…

…

Ishida's eyebrow twitched.

Nemu blinked.

"You've got to be kidding me," Ishida prompted bluntly, continuing to gaze at the dark-skinned woman standing in front of the two.

She rolled her yellow eyes, "No. I am not. Yoru-chan just contacted me with the information."

"Shall I retrieve the coordinates for Inoue Orihime?" Nemu asked robotically, quietly.

Ishida kneaded his temples, "I knew he was bad news."

Yoruichi sighed, sliding on her jacket, "We need to hurry. No doubt they'll go after Orihime, too."

Nemu bowed, "Yes, Yoruichi-sama."

Nudging his glasses up his nose, Ishida nodded solemnly, "Right."

…

…

Shunsui sighed heavily, glancing towards Jushiro, who sat just a few feet away from him. tipping his hat, the brunette crooked a brow at his white-haired comrade who stared out the window, watching the world.

"What's wrong?" He asked, raising his brow even further up his forehead. "Headache?"

Black brows merged together into an uncharacteristic 'V', "You could say that."

Frowning now, Shunsui placed down his cup of sake on the table, "You can feel somethin' coming, can't you?"

"It's getting closer," he replied, his lips in a firm line. Taking in a deep breath, he glanced at the man across from him, "Where's Orihime?"

Just then, the door slid open. Shunsui was surprised to see Nanao without a harsh look on her face. Instead, she appeared tired and upset, cradling her clipboard to her chest, "We have to hurry."

Behind her stood Urahara, the black cat in his arms. He did not say anything, but patted down the feline's fur, his face hidden by the rim of his hat.

"Urahara-san," Shunsui started.

"Sound the alarm, would you, Jushiro-kun?" Urahara's voice was low.

Jushiro nodded, "Yes, sir."

"Ise-san is right," he continued, "We should hurry."

…

…

Kurosaki-kun.

"Is she alright?"

Kurosaki-kun.

"What was that just now?"

Kurosaki-kun.

"Should we contact the police?"

Kurosaki-kun.

"Nah. The train is moving. It was probably just a drill."

Kurosaki-kun…

"But what about her?"

Suddenly, the train made a loud creaking noise and then raptured, jerking against the rails. A baby shrieked and a couple people were quick to grab onto something or someone. There were a few yells of protest, surprise, and questions afterwards.

"What the hell was that?!"

"What're they doing up there?"

"Is everyone okay?"

"This train is gonna be late."

"Maybe it's just a drill…"

And then her eyes snapped open.

"Get down!"

The sound of shattering glass reached Orihime's ears as she pressed herself on the dirty ground. There were screams and the train jerked, causing everyone in the small cab to thrust forwards, bumping into each other.

Orihime managed to get to her knees, taking a hold of a seat. The train went faster, and Orihime nearly panicked when she heard the firing of guns. Bullets sailed through the windows, breaking through the glass, sending the others into chaos. Orihime was on her feet, her knees weak, and she saw through the back door, the broken glass, the two soldiers racing after the train on their motorcycles.

Her eyes widened.

"There she is!" One crowed and aimed his large gun.

Orihime scrambled backwards, knocking into someone else. She landed on her back just as the bullet burst through the glass and nearly killed her.

"Get off, dammit!"

Orihime glanced backwards to see Tatsuki. There were tears on her face and she was clawing desperately at the ground. Their eyes met and locked. Orihime wasn't sure if it was a second or an hour before Tatsuki broke it, hurrying to her feet.

"W-Wait, Tatsuki-san…!" She vanished into the crowd, but not before throwing Orihime a forlorn glance over her shoulder. "Tatsuki-san, Tatsuki-san!" There was another round of bullets.

Orihime licked her lips nervously and her eyes flickered.

"Tsubaki."

There was a flash of golden light and something left her pins. It skyrocketed up towards the ceiling of the train, formed a perfect rectangle, and the roof blew off, smoke and sparks of light flashing.

There was the sound of shrieks and then a sound closer to her. One soldier had jumped onto the back of the train and was already reaching towards her. Orihime dropped to her knees, gasping for air as the world seemed to collapse around her.

