A.N: I'm sure some of you were hoping that this would be a new chapter. Unfortunately, it's not. Don't get me wrong, Chapter 9 is in the works, but I simply had to make some changes to this chapter because of an error on my part. Kensei had already confronted Fielhombre earlier, and I have to fix a part in this chapter because I contradicted that…

Chapter 8: Drive

Flashback: After the defeat of Nnoitra and Ulquiorra

For an Arrancar, crying was one of the worst things they could do. It was the ultimate sign of weakness. Crying was something that was not allowed because of the harsh world they lived in. Yet here he was, lying on the sand with a deep, near-fatal wound down his body, crying in despair.

Tesla Lindocruz sniffled as he sobbed. His tears stained the sand. He knew that crying was a sign of weakness among the Arrancar. Yet he could not help himself.

He was dead, Master Nnoitra was dead. The man he admired so much was dead at the hands of a monster of a Soul Reaper Captain. Now here he was, lying grievously injured, crying, waiting to die.

I'm so weak, Tesla thought sadly, I couldn't make myself more useful to Master Nnoitra and now he's gone. Perhaps it's better that I die…

Before Tesla could think anymore, he heard two pairs of footsteps coming towards him. One pair stopped while the other continued moving towards him. Tesla could not bring himself to look to see who was coming. He was in too much pain, and far too despondent.

The second pair suddenly stopped. He heard a female voice gasp. "This one's alive." He heard her say.

"Fielhombre!" He heard her call out to her companion. "We've got a live one here."

The man named Fielhombre responded. "Our mission was to collect Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the mission has been completed, Palmira."

Tesla heard Palmira respond. "That may be true, but Master did mention how Los Retazos is always looking for new recruits?"

"If you feel so strongly about him, than you will carry him." Fielhombre told his comrade.

"But you're so much stronger than me! You should carry him!" Palmira whined.

Tesla heard Fielhombre start walking away. "Fielhombre!" Palmira shouted. "Don't walk away from me!"

It did not take much for Tesla to know that the man named Fielhombre was not going to return to pick him up. He heard Palmira sigh. She then leaned over him and he got a good look at her tan skin and blonde hair, she looked like a younger Master Halibel.

"Hi there, are you okay?" Palmira asked.

Tesla did not respond. Palmira frowned at this. "If you're gonna be rude, well…just be glad I know that you're still alive because otherwise I'd leave you."

Palmira leaned down and heaved Tesla to his feet. "I'm not gonna bother asking if you can walk," said Palmira, "whoever delivered that injury to you did quite a number on you."

Palmira slung Tesla's arm over her shoulder and started walking. "Don't worry," she reassured, "you'll love it in Los Retazos. I'm sure Master Muerta would be happy to heal your injuries once he's done with Jaegerjaquez."

This caught the despondent young man's attention. That's right, Tesla thought, Master Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez…Master Nnoitra never could finish him off because of that Substitute Soul Reaper.

Tesla then heard Fielhombre speak up. "Palmira!"

"Umm, yes, Fielhombre?" Palmira inquired, wondering what her comrade was going to say.

Fielhombre, with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez hoisted over his shoulder, looked over his free shoulder and gave Palmira a deadpan look. "Don't fall behind." He ordered her.

Palmira grew agitated at this, knowing that this was Fielhombre's way of joking around with her. "If you want me to keep up so bad than you carry this guy!" She shouted.

Fielhombre, still wearing the same deadpan expression, ignored her and walked away again. "Fielhombre!" Palmira screamed angrily, attempting to rush after him.

As Palmira continued to scream at her comrade, Tesla finally passed out from the pain.

(The Next Day)

Tesla woke up, still feeling depressed over losing his master. He almost immediately heard a voice he had never heard before. "I'm surprised you were the one to wake up first. Than again, considering Grimmjow's injuries, it's actually not surprising at all."

Tesla groggily turned his head to see a man standing over him. A man who radiated power. "Who are you?" Tesla carefully asked.

