Ichigo didn't know how long he stood in the waiting room of the hospital, where he took Bambietta. But for every passing minute, his worry for the sternritter increased. Along with the massive amount of guilt, he felt for allowing her and the rest of the quinces to have their literal souls on the brink of destruction. Which now lie in the hundreds. As each of them was attended to by the medical staff.
All which this happen this happen just because he was hesitant to reveal his shinigami powers.
Then, of course, there were the circumstances with Ulquiorra knowing that he is a shinigami and his alternate's part in humiliating this version of Neil who was a dear friend to him in his reality. Thus leaving the teen with some extremely serious questions about just what kind of person is in this world.
'Ichigo Kurosaki?' One of the medics spoke to him and the youth raised his head.
'The doctor would like to see you now
A few minutes later Ichigo was in another waiting room. Only this one had a glass window and from what Ichigo could see from it, was Bambietta on an operation table. Hooked to life-support equipment and covered from head to toe in bandages. While being attended by several doctors and nurses.
Ichigo stared in silence as he watched over the sternrriter from the glass as his heart began to sink further in shame upon seeing her condition. As he felt her spiritual pressure just barely being kept stable by the machines and can only hope that Bambietta would make a full recovery soon.
'She has passed through the worse of it. But she is still quite unstable and it will take a couple of days before she is ready to walk again' a man spoke to Ichigo and when the latter turned his head his eyes widen in shock.
For standing was a man he thought the least likely to be in such a position in this world.
Sosuke Aizen.
He wore a pair of glasses, a black medical uniform with a white lab coat draped over him, and brown hair that came over his head and neck. Taking on an appearance that made him look almost exactly how he looked when he was a captain of hotel thirteen and he was the doctor that the nurse wanted him to see.
'Wait So he is the one treating Bambietta!'Ichigo thought in a panic as their mind began racing.
Have I somehow fallen under his illusions!' he ranted inside his head in fear but immediately force himself to calm down.
'Focus Ichigo, don't allow your paranoia to get the better of you. If you were under Kuo Suguistsu you would have sensed it and this Aizen for all you know could just be another alternate version in this world who likely has nothing in common with the one you face off against. I mean he doesn't even feel as powerful as…wait a minute...'
Through Kurosaki's inner rationalization. He then realized that Aizen's spiritual pressure was far lower than his counterpart ever was to the point it felt no more powerful than a regular human's and yet he felt that it was somehow suppressed by another power that he couldn't quite register. However, as Ichigo began to reach out with his spiritual senses he realized that this was the same for all the medical staff here. Which then made Ichigo realize another revaluation of this world.
'Wait, if his spiritual power is just like with everyone else here does that mean…all of them are shinigami too!?' Ichigo wondered to himself in confusion. But then decided to put it on hold for now.
'You seemed distressed Ichigo. Is there something wrong?' The alternate version of Aizen asked while Kurosaki made an uneasy cough to regain his composer.
'It's nothing…' Ichigo lied and then looked down towards Bambietta.
'So, you are saying that in a few days, she will be leaving soon and fighting again?' The hybrid asked. Yet Aizen himself hesitated in his response before then answering.
'She will be able to walk freely in a few days yes. But as for her fighting days that is another matter entirely,' Sosuke explained which made Ichigo narrow his eyes in confusion and distress.
'What do you mean by that?' he asked once more and Aizen though still reluctant answered.
'As you should know Kurosaki, Quincey lacks the antibodies to combat hollow infection, and given Bambietta's severe injuries she was on the brink of having her soul self-self-destruct when its barriers were nearly dissolved, but luckily I was able to use my powers and the purifying power of the Quincy arrows to save her soul…but it came at the cost of greatly and permanently weakening her spiritual powers. To the point that she may no longer be capable of carrying out her duties as a sterner,' Aizen explained solemnly, and Ichigo's heartache once more in guilt while turning his head away.
'So...it would seem that shinigami here use a similar process to treat soul suicide unliked what Urahara did for my dad and mother. But then again shinigami are much different than the ones I know. It only makes some they would need a different method to treat that sort of thing…but it doesn't change the fact it's my fault that Bambietta has gotten herself permanently crippled out of my own personal fear' Ichigo lamented in his mind with his shook and grief laid bare on the face. Which did not go unnoticed by Aizen.
'…are you worried about her Kurosaki?' The doctor asked and the orange-haired youth looked at Aizen in the offense.
'What…of course, I am worried about her! What kind of question is that?!' Ichigo asked angrily while Aizen raise an eyebrow in confusion.
'I just find it rather odd…usually you are indifferent to people dying unless they were your friends and or family members like Keigo and your mother.
Ichigo's face was then frozen at what Aizen just said to him until the shinigami doctor suddenly remembered something and then quickly changed the subject.
'Ah yes speaking about Keigo he also requested that you meet with him in his room' Aizen's eyes then uneasily narrowed. '…along with his other associates
Ichigo began to wonder what Sosuke meant by Keigo's associates and his alternate counterpart's lack of concern for others. But upon seeing the shinigami already leaving the room. He decided out those questions on hold too for now and follow him.
