"I dream of gods–and–monsters and of the man who knew I was both."

— Ember

Ichigo stares up at the giant fucking Godzilla-sized Hollow, eyes narrowed and face set in a scowl. His hands were placed on his hips as he ignores all of the rapid fire around him from an adorable little girl that probably shouldn't be using a weird machine gun weapon.

"Ichigo, whatever the hell you're thinking of, no." Uryū glares at his ginger friend. Any amount of silence lasting longer than one minute means Ichigo's thinking of a horrible, horrible idea that only dumbasses like him can think of.

"Even Ichigo's dumbass ideas will be better than no idea. Let 'im think," Mizuiro states brightly, rapidly typing away on his phone. He stood in between the two spiritually aware teenagers as if they weren't in the middle of a Hollow attack. Keigo was running around in circles, being chased by a small Hollow.

"...when did I ever say I was thinkin' of somethin', bitch?! Don't even think that you're off the hook 'bout bringin' a Hollow Bait to school!" Ichigo sneers, pointing his glare at his bespectacled friend. He looks back up at the Hollow and nods his head as if determining what he would do.

"You remember the "this bitch empty" vine?" He asks while glancing over at Uryū.

"I take it back. No ideas are better than Ichigo's asinine plan. What the actual fuck?" Mizuiro looks up from his phone to give Ichigo the most deadest of pans stare.

"You're arrows, can they carry me?" The orange haired teenager barrels through Mizuiro's question, completely ignoring him.

Uryū stares at him like he was the stupidest being on the planet. He pushes up his glasses as he looks up at the Hollow.

"Uryū! Tatsuki's gonna kill you! Ichigo, this is not gonna work! You can't yeet a human body that far!" Mizuiro exclaims before he hits both of his friends on the head. Ichigo hisses out a curse and glares at the black haired teenager and crosses his arms.

"Tatsuki was already going to kill me for my... mistake." Uryū lightly hits his hand against Ichigo's shoulder with a small glare, not noticing the sudden warbling of his bow. "If we're doing this, you're not leaving me to deal with Tatsuki alone. And you aren't allowed to scold me for the Hollow Bait!"

Ichigo narrows his eyes before huffing. He turns towards Mizuiro and points over at the collapsed form of Rukia.

"Make sure she don't leave. She's gonna be in for it once I'm done, got it?" Ichigo states with a small glare pointed at Rukia, his voice getting louder at the end. Rukia snaps out of her terrified shock to glare back.

"Fuck you!" She doesn't make any move from the ground, almost like she was stuck there, even as she shouts.

"Fuck you!" Ichigo shouts back.

"Fuck you, dumbass!"

Uryū knocks against Ichigo's zanpakutō before roughly grabbing it to get back the ginger's attention. "Now is not the time for your little insult challenge–"

"Oh, shut up! You're still not off the hook even if I'm not gonna scold–what the actual fuck?!" Both teenagers cut themselves off to stare at the giant fucking Quincy bow that completely formed off of Uryū's outstretched arm.

"My! And I thought you were always compensating for something, Uryū-kun!" Mizuiro teases instinctively in his shock. He couldn't see it clearly... but it almost looked like pulsing waves of energy–like sound waves–were protruding off the Quincy's arm like it was a power source. It was trippy as fuck.

"...we're definitely namin' this move after the vine," Ichigo speaks his thoughts on the entire thing, making both of his best friends turn to glare at him.

"This will only happen once, bastard! Don't think I won't scold you for your dumbassery if you do anything like this again!" Uryū warns with narrowed eyes behind his glasses.

Ichigo rolls his eyes while rolling his shoulders. "Oh, shut up, bitch. We doin' this or what? We've wasted enough time."

"I'm so taking a video of this. This'll be hilarious!" Mizuiro holds up his phone with a bright grin, already recording.

Ichigo rolls his eyes once again with a snort and focuses on his Quincy friend. They stare at each other for a moment before glancing up at the Godzilla Hollow. It's time to kick some ass.

Social cues and observation skills are not Ichigo's strong suit. Not by a fucking long shot. Those skills are all the way in the fucking stratosphere. But, just because those are some of his worst skills, doesn't mean he isn't intuitive or perceptive.

Quite honestly, his perception of things around him and his intuition are some of the best in the entire universe. Orihime, Keigo, and Uryū have a bet going to see if he actually can read minds or not. It's hilarious to watch and pretend not to know about the entire thing.