Benito crouched down and got eye level with Tesla. "My name is Benito Muerta, and I am the leader of Los Retazos. I healed your injuries and saved your life."

Tesla lowered his head respectfully. "I thank you, Lord Muerta. However, you shouldn't have saved me."

Benito raised an eyebrow at this. "Why?" He inquired.

"It is pointless to save a man who wishes to die, My Lord." Tesla admitted.

Hearing this indirect confession, Benito shook his head. "My word, Nnoitra must have done a number on your psyche to make you this dependent on him."

Tesla was surprised at this. "You knew Master Nnoitra?" He inquired.

Benito nodded. "A long time ago, yes." He admitted, memories of Nnoitra's hostility towards him still fresh. "We were comrades once, during the time when he was Espada 8."

Tesla's eyes widened at this. "I remember you!" Tesla exclaimed. "You were Espada 10, the man who was constantly out on assignment. When you weren't on assignment though you were always with Master Neliel."

Benito nodded. "I was often a spectator of the petty fights between Neliel and Nnoitra." He reminisced.

Benito then decided to get back to an earlier subject. "You said you wished to die." He reminded Tesla. "Why? What would your death accomplish?"

Tesla looked down sadly. "It's not what it would accomplish," Tesla replied, "it's just that there is nothing I can accomplish by living."

Benito listened intently as Tesla continued. "When I served Master Nnoitra, I felt like I was serving a great purpose. To aid the man who was supposed to become the strongest of the Espada was an honor for me. But now Master Nnoitra is dead…and now I feel so…so lost."

Benito looked at Tesla. "And sometimes we do feel lost in life. But I've found that you must sometimes get lost in life in order to find something even greater than before."

Benito smiled. "Perhaps that it was what you are going through now. And perhaps it is fate that has brought you to me so that you can serve a greater purpose than before."

Tesla's eyes widened as he was drawn in by Benito's charisma. "Join Los Retazos," Benito told him, "join me, and I will help you find something greater. A purpose bigger than yourself."

Benito held out his hand. Tesla looked at it. He then remembered all the time he spent with Nnoitra up to the final battle with Kenpachi Zaraki. He then looked up at Benito. "My Lord," he said, "forgive this selfish man, but is it alright for me to have found two purposes?"

Benito was surprised at this, but nodded. "Of course," he said, "tell me what they are."

"I will join you, My Lord. I will serve you until the death." Tesla told his new master.

"However," Tesla continued, his expression darkening, "I have another goal in mind, another purpose. I want to kill the Soul Reaper Captain, Kenpachi Zaraki.

Benito was once again surprised. However, new recruits were always welcome in Los Retazos, and if he was going to cement Tesla's absolute loyalty to him, than agreeing to a ludicrous request was a small sacrifice.

Benito smiled. "Welcome to Los Retazos, Tesla."

And may that drive of yours make you even stronger. Benito mentally added.

End Flashback

While Tesla had been training for this moment, he often found himself wondering what the meeting would be like. Would he keep his composure? Would he fly into a fit of rage? And how would Kenpachi Zaraki react to his presence? Would he mock him over the death of his master? Would he sympathize with Tesla, stating that they were at war and he had no choice but to kill Nnoitra.

Hearing the Squad 11 Captain ask who he was, however, was not the kind of reaction he had been expecting. Tesla narrowed his eyes at Kenpachi's reaction. "You don't remember who I am?" He asked angrily.

Kenpachi looked at him in confusion. "No, I don't," he admitted, "sorry, but you're not exactly a face I'd remember."

"How dare you," Tesla growled, "you almost kill me and then you kill my former master and you have the nerve to just forget my face?"

Kenpachi glared at Tesla. "Look pal, it's not my fault you're not memorable enough for people." He retorted.

Tesla was getting even more agitated at this. He then remembered something: Kenpachi had never seen him outside his Resurreción. Even then the encounter had been brief. The Royal Fracción took a deep breath and regained his composure.