Kurosaki-kun, where—

Without warning, there was a strong, unnatural breeze. All eyes shot up. Orihime's fear began to melt away when she spotted the helicopter above the train. The ladder hung downward and Ikkaku grinned widely at her, hanging from the bottom.

"Need'a lift, Orihime-nee?"

…

…

Bastards.

He flexed his shoulder. It felt like it was on fire.

Fucking bastards.

He glanced towards the camera in the corner of the room that moved every time he did.

I'm gonna kill them. Every last one, dammit.

"Tired already, Hichigo-kun?" Came from the speaker in the camera. Ichigo's teeth grinded together.

"Fuck you!" He snarled. But his body did something better. Before he knew it, his back rebounded from the wall, raised off the ground, scaled the wall, and his foot knocked the camera to the ground. Growling, he smashed it beneath his feet. It made a faint buzzing noise and bits of electricity jerked around before it fell silent. The corners of his mouth tilted upwards into a smirk.

"Don' get so cocky, Hichigo-kun."

Ichigo growled under his breath as his head shot up and found another camera there, the same as the last.

Fucking bastards, he repeated venomously.

The voice faded away, but the camera continued to zero onto him. With that, Ichigo sat down. The room was a snowy white, the walls and the floors, and even the door that only opened from the outside. He had been dragged here only three hours ago, but it felt like fucking eternity to him. The memory flashes were worst here – they backpedalled from his mother's death to the dark, cool brown eyes of a man. He scowled at nothing in particular, his thoughts flickering from snowy days to rain pelting his window.

"Orihime…"

She had been pressed against the glass, her eyes wide with horror, her small hands clinging to the window.

"It seems that you have gotten too far for me to reach."

His fists balled, causing his attention to revert back to his wrists, which were handcuffed together. He tugged at them, his scowl deepening when he felt the slight pain. "Damn…"

And Tatsuki.

His body tensed. What the hell was that? She'd shoved him from the train, caused him to meet his demise, and whispered, "I'm sorry." What kind of bullshit was that? He'd known Tatsuki since he was in diapers, and they'd always been close. Hell, she was his first kiss when he was eleven and they both decided never to do that again. She was a sister to him and she knew almost everything about him – almost. Did that mean she worked for the "bad guys"?

Tatsuki isn't like that…

…is she?

He shouldn't be second guessing it, but he was. After all, his whole life seemed to be a lie, memories kept popping up, and now he didn't know up from down. He decided right then and there that he needed to check everyone, everything, before he felt safe again.

Just then, the door slid open.

Ichigo's body tensed up, the muscles bunching aggressively. He raised his chin, and his dark eyes found the three men at the door. They were all dressed in white suits, yellow gloves, and large gas masks over their heads, tubes running out of the nose and into the suit. Ichigo's fists balled.

"The hell do you want?" He sneered at them.

Dark eyes narrowed behind the mask, "Careful there, boy."

"Yes," one agreed, "We don't want to hurt you."

"Speak for yourself," another snorted, holding up the large syringe that held peculiar, clear liquid. "If you do anything shady, this," he squirted a bit out for emphasis, "will have you in spasms in less than a second. Got it?"

In response, Ichigo averted his gaze and glared at the wall. The men smirked. Before Ichigo knew it, he was grabbed under the arms and heaved to his feet. He grunted, but did not shake them off. They shoved him forward, each carrying weird guns. Outside of the room, it was like a prison. There were at least thirteen floors in the building and caged rooms. He could hear loud shouts somewhere within the large place and the stairs went around and down the large area.

As they climbed down the steps, Ichigo was keen in taking in his surroundings. There were no exits from what he could tell, but one. When they paused in front of the clear doors, one guard butted him in his spine with his gun. Ichigo was shoved forward and he stumbled through the doors. Ichigo could finally see that the doors weren't what he thought it was. It was a tube, an elevator.

