2/3

Something sparked in Erza. Running headless into the thick of it without regard for the consequences, when had she forgot how to do that? No, being away would be fantastic- away from the doubts, and away from… Aizen. She frowned, and said, with a steely look on her face,

"No, I'm not."

"Does that mean you're coming or not?" Isshin said.

"I'm coming." She said determinedly. "In fact, let's go at once."

"Damn, you're really aching for some action, huh?" Isshin said, grinning. "Don't tell me Aizen's hard work means pencil-pushing."

"Oh, you know how it is, captain," Erza said evasively, "you can't lift a sword without having to write a twenty-page essay on it."

"Ha! Ain't that the truth? C'mon, let's get out of here before the pencil-pushers find us. I bet you we'd have to fill a form just to leave through the portal."

Erza nodded, and together they walked their way toward the mission zone. She kept looking around her, expecting to see Aizen, or Gin, tearing her away from this. Just weeks ago, she had thought of them both as allies. Now… she wasn't sure what to think.

Karakura town looked the same as before, for the most part. The human world did change a lot, of course- a shinigami's world was static, bound by tradition and the view on life that one gets with a centuries-long lifespan. But though there were more cars, more people, more houses, it looked mostly the same.

Erza and Isshin landed softly on the ground, having descended from up high- the portals never seemed to bother with opening ground level.

"It's here?" Erza said. "People could get caught up."

"We'll find somewhere secluded- well, as much as we can, I'll flare up, and make it come to me."

"I'm good at letting loose." Erza said worriedly. "But fighting like this… what if somebody winds up hurt? Because of me?"

"Trust me, the what-ifs are much worse if we don't get this thing soon." Isshin said firmly. "Say 'what if' we don't catch this thing today. Could mean dozens dead, or worse. 'What if' it got away? Hundreds more dead in the long run. I hate to say it, but even if we run the risk of humans getting caught in the crossfire… the alternative is much worse. Got that?"

Feeling a little uncertain, Erza just nodded. Right was right, and wrong was wrong… but sometimes, there was just the better of two options. She knew at least that much now.

Together, they sped into the city, searching for someplace deserted. It took some time, but at last they found a building that, according to the sign next to it, was condemned and scheduled for destruction. Perfect. Or rather, as close to perfect as it got. Still worried, Erza followed Isshin to the rooftop.

"What's the plan now, captain?" She said, looking around her. "I do hope you have a plan." She should be more respectful, she knew, but Isshin- despite having what it took to be a captain- was, well… a goof.

"Of course I have a plan!" Isshin huffed. "It's a brilliant, intelligent plan, which I spent all of last night planning!"

"That being, sir?"

"I'm going to stand here, and flare my reiatsu until the hollow shows up. Drawn like a moth to the flame, I'll strike him down immediately!"

Mentally, Erza put her palm to her face. Yep, she had been right to doubt, after all…

"That's it?" She said skeptically.

"Hey, don't knock the plan!" Isshin said spiritedly. "Hollows love reiatsu, so that's what I'll give it. No need to make it complicated- keep it simple when you can, that's a good rule. Occam's zanpakutou, I think they call it."

"And if it doesn't show?" Erza said.

"Then I'll look very silly. But I do that all the time, so I don't mind." Isshin said cheerily, and let his reiatsu rise and flare, rapidly growing to as high of an output as he could under the limit seal they both wore, holding them down to twenty percent. Some time passed- a minute, two minutes, five minutes… they were approaching ten minutes, and Erza was starting to wonder if her captain would faint from reiatsu drainage before anything remotely wicked would come their way.

But then it happened. It came fast, so fast- a massive, malevolent source of reiatsu, climbing up the side of the building. Out of nowhere! It had to have hid its reiatsu, Erza thought- dear lord, it was… huge. She couldn't see it yet, but the presence felt nearly overwhelming- not quite like Halibel's, but most certainly up there.

Seconds later, a bony, clawed hand grabbed hold of the roof's edge, and the hollow heaved itself up in one swift motion. It wasn't very large- in fact, she saw it was not much taller than herself, as it landed on the roof. It had a long, narrow mask, with two red lines running down vertically from its forehead and over its eyes, and two bull-like horns protruding from its forehead. It had hands almost like a human's, except it was bony and clawed, and a tail protruded from its rear. It was so small for a hollow, humanoid- was it a Vasto Lorde, like Halibel? No… she had spent enough time around them to know the feeling- it was always subtle, overwhelming, like a dam that could burst at any moment but chose not to. They were the pinnacle of hollow evolution. This… was not. Its power was raw, radiating in big, uncontrolled bursts just like her captain's, and it glared at them with yellow, hungry eyes, glowing at them with sheer malice. It was powerful, all right, but it had none of the restraint, none of the control… it was different. She didn't like this.