"My name is Tesla Lindocruz," he introduced himself, "I am the former Fracción of Nnoitra Gilga, Espada 5. Surely you haven't forgotten him, Kenpachi Zaraki."

Kenpachi's eyes widened at this. "Nnoitra? Oh yeah, I remember that guy. He was the best damn opponent I had since Ichigo."

Kenpachi then blinked in surprise. "Wait, you were that guy's subordinate? Than that means…"

Kenpachi then remembered one little detail during that fight. It had happened right before the fight. A giant warthog-man had attempted to attack him and Kenpachi cut him down easily. There was no way…

"That pig-thing, that was you?" Kenpachi inquired.

Tesla nodded. "You killed Master Nnoitra and almost killed me. And now, Kenpachi Zaraki, I will kill you."

Kenpachi grinned. "So you picked yourself up and found a new master, huh? Tell me, who's ass is better for kissing?"

"Your words do not effect me, Kenpachi Zaraki." Tesla said impassively. "The only thing I care about now is serving my Lord and Master, Benito Muerta, and killing you."

Tesla drew his Zanpakutō. Kenpachi grinned and drew his nameless blade. "Yachiru," he said to his adopted daughter, "get clear."

"You got it Kenny, beat this guy up!" Yachiru cheered.

Yachiru leapt off Kenpachi's shoulder and scurried off. "That was smart, sending her away." Tesla told his opponent. "Although, I hope you're okay with letting her watch you die."

Kenpachi's grin widened. "For a weak little bastard you've got a lot of confidence, Kid." Kenpachi replied. "I'm not gonna die, I still have a lot of strong guys I want to fight. Your new boss is one of them."

Tesla narrowed his eyes at this. "As powerful as you are, you are still not strong enough to fight Lord Muerta, nobody here is. Besides, you won't ever get a chance to see his power. Even if you don't intend to die, you won't have a choice. I'm going to kill you."

"Then come at me," Kenpachi said, meeting Tesla's glare, "no more talking. Let's just fight already."

"I couldn't agree more."

With that, Tesla charged Kenpachi with absolute hatred in his eyes. Kenpachi grinned maniacally at the force behind Tesla's first strike. "You're really into this," Kenpachi noted, "this might just be fun after all!."

Roaring in anger, Tesla pulled back and struck again.

(With Fielhombre Guardia)

Fielhombre Guardia kept an impassive expression as he felt Kenpachi's spiritual pressure skyrocket. "He's probably fighting Tesla." He muttered. "That guy was so hellbent on fighting him."

Fielhombre then focused back on Kensei Muguruma, who had just donned his Hollow Mask. "Ah, so you are a Vizard. I get it, you're pissed at us."

"You guys made it personal." Kensei replied simply.

"Now die, evildoer!"

Fielhombre's eyes widened as he spun around and blocked a kick from Mashirō Kuna. Kensei frowned. "Mashirō, you idiot. Don't just announce your presence."

Mashirō pouted. "Don't be so mean, Kensei."

Fielhombre sighed. "One, two, it won't make a difference in the end. If you two want to die that badly I'll oblige your request."

Kensei smirked. "That's my line," he said, "Bankai, Tekken Tachikaze."

(With Tia Halibel)

Halibel blocked the Shikai of Lisa Yadōmaru with little effort. "It's been awhile since the last time we fought," Halibel noted, "where is the small girl who was with you before?"

"She's in Hueco Mundo kicking ass." Lisa replied.

"I see," Halibel said, "I'm sure you'll be happy to know that as far as I know, there have been no casualties on your side."

Lisa blinked in surprise. "Thanks, but you don't seem very bothered by that fact. Doesn't that mean you are losing?"

Halibel did not respond, she forced Lisa off her feet, knocking her backwards. Lisa regained her balance and frowned at Halibel. "Not talking, huh? That's fine, I'll just beat the answers I want out of you. But first, I'm gonna beat you up for what you did to Ichigo."