And then the doors slid closed behind him. Ichigo whirled around and the guards smirked, one even waving as the elevator lurched and then dinged. Ichigo's heart jolted as the tube suddenly darkened, the light dimming, and then it lurched backwards. It went at astonishing speeds, over rooms, over people in the buildings. Ichigo was still, sweat dripping onto his body as he traveled over the one building and into the next. When the tube finally slowed, it lurched again, the lights flickering back on, and the tube jerked to a stop. He breathed in deeply – he hadn't realized he had stopped breathing. The doors in front of him slipped open and again, guards ready for him.

This building was different than the last. This one was all white. The floors, the walls, even the electronic doors that opened and closed for him. It was a fancy, modern design, quite large, and as they crossed a white, sleek bridge, Ichigo could see the large fountain down below. They continued down a hall, the guards sneaking him looks, and then, they grabbed his arms again and shoved him forward.

"H-Hey!" The glass doors slid open for him and he stumbled inside, only for the doors to slide close and click, locking. "Dammit…"

"Hi!"

Ichigo jerked in surprise and whirled around. There was a girl, maybe a bit younger than him, with bright amber eyes. She was smiling kindly, her gaze continuing to peer at him. She was petite and reminded him a bit of Rukia with her deep black hair that fell down her shoulders and back. Ichigo simply stared back at her.

She tilted her head to the side, "Mou~ don't you remember your manners, Hichigo?"

Ichigo's eyes tightened, "My name is not Hichigo."

"Are you sure?" She asked with another large smile. Ichigo tensed. That simple question was enough for him to glare at her. What was with everyone and questioning who the hell he was? He did not reply to her and she giggled, "It's okay. You'll understand in just a short while."

He averted his gaze. She was creeping him the hell out. This way, he could analyze the room – find an exit. The clear doors behind him were locked, so that was out of the question. But there were wide, clear windows on the far wall, and they seemed to tease him as the pink drapes billowed out from the wind. The room, as he'd scrutinized earlier, was modernized. The walls and floors were all white as a cloud, but the two couches pressed against the walls were a striking orange. There was a glass table in the middle of them, along with a few magazines and coasters. There was an exotic plant against the wall and a large spinning fan on the ceiling. The girl was sitting on one of the couches, her legs crossed. She was wearing a soft pink dress and flats, her fair skin exposed to the cool air.

"There's no use trying to escape, Hichigo." She cut into his thoughts with her cheerful voice, "The building is very…guarded," Her eyes twinkled a bit.

He tightened his hands into fists, "I noticed."

She simply nodded in reply before her eyes flickered behind him, "Ah! Gin!"

Ichigo tensed again at the name. He did not move as the girl hopped up and beamed brightly. The doors slid open and closed and he could hear the lock slide into place again. There was whispers of steps and he felt a feather-like presence pass by him before he was able to see the man. Just staring at him made Ichigo's blood boil. Ichimaru Gin was dressed in a pristine white suit, crimson blood tie, and nice shoes. As he took a seat on the opposite couch of the strange girl, he smiled widely at Ichigo, patting the space beside him.

"So nice ta see ya again, Hichigo-kun," he sang lightly, playfully. "Ya look stressed. Sit, sit!"

"Fuck no," the orange-haired grounded out, glowering at the man, "Lemme out of this damn place!"

Gin pouted and the girl's eyes darkened, "Now, why would we do that, Hichigo-kun? After all, ya belong wit us."

Ichigo scowled, "I've already heard that line."

The girl began to grow anxious, "What is he talking about, Gin?" She asked, stepping closer to the silver-haired, "Hichigo is…" She glanced at the teenager worriedly.

"Don't worry," Gin said, patting her shoulder comfortingly before throwing Ichigo a smirk, "He's jus' confused, is all. Ain't that right, Hichigo-kun?" His smirk widened and Ichigo felt a shiver convulse up his spine, "After all, da Soul Society did take his memories away, ne?"

Ichigo felt like he'd been swallowed up by a hole.

…

…

"P-Please!"

"No, Orihime. You heard Urahara's orders. You can't come." Renji said blatantly, crossing his arms over his chest, "We aren't supposed to disobey orders."

Momo finished loading the truck with the weapons and glared at the redhead over her shoulder, "Since when do you obey orders, shithead?"