"Well, you are damn ugly." Isshin said cheerfully, his sword out and held at the ready. "Let's do this, then. Scarlet, get my back."

Erza didn't have the time to so much as nod before the hollow sped forward, at an unnatural, vicious speed comparable even to a high level shunpo. Isshin, though, was not a captain for nothing- instantly, he had caught the hollow's first swipe, and undeterred by its furious charge, he pushed back. The monster slashes at him with its free arm, but Isshin put a foot in its chest, kicking it back. The hollow skid back, sliding across the rooftop, leaving deep claw marks in its floor.

"Strong, aye." Isshin said. "Scarlet, did you fall asleep?"

"N-no, sir!" Erza exclaimed, holding up her sword.

"Good, 'cause this will be a hard one." Isshin said, nodding. "Burn, Engetsu!" He cried, and his zanpakutou glowed. There was no noticeable change on the outside- but his reiatsu changed, so much better focused now. He was serious- and she should be too.

"Strike, Tetsu no Tama!" Erza snapped, and she felt the spirit heed her command- a little reluctantly, but still. Her blade changed into the axe, Breaker, and she stood ready. Not a moment too soon; the hollow immediately charged at Isshin, furiously clawing at him, lashing out with a combo of sharp claws, kicks, and even a tail lash. Isshin neatly parried each strike, but he was on the defense- he met each strike so far, but seemed to have no window to hit back. The monster moved in a blur, with precision and fury unlike any she had ever seen from a hollow before- well, not counting her friends in Hueco Mundo…

Erza did not stand idle. Grasping Breaker with both hands, she strode forward, and swung in a wide arc, cutting into the beast. It wasn't meant to hurt it much- just get its attention. The beast caught her swing with one arm, and though it had no face, she could swear it looked surprised- surprised that her swing had cut it, chipped its bony armour, cracked its skin. It growled, and Erza stepped back. Isshin seized the opportunity, and slammed the pommel of his blade in the hollow's mask. It staggered back for just a second, and Isshin raised his blade.

"GETSUGA TENSHOU!" He roared, bringing his sword down hard from upon high. Erza could feel it, every little particle aligning, charging up, dispersing… in the shape of a crescent moon, the blast hit the hollow square in the chest, sending it flying off the rooftop.

"Think- think that did it?" Erza asked, as they watched it sail through the air.

"Not a chance." Isshin said, shaking his head. True enough, the hollow recovered, willing itself to stop its descent, and leaping through the air right back at them.

"Ready!" Isshin snapped. "Don't underestimate it-"

He had no time to finish his sentence; the beast was already upon him, pushing him hard. He was still holding, still avoiding injury, but he was on the defensive now- it would only be a matter of time…

Erza cut in again, quickly moving at the hollow, her axe out and ready. She move in to swing- but that instant, the hollow caught Isshin in the chest with a kick, sending him back. Immediately, it grabbed Erza by the arm. For a second, she saw it up close- its evilly grinning non-face, its cold and rank breath, its glowing yellow eyes… and then she saw it. In its free hand, a red ball of energy. She knew what it was. She had seen menos use it, she had seen Halibel demonstrate it…

"Cero!" She hissed, desperately trying to break herself free. "Oh sh-"

Then the red ball turned into a bright, red beam, hitting her point blank, and Erza was sent flying. Barely conscious, she was aware of pain- distant, but present, all over her body like fire. She saw the building grow smaller and smaller, and then, she hit the ground. Things went dark.

She awoke with a start, sitting right up. She immediately regretted it, snapping awake with a jolt of pain. She felt asphalt under her palms, and she ached- she felt burns on her skin, and in general she had the sensation that somewhere down the line, a speeding train had run her over.

The hollow! Yes, the hollow! Ignoring the pain, Erza stood up. Her sword! Where- where was Tetsu no Tama? Almost panicking, she looked around. There, on the ground, not far from her, it lay, looking quite whole. Quickly, she stepped over there, her steps wobbling a bit. With an almost desperate eagerness, she put her hand around its hilt. Relief flooded through her as she felt its spirit respond, its mind connecting with hers. The scabbard was gone, but that was unimportant.