Lisa charged and swung Hagurō Tonbō. Halibel blocked it easily. Halibel then surprised Lisa when she leaned in and started whispering in her ear.

"You were friends with Ichigo, huh? Not surprising, considering that you were both the same in the end." Halibel whispered.

"Well then, I think it's time to, as humans put it, let the cat out of the bag." Halibel continued. "It's gonna be found out at some point. So, I might as well let you in on a little secret."

Halibel whispered even lower in Lisa's ear. What followed stunned Lisa…

(Kenpachi Zaraki vs. Tesla Lindocruz)

Kenpachi's monstrous Spirit Energy usually served him well in fights. It served as a great defense, protecting his body from weak attacks so only the strong could ever have a chance at taking him out. And it also served as a great offense, creating shockwaves and energy waves capable of striking down his foes.

The defense still worked just fine, but the offense…

Kenpachi swung downwards, creating an energy wave that was sent towards Tesla. Tesla held out his blade and absorbed the energy into the ring of his unique blade.

…the offense still needed some work.

"Well that's just great." Kenpachi complained.

Tesla Sonido'd several feet behind Kenpachi and swung his blade. Kenpachi's eye widened as the energy wave he had just sent at Tesla came rushing back. Kenpachi raised his blade and blocked it. However, he was still sent back several feet.

The Squad 11 Captain grinned at this. "Well, I'll be damned, this might actually be a challenge!" He shouted.

"Never thought I'd have to block my own attacks, it's almost like I'm fighting myself. And that's great! You know why? Because there's no greater challenge for me, than me!" Kenpachi continued gleefully.

"Your arrogance will be the death of you, Kenpachi Zaraki." Said Tesla.

"Says the kid who thinks he's above me!" Kenpachi countered, sending another wave of Spirit Energy at Tesla.

Tesla narrowed his eye at this. "It's useless!" He shouted, absorbing the energy once more.

Tesla yelled with exertion as he sent the energy right back at Kenpachi. Kenpachi nonchalantly blocked the attack once more. "Same to you," Kenpachi said, "come on Kid, this is common sense. I should be able to block my own attacks. Especially when I control the power of those attacks."

Tesla frowned. "But I don't like stalemates, so let me just come to you and beat you down the old fashioned way!" Kenpachi shouted.

Kenpachi ran at Tesla with his blade raised. Tesla, with some effort, managed to block the attack. Kenpachi grinned at Tesla, who simply looked at him impassively.

"I told you it's useless." Tesla said.

Kenpachi suddenly gasped as he felt a sudden shockwave in his body. "What the hell?" He muttered, feeling several internal injuries happen at once.

"I'm afraid there is more to my power than you may think," Tesla told him, "I can also absorb the force of physical attacks and then send them back into your body by exerting my own Spirit Energy."

"I have become the worst possible opponent for you, Kenpachi Zaraki. I have become a warrior who can absorb and redirect power. For someone like you, who has massive amounts of it, I am your worst nightmare come to life." Tesla explained.

"Nightmare? Hate to break it to you kid, but I'm not afraid of anything."

"You should," Tesla insisted, "it is instinct to fear something that is your opposite. It is what has continued this cycle of war, death, and destruction for years. We will end that cycle today, and I will do my part by killing you."

"Blah blah blah." Kenpachi said annoyed, leaping back. "Do you think I care about that crap?"

"I don't expect you to." Tesla admitted. "It doesn't matter in the end. You will still die today."

Kenpachi scoffed at this. "You're power is high-Lieutenant, low-Captain." He said.

Tesla was confused. "Hmm?"

"That's your power level, I gauged it from fighting you." Kenpachi explained. "From what I understand, based on the reports given by the others, the Espada were either normal-Captain, like Komamura and Akio, or high-Captain, like everyone else except the old man."