And since his intuition is named one of the best, he could clearly tell something was incredibly, abhorrently, and magnanimously wrong the moment he walked into his classroom–on time actually. All of this, including the elephant, suffocated Rukia's presence and her entire person.

Ichigo only took a moment to glance at each of his friends, noticing them staring at him and each and every one of them ignoring everyone's bandaged injuries. They all could tell too. He nods his head once and immediately walks out of the classroom, backwards. He spins on his heel and starts to walk back down the hallway.

"Rukia! Let's go!" Orihime's cheerful voice is barely muffled by the door or the rushing footsteps inside the classroom.

"Eh?! What–hey, wait! What–what are you all doing?!"

"Ichigo's initiating Code: Just Do It!" Mizuiro, Chad, and Uryū briskly walk out of the classroom at Keigo's exclamation. Tatsuki quickly follows after, Keigo right next to her and Orihime right behind with Rukia being dragged with them.

"We're kidnapping you!" Orihime states even brighter than her previous statement, smiling at the Shinigami.

"But–but, class–"

"Is just formalities now that break is almost here." Uryū pushes up his glasses. "The teachers won't do anything about it when all of us make up the Top 7 rankings for the term exam."

"But that's–you–where are we even going?!" Rukia sputters with a scowl of confusion.

Ichigo turns to look over his shoulder with a grin. "You're gonna tell us what's wrong by the end of the day. And we're gonna have some fuckin' fun while listenin'."

Rukia stares at him, eyes wide and mouth open. She glances over at the rest of the group and finally notices their own worried gazes and determined expressions. The guilt and sadness grows even more, yet ebbed slightly by the amount of love and warmth that invaded her chest.

"Oh..."

Ichigo smiles wryly at the quiet answer and faces forward once again. They haven't initiated Code: Just Do It in a while... not truly since the first year of Keigo being a part of the group.

"–just listen to me for once?! I would never sabotage my own fucking sister's exam! Even if I would, I don't have the fucking time for it!" 12 year old Keigo bursts out with something almost like anger, but more like disbelief.

He's in middle school while his sister is in high school. He's an average student with average grades and an average record in track. He never joined any kind of student council, he doesn't pay attention to class, and he doesn't even like kendo!

"Asano Keigo! Do not shout at your mother like that!" His father snaps, like it was Keigo in the wrong.

"I wouldn't have to if you could just listen! Why do you always blame me for Aneki's bad grades? It's not that fucking hard to believe that she just did badly!" Keigo throws his hands up in the air and turns around.

He doesn't want to face his parents this early in the morning. He never even wanted to be in this argument! Why did they have to start this reoccurring argument when Keigo just wants to be happy he managed to get in the top 50 of his school?!

"Mizuho is ranked number one in her class and is on the student council as well as the president of the Kendo Club! She would never get bad grades! Don't say that about your sister, Keigo!" His mother denies with a harsh and hurt tone.

Keigo groans and runs a hand through his hair, turning back around to glare at his own parents. "I'm not saying anything like that! She just got one bad grade! It's not surprising with all that she had to do for the student council and with that kendo competition. Why are you blaming me for things that aren't even in my life?!"

Mizuho's quickly climbing up to become student council president. Mizuho's won another kendo competition and supported the rest of her competitors. Mizuho's ranked number one in the fifth year in a row. It's always Mizuho. The star of the Asano family from Naruki City. The expected child.

"Keigo! Keigo, get back here! Don't you dare walk away when we're talking to you!" Asano Tomoka shouts after her son as he storms out of the dining room. "Asano Keigo! If you take one more step, I'll ground you for months!"

Keigo clenches his jaw as he marches out of the house, slamming the front door closed behind him. He starts to run when he hears the door open. He doesn't want to deal with them anymore. He doesn't want to have to face them and their stupid beliefs about him.

A burning starts to form at the back of his throat, eyes starting to itch. He doesn't stop running. Even as he starts to cry, he doesn't stop.

It isn't until he reaches school that he finally slows down. Out of breath, lightheaded, exhausted. Keigo stops in the park across from the middle school with his hands on his knees and tears falling from his eyes.

Why? Why?! Why couldn't they listen to him, even for one time?! Why couldn't they act like he's their own son?! Why did they have to treat him like some burden, some tool to make his sister look better? Why can't he ever be their son instead of Mizuho's idiot brother?!