He nearly snarled at her, "Shaddup!" He returned his attention back to Orihime, "The point is, Urahara wants you to stay here. We'll save the stupid strawberry and you should just—"

"No!"

Momo and Renji jumped in place at the sound of her voice. It was higher than usual and didn't hold its usual mirth, giggles, or innocence. When she raised her head, they were shocked to see the tears there, her lower lip trembling, and she stared up at the two desperately.

"K-Kurosaki-kun needs me…" She breathed, "And if I-I'm not there…If I'm not there…"

"Orihime," Momo placed a hand on the girl's shaking shoulder. She wanted to look her in the eyes, but the silver orbs were shimmering and filling up again, "Let us handle this, alright? You know how dangerous Aizen is, especially with the guards. It'll be hard for us to keep track of you and protect you if you come. And it'd be even worse if you were captured."

Orihime bit her bottom lip, "B-B-But—"

"No, Orihime," Urahara's voice drifted through their eyes. They all glanced up to see their leader there, standing on the high platform, leaning over the safety yellow rail to stare down at them underneath the brim of his hat, "You're staying."

"Papa—" She began to protest, but he swiftly cut her off.

"No arguments," he dismissed her, "Renji, Momo, be ready in ten minutes." And he turned away, vanishing from their views.

"Yes, sir," the two said in unison. As Momo started the large vehicle, Renji peered over his shoulder to look at Orihime. She had lowered her head, her shoulders were hunched inwards, and she was clenching her teeth together. She balled her hands against her chest, as if to hold something in that she desperately wished to release.

"Sorry, Orihime," he murmured before he climbed in with Momo and she was quick to peel out of the large garage, leaving tire prints after her.

…

…

After all, da Soul Society did take his memories away, ne?

Soul Society…

Take his memories…

—"Ichigo, won't you do something for me?"—

"You're fucking lying," Ichigo hissed between his clenched teeth. Curiously, the girl and Gin glanced up at him. He took two large steps backwards, glowering at the two harshly, "You're fucking lying, dammit!"

"What're you talking about, Hichigo?" the black-haired girl appeared upset, "Gin, what is he saying? Why does he think we're lying?"

"Now, now," Gin said, "Why don' we all jus calm down?" He glanced over at Ichigo, who's pressure was darkening immensely, "Hichigo-kun, hear me out, would'ya?"

"Fuck you," Ichigo spat venomously, "I know what you bastards do! I know what the hell you did to me!"

Gin crooked a brow, "What we did ta ya?"

"Don't try to fucking trick me, you fox-faced bastard. Urahara told me—"

"Urahara?" The girl repeated, her voice higher than usual, "Urahara Kisuke? Hichigo, why would you listen to the man who ruined your life?!"

Ichigo's head was beginning to pound, "The hell are you talking about?"

"The Soul Society," She paused, taking in a deep breath, "The Soul Society are the ones who brainwashed you, Hichigo." She took a step closer to him and he couldn't bring himself to move back, "You can't honestly believe we would do anything to hurt you…" She reached out to touch him, his shoulder, and he flinched away from her. She dropped her arm back to her side, appearing affronted, "They did it again, didn't they? They programmed you and now—"

"Senna-chan," Gin crooned, "That's enough." Senna threw him an anxious, heated look over her shoulder and Gin smirked again, pointing one slender finger down to Ichigo's hands. She followed his direction and took a wise step back.

Ichigo was almost ready to burst. The black-crimson power leaking around his hands intensified and the handcuffs around his wrist had evaporated. He raised his head, his eyes flashing a fine amber. "Don't lie to me. It pisses me off." His voice was dark, low and deadly.

She swallowed and clenched her jaw, "Why would I be lying to you? Hichigo, don't you remember me?" She asked, almost desperately. When he gave no reply, she balled her fists together, placing them on her chest, "Senna. I'm Senna! We know each other! You know me and we were…" She reached for his hand and Ichigo retracted it, glaring at her. She did not stop and took a rough hold of his fingers. With a hard look on her face, she said, "We were made to be together."

