Hi guys! It's been a while. Due to some poking by a friend, I finally finished this chapter! Only one more to go and an epilogue! I planned just this chapter and the epilogue, but this one turned out longer than I'd intended... Oh well. Yay! I hope you enjoy! Please forgive me for the long pause and I hope you read and review!

Enjoy!

"So? What is it?" They all stared at Urahara, worriedly. Urahara shook his head in disbelief.

"It's… top of the line, to say the least. They haven't even approved this to release to the military yet, not in all these years."

"So…?" Urahara sighed.

"It's a highly dangerous missile. It's fueled by a power that has been kept secret for years by the government, because they don't know how to completely contain it yet. It's like… three nukes and an atomic bomb all compressed together in a metal casing."

"How come they haven't released it yet?" Rukia asked.

"They're extremely hard to get ahold of. They're dangerous, expensive, and most of the parts are illegal," Urahara answered, pushing the sheet of paper away and turning to stare meaningfully at Ichigo, "If Aizen gets a hold of these, there's no telling what he could do. Who knows, he might even have some."

Ichigo frowned.

"But the blueprints—"

"He already stole some years ago, these are just the updated versions," Urahara told him, "Look, just keep an eye out; if you see anyone holding these, duck and keep as far away from them as possible, got it? Now come on… you should hurry, while we've got the element of surprise on our side."

Her footsteps made next to no sound on the floors as she stalked forward confidently, her clothes swishing behind her. The gaudy black and white covered her strong frame, and the hairpiece almost covered half of her face. She had waited until the green-eyed guy had left, and now approached the door. Using the key that she conveniently borrowed from a nice, unconscious man (the same who provided her with the uniform, no less), she unlocked the door and stepped in.

The orange-haired girl sitting on the edge of a small iron bed looked up in surprise, fear shining in the back of her eyes. They watched each other for a time, and Orihime kept glancing at the door worriedly.

"Um… who are you? I-Is Ulquiorra…?"

Ripping off the mask piece and gaining a gasp, Tatsuki grinned and let the piece clink to the ground as Orihime rushed her, jumping on her in a crushing hug.

"Heya, kiddo."

"Tatsuki, what're you doing here?" Orihime asked, her voice a mixture of amazement, thankfulness and worry. She pulled back to look her friend in the eye, and Tatsuki scoffed.

"You didn't think I'd just sit by and do nothing while you were kidnapped, did you?"

Orihime frowned.

"But how did you find me?"

Tatsuki shrugged.

"As soon as you texted me and told me about that guy you liked, I came over to talk to you. By then he was already getting in his car with you, so I just followed," she said, before snorting, "He's not very good at it, he didn't seem to care if he was followed or not." Orihime frowned worriedly at her.

"Tatsuki—"

"Questions later, Orihime," Tatsuki urged, grabbing her arm, "We've gotta get out of here, now, before they realize I'm here."

Just as these words left her mouth, she reached for the door just as it opened. Orihime gasped and Tatsuki cursed in her head as Ulquiorra stepped in, standing still in the doorway, his green eyes staring. Nothing showed his surprise, but his green eyes bore into Tatsuki's as she glared at him.

"Release her."

His voice was icy and clipped, and Tatsuki snarled.

"That's my line, jackass."

She reached quickly towards her holster but in a second there was a blade to her neck and she paused as Orihime shrieked. The eyes were inches from hers now, and Tatsuki's blood was freezing, her hand permanently halted.

"Release her and come with me," Ulquiorra ordered. Tatsuki let go slowly of Orihime's arm, who watched with horror.

"U-Ulqui—"

Ulquiorra gave Orihime one glance, effectively silencing her. He stared into Tatsuki's determined eyes.

"You should not have come here."

Tatsuki growled.

"You shouldn't have stolen my best friend."

Ulquiorra reached past her and pulled her gun from its holster and pointed it at her, pulling the knife away.

"Go."

Tatsuki and Orihime stared at him in confusion.

"If you are the only one here for her, you must leave now, otherwise you may not make it out—"

"Ulquiorra."

The entire room dropped about ten degrees. Orihime saw Ulquiorra's eyes only slightly widen for less than a second before flitting back to normal. Slowly he turned, looking over his shoulder at the smirking face in the doorway.

"Grimmjow."

Ichigo was crouched in a small white room—he assumed it was a kitchen. It had been surprisingly easy to infiltrate with Urahara's help, and now he and Rukia waited beside each other, guns clutched as they listened carefully to the radio on his hip. Rukia glanced around before ducking again, back pressed against the counter.

