Seireitei thirteenth squad headquarters, one hour ago.
'Seireitei is under attack by an unknown enemy, all squads to battle formations!'
Shunsui looked up from his sake cup. "Eeeh? I hope its not just another test like with those fake menos."
An explosion rattled the building and sounds of melee came from the Sixth squad barracks. "Oh." Shunsui sighed and took a long gulp out of his sake. "Looks like I'd better get going then."
"Yes, I think it might be an idea." Ukitake agreed, standing. "Perhaps we should go and help the Sixth squad, seeing as they're under the attack."
"Hmm hmm, sounds like a plan."
Sixth squad barracks
"Howl, Zabimaru!"
The extending shape of Rengi's sword cut a swathe through the things, but more took their place.
"Damn." Renji hissed, jumping back as one of them took a wild swing. Useless fighters, but good swarmers.
"Your back's open." A distorted voice said behind him. Renji Flashstepped away just as the sword fell to where he had been.
"What now?" Renji cried out to the air. As the horde of zombies cleared, he saw a small girl with a flat, black hairdo wearing dark armour standing there, looking at him.
"Howl, Zabimaru!!!" Cried Renji, swinging his blade at her. She stepped aside out of the blade's path. You've paid too much attention to my own capabilities, and not what a death knight can do with her minions." She said with a little smile.
Behind him, he heard an explosion from the undead that knocked him from the air and sent him flying to her waiting blade.
"Scatter, Senbonsakura."
A wall of pink petals formed between Renji and the sword, sending Renji flying backwards again. Wisely, the girl disappeared as a second wave of petals violently attacked her. In the clearing smoke, Renji saw her smile widely at him.
"I am Namorai, The Lich King's champion of Frost. When next we fight, it will be your end."
And with that, she was gone.
"Taichou..." Renji looked at Byakuya.
"We need to ascertain where these enemies flooded in from. Find the source, now!"
"Hai!" the squad chorused as they went about searching for something amiss.
Ukitake and Shunsui Flashstepped next to Byakuya. "Is everyone ok?"
"Yes, it would appear so." Byakuya replied shortly.
"Ukitake-Taichou, allow me to make a report!" Renji said officiously. "About 5 minutes ago, a large force of zombie-like things, and several other beings, appeared out of nowhere and destroyed half of the sixth squad barracks before disappearing again!"
"I see." Ukitake looked at Renji. "do we know anything about the things that came through with the undead?"
"No, sir, other than the fact that they emitted a huge amount of spirit energy."
"Hmm." Shunsui sighed. "A army arrives at our backdoor, destroys half of a barracks, and we know nothing."
Suddenly, Byakuya disappeared. Moments later he returned, carrying Rukia.
"Rukia!" Renji ran up to her, holding his hand against her forehead.
"Ukitake-Taichou, Shunsui-Taichou, what do you make of this?" Byakuya asked.
Leaning closer to look at her, the two captains were treated to a horrible sight. A giant wound, 5 huge bitemarks, with gruesome green blighted skin around the area.
Renji gasped. "What the hell is that?!" He asked of the world in general.
"I don't know." Ukitake admitted. "We'd best rush her to fourth squad barracks immediately!"
"Kuchiki-Taicho!" A call from a searcher distracted them.
Rushing after the call, and directed by a pointing finger, they saw a huge, black, swirling mass that was at about head height.
"What the...!" Shunsui exclaimed.
"Emergency captain's meeting at the First Squad headquarters!"
Captain's meeting.
"So, then..." the Captain Commander began. "As most of you probably know, half an hour ago, a "Dark" portal arrived at the sixth squad headquarters. The attackers that came through destroyed half the barracks, and almost killed a Shimigami. Unohana Taichou." He turned to the medic. "What's the situation with Kuchiki Rukia?"
"To be honest, we don't really know." Unohana said quietly. "The wound itself is a nasty one and she's lucky to survive. However, the mouth - and it's definitely a mouth - that wounded her also infected her with some type of plague. Her entire arm's turned a nasty green. If things get any worse, she'll die.
"Can you create an antidote?" Byakuya asked.
"I've been working on it, but it's horrifically complicated. None of the antidote mixtures work, and our healing magic doesn't seem to work on the arm."
"I see."
"The situation is serious." The captain commander stated. "In light of the matter that we have no idea where these new enemies are, i will give out your orders fast and be over with this meeting.
"Soi-Fong-taichou, you and your stealth-ops division will use your full resources to finding these undead.
"Unohana-Taichou, put your squad on red alert and work with Kurosuchi-Taicho towards finding an antidote."
Mayuri stirred. "What?" he demanded in an outraged tone.
"There will be no arguments! A full scale invasion of soul society is happening! We must do our jobs or be killed!"
Mayuri backed down, scowling at Unohana.
"Zaraki Kenpachi, you and your squad seats will guard the portal.
"The rest of you, I want active guards and patrols over Seireitei!"
Zagramarsh, dark portal clearing, now.
"Hell!" exclaimed Urukhide as they teleported into the site with the rest of the expedition. "That looks exactly like the Dark Portal in Hellfire Peninsula!"
"It does rather." Agreed Whosdahealer, now renamed as Rath'Minius.
"Are we going? Or are we going to sit around all day playing Compare-the-portals?" Garrosh Hellscream interrupted.
"I agree." Said Koitora Death Weaver. "The longer we waste time, the more time the scourge will have to build up its power base."
"Very Well, then." Urukhide sighed, and turned to his Lieutenant, Grekar. "Is everyone accounted for?"
"It would appear so..." Grekar said. "300 Kor'Kron honour guards, one Paladin, one Death Knight," he accompanied this with a spit, ignoring the scowl on Koitora's face. "You, me, Garrosh, right?"
"Yup."
Rath'Minius sidled up to Koitora. "I think that there's some discrimination going on here." He whispered conspiritally in his ear. "303 Orcs, two Blood Elves, No Tauren, Trolls, or Forsaken."
The death knight laughed. "Heh, guess they got out of it by switching the orc's posts with the other races."
"So, now that we're all assembled, shall we go?" Garrosh interrupted again.
****
Well, one thing about this new world, it was quiet. No sounds, no bodies, not even that much debris. Just a few wrecked buildings and a lot of paving stones.
"Deserted." Urukhide said to the world in general.
"Hmm." Garrosh paused, then turned to Rath. "Can you tell us if there's any plague around here?"
Rath closed his eyes for a moment. "Nothing is the ground, nothing in the living, except..." He opened his eyes again. "One girl. Far away. Northwest."
"Deserted." Urukhide repeated. "Wait!" he spun around.
A shadow brought its serrated sword down at him.