo, unable to stop himself, knocked on the window, right as Zangetsu pulled his head away.

Golden eyes narrowed until only a thin strip of color was visible. Zangetsu then slowly pressed his forehead against the glass, smearing fresh blood as he tilted his head. He blinked and squinted, unsuccessfully trying to see through his own reflection. Eventually he opened his mouth to say, "Not in the mood for yer games, asshole! Do whatever yer gonna do then leave me the fuck ALONE! " He roared by the end, his metallic voice warbling with tangled emotions.

Ichigo chewed on his bottom lip as he debated with himself.

Should he allow Zangetsu to believe he was Sousuke, or continue revealing himself? His body answered for him by lifting a hand to knock again—taking away any chance to talk himself out of it. Next he raised his voice and yelled, "Zangetsu! It's me! I'm here to help!"

Zangetsu went completely still; Limbs rigid and lips set in a serious frown. Ichigo waited with bated breath as bloody brows furrowed and the other's gaze shifted nervously.

Zangetsu stepped back, revealing the fact that he was completely naked, and Ichigo's face instantly burned bright-red. He didn't see any clothing nearby, so Zangetsu wasn't being allowed to wear anything… but was it for a perverted reason..? Or a 'practical' one?

Nothing else was inside the room except for multiple shower-heads above and a single drain centered in the concave floor. It looked like this room was meant for cleansing and/or disinfecting anyone inside.

Zangetsu pulled him away from his thoughts by finally replying, "Sousuke—that ain't funny, man…" His gaze dropped with a hiss, "Don't get my hopes up like that… S'fucked up.. Tired of your bullshit…" Then he muttered under his breath, "Jus' lea'me 'lone…"

Ichigo felt like his chest was shrinking, making it difficult to breathe.

Zangetsu sounded so defeated ..

What could Icihigo possibly say to give him some semblance of hope—to show him that he wasn't stuck in here forever.

"I'm really here—the one and only 'Mr. Hero'... And I'm getting you out."

Zangetsu looked like his brain was working on overdrive as he pressed an ear to the glass, listening to every word, trying to discern if it was some trick from Sousuke.

Now Ichigo couldn't help wondering what that perverted bastard has been doing to Zangetsu. Did he somehow act out this scene before? Did he try to make it seem like Ichigo was there to help—only to crush that hope? Perhaps Sousuke wanted to break Zangetsu into never even expecting help.

Ichigo could definitely picture the counselor doing something so viciously heartless.

"Prove it…" Zangetsu snarled, still frowning doubtfully.

Ichigo gritted his teeth, trying to keep a lid on his rising emotions. "Just—" He groaned and sighed in frustration, then he smacked his own forehead into the window.

THUMP!

The hat popped off from the impact, but he ignored it—as well as the pain.

It only hurt a bit, though Ichigo couldn't imagine doing it for as long as Zangetsu had. So he went ahead and smacked himself a few more times in rapid succession— ThmpThmpThmpThmp! —until his own skin ripped open and a few drops of blood surfed down the bridge of his nose.

Fuck it.

Fuck Sousuke.

Fuck this whole place.

And fuck every scumbag who ever helped that psycho!

Instead of answering with words, Ichigo walked away. He'll 'prove it' to Zangetsu by freeing him once and for all.

He still had to get evidence, of course, duh, but there was no way he was leaving without releasing Zangetsu from that creepy cell.

With an angry huff, Ichigo stormed over to the generator, grabbed the main switch, and shifted it from 'power save' to 'OFF'. Now that there was no back-up power, Ichigo went to the control panel he'd seen earlier and began flipping all the circuits off. Once he got halfway through he heard some eerie creaking and clicking through the walls, like a giant machine was grinding to a halt.

Was that a good or bad sound..?

Shrugging, Ichigo continued down the line of breakers, shutting off every single thing, just to make sure no alarms were still active, but then he turned one back on: the lights. He wished he had those night-vision glasses Tsukishima made for him years ago. They always came in handy on missions like this—but he Had to make due with what he had.

Ichigo made his way back to Zangetsu's door and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. He tried again, pulling and pushing and jerking until his muscles cramped from the effort.

'Guess I'll grab the evidence first then…'

Ichigo grumbled under his breath the whole way back to the computer, only stopping to collect his hat as he passed. He slammed it back on his head with a huff.

Now then.

Ichigo turned on the switch to activate the computer and tried not to fidget impatiently as it booted up.

'Aw damn... This isn't good..' Ichigo thought when an unfamiliar logo floated across the screen: Kyōka Suigetsu .

Wait a second..

Did Sousuke create his own software from scratch? If so, Ichigo was actually impressed… and slightly worried. Because that meant he was unfamiliar with the shortcuts—and every hacking technique Yukio taught him would be useless .

Yeesh…

Talk about being paranoid.

He understood why Sousuke wouldn't use any old commercial program—because everything would be recorded; Didn't matter if you deleted it all from the 'recycling bin'. Any forensics investigator would be able to find those files tucked away inside its permanent memory (AKA ROM). And that's exactly how Ichigo originally planned on gathering the evidence.