With that, a burst of light issued. There was a swift wind and an orange glow was beginning to erupt from their joined hands. Senna's eyes glowed even more than before, her lips pressed in a firm line, as the wind grew fiercer. Ichigo felt like the power was drained from his body – his legs quaking, his eyesight blurry, and his hands shook as the black-red power poured from his fingertips and seeped towards hers. He was sure it wasn't right, it did not feel like Orihime's – it wasn't soft, it wasn't bright, and it simply wasn't like the auburn haired girl that seemed to capture his tiny world.

"No!" Ichigo somehow got his mouth to work. He ripped his hand from Senna's, and instantly, the power screeched to a halt. The strange wind stopped and the orange glow dissipated. Senna gasped sharply as Ichigo reeled backwards, nearly tumbling into the glass door.

She reached towards him as he sank to the floor, "Hichigo—"

"Stay the fuck away from me!" He growled at her, and she jumped at his tone.

"What is wrong with you?" She cried, "Didn't you feel it? Didn't you feel what we can create?!"

"Now, now," began Gin again as he stepped in between them, "Settle down, kiddies. Hichigo-kun is still a li'l blurry, ain'tcha, Hichigo-kun?" Ichigo did not reply, but continued to glower up at him, "I'm sure da S.S. has been feedin' ya good info. We're da baddies, ne?"

Ichigo scowled.

"But dat's wrong, Hichigo-kun!" Gin insisted, "Yer Mama is da one who brought ya here." Ichigo stiffened at this, "She was on our side, ya see? An' when da S.S. went an' killed her, it put a war between us."

Ichigo's head lowered.

"We tried to save her, an' ya too, an' when dey took ya wit' dem, we tried ta help, but ya claimed ya didn't know us. Ya can only imagine how hurt Senna-chan was," he wrapped a sinewy arm around the girl's shoulders.

"You didn't even remember my name. Aizen-sama said you would come back to us one day and I wanted to visit you at school, see you every day, but then…" the girl whispered before her eyes suddenly narrowed dangerously, "But that girl…that…that abomination…that traitor stole you away!"

"Aw~ don' speak so badly o' Orihime-chan." Gin whined playfully.

"She deserves it!" Senna shot back, "After betraying Aizen-sama's trust like that! Running to those bastards at S.S. and stealing you away!" She gestured towards Ichigo. Slowly, she took another step towards him and Gin let his arm fall off her shoulders, "I-I missed you so much…I waited for so long, Hichigo." She sank down in front of him, and gently touched his hand, "Hichigo…d-don't leave again. Don't leave me anymore. Masaki-sama wanted us together, she said it herself and—"

"Get away from me," Ichigo muttered lowly.

Senna blinked. "Hichigo—"

"That's not my fucking name!" With an unexpected burst of power, the dark red reiatsu shot up like a snake from his hand that she held. Senna cried out as her body was thrown backwards and her back slammed against the farthest wall. "My mother," he grounded out viciously, "never fucking said that."

"Oh, my," Gin sighed softly. He looked over at Ichigo, regarding the teenager lazily, "So mean, Hichigo-kun~ Ya don' take bad news very well, do ya?" He smiled, "Sometimes it's better ta tell ya now, than ta smother it wit' lies, ne?"

"It's not a lie!" Ichigo roared at the man, "None of it was a lie! Urahara said—"

"An' ya believed 'im?" Gin tilted his head to the side curiously, "Shame. I bet he dangled Orihime-chan in yer face too."

"Orihime isn't a fucking lie!"

"Is that what ya think?"

"Fuck! Stop! She's not a fucking lie! I know her—"

"Do ya?" Gin asked. Ichigo panted, silent. His eyes were lighting up, his fists clenched tightly, and his chest heaved in exertion and fury, "Do ya, Hichigo-kun?" Gin questioned again.

Slowly, Ichigo's fists went limp. With a peculiar nose erupting from his throat, he buried his hands into his hair, "She's not! Fuck! She's not!"

With that, the door slid open. Gin smiled pleasantly at the guards, "Take Hichigo-kun ta 'is room, would ya? I'm sure he wants to get tis all settled out."

