Title: Assigned

Rating: G, action, humour

Pairing / Characters: Hitsugaya Toushirou, Kuchiki Byakuya, Kyouraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jyuushirou, Ichigo and the gang

Word Count: 730 words

Warnings: Nothing!

Summary: Four captains are assigned to the living world to deal with a threat

A/N: A rollicking good cliffhanger to start things off!

'Wait, you want us to do what?'

Yamamoto looked perturbed at the reactions to his statement. 'You've been assigned to the living world for several weeks. According to information from Urahara Kisuke, there have been several sightings of Menos Grandes, and the Kurosaki boy is unable to handle them all. As the four of you are the strongest of my captains, I'm sending you to handle this.'

Yamamoto grinned suddenly. 'Oh, and Shunsui? I absolutely forbid you from getting drunk with Kisuke. Soi Fon still hasn't forgiven you.'

'That's not fair!' Shunsui protested. 'It was Christmas, Yama-jii!'

Yamamoto flapped a hand. 'Tough. Jyuushirou, keep him in line, you hear?'

Jyuushirou sent Shunsui a look. 'I'll do my best, Genryuusai-sensei.'

Yamamoto snorted, well aware of Shunsui's influence on his lover. 'I'm sure you will. Right, dismissed.'

'It's going to be a long month,' Shunsui mourned. 'All work and no play makes Shunsui a very unhappy captain…'

Jyuushirou bit his lip to hide his laughter, because despite the complaints, Shunsui's eyes were bright with mischief. He was absolutely irrepressible, but Jyuushirou didn't want him any other way.

'Of all the people he could have sent, it had to be us,' Hitsugaya growled.

Jyuushirou laughed. 'Don't worry, Hitsugaya-kun. It's not going to be that bad.'

'I don't know about that, senpai,' Byakuya said suddenly. 'Urahara certainly has bad taste in gigais.'

Shunsui's face fell. 'Oh god, please don't remind me.'

Byakuya blinked at the look of barely suppressed horror on Jyuushirou's face.

'Did something happen?' he asked curiously.

'We had this thing… we snuck out of Sereitei to go and celebrate his birthday… and he… he… he gave us female gigais…'

Byakuya's eyes widened. 'He didn't…'

'He did,' Shunsui confirmed. 'I've never been so embarrassed…'

'You wear pink,' Jyuushirou pointed out indignantly. 'I had to wear that awful shade of lavender.'

'Why would he do something like that?' Hitsugaya asked innocently.

'It was the hair, among other things,' Shunsui admitted. 'Kisuke's sense of humour has always been a little…off.'

'What other reasons – oh.' Hitsugaya flushed deeply. 'That really is awful!'

Shunsui and Jyuushirou sighed in unison. 'We know, we know.'

The sun was just sinking below the horizon when the four of them entered the real world just outside the Urahara Shoten. Kisuke and Yoruichi were waiting outside for them, the former with a large, cheery smile.

'Welcome, welcome,' he said brightly. 'Were it not for the escalating crisis, I would be even happier to see you.'

Despite their earlier complaints about Kisuke and his gigais, Hitsugaya couldn't help but notice that both Shunsui and Jyuushirou were grinning openly at the sight of their old friend.

'Kisuke, you sly thing, it's good to see you,' Shunsui said, clapping him on the back.

'Same for the two of you. No need to ask how things are going, I see.'

Jyuushirou reddened. 'Yes, well, about that…'

Kisuke chuckled. 'No need to worry, I've got things under control.'

Ten minutes later, two identical roars filled the Urahara Shoten.

'Kisuke!'

Kisuke's laughter echoed around the Urahara Shoten as Ururu served tea. 'Now now, you two, it was just a joke. No need to kill me just yet!'

Jyuushirou muttered something pithy under his breath, a furious expression on his face.

Byakuya and Hitsugaya glanced between Jyuushirou and Kisuke a little worriedly, but Shunsui looked totally relaxed. Apparently, this was normal.

Hitsugaya shook his head slowly. 'Stupid old people.'

Byakuya was about to reply when a sudden surge of reiatsu made him leap to his feet. 'What the hell – '

Kisuke got up, his expression suddenly grim. 'That would be Kurosaki-san, Byakuya. It's been like this all week.'

All business, the six of them flew out the door, using shunpo as the fastest means to get to the scene of the battle, across the moonlit rooftops that was the Karakura residential area.

The scene that met their eyes was one of total devastation – a Menos Grande and several hollows formed a semi-circle around several very familiar faces. Ichigo stood between the hollows and his friends, the grass beneath his feet not only stained with blood but in some places, burned and blackened.

Inoue was huddled over a clearly wounded Chad, and Ishida's crumpled body lay nearby. Rukia was nowhere to be seen.

With a yell of rage, Ichigo charged towards the Menos, murder in his eyes.