"I'll go get Orihime, you find the plans," she stated. Ichigo grabbed her arm before he could move, his golden eyes firing up.

"No way," he said lowly, seriously, "We go together." Rukia gave him a slight glare.

"You know it would be easier to do this separate. I'll be fine on my own, I'm not helpless!"

"You're not trained as much as me, either!" Ichigo protested, "Look, I know you trained at Byakuya's place and he won't let you go anywhere without a gun, but this is more serious than fending off perverts in dark alleys, alright? These are serious men, and if you forget, Gin is still walking around here somewhere. So if we do this, we do it together!"

"We'll get caught easier if we're together," she shot.

"I have orange hair, we're going to be spotted anyway," Ichigo snapped back.

"All the more reason we should split up! We'll be done and get out faster. Besides, if we're separate you won't have to constantly be worrying about me."

Ichigo's eyes softened a bit.

"I'll always worry about you."

Rukia's cheeks brushed pink, and she shoved him.

"Enough with the romantic crap, we need to divide and conquer. I'll call you on the radio if anything goes wrong. Trust me."

Ichigo sighed.

"…Fine. But you make sure to be careful! And if something… if something already happened to Orihime, Rukia, you leave her there. Alright? No matter what—what she looks like, or anything. You leave her. You understand?"

Rukia swallowed and nodded. He nodded back and stood.

"Alright, you head down that hallway and follow Urahara's directions. The contact should be near Orihime's room. Apparently he's easy to spot. I'll go get the plans."

She nodded and they shared a meaningful look before he disappeared through the doors. Rukia took a deep breath and pivoted, pushing open the doors and taking the hallway to her left.

Ichigo watched her go for a moment before keeping right, raising his gun and sneaking along the wall. His ears picked up movement and he paused. A few breaths more and there was only silence, so he continued. The halls seemed eerily quiet, and discomfort settled in the pit of Ichigo's stomach—something wasn't quite right.

He continued down the hallway at a quicker pace, turning a corner. Suddenly he heard shuffling and he yanked back, pressing his back to the wall. He heard sniffling and a murmur, which was shushed, and frowned. Didn't he recognize that voice…?

"…dead?"

Orihime. Ichigo tensed, ready to kill whoever her captor was. They reached the corner he was at and he flipped around, gun aimed. Orihime shrieked and Tatsuki slapped a hand over her mouth as Ichigo lowered the gun, breathing a deep sigh.

"Jesus," he muttered, glaring. Tatsuki returned it.

"Hey, don't look at me like that, you're the one who almost blew the hero's head off," she said.

"Have you seen Rukia?" Ichigo asked, ignoring her. Both of them shook their heads.

"Rukia's here, too?" Orihime asked, eyes wide with worry, "Ichigo, no. They want Rukia. They'll do something bad to her." Ichigo's eyes hardened and he gave Orihime a side hug.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to her. C'mon, let's get out of here," he said, pulling her down the hallway. Orihime surprised him by tugging his hand back and refusing to budge.

"Ichigo… Ulquiorra… you have to help him," she whispered, eyes filling with tears. Ichigo sent Tatsuki a questioning glance, who scoffed.

"He's the guy that brought her here. He's brainwashed her."

"He has not!" Orihime protested.

"Alright, come on, we don't have time for this," Ichigo said. Orihime pulled him back again.

"Orihime—"

"Please, Ichigo," she said, "he tried to help us escape. I don't… I don't know if… he's still alive, but…" Her eyes filled with tears. Ichigo had almost forgotten how delicate of a person Orihime was.

"Alright, okay, Orihime, I'll find him, don't worry."

"We can find the way out from here," Tatsuki said, and went on from Ichigo's uncertain glance, "I got in, I can get her out. There's a secret path that feeds out just a few blocks from her apartment."

Ichigo hesitated and pulled the radio to his lips.

"…Urahara?"

There was a crackle.

"We'll have a car waiting for them."

Ichigo nodded to Tatsuki and she passed him, taking Orihime with her. Ichigo clipped the radio onto his belt and gripped his gun with both hands again, moving on.

Grimmjow walked leisurely around the room, pretending to pick at his nails.

"So… you're the snake, huh?" he said casually. Ulquiorra stared at him evenly. He knew Grimmjow's game. He knew it better than anyone, besides Grimmjow himself. He knew that Grimmjow had only let Tatsuki and Orihime go because there was something waiting for them, or that Grimmjow knew something Ulquiorra didn't. He used bluffs like these sometimes, but never on Ulquiorra; he knew they didn't work on him.

Ulquiorra didn't respond and Grimmjow grinned.

