The masked secret (Bleach fanfiction)

chapter 22

Note: remember to read my newly published book, Half metal alchemists! It's in the making!

Rangiku nearly fainted.
Okay, she does that alot, but seeing two people you care about, who are presumably dead, pop out of thin air, a girl can get shaken up.
She studdered back, mumbling a series of unitelligable words.

"Captain!" She finally settled on, running to the passed out captain's side. Ichigo glared at Gin.

"Your dead." He said. It wasn't a question, but a statement. Ichigo saw him dead. Gin chuckled, not saying a word. Without a second thought, Ichigo spun around and rushed to Toshiro's limp side.

"Your dead too." He exclaimed. Man, was this confusing.
Rukia wildly looked around, and wanting to be productive, flash stepped next to Dai and scared the wits out of him. She pointed her sword to his throat.

"I wouldn't move if I were you." She threatened, and fear flashed in his gray eyes. But, after all this, they were still, kind gray eyes.
* * *
Back in Karacuda

"Ooooah, I can't stand this anymore!" Orehime, Chad, Uryu, Tatsuki, the whole "I can see spirits" school group, and the Kurosaki family were all anxiously waiting, stuffed into Orehime's small house. Orehime had called all of them after her encounter with Ichigo, and since then, they'd just been small talking and eating some of Orehime's concoctions.

Uryu looked at her doughtfully.

"How about you tell us what happened from the begining, Orehime. Calm down." Uryu pushed up his glasses, and glanced sincerely at his friend.

"There was... some wierd spiritual pressures near my house. I went looking for them, and I ran into Rangiku and another boy. Rangiku was crying, and they dissapeared and I was really confused...." She looked from one comrade to another.

"And another girl came and scooped me up, and brought me to a rooftop. And Ichigo was there! Rukia too! And Ichigo, he had a captain's coat on! And then we talked a bit, then..." He eyes got big and worried.

"And a reallllly wierd door just poofed out of the air, and Ichigo went in it, and told me to call you!"
She said that whole thing without breathing once, so she was taking big, fatigued breathes.

Karin rolled her eyes, shifting away from her twin sister, who was moving like an anxious ADHD puppy on Christmas Eve. She missed her brother. They all do. Every one of the people in this room.

"Okay, okay." Uryu replied, waving his hands in submission.
They all stared at each other for a second, then Isshin popped out of his chair. All eyes snapped to Isshin.

"I'm sorry, Masaki." He mumbled to the sky, then glanced at his two daughters.
They stared back at him with wide, unsure eyes.
I told Masaki I'd always protect them. But who do I protect?

Right now, Isshin knew. He needed to help his son, and then he'd protect his daughters.

"Yuzu, Karin, I have some work to do. Stay here, okay?" He said this in the most fatherly way he could. Everyone gaping, he started to the door.
Karin grabbed his arm.
"Dad." She said sternly, her eyes fierce.
"Bring Ichigo back." And with that, she pushed away her father. Isshin showed a hint of a smile, thanking Masaki for such great kids.
He nodded, not just to Karin, but to everyone.
And he was off, his first real job since getting his soul reaper powers back. Well, that, and his new office workplace that wasn't going very well anyway.
* * *
Gin let out a loud groan of annoyance. What a scene this was. Dai with a sword to his throat, ice-boy unconcience, Rangiku ready to have mental breakdown, and....
Ichigo glaring at him with eyes of steel.

And yet, he still waited patiently.
It was apparent, now, that Gin was stalling. Instead of annialating all of them, or setting his room full of minions to attack, he just sat on his throne, tapping his fingers on the arm rest.

"What do you want with us!" Ichigo demanded, losing his composure completely. Within seconds he was inches from Gin's face, glaring into his turquoise eyes.

"Well now." Gin taunted, and Ichigo backed up a few steps.
"You've certainly got fierce since the last time I saw you. Well, I was a little preoccupied then." He laughed, and Ichigo clenched his fist.

"Last time I saw you, you were dead!" Ichigo was boiling with white hot rage. He didn't care if he made a scene. He didn't care if Masa called him insane or he got slapped by Rukia.

Gin clapped, happiness radiating from his person.
"It looks like we're all here!" He sounded delighted.
Waves of spiritual pressure shook the room as the portal door that Ichigo and the others had come through opened. Isshin Kurosaki stumbled though the door, reeling. "Ow." He mumbled, having apsolutely no idea what he just walked into.

Shock flickered through Ichigo's eyes.
Of all people that could have walked through that door, it had to be his goofy, widowed father. He knew he was a soul reaper, and, as of recently, he knew he was the captain of the tenth division, but did he have to be the one to save the day?
"Captain?" Rangiku yelled, just as Ichigo yelled "Dad!" He looked at both of them, his serious expression taking place on his face rather than the goofy smile.

In that moment of shock, Dai wiggled away from Rukia's zanpacuto and hurried next to Gin. At the same time, Masa's feet were swept out from under her. She instinctively twisted to her front side, ready catch herself, when the person who kicked her legs, one of those black ninja looking guys, grabbed her and hobbled her over to Gin's throne. She kicked and screamed the whole way, but that didn't even seem to make the guy flinch. Ichigo would've applauded, if he wasn't plotting for his imminent death.
"Right!" Gin announced, nodding to Masa. The man put him down, and before Masa had the chance to sprint away, he grabbed her and... incapacitated her. She just fell limply to the floor, and her hair tye broke. Her hair flew wildly around her, covering the floor and her face.

"I used to believe in justice." Gin said, and his voice became soothing and soft. He looked around, at the confused and horrified faces, and it discusted him. But he went on.
"I was naive. I didn't know that true power existed. That it was obtainable. Now, however, I do." He motioned around him to the many confused and reluctant faces. His Stare changed when it got to Rangiku, it became vulnerable. He took Masa, who was parylized by either kido or fear, and lifted her up to his height.
Something black jumped from Gin's body to Masa's. Gin stayed impassive, his face stale and unchanged, as the creature surrounded Masa in a bubble.
Dai shifted uncomfortably. "Brother?" He mumbled, and as all eyes in the room shifted to the boy turned traitor, he fell limp.
And like clockwork, the same thing that surrounded Masa encompassed Dai as well.
"Brother!" He yelled, but Gin just grinned.
"B-brother! I trusted y...." and his voice silenced.
This wasn't fair.
Ichigo stood there for a second. He had this twisting feeling... something that felt familiar but none the less terryfying.
"What did you do!" Ichigo said, afraid that if he yelled Masa would shatter into pieces. Rangiku was still kneeling on the floor next to Toshiro. Isshin was now next to her, observing the scene with aged and experianced eyes. Something that Ichigo could not do.
Arata stood helpless. What am I doing? He thought. I have nothing to do with this.

Gin didn't say a word, which was odd for Gin. Though, Ichigo could not ignore, Gin was dead. Ichigo knew him to be dead. This was an inexcusable fact.
Gin opened his mouth again.
"Rangiku." He started, his turquoise eyes darting to Rangiku. She tensed.
"Your next."
And Ichigo took his Zanpakuto, the one that he'd trusted with his life so many times before, and charged.
Just like Ichigo always did.

Authors note:
Hi! I'm back!
I know it's been a long itme, and I'm sorry. Writers block is certainly a force to be reconed with! I hope that this chapter will help me to redeem myself XD. Thanks for keeping up with my story, thank you for waiting, and as always, keep calm and fan on. ;)