Keigo got detention again. Keigo kept lighting strips of paper on fire, the weirdo. Why is Keigo even considered the class clown when he's not even funny? Keigo can't even keep a C in class. It's never Keigo. He's the disappointment of the Asano family in Naruki City. The unwanted accident.

They never wanted a boy. They just wanted a girl. A cute little girl who'll be the perfect golden child. A girl to brighten their days with smiles and successes and stubbornness. Mizuho doesn't even want a brother. She never wanted a sibling.

Keigo bites back a sob, only to whimper instead. He furiously rubs his face in some kind of attempt to stop his tears. He doesn't care what he even looks like right now. He just wants to stop crying. He just wants everything to stop. He just wants his parents to think of him as a human being with his own gifts and skills. He just wants them to be proud of him for just one fucking second.

"–sano?" Keigo looks up at the call of his last name. He tries to see through his tears, only spotting blurry orange and grey. His head hangs back down as he continues to wipe away the oncoming tears.

"G'way!" Keigo forces past his sobs. It's not like the person would even care. They're probably going to ask him for his lunch again, or rip up his homework so he doesn't pass the class it was for.

Keigo cries harder when finally gives up on trying to wipe away the tears. He thought things would be different when he got to junior high. He thought–he hoped, he wished that his parents might start to see him as their son instead of a disappointment. He passed his classes, he got accepted into track, he even won a few competitions!

He only received blame and insults in return. Why does he even try anymore? They don't believe him when he passes his classes, accusing him of cheating. They ground him when he stops passing. They accuse him of sabotaging his sister's studying when she gets a bad grade and then blame him for sneaking out when it was actually Mizuho. They don't listen or believe him when he tells them that the other kids steal his lunch and won't let him eat, or when he tells them that he got kicked around again.

"Asano, are you okay?" Whoever was standing in front of Keigo asks softly, kneeling in front of him.

Keigo didn't even realize he had started kneeling himself. He just cries harder, his breaths getting shorter and sharper. He shakes his head rapidly. He doesn't even know why he even cares anymore.

Why is he crying so much over it? This always happened before and it always will. He promised he wouldn't care if they just did the same thing as they always did ever since he could remember... so why? Why does he care so much when he knows the answer to it all? Why can't he just let go and realize that they don't love him?

Keigo feels more than sees someone pulling him into a hug. It just makes him break down more as he immediately wraps his arms around the person.

"Jus' let it all out, Asano... you're dealin' with a lot. jus' let it out," The voice speaks quietly, a warm hand rubbing Keigo's back up and down. Keigo presses his face into the shoulder of the person hugging him, gasping for air–for any kind of control. He doesn't hear the next statement from the person–later he learns is Ichigo–holding him.

"I'm initiating Code: Just Do It and the Sadder Matter Cuddle. If we aren't still here, we'll be getting ramen."

Ichigo stumbles and trips over his own feet, scraping and sliding across the street. He quickly scrambles back up and forces himself to sprint even faster. He ignores the tightness in his chest, the soreness of his lungs, the lack of air and the burning in his throat. He has to make it in time. He has to!

"Rukia... you're such an idiot!" Ichigo hisses, ignoring how wet and hoarse his voice sounded to even his own ears.

The sun had long since disappeared and there was barely a star in the sky with how many clouds covered the sky. Ichigo only had the streetlights to guide his path as he frantically searched for the missing Shinigami.

She told them. She told them all as they ate Ichiran Ramen about what was going to happen. She was going to be arrested. When the giant Hollow–Ariana Grande or whatever the fuck it was called–had come to the Living World, it sent an alert to Soul Society. Rukia was already on borrowed time and with the alert, they would find out she never really went missing.

She broke the law to save Ichigo and his family. She would need to be arrested and taken back to Soul Society for her trial... but if they find out that Ichigo was near, they would most likely kill him. Her powers never returned since that fateful night, but it wasn't Ichigo's fault. Something else was happening to cause them not to come back.

Ichigo told her that he would go with her. He was an eyewitness. It was logical. It was the best idea. And yet...

Ichigo, Tatsuki, Chad, Orihime, Mizuiro, Keigo, and Uryū,

Ichigo feels a spike of a familiar presence off to his right. He slides to a stop and whips his head towards the direction. Uryū found Rukia!

I know you want to help, and I will eternally be grateful for it, but you can't. You don't know what Soul Society will do, what they probably already have done.