"Never would have thought it, the way you're up Aizen's ass all the time," Grimmjow said.

"Things change over time," Ulquiorra stated.

"Yeah? What changed this? The girl?"

"This change came a long time before her."

Grimmjow pointed a finger in the air.

"Ah. But you didn't deny that was a reason."

"What do you want, Grimmjow?" Ulquiorra asked.

"I want a lot of things," Grimmjow said, stepping closer, his smile dropping, "First off, I wanna know why. Aizen gave you everything. You used to worship him. So why all this shit now?"

"Aizen gave me but one thing, and while I appreciated it, it is of no use now," he said. Grimmjow's eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward, nose almost brushing Ulquiorra's.

"Oh yeah? And what was that?"

Ulquiorra's eyes met his, mostly blank, but after years of this, Grimmjow could see the spark of emotion behind those eyes, a sort of light that he couldn't identify. Ulquiorra spoke from those pale lips then.

"Purpose."

When Ichigo reached the room, any hope of finding Orihime's kidnapper evaporated. The door was flung open, and blood was splattered the floor. It looked pretty fresh, too. There was a blue haired man on the floor, his chest covered in dried blood, his blank eyes staring off to his right, the direction his hand was reaching. Ichigo followed this line with his eyes and cursed, hurrying over. Leaned up against the small bed was a dark haired man with the most shocking green eyes Ichigo had ever seen. He clutched his chest, where blood was gushing through his fingers.

"What's your name?" Ichigo asked.

Those eyes met his carelessly.

"Ulquiorra."

"You brought Orihime here?" Ichigo probed, kneeling in front of him, gun still at the ready. Ulquiorra stared in an unwavering gaze that sent chills down his spine.

"If you're going to kill me," he said slowly, speaking obviously taking a lot out of him, "I suggest you hurry."

Ichigo holstered his gun. He ripped the bed sheet off of the bed and bundled it up as he spoke and Ulquiorra watched him emotionlessly.

"I'm not going to kill you," he said, pulling Ulquiorra's hand away from his wound easily and replacing it with the bed sheet, "Here, hold this. You think you can last for a bit longer?"

Ulquiorra did as he was told, eyes staring at him. Already Ichigo could see the light dying out from his eyes.

"No."

Ichigo gritted his teeth.

"Well try. I know someone who'll just cry her eyes out if you die. I'll be back later."
Ichigo stood and left. Ulquiorra's eyes followed him, and then turned back to the wall where they had been staring previously. It was silent for a moment, and then one word.

"…Trash…"

Ichigo pulled out his radio and spoke.

"Urahara? Are Tatsuki and Orihime safe?"

A crackle.

"We haven't seen them yet, but we sent someone into the tunnel to get them."

"Okay. Tell Orihime I found who she wanted me to, and he's really badly hurt. I don't know if he'll make it. Also, I think he was our informant, Urahara. He's the only one that makes sense. He helped them escape."

"Well, then, you know what to do," Urahara said.

"Yeah, there's just something bugging me," Ichigo muttered, checking around a corner before rounding it and continuing.

"Hm?"

"I sent Rukia to find Orihime," he said, "Well, I found Orihime, and I checked her room. So where is Rukia?"

Rukia stepped into a large white room, gun held in her sweaty palms. She hadn't run into anyone on her way here except a thug or two, who she had been able to avoid easily. Something was gnawing at her. There was something… off. Rukia stepped closer to the long table in the middle, peering at the paper there. They were sketches of the missile plans, and profiles of people. There was Orihime, and a guy with dark hair and green eyes that seemed almost lifeless, a blue haired guy with a cocky smile—Rukia was there, too, with a red dot at the top of the page. Rukia frowned, scanning them over, and jumped when a voice echoed from behind her.

"Rukia Kuchiki. How nice. We've been waiting."

"So? What? You don't need a purpose now? That doesn't seem like you," Grimmjow said.

"I do not expect to outlive these circumstance," Ulquiorra replied. Grimmjow's eyes lit in understanding.

"You're on a suicide mission," Grimmjow said. Ulquiorra simply stared. Grimmjow glared at him.

"How the hell can you do that?" he snarled, "What, you gonna make me kill you?"

"Since when do I have to make you do anything, Trash?" Ulquiorra said, "It is not my wish to die by the hand of scum like you, but I supposed that you would be the first to offer if asked." Grimmjow steamed.

"Really? After all we've been through?"

"You hate me and you're a madman," Ulquiorra said calmly, "Our trials together have had no effect on your emotions towards me."

"Yeah, more like the other way around, is what it sounds like to me," Grimmjow said. Ulquiorra was silent.