Tesla frowned at being 'labeled'. "I normally fight at a very low level to keep things going as long as they have." Kenpachi continued. "So I usually fight at the level of a Lieutenant, or a low-level Captain."

Kenpachi's aura reappeared. "But since you seem to like playing catch with my Spirit Energy so much, I'm going to give you a taste of what I fought at just to match Nnoitra."

Kenpachi sent a shockwave at Tesla. Tesla frowned once again. "How many times must I explain that it's useless?" He shouted.

Tesla raised his blade and attempted to absorb Kenpachi's Spirit Energy. However, much to Tesla's surprise, something different happened.

Tesla's uncovered eye widened in shock as he felt his blade become overwhelmed and overloaded by the massive Spirit Energy. His blade simply could not take it all.

Tesla cried out as the energy exploded around him. Kenpachi frowned at this. "Just as I thought," he said, "you freaking dumb ass. You can't absorb power that's greater than your own. Your blade is connected to you, therefore neither you nor your blade could take it all that energy."

Kenpachi was so certain that he had killed Tesla with that. So certain, he was actually surprised when he heard Tesla's voice once again. "Time to gore them!" He shouted. "Verruga!"

A monstrous boar emerged from the smoke. Kenpachi grinned at this. "Well there's the boar man!" He shouted. "You I definitely remember!"

"Silence!" Tesla rumbled. "I will not have you mock me anymore, Kenpachi Zaraki! I will kill you, and I will avenge Master Nnoitra!"

Kenpachi watched as Tesla charged him. When Tesla was right in front of him, he raised his fists. Tesla threw one fist forward, which Kenpachi easily intercepted with the flat end of his blade. The boar-man raised his other fist and threw another punch. Kenpachi raised his hand to intercept that punch as well, but he was surprised when instead of blocking the punch, Tesla's fist knocked his hand away and punched him to the ground, hard. Screaming in fury, Tesla threw a flurry of punches at Kenpachi, hitting him dead-on with each punch.

"Die!" Tesla screamed. "Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!"

Tesla raised both fists and hit him at the same time. Tesla looked down at his opponent and glared at him. He grabbed him by the shoulders and tossed him into a nearby building. "Cero!" Tesla shouted, charging energy at his tusks.

Tesla fired the Cero into the building destroying it and causing an explosion that engulfed two more buildings nearby. Tesla panted, looking at the destruction he had created in the name of revenge. I killed him, Tesla thought, I won. I avenged Master Nnoitra.

Tesla started to walk away, feeling happy for the first time in a long time. However, he stopped when he heard a small voice. "Why are you walking away?"

Tesla turned to see Yachiru Kusajishi standing nearby. "The fight is over," Tesla told her, "I won."

Yachiru shook her head at this. "Kenny's not done yet. Don't leave yet Piggy, Kenny will want to play some more."

"You're deluding yourself, Girl." Tesla said. "Zaraki is dead."

Yachiru shook her head again. "Just wait, Piggy."

Tesla's eyes widened in shock at the sudden burst of Spiritual Pressure. "There's no way," he muttered to himself, "how could he have survived such a barrage?"

Kenpachi must have heard him. "If you think something as weak as that is enough to kill me, than are you really Nnoitra's lackey? He was smart enough to know that, you know!"

Kenpachi stepped out of the ruins. "You're going down you overgrown hog, and there's nothing that's going to change that."

Kenpachi held out his blade. He then addressed someone that was neither Tesla nor Yachiru. "Sorry it took me this long," Kenpachi said, "but I've finally found someone who's at least worth the effort."

Tesla gasped when he realized who Kenpachi was talking about. "That's not possible…you're not supposed to…"

"Drink," Kenpachi spoke, "Nozarashi!"

Yachiru happily cheered while Nnoitra stood in shock as Kenpachi's blade transformed into an enormous axe. Kenpachi grinned as he hefted the axe onto his shoulder. "Nice, huh?" Kenpachi inquired. "It took me awhile, but I finally learned Nozarashi's name. Be happy, Pig-Man, you're the first person I'm using this on. You're a test run."