Where was she exactly? She looked around- she hadn't noticed until now, but it was an alley. Dirty, with garbage bags lying around it… how did she end up here?

Oh yes. Cero.

The fight! Erza's mind snapped awake, properly awake, and she sensed for her captain's reiatsu. She had no idea for how long she had been gone- was it minutes? Was it hours? Desperately, she tried to feel for his presence- the worst of thoughts raced through her head, fantasies of her captain dead and broken, a feast for monsters, that she had been beaten so easily and failed him and no please no-

But then she felt him, not far off. She sped out of the alley, and felt a little silly- the building they had been on was only a block away, and it only took a few well placed jumps to get back. The fight was still going strong, she felt it now- Isshin's reiatsu blazing strong; the dark and vicious reiatsu of the hollow- was it a bit weaker now, or was it her imagination?- and… something else.

She got back up on the rooftop again, one last jump propelling her through the air. What she saw was… unexpected. Isshin, she saw, was in a bad way- he was bleeding heavily, and although she couldn't see how bad it was through his torn shihakusho, it was obvious he was badly injured. The hollow looked in no better shape, bleeding from multiple wounds all across its body. But what was truly strange was the third arrival- a young woman, human judging by her reiatsu, was peppering the monster with brightly shining arrows. She was young enough to be a school girl, Erza was sure of it- and she was winning. A quincy, here? They were… not dead, not all of them?

The young woman drew her bow again, a bolt of blue energy flying from it in an instant, spearing the monster through the chest. It roared, attempting to leap at her- but before it had even taken its second step, another bolt hit it square in the chest, and another, and another. The monster roared, screamed, looking furious that its assailant stood so far away, beyond its reach- but his screams were in vain. With cold precision, a look of true focus on her face, the Quincy wore down the hollow with one bolt after another, methodically hammering it to the ground. Within seconds, well over a dozen bolts had pierced its chest, glowing a light blue before dissipating. The beast writhed, rolling on the floor-top in its death throes, mortally wounded.

The Quincy girl walked forward, from near the edge of the roof, and stopped just a few yards from where the monster lay. Looking fully on her guard, she strung her bow again, took aim, and struck it square between the eyes with a charged spirit bolt. Its mask cracked, the hollow screamed, and it dissolved. But it was different, so different- any normal hollow would simple disintegrate, its particles shattering to the winds, but this hollow… it was as if it had become smoke, a lingering mist. The Quincy girl jumped back, out of its way, and the mist finally dispersed, like a clearing fog… and Erza could feel its presence no more.

Quickly, Erza hurried over to Isshin. He had looked bad before, and he looked worse now- she could see several gashes on his chest where is shihakusho had been ripped, a nasty cut in his thigh, but… worse still, his skin looked grey, and his eyes looked blank.

"Captain!" She cried, kneeling by his side. "Captain, are you all right?"

"G-got- got sum good hits in-" Isshin said, his voice a weak, hissing parody of his normally strong, deep tone. "S-stronger 'n I thought- Scarlet, I, I- cn't breathe-" He seemed out of it, struggling for breath. Desperately, Erza tried to see what was wrong. He was wounded, all right, but shinigami were made of stern stuff, and a captain could survive much worse than this. No, this looked like something foul had come over him- his reiatsu was in flux, utter chaos as if he was tearing himself apart from the inside. She had learned much about reiatsu since her school days, but nothing about this made any sense to her.

"Quincy!" Erza cried, looking at the girl. "Please, we need help! I beg you!"

The quincies surely hated them all, if there were survivors- they had been hunted to extermination by her kind, by the shinigami. She had probably only shown up to destroy this one hollow, an accidental ally… but she had to try, because she had a feeling if she didn't, she would watch another friend die. She would beg as much as necessary; no price was too big to save him-

But she wouldn't respond. Why would she? Their two races were enemies.

But to Erza's surprise, the quincy carefully walked toward her, looking on her guard still. She went down on one knee next to Isshin, and put a hand on his chest.

"Thank you!" Erza burst out. "Oh, thank you-"

"Shush." The Quincy said, her tone sharp- although less sharp than Erza would have expected. "I am trying to focus. "

Erza opened her mouth, then thought better of it, and nodded. She leaned back, letting the quincy do her work. All she could do was hold his hand, not knowing if it did any good or not.