The guards slid their hands under Ichigo's arms, hoisting him up. Ichigo glared violently at Gin, muscles bunched like a big cat, as if to pounce, "You bastard! You fucking bastard! She's not! She's fucking not!"

Senna simply watched as they carried him out.

Seeds o' doubt are bloomin', Gin thought happily.

…

…

The next day was fucking hell.

Ichigo was hit with a tidal wave of memories, ranging from good and bad. One had been with his mother, watching her bake in the kitchen. The second had been standing in front of a computer, simply staring as his information was added by Yoruichi. The third had been holding a gun in his hand and aiming correctly at the target. And fucking so-on.

The last, though, had been the worse. He had been lying limp in the snow, the cold chilling him to the very bone, and watched, on the ground, as the redheaded, small girl was scooped up into strong, unfamiliar arms, and carried farther and farther away from him.

His head pounded. He tried to sleep in the white room, but each time he would wake sweating and panting, trembling as his mother had been murdered right before his eyes. Each time, a thought would go through his head, I was not strong enough to protect her. And if that was true, what was he born for? Made for? Why was he here? Why did his mother die and not him?

He couldn't shake off the feeling. It felt like the entire world had been flipped. First, with the S.S., he could actually see himself there, actually think of the people who would welcome him. But as he thought about it more and more, he couldn't let it go. What if it had all been a lie? What if Urahara was really the one who erased his memories, the one who betrayed him? Slaughtered his mother?

Orihime.

His fists balled.

Yes, her. If was Gin and Senna said was true, who was Orihime in all this? Did she pretend with him? Was all that they shared just a lie? Everything they'd been through? He could believe that somehow Urahara and the others defied him, but Orihime was another story. He could also understand that she could've easily tricked him with her beautiful looks, shining innocence, and gentle ways. Who wouldn't fall for that? But wouldn't that mean all those touches, all those shared moments, all those times he couldn't stop thinking about her, was a lie?

And he couldn't believe how much that hurt him.

The door opened. Without warning, he was heaved up and literally dragged from the room. Ichigo did not put up a fight. They had cuffed wrists and ankles with much stronger steel. He did not have to engery to conjure whatever the hell was in him up and simply follow the guard down the hallway. They stopped at a room, and the guard nudged his gun at him.

"Gin assigned you someone to help jog your memories. Go inside." When Ichigo did not move or acknowledge him, the man shoved him forward and slammed the door after him. Ichigo stumbled inside, blinking at the harsh lights. The room was small, about the size of his own room at home and there was a table in the middle of it. There was someone sitting there, the person's back to him, and pouring themselves a glass of water.

It wasn't until Ichigo reluctantly sat down he knew who it was.

"Y-Y-Yoruichi—"

A deadly glare of yellow eyes cut him off.

But he was honestly surprised. Even though her hair was a dark brown, he could still see her. She was wearing an unhealthy amount of makeup. She was also dressed in fine pearls, both on her ears and neck, and an expensive-looking dark suit. Glasses were perched on her nose and crimson lips were in a firm frown.

Just like that, Ichigo felt better. Even though his guard had come up and his thoughts were jumbled, he felt as though he knew Yoruichi and he could trust her, if only a bit. As she slipped into character, Ichigo allowed himself to relax a bit in his chair.

"Hichigo, is it?" She crooked a dark brow. Hesitantly, Ichigo nodded. "Well, it seems you've caused a bit of a mess here. Aizen-san has summoned me to come and speak with you about a couple of things." Discreetly, she glanced at the camera in the corner of the room, "I hope you don't mind, but we're being watched." The way she said it made Ichigo's stomach churned.

"I-I don't," he muttered and cleared his throat.

She smiled brightly, "Perfect~! You don't mind if I ask you a couple of personal questions, do you, Hichigo-san?" She glanced over towards the left wall and Ichigo was able to see the earpiece at her ear, hidden by a thick bang.

"Yeah, whatever," Ichigo answered vaguely, staring at her.

She held up a hand. Ichigo frowned. "Five." She said. She dropped a finger.