Ichigo starts sprinting down the street, eyes cold with fury and terror. Rukia can't die because of him. He won't allow another person he loves to die because of him! Hell will freeze over and God must die first!

I will miss you all. You... you are my family. Thank you so much for letting me love one last time.

He sees Uryū laying in a pool of his own blood beneath a flickering streetlight with Rukia frozen solid in shock between two men clad in shihakushō. He sprints faster, hands clenching into fists.

"Abarai Renji! This is the name of the man that will kill you! Remember it well," One of the Shinigami declares loudly, about to swing his zanpakutō down towards the fallen Uryū.

Ichigo, if you can... please hide. And don't come after me, dumbass.

"YOU'RE THE FUCKIN' DUMBASS, YOU BITCH!" Ichigo roars, announcing his presence. Rukia snaps her head up with wide eyes full of terror and shock as Ichigo leaps towards them.

The Shinigami with red hair whips around, his sword raised for an attack. The palm of Ichigo's hand hits his face before he could register where Ichigo was coming from. The bitchiest of bitch slaps causes the Shinigami to fly to the left. The ginger lands on the ground on both of his feet.

He pants heavily while glaring down at Rukia, ignoring the numb stinging in his hand. "You're the fuckin' dumbass. Did ya really think a letter woulda stopped us?"

"Who–who the hell are you?!" The red haired Shinigami shouts from the wall he had been slapped into. Ichigo glares at him with a snort, a hand gripping the hilt of his zanpakutō.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, the name of the man who'll fuckin' kill you," Ichigo mocks the Shinigami's previous words, unsheathing his zanpakutō and pointing it towards him. "Remember it well, cunt!"

"What–what the hell are you doing here?! Ichigo, I... I wanted you to be safe! They don't care that you're human!" Rukia bursts out in anger. She takes a step forward and hits Ichigo's chest. She raises her fist back up and hits him again.

"Idiot! Dumbass! Fool! A-asshole!" Rukia takes a deep breath to try and stop her tears. "Leave! Leave and don't come after me! This is my fault! This is my sin! I must pay for it! You can't stop me, so leave!"

Rukia swallows and lowers her head, refusing her tears to be seen by anyone. She stops hitting Ichigo's chest and just rests her trembling knuckles against it. A sniff resounds through the air before Rukia finally breaks out of her mask.

"Didn't–didn't you hear me?! Just go! L-leave! I've–I've made my peace with it!" Rukia cries out, still hiding her tears.

Ichigo sighs softly and grabs Rukia by her arms. A small whine of surprise escapes her throat when the human pulls her into a hug. The scratchy bandages against her own skin felt comforting and safe.

"You're the dumbass. Did you really think I'd let my sister walk to her own death?" Ichigo speaks softly, making Rukia freeze. Neither notice the tense posture of the other Shinigami; neither really pay attention that this was not the time nor the place for their moment. Neither pay attention to the suffering sigh from the still fallen Quincy, who rolls his eyes at the entire dramatic scene. He sort of wishes he had popcorn for it... or his phone to record the entire thing.

"Y-you–you–you have to! Ichi-Ichigo... You–you have to! I-I don't–I don't want you to die! Not–not 'cause of me!" Rukia cries loudly, collapsing into his hold. Ichigo easily holds up both of their weights as he tightens his hug.

"It seems you forgot what being a part of my family means, Rukia." Ichigo releases his hold on the Shinigami to face the two trying to arrest her. The air becomes thick with bloodlust, rolling like waves of molasses. Normally tawny eyes were shining an eerie gold like someone had poured the liquid form of the metal into them. A feral grin broke across a sharp face, full of gleaming white teeth with an unnerving sharpness to them.

"I didn't bring you into this family... I took ya hostage. Hell has to freeze over and God has to die before I even begin to think 'bout lettin' you go."

Hey! Hope you all like the new chapter! Ending it on a cliffhanger, woo-woot!

I hope the flashback wasn't too confusing... or too fast. I'm wanting to start showing each of the Karakura Gang's problems and how their trauma came to be. I surprised myself by writing Keigo first, but I'm not upset by it.

Also, for those on who ask if this is a cry for help or say that I need therapy... maybe I do, but that'll just take away all of the wonderfully horrible ideas of trauma I can put my characters through. A writer always loves to make their characters suffer. :

I hope you all are enjoying the chapter so far! Bye!

WhovianWhoudini