For a few minutes, the quincy seemed not to do much of anything. She touched various parts of his body; his chest, his forehead, his stomach, his legs. It seemed like nothing, but Erza knew it was not so simple- she was examining him, reading his reiatsu to an extent she herself could not. The quincies, she recalled, were masters of spiritual manipulation- they had to be, lacking the natural affinity for it that any shinigami would have.

Eventually, the quincy stood up, looking unsure.

"Well?" Erza said anxiously.

"His core is beginning to destabilize. You do know what a core is, yes?"

"Sure, sure," Erza said, nodding. She remembered that much- an abstract concept used to refer to the center of reiatsu flow, from which all other particles emanated.

"Then you know what happens if he is not treated. He will destabilize entirely, and dissolve just like a hollow." The quincy said. "Probably within an hour, I think."

Erza panicked. Could she get him back in that time? She would have to call for a portal, call for emergency medical aid, and even then it'd need experts… what were she to do?

"I'm sorry." The quincy said, sounding sincere. "I think he will die soon."

"Please, you have to help!" Erza hissed, desperately grabbing the girl by her arms. "You- you have to- there has to be something you can do!"

"I can't!" The quincy protested. "It's well beyond my ability- I'm not even grown up yet! I can't help!"

Erza felt, like so many times before, like an abyss was opening under her feet. No, not again… not again!

"…I know somebody who could." The quincy said, and Erza felt like she could kiss her.

"Who?!" She exclaimed eagerly. "Who? Where?"

"…I'll take you to him." Said the quincy. "Can you carry him?"

"Not a problem." Erza said, gently picking Isshin up, holding him in her arms. He felt limp, and so much colder than he should be.

"This way." The quincy said, and leapt off the rooftop. Erza swallowed, hesitated- how fast could she go, with Isshin like this?- but jumped after her, speeding off in a shunpo, hoping dearly it would not be too late.

After what felt like an eternity, but was probably less than ten minutes, the quincy slowed down. They had got to what looked like an alley of sorts, looking mostly deserted. There was what looked like a candy store- or a store of some kind, at least. Oddly, Erza noted, there seemed to be no customers anywhere, despite it being in the middle of the day.

"I'll go get him." The quincy said. "Just wait here. He's shady, but… I don't think he's a bad person. It's not like you have any options, anyhow."

"…sure." Erza said, nervously cradling Isshin's lifeless form. Why? Why did things always have to go to hell like this? Why was being dead so much harder than being alive?

Another few minutes passed, and the quincy came out again, followed by a large, burly man with glasses, two children, and a man with blond hair, simple Japanese clogs, and a green-and-white striped hat obscuring his eyes. He carried a cane, and looked rather lackadaisical.

"Ah, we do have guests indeed!" Said the hat, smiling a friendly grin. "Two shinigami, I see. Important ones, even- good day to you, miss vice-captain of division five, and captain of division ten!" He waved cheerily. "Get him inside." He said, nodding to his muscular associate. The man promptly walked up to Erza, and took Isshin from her, carrying him inside. Erza was not sure if she should protest, but was in no state to do anything about it- she still ached from the blast she had taken, she was emotionally and mentally exhausted- and, she noticed now that she had got the captain to safety, physically exhausted too.

"Well, come on inside, come on inside!" The hat said, bowing sardonically, and gesturing at the door. "It may be but a humble store, for a humble store owner, but it will accommodate an injured reaper nonetheless."

Hesitantly, Erza walked inside.

"Can- can you fix him?" She mumbled. "That girl, the quincy, she said… she said he'd die within the hour."

"My associate is an expert, I assure you," the hat said, walking inside behind her. "Under his tender mercies, your man will be up and about in no time. I should warn you, though- my services do not come for free."

"Sure." Erza mumbled. "He's noble and all, so I think he's got the money."

"Who said anything about money?" The hat said, with a strange tone. "By all means, come sit down." He showed her to a room, with comfortable sitting mats, and Erza gratefully sat down, resting her back against the wall.

"But- where are my manners?" Said the man, and took a seat opposite of her. "I am Urahara Kisuke, humble store owner, procurer of rare items, and trader of secrets."

"Wait…" Erza mumbled, something clicking inside her head. "Urahara… I know that name. You… you're… traitor!" She exclaimed, reaching for her sword.

"Looking for this?" Urahara said, with a smug grin, holding Tetsu no Tama in his hand. "I relieved it from your belt when you walked in. Amazing that it didn't rip through your sash as you ran, really."

