Another chap up folks! :D

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Only the story is mine. Alas! Kubo-sensei is awesome! :)

Six: The Mission

Ichigo stepped silently out the back door and onto a narrow back alley with a hand on the handle of his gun and flipped the safety off as he scanned the area. He caught movements from the corner of his eye somewhere to his right a few meters from where he stood. With calm, even steps he walked closer to where they were. There were three of them, rookies from the looks of it and not very good at concealing neither their presence nor their intent but quite sharp as they finally noticed him approaching from behind.

Three heads quirked at the sight of the position of his arm their expression absurd disbelief but before any of them could pull any of their own weapons he had already put his bullets through their heads. His act of pulling out his gun and attaching the silencer was covered by the jacket he had put on the last minute to hide the gun on his side. And instead of using his right he fired with his left so that the collar of his jacket partly hid his features only showing the hard glint of his eyes and the anger that darkened them.

His eyes flicked to the left as more men appeared circling him closely so he was suddenly surrounded. He slipped his gun back to its holster finding it suddenly useless and wanting to feel bones breaking under his hand. His narrowed eyes observed each of the men slowly advancing towards him. If none of them would start attacking him, his absence would be too obvious and his charge might do something stupid between now and his return.

Ichigo heaved a huge sigh, and cocked his head to the side seemingly bored. "Why don't you all come at the same time...I really don't have time to be leisurely standing here all day..."

"Sorry but we have our orders..." the biggest of them growled with a smirk with a misguided notion that he was being smart when in fact he was being dumb. Even dumber than usual the moment those words left his mouth.

Ichigo's eyes practically turned into slits as he palmed the man under the jaw and followed up with a roundhouse kick strong enough to make him fly off to the other side of the alley. He elbowed the one behind him, punched another on the nose feeling the cartilage break under the pressure of his fist and turned to the two running towards him planning to body slam him and possibly pin him with their combined effort. Only they didn't contemplate the fact that he still has a gun with five or so bullets left.

The moment he pulled it out they paused almost comically as their eyes widened at the sight before both of them fell on the pavement with bleeding holes on the center of their foreheads.

Without even missing a beat Ichigo kicked the man lounging at him so hard on the leg he heard his femur crack nastily and he managed to put the man out of his pain with a bullet to his head before he could scream. Almost as an afterthought he shot the last man who was retreating quickly at the back of his head and wasted his last bullet to the big man who was just coming to making him slump back to the pile of garbage he landed on earlier with a confused expression frozen on his fat face even as blood dribbled from the red spot between his brows to his chin.

"Nice shot, Lover Boy..." Hiyori stepped out of the shadowy part of the alley soon followed by Lisa and men in black biohazard suits who immediately got to work disposing of the corpses.

"Go, Ichigo...we got this." Lisa said with a pointed look before yanking the young woman forcefully away with a sigh and proceeded to drag her away.

Ichigo didn't need telling twice as he ran back to the restaurant, and had half a mind to actually step into the men's room to check if he still looked decent. He paused for a breath before walking back into the dining area immediately scanning the room for her. He sighed in relief when he saw her staring moodily out the window lazily sipping on her lemonade.

Her head snapped up towards him when he took his seat rearranging his features back into a scowl as he tried not to slump onto the comfortable chair. After all that work he did he barely felt winded but after the adrenaline passed, his mind had gone go phut when he thought about what the big man said. He was ready to go into panic mode until he saw her calmly sitting prim and proper as she delicately sipped from the straw like the lady that she is.

"Took you long enough...I thought you got swallowed up by the toilet or something..." she muttered as she folded her arms over her chest. He noticed a small indentation between her brows tremble slightly, her pink lips puckered stubbornly as she fixed a full blown glare towards him.

He couldn't help it. The sight of the woman before him made him smile widely. He knew that look just like he knew that she adored his Aston Martin.

"What?" she snapped in barely suppressed irritation.

"Nothing..." he replied before looking out the window and adding under his breath. "You just look beautiful..." he was so busy trying to control his smile that he failed to notice her blushing furiously at his words.

•*•*•

He pushed open the door to the gallery suddenly feeling tired down to his very bones. He could smell cigarette smoke signalling that Shinji was still somewhere in the building. He followed the smell to the terrace where the man in question was leaning on the railings staring off into the gathering dusk.

"Back so early?..." Shinji inclined his head slightly not fully turning to face him as he blew smoke into the air.

"Yeah...her brother just got back and she had to get home early so..." he replied as he collapsed onto the sofa with an arm over his eyes.

"That so?..."

Ichigo peeped at him with one eye. He did not miss the seriousness of Shinji's tone or the strange stiffness of his stance, "Just spit it out, man..."

"Lisa told me about the thugs you fought earlier..." Shinji ventured quietly slightly turning to face him.

"What about those suicidal morons?..." he answered groggily with his eyes closed again, not moving an inch.

"They were brought back to HQ to be examined and they found some unusual tattoos on their chests..." Shinji's voice was getting closer finally making Ichigo open his eyes to glance at his companion who now sat on the smaller cushioned chair near his feet.

"What's so strange for henchmen to have tattoos?...they always have weird ass markings or clan symbols and...stupid scars..." Ichigo managed to sit up and mess up his hair as he swung his long legs back to the ground.

Shinji looked him directly in the eyes without a trace of his usual playfulness making Ichigo pause mid yawn.