But now he was forced to improvise.

As luck would have it, a password wasn't required… but that sent up a lot of red flags in Ichigo's brain, then he jolted in surprise when a voice came to life.

"Welcome back, Doctor. How may I assist you today?"

It was both robotic and feminine at the same time, kind of like a version of 'Siri' or 'Alexa'.

Did Sousuke create his own digital assistant too?

Ichigo inspected the desktop as it appeared on the screen. He scratched his chin when a main-menu appeared, listing three different icons; Files, Notes, and Security.

Notes might be a good place to start…

He tried pressing the arrow keys on the keyboard, to switch icons, but nothing happened. None of the items were highlighted. He tried pressing 'tab', but that didn't work either.

Growling in frustration, Ichigo tried pressing 'enter'.

Still nada.

With a huff of defeat, Ichigo finally opened his mouth (hoping and praying with every fiber of his being that this Kyōka Suigetsu didn't have voice recognition), and said, "Open Notes."

Thankfully, it worked.

The main menu disappeared and a long, seemingly never ending list of words appeared. Alongside the column of words were dates—telling Ichigo when the notes were written. He was currently reading text that was created 40 long years ago.

"Scroll down." He commanded and the text began shifting upward.

So many notes.

TOO many notes.

"Skip to the most recent entry."

The scrolling paused and then popped to the very bottom. This newest entry was posted today, and it read, 'At long last.. It's complete. And Kisuke, that persistent pain in my ass, can't do anything to stop me this time. Not even Yhwach can control me now. I don't need his money. I don't need these undercooked clones and unfinished experiments. I don't need ANYONE anymore. I am untouchable. I am invincible. I am a God.'

Ichigo felt every nerve in his body shudder while a cold shiver curled down the length of his spine.

Woah.

That really didn't sound good. At all.

And did he say something about 'clones'? What the fuck?

"Scroll up…" Ichigo commanded and then snapped, "Stop!" when he spotted his own name. This entry was also dated today, a few hours earlier.

'The Shinigami have finally proved themselves useful today. They managed to convince Ichigo Kurosaki to give a blood sample. Just for some simple disease test… I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the newest update in Hueco Mundo's database. Doesn't that idiot—' Ichigo paused to glare at that word before continuing, '— have any idea how valuable his blood is? I find myself wondering how ignorant Ichigo is of his own history. Has Isshin told him NOTHING? Tragic, but it works in my favor. I already know he will be a perfect match, but now to see if it will be enough.'

Ichigo blinked as his thoughts sped up to a mile a second. He forced himself to reread the entry a few more times, trying to absord and comprehend what THE FUCK it even meant!

What is Sousuke talking about?!

What the hell is so special about his 'blood'? What did he mean about him not knowing his own history? What ELSE has his father neglected to tell him? Did it have anything to do with the thing Yoruichi and Kisuke refused to say?

"It's really not our place to say…"

BULLSHIT!

Next time he'll beat the information out of them… Ichigo snarled and slammed a fist down to emphasize that thought—and to let off a little pent-up steam.

He could also recall Ginjou berating him about something similar:

"Can't expect a punk who doesn't even know his own damn family to understand."

At the time Ichigo thought Ginjou had been referring to Kūkaku's night-time job as a 'Master Bounty Broker'. But what if… What if Ginjou meant something else?

Now that Ichigo really thought about it.. He didn't know much about his mother's side of the family… He never seriously looked into that piece of himself—because every single time he thought about her his emotions would curdle into despair and vengeance, then all he could think about was burying something sharp in Grand Fisher's neck.

He felt like he was getting close to something important—but it was also a giant distraction.

This mission wasn't about him.

This was about Zangetsu, and the others who've suffered at Sousuke's hands.

"Open Files."

Suigetsu did as directed and Ichigo was now looking at a list of random documents and video recordings. He had Suigetsu open up some of the recent PDF documents and read through them. Most were letters to Judges and other high officials—telling them what to do; with bribes and threats. There were also private invoices requesting supplies from the nearest Las Noches Military Base—all signed and paid to Pantera Jeagerjaques.

'Now we're getting somewhere.'

Ichigo fished out the flashdrive Kisuke had supplied for him and connected it to the monitor. He was honestly surprised nothing happened—no traps so far.

Maybe Sousuke really believed no one could ever possibly get inside his lab… He has been doing this for a long time—all while batting away Kisuke's attempts to catch him… It was certainly possible.

Especially for a man who fancies himself a 'God'.

Maybe that's why there weren't any passwords or locks either—at least not on the inside.

Ichigo gave that some thought as he began the painstaking process of going through every document and ordering Suigetsu to copy all of them to his flashdrive.

He eventually switched to the videos, and immediately regretted opening it when Zangetsu appeared on the screen—a video of him in that first room, naked and shackled to the metal bar.

And Sousuke was…

Fuck.

He was raping him.