"Give it back!" Erza snapped, leaning forward, attempting to get up, but Urahara pushed her in the chest with the end of his cane, putting her back.

"In time." He said. "We'll have a little talk first. Then, we'll see."

"I'll demolish you." Erza growled. "You think I won't? You think being a little beat up will stop me from wrecking your store and your face?"

"Will you now?" Urahara said, sounding amused. "Yes, you are very determined. I was wondering, though, what not one but two of Aizen's puppets were doing in my town at once."

"…what?" Erza said, sounding genuinely surprised. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're as bad a liar as my intel had me believe." Urahara said bemusedly. "I am a trader of secrets. Simple secrets, like what the first division's vice captain likes for breakfast, or the secret stash of erotic novels that the second division's captain collects, or what made the captain of eleventh the brute he is. Then there are the secret secrets… like Aizen Sousuke, and his little scheme to replace a cruel, callous tyranny with a cruel, callous, slightly more efficient tyranny."

"I'm not!" Erza insisted.

"Please, let's not keep insulting the both of our intelligences like this," Urahara said casually. "I know quite a few things, Erza Scarlet. Aizen Sousuke, secret revolutionary. Uses illusory abilities. Cold, scheming, ruthless, highly intelligent- but not as intelligent as he thinks he is. Long term plan to overthrow the order of the Gotei Thirteen, to create his own personal new world order. Allied to Ichimaru Gin, psychopathic sadist murderer, as well as several key figures in Hueco Mundo."

Erza gaped. How could he possibly know all this?

"And allied also, of course, to you." He continued. "Only, all my sources paint you as a good and moral figure. Somebody who believes strongly in right and wrong. A terrible liar, too. That considered… he must have made you believe. Believe in his vision, while conveniently editing out the parts that would not appeal to you. Like the way he framed me for the hollowification experiments, or how he commands his hollow friends as tools, goodly or not."

"How- how the hell do you know?" Erza said. "And he's not!"

"Pay attention, Erza Scarlet." He said dismissively. "I know many things about those who may one day be my enemy. I know every captain, every vice captain, every ranked officer of consequence- which aren't that many, to be honest. You, I know intimately. Forced into service, graduated with decent grades. Suffered tragic accident soon after your graduation, resulting in the death of all but one of your classmates. Went on to join division eleven, then ten, then five, which is where I assume Aizen sunk his claws into you. Stellar reputation as a fighter, but known for a general lack of diplomacy or subtlety. Supremely competent in some areas, incompetent in others. And judging by your reiatsu… I'd say you've spent a lot of time with Aizen's pets. Does the company of hollows appeal to you, Erza Scarlet?"

He smiled, a smug, inscrutable smile, and Erza felt herself boiling over.

"Her name is Halibel. She is a person."

Urahara nodded. "As good a start as any."

Erza took a few breaths. How… how the hell could somebody know this much? About their plans, all along, from the outside? Why did he hate Aizen so? He was a traitor- a very clever traitor. She couldn't trust a word he said- but for now, she and Isshin were in his hands. This could turn ugly…

"…not that I believe you at all," Erza said, "because you are a traitor and a mad, amoral scientist, but…"

He chuckled. "To be called a traitor by a traitor, Erza… now that's amusing. But, go ahead."

"You said two puppets." Erza said, scowling. "You don't mean captain Shiba and I."

"No, of course not." He said, seeming as infuriatingly amused as ever. "I meant the hollow. It has Aizen's signature all over it. An enhanced hollow with special abilities, very much experimental, but clearly designed for a specific purpose? That is him, all right. Nobody besides him has ever successfully attempted hollow experimentation."

"Except you."

"I could, if I wanted to." Urahara said dismissively. "There certainly is much to learn. But sadly, I haven't got the budget. Do you know how much a functional lab for that kind of research would cost? Millions, maybe billions, a full research team, one's conscience…"

"Conscience!" Erza sneered. "You hold us in debt for keeping a man alive, and you speak of conscience?"

"I am a businessman, not a doctor." He said, shrugging. "And even doctors get paid. But to the matter at hand- that little pawn of his did not really die."

"I saw it destroyed." Erza said flatly. "How could it not?"

Urahara smiled. "Now there's the crux. Its essence lingered- and attached itself to the only possible host body around. I wager it was supposed to possess a human, because it seems a poor fit for a shinigami."

"Why? What would the point be?"

