I'm trying to build a mystery here. At least, that's what I think I'm doing.

I hope that's what I'm doing.

Anyway. INTRIGUE!

.

"What can this man do? What are his abilities? Explain them, please. To the best of your recollection."

The main thing that stuck out, even to Hitsugaya himself, was how scared he sounded. He wasn't sure if it was the idea of the children for whom he'd taken responsibility being hurt, or manipulated, or used, was what rattled him; or if it was simpler than that.

He was scared because he didn't know what he was facing.

The last time he'd been this much in the dark . . . well.

Hitsugaya supposed, if anything, the best way forward would be to figure out as many answers as he could about what this Nishi was and could do. If that helped, then there was his answer; if not, then that was also an answer.

Ikkaku sat lounging like a king, and he grimaced like he'd just eaten something unpleasant. "I was never the one who dealt with him closely," he said. "That was Yumi. What I can tell you is this: if Nishi has those runts' shadows, then he can make them do whatever he wants." He gesticulated randomly. "They're puppets now. Whenever he decides to bend his attention their way, they'll do what he wants. It's a hard game to work out, because the only way to make Nishi dangerous is by getting hold of the shadow of somebody dangerous. You follow me? He's limited by whatever his puppets can do. He can't, like, augment their strengths or shore up their weaknesses or whatever."

Hitsugaya crossed his arms over his chest. "I see." He grunted. "So, what do you imagine is his aim? He's been using children all this time, hasn't he?" Ikkaku nodded. "What's his reasoning? What does that give him?"

"I mean," Ikkaku said, "Yumi has his own ideas on what it means. But in terms of what I've been able to figure out, it's pretty much that nobody pays much attention to kids. If he's infiltrating the Court, then they aren't his endgame. But whatever he's after, the smaller his puppet, the more likely they'll get there without being noticed. Also, the more powerful a puppet is, the more power it takes to keep them in his thrall. If those two are as helpless as they look, then controlling them will be easy as breathing. But if he was gonna transfer control to a soul reaper, that would take more. An officer, more. Vice-captain, still more. Captain, even more."

Hitsugaya nodded solemnly. "I'm supposing we don't know how strong his control is. How many people he can control at once."

"No," Ikkaku admitted, shaking his head. "Last I saw him, he had . . . I dunno, ten? I think. But we're talking peasants with no real spiritual power. I'm sure he's stronger now. He's gotta be. I don't think it's gonna surprise me if I find out he can make a puppet out of a reaper by now."

"And we still don't know what he actually wants," Hitsugaya murmured thoughtfully.

"Nope." Ikkaku's face went grim. "We don't. But he's gonna make a move. He's gonna grab somebody else's shadow. It's what he does. It's how he's kept control over his little fiefdom so long. We don't know what he wants, but we know we shouldn't let him get it. The best option, what protocol dictates, would be . . . well, I don't think you're gonna do it. I don't think I would. But, depending on who you ask, your new recruits should go to the Nest. You know that, right?

Hitsugaya's eyes flared. "They'll be contained," he said, "but I'm not treating a pair of children like prisoners. I refuse to believe that's the right move. I'm not letting some shadow-thief control me that much."

Ikkaku studied Hitsugaya for a while, then his face split in a grin.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," he said.