Honestly, it's exactly what he expected after Kokuto mentioned Sousuke's 'Play Room'—but to actually witness it for himself… Ichigo's heart crumbled at the sight.

'Get the fuck offa me! Get it OUT! I'll kill you! I swear it!'

'Oh, White.. Your empty threats don't scare me. Now be a good boy and tighten up a bit more would you~?'

SLAP! SMACK! SHLP!

Ichigo couldn't hold back the flinch and grimace from seeing another man—a man who he's been intimate with and cared about—getting mercilessly fucked.

Poor Zangetsu was struggling and fighting and trying to get AWAY… His wrists were severely bruised and caked in blood from his nonstop attempts to rip both hands out of the heavy shackles… but there was no way out—even if he did , he'd still have to deal with Sousuke, find a way out of the room, the lab, and then where the hell could he possibly go?

No hope of freedom.

Not while Hueco Mundo had a claim over him…

Ichigo looked away from the monitor before his stomach decided to regurgitate whatever was left of the lasagna he ate for lunch. But he could still hear everything; Hidden under Zangetsu's growling threats was the rhythmic slapping of skin against skin, and if he listened closely he could hear Sousuke chuckling.

"Enough." Ichigo growled but the video didn't stop. He had to find the right command, "Quit. Close! EXIT!"

He let out a sigh of relief when the horrid scene finally disappeared. He had to take a minute to calm himself. It was almost impossible to bottle up the rage that was pumping through his veins. Ichigo didn't think he could get any more angry than he was at that exact moment.

Sousuke was fucking lucky he wasn't within stabbing distance right now.

One more deep breath and a few cracked knuckles finally did the trick; Ichigo was ready to continue his search. However, this time he chose a MUCH EARLIER video. One that was recorded over 30 years ago.

As soon as it began he could already tell it was old due to the terrible quality and lack of color. It was a recording from a security camera, looking down into a giant room similar to this lab, only different … The lab in the video was much fancier and filled with strange machines and human-sized tubes. They looked like preservation chambers..?

Ichigo shrugged, because the most intriguing part wasn't the stuff—he was much more interested in the people; Standing next to one of the tubes was a younger looking Sousuke and Yhwach, and standing beside them was… a woman?

Ichigo leaned towards the screen, squinting his eyes as if that could possibly fix the shitty quality of the video.

It was difficult to tell without color, but when she eventually turned and walked towards the camera, Ichigo nearly had an aneurysm when he recognized his own mother.

She was younger and her hair shorter, but there was no doubt about it. It was Masaki! Why the hell would she be hanging around these awful people?

He pressed his lips into a tense line and tried to shove away the shock of betrayal when she casually walked up to Yhwach and gently stroked his arm—as if she were gaining the attention of a lover.

Urghhhh—please no. How could she possibly love someone like Yhwach—at least… he was pretty sure the man was Yhwach. His dark, chaotic locks were shorter, and the legendary mustache was only a stubbly goatee… Also, part of his face was blocked by black-tinted glasses.

Maybe Ichigo was overreacting… but whoever this mystery guy was—it certainly wasn't his father!

Ichigo's mouth repeatedly opened and closed, as if he wanted to shout and demand answers, but who the hell would answer him? Suigetsu?

'Wait… Could that work..? Exactly how advanced is this thing? Guess there's no harm in trying.'

Ichigo's gaze stayed glued to the screen as he asked, "Suigetsu, name the people in this video, and tell me where it took place."

A few seconds ticked by as the program processed his request, then Suigetsu answered, "Location Alpha: Las Noches command-center. The people present are Sousuke Aizen, Masaki Ishida, and Zangetsu Ishida."

…?

Huh?

WHAT?!

"Is there anything else you'd like to know, Doctor?"

"Uhm… excuse me?!" Ichigo blurted, shocked to his very CORE. He couldn't believe it.

Masaki ISHIDA!?

And Zangetsu Ishida?

But there's no way!

He asked Suigetsu the question again, but it didn't help to hear the same answer. He just couldn't wrap his head around it. As he was about to ask again , he heard his mother's gentle voice through the monitor.

'Sousuke…. Are you sure it's safe? I know it worked for our brother, but that was a long time ago. There's no guarantee it'll work for us…'

''Us'? Well, well, Masaki.. Have you finally changed your mind? Are you ready to take the next step in evolution?'

'Yes, but only if you answer my question first…' She lifted her chin obstinately and Sousuke quietly stared back. They were possibly having a silent conversation, but the angle and pixelation made it impossible to tell.

'Fine… You already know I'd never deny you anything.' Sousuke said in that sickly sweet way of his.

'I want to know why it only works for us?'

'Well… Your poor brother was in dire need of my help—so I used my only dose of 'Miracle' to cure him. Fortunately it worked, but now I have to recreate the original formula from scratch. The process will take me a long time, but I can use your brother's altered blood to duplicate the cure—but it ONLY works on blood relatives. Now… I hope my answer is to your satisfaction.' It was extremely bizarre to see Sousuke bow to his mother, like she was some sort of Royalty.