"To poke things with a stick and see what they do is the basis of any science anywhere." Urahara said.

"But…" Erza said, frowning, "why would you tell me all of this, if you know I am on Aizen's side?"

"An even better question." Urahara said. "I was starting to think your intelligence had been overstated." Erza harrumphed, but the blond man ignored it. "Yes, why would I tell you? This is a good day for me, you see- because one way or the other, Aizen loses two of his pawns. All that remains to see is if I have to kill you, or if you leave him voluntarily."

"How will you know if I really mean it?" Erza said, glancing at her zanpakutou, still in his hands.

"Because you are a terrible liar." Urahara said. "I can see you ogling your weapon, for one. Trust me- even if you were healed and rested, I've no doubt that you would die if I wanted it so. You are a skilled fighter, but you have the subtlety of a hammer- you are terribly predictable. I have a plan for taking on any officer of strength- that includes you."

Erza grit her teeth, and glared at him.

"What will you do to Isshin?"

Urahara scoffed. "Heal him, of course. Then charge his family an outrageous amount of money, and make sure he knows he owes me one. I'm a businessman, not a villain."

"Very well then. Do what you must." Erza said, keeping herself calm.

Urahara rolled his eyes. "Good lord, you're dramatic. I haven't decided to kill you yet, dummy. No, I'd like you to make your own mind up."

He reached into his coat, and pulled out a file.

"Here." He said, holding it over to her. Erza frowned. Urahara sighed, and held up Tetsu no Tama to her, hilt first.

"A token of good will, miss vice captain." He said. "Now please, accept this file."

Eagerly, Erza snapped her sword from his grasp, and glared at him. Hesitantly, not sure why, she then took the file from his hand, too.

"What's this?" She asked. "Pictures of my captain kicking puppies, or what?"

"Good one." Urahara said, chuckling. "No, it's better than that. It's research notes. Specifically, of hollowification experiments. Look at it, and tell me you do not recognize the handwriting."

Still holding the hilt of Tetsu no Tama firmly, Erza flipped through the file and its contents. She saw loose bits of information, data and pictures of hollows. She could recognize her captain's writing there, too.

She frowned, and shot the shopkeeper a glare- she was not born yesterday, and she was not about to take the word of a stranger and a traitor over Aizen's.

But despite herself, she slid the file into her kimono. There had been… trouble lately. She still believed in his vision. He probably had a good reason for concealing those prints from her. She was just on edge because of the way they had to hide… he wasn't wrong. Of course he wasn't.

But it never hurt to be sure.

Deep inside her mind, Erza could hear Tetsu no Tama chuckle smugly.

"There you go." Urahara said. "Review this at your leisure. Let the evidence speak for itself."

Erza just glared at him.

"Well then!" Urahara said, standing up. "Please, enjoy your stay at my humble shop. We'll have a look at you once we're done with captain Shiba."

The healing process, she was assured, went smoothly- but it took time. She had looked in on Isshin whenever she was allowed to, and the greyness in his skin had gone; he was back to a healthy shade of pink. He was still, though, unconscious. The burly man- Tessai, he had introduced himself as- had explained that while his reiatsu was contained, he needed several focal points rebuilt entirely, and at that point the conversation had become full of technical terms that made Erza wish Momo was there. The short of it seemed to be that he needed careful treatment for a longer time, or he would only have borrowed time, not a recovery.

Fully six days passed, and Erza fought the urge to run back to the soul society. She really should- they had been expected out that same day, and teams would have been sent out in search of them. They would be considered missing in action, perhaps even dead. She should set the record straight. It was duty. But try as she might, she couldn't tear himself from his side- the Shiba needed him. He had family. She couldn't leave him, not even for a few hours. And on a more practical note… even disregarding her emotions, she had no reason to trust a man like Urahara Kisuke. She didn't remember much about him- he had been captain of division twelve once, a brilliant scientist, then it had been revealed that he had been experimenting on applying hollow powers to shinigami, a concept as dangerous as it was blasphemous. Four captains and four vice captains had fallen victim to it, and yet another captain had turned coat to save Urahara from the fate he deserved. All in all, six captains had been lost in a single stroke. It was remembered as one of the darkest incidents in recent history.

And for all this time, he had been here in Karakura, waiting, gathering information…

Why would anyone trust somebody like that?

Because you don't know who to trust. Tetsu no Tama said, butting into her train of thought.

"Quiet." She murmured.