"Wha—"

"Four."

"Yoru—I mean—"

"Three." Another finger fell.

"What're you—"

"Two."

His eyebrows came together.

As the last digit went down, the camera in the room, crackled, causing Ichigo to glance at it, and then smoke began to rise from it. Almost immediately, Yoruichi let out a sigh. To Ichigo's surprise, she took the glasses off her face, crushed them in her palm, wiped the makeup from her face easily, and shed off the silky wig.

"That's a relief. I didn't know how long I could keep that up," She pressed a button on the earpiece, "Good job, Rukia." Returning her attention to Ichigo, she asked, "Are you alright?"

Ichigo stiffened. Could he answer that question? "Honestly," he murmured, "I feel like shit."

She smirked, "That's understandable. We're getting you out of here."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed.

"Sometimes it's better ta tell ya now, than ta smother it wit' lies, ne?"

He suddenly felt sick. Damn.

"Are you…" He asked as he watched her strip from the suit to reveal her black, stretch clothes underneath. He swallowed, "Are you really who you say you are?"

Yoruichi crooked a brow, "What is that supposed to mean?"

He could feel the frustration and confusion oozing from his body, "Who are you? How do you know me? I want to know, dammit, so I can…" He trailed off, trembling under the weight of his emotions.

—Blood under his shoes—

—Snow falling—

—"Mom!"—

"Ichigo," the orange-haired jerked from his thoughts and looked up to see Yoruichi staring at him with an unreadable expression, "What did they tell you?"

His mouth opened, but nothing came out. He swallowed again, "I—"

Suddenly, there was a loud sound of a siren. Ichigo started in surprise and winced away from the sound. It blared stridently through the building, and the light above them turned cherry red. Cursing, Yoruichi pressed her finger to her earpiece again, "Rukia? Rukia!" When no answer came, she snarled, wrenching the plug from her ear. She smashed it underneath her fist. "The bastards hacked our systems! They're onto us!"

Ichigo merely watched her.

Bringing her wrist to her lips, she spoke into the strange watch, "Who set off the alarm?"

Renji's voice came through, "We don't fuckin' know! Everyone's in their positions, but—W-What the hell?!"

Yoruichi's fists clenched, "What? What is it?"

There was a loud explosion followed by shouts and screams. He could hear Momo giving orders and Renji was cursing. When it finally dampered down, Yoruichi was nearly pulling out her hair.

"What is it?!" She repeated apprehensively.

It was a long, tense moment before Renji replied, "I-It was Orihime. She came. Somehow…she got through and—"

Yoruichi's eyes bugged, She's never disobeyed an order before! What the…

Her thoughts were cut off as Ichigo suddenly stood from the table, sending the chair tumbling onto the ground with a sharp noise. the thick, pulsing energy escaped his hands and instantly, the cuffs broke and scorched into ashes. As he began to walk towards the door, she yelled out, "Ichigo, don't—"

The door burst open.

Guards rushed in, all screaming orders. Ichigo was quick, too quick if you asked Yoruichi. He ducked under the first's punch, and landed a blow in the other's chin. There was a shriek of shock as he shoved a gun from his face and shattered another's arm. Yoruichi watched as he pushed past the last two and exited the room.

"W-What the—" She growled, setting off after him, only for a dozen of guards to round the corner. They set their sights on her instantly. Yoruichi took a step back, glaring at them, "Dammit." She tore the necklace from her throat, causing the shiny pearls to scatter across the ground. She peeled the earrings off and threw them away as well, "You owe me for this, Hichigo," she muttered before they all lunged at her.

…

…

The auburn haired girl pressed her back against the cool wall and listened to siren wail through the air.

Balling her shaking fists determinedly, she bit into her bottom lip, Kurosaki-kun, I'm coming.

…

…

I hope you liked this chapter. It wasn't too much, was it? It took me a couple of times to get through it, but I made it. I know most of you are hoping for an update on Hidden Screams, and I'm working on the last few pages, so look forward to it.

I know you all still have a lot of questions and they'll all be answered at some point.

Please leave a review. It makes me happy.

-Star