'I don't know… What do you think, Zangetsu? Should we trust him?'

So the Yhwach-look-alike's name was Zangetsu..? That can't be a coincidence.

Ichigo's limbs jerked in surprise when he suddenly remembered—the file Kisuke showed him; it said Zangetsu Shirosaki JR.

So this was Zangetsu SENIOR? White's father?

B-but…

That means their all related? To each other, and to Yhwach… and to Bazz-B?!

Mannnn...

Ichigo's chest pumped rapidly for air, like he couldn't get enough. He was having some sort of panic attack—this was too overwhelming.

He was distracted from this bizarre new discovery when the monitor's screen suddenly turned black. Ichigo's scowl hardened. He glanced up at the lights; they were still on. The power didn't go out.

He looked back at the screen and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Sousuke's smirking face staring back at him.

"Finished sightseeing, Ichigo?"

Ichigo smoothed his ruffled feathers and quickly slapped on a 'professional' face; acting cool, calm, and collected. He felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but he refused to let that show.

"I must admit, I'm impressed you made it this far. You managed to get inside without tripping my alarms-and I see you've already copied a few important files. I underestimated you, but I'm not worried."

"But you should be worried." Ichigo snapped back, his teeth bared in a seething snarl. "I saw that journal entry you made-ya fuckin' narcissistic prick. If you're a 'God' than I'm 'Karma', and I'm here to collect on every terrible thing you've done. I will destroy you..."

Sousuke's eyes narrowed but his smug little grin remained.

"So dramatic... Just like your mother."

"How long have you known?" Ichigo demanded.

"Truthfully? The whole time. I've just been watching and waiting to see what you'd do next. I sincerely thought you would be much more focused on killing Grant. I thought you loved Masaki, don't you want to avenge her?"

"Keep her name out of your filthy mouth..." Ichigo hissed and he felt a new surge of rage crawl to the surface. He really wished he could reach through the screen and punch that smirk right off Sousuke's face.

"Ah… There's the expression I wanted to see.. Mm. I love it when someone thinks they can actually beat me. It's why Zangetsu has been my favorite all these long years~ That determined glare he gives me when I'm deep inside him—I'm getting hard just thinking about it." Sousuke inhaled deeply through his nose, consuming the pure, undiluted HATRED in Ichigo's gaze. "Yes.. Just like that. Beautiful." He chuckled and lightly licked his bottom lip in excitement, "Actually—I think you have him beat on that. You might just be my new favorite."

"Let him go… Haven't you done enough? Why do you keep tormenting him?!" Ichigo shouted. There were many, MANY, other questions he wanted to ask this man, but he kept reminding himself that this wasn't about him. His own past meant nothing if Zangetsu couldn't have a future.

"Let him go? Now why would I do that? He knows too much. And so do you."

"Sir. We're here." Said someone that sounded further away, snatching Sousuke's attention.

"Good. Take us to section C. And call Gremmy. Let him know I've arrived."

The video shifted, Sousuke's head bobbing off screen and Ichigo noticed a windshield, and beyond the tinted glass was a large building with fenced-in gates and a huge parking lot. Sousuke must be using his cell phone while being driven to wherever he currently was. After a few minutes his face came sliding back into focus and it looked like he exited the vehicle. In the background Ichigo could see the sky growing dark, only a few straggling rays fading to night, but Sousuke's satisfied expression was still clearly visible.

"My apologies, but I have some business to attend to. I'll leave you with two options. You can take your time and continue looking through my files—find all the answers you've been searching for, including what really happened to you that night your poor mother died… HOWEVER…"

Fshhhhhhhhhhh…

A soft hissing sound snaked its way through the lab and Ichigo quickly turned to find the source. He wasn't sure where it was coming from until he heard a rapid 'Thmp, thmp, thmp!' in Zangetsu's cell.

"If you don't stop to save him… then who will?" Sousuke chuckled one last time as the screen went dark and then he was gone. Ichigo felt a new round of anxiety hit him but he didn't hesitate to run towards the noise. Zangetsu was frantically pounding his fist against the glass, desperation clear on his face.

"Sousuke! No! Not like this! Please! Anything but this! Mercy!" Zangetsu pleaded as the hissing continued and Ichigo noticed that the room was fading. The air was becoming thick, like a fog was leaking inside. And it had a sickly purple tint to it.

Was Sousuke releasing poison ?

Holy shit.

Ichigo looked around wildly, trying to find a way to open the door.

"Suigetsu! Open the door!" He ordered, hoping that might work, but already knowing it wouldn't.

He wasn't surprised when the feminine voice answered, "Invalid command."

He continued trying different commands as he searched for supplies. He could hear Zangetsu's pounding on the window slowing, the 'thmp's growing weaker. Harsh coughing erupted as Zangetsu tried to hack up the poison in his lungs.

"Open door number three! Open the Test Room!" Ichigo cried as he snatched up the gas masks he'd seen earlier. He then ran over to the glass case and bashed it open to retrieve the axe. He settled it across his shoulder and shouted, "Open every door! Open ANY door!"