However, when Ichigo approached Keigo's room he begin to wonder if he had just stayed in the waiting room
'WHAT THE HELL were you thinking Asano!' a voice ranged out from the door to the room which made Ichigo almost jump off the floor.
'Oh, come Tatsuki I didn't have a choice. He was an Espada and I had to go all beat to him!' Keigo wine as he tried in vain to defend himself. But what caught Ichigo's ear was mentioning the other women's name.
With just a little bit of hesitation, Ichigo open the door to the room and was greeted by more people he recognized as his friends from high school.
Tatsuki was shouting to a bedridden Keigo with his entire chest covered in bandages, wearing a hospital gown, and his right arm encased in a cast. While Mizuiro stood near the rear door with a lack of interest.
When Ichigo got a good look at both of them, He notice that they were wearing the same Xcuation tee-shirts that Keigo wore along with different types of clothing. Tatsuki wore short jeans that exposed her well-honed legs and Mizuiro wore light-brown pants.
'So instead of retreating or having Ichigo deal with him, you decided to nearly shatter the barrier between the worlds of the living and the dead!' Tatsuki snapped back in anger.
'You should be lucky that you still have an arm and the repair crew was able to clean up your mess. I mean seriously how is it that you of all people have to have the most destructive full-bringer of all time!' She continued to rant. But Keigo Just cross his arms and continued to pout.
'Yeah, well if Ichigo did help me out, He probably wouldn't be able to save miss Bambietta! So would you rather have her die instead!' The brunette yelled back but this only made spiky hair fullbringer twitch her eyebrow in annoyance.
'…I am pretty sure that Bamabettia would give you the ass whopping of a lifetime if you dared place her life over the structure of all of the reality' The women said coldly and Keigo's face then grew pale.'
'…fine you made your point' Keigo growled as looked away in defeat. While Tatsuki in turning her head back and snorted in annoyance. Until her eyes lit up when she saw Ichigo.
'Oh, hey Kurosaki nice to see that there is at least one level-headed guy around here she snarked welcomingly while Keigo growled in and continued to look away in spite.
Ichigo however was much more perplexed by the whole conversation involving the true nature of his carefree friend fullbring.
'Uh I am sorry but did you just say that Aasno, nearby destroyed the barriers between worlds?' Kurosaki questioned nervously. While everyone else in the room looked at him strangely.
'Ichigo…' Mizuiro began to explain. 'That is the power of Keigo's fullbring the Reign of Discord. It allows him to break the laws of physics to take out powerful enemies' he explained as if it were the most obvious thing to the world...which Ichigo realized it should be. Considering his counterpart already knew that and thus should keep up his act.
'Oh, uh yeah the...ability to break through reality with his uh...his fists?' tried to keep up his act but everyone else still looked at him weirdly. Though Keigo seemed to have quickly gotten over it.
'You bet your sweet ass Kurosaki!' Asano shout out happily as raised his fist and showed off his golden-crusted emblem glove to Ichigo. 'With Reign of Discord, I was able to weaken that old fish leg's body until it exploded from the inside out by his spiritual pressure and even dispelled a grand ray cero on top of that!'
'A...you caused Grandfisher's body to overload with his power...and dispelled a grand ray cero?' Ichigo barely managed to speak out. As he tried to comprehend or even buy into the fact that not only Keigo Asano. The overreacting, lovable coward idiot that he knew from his world...would have a power that was just below the Almighty in terms of sheer brokenness. Hell, not since his fight with Kenpachi, did Ichigo feel a need to avoid fighting someone...or at least without their said fullbring.
'Yeah, he did...' Tatsuki said dismissively, 'but he ended up severally damaging the barrier between the danger and the world of the living and nearly lost his arm in the process, so he's still an idiot
Keigo angered by his friend's dismal comment was about to say something until Ichigo interrupted him.
'Like always?' Kurosaki agreed bluntly and the women smirked.
'As always' she responded evenly. Which then made Keigo drop his jaw in shock.
'Oh, come to one Ichigo you were supposed to be on my side! What turn you into such a traitor!' Aasno whined but Ichigo just twitch his eyebrow in agitation.
'I was never on your side. I was going help you with Granfisher until you insisted, I save Bambettia first had I known you would have done that suicidal stunt with that power of yours, I would lay out your ass to the ground and then take that fish-legged bastard out in one go!' Ichigo argued harshly, which made Keigo sheepishly avoid his gaze.
'Well...you know it was kind of personal to me Ichigo in case you didn't know...' Aasno defended weakly in an almost quiet tone. Much to Ichigo's confusion.
'What do you mean-'
'As much as I appreciate this touching reunion among friends Keigo's arm still needs to make a full recovery and visiting hours are now closed' Aizen announce abruptly. Much the rest of fullbringers annoyance.
'Oh, come on Aizen is it really closing time, or do just want to get rid of us for annoying you?' Tatsuki asked mockingly while the death god keep an even face.
'Both actually' he said in a brutal monotone voice much to Tatsuki, Sauno's, and Keigo's displeasure. Which Sosuke was quick to notice.
