Claws That Scratch The Flesh pt.19

Claws That Scratch The Flesh
Nineteenth Scratch: Fall Out
"I already told you, I did't reckognize anyone, I didn't SEE anyone," Ichigo sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly, "So you were locked in this room the entire time, never saw a face, never heard a voice?" Kensei asked skeptickally, "That's what I keep saying, I kept screaming and shouting and never got a response, I don't know where I was, who had me, or what they wanted with me," he sighed, Kensei glared at him, growling slightly before pushing off of the table, "Fine, you're free to go, we'll talk to you again later when we have some more information," he replied, Ichigo nodded slowly, getting up and walking calmly out of the interrogatin room, leaving Kensei to curse under his breath and glare at the wall

"Don't worry, I didn't tell them anything," Ichigo said immediately as he got in the car, "That isn't at all what we're worried about, are you alright?" Rukia asked worriedly as she glanced up at him, "I'm fine, it's.. fine... they're suspecious but there's nothing they can prove," he muttered back, buckling his seat belt, Rukia nodded slowly and stared out the window, "How long do you think we have before they come for us again?" "I'm not sure, I don't even know if they will but I suggest that we work as quickly as possible just in case," he muttered back, she sighed, nodding slowly, "Right then... I say it's time to head home and do a little research,"

~+~

"An Arachnid?" Rukia asked with a slight scoff, "Yeah, I mean.. do you know anything else that would have that many arms?" Ichigo frowned, she pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head slowly, "I guess not... do you know if she had eight?" she asked, he frowned, thinking for a moment, "Eight... or six.... I don't really... I know it was an even number.. and it was definately more than four... I think less than ten..." he sighed, hanging his head, "I THINK it was eight..." he muttered, she sighed, shaking her head again, "Right... we'll look and see what else has six or eight arms, just in case, I think I've heard of a certain demon that has six arms..." she mused, "Uh-uh, no, no way, not happening!" he protested, "Hm?" Rukia hummed in confusion, looking up at him and tilting her head, "All this started with a cannabilistic spirit and since then we've had werewolves on our backs and now we're maybe dealing with an arachnid, but I DRAW the line at DEMONS! Supernatural mayhem? Sure, demonic mayhem? Nope! I cannot take ANY more," he said sternly, she sighed and rolled her eyes, "Ichigo... if you can't even remember if she had eight arms or six, we really need to consider all the pos-" "It was eight," they heard, turning to the door were Kommamura walked in, "You have GOT to stop sneaking around like that," Ichigo huffed, the werewolf ignored him for the most part, continuing towards them, "Shuatara is an Arachnid, but she isn't the one we have to worry about most," "What do you mean?" Rukia frowned, "I mean she works with a group of people who are highly dangerous that we need to be looking out for," "Who are these people?" Ichigo asked, "They call themselves ... Squad Zero,"

~+~

"You don't REALLY think Kurosaki had anything to do with this do you? I mean he's smart... but he's not that smart, and I don't think he'd be hiding something like this, there's no motive either, nothing even close to a motive in fact," Shinji mused as he stared across the desk at his partner, Kensei just glared at the wall, frustration seeping into his bones as he chewed on the inside of his cheek, "I don't know what to think anymore... but he's hiding something, we both know that, it's just a matter of what it is..." he muttered, "I don't think he's involved in the murders like you do though Kensei, atleast not in a non-police sort of way," Shinji shrugged back, Kensei shook his head slowly, turning back to the forms he was going over, "Doesn't matter right now, we're going to figure out what he's hiding, no matter what it is..."