"Invalid command."

"Fuck you then!"

"Very unprofessional, Doctor."

Ichigo tried to ignore the fact that Sousuke programmed a response to that. Instead, he focused on running back towards the door. He took one last deep breath of clean air before sliding one of the respiration masks onto his face, knocking away his hat in the process.

"Zan! Get away from the door!" Ichigo shouted, hoping Zangetsu could hear him through the hissing smoke and his own hacking and coughing. He either heard or just couldn't hold himself up any longer; Zangetsu fell to his knees and began crawling away, towards the drain in the middle of the room.

Gripping the axe in both hands, Ichigo twisted his body and swung first at the glass. It chipped and cracked but took a few more swings for the bullet-proof film to tear. Gas leaked out but at least some fresh air was circulating inside.

"Here! Put this on!" He shoved the second mask through the hole and watched it skid across the floor, towards where he remembered seeing Zangetsu. The fog was too thick now—Ichigo couldn't see more than a few inches inside the room. He tightened his grip on the cold handle of the axe, twisting his palms and gritting his teeth, he pulled back and swung again, aiming for the edges of the door.

Hitting steel against steel was bone jarring, every strike made his nerves and teeth rattle painfully, but Ichigo didn't care. He kept swinging, letting the sharp edge of the axe bite into the door, eating away at its lock and hinges.

He was getting this damn thing open! He didn't care how long it might take!

As he worked he thought about the other option Sousuke had given him and hoped that maybe he could accomplish both.

"Suigetsu! Continue copying files into the flashdrive!"

"Yes, Doctor."

Ichigo could sort through the information later.

CRACK!

Ichigo paused at the sound, his body humming and vibrating from the strain and adrenaline.

The door was hanging on by a thin strip of metal, so Ichigo dropped the axe, took a few steps back, and then rushed forward—ramming his shoulder against it. The heavy obstacle creaked under his weight and more purple gas poured out, rising to the ceiling.

Another solid hit and the door finally broke. It crashed to the floor with a heavy 'CLANK!' which shook the lab.

Ichigo stood there, panting through the respirator and trying to peer through the poisonous fog.

He took a long step forward, entering the room, and looked around. He squinted through the fog, searching for any sign of Zangetsu. He no longer heard any coughing or wheezing—actually, he couldn't hear anything, not even the hiss of the gas. It must automatically shut off after a while, spewing just enough to fill the room. The fog was slowly dispersing.

"Zangetsu…? Can you hear me?" He took another step forward. "Say something!"

A flash of white appeared in the corner of his eye, so fast that he didn't catch it at first. He winced and grunted in pain when something unexpectedly sharp cut his arm, ripping a hole in the guard uniform and spilling blood. Ichigo managed to dodge the next strike aimed for his side, but he stumbled over the fallen door. He caught himself against the wall and slid sideways, dodging another strike, but every move forced him further inside the room. Now he was surrounded by the smoke and Zangetsu was somewhere inside of it, stalking him.

"C'mon' man! I just wanna help—can't we talk about this!?" Ichigo tried, but it was no use.

Zangetsu rushed straight at him, appearing like a vengeful ghost. He had the face-mask on, so Ichigo couldn't clearly see his expression, but there was no mistaking the murderous intent in his movements.

Ichigo blocked the next attack by locking their forearms together, keeping the sharp weapon away from his neck. This was starting to feel like a continuation of the White Fight. His aching muscles protested as Zangetsu pushed closer, but now that they were face to face, standing in front of each other.

Even though Zangetsu was trying to kill him, Ichigo still felt like every awful thing he's done and gone through to get here was worth it. His gaze shifted to the strange weapon in Zangetsu's grasp; a pale blade—similar to the metal shank he used that one night, back in Cell #56. Except this one was made of… bone?

Ichigo didn't get to inspect it long, nor did Zangetsu give him a chance to ask—he reared back with a roar and lunged again, and again, and again!

Ichigo inched towards the doorway as he continued blocking and dodging. Zangetsu was unrelenting, and while Ichigo was busy trying to stop another vicious stab, Zangetsu yanked Ichigo's mask off his face.

It clattered to the ground, cracking one of the respirators, then disappeared into the fog.

Ichigo held his breath, to prevent any poison from entering his lungs, but how long could he last?

Zangetsu cackled at his attempt and kicked out, slamming a foot into his sternum. Ichigo's back collided with the wall—forcing all the breath from his lungs. He automatically gulped a mouthful of air but then realized what he just did and wondered how fucked he was.

Growling in frustration, Ichigo grabbed the taser at his hip, just as Zangetsu lunged to stab him again, and pressed the trigger. Two wired prongs shot out, conducting 50,000 volts of electricity into Zangetsu's abdomen. He dropped to his knees with a gasp, muscles tightening until he could no longer move.

Ichigo didn't release the trigger until he was out of the room and able to breathe relatively fresh air again. It was too late though; his lungs were burning and his eyes stung worse than getting pepper sprayed directly in the face.