"You remember when we were kids, right?" Grimmjow asked, "When you first saw me and picked a fight?"

"I believe it was you who—"

"Yeah, and you kicked my ass, called me trash, and walked away. What did I ask you?"

Ulquiorra didn't respond.

"I said 'what's your deal?' And you said?"

"…'you remind me of my father'." It was quiet.

"I remember what happened, Grimmjow, but there is no point in bringing that event up now—"

"You hated me from the beginnin', so don't you go sayin' that I'd volunteer to kill ya just 'cause you think your old man did," Grimmjow said, and Ulquiorra stiffened. Grimmjow continued lowly.

"Now I ain't gonna kill ya, but I can't let ya get away with it, either. Aizen'll have my ass, too. Then he can deal death for ya, since ya want it so much."

Ulquiorra grabbed Grimmjow's arm in a piercing grip, and Grimmjow stopped, shocked.

"I can't allow you to do that, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra said. Grimmjow stared at him and glared.

"Well then," he said, pulling a blade out of his pocket, "I guess you'll get your wish after all, pipsqueak."

After the fight was over, Ulquiorra dragged himself to prop up against the bed. Grimmjow was still gasping, staring at him, blood pouring out of his chest. Ulquiorra stared at him.

"You still could not do what I wished," Ulquiorra said, "…trash."

It was quiet.

"Tell… me…"

Ulquiorra's eyes flickered to Grimmjow in mild surprise. Grimmjow stared back at him, his hand reaching towards him.

"Why… you call… trash…"

Ulquiorra stared.

"You're going to be dead in a few minutes. The information is not important to you."

Grimmjow growled, his chest heaving. Blood trickled from his lips. Ulquiorra watched.

"My father called me trash," Ulquiorra said, "When I could not control my emotions. When I was angry or scared or happy. I was trash. He would show me that I was trash. The world is a trashcan. Emotions are products that, if used, need to be thrown away. You are full of emotions, therefore you are trash. You mistake my calling others that for my belief that I am not trash. On the contrary, I am aware that I am trash. I was hoping to be thrown away. But you have made it so I must wait a little longer."

Ulquiorra pressed a hand to his chest. The blood was flowing unhindered now. Grimmjow stared at him with the little light he had left in those blue eyes of his. His lips parted, barely.

"Don't… throw…'way…"

Ulquiorra stared at him until Grimmjow's eyes went blank. The room went cold. Ulquiorra sat quietly, waiting for the world to throw him away.

Sweat dripped down Rukia's neck and into her shirt. The tall dark haired man smiled nicely at her, but there was something sinister behind it.

Rukia couldn't speak. He seemed to pick up on that and stepped closer. Rukia was brought back to her senses slightly and took a step backwards, bringing her gun up to aim right at Aizen's head. He stopped, looking shocked, before it melted into another easy smile.

"Don't worry; I don't want any of that. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Yeah, right," she hissed.

"I just want your brother to understand what he's done," Aizen said, "You know what happened, I assume?"

"You were fired because you were stealing plans for illegal missiles."

Aizen shook his head.

"See, you only have half the story. I'd like to tell my half of the story, if that's alright," he said. Rukia didn't respond, glancing behind him for a sign that anyone was coming to help. There was none. Aizen took this pause as a yes and began.

"I was working with your brother at the company he works now, and he and I both found out about the blue prints for deadly weapons. I started questioning why they had them. I wanted to know if they were going to start a war. Is it really fair, after all, for one group of people to hold so much power? Byakuya tried to silence me, he said that we shouldn't question our superiors. When I continued asking questions, Byakuya told on me, and I was fired."

"Then what about the blueprints?" Rukia asked.

"I had one of my… associates access them for me. I wanted to know what kind of power they held. Who knows? Maybe it's enough to blow half the planet. Do you think it's right for them to have this power over everyone else? Life or death in the hands of some company?"

Rukia paused.

"Then what are you going to do with them? Ura—someone said you could have already built one."

Aizen nodded, stepping forward. Rukia's fingers tightened on her gun and she took another step back. Something sharp pressed against her neck then, and she felt breath beside her ear.

"Release the gun, girl, and no one gets hurt," the voice hissed lightly. It was slimy and Rukia bit her lip to suppress a shriek. She lowered the gun and felt it taken from her fingers. Her eyes went back to Aizen, whose lips were tighter and eyes wider.

"Now then," he said, eyes gleaming, "You've met Gin. Now we can talk."

Yes? Enjoy? I hope so. Let me know what you think! Reviews are beautiful and appreciated. Thank you for reading! See you next time!