"Yoruichi ID'd them." Shinji stated simply as he stubbed his cigarette on his portable ashtray.

Ichigo's eyes widened as realization hit him like a punch in the face. His expression clouded over as his lips hardened into a straight line. "Who?"

Shinji hesitated for a moment as if he didn't want to answer him then decided against his better judgment to say it anyway.

"Shiba."

If Shinji thought he had seen Ichigo angry beyond reason then he has not yet seen him become utterly furious. The man slumped on the sofa just a moment ago was replaced by a livid and shaking Ichigo whose hands were balled into fists so tight they were beyond blanching. His teeth were bared in a silent snarl as his eyes turned murderous at the mention of the name.

Shinji could only close his eyes at the sight. An Ichigo currently in anything that's not his usual calm self was overwhelming to behold. Even in anger.

The stakes just got higher. Not that it has already reached an all time high the moment that the high and mighty Kuchiki Byakuya decided to hire him. But this information changes things even more drastically.

The Shiba clan was out for blood and it was Rukia's blood they're clamouring for.

"Even after five fucking years..." Ichigo growled in a voice shaking with anger.

Shinji pointedly looked him straight in the eye which he avoided by closing them quickly in an attempt to compose himself earning him a sigh. "The teams' been briefed...Kensei's been brought up to date with the agreement."

Ichigo nodded absently at his words still not bothering to give a reply.

"Oh...and another thing, Ichigo...Urahara called us back to HQ tonight..." Shinji stood up, his head averted from Ichigo who had not yet opened his eyes.

"He especially wants you there. So get yer ass off that sofa and drive us there..." Shinji stuffed his hands into his pockets and shot him a commanding glare before hulking out of the room not waiting to see whether Ichigo followed or not.

"Tchk. Dickhead..." Ichigo muttered with a smirk and a shake of his head as he hesitantly got up from the invitingly comfortable sofa and made his way outside following after his partner.

The moment the two of them were seated in the Aston Ichigo reached across to the passenger seat to snatch the cigarette case being sneakily opened.

"Don't even think about it."

Shinji pouted on the passenger seat, for real this time. Ichigo tossed him a lollipop sniggering contentedly when it hit his companion's forehead smack in the middle and landed on his lap.

"You know...if I just don't happen to really like this car I would've made you regret that..." Shinji muttered in that sulking tone of his with his lower lip jutting out.

"Yeah, yeah...everybody loves the car..." Ichigo muttered darkly as he pulled out of his parking space.

"Ooh~! So that's why you brought this baby out today!"

"Wha—? Shut up!"

"Eehh~...you're being really cranky, Ichigo-kun! You should relax...Ah! Want me to call Orihime-chan and tell her you wanted me to ask her out for that date you keep putting off cause you're too sh—oomph!" for the second time that day Ichigo's palm connected with Shinji's smug face.

"Dammit, Shinji...thought you liked this car! Don't make me friggin' trash it you dickhead!"

"Make me not make you make me make you!" Shinji practically cackled.

•*•*•

The first things that Ichigo noticed when they arrived at the compound were the uniform black cars parked neatly on one side of the spacious driveway. He glanced at Shinji who merely shrugged noncommittally at his silent inquiry.

He parked his Aston next to the assortment of other expensive sports cars on the other side. Seeing those meant they weren't the only ones being called back tonight. He also noticed Yoruichi's Ducati.

He and Shinji had just stepped out the Aston when a loud silver Jaguar whose powerful engine could be heard from miles away sped into the parking lot. It parked smoothly beside his Aston and an equally loud man with blue hair stepped out of the driver seat with a huge grin bordering on maniacal plastered on his face.

"Yo, Ichigo...been a long time." apart from the man's chuckle the only sound that could be heard was the steady clicking of a stiletto coming towards them from the woman who just got out of the passenger seat.

"Grimmjow..." Ichigo replied as a manner of greeting accompanied with a nod just as the woman finally came into view. Her even louder blue green hair rippled down to her small waist where Grimmjow's arm was snaked protectively and possessively. Her large chest was barely contained within the confines of her revealing blouse.

"Neliel..."

"Good to see you, Ichigo..." her voice was soft almost childlike which usually makes people think she's completely harmless.

"About friggin' time you dorks!" Hiyori's extremely pissed voice cracked like a whip in the empty silence that followed as she stood there glaring at the four of them like an extraordinarily small and angry mother.

"Get a move on...wouldn't want the client to be waiting." Lisa silently stepped out of the shadow of the partly open door.

"Client's here personally?" Ichigo asked completely baffled.

"It seems he wanted to conduct the transaction personally..." came the detached reply before she turned her back and went inside the building while Hiyori followed a second later huffing in indignation.

Ichigo started walking soon followed by the other three who merely kept quiet with only the sound of their footsteps to ease the silence. They were ushered into the conference room where they found Urahara talking to someone with their back to the door. The moment they stepped inside Urahara motioned with a hand for Ichigo to take the seat to his left which he did without taking his eyes off the man who, as if sensing his gaze suddenly turned his head slightly. It was enough though to recognize him as Ichigo felt his eyes go wide in surprise.

hmm...what do we have here? A surprise guest! Anybody know who this mystery man is? :P

I'm suddenly finding myself typing up chaps like a bunny giving birth...kekeke! :D

Thank you for reading! :)