"Fuck!"

Zangetsu took in a LOT more than a single breath, and yet he was still able to move around and fight?! Even now , after being tazed, Zangetsu's grip on his knife never loosened. He was staggering back to his feet. This guy was a monster.

Ichigo quickly put some distance between them, backing up to the other side of the lab.

"Can we just… call it a draw for now? I'm not here to fight."

Zangetsu was standing in the doorway now, purple gas gushing out, wisping and swirling around his form, making him look all the more menacing.

He took a few steps forward, away from the poison, before ripping off his own mask. He pinned Ichigo with a cold glare as he tossed it aside.

Then he growled in his harsh, metallic voice, "No… If ya want me to stop.. then ya gotta kill me. "

"There's no way I'm killing you. Don't be stupid." Ichigo said, strong and adamant.

"Then stay still so I can kill you!" Zangetsu's bare feet barely touched the ground as he sprinted forward. He was quick—TOO quick!

Did Zangetsu somehow become faster during the short week they were apart? Or was Ichigo more exhausted than he realized? His movements didn't seem slow or clumsy, but he was having trouble getting the upper hand.

"I won't let you kill me either…" Ichigo sidestepped the next strike but winced when the bone-dagger struck the computer's keyboard. It cracked in half, keys flying off in every direction.

"I'm here to HELP… I snuck in to get evidence! To stop Sousuke. I'm still not exactly sure what the hell he's doing… But I know it's wrong." Ichigo quickly grabbed the flashdrive from the monitor's port, praying to anyone who might be listening that none of the files were corrupted, and stuffed it in his pocket. He hopped backward to avoid another swipe, the bone creating an oddly hollow whistle as it passed. "Please. Zangetsu, I—"

"Don'tchu fuckin' say my name! Don't call it like you know me! Like you CARE! What a damn joke!" Zangetsu spat and unleashed a flurry of attacks that Ichigo couldn't keep up with—one connecting with his thigh, leaving a shallow cut, and another piercing his shoulder, digging through skin and muscle. Ichigo hissed in pain and placed a palm over the jab, keeping any blood from leaking out. Zangetsu wasn't going to give him time to recover, so Ichigo concentrated on the fight. He stayed in the pocket; safezones between each brutal attack, but this was getting him nowhere… But he wasn't giving up. Zangetsu seemed to sense that and backed off a bit. He slowed to a stop, allowing Ichigo to catch his breath as well. Once they were both able to breathe properly, Zangetsu pointed his now blood-stained dagger at Ichigo.

"I'm gonna make this real fuckin' easy for you," He took a step forward, inverted eyes wide and wild. "If you don't kill me—RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW—then I'm gonna kill YOU. But that won't be satisfying enough…" He took another step forward and Ichigo stepped back, "I can PROMISE—after I'm finished with you, I'll hunt down every single person you care about. And I'll do the exact same thing to them. Your friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, children, siblings, parents, cousins, hell—I'll even kill your cookie-baking Gran'mama. I don't give a shit! I wanna crush everyone who gave you even a SLIVER of happiness!" Zangetsu shouted, his expression crazed yet completely serious. Then he did something completely unexpected; he held out both arms, as if welcoming Ichigo in for a hug—reminding the bashful male just how naked he was.

Zangetsu didn't care about that though, he kept both arms spread wide… The hidden message: He was inviting Ichigo to 'embrace death'.

"What's it gonna be, Mr. Hero? Lemme kill everyone you love, or grow some balls and KILL ME?!"

Ichigo's heart twisted with confliction, but if Zangetsu was threatening his friends and family… did he really have a choice?

When he looked back up and locked eyes with Zangetsu, the hesitation was gone. Cocoa brown irises began shifting from copper to auburn—then the color's saturation rose until Zangetsu was looking into bright, fiery red.

Ichigo shook away the weariness clinging to his battered body. He mentally detached himself from all of those aches and pains, pushing it into the basement of his mind and locking it away

It felt like the weight of a thousand chains lifting away—weight that had been holding him down for far too long.

An excited hiss escaped Zangetsu as he watched the subtle transformation of 'Ichigo' turning into 'Reaper'. He giggled at the terrifying stare he received and shifted impatiently while Ichigo reached for the baton hanging off his belt, twirling it off its hook in one clean motion.

They both charged at the same time, colliding in a frenzy of attacks, circling one another and grappling to gain dominance.

Now that Ichigo wasn't hesitating or holding back anymore, he allowed his old instincts to kick in. Like inserting an old, but familiar, piece of himself into the correct slot, and now he could function properly. No more stuttering or trying to talk the other down. Just red-hot battle-lust burning through him. He didn't even realize he was smirking in excitement, but of course Zangetsu saw and laughed.

Witnessing this newly awakened side of Ichigo was absolutely intoxicating.

It was a sight worth dying for!

Too bad it didn't last long.