~+~

"Squad Zero? Does that stand for something in paticular?" Ichigo asked curiously as he looked on, "We've been trying to figure that out for a wile now but have yet to come to any definate conclusion," Kommamura sighed back, "So what DO you know? 'Cause it doesn't sound like much," "Unfourtinately you're right, it isn't much, what we do know is that there seems to be five leaders to this ... 'squad'.... each residing over their own area of expertise, I believe Shutara's is abduction," "Yeah, well, that was definately expert-level, I can testify to that," Ichigo muttered back, "I thought as much," Kommamura agreed, "So do you know their goal yet?" Rukia asked, he shook his head slowly, "Unfourtinately not, we don't even know all of the members, we currently know only two out of the five of their heads, Shutara and a man named Tenjiro, he's an Incubus," "Ofcourse he is," Ichigo muttered, "I can only assume that they're criminals?" Rukia guessed, "Most of the time yes, but the trouble is that sometimes they air more on the vigilante side, we aren't sure yet how much of that is on purpose and how much just worked out for the better," "And you think they have some connection to the Wendigos?" Ichigo asked, almost hopefully, "I'm not sure if it's the Wendigos... or if it's you," Kommamura clairified, "Us?" Ichigo frowned, the werewolf nodded slowly, "They might just be after you to make sure you don't tell anyone about our kind," he explained, "Right, that figures," he muttered, looking up wen he felt a strong hand on his shoulder, "I deeply apologize for getting you involved in this, but you have my word, I will help you in getting out of it as well," he swallowed, nodding slowly, "Thanks but... it's really Rukia you should be saying all that to," Kommamura moved towards her, going to offer her the same wen she spoke suddenly, "I understand, it's got nothing to do with you but... we need to figure this out before any more deaths happen, I have a bad feeling about what's to come... a very bad feeling...."

~+~

Rukia gasped suddenly, sitting up and rubbing her eyes, "I wasn't asleep," She muttered, "It's alright, you've had a long enough day, you deserve sleep," Ichigo muttered back, the woman rubbed her eyes more and groaned, looking at the clock, "I just dozed off.... for three hours..... crap..." she muttered, "It happens to everyone, don't worry about it," "But..." she frowned, glancing at the look on Ichigo's face and realizing she wasn't going to win, "I... right.... have you found out anything interesting yet?" "Not yet, I called my dad, he's gonna meet us tommorrow afternoon for lunch," he explained, she nodded slowly, sighing and glancing at the clock again, "It's late... very late, you really need to sleep," she pointed out, he shook his head, rubbing his temples tiredly, "I will, I promise, I will," he muttered, "Yeah? When, next spring?" "I said I'd be fine Rukia," he mumbled back, she narrowed her eyes, rolling off the couch and striding over to the chair he was sitting in, "Now is not a time for 'fine', 'fine' is what gets you distracted and hurt- or worse killed, now is a time when you have to be at peak condition and depriving yourself of sleep- for WHATEVER reason, is NOT peak condition," she insisted with a huff, Ichigo stared at her for a moment before smiling slightly and nodding, shutting his laptop down, "You're right," "Huh?" she asked, thoroughly surprised that he was listening to her, "You sound like a cop wen you talk like that," "Not sure if that's a compliment or not," she muttered, "It was meant as one," Ichigo shrugged back, giving her a small smile, "I think you're right, we both have to be ready to face whatever comes our way and a lack of sleep or food isn't going to do that," "Exactly," she agreed, he nodded slowly and they stood for a moment in awkward silence before he took a breath, "You didn't eat, I'll make you some ramen," she watched him exit the room before slowly following after, staying quiet herself

"So what all do you think is out there?" Rukia asked after a few silent moments, Ichigo glanced back at her, staring curiously as he grabbed the ramen from the pantry, "You mean... supernaturally?" she nodded slowly, leaning against the table as she waited for him to answer, "Well.... I guess it sort of depends," "On what?" "Just how crazy we've gotten, I mean ok... obviously werewolves and arachnids and probbably vampires too... but if you asked me about.. say... unicorns? I would probbably say no, what about you?" "At this point... I would probbably go right along with the unicorn," she shrugged, "Braver and more open than I am," he chuckled, "Maybe, or maybe just more tired of trying to oppose the existence of something that's already there," she pointed out, he nodded slowly, "Yeah, that too.." there was another moment of silence as he cooked and Rukia leaned back, trying not to fall asleep again, when something suddenly hit her, "Ichigo...?" "Hm?" "Where was I, exactly, when I fell a few weeks ago?" "Where? In front of my car, a few feet from the wall actually, why?" she pursed her lips, eyes narrowing, "Tommorrow before you go to work, I want to see it," "Alright... why?" "I may have an idea... but you'll just have to trust me, trust me... and wait for me to confirm my suspecions...."