Tesla narrowed his eyes at this. Damn, Tesla thought, the information was off. How could we not have found that Zaraki had achieved Shikai since Lord Aizen's defeat?

But still, Tesla continued, this changes nothing! I will kill Kenpachi Zaraki!

Tesla ran towards Kenpachi, who raised Nozarashi. "Hell, maybe you are Nnoitra's lackey. He sure as hell didn't know when to give up either."

Tesla raised his fist when he was five feet from Kenpachi. Roaring with exertion, Kenpachi swung downwards, creating a large shockwave that whipped up a large cloud of smoke.

The smoke cleared just as quickly as it appeared. The dispersion revealed a wide eyed Tesla, blood spurting out of an injury that nearly cut him half. Ironically, it was the same injury as his former master, and was even dealt by the same man.

Tesla gasped for air as he collapsed to his knees. Kenpachi stepped out of the way as his large body fell to the ground. The impact shook the ground a little. Yachiru went back to Kenpachi, who was still looking at Tesla's defeated form.

"You idiot, you never once needed a reason to fight me." Kenpachi scoffed. "We could've fought each other either way without knowing who the other was because it is our instinct to fight each other. The minute you start looking for a reason to fight, you've already lost. You don't want revenge and so you fight, you want to fight so you can get revenge. Wanting and then fighting and fighting and then gaining are two different things. When you want something, you might not have the capacity to get it. But when you work for something, you then gain the capacity to get it. You screwed up. You wanted revenge, so you fought me. You should've fought me, and then got revenge. You lost the minute you screwed up your priorities."

Yachiru clapped her adopted father on the back. "That was so awesome, Kenny, you're so smart!"

Kenpachi grinned. "What, you're not going to comment on my fight? You know I want to be known as the strongest, not the smartest."

Kenpachi started walking away, with Yachiru on his shoulder. Tesla watched as Kenpachi left. He could feel life fading from his eyes already.

Damn, Tesla lamented, after all of my training it still wasn't enough.

Tesla could feel his breathing get shallower. He was fading fast. Master Nnoitra, I'm so sorry. He thought.

And Your Majesty, Tesla continued, forgive me. I was not strong enough to help you see your dream come to a reality. You did so much for me and I could do so little in the end.

"Thank you for everything," Tesla quietly spoke, "Your Majesty…

And with that, two eyes closed permanently, signaling the end of life.

(With Halibel)

"I'm sorry I must do this," Halibel genuinely said as she gently laid down Lisa's unconscious form, "but until Ichigo returns to fulfill his role, I must continue my facade."

Halibel looked out into the distance, taking notice of the destruction across the Seireitei. "Another Spiritual Pressure just faded." Halibel lamented. "Tesla is dead. After he survived that near fatal wound, I thought he could survive anything…"

Halibel clenched her fists in anger. "Why won't this mindless destruction end?" Halibel wondered. "Where did we all go wrong? Where did Alondra go wrong? Where did I go wrong? Where did Benito go wrong?"

"Ichigo," Halibel said, "please return soon."

(With Neliel)

Neliel calmly leapt from building to building across the Seireitei. In spite of her calm demeanor, however, Neliel was hellbent on her objective. She was going to find Benito and convince him to stop this before it escalated.

I can still convince him, Neliel desperately reasoned, I can still do it!

Neliel was suddenly cut off from her thoughts when someone stood in her path. Neliel gasped, and immediately found herself lamenting her bad luck. Lamenting the fact that she must face another old friend before finding Benito.

"Palmira," Neliel said sadly.

Palmira Halibel had already drawn her trident. "Lady Neliel," she said curtly, "I'm afraid I can't let you go any further."

A.N: Sorry that this is only an edited chapter, but I am still working on the new chapter. Until next time everyone.