It only took a few seconds—Ichigo, with extremely precise aim, slapped the tip of the baton against Zangetsu's wrist, jarring the bundle of nerves and loosening his grip. The dagger flew up out of his palm. Zangetsu's other hand shot up to catch it (A practiced movement for him when he fought with multiple weapons), but Ichigo planned for this exact moment.

In the blink of an eye, Ichigo used his thumb and middle finger to flip the dagger around, grasped the bloody handle, then plunged it directly into Zangetsu's chest. The sharpened edge sunk through pale flesh, slipped between two ribs, and didn't stop until it pierced all the way through his heart.

"Ahh~ Nice t'finally meet ya, Reaper …." Zangetsu used the last of his energy to reach up and stroke Ichigo's cheek, golden eyes hooded and pale lips set in a sad smile. He watched as reddish-auburn eyes seeped back to chocolate brown, the cold killer in him receding, as if Ichigo was coming to.

Zangetsu's heart gradually stopped beating.

He chuckled until his last breath, then his hand dropped and he went still.

He was dead.

Dead…

And Ichigo felt so utterly distraught. He's killed plenty of men—but never has he been this wracked with guilt and sorrow about it.

"Damn it… DAMN YOU! I ONLY WANTED TO HELP!" Ichigo roared. He knew Zangetsu couldn't hear him, but he continued in a loud, quavering voice, "Why wouldn't you just let me help?! You sonuva bitch.. If I COULD take back everything then I would! If I could switch places with you then… I would… I… D-dammit!" He released the bone-dagger and staggered to his feet.

Head and spine bowing under the weight of his grief, Ichigo forced himself to look at Zangetsu one last time. He took the time to memorize his face, burning this unforgettable man into his memory, because that's ALL he was now.. A memory…

Ichigo made sure he still had the flashdrive in his pocket and placed his palm back over the still bleeding wound on his shoulder. Then he forced himself to start walking—more like limping, towards the exit. He left Sousuke's awful lab behind and never looked back.

By the time he got to the end of the hall, the burn in his lungs had returned with a vengeance and every inch of him hurt. The poison was still wreaking havoc. He needed help.

Ichigo yanked open the door and stumbled into Yhwach's office, grimacing when Toshiro gasped and ran to his side. He hated looking so clumsy and weak in front of anyone. Thankfully Toshiro kept any comments to himself as he helped Ichigo into the nearest seat.

Now that he wasn't alone and had someone he mostly trusted to watch his back, Ichigo felt his consciousness fade just a bit, but the other's voice kept pulling him back.

"Kurosaki? Don't you dare fall asleep. I need you to tell me exactly what happened. Do you have a concussion? How much blood have you lost? DAMMIT! Answer me!" Toshiro grabbed Ichigo's collar and shook him—not enough to aggravate the wounds, but to keep Ichigo conscious.

"Alright… Help me up… Gotta get to Kisuke." With a grunt, Ichigo lurched out of the chair, and Toshiro was torn between forcing the obviously hurt man to sit back down or do as he asked.

Toshiro sighed wearily as he encouraged the taller male to lean against him for support. They made their way out of Yhwach's office as quickly as they could, and then Toshiro reached for his radio, "Kisuke. We need you ASAP. He's in bad shape…"

Kisuke's reply was immediate.

"How bad?"

BLP.

"Can you meet us at Medic?"

"I'll be there in two minutes. Do what you can for him."

BLP.

Toshiro didn't bother responding again—he focused all of his energy on helping Ichigo walk.

Medical was conveniently close by—just down the hall, but Toshiro kept his eyes peeled for other guards patrolling the area. Lady luck seemed to be smiling on them today, because Toshiro didn't see a single person the whole way there. The only difficult part of the journey had been trying to squeeze through the metal-detector while keeping Ichigo from falling over.

Toshiro fumbled with the keys around his belt (Every guard possessed a copy of Medical's key, as well as a key for each section of the building: A, B, and C). He got the door open and dragged Ichigo towards the long row of beds. Ichigo grunted as he fell back on disinfected sheets.

A few beds down, in the exact same spot Ichigo remembered seeing him earlier, was Juushiro. The sickly man was stirring awake.

Dark eyes blinked open and looked around. He blinked some more when he noticed the other two people in the room; Two guards. Juushiro yawned as he slowly sat up, noting that he was still in Medical instead of back in his cell—Hanataro must've convinced Captain Zaraki to let him stay. But of course they had to take precautions… Juushiro narrowed his eyes at the cuffs attached to his ankles. At least he could still shuffle around, but they prevented him from being able to 'run'.

Juushiro glanced back up at the guards when he heard one of them groan in what sounded like pain. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes before trying to get a better look. It took him a moment to realize that the short one was Toshiro, and the one laying down was…. Kaien?

No.

Ichigo!

Juushiro hopped out of the bed and shuffled closer—as quickly as the cuffs would allow.

"What in the world is going on? What happened?" He asked when it finally registered that Ichigo, a fellow inmate, was wearing a guard uniform, or at least partially (Toshiro managed to remove both shirts to inspect Ichigo's shoulder).