She had reviewed the file. It was full of science she could not understand, complex equations and sentences that might as well have been gibberish, but some of it was undeniable. Experiments on hollows. Experiments on humans. Experiments on the creation of arrancar. Special hollows, with evil abilities.

One name had stood out. Metastacia. A hollow with the ability to dissolve a zanpakutou at a mere touch with its tentacles. A vile monster… just like the one that had killed Shiba Kaien. There was even a reference to its success- Field test completed, easily able to destroy zanpakutou of vice-captain level shinigami. Subject severely damaged, possibly dead? Will find out. If dead, can still reproduce results

Every last word was in his handwriting. Notes, written with the callousness of a scientist, one that had let go of any sense of ethics, any sense of right and wrong.

There were notes on Halibel. On Neliel, on Ulquiorra, on names she did not know very well- Barragan, Starrk, Nnoitora- and how to apply them as weapons. In gruesome detail, it was described how powerful they might become, what powers they might have… she could not bring herself to read it in detail.

If this was a forgery, it was the best damn forgery she had ever seen.

Finally, one week after his battle, Isshin had recovered, although not quite in the way she had expected. She walked up to his sick bed- next to which the muscular Tessai still sat- and sat down. She looked at him. He was… different.

"Erza?" Isshin said, sitting up. "Bet I really made you worry, huh?"

"What happened to you?" Erza mumbled. It was all wrong- she could barely sense any reiatsu from him, like it had all been sealed away. His body was… similar, but not the same.

"About that…" Isshin mumbled. "I'm uh, a bit of a cripple now." He sounded beaten, a far cry from his usual carefree, energetic self.

"The damage to his central reiatsu system was severe." Tessai rumbled. "We stabilized him, through much arduous work. However, the majority of his reiatsu was burnt out in the process. At the moment, he possesses no more spiritual energy than the typical plus soul post mortem."

"Oh…" Erza said, a sinking feeling in her gut.

"That's not all." Isshin murmured.

"Correct!" Tessai said, nodding slowly. "In the end, his spiritual matrix was still too unstable to be relied upon. To save his existence, we bound his being to a gigai."

"It's not all gone," Urahara said, and Erza wondered just when he had stood himself in the door opening. He looked as carefree as usual, as obnoxious as usual. "It's possible that one day, his powers may recover. He still has all the disciplines and structure of a shinigami. However, as it stands… he'll be like this for years. Possibly forever. Fascinating, what that hollow did to his system."

"You!" Erza snarled. "You said you could fix him! You lying-"

"Take it easy now," Urahara said, raising his voice just a little. "We really did do all we could. Do you think I want him not to recover? This man represented a significant meal ticket to me. A nobleman in my pocket, and a payoff on top of that? But no…" He sighed. "It's all for naught."

"What do you mean?" Erza said, frowning. "Captain," she said, turning to Isshin, "we'll get you back to the soul society. We'll have the best of the best look at you, they'll fix you, not like this hack-"

"Erza, it's fine," Isshin said quietly, gesturing for her to calm down with his hand. "I mean… I don't feel peachy about this, but there's not a whole lot I can do. I know this guy- he's real smart, even though he got sent off for treason. Without my powers… let's be honest, the Gotei won't give a shit about me." He shrugged. "If I go back, what am I? A disgrace. A liability. A cripple who lost everything. An idiot who couldn't even die when he was supposed to." He looked her in the eyes, looking weary.

"I've always been an idiot. I don't mind it, because when people see an idiot, they let their guard down. I was a strong idiot, one at least fit to lead people. But without that… what am I?" He shook his head.

"You have people waiting for you!" Erza said. "You have family, a clan, a whole squad that depends on you!"

"Tell them I'm dead." Isshin said flatly.

"What?" Erza said.

"Tell them I'm dead. Do me that favour, Erza. Shiba Isshin died fighting a powerful hollow. He gave his life fighting for what was right, standing tall like a man. Please… let that be how they remember me. Not… this." He said, gesturing at his body, his artificially built, ever so frail body."

"This is a state of the art model, I'll have you know," Urahara said, "and it can be updated at your leisure, too."

Erza ignored him. "You can't do this!" She snapped. "What about the people at home? Don't you care about them?"

"I do." Isshin said, shrugging. "But… that's why I want it to be this way. I'm staying here. I can't make you say I'm dead, but you can't make me come with you."

"You idiot!" Erza all but screamed.