The doc shinigami then sighed. 'I can assure you that once his arm fully healed and given a full night's rest. Keigo Asano will be ready to leave this ward and you can continue this conversation to your heart's content. So please for the sake of my profession leave'
Tatsuki gave a disappointed look, but they complied and both fullbringers quickly walked out of the room. 'See you tomorrow Keigo' Misuke said as he and Tatsuki went down the hallway, merged into the passing crowd, and faded away from sight.
Ichigo later tried to exist in the room himself until Aizen placed his right hand on his shoulder.
'Kurosaki Ichigo, there is something that wanted to speak to you in private if you give me a moment' Aizen asked. Which made Ichigo tremble with suspicion and anticipation.
'Okay,' Ichigo reluctantly complied as he then followed Sosuke out of Keigo's room with the latter giving Ichigo a worried look.
A few minutes later Ichigo arrived at Aizen Sosuke's office. That had filled up bookshelves aligned on all sides of its walls, a large wooden desk with large stacks of documents on it, and a leather seat chair seated behind it. While the back of the office had a wide row of widows covered with white blinds. In many ways to Ichigo, it looked not all that much different from the typical business offices in his living world or even the captain offices he occasionally visited in the Seireitei.
Though he couldn't but fell completely on edge especially since this was Aizen he was dealing with. Regardless of whether or not you could use his powers.
'It would seem that you have done well for yourself Ichigo Kurosaki, as Bamebettia suffered near-fatal injuries and Asano nearly lost a limb. You merely suffered a few flesh wounds to your forearms that only required a first aid kit to mend...and all because of that power you used to defeat the 5th Espada Grimijow' Aizen praised, but Ichigo didn't care.
All this showed was that Aizen now knows about his powers as a shinigami and while he wasn't too surprised that he figured it out. It none less filled Kursoaki's heart with dread in wondering what the manipulative man would do with this information.
'Alright you found me out, I did use my shinigami powers in my fight against Grimijow so what exactly do you want from me?' Ichigo questioned uneasily while the spec-wearing doctor stared at Ichigo with his cold calculating brown eyes. As if he were a beast deciding on what to do with his captured prey. Though the rest of their face was completely unreadable.
'...Nothing, aside from insisting that you be much more careful in how you display that power in the future' Aizen said carelessly. Which took Ichigo off guard.
'Wait...what do you mean by nothing? What sort of game you are playing with Aizen!?' Ichigo shouted back not wanting to be played a fool but the doctor remain stoic.
'I am not playing with anything Kurosaki. Just expressing my concern for your well-being. After all your father Isshin who once worked here beside me. Made me promise to look after you after his...damnation from this world when he used his powers in the past' Aizen said coolly yet carefully. Which caused Ichigo to raise his eyebrow in further confusion.
'So, my father worked here alongside Aizen in this world?' Ichigo thought in bewilderment. 'Okay, that makes sense since he is the head of our family clinic...' Ichigo's face then began to go sour. 'But him using powers...resulted in his damnation? Does that mean he was imprisoned inside make?' Ichigo's eyes then widen in further realization upon remembering what Ulquiorra said about his shinigami powers being untainted by sin.
'However, I must admit even among all the shinigami I have witnessed even amongst your father...' Aizen explains what caused Ichigo to refocus on him. 'Your powers are truly unique among them...or rather I would say completely untainted and unbranded by the mark of our great sin'
The Orange-haired youth's heart than almost stopped upon hearing what Sosuke had told him of all things. Having learned about it himself when Hisagi was interviewed during his vacation in the world of the living.
'Which you seem to be fully aware of' Aizen commented in a foreboding tone and Ichigo still in a state of bafflement and shock was left unable to respond. Aizen then took his cue to end the conversation.
'Well, regardless of the actual nature of your powers. I suggest you work much harder to keep them hidden from your fellow Quincy and Fullbringers...for while many among them are forgiving to us shinigami even if we were to use our abilities in public...there are hardly any who are willing to forgive a descendent of the five great noble clans and you are no exception to that Kurosaki... just as it was for your father' Aizen warn grimly as he began to sit at his desk and began looking over the documents on his table. While Ichigo just stood there in silence.
'Be sure to send my regards to your mother as you walk yourself home' the Shinigami doctor said dismissively before going back to work and Ichigo with nothing else to say or question abiding by Aizen's words and walked himself out.
However, when Kurosaki left the head doctor's office. The Doctor pulled out a cell phone from his lab coat and began to make a call.
'Yes, this Sosuke Aizen...no he is still in the dark about everything, but he is coming dangerously close to finding uncomfortable truths about our world...' Aizen then narrowed his eyes.
'If I had lied or kept my silence others will no doubt tell him regardless. In fact, due to his lack of said knowledge, he could barely contain that embarrassment of the cover he has already...' Aizen's eyes then widen a bit as he heard you hear on the phone.
'So you are going to meet with them to decide what to do next...very well keep me posted for any changes you have made
And with that Aizen closed his flipped phone, hung it up, placed it back into his pocket, and folded both his hands on his desk. All the while sporting a smile of interest in wondering how the rest of the events will play out.
For the soul reaper boy from an alternate reality.