The shorter white-haired male continued cleaning and bandaging as he answered, "Ichigo managed to get inside the lab, but then he came out like this—I don't know what happened. He hasn't said anything about it yet."

Before Juushiro could ask another question, the door burst open and Kisuke hustled inside, looking more serious than either of them have ever seen him.

He walked straight to Ichigo's bedside and leaned forward so they were face to face.

"Ichigo. I'm here. Do you have it?"

Ichigo opened his eyes, revealing how red and irritated they were. He winced from the burning sensation, but stubbornly met Kisuke's gaze. He then lifted his hand to reveal a small, black flashdrive. Kisuke took it with a grateful nod and placed it safely in his own pocket before asking, "Now then… I see Toshiro already dressed the cut on your shoulder, but what else is wrong with you?" Kisuke reached up to spread one eyelid open, inspecting his sclera.

"Purple smoke." Ichigo grunted, trying to keep his answers short because his chest hurt too damn much.

"Purple… smoke?" Toshiro repeated, bewildered, but the others immediately understood. Juushiro gasped and gave Ichigo a look of deep sympathy while Kisuke pulled out a leather bag. Inside of it was an assortment of vials, all thrown together haphazardly, but Kisuke knew exactly what he was looking for. He motioned for Toshiro to help Ichigo sit up, then he forced Ichigo to swallow a slimy concoction that tasted like bitter licorice.

"Blegh!" Ichigo complained, but didn't say anything else, because he was already feeling better. "Woah… Did you know Sousuke was gonna use something like that?"

"Not exactly... Lucky for us Sousuke isn't very original—the purple smoke you inhaled was an old creation of Mayuri's. I carry around antidotes to anything that nutcase ever invented… Because you never know when it might come in handy~" Kisuke shrugged and replaced the empty vial inside his pouch, zipped it up, then put it away. "Tell us what else happened—who stabbed you?"

Ichigo's face contorted with such anger and sorrow that the others respectfully dropped their gaze, but Kisuke quickly looked back up when he heard, "I killed him…"

Ichigo's voice was shaking, so perhaps Kisuke didn't hear him quite right… He leaned closer to ask, "Huh? What did you just say?"

"Zangetsu… He's dead… I tried to reason with him, but he just wouldn't stop… I had to… I HAD to… Fuuuuck." Ichigo's words were drenched in so much anguish that Juushiro couldn't help himself—he knelt by the younger's side, knees connecting with the hard floor. Then he lightly stroked Ichigo's forehead, careful of the split and bruising patch of skin. Ichigo blinked when his bangs were gently brushed aside and he finally locked eyes with Juushiro. "Oh, hey… You're awake... You feeling any better?"

Juushiro chuckled at the unexpected question—even though Ichigo was going through an emotional crisis at the moment he still manages to think of others.

This man was too precious for this world.

"Right now I seem to be doing much better than you… But tell me, are you absolutely sure Zangetsu is dead?" Juushiro prodded softly, knowing Ichigo's mind was in a state of turmoil, but still wanting to know the truth.

"Yeah… I stabbed him through the heart… Felt it stop beating… There's no possible way-"

BEEEEP!

Each of them jumped in surprise when the intercoms came to life, its loud beep echoing inside the silent building. Kisuke and Toshiro shared a confused look—announcements were never made after lockdown…

Good evening Hueco Mundo~ Rise n' shine!

That voice…

Even though it was distorted by the speaker's static, there was no mistaking that metallic voice.

Ichigo pushed away Juushiro's hand as he struggled to his feet. He stared at the intercom above their heads with wide, panicked eyes, waiting with bated breath for the person to keep speaking.

Hope y'all got a lil' shut eye, 'cuz tonight's gonna be a helluva night!

Zangetsu..?

"He's in the control room? But how?" Kisuke wondered, more curious than worried—he didn't seem at all surprised that Zangetsu wasn't actually dead.

"Through Yhwach's office…. He must've snuck out after us. I didn't see any guards on the way here-He had a clear route to the front. Shit… And I thought it was lucky. This isn't good." Toshiro tugged at his own hair anxiously while Juushiro tried to calm him down with hushed words.

Now… 'Fore I set you ingrates loose, I have something to say. Y'all know I've been squirrelin' away my money, savin' up to retire in luxury—Yanno, all that end-o-life shit… But I'm gonna offer up every cent I've earned here: Two and a half million dollars, to the one who brings me Ichigo Kurosaki.

Aforementioned male stiffened and could only stare at the speaker with wide, horrified eyes.

That's right, Mr. Hero—now there's a bounty on your head. See how ya like gettin' chased down for money!... But listen up, ya fuckers—I want Ichigo ALIVE… and UNSPOILED… Other than that, let's make this a riot ta remember!

A loud BUZZ emanated from cellblocks A, B, and C. The sound could be heard throughout the entire building.

Then came the roars, cheers, and laughs of inmates as they poured out of their cells.

